The Ruling on the field, stands

[CodyCat]

If the play stands and the field goal is good. We go into missoula the #1 team in the country and the exact same outcome occurs.

The most blunt way to sum up this season is that the best (our one of the best) Cat teams couldn’t beat the worst NDSU team in 15 years.

Maybe next year…

[JoeCatsJoe]

I have to think that maybe our year ends a ‘hare’ differently if the last play against SDSU. It’s been beaten up pretty well for the last few months and today’s matchup makes it that much more sour.

FTG

That and a couple missed kicks and we are right there. I got nothing on how we didn’t get off the bus in Missoula though. Because we all know they’re not any better than the Cats.

I understand this comment, I really do. But they hammered us, beat Idaho on the road when we couldn’t, beat NDSU at home when we couldn’t, and made it waaaay farther in the playoffs. You can’t say they weren’t the better football team this year, you just don’t have a leg to stand on.

I think they played better than us against idaho and in Missoula but the cats didn’t play to their full ability in either of those games. So are they really better or did they just play better

I’m sorry, your argument is that they played better in all the important games, but they aren’t actually better? That doesn’t make sense. You can maybe argue that we are just as TALENTED, but that doesn’t mean we are just as good. A team that gets the most of their talent is BETTER than an equally talented team that doesn’t.

[JoeCatsJoe]

If the play stands and the field goal is good. We go into missoula the #1 team in the country and the exact same outcome occurs.

The most blunt way to sum up this season is that the best (our one of the best) Cat teams couldn’t beat the worst NDSU team in 15 years.

Maybe next year…

I really felt like that game was a great summary of the season. Watching it, I thought we were the better team. We had more talent, more dudes. And yet we never made a play when we really needed one. Perfect summary of our season. All the talent, made mistakes in key parts of the game, didn’t make enough positive plays in key moments.

[WalkOn79]

If the play stands and the field goal is good. We go into missoula the #1 team in the country and the exact same outcome occurs.

The most blunt way to sum up this season is that the best (our one of the best) Cat teams couldn’t beat the worst NDSU team in 15 years.

Maybe next year…

I really felt like that game was a great summary of the season. Watching it, I thought we were the better team. We had more talent, more dudes. And yet we never made a play when we really needed one. Perfect summary of our season. All the talent, made mistakes in key parts of the game, didn’t make enough positive plays in key moments.

Yep. We'll have a group of seniors in 2024, which enhances the leadership dynamic. leadership = making plays when it matters most.

[gris_h8er]

If 509 yards at 8.6 yards per play, and 34 points is indicative of bad play calling, I can’t imagine what good play calling is.

Winning against idaho and ndsu comes to mind

I wasn’t aware that winning and losing was solely determined by the OC’s play calling.

It’s not his fault the kicker missed multiple times. It’s not his fault the backup safety took awful angles. It’s not his fault Tommy missed reads.

Coaches are going to have bad play calls. Bad halves. Bad games. So are players. It’s football, it’s hard to be perfect. But acting like a guy called a terrible game because we lost by 1, in OT, bc an XP was blocked, after the team accumulated 509 offensive yards at 8.6 yards per play is absolutely asinine.

Disliking Housewright because of his off field stuff is more than warranted. On the field he’s been very good.

It’s not solely his fault but his play calling had negative outcomes in those games.

He’s been good against bad teams when play calling has far less bearing on the game: hence the stats. If you think the call on 3rd and 1 against NDSU was a good idea I’ve got no response. Saying that he’s good because he can rack up stats against bad teams is arguably more asinine.

It’s impossible to be perfect but that’s the target and the only way to learn is to analyze things through that lense. If you just accept good stats and loses to teams that the cats have to be beat to advance, teams that the cats have to beat to win the conference and the gris who have to be beat due to their embarrassing institution then those loses will continue.

I would argue that accepting those stats and the loses that accompany them is significantly more asinine than calling to be the best and beat idaho, NDSU and the gris.

lol. No, the offense did not have a negative outcome in the game against NDSU. It had negative plays, but not a negative outcome.

I don’t know why you’re talking about stats against bad teams. I’ve only talked about NDSU, I wouldn’t consider them a bad team. Were there some bad play calls? Sure, but you don’t make decisions based off of one or two plays. You take the whole.

I’ll tell you this…he wouldn’t be as easy to replace as you think. Calling plays is difficult. Designing a good offense is difficult.

So difficult that housegenious ran EMPTY BACKFIELD on 3rd and 1. That’s it you’ve converted me.

That is one of the worst play calls I’ve ever seen. Any moron with a pulse can see that.

[gris_h8er]

I have to think that maybe our year ends a ‘hare’ differently if the last play against SDSU. It’s been beaten up pretty well for the last few months and today’s matchup makes it that much more sour.

FTG

That and a couple missed kicks and we are right there. I got nothing on how we didn’t get off the bus in Missoula though. Because we all know they’re not any better than the Cats.

I understand this comment, I really do. But they hammered us, beat Idaho on the road when we couldn’t, beat NDSU at home when we couldn’t, and made it waaaay farther in the playoffs. You can’t say they weren’t the better football team this year, you just don’t have a leg to stand on.

I think they played better than us against idaho and in Missoula but the cats didn’t play to their full ability in either of those games. So are they really better or did they just play better

I’m sorry, your argument is that they played better in all the important games, but they aren’t actually better? That doesn’t make sense. You can maybe argue that we are just as TALENTED, but that doesn’t mean we are just as good. A team that gets the most of their talent is BETTER than an equally talented team that doesn’t.

This is nearly the same team that beat the gris 55-21. What changed that made this team incapable of winning in Missoula? If the roster changed massively then your argument would hold but this roster proved they are much better than 8-4. How did this team go from 55-21 and 11-2 to 8-4? This team might not be better than the gris which is debatable in spite of the terrible showing in Missoula but it’s definitely better than 8-4.

AND since the team isn’t playing to its talent level and capitalizing on a talented we’ve circled back to my complaints with the coordinators.

[Common Cat]

To me it became a lack of aggression on defense and not attacking on offense. There was a certain identity of toughness that was missing. Some players had it, but as an identity, we seemed to lack that dog in a fight mentality.

[onceacat]

I have to think that maybe our year ends a ‘hare’ differently if the last play against SDSU. It’s been beaten up pretty well for the last few months and today’s matchup makes it that much more sour.

FTG

That and a couple missed kicks and we are right there. I got nothing on how we didn’t get off the bus in Missoula though. Because we all know they’re not any better than the Cats.

I understand this comment, I really do. But they hammered us, beat Idaho on the road when we couldn’t, beat NDSU at home when we couldn’t, and made it waaaay farther in the playoffs. You can’t say they weren’t the better football team this year, you just don’t have a leg to stand on.

I think they played better than us against idaho and in Missoula but the cats didn’t play to their full ability in either of those games. So are they really better or did they just play better

I’m sorry, your argument is that they played better in all the important games, but they aren’t actually better? That doesn’t make sense. You can maybe argue that we are just as TALENTED, but that doesn’t mean we are just as good. A team that gets the most of their talent is BETTER than an equally talented team that doesn’t.

This is nearly the same team that beat the gris 55-21. What changed that made this team incapable of winning in Missoula? If the roster changed massively then your argument would hold but this roster proved they are much better than 8-4. How did this team go from 55-21 and 11-2 to 8-4? This team might not be better than the gris which is debatable in spite of the terrible showing in Missoula but it’s definitely better than 8-4.

AND since the team isn’t playing to its talent level and capitalizing on a talented we’ve circled back to my complaints with the coordinators.

If this years team had last years cupcake schedule, its probably an 11-2 team too. Home field is a significant advantage, probably worth a FG at minimum, maybe a TD.

Heck, if this years team has a average NAIA FG kicker, its probably an 11-2 team too, even with the brutal schedule.

If this years gris team had last years schedule, they probably go 7-4 again too.

[gris_h8er]

I have to think that maybe our year ends a ‘hare’ differently if the last play against SDSU. It’s been beaten up pretty well for the last few months and today’s matchup makes it that much more sour.

FTG

That and a couple missed kicks and we are right there. I got nothing on how we didn’t get off the bus in Missoula though. Because we all know they’re not any better than the Cats.

I understand this comment, I really do. But they hammered us, beat Idaho on the road when we couldn’t, beat NDSU at home when we couldn’t, and made it waaaay farther in the playoffs. You can’t say they weren’t the better football team this year, you just don’t have a leg to stand on.

I think they played better than us against idaho and in Missoula but the cats didn’t play to their full ability in either of those games. So are they really better or did they just play better

I’m sorry, your argument is that they played better in all the important games, but they aren’t actually better? That doesn’t make sense. You can maybe argue that we are just as TALENTED, but that doesn’t mean we are just as good. A team that gets the most of their talent is BETTER than an equally talented team that doesn’t.

This is nearly the same team that beat the gris 55-21. What changed that made this team incapable of winning in Missoula? If the roster changed massively then your argument would hold but this roster proved they are much better than 8-4. How did this team go from 55-21 and 11-2 to 8-4? This team might not be better than the gris which is debatable in spite of the terrible showing in Missoula but it’s definitely better than 8-4.

AND since the team isn’t playing to its talent level and capitalizing on a talented we’ve circled back to my complaints with the coordinators.

If this years team had last years cupcake schedule, its probably an 11-2 team too. Home field is a significant advantage, probably worth a FG at minimum, maybe a TD.

Heck, if this years team has a average NAIA FG kicker, its probably an 11-2 team too, even with the brutal schedule.

If this years gris team had last years schedule, they probably go 7-4 again too.

So who’s it on for not winning anyway? Hard schedule or not you’ve gotta win games and this team didn’t.
Is it on the coaches? I think it’s on them and now we’re right back to the conversations I had after cat gris when I came unglued.

[catscat]

To me it became a lack of aggression on defense and not attacking on offense. There was a certain identity of toughness that was missing. Some players had it, but as an identity, we seemed to lack that dog in a fight mentality.

Okada provided a lot of toughness. I think one of the SDSU coaches was quoted as saying "we aren't afraid to lose.". I think our defense played too often as afraid to lose.

[Vamos Gatos Vamos]

If 509 yards at 8.6 yards per play, and 34 points is indicative of bad play calling, I can’t imagine what good play calling is.

Winning against idaho and ndsu comes to mind

I wasn’t aware that winning and losing was solely determined by the OC’s play calling.

It’s not his fault the kicker missed multiple times. It’s not his fault the backup safety took awful angles. It’s not his fault Tommy missed reads.

Coaches are going to have bad play calls. Bad halves. Bad games. So are players. It’s football, it’s hard to be perfect. But acting like a guy called a terrible game because we lost by 1, in OT, bc an XP was blocked, after the team accumulated 509 offensive yards at 8.6 yards per play is absolutely asinine.

Disliking Housewright because of his off field stuff is more than warranted. On the field he’s been very good.

It’s not solely his fault but his play calling had negative outcomes in those games.

He’s been good against bad teams when play calling has far less bearing on the game: hence the stats. If you think the call on 3rd and 1 against NDSU was a good idea I’ve got no response. Saying that he’s good because he can rack up stats against bad teams is arguably more asinine.

It’s impossible to be perfect but that’s the target and the only way to learn is to analyze things through that lense. If you just accept good stats and loses to teams that the cats have to be beat to advance, teams that the cats have to beat to win the conference and the gris who have to be beat due to their embarrassing institution then those loses will continue.

I would argue that accepting those stats and the loses that accompany them is significantly more asinine than calling to be the best and beat idaho, NDSU and the gris.

lol. No, the offense did not have a negative outcome in the game against NDSU. It had negative plays, but not a negative outcome.

I don’t know why you’re talking about stats against bad teams. I’ve only talked about NDSU, I wouldn’t consider them a bad team. Were there some bad play calls? Sure, but you don’t make decisions based off of one or two plays. You take the whole.

I’ll tell you this…he wouldn’t be as easy to replace as you think. Calling plays is difficult. Designing a good offense is difficult.

Calling plays is difficult and we don't know how much influence Vigen has. Remember the 'A gap I'll show you who's tough' game plan against SDSU? It almost worked, but left many of us wondering what might have happened with a play action pass or two to a wide open tight end, etc, etc. Long winded, but what I'm trying to say is we don't know how much control of the game plan Housewright has. He's made some bonehead mistakes off the field for sure, but he's young, affordable, and has shown he can take good players and make a great team out of them. All-time rushing records last year, in a year where we reloaded the O line and tweaked the run game plan. We have a great thing going here and Housewright's part of that. But you are what your record says you are. Disappointed? Absolutely. Injuries played a part, kicking played a part, depth at LB played a part too. But every team goes through this, the ones that find a way are the ones who get to the chipper. Griz did. We didn't. Hats off to them, but lets kick the bear ****** out of them this fall!

[Montanabob]

If 509 yards at 8.6 yards per play, and 34 points is indicative of bad play calling, I can’t imagine what good play calling is.

Winning against idaho and ndsu comes to mind

I wasn’t aware that winning and losing was solely determined by the OC’s play calling.

It’s not his fault the kicker missed multiple times. It’s not his fault the backup safety took awful angles. It’s not his fault Tommy missed reads.

Coaches are going to have bad play calls. Bad halves. Bad games. So are players. It’s football, it’s hard to be perfect. But acting like a guy called a terrible game because we lost by 1, in OT, bc an XP was blocked, after the team accumulated 509 offensive yards at 8.6 yards per play is absolutely asinine.

Disliking Housewright because of his off field stuff is more than warranted. On the field he’s been very good.

It’s not solely his fault but his play calling had negative outcomes in those games.

He’s been good against bad teams when play calling has far less bearing on the game: hence the stats. If you think the call on 3rd and 1 against NDSU was a good idea I’ve got no response. Saying that he’s good because he can rack up stats against bad teams is arguably more asinine.

It’s impossible to be perfect but that’s the target and the only way to learn is to analyze things through that lense. If you just accept good stats and loses to teams that the cats have to be beat to advance, teams that the cats have to beat to win the conference and the gris who have to be beat due to their embarrassing institution then those loses will continue.

I would argue that accepting those stats and the loses that accompany them is significantly more asinine than calling to be the best and beat idaho, NDSU and the gris.

lol. No, the offense did not have a negative outcome in the game against NDSU. It had negative plays, but not a negative outcome.

I don’t know why you’re talking about stats against bad teams. I’ve only talked about NDSU, I wouldn’t consider them a bad team. Were there some bad play calls? Sure, but you don’t make decisions based off of one or two plays. You take the whole.

I’ll tell you this…he wouldn’t be as easy to replace as you think. Calling plays is difficult. Designing a good offense is difficult.

Calling plays is difficult and we don't know how much influence Vigen has. Remember the 'A gap I'll show you who's tough' game plan against SDSU? It almost worked, but left many of us wondering what might have happened with a play action pass or two to a wide open tight end, etc, etc. Long winded, but what I'm trying to say is we don't know how much control of the game plan Housewright has. He's made some bonehead mistakes off the field for sure, but he's young, affordable, and has shown he can take good players and make a great team out of them. All-time rushing records last year, in a year where we reloaded the O line and tweaked the run game plan. We have a great thing going here and Housewright's part of that. But you are what your record says you are. Disappointed? Absolutely. Injuries played a part, kicking played a part, depth at LB played a part too. But every team goes through this, the ones that find a way are the ones who get to the chipper. Griz did. We didn't. Hats off to them, but lets kick the bear ****** out of them this fall!

just for a bad reference, I remember under Ash, sitting in the stands, called where the play was going and who would carry/be passed to with way to much accuracy.

[94VegasCat]

I think we could all tell which games we played not to lose and the games we played to win. We were 8-4. I think you can figure it out from that.

[JoeCatsJoe]

I have to think that maybe our year ends a ‘hare’ differently if the last play against SDSU. It’s been beaten up pretty well for the last few months and today’s matchup makes it that much more sour.

FTG

That and a couple missed kicks and we are right there. I got nothing on how we didn’t get off the bus in Missoula though. Because we all know they’re not any better than the Cats.

I understand this comment, I really do. But they hammered us, beat Idaho on the road when we couldn’t, beat NDSU at home when we couldn’t, and made it waaaay farther in the playoffs. You can’t say they weren’t the better football team this year, you just don’t have a leg to stand on.

I think they played better than us against idaho and in Missoula but the cats didn’t play to their full ability in either of those games. So are they really better or did they just play better

I’m sorry, your argument is that they played better in all the important games, but they aren’t actually better? That doesn’t make sense. You can maybe argue that we are just as TALENTED, but that doesn’t mean we are just as good. A team that gets the most of their talent is BETTER than an equally talented team that doesn’t.

This is nearly the same team that beat the gris 55-21. What changed that made this team incapable of winning in Missoula? If the roster changed massively then your argument would hold but this roster proved they are much better than 8-4. How did this team go from 55-21 and 11-2 to 8-4? This team might not be better than the gris which is debatable in spite of the terrible showing in Missoula but it’s definitely better than 8-4.

AND since the team isn’t playing to its talent level and capitalizing on a talented we’ve circled back to my complaints with the coordinators.

I’m sorry, we are not the same team as last year. Are you telling me that losing guys like Ty and Willie P doesn’t have an impact on leadership? No team is ever the same year to year, the team dynamic changes a lot with just a few players coming in and out. We aren’t as good because we didn’t show up in key moments. Your point about the coordinators is well taken tho. That might really help us step in the right direction in clutch situations.

[TomCat88]

I have to think that maybe our year ends a ‘hare’ differently if the last play against SDSU. It’s been beaten up pretty well for the last few months and today’s matchup makes it that much more sour.

FTG

That and a couple missed kicks and we are right there. I got nothing on how we didn’t get off the bus in Missoula though. Because we all know they’re not any better than the Cats.

I understand this comment, I really do. But they hammered us, beat Idaho on the road when we couldn’t, beat NDSU at home when we couldn’t, and made it waaaay farther in the playoffs. You can’t say they weren’t the better football team this year, you just don’t have a leg to stand on.

I think they played better than us against idaho and in Missoula but the cats didn’t play to their full ability in either of those games. So are they really better or did they just play better

I’m sorry, your argument is that they played better in all the important games, but they aren’t actually better? That doesn’t make sense. You can maybe argue that we are just as TALENTED, but that doesn’t mean we are just as good. A team that gets the most of their talent is BETTER than an equally talented team that doesn’t.

This is nearly the same team that beat the gris 55-21. What changed that made this team incapable of winning in Missoula? If the roster changed massively then your argument would hold but this roster proved they are much better than 8-4. How did this team go from 55-21 and 11-2 to 8-4? This team might not be better than the gris which is debatable in spite of the terrible showing in Missoula but it’s definitely better than 8-4.

AND since the team isn’t playing to its talent level and capitalizing on a talented we’ve circled back to my complaints with the coordinators.

If this years team had last years cupcake schedule, its probably an 11-2 team too. Home field is a significant advantage, probably worth a FG at minimum, maybe a TD.

Heck, if this years team has a average NAIA FG kicker, its probably an 11-2 team too, even with the brutal schedule.

If this years gris team had last years schedule, they probably go 7-4 again too.

So who’s it on for not winning anyway? Hard schedule or not you’ve gotta win games and this team didn’t.
Is it on the coaches? I think it’s on them and now we’re right back to the conversations I had after cat gris when I came unglued.

Teams underachieving is nothing new. In just the last year three 100-win teams went 1-9 and all lost out in the first round. The Boston Bruins had the best regular season in nhl history and lost in the first round of the playoffs. It just happens. I wouldn’t spend too much time thinking about it.

[RickRund]

I have to think that maybe our year ends a ‘hare’ differently if the last play against SDSU. It’s been beaten up pretty well for the last few months and today’s matchup makes it that much more sour.

FTG

That and a couple missed kicks and we are right there. I got nothing on how we didn’t get off the bus in Missoula though. Because we all know they’re not any better than the Cats.

I understand this comment, I really do. But they hammered us, beat Idaho on the road when we couldn’t, beat NDSU at home when we couldn’t, and made it waaaay farther in the playoffs. You can’t say they weren’t the better football team this year, you just don’t have a leg to stand on.

I think they played better than us against idaho and in Missoula but the cats didn’t play to their full ability in either of those games. So are they really better or did they just play better

I’m sorry, your argument is that they played better in all the important games, but they aren’t actually better? That doesn’t make sense. You can maybe argue that we are just as TALENTED, but that doesn’t mean we are just as good. A team that gets the most of their talent is BETTER than an equally talented team that doesn’t.

This is nearly the same team that beat the gris 55-21. What changed that made this team incapable of winning in Missoula? If the roster changed massively then your argument would hold but this roster proved they are much better than 8-4. How did this team go from 55-21 and 11-2 to 8-4? This team might not be better than the gris which is debatable in spite of the terrible showing in Missoula but it’s definitely better than 8-4.

AND since the team isn’t playing to its talent level and capitalizing on a talented we’ve circled back to my complaints with the coordinators.

If this years team had last years cupcake schedule, its probably an 11-2 team too. Home field is a significant advantage, probably worth a FG at minimum, maybe a TD.

Heck, if this years team has a average NAIA FG kicker, its probably an 11-2 team too, even with the brutal schedule.

If this years gris team had last years schedule, they probably go 7-4 again too.

So who’s it on for not winning anyway? Hard schedule or not you’ve gotta win games and this team didn’t.
Is it on the coaches? I think it’s on them and now we’re right back to the conversations I had after cat gris when I came unglued.

Teams underachieving is nothing new. In just the last year three 100-win teams went 1-9 and all lost out in the first round. The Boston Bruins had the best regular season in nhl history and lost in the first round of the playoffs. It just happens. I wouldn’t spend too much time thinking about it.

You've got that right Tomcat. And if the dodgers do their same exit plan this coming season, wow...