The Eye Test

[Grizaddict]

I had asked in another thread but only got a couple responses, so wanted some thoughts. When you watch the Cats this year (the eye test) what do you see? Is the team better than last year, about the same, hard to say? Have you been underwhelmed or are they exceeding your expectations? Are they exactly where you figured they’d be?

I’ll give it a go. I see a very good defensive front 7 who can stop the run and get pressure on the QB. I think this is an improvement over last year, which was also solid. Seems the backers are flying around better where that was a weakness last year. I see a secondary that gets beat on the big play too often and lets a lot of routes be successful underneath. This may be a step back from last year, but in fairness you’ve been without Filer which has hurt.

I see an offense that is extremely powerful in the rushing attack with a number of different weapons who can hurt you. The offensive line is even better than last year in my opinion and is opening lanes for a great rush attack. That’s why you’ve seen so many different runners have 100 yard games. It’s not so much the backs as it is the O line paving the way. The zone read game is darn near perfect. To do what the cats have done without Ifanse for the most part is impressive and even better than the running attack last year.

The glaring weakness is again at QB (which in my opinion is the most important offensive position on the field, only the center and QB touch the ball every play). I have said and will continue to say that neither Bauman nor Rovig are helping this offense much. I felt they wouldn’t early on and I haven’t seen a thing that tells me otherwise. They are still very one dimensional. I still think your offense works night and day better with Jonsen or TA running it from the QB position. I think Choate is starting to see that too as he let Jonsen run that final series in OT as opposed to running Rovig back out there. That was a smart move in my opinion. Without TA there I feel your QB play has taken a step back. That guy could spring a TD at any given moment. With Rovig there, that’s been lost. And I don’t think the passing improvements that he supposedly brings to the table outweigh what TA/Jonsen can do.

That’s my take. I see a lot of improvements and a better overall team who is still a QB away from a deep playoff run. If they fix that, I see a dangerous team who can compete with the top dogs.

What do you see?

[iaafan]

Agree with everything you said except parts of the QB part. Rovig managed the game really well before his INT. Jonsen took over in OT, because he was killing it prior to that and Miller (using his own eye test) exploited Poly with him. His previous four carries that half went for 39 yards. 13, 10, 7, 9. In that situation (ball on poly 25) Miller was going to call that until it got stopped. Wouldn’t you have done the same?

[technoCat]

I'll bite.

So far this team has exceeded my expectations. I thought we would be better this year but 5-1 is a very pleasant surprise. I think SEMO and NAU are borderline good teams and CP is a solid team(especially at home at night). Although we are lighting it up in the air, we have improved over last year in almost every category on offense and our D is GETTING OFF THE FIELD ON 3RD DOWN!!!

Defense:
Our front 7 is very good against the run and generating pressure as you mentioned but those underneath passes are usually because the LBs are not in the correct spots. The CBs have been better than I thought given their youth and not only Filer but Cole being out and Thomas being below 100%. They do get beat at corner but its usually the other teams best receiver with no help. Our safeties have been borderline great and we have 3 very good ones.

Offense:
Lets just go to the QB cause we probably all agree on the line and run game. Anyone calling for us to run Andersen or Jonsen over and over are just asking for them to be lost for the season. We got away with it with Murray because he never took a solid hit. Neither of them can carry it more than 10 times a game max. Rovig is learning on the job and I think will have a good day against a weakish SSU secondary if the weather is conducive for it. No he hasn't WON us any games but anyone expecting him or Bauman to do that this year is deluding themselves.

[Cat Grad]

I tend to concur with the OP. One area I see a measureable improvement this year is with the receivers. Very few drops and their blocking is incredible, especially downfield.

I really like the diamond, which is nothing but the wishbone via a direct snap and fully expect come playoffs this to be the Cats primary offense. Throw in a bit of the pistol (the wing-t with a 3 yard drop and that goofy damn fly sweep in it) and the Cats ought to go deep in the playoffs if they execute better. I really like the playcalls and expect a marked improvement in their execution, especially when the weather turns ******. This team is built for November and December in Montana.

[Phat Daddy]

I'd say outside of your addiction to the griz, you're mostly on point.

We are better defensively, with the exception of corner and that is not only weaker, but a weakness.

QB play will be the demise of this team. If 3rd and medium situations are typically ran with your QB split wide it is not an endorsement of the staff or team's belief in that QB's likelihood of making a play. That said, the run game coordination and OL play is as good as we've ever had in Bozeman.

Just an average QB would make this team a potential semi-finalist. However, QB play is below average and the likelihood of better than 1-1 in the playoffs isn't strong (or 0-1 if we can waddle through conference well enough to get a bye).

[Camo_Cat]

Since we're talking eye test, I'll do just that -- evaluate the things that can't be measured on a stat sheet. I believe we are a much better team from last year based on these three things:

-- Shear will/grit: we've already had two games where this team did not quit, on themselves or their teammates. In years' past, we had teams that would have lost these last 2 games just based on giving up. Choate has this team believing they will win every game they play.

-- Strength/conditioning: against all our FCS opponents, we clearly were the best team in physical condition at the end of the game. Our new conditioning coaches and our nutritionist have already paid dividends. This will only become more crucial as we move deeper into the season and are dealing with worsening weather and injuries.

-- Depth: this team has more depth and more guys that can play at any time than I have ever witnessed with Bobcat football. It's a major reason why we have been able to overcome some key injuries early on. We truly have a plug-and-play lineup; just insert the next man up and we don't lose much. Guys like Perry, McCutheon, O'Reilly, JoJo Henderson, Askelson are all making plays that might not have been made by backups in the past.

So yes, my eye test tells me we are a much improved team from last year. The wins may not be pretty, but as long as they are wins, who gives a rat's arse...

[GoldstoneCat]

Physicality is improved all over the field. We're a top-10, top-5 type roster save for 1 position, and that position isn't fullback. I think rovig can continue to improve, but his ceiling is competent, i think. If he can get to competent by November, we're capable of a deep, semifinal type run. If not, maybe 1 and out.

[WalkOn79]

I had asked in another thread but only got a couple responses, so wanted some thoughts. When you watch the Cats this year (the eye test) what do you see? Is the team better than last year, about the same, hard to say? Have you been underwhelmed or are they exceeding your expectations? Are they exactly where you figured they’d be?

I’ll give it a go. I see a very good defensive front 7 who can stop the run and get pressure on the QB. I think this is an improvement over last year, which was also solid. Seems the backers are flying around better where that was a weakness last year. I see a secondary that gets beat on the big play too often and lets a lot of routes be successful underneath. This may be a step back from last year, but in fairness you’ve been without Filer which has hurt.

I see an offense that is extremely powerful in the rushing attack with a number of different weapons who can hurt you. The offensive line is even better than last year in my opinion and is opening lanes for a great rush attack. That’s why you’ve seen so many different runners have 100 yard games. It’s not so much the backs as it is the O line paving the way. The zone read game is darn near perfect. To do what the cats have done without Ifanse for the most part is impressive and even better than the running attack last year.

The glaring weakness is again at QB (which in my opinion is the most important offensive position on the field, only the center and QB touch the ball every play). I have said and will continue to say that neither Bauman nor Rovig are helping this offense much. I felt they wouldn’t early on and I haven’t seen a thing that tells me otherwise. They are still very one dimensional. I still think your offense works night and day better with Jonsen or TA running it from the QB position. I think Choate is starting to see that too as he let Jonsen run that final series in OT as opposed to running Rovig back out there. That was a smart move in my opinion. Without TA there I feel your QB play has taken a step back. That guy could spring a TD at any given moment. With Rovig there, that’s been lost. And I don’t think the passing improvements that he supposedly brings to the table outweigh what TA/Jonsen can do.

That’s my take. I see a lot of improvements and a better overall team who is still a QB away from a deep playoff run. If they fix that, I see a dangerous team who can compete with the top dogs.

What do you see?

Pretty thoughtful and I think spot-on for a Griz

I think Filer is a difference maker in our secondary and this won't be a weakness if he stays healthy. I also think the running back room is much deeper than last year. We can plug and play a ton of dudes there, and it's not all because of the talent of the offensive line.

[iaafan]

Physicality is improved all over the field. We're a top-10, top-5 type roster save for 1 position, and that position isn't fullback. I think rovig can continue to improve, but his ceiling is competent, i think. If he can get to competent by November, we're capable of a deep, semifinal type run. If not, maybe 1 and out.

Rovig and Bauman both remind me of Rob Compson. Compson started the final three games if his redshirt season and was a scant 31-67 (46%) 304 yards and one touchdown. He started sophomore season and didn’t improve much. 113 of 212 (53 percent) for 1,385 yards and nine touchdowns.

His junior and senior years were good. He was 372-622 (60%) and threw for 5,139 yards. 44 TDs.

Compson was a big, drop back quarterback like Rovig and Bauman. I think Rovig will have a faster learning curve due to line and run game.

[wbtfg]

I had asked in another thread but only got a couple responses, so wanted some thoughts. When you watch the Cats this year (the eye test) what do you see? Is the team better than last year, about the same, hard to say? Have you been underwhelmed or are they exceeding your expectations? Are they exactly where you figured they’d be?

I’ll give it a go. I see a very good defensive front 7 who can stop the run and get pressure on the QB. I think this is an improvement over last year, which was also solid. Seems the backers are flying around better where that was a weakness last year. I see a secondary that gets beat on the big play too often and lets a lot of routes be successful underneath. This may be a step back from last year, but in fairness you’ve been without Filer which has hurt.

I see an offense that is extremely powerful in the rushing attack with a number of different weapons who can hurt you. The offensive line is even better than last year in my opinion and is opening lanes for a great rush attack. That’s why you’ve seen so many different runners have 100 yard games. It’s not so much the backs as it is the O line paving the way. The zone read game is darn near perfect. To do what the cats have done without Ifanse for the most part is impressive and even better than the running attack last year.

The glaring weakness is again at QB (which in my opinion is the most important offensive position on the field, only the center and QB touch the ball every play). I have said and will continue to say that neither Bauman nor Rovig are helping this offense much. I felt they wouldn’t early on and I haven’t seen a thing that tells me otherwise. They are still very one dimensional. I still think your offense works night and day better with Jonsen or TA running it from the QB position. I think Choate is starting to see that too as he let Jonsen run that final series in OT as opposed to running Rovig back out there. That was a smart move in my opinion. Without TA there I feel your QB play has taken a step back. That guy could spring a TD at any given moment. With Rovig there, that’s been lost. And I don’t think the passing improvements that he supposedly brings to the table outweigh what TA/Jonsen can do.

That’s my take. I see a lot of improvements and a better overall team who is still a QB away from a deep playoff run. If they fix that, I see a dangerous team who can compete with the top dogs.

What do you see?

I agree with most, slightly disagree with some. I think if you tell people in August that Filer and Ifanse will miss major time and that Andersen and Logan Jones will be extremely limited due to injury, in addition to all the others (Hadley, Okada, Patterson, Steel, Zambrano (?) etc.) that everyone would be more than excited to start off 5-1.

Keeping that in mind, I'll try to give my amateur opinion point by point:

Compared to last year: Better

Compared to preseason expectations: Slightly better. I would have never guessed we would be averaging 40 points per game vs FCS opponents...especially with so many playmakers out with injuries.

Defense: I was interested to see how Sterk and Marks handled their new positions on the line, and both of them have thrived are have improved even from their strong seasons last year. The LB's still have some work but they are 10x better than last year at this time. While I agree, we've given up some deep balls, I think we'll see that change with Filer (Preseason all conference pick) coming back. Tyrell Thomas is awesome as a nickel/slot DB but has struggled covering the vertical routes. Filer coming back will hopefully allow Thomas to move back to the nickel which is his strength.

QB: Rovig has been streaky and inconsistent. When he's on, he looks fantastic. When he's off (I'm not sure if it's more mechanical or mental), that really hurts our offense. While he wasn't great against Cal Poly, I thought he was close to being very good. He missed some easy passes, but didn't miss them by much. I think if he can be just a little more dialed in (whatever that means), that he will be a solid QB for a team with a run focused offense and a very good defense.

Moving forward: It will be interesting to see if they team can level up when they get some of the key guys back healthy. Can Rovig dial it in? Will Jonsen and Troy see increased snaps at QB?

If MSU wins against SAC this week, I think we have a chance at really making some noise this year and earning a top seed in the playoffs.

[seataccat]

Physicality is improved all over the field. We're a top-10, top-5 type roster save for 1 position, and that position isn't fullback. I think rovig can continue to improve, but his ceiling is competent, i think. If he can get to competent by November, we're capable of a deep, semifinal type run. If not, maybe 1 and out.

Rovig and Bauman both remind me of Rob Compson. Compson started the final three games if his redshirt season and was a scant 31-67 (46%) 304 yards and one touchdown. He started sophomore season and didn’t improve much. 113 of 212 (53 percent) for 1,385 yards and nine touchdowns.

His junior and senior years were good. He was 372-622 (60%) and threw for 5,139 yards. 44 TDs.

Compson was a big, drop back quarterback like Rovig and Bauman. I think Rovig will have a faster learning curve due to line and run game.

If compson were the QB of this team, we would have a way higher ceiling.

[Grizaddict]

Agree with everything you said except parts of the QB part. Rovig managed the game really well before his INT. Jonsen took over in OT, because he was killing it prior to that and Miller (using his own eye test) exploited Poly with him. His previous four carries that half went for 39 yards. 13, 10, 7, 9. In that situation (ball on poly 25) Miller was going to call that until it got stopped. Wouldn’t you have done the same?

Did you miss the part where I said it was the smartest thing they did. I think they would be extremely smart to go with just him or Andersen moving forward. It is my opinion your current “passing” QBs are holding the offense back.

[Grizaddict]

I'll bite.

So far this team has exceeded my expectations. I thought we would be better this year but 5-1 is a very pleasant surprise. I think SEMO and NAU are borderline good teams and CP is a solid team(especially at home at night). Although we are lighting it up in the air, we have improved over last year in almost every category on offense and our D is GETTING OFF THE FIELD ON 3RD DOWN!!!

Defense:
Our front 7 is very good against the run and generating pressure as you mentioned but those underneath passes are usually because the LBs are not in the correct spots. The CBs have been better than I thought given their youth and not only Filer but Cole being out and Thomas being below 100%. They do get beat at corner but its usually the other teams best receiver with no help. Our safeties have been borderline great and we have 3 very good ones.

Offense:
Lets just go to the QB cause we probably all agree on the line and run game. Anyone calling for us to run Andersen or Jonsen over and over are just asking for them to be lost for the season. We got away with it with Murray because he never took a solid hit. Neither of them can carry it more than 10 times a game max. Rovig is learning on the job and I think will have a good day against a weakish SSU secondary if the weather is conducive for it. No he hasn't WON us any games but anyone expecting him or Bauman to do that this year is deluding themselves.

[Grizaddict]

I tend to concur with the OP. One area I see a measureable improvement this year is with the receivers. Very few drops and their blocking is incredible, especially downfield.

I really like the diamond, which is nothing but the wishbone via a direct snap and fully expect come playoffs this to be the Cats primary offense. Throw in a bit of the pistol (the wing-t with a 3 yard drop and that goofy damn fly sweep in it) and the Cats ought to go deep in the playoffs if they execute better. I really like the playcalls and expect a marked improvement in their execution, especially when the weather turns ******. This team is built for November and December in Montana.

[Grizaddict]

I'd say outside of your addiction to the griz, you're mostly on point.

We are better defensively, with the exception of corner and that is not only weaker, but a weakness.

QB play will be the demise of this team. If 3rd and medium situations are typically ran with your QB split wide it is not an endorsement of the staff or team's belief in that QB's likelihood of making a play. That said, the run game coordination and OL play is as good as we've ever had in Bozeman.

Just an average QB would make this team a potential semi-finalist. However, QB play is below average and the likelihood of better than 1-1 in the playoffs isn't strong (or 0-1 if we can waddle through conference well enough to get a bye).

[Grizaddict]

Since we're talking eye test, I'll do just that -- evaluate the things that can't be measured on a stat sheet. I believe we are a much better team from last year based on these three things:

-- Shear will/grit: we've already had two games where this team did not quit, on themselves or their teammates. In years' past, we had teams that would have lost these last 2 games just based on giving up. Choate has this team believing they will win every game they play.

-- Strength/conditioning: against all our FCS opponents, we clearly were the best team in physical condition at the end of the game. Our new conditioning coaches and our nutritionist have already paid dividends. This will only become more crucial as we move deeper into the season and are dealing with worsening weather and injuries.

-- Depth: this team has more depth and more guys that can play at any time than I have ever witnessed with Bobcat football. It's a major reason why we have been able to overcome some key injuries early on. We truly have a plug-and-play lineup; just insert the next man up and we don't lose much. Guys like Perry, McCutheon, O'Reilly, JoJo Henderson, Askelson are all making plays that might not have been made by backups in the past.

So yes, my eye test tells me we are a much improved team from last year. The wins may not be pretty, but as long as they are wins, who gives a rat's arse...

[Grizaddict]

Physicality is improved all over the field. We're a top-10, top-5 type roster save for 1 position, and that position isn't fullback. I think rovig can continue to improve, but his ceiling is competent, i think. If he can get to competent by November, we're capable of a deep, semifinal type run. If not, maybe 1 and out.

[Grizaddict]

I had asked in another thread but only got a couple responses, so wanted some thoughts. When you watch the Cats this year (the eye test) what do you see? Is the team better than last year, about the same, hard to say? Have you been underwhelmed or are they exceeding your expectations? Are they exactly where you figured they’d be?

I’ll give it a go. I see a very good defensive front 7 who can stop the run and get pressure on the QB. I think this is an improvement over last year, which was also solid. Seems the backers are flying around better where that was a weakness last year. I see a secondary that gets beat on the big play too often and lets a lot of routes be successful underneath. This may be a step back from last year, but in fairness you’ve been without Filer which has hurt.

I see an offense that is extremely powerful in the rushing attack with a number of different weapons who can hurt you. The offensive line is even better than last year in my opinion and is opening lanes for a great rush attack. That’s why you’ve seen so many different runners have 100 yard games. It’s not so much the backs as it is the O line paving the way. The zone read game is darn near perfect. To do what the cats have done without Ifanse for the most part is impressive and even better than the running attack last year.

The glaring weakness is again at QB (which in my opinion is the most important offensive position on the field, only the center and QB touch the ball every play). I have said and will continue to say that neither Bauman nor Rovig are helping this offense much. I felt they wouldn’t early on and I haven’t seen a thing that tells me otherwise. They are still very one dimensional. I still think your offense works night and day better with Jonsen or TA running it from the QB position. I think Choate is starting to see that too as he let Jonsen run that final series in OT as opposed to running Rovig back out there. That was a smart move in my opinion. Without TA there I feel your QB play has taken a step back. That guy could spring a TD at any given moment. With Rovig there, that’s been lost. And I don’t think the passing improvements that he supposedly brings to the table outweigh what TA/Jonsen can do.

That’s my take. I see a lot of improvements and a better overall team who is still a QB away from a deep playoff run. If they fix that, I see a dangerous team who can compete with the top dogs.

What do you see?

Pretty thoughtful and I think spot-on for a Griz

I think Filer is a difference maker in our secondary and this won't be a weakness if he stays healthy. I also think the running back room is much deeper than last year. We can plug and play a ton of dudes there, and it's not all because of the talent of the offensive line.

[Grizaddict]

Physicality is improved all over the field. We're a top-10, top-5 type roster save for 1 position, and that position isn't fullback. I think rovig can continue to improve, but his ceiling is competent, i think. If he can get to competent by November, we're capable of a deep, semifinal type run. If not, maybe 1 and out.

Rovig and Bauman both remind me of Rob Compson. Compson started the final three games if his redshirt season and was a scant 31-67 (46%) 304 yards and one touchdown. He started sophomore season and didn’t improve much. 113 of 212 (53 percent) for 1,385 yards and nine touchdowns.

His junior and senior years were good. He was 372-622 (60%) and threw for 5,139 yards. 44 TDs.

Compson was a big, drop back quarterback like Rovig and Bauman. I think Rovig will have a faster learning curve due to line and run game.

[Grizaddict]

I had asked in another thread but only got a couple responses, so wanted some thoughts. When you watch the Cats this year (the eye test) what do you see? Is the team better than last year, about the same, hard to say? Have you been underwhelmed or are they exceeding your expectations? Are they exactly where you figured they’d be?

I’ll give it a go. I see a very good defensive front 7 who can stop the run and get pressure on the QB. I think this is an improvement over last year, which was also solid. Seems the backers are flying around better where that was a weakness last year. I see a secondary that gets beat on the big play too often and lets a lot of routes be successful underneath. This may be a step back from last year, but in fairness you’ve been without Filer which has hurt.

I see an offense that is extremely powerful in the rushing attack with a number of different weapons who can hurt you. The offensive line is even better than last year in my opinion and is opening lanes for a great rush attack. That’s why you’ve seen so many different runners have 100 yard games. It’s not so much the backs as it is the O line paving the way. The zone read game is darn near perfect. To do what the cats have done without Ifanse for the most part is impressive and even better than the running attack last year.

The glaring weakness is again at QB (which in my opinion is the most important offensive position on the field, only the center and QB touch the ball every play). I have said and will continue to say that neither Bauman nor Rovig are helping this offense much. I felt they wouldn’t early on and I haven’t seen a thing that tells me otherwise. They are still very one dimensional. I still think your offense works night and day better with Jonsen or TA running it from the QB position. I think Choate is starting to see that too as he let Jonsen run that final series in OT as opposed to running Rovig back out there. That was a smart move in my opinion. Without TA there I feel your QB play has taken a step back. That guy could spring a TD at any given moment. With Rovig there, that’s been lost. And I don’t think the passing improvements that he supposedly brings to the table outweigh what TA/Jonsen can do.

That’s my take. I see a lot of improvements and a better overall team who is still a QB away from a deep playoff run. If they fix that, I see a dangerous team who can compete with the top dogs.

What do you see?

I agree with most, slightly disagree with some. I think if you tell people in August that Filer and Ifanse will miss major time and that Andersen and Logan Jones will be extremely limited due to injury, in addition to all the others (Hadley, Okada, Patterson, Steel, Zambrano (?) etc.) that everyone would be more than excited to start off 5-1.

Keeping that in mind, I'll try to give my amateur opinion point by point:

Compared to last year: Better

Compared to preseason expectations: Slightly better. I would have never guessed we would be averaging 40 points per game vs FCS opponents...especially with so many playmakers out with injuries.

Defense: I was interested to see how Sterk and Marks handled their new positions on the line, and both of them have thrived are have improved even from their strong seasons last year. The LB's still have some work but they are 10x better than last year at this time. While I agree, we've given up some deep balls, I think we'll see that change with Filer (Preseason all conference pick) coming back. Tyrell Thomas is awesome as a nickel/slot DB but has struggled covering the vertical routes. Filer coming back will hopefully allow Thomas to move back to the nickel which is his strength.

QB: Rovig has been streaky and inconsistent. When he's on, he looks fantastic. When he's off (I'm not sure if it's more mechanical or mental), that really hurts our offense. While he wasn't great against Cal Poly, I thought he was close to being very good. He missed some easy passes, but didn't miss them by much. I think if he can be just a little more dialed in (whatever that means), that he will be a solid QB for a team with a run focused offense and a very good defense.

Moving forward: It will be interesting to see if they team can level up when they get some of the key guys back healthy. Can Rovig dial it in? Will Jonsen and Troy see increased snaps at QB?

If MSU wins against SAC this week, I think we have a chance at really making some noise this year and earning a top seed in the playoffs.