The Bobcat Nation

This weekend we have UNC and then the game for all the marbles in Missoula.

What is the key to winning the next two games and taking the conference?

My take after this past weekends game rests solidly with the Offensive Line. The O line has got to get a push and create some gaps for the backs to run through. If you look at the 2 wins where we scored over 30, it was the O Line that not only pass blocked well, (much needed for Rolo) but it was the cracks that sprung Mason as well. That said, what say you all?

I'm asking for THE KEY-- not the keys.

Just like last year when the O-line put a pasting on the grizzlies, they will need to step it up this year. The line has been pretty inconsistent. Last week Rolovich had a lot of time in the 1st half, not so much in the third quarter and decent time in the fourth. There needs to be more discipline and physicallity. And decent snaps on pat and punt teams would be good too!

I think that the special teams needs to hone in quite a bit if we are thinking of winning outright. Its been a joke lately of how bad the specail teams has been. Other than that I think we have an overall stong basis on O and D....maybe not perfect but they seem to make a lot less mistakes than the specail teams does.

The only thing that needs to be staightened out is the punting. The rest of the special teams is not that bad. If we can run for 100 yards per game..the other stuff (O-line, Passing etc.) will have been taken care of!

IMO, both the O & the D are playing well enough to beat both sets of bears we have left on the schedule; special teams mistakes are what could potentially cost us a win at WaGriz.

Helcat72 wrote:The only thing that needs to be staightened out is the punting. The rest of the special teams is not that bad. If we can run for 100 yards per game..the other stuff (O-line, Passing etc.) will have been taken care of!

Exactly, the punting needs to be worked on. The kickoffs have been GREAT with Fischer and the return game has bee pretty good as well.

I think the key is the OLine for sure. They have to get some push up front. Both the running game and passing game hinge on their play. I would love to see the special teams not be such a roll of the dice each play, but I have lost hope that we can fix those mistakes this year. I hope they can prove me wrong!

While it's not one of your choices 76, I feel the lack of mistakes will win the rest of the games for us. This can be "umbrella'd" under several of your categories. The Griz defense this year has consistently contributed points to the outcome through fumble recoveries and interceptions (with several run back for TD's). The whole field position thing is going to be huge as well. Look at last weekend. When WSU was forced into long field possessions, they didn't do real well as compared to their short field possessions. This stems into special teams play via solid punting and kickoff efforts.

Oh, and getting those penalties out of the playbook would be nice too (this was a HUGE part of why our offense was so terrible in the third quarter on Saturday).

So, playing as error free football as we can is the key IMO.

I am not going to put to much faith into our special teams or offense (way to inconsistent). If we win our next two games it is because of our tremendous defense. Coach Kristoff and Company has done a great job with their players. Our success lies squarely on their shoulders, and I wouldn’t want it any other way!

barechestcat wrote:While it's not one of your choices 76, I feel the lack of mistakes will win the rest of the games for us. This can be "umbrella'd" under several of your categories. The Griz defense this year has consistently contributed points to the outcome through fumble recoveries and interceptions (with several run back for TD's). The whole field position thing is going to be huge as well. Look at last weekend. When WSU was forced into long field possessions, they didn't do real well as compared to their short field possessions. This stems into special teams play via solid punting and kickoff efforts.

Oh, and getting those penalties out of the playbook would be nice too (this was a HUGE part of why our offense was so terrible in the third quarter on Saturday).

So, playing as error free football as we can is the key IMO.

Playing error free will be a key, and as you mentioned, it could very well be THE KEY. I still think that with line play that pushes back the D Line we get a runner running downhill and it opens up the throwing lanes. Saturday with all the 3 and outs, the D Line was penetrating and blowing up the runs and forcing Rolo into single reads. At any rate-- error free works for me as well.

Agree with the Butcher...Defense has been the key thus far. Offense is so sporadic..sometimes the playcalling seems amazing..other times it makes little sense. The punting is disastrous and could have cost us two games so far....in both it was the defense that stepped us and saved the game. Hats off to our defensive players.

Our offense and defense has shown improvement and is good enough to win the conference. I have more concerns with the O line then I do the D line. The D line is tough and is deep. Special teams concerns me the most. A mistake gives up points everytime. We have to eliminate these mistakes because we aren't good enough offensively to give up points.