MSU vs WIU predictions

[BleedingBLue]

I just want to say I don't buy the whole travel makes this game hard crap. NAIA teams don't fly for the most part and in conferences like the Frontier, teams are taking long bus rides every weekend. Good teams are ready when they stop off that bus and today won't be any different.

[Cledus]

I just want to say I don't buy the whole travel makes this game hard crap. NAIA teams don't fly for the most part and in conferences like the Frontier, teams are taking long bus rides every weekend. Good teams are ready when they stop off that bus and today won't be any different.

Hear ye, hear ye.

Last week the narrative was SEMO was a ranked team and we have a sh—-y record against ranked teams. This week, the bs narrative is the road record and we can’t play on the road.

[ilovethecats]

I just want to say I don't buy the whole travel makes this game hard crap. NAIA teams don't fly for the most part and in conferences like the Frontier, teams are taking long bus rides every weekend. Good teams are ready when they stop off that bus and today won't be any different.

Hear ye, hear ye.

Last week the narrative was SEMO was a ranked team and we have a sh—-y record against ranked teams. This week, the bs narrative is the road record and we can’t play on the road.

Agreed. It’s like people are afraid of the idea we might actually be good and this team might be different.

Without any disrespect, it’s clear that the culture has changed within the team far faster than within our fan base. And that’s just fine. Players play. Coaches coach. Fans cheer.

[bobcat99]

I just want to say I don't buy the whole travel makes this game hard crap. NAIA teams don't fly for the most part and in conferences like the Frontier, teams are taking long bus rides every weekend. Good teams are ready when they stop off that bus and today won't be any different.

Hear ye, hear ye.

Last week the narrative was SEMO was a ranked team and we have a sh—-y record against ranked teams. This week, the bs narrative is the road record and we can’t play on the road.

Agreed. It’s like people are afraid of the idea we might actually be good and this team might be different.

Without any disrespect, it’s clear that the culture has changed within the team far faster than within our fan base. And that’s just fine. Players play. Coaches coach. Fans cheer.

It's easier to be negative bc it's a win-win.

"See! I told you we weren't that good!"

"Oh wow! I'm so glad I was wrong and we had a positive outcome!"

No matter what, they're happy. Either they're right, or we won.

It's a mentality for the weak minded folk.

[Bobcat4Ever]

The math is remarkably similar in playoff appearances and total wins. I just want to say thank you to Western Illinois University for stepping up and scheduling a home-and-home with us, and in back-to-back years. It doesn't happen as often as it should, and honestly it's a lot more fun than a bunch of one-offs. Thank you WIU for the games. So, now it's game day. My wish is for good fortune and no major injuries for anyone, a well-played game, and a solid Bobcat victory!

[RobertCats]

I predicted a 34-3 win, but I am a little worried about this game too. If we played WIU ten times I think we would win 8 or 9 times by double digits. Then there is that 1 or 2 times where we come out flat and play down to their level. I could see today being one of those down times with ****** travel, they are desperate for a win and play tough at home, it could happen.

Maybe it’s just me being a Bobcat fan for 30+ years that I have a pessimistic view on the “easy” wins since they have bit us in the ass like 60% of the time. I do agree that this team feels different with Choate, so let’s hope for a convincing win.

[cats2506]

I just want to say I don't buy the whole travel makes this game hard crap. NAIA teams don't fly for the most part and in conferences like the Frontier, teams are taking long bus rides every weekend. Good teams are ready when they stop off that bus and today won't be any different.

Hear ye, hear ye.

Last week the narrative was SEMO was a ranked team and we have a sh—-y record against ranked teams. This week, the bs narrative is the road record and we can’t play on the road.

greed. It’s like people are afraid of the idea we might actually be good and this team might be different.

Without any disrespect, it’s clear that the culture has changed within the team far faster than within our fan base. And that’s just fine. Players play. Coaches coach. Fans cheer.

I also think the culture of this team is different, but as a Cat fan since the 70's its hard to change a mindset only 2 games into the season. I have a lifetime of seeing "sure win" games become close or losses. The Cats have had to fight themselves out of holes of their own making so many times that it comes naturally to some of our fans to hedge a bit. I believe in this team, I just think this is a tougher matchup than some do. We are not an established power yet.

[Buckaroo Bonzi]

I predicted a 34-3 win, but I am a little worried about this game too. If we played WIU ten times I think we would win 8 or 9 times by double digits. Then there is that 1 or 2 times where we come out flat and play down to their level. I could see today being one of those down times with ****** travel, they are desperate for a win and play tough at home, it could happen.

Maybe it’s just me being a Bobcat fan for 30+ years that I have a pessimistic view on the “easy” wins since they have bit us in the ass like 60% of the time. I do agree that this team feels different with Choate, so let’s hope for a convincing win.

I think this will be a Culture Test - If the Work put into change the culture is for real , which I believe it is - we will
Be just fine and take care of business.

[codecat]

I just want to say I don't buy the whole travel makes this game hard crap. NAIA teams don't fly for the most part and in conferences like the Frontier, teams are taking long bus rides every weekend. Good teams are ready when they stop off that bus and today won't be any different.

Hear ye, hear ye.

Last week the narrative was SEMO was a ranked team and we have a sh—-y record against ranked teams. This week, the bs narrative is the road record and we can’t play on the road.

Agreed. It’s like people are afraid of the idea we might actually be good and this team might be different.

Without any disrespect, it’s clear that the culture has changed within the team far faster than within our fan base. And that’s just fine. Players play. Coaches coach. Fans cheer.

Nothing more than curious here - as to if coach Choate was being negative when he brought somewhat difficult the travel to WIU and his record on the road?

[catatac]

If people really think the MSU team "has arrived" and they're legit this year, that absolutely means this team should be winning ALL the games they're supposed to win, winning the vast majority of the close ones or toss up games, and heavily competing in all and winning a few, of the games they're not supposed to win. Regardless if the games are at home or on the road.

If this team continues to struggle on the road, then there's issues. If you've "arrived", you have to win on the road. Particularly the games you're supposed to win. And the Cats should without a doubt win this game.

Again, I'm going to reiterate my opinion that Choate's Bobcats do not "struggle" on the road, any more than 99% of all other college football teams. In 2017 we lost three on the road and lost three at home. In 2018 we happened to play all the best teams on the conference, on the road.

I think you and I agree however, if we don't win tomorrow then maybe I'll start to believe we have a problem winning on the road.

It isn't worth arguing over, but I'll refer back to 1aafan's earlier post: 5 road wins in the 3+ years of the Choate era, 3-12 if you take out the cat/griz games in Missoula. That's struggling no matter how you look at it. You're not going to be at the top of your league or nation if you can't at the very least hold even (.500) in your road games. If their road losses are a matter of hitting the better BSC teams at their homes, then I'll refer back to my other point: you're not going to be elite until you start winning the games you're supposed to win, win the majority of the games that are toss ups and win some games you're supposed to have lost. We'll see how this season plays out. We're not there yet, we'll see if this year shows us more.

Agree the road record isn't very good, but every team that we've lost to in the last three years, with one exception, was
simply a better team than us. IMO we're a lot better now.

[ilovethecats]

I just want to say I don't buy the whole travel makes this game hard crap. NAIA teams don't fly for the most part and in conferences like the Frontier, teams are taking long bus rides every weekend. Good teams are ready when they stop off that bus and today won't be any different.

Hear ye, hear ye.

Last week the narrative was SEMO was a ranked team and we have a sh—-y record against ranked teams. This week, the bs narrative is the road record and we can’t play on the road.

Agreed. It’s like people are afraid of the idea we might actually be good and this team might be different.

Without any disrespect, it’s clear that the culture has changed within the team far faster than within our fan base. And that’s just fine. Players play. Coaches coach. Fans cheer.

Nothing more than curious here - as to if coach Choate was being negative when he brought somewhat difficult the travel to WIU and his record on the road?

Obviously no idea what choate meant when he said those things. Though I do know that the way coaches speak publicly is often different than how they speak to the team.

How his previous less talented squads fared on the road in years passed will have absolutely nothing to do with this years squad playing in a couple hours.

Difficult travel can be annoying but will have no bearing on the game in my opinion.

This is two squads playing ball and I think we’re better. And the rest doesn’t matter

[Bobcat4Ever]

I wanted to look at the quality of competition for the first two games. From the Massey ratings for all FBS and FCS teams combined...

FBS matchups: Texas Tech is #47, Colorado St #116
FCS matchups: SE Missouri is #157, N Alabama is #208

Montana State is #121, W Illinois is #169

We have played better against better opposition. We are ranked virtually the same as Colorado State.

[codecat]

I just want to say I don't buy the whole travel makes this game hard crap. NAIA teams don't fly for the most part and in conferences like the Frontier, teams are taking long bus rides every weekend. Good teams are ready when they stop off that bus and today won't be any different.

Hear ye, hear ye.

Last week the narrative was SEMO was a ranked team and we have a sh—-y record against ranked teams. This week, the bs narrative is the road record and we can’t play on the road.

Agreed. It’s like people are afraid of the idea we might actually be good and this team might be different.

Without any disrespect, it’s clear that the culture has changed within the team far faster than within our fan base. And that’s just fine. Players play. Coaches coach. Fans cheer.

Nothing more than curious here - as to if coach Choate was being negative when he brought somewhat difficult the travel to WIU and his record on the road?

Obviously no idea what choate meant when he said those things. Though I do know that the way coaches speak publicly is often different than how they speak to the team.

How his previous less talented squads fared on the road in years passed will have absolutely nothing to do with this years squad playing in a couple hours.

Difficult travel can be annoying but will have no bearing on the game in my opinion.

This is two squads playing ball and I think we’re better. And the rest doesn’t matter

I totally agree - difficult road travel, past road record, and even a less than enthusiastic crowd ought not matter if the guys have their heads where they need to be, otherwise i would question whether the culture was firmly in place as of yet.

[blueandgoldblitz]

Cats- 41
WIU-13

[ilovethecats]

I just want to say I don't buy the whole travel makes this game hard crap. NAIA teams don't fly for the most part and in conferences like the Frontier, teams are taking long bus rides every weekend. Good teams are ready when they stop off that bus and today won't be any different.

Hear ye, hear ye.

Last week the narrative was SEMO was a ranked team and we have a sh—-y record against ranked teams. This week, the bs narrative is the road record and we can’t play on the road.

Agreed. It’s like people are afraid of the idea we might actually be good and this team might be different.

Without any disrespect, it’s clear that the culture has changed within the team far faster than within our fan base. And that’s just fine. Players play. Coaches coach. Fans cheer.

Nothing more than curious here - as to if coach Choate was being negative when he brought somewhat difficult the travel to WIU and his record on the road?

Obviously no idea what choate meant when he said those things. Though I do know that the way coaches speak publicly is often different than how they speak to the team.

How his previous less talented squads fared on the road in years passed will have absolutely nothing to do with this years squad playing in a couple hours.

Difficult travel can be annoying but will have no bearing on the game in my opinion.

This is two squads playing ball and I think we’re better. And the rest doesn’t matter

I totally agree - difficult road travel, past road record, and even a less than enthusiastic crowd ought not matter if the guys have their heads where they need to be, otherwise i would question whether the culture was firmly in place as of yet.

Totally agree. Which is why I think this game will tell us a lot

[TomCat88]

This game looks like a huge trap game. WIU is on the ropes. We're riding high. Its a crappy trip. We "should" dominate on the lines. I hope with our new culture our guys are taking it as serious as SEMO. We don't want to be the one's drug into deep water...

Maybe I'm just too used to disappointment after a big game given our last 20 years.

I'm with you and 2506 , after watching the Colorado Game , they still have some play makers. If we play like the
2nd and 4th quarters of Semo, it will be a ballgame. If we play like the 1st and 3rd of Semo, it won't be a problem.
I'm sure maintaining Mental Focus will be a big part of preparation this week. When this team puts together 4 good
quarters in a game , they will be dangerous for anyone in the FCS.

WIU has a lot of transfers this year, so if they're going to get good you'll see it on a weekly basis as they build chemistry and find their groove. Sounds like they made a jump from week 1 to week 2, so they could be a team on the move.

MSU looked very dynamic against SEMO, but they have a ways to go. As Choate mentioned, they have a lot of people to get the ball to, so it takes some time for everyone to get enough reps, so they can feel comfortable and in a rhythm. You could see that in the SEMO game. When they looked good, they looked extremely good, but when they didn't it was messy.

WIU could catch MSU on an upswing for the Leathernecks and downswing for the Bobcats. Early season games can go in so many directions. MSU needs to not have many more stretches like after the second drive to the end of the half vs. SEMO.

Just sayin’.

[cats2506]

This game has all the makings of a trap game. MSU coming off a big win, difficult travel schedule, low energy environment, WIU is better than most people think. WIU could have some starters back that have not played this year, if they do then their run game will be stronger than expected. WIU has a O and D line which can hold them in the game at anyrate.

I still think the Cats overcome all of this and get a win, but expect a close hard fought game that goes deep into the 4th quarter.

um, I will take a 9 point win in this game anyday.

[TomCat88]

This game has all the makings of a trap game. MSU coming off a big win, difficult travel schedule, low energy environment, WIU is better than most people think. WIU could have some starters back that have not played this year, if they do then their run game will be stronger than expected. WIU has a O and D line which can hold them in the game at anyrate.

I still think the Cats overcome all of this and get a win, but expect a close hard fought game that goes deep into the 4th quarter.

um, I will take a 9 point win in this game anyday.

Ya done good sir!

[91catAlum]

This game has all the makings of a trap game. MSU coming off a big win, difficult travel schedule, low energy environment, WIU is better than most people think. WIU could have some starters back that have not played this year, if they do then their run game will be stronger than expected. WIU has a O and D line which can hold them in the game at anyrate.

I still think the Cats overcome all of this and get a win, but expect a close hard fought game that goes deep into the 4th quarter.

Wow good call!

[Bobcat4Ever]

MSU 27
WIU 20

A couple of unexpected turnovers pop up and WIU gets a weird bounce and cashes in on one. But our team maintains focus, and Tristan Bailey pops a couple. We snap their 12-game OOC home win streak and set the table for a fine year.

I like this team, a lot. I like the players as people. I think they have a chance to put together something really special this year, including overcoming a MVFC place where teams seem to misfire a bit.

Go ‘Cats!

I had a strong feeling that Tristan Bailey could be the difference maker in a tight, ugly contest. He came through. Love having him on our side.