Was UND a test?

[nanacat]

For Roving?
I was trying to find the article where he was interviewed during the Bye, and, of course, he made comments relating to his expected improvement, how he needed to do better, take charge, trust his players, the play calls, etc. Not that I think it was spiteful at all, but I wonder if game management was placed on him to see if he was going to put up or shut up. Choate has done better historically with calling time outs and managing the clock, so the delay penalties and some of those things just were weird, as previously stated in other posts. It almost seemed, at times, like they wanted to see if Roving could handle it. I think he is way to automatic and not nearly creative enough to do so, as evidenced, but I am curious if this was the chance he wanted and was granted. Obviously Choate got desperate, put in Troy who scored the only TD, and even with the 2 pt. thing with Bauman was desperate. And he did essentially address that in the press conference when he talked about playing to not lose rather than playing to win.
Anyway, it's been a question on my mind since watching that game. Trying, like many, to figure out the whys of what happened. I hope we see something different this week. I agree with whomever mentioned giving Jonsen the start. I think he is the most creative and aggressive QB option we have, knowing nothing really about Beltran, and loving Anderson but knowing he's not 100% and really doesn't want that role.

[technoCat]

Not to be mean but his name is Rovig.

I don't believe Troy or Travis can be QB1 at this point because they have not been practicing as such. You can't just start slinging a ball around if you haven't been practicing there all year and we WILL NOT WIN if we go back to pure QB run. It didn't work last year at many critical times and won't work this year.

I don't know if this was a make or break game for Rovig but the time to either put Bauman back in or go to another option has to be coming. I wonder if he falters against SUU if we don't either see Beltran or one of the freshman because at that point the season is pretty much over. The only problem with going to option 3 is pretty much giving up on Rovig and Bauman which might be a bit shortsighted at this point.

[nanacat]

I know it's Rovig, dumb autocorrect.

Yes, it's a dilemma for sure! But Perhaps Jonsen should be practicing as QB so he can run the offense. The quandary is, Choate benched the original starter, so can he really bench the replacement?

[technoCat]

I know it's Rovig, dumb autocorrect.

Yes, it's a dilemma for sure! But Perhaps Jonsen should be practicing as QB so he can run the offense. The quandary is, Choate benched the original starter, so can he really bench the replacement?

Sounds like Jonsen is hurt now too. I'm sorry but we have to be the most snakebit team on the planet this year. Instead of having this array of ultra-talented seasoned players to help ease our new qb into game mode, we are forced to trot out a 70% Andersen, 40% Ifanse, etc etc. Even saw Kassis holding his lower back after a play.

[BadlandsGrizFanAgain]

I know it's Rovig, dumb autocorrect.

Yes, it's a dilemma for sure! But Perhaps Jonsen should be practicing as QB so he can run the offense. The quandary is, Choate benched the original starter, so can he really bench the replacement?

Sounds like Jonsen is hurt now too. I'm sorry but we have to be the most snakebit team on the planet this year. Instead of having this array of ultra-talented seasoned players to help ease our new qb into game mode, we are forced to trot out a 70% Andersen, 40% Ifanse, etc etc. Even saw Kassis holding his lower back after a play.

Probably because you guys are forced to have your best athletes run powers out of the wildcat 25 times a game because Choate cant develop a QB.

[91catAlum]

I know it's Rovig, dumb autocorrect.

Yes, it's a dilemma for sure! But Perhaps Jonsen should be practicing as QB so he can run the offense. The quandary is, Choate benched the original starter, so can he really bench the replacement?

Sounds like Jonsen is hurt now too. I'm sorry but we have to be the most snakebit team on the planet this year. Instead of having this array of ultra-talented seasoned players to help ease our new qb into game mode, we are forced to trot out a 70% Andersen, 40% Ifanse, etc etc. Even saw Kassis holding his lower back after a play.

Probably because you guys are forced to have your best athletes run powers out of the wildcat 25 times a game because Choate cant develop a QB.

That's a dumb explanation. Troy stayed relatively healthy in 13 games last year (missed games 2-3). Chris Murray never got hurt in 2 seasons of running 25 times per game.
Injuries are mostly just dumb luck.

[catsrback76]

I know it's Rovig, dumb autocorrect.

Yes, it's a dilemma for sure! But Perhaps Jonsen should be practicing as QB so he can run the offense. The quandary is, Choate benched the original starter, so can he really bench the replacement?

Sounds like Jonsen is hurt now too. I'm sorry but we have to be the most snakebit team on the planet this year. Instead of having this array of ultra-talented seasoned players to help ease our new qb into game mode, we are forced to trot out a 70% Andersen, 40% Ifanse, etc etc. Even saw Kassis holding his lower back after a play.

Not sure if it's "snake bite" when call QB dive off tackle every stinking time, and Jonsen throws his skinny body into the face of D Line men and linebackers...and as a result gets hurt...and then say we're snake bit. It's more like, if you sleep with snakes, you will get bit. Mark it!

[technoCat]

I know it's Rovig, dumb autocorrect.

Yes, it's a dilemma for sure! But Perhaps Jonsen should be practicing as QB so he can run the offense. The quandary is, Choate benched the original starter, so can he really bench the replacement?

Sounds like Jonsen is hurt now too. I'm sorry but we have to be the most snakebit team on the planet this year. Instead of having this array of ultra-talented seasoned players to help ease our new qb into game mode, we are forced to trot out a 70% Andersen, 40% Ifanse, etc etc. Even saw Kassis holding his lower back after a play.

Probably because you guys are forced to have your best athletes run powers out of the wildcat 25 times a game because Choate cant develop a QB.

That's a dumb explanation. Troy stayed relatively healthy in 13 games last year (missed games 2-3). Chris Murray never got hurt in 2 seasons of running 25 times per game.
Injuries are mostly just dumb luck.

Doesn't really explain Kassis or Jones or KT3 or Steele. Jonsen only had 6 carries against UND. Jabari Johnson got hurt in practice.

[technoCat]

I know it's Rovig, dumb autocorrect.

Yes, it's a dilemma for sure! But Perhaps Jonsen should be practicing as QB so he can run the offense. The quandary is, Choate benched the original starter, so can he really bench the replacement?

Sounds like Jonsen is hurt now too. I'm sorry but we have to be the most snakebit team on the planet this year. Instead of having this array of ultra-talented seasoned players to help ease our new qb into game mode, we are forced to trot out a 70% Andersen, 40% Ifanse, etc etc. Even saw Kassis holding his lower back after a play.

Not sure if it's "snake bite" when call QB dive off tackle every stinking time, and Jonsen throws his skinny body into the face of D Line men and linebackers...and as a result gets hurt...and then say we're snake bit. It's more like, if you sleep with snakes, you will get bit. Mark it!

So all the lbs and defensive lineman leave the field when WSU runs Davis 30 times a game, or when UNC runs Hall, or CP runs their fullbacks. Jonsen had 6 carries against UND. He is also 6'2" and like 210. He's not a tiny little guy. And how then do you explain Jones, Patterson, Steele, Ifanse and Kassis all getting nicked up. As Tootel said on their radio show, what the hell is MM supposed to do if he can't use the options available to him out of fear of them getting injured.

[catsrback76]

I know it's Rovig, dumb autocorrect.

Yes, it's a dilemma for sure! But Perhaps Jonsen should be practicing as QB so he can run the offense. The quandary is, Choate benched the original starter, so can he really bench the replacement?

Sounds like Jonsen is hurt now too. I'm sorry but we have to be the most snakebit team on the planet this year. Instead of having this array of ultra-talented seasoned players to help ease our new qb into game mode, we are forced to trot out a 70% Andersen, 40% Ifanse, etc etc. Even saw Kassis holding his lower back after a play.

Not sure if it's "snake bite" when call QB dive off tackle every stinking time, and Jonsen throws his skinny body into the face of D Line men and linebackers...and as a result gets hurt...and then say we're snake bit. It's more like, if you sleep with snakes, you will get bit. Mark it!

So all the lbs and defensive lineman leave the field when WSU runs Davis 30 times a game, or when UNC runs Hall, or CP runs their fullbacks. Jonsen had 6 carries against UND. He is also 6'2" and like 210. He's not a tiny little guy. And how then do you explain Jones, Patterson, Steele, Ifanse and Kassis all getting nicked up. As Tootel said on their radio show, what the hell is MM supposed to do if he can't use the options available to him out of fear of them getting injured.

My ONLY response to your very good questions is this: "Do they ALL take a snap, run 3 steps into a buzz saw"? I mean, even the Coyote will tell you not to take the Roadrunner bait on that one!

[91catAlum]

I know it's Rovig, dumb autocorrect.

Yes, it's a dilemma for sure! But Perhaps Jonsen should be practicing as QB so he can run the offense. The quandary is, Choate benched the original starter, so can he really bench the replacement?

Sounds like Jonsen is hurt now too. I'm sorry but we have to be the most snakebit team on the planet this year. Instead of having this array of ultra-talented seasoned players to help ease our new qb into game mode, we are forced to trot out a 70% Andersen, 40% Ifanse, etc etc. Even saw Kassis holding his lower back after a play.

Not sure if it's "snake bite" when call QB dive off tackle every stinking time, and Jonsen throws his skinny body into the face of D Line men and linebackers...and as a result gets hurt...and then say we're snake bit. It's more like, if you sleep with snakes, you will get bit. Mark it!

Jonsen is hardly "skinny", he's bigger than half our RBs!
If your argument had any validly, most of the rushers in the whole league would be hurt. Certainly Cal Poly would be stacking up players on IR since they face 8-9 man boxes every play. Obviously that's not the case.

[catsrback76]

I know it's Rovig, dumb autocorrect.

Yes, it's a dilemma for sure! But Perhaps Jonsen should be practicing as QB so he can run the offense. The quandary is, Choate benched the original starter, so can he really bench the replacement?

Sounds like Jonsen is hurt now too. I'm sorry but we have to be the most snakebit team on the planet this year. Instead of having this array of ultra-talented seasoned players to help ease our new qb into game mode, we are forced to trot out a 70% Andersen, 40% Ifanse, etc etc. Even saw Kassis holding his lower back after a play.

Not sure if it's "snake bite" when call QB dive off tackle every stinking time, and Jonsen throws his skinny body into the face of D Line men and linebackers...and as a result gets hurt...and then say we're snake bit. It's more like, if you sleep with snakes, you will get bit. Mark it!

Jonsen is hardly "skinny", he's bigger than half our RBs!
If your argument had any validly, most of the rushers in the whole league would be hurt. Certainly Cal Poly would be stacking up players on IR since they face 8-9 man boxes every play. Obviously that's not the case.

Okay guys, I was being "HYPERBOLIC" when I said "skinny", but, he ain't no Troy Andersen, who himself is an LB who runs, and trucks people with the same play...and who is incidentally injured as well from playing that same game.

I COULD BE WRONG... but did he get injured running WR routes? Asking for a friend!

[technoCat]

I know it's Rovig, dumb autocorrect.

Yes, it's a dilemma for sure! But Perhaps Jonsen should be practicing as QB so he can run the offense. The quandary is, Choate benched the original starter, so can he really bench the replacement?

Sounds like Jonsen is hurt now too. I'm sorry but we have to be the most snakebit team on the planet this year. Instead of having this array of ultra-talented seasoned players to help ease our new qb into game mode, we are forced to trot out a 70% Andersen, 40% Ifanse, etc etc. Even saw Kassis holding his lower back after a play.

Not sure if it's "snake bite" when call QB dive off tackle every stinking time, and Jonsen throws his skinny body into the face of D Line men and linebackers...and as a result gets hurt...and then say we're snake bit. It's more like, if you sleep with snakes, you will get bit. Mark it!

So all the lbs and defensive lineman leave the field when WSU runs Davis 30 times a game, or when UNC runs Hall, or CP runs their fullbacks. Jonsen had 6 carries against UND. He is also 6'2" and like 210. He's not a tiny little guy. And how then do you explain Jones, Patterson, Steele, Ifanse and Kassis all getting nicked up. As Tootel said on their radio show, what the hell is MM supposed to do if he can't use the options available to him out of fear of them getting injured.

My ONLY response to your very good questions is this: "Do they ALL take a snap, run 3 steps into a buzz saw"? I mean, even the Coyote will tell you not to take the Roadrunner bait on that one!

Sorry, I might have wandered a bit on my point. I was just trying to say that I haven't really seen MM OVERUSE players. Jonsen, I think, has maxed out at something like 12 carries in a game. We don't see guys getting 30 carries a game. Yes, Jonsen has a lot of people at the line of scrimmage but is he really getting hit more than our rbs do on an average run. The whole point is to have an extra blocker.

[hilinegrizfan]

I know it's Rovig, dumb autocorrect.

Yes, it's a dilemma for sure! But Perhaps Jonsen should be practicing as QB so he can run the offense. The quandary is, Choate benched the original starter, so can he really bench the replacement?

Sounds like Jonsen is hurt now too. I'm sorry but we have to be the most snakebit team on the planet this year. Instead of having this array of ultra-talented seasoned players to help ease our new qb into game mode, we are forced to trot out a 70% Andersen, 40% Ifanse, etc etc. Even saw Kassis holding his lower back after a play.

"snakebit" by your coach. He calls the same play every time - qb run up the middle. he runs TA into the ground until hes hurt, then runs Jonsen into the ground until hes hurt... who's going to be the next person to stand behind center and run it up the middle until he gets hurt? it reminds me of watching junior high football when you just hand it off to your best player every time. it works in junior high but in division 1 football there are big guys putting a hit on you every time you carry the ball. NO wonder your guys are banged up. ya'll have some talented players but the offensive play calling must drive you guys nuts. even if you can't seem to find a single person that can complete a pass you'd think there would be so many things your coaches could to to switch up the run game. I don't know, maybe put TA and TJ in the backfield together so the defense actually has to wonder who's going to get the ball?

[spring creek cat]

I agree with what is being said, can we put Andersen at running back and give a lead blocker?? Interesting concept let’s block for our runners!! Same could work for Jonson out of the QB spot, maybe get him on the edge with the tailback leading the way after faking the dive! Now they aren’t just running head first into linebackers by themselves!!

[VimSince03]

I agree with what is being said, can we put Andersen at running back and give a lead blocker?? Interesting concept let’s block for our runners!! Same could work for Jonson out of the QB spot, maybe get him on the edge with the tailback leading the way after faking the dive! Now they aren’t just running head first into linebackers by themselves!!

RJ Fitzgerald is a lead blocker for Troy (in some form or fashion) on about 90% of his designed running plays. Same with Travis. Our TE/H-backs (RJ Fitzgerald, Ryan Davis, and Derryk Snell) are blocking linebackers, down blocking, or kicking out defensive ends on pulls nearly every play. So we have plenty of blockers for our runners...which is why MSU is #1 in the Big Sky conference at running the football. When Troy runs, its usually that extra box safety that has to make the play on him.

[thefrank1]

Vimsince2003 thanks for your voice of reality during these trying times.

[ilovethecats]

I know it's Rovig, dumb autocorrect.

Yes, it's a dilemma for sure! But Perhaps Jonsen should be practicing as QB so he can run the offense. The quandary is, Choate benched the original starter, so can he really bench the replacement?

Sounds like Jonsen is hurt now too. I'm sorry but we have to be the most snakebit team on the planet this year. Instead of having this array of ultra-talented seasoned players to help ease our new qb into game mode, we are forced to trot out a 70% Andersen, 40% Ifanse, etc etc. Even saw Kassis holding his lower back after a play.

"snakebit" by your coach. He calls the same play every time - qb run up the middle. he runs TA into the ground until hes hurt, then runs Jonsen into the ground until hes hurt... who's going to be the next person to stand behind center and run it up the middle until he gets hurt? it reminds me of watching junior high football when you just hand it off to your best player every time. it works in junior high but in division 1 football there are big guys putting a hit on you every time you carry the ball. NO wonder your guys are banged up. ya'll have some talented players but the offensive play calling must drive you guys nuts. even if you can't seem to find a single person that can complete a pass you'd think there would be so many things your coaches could to to switch up the run game. I don't know, maybe put TA and TJ in the backfield together so the defense actually has to wonder who's going to get the ball?

While this seems to be the consensus on the board tonight from griz fans for some reason it’s not very accurate. Neither Troy nor Travis injured themselves running the ball.

Listening to fans hypothesize about injuries is hilarious.

[TomCat88]

I know it's Rovig, dumb autocorrect.

Yes, it's a dilemma for sure! But Perhaps Jonsen should be practicing as QB so he can run the offense. The quandary is, Choate benched the original starter, so can he really bench the replacement?

Sounds like Jonsen is hurt now too. I'm sorry but we have to be the most snakebit team on the planet this year. Instead of having this array of ultra-talented seasoned players to help ease our new qb into game mode, we are forced to trot out a 70% Andersen, 40% Ifanse, etc etc. Even saw Kassis holding his lower back after a play.

"snakebit" by your coach. He calls the same play every time - qb run up the middle. he runs TA into the ground until hes hurt, then runs Jonsen into the ground until hes hurt... who's going to be the next person to stand behind center and run it up the middle until he gets hurt? it reminds me of watching junior high football when you just hand it off to your best player every time. it works in junior high but in division 1 football there are big guys putting a hit on you every time you carry the ball. NO wonder your guys are banged up. ya'll have some talented players but the offensive play calling must drive you guys nuts. even if you can't seem to find a single person that can complete a pass you'd think there would be so many things your coaches could to to switch up the run game. I don't know, maybe put TA and TJ in the backfield together so the defense actually has to wonder who's going to get the ball?

While this seems to be the consensus on the board tonight from griz fans for some reason it’s not very accurate. Neither Troy nor Travis injured themselves running the ball.

Listening to fans hypothesize about injuries is hilarious.

[CelticCat]

Jalen Hamler is a 6’1 195 pound triple option QB for Poly who has rushed the ball 101 more times this year than Jonsen. I rest my case your honor.