Football Silver Lining?

El_Gato · Post by **El_Gato** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 5:42 am

I'm sure the griz who love to torment us here will have some "choice" words to share regarding this post, BUT...

Going into Cat/griz, we had:

A) Lost our chance at a 3-peat the previous week
B) Lost that game in an extremely emotional manner
C) A terribly inexperienced defensive backfield due to injury
D) To face an extremely confident team
E) To play them in their facility, one of the most hostile in football

Given all those factors, we somehow managed "hang" with the griz for most of the game. Without the sting of the Eastern loss (and its ramifications in the standings) and the severe injury situation at corner, we probably give the griz an even closer battle.

Now, the "Silver Lining". Given what we saw the first 2 weeks of the playoffs, 2 embarassing blowout wins by the griz, and the fact that we have a VERY strong nucleus of returnees next season, I feel VERY confident that our team is right there with the best of them next season!

Think about it; even with all the negatives going into the Brawl, we gave the griz a tougher game than 2 PLAYOFF TEAMS fighting to earn a National Championship!

I suddenly find myself counting the days until the 2005 season...

Eastcoastgriz · Post by **Eastcoastgriz** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 6:16 am

I too think the cats had a decent team this year and could compete with the top 20 teams in I-AA.

El_Gato · Post by **El_Gato** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 6:24 am

Careful, ecg; too many posts like that & you'll give me a heart attack!

Eastcoastgriz · Post by **Eastcoastgriz** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 6:39 am

El_Gato wrote:Careful, ecg; too many posts like that & you'll give me a heart attack!

If you go back and look at my post, I have given the cats props this year. Have even rooted for the cats. I wanted the GRIZ/cat weekend to be for all the marbles and wanted the GRIZ and cats in post season play.

BWahlberg · Post by **BWahlberg** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 6:51 pm

Interesting...

Next year I think the Cats will once again be bidding for the BSC in the final two weeks of the regular season and will make it to the playoffs. They have a strong returning class next year.

Just for fun, and this is meant to be a joke, if we "rank" everyone based upon how well they hung in there with Griz lets see.

Weber lost by 21
ISU lost by 2
EWU lost by 3
PSU won by 3
NAU lost by 12
Suc St lost by 31
MSU lost by 16

So next year the 'Sky will look like this

1st PSU
2nd UM
3rd ISU
4th EWU
5th NAU
6th MSU
7th Weber
8th Suc St

Ohh...looksl like a rough year for the cats!

Once again, that was meant as a joke. I think the Cats have great chances next year.

VictorG · Post by **VictorG** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 7:44 pm

El_Gato wrote:C) A terribly inexperienced defensive backfield due to injury

Ya, PLEASE bring that original secondary back again next year!!!

I'm sure everyone has noticed by now that the Griz running game has really taken off! We are running over, around and mostly through defenders. Has anyone stopped and asked why?

Yes we have gotten better every game, especially towards the end of the year but the running game has really taken off in the playoffs because....................Look at the size of our opponents defensive LB'ers and DB's! We are playing teams with fast talented players but the fact of the matter is that they have been undersized! When Lex breaks through the defensive line he suddenly becomes the biggest man left on that side of the field. No wonder he can't be stopped especially when he gets a head of steam! How many people have bounced off him in the last 2 games?

Go ahead and play your 5' 9" Db's. Everyone here knows I've been giving cat fans grief about them all year but most of you thought it was only because the Griz had a bunch of tall receivers. Yes, that does come into play but look what happens in the running game! Even when you go for the legs it still takes 3 or 4 extra yards to bring a big back down! And I don't care how fast they are but if they end up alone on the ground after contact it's pretty hard to get up and still catch anyone!

MSU01 · Post by **MSU01** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 7:45 pm

That's pretty funny Re/Max, doing the same thing based on MSU we get:

1) UM (won by 16)
2) SAC (won by 10)
3) EWU (won by 7)
4) MSU
5) WSU (lost by 3)
6) ISU (lost by 4)
7) PSU (lost by 7)
8 ) NAU (lost by 46-ouch!)

BozoneCat · Post by **BozoneCat** » Sun Dec 05, 2004 8:58 pm

Victor, I don't care how big or small your DBs are, if they are constantly being counted on to tackle the running back, your team is not going to win very many games.

CelticCat · Post by **CelticCat** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 12:51 am

BozoneCat wrote:Victor, I don't care how big or small your DBs are, if they are constantly being counted on to tackle the running back, your team is not going to win very many games.

Exactly. DB's aren't supposed to be in charge of stopping the run...

VictorG · Post by **VictorG** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 8:25 am

BozoneCat wrote:Victor, I don't care how big or small your DBs are, if they are constantly being counted on to tackle the running back, your team is not going to win very many games.

O.K., so the Cat's don't intend to use their safties to help out in run defense. That's O.K. with me.

Anyway, getting off point here but if I remember right you guys did have one big DB which you put on Talmage. I though he did a real good job on him too. (I thought he was a saftey but was moved to CB for the game. I may be wrong on that though.) Where did he come from?

Helcat72 · Post by **Helcat72** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 11:35 am

That was Ryan Force a sophomore from Lake Oswego ...our starting free safety who played corner when our corner (Cory Austin) was hurt or could'nt cover a receiver, as in the case with Talmage. He is the best hitter in the secondary and looks like will play strong safety next year.

catatac · Post by **catatac** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 12:46 pm

Helcat72 wrote:That was Ryan Force a sophomore from Lake Oswego ...our starting free safety who played corner when our corner (Cory Austin) was hurt or could'nt cover a receiver, as in the case with Talmage. He is the best hitter in the secondary and looks like will play strong safety next year.

Ryan Foce is the real deal. He will be the next Kane Ioane (well, that may be pusing it but a guy can dream...) in my book! I really think he isplaying comparable to how Kane was at this stage in his career. Man - when does spring ball start???

buttegriz · Post by **buttegriz** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 12:47 pm

Everyone on the east coast keeps saying how great the A-10 was getting (4) teams in the playoffs and then advancing to the second round.

I personally think that the Cats & PSU would have accomplished just as much as those A-10 schools and probably more !!!!

BozoneCat · Post by **BozoneCat** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 12:52 pm

VictorG wrote:
BozoneCat wrote:Victor, I don't care how big or small your DBs are, if they are constantly being counted on to tackle the running back, your team is not going to win very many games.
O.K., so the Cat's don't intend to use their safties to help out in run defense. That's O.K. with me.

Safeties are not "DBs" in my book, cornerbacks are DBs. Of course we look to use safeties in run support, ever hear of Kane Ioane? I guess I was unaware that our safeties were so small, and I also didn't realize the griz had such huge monsters manning their secondary.

catatac · Post by **catatac** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 1:31 pm

buttegriz wrote:Everyone on the east coast keeps saying how great the A-10 was getting (4) teams in the playoffs and then advancing to the second round.

I personally think that the Cats & PSU would have accomplished just as much as those A-10 schools and probably more !!!!

A agree, and thanks for the Kudos. Yes, I thought for sure we were looking at 2 BSC teams squaring off in the Western Semis, against 2 Atl. teams in the East. Would have been cool, but SHSU stole one from Eastern.

Just like Eastern they stole one from us this year!

Bozgriz · Post by **Bozgriz** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 1:51 pm

catatac wrote:
buttegriz wrote:Everyone on the east coast keeps saying how great the A-10 was getting (4) teams in the playoffs and then advancing to the second round.

I personally think that the Cats & PSU would have accomplished just as much as those A-10 schools and probably more !!!!
A agree, and thanks for the Kudos. Yes, I thought for sure we were looking at 2 BSC teams squaring off in the Western Semis, against 2 Atl. teams in the East. Would have been cool, but SHSU stole one from Eastern. Just like Eastern they stole one from us this year!

Yeah, looks like the Karma Gods got EWU back for the cats. Several fans in my section were talking about the 2 playoff teams we have played as being no where near as good as 3 or 4 Big Sky teams that didn't make the playoffs...I agree.

Also brings validity to the idea of NEVER relaxing in a playoff game. I was told that several EWU folks were celebrating on the sidelines in the 4th quarter only to be crying at the end...

jagur1 · Post by **jagur1** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 2:00 pm

Bozgriz: Thats not true. UNH would have killed either the Cats or PSU. Now NWSU Demons that can be argued. (but the Demons won Conf. Title)

El_Gato · Post by **El_Gato** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 2:06 pm

jagur1 wrote:Bozgriz: Thats not true. UNH would have killed either the Cats or PSU.

I just LOVE your SPECULATIVE logic, jag.

Let's see, the Bobcats came in with their season already decided, following a gut-wrenching, devastating loss, with a rash of injuries at cornerback...

AND STILL PLAYED YOU TOUGHER THAN UNH, WHO WAS PLAYING FOR A CHANCE TO WIN A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP.

Put those facts against your comment and go STFU!

Please tell me PRECISELY how you derived your brain-dead comment, other than the fact that you are a Cat-hater. Why is it that with your team in the heat of a run at the NC, you still feel the need to come over here & insult a team WHO GAVE YOU A MUCH TOUGHER GAME THAN EITHER OF THE FIRST 2 CUPCAKES YOU FACED IN THE PLAYOFFS?

jag, go piss in someone else's soup for awhile, would ya?

WYCAT · Post by **WYCAT** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 2:07 pm

jagur1 wrote:Bozgriz: Thats not true. UNH would have killed either the Cats or PSU. Now NWSU Demons that can be argued. (but the Demons won Conf. Title)

And what are you basing that on? That maroon colored crystal ball again? In reality, we can all speculate but noone will ever know. Just like could the griz have beaten EWU again? My blue and gold crystal ball says hell no!

jagur1 · Post by **jagur1** » Mon Dec 06, 2004 2:14 pm

I based it on

1: They won the A-10

2: They went to GSU and won

3: They won the 1-A game they played. (Rutgers perty close to CSU)

4: They played on the road all year and won against playoff teams.

5: Cats didn't beat one playoff team.

So what in your mind makes you think the cats could play with UNH? Is the BSC so good that the 3rd place team can go to UNH and beat the Conf. Champion?

Football Silver Lining?

Football Silver Lining?

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