Choate’s worst loss in his 3.5 seasons

[Phat Daddy]

When you score 1 TD with two weeks prep against a non conference, conference opponent the remainder of your season has become somewhat inevitable. Especially when that season is reliant on trying to find an answer to a question that doesn’t have one....quarterback play. The most important position on the field, where just average play would give us an edge. I’d argue nearly all conference members have a backup better than anyone we can start (save TA who had leadership and toughness that was the reason for our 2018 success).

Finally, if you can’t get along with experienced coaches that share differing perspectives (opinions) and your answer is to hire only those that are young and say yes sir, long-term you won’t have success. That is what we are seeing unfold before us.

We are sloppy as well. I’ve not been this frustrated with the Cats in a long time.

[onceacat]

When you score 1 TD with two weeks prep against a non conference, conference opponent the remainder of your season has become somewhat inevitable. Especially when that season is reliant on trying to find an answer to a question that doesn’t have one....quarterback play. The most important position on the field, where just average play would give us an edge. I’d argue nearly all conference members have a backup better than anyone we can start (save TA who had leadership and toughness that was the reason for our 2018 success).

Finally, if you can’t get along with experienced coaches that share differing perspectives (opinions) and your answer is to hire only those that are young and say yes sir, long-term you won’t have success. That is what we are seeing unfold before us.

We are sloppy as well. I’ve not been this frustrated with the Cats in a long time.

I've been saying it all year and been called a "bad fan" for doing so:

A team that struggles with 0-7 Western Illinois and 2-5 Cal Poly on the road is going to have a really hard time with a .500 team. (For that matter the performance at Texas Tech showed the exact same thing)

Yeah, maybe its a bad loss, but it was pretty obvious this was a 50-50 game.

[Phat Daddy]

Outside of personnel at QB, our biggest challenge is Choates propensity to micromanage. He says it himself...”I’ll be spending more time in QB room”, followed by “I’ll need to get after RBs this week.” Trust who you’ve hired and offer help where your experience has value (defense and special teams).

It would be like Shaq offering free throw shooting advice to Steph Curry. Stay in your lane bro.

[RobertoGato]

This reminds me of last year after the losses to Weber and ISU.

They won the next three and then won a PO game. We will see if 2019 yields the same results.

The bye didn't help them much at all from a health stand point! I was really hoping that Ifanse and Jones would be back in action, but that didn't happen at all.

[onceacat]

This reminds me of last year after the losses to Weber and ISU.

They won the next three and then won a PO game. We will see if 2019 yields the same results.

The bye didn't help them much at all from a health stand point! I was really hoping that Ifanse and Jones would be back in action, but that didn't happen at all.

I'm predicting a home playoff game, then a road loss. The Cats are a very good team at home, and not very good on the road. Are we supposed to celebrate that?

[91catAlum]

At this point I'm not sure about the playoffs. It's very possible we go 2-2 the rest of the way and end up off the bubble. I don't think 7-5 gets it done, especially if we lose the last 2.

[Phat Daddy]

This reminds me of last year after the losses to Weber and ISU.

They won the next three and then won a PO game. We will see if 2019 yields the same results.

The bye didn't help them much at all from a health stand point! I was really hoping that Ifanse and Jones would be back in action, but that didn't happen at all.

Fair reminder, but unless Tom Brady drops down from the Yellowstone Club we won’t have the QB play to be any better than 8-4 or 7-5.

[RobertoGato]

This reminds me of last year after the losses to Weber and ISU.

They won the next three and then won a PO game. We will see if 2019 yields the same results.

The bye didn't help them much at all from a health stand point! I was really hoping that Ifanse and Jones would be back in action, but that didn't happen at all.

Fair reminder, but unless Tom Brady drops down from the Yellowstone Club we won’t have the QB play to be any better than 8-4 or 7-5.

If Troy took it over from here, I would think 9-3 is within their reach. Not a lock, mind you, but possible.

[RobertoGato]

This reminds me of last year after the losses to Weber and ISU.

They won the next three and then won a PO game. We will see if 2019 yields the same results.

The bye didn't help them much at all from a health stand point! I was really hoping that Ifanse and Jones would be back in action, but that didn't happen at all.

I'm predicting a home playoff game, then a road loss. The Cats are a very good team at home, and not very good on the road. Are we supposed to celebrate that?

Did I tell you to?

[TomCat88]

The XP was probably the worst call in MSU sports history. I’ve been wracking my brain trying remember a worse call. As soon as they lined up I was screaming at the tv.

That one call completely killed all momentum from the TD.

[Camo_Cat]

At this point I'm not sure about the playoffs. It's very possible we go 2-2 the rest of the way and end up off the bubble. I don't think 7-5 gets it done, especially if we lose the last 2.

Southern Utah spanking Idaho State right now. The way we played today, I wouldn't necessarily be counting on a Cat win next weekend.

[TomCat88]

And to top it off Choate was caught on camera chewing out Bauman. He should’ve been chewing himself out.

[Phat Daddy]

And to top it off Choate was caught on camera chewing out Bauman. He should’ve been chewing himself out.

I’ll agree here, if Choate doesn’t wear this loss in his presser I’m done with him. He and his staff need to own their offensive and special teams play today. Don’t pin that on the kids.

[onceacat]

The XP was probably the worst call in MSU sports history. I’ve been wracking my brain trying remember a worse call. As soon as they lined up I was screaming at the tv.

That one call completely killed all momentum from the TD.

Everyone at my place too. Not as soon as they lined up, because of course they were going to go into a traditional PAT formation, right.

If you are going to run that, you need TJ or TA taking the snap, then try to win the 1 on 1.

Even then it doesn't make very much sense strategically. UND can still tie things up with a FG or win with a TD. Baffling.

[VimSince03]

And to top it off Choate was caught on camera chewing out Bauman. He should’ve been chewing himself out.

That play design is for the QB to make a read. If the numbers aren't there, you motion everyone back. I believe Choate was asking Casey why he didn't do just that.

However, if that play was designed to be a direct snap run to Bauman....yikes.

[Long Time Cat]

The XP was probably the worst call in MSU sports history. I’ve been wracking my brain trying remember a worse call. As soon as they lined up I was screaming at the tv.

That one call completely killed all momentum from the TD.

I agree. As soon as they lined up my brother-in-law and I were both saying what the heck are they doing going for two now. A dumb play call and a dumb time to call it.

[Long Time Cat]

One more thing. We turn the ball over on downs with a minute left in the game and still had two timeouts left. I don’t understand why we didn’t use them.

[Catsrgrood]

I can’t say I disagree that this is a bad, bad loss, the worst in his tenure. And it’s not necessarily just the fact they lost, but the circumstances around the loss and how they looked doing it.

I figured it was a 50/50 game with the way UND has been playing at home, so I wasn’t going into this expecting a for sure win.

But coming off of a bye week, with this game nearly a must win, this performance was......bad.

The defense, although not dominant, was still good, only allowed 10 points. That should be enough to win every time.
The offense was inept for the vast majority of the game.
The decision to go for 2 made no sense.
Delay of game when they’re on the edge of FG range is unacceptable, either Rovig or Choate need to call a timeout there, that cost them 3 PTS.
Delay of game in the 4th qtr when they need to get something going is unacceptable.
Jonsen’s dropped pass was killer, cost them 7 pts without a doubt, but that stuff can happen.

There are countless things to point to in this game that cost them, but the bottom line is, as a fan, this was an incredibly disheartening performance.
The next 4 games are going to be interesting, the next two should still be wins, but the final two will be ugly if the Cats play anything like they did today.

It definitely leaves little to no breathing room. 8-4 is the bear minimum for playoffs, so they need to go 3-1, and this team today.... will not go 3-1.

[1984champ]

And to top it off Choate was caught on camera chewing out Bauman. He should’ve been chewing himself out.

That’s what I was yelling at the TV when that happened. Obviously the the players were not prepared well enough to understand the strategy and execute the play. This team just makes too many mistakes and it starts at the top.

[Camo_Cat]

And to top it off Choate was caught on camera chewing out Bauman. He should’ve been chewing himself out.

That play design is for the QB to make a read. If the numbers aren't there, you motion everyone back. I believe Choate was asking Casey why he didn't do just that.

However, if that play was designed to be a direct snap run to Bauman....yikes.

But that's not the time to get gimmicky. You just seized momentum with the TD. Kick the XP and put it on your D, which had been playing well in the 2nd half. There was no need to even have Bauman in there. That was on Choate and he f'ed it up. If anything, if you're gonna go for 2, you put Troy in there and ram it down their throat.