Matchups

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ilovethecats
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Re: Matchups

Post by ilovethecats » Wed Nov 20, 2019 2:46 pm

VimSince03 wrote:
Wed Nov 20, 2019 2:39 pm
ilovethecats wrote:
Wed Nov 20, 2019 2:29 pm
Joe Bobcat wrote:
Wed Nov 20, 2019 2:00 pm
91catAlum wrote:
Wed Nov 20, 2019 1:46 pm
1984champ wrote:
Wed Nov 20, 2019 7:09 am
Not sure how much this game will come down to the coaches but MSU has a very young coaching staff across the board compared to UM.
What are the coaching changes since last season's game? I can't think of any significant ones but I could be wrong. Maybe our WR coach. Not sure about the griz.
Ty Gregorak is gone and Kane Ione is back as the DC. That has to be pretty big.
I haven't gotten the impression our defense has regressed at all this season. Anyone have any defensive stats comparing last season to this season?

I'm not trying to disregard losing Ty. I love the guy and thought he was great for us. I just think if we were to have a big step backwards on that side of the ball we would have seen it more clearly by this point.
https://bobcatnation.com/bobcatbb/viewt ... 20&t=48158

We have actually improved in nearly every area.
I thought that was the case.

No doubt there's a plethora of experience over on the griz sideline. But just because our coordinators are young, doesn't mean they're not capable. And they're not on an island out there. We have a ton of experience on our side as well.

I'm not dismissing coaching in this game. I'm just not convinced they have a huge advantage with their coordinators being older than our coordinators.



91catAlum
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Re: Matchups

Post by 91catAlum » Wed Nov 20, 2019 2:50 pm

Joe Bobcat wrote:
Wed Nov 20, 2019 2:00 pm
91catAlum wrote:
Wed Nov 20, 2019 1:46 pm
1984champ wrote:
Wed Nov 20, 2019 7:09 am
Not sure how much this game will come down to the coaches but MSU has a very young coaching staff across the board compared to UM.
What are the coaching changes since last season's game? I can't think of any significant ones but I could be wrong. Maybe our WR coach. Not sure about the griz.
Ty Gregorak is gone and Kane Ione is back as the DC. That has to be pretty big.
OH RIGHT, haha i had a momentary brain lapse...


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bobcat99
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Re: Matchups

Post by bobcat99 » Wed Nov 20, 2019 2:52 pm

Lots of experience doesn't mean you're good. There's a reason Baer hasn't stayed long in places.



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Re: Matchups

Post by Joe Bobcat » Wed Nov 20, 2019 2:52 pm

ilovethecats wrote:
Wed Nov 20, 2019 2:29 pm
Joe Bobcat wrote:
Wed Nov 20, 2019 2:00 pm
91catAlum wrote:
Wed Nov 20, 2019 1:46 pm
1984champ wrote:
Wed Nov 20, 2019 7:09 am
Not sure how much this game will come down to the coaches but MSU has a very young coaching staff across the board compared to UM.
What are the coaching changes since last season's game? I can't think of any significant ones but I could be wrong. Maybe our WR coach. Not sure about the griz.
Ty Gregorak is gone and Kane Ione is back as the DC. That has to be pretty big.
I haven't gotten the impression our defense has regressed at all this season. Anyone have any defensive stats comparing last season to this season?

I'm not trying to disregard losing Ty. I love the guy and thought he was great for us. I just think if we were to have a big step backwards on that side of the ball we would have seen it more clearly by this point.
Yeah I didn't mean to imply that the defense was down or up this year because of the change of DC but no matter how you look at it that is a big change. Double digit years of experience as a DC vs. first year as a DC. Both great guys but plenty of differences in their approach and personalities.


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bobcat99
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Re: Matchups

Post by bobcat99 » Wed Nov 20, 2019 3:04 pm

Fwiw, Troy Andersen passed on the Griz last year. I'm far from the biggest Rovig fan, but he's a better passer than Andersen.

Now, our OL is better than their OL. Our DL is better than their DL. I think our LB's are fairly evenly matched, and our secondary is better. They have the better QB, WR's, and TE's. Our RB's are a lot better.

They blitz to get a pass rush. And they blitz a lot. It can be effective. But what happens when they face a good OL? It leaves guys open, which is why their defensive passing numbers aren't so good. So if they stop blitzing, the run game can, and should, prosper. Rovig just has to find the open man. Lots of film study this week!!

On defense, our line will harass them. Sneed isn't as mobile as usual, but man, he has some good weapons.

This is a very winnable game. The more I think about it, the better I feel.



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Re: Matchups

Post by Buckaroo Bonzi » Wed Nov 20, 2019 3:08 pm

tdub wrote:
Wed Nov 20, 2019 2:09 pm
To me, there is one position group that determines this game. MSU o-line. A great game by the OL and MSU wins. I think we all know what to expect from the defense, they’ve been consistent. But with all of the looks that um will give, OL has to be on point. The OL can make Rovig look either solid or bad and make the run game look anywhere from pretty good to absolutely great. The dominance of the OL and a strong run game will help the defense by limiting the opportunities that the um will get by controlling the ball.
As Simple as it gets, I believe this will be the ultimate key to this game . Ground and Pound eat Clock.


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catatac
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Re: Matchups

Post by catatac » Wed Nov 20, 2019 3:49 pm

bobcat99 wrote:
Wed Nov 20, 2019 3:04 pm
Fwiw, Troy Andersen passed on the Griz last year. I'm far from the biggest Rovig fan, but he's a better passer than Andersen.

Now, our OL is better than their OL. Our DL is better than their DL. I think our LB's are fairly evenly matched, and our secondary is better. They have the better QB, WR's, and TE's. Our RB's are a lot better.

They blitz to get a pass rush. And they blitz a lot. It can be effective. But what happens when they face a good OL? It leaves guys open, which is why their defensive passing numbers aren't so good. So if they stop blitzing, the run game can, and should, prosper. Rovig just has to find the open man. Lots of film study this week!!

On defense, our line will harass them. Sneed isn't as mobile as usual, but man, he has some good weapons.

This is a very winnable game. The more I think about it, the better I feel.
Yep, I agree. One thing we absolutely HAVE to get out of the Bobcats, and I think we will, is effort. If you watched the Griz Weber game that Griz defense was incredibly jacked up to start that game, it was evident. Weber did not match it. They beat the crap of the Weber players physically. Since Choate has preached his culture of physical and mental toughness and unmatched effort every snap....... there is no way in hell the Griz should out physical or out effort us, especially at home. That will be the number one thing I'm looking for at the start of this game.


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Re: Matchups

Post by coochorama42 » Wed Nov 20, 2019 4:01 pm

Now this is a post I've been waiting to write all year. I'm a big fan of Choate's in general. I think he's better at some things than others. I believe he and his coaching staff have done a phenomenal job in game planning in all but one game this year (North Dakota). If there is one area in which I believe he is elite, it is putting certain looks and plays on game film so that other coaches need to prepare for it.

For instance, key special teams fakes (the fake FG vs. Norfolk State and the fake punt vs. Northern Colorado) were not necessary in those games to win, but they certainly are going to be on game film for any team playing them.

The strength of the defense is that they can sit in a base defense and defend almost anything. I'm not sure if Samuel Akem is back for the Grizzlies this weekend (I think he will not be, but I'm not 100% sure on this), but Louis-McGee and Toure are still tough to deal with. I believe MSU will "attack" Sneed the same way they "attacked" Maier - some pressure but more coverage than anything. If the Bobcats do bring pressure, I really like the idea of stacking Troy Anderson and Sterk and bringing them together and/or having one drop back and the other rush. The difference maker in this game is whether MSU can get pressure up the middle and whether Sneed is healthy enough to escape under pressure. If not, the Bobcats can feel free to disguise their coverage and bring pressure from different places- hoping to make Sneed make bad reads under pressure. I do expect that MSU will try to bring Konkol at least once (as they did in the UIW playoff game last year). If they do manage to make Sneed take a lot of dump-offs and short passes, the Cats will likely be set up to succeed defensively in the long run. As our game against Davis showed, 3rd and 2 is not the worst situation. It's not great, but a bad pass or a run-stuff sets up a punt. Against the Grizzlies, you're not going to shut down Toure and Akem (if he plays) and Louis-McGee, so you need to contain them and make Sneed make excellent passes. I don't think it's possible to actually shut down big plays out of the WR, but you do need to limit them to just a couple. In addition to turnovers, game changing plays from the defense would include pressure from the middle of the defensive line and stops on the edge if/when Louis-McGee gets the ball on the run.

From an offensive point of view, I expect to see a lot of Jones and Sumner early in the game with Ifanse getting the ball later in the game when (hopefully) the D-Line has worn down. There are some plays that MSU seems to have been setting up all year that I imagine they will tap into. First, the dreaded roll-out to the right/throw to the RB/get the ball tipped and intercepted play-call. The tight end coming across the field behind the RB has been quite open in the past and I imagine (hope) the idea is to put the ball in his hands when the team is most in need. I'm not sure you don't save that for a playoff game, but it really depends on how you feel about where you'll be seeded with a win (@Catprint has a great write-up on that here: https://bobcatnation.com/bobcatbb/viewt ... 20&t=48278). As others have mentioned, Jonsen tends to keep the ball way more often than pitch it/give it to the guy on the jet sweep. I expect this will change Saturday, not only to win this game, but also to put this on tape for the playoffs. One wrinkle that we've seen before the last couple of years that I do expect to see is the two deep passes in a row. I'd have Jonsen on the bench for the first, let a speedy WR take a Grizzly CB for a quick sprint down the football field, then quickly substitute Jonsen in and do it again. Again, it's not new, but it could work. That's my thoughts for now...I'll probably post again later because I obsess like that...



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Re: Matchups

Post by TomCat88 » Wed Nov 20, 2019 5:59 pm

bobcat99 wrote:
Wed Nov 20, 2019 3:04 pm
Fwiw, Troy Andersen passed on the Griz last year. I'm far from the biggest Rovig fan, but he's a better passer than Andersen.

Now, our OL is better than their OL. Our DL is better than their DL. I think our LB's are fairly evenly matched, and our secondary is better. They have the better QB, WR's, and TE's. Our RB's are a lot better.

They blitz to get a pass rush. And they blitz a lot. It can be effective. But what happens when they face a good OL? It leaves guys open, which is why their defensive passing numbers aren't so good. So if they stop blitzing, the run game can, and should, prosper. Rovig just has to find the open man. Lots of film study this week!!

On defense, our line will harass them. Sneed isn't as mobile as usual, but man, he has some good weapons.

This is a very winnable game. The more I think about it, the better I feel.
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Re: Matchups

Post by blueandgoldblitz » Thu Nov 21, 2019 2:52 pm

Not seeing anything about Sulser in anyone's posts. Is he hurt or something?



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Re: Matchups

Post by Montanabob » Thu Nov 21, 2019 2:55 pm

blueandgoldblitz wrote:
Thu Nov 21, 2019 2:52 pm
Not seeing anything about Sulser in anyone's posts. Is he hurt or something?
Last I heard he went to community college somewhere and is hurt. Listed as a game time decision.


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Re: Matchups

Post by mtgrizfankb » Thu Nov 21, 2019 3:01 pm

blueandgoldblitz wrote:
Thu Nov 21, 2019 2:52 pm
Not seeing anything about Sulser in anyone's posts. Is he hurt or something?
Sulser has had an injury most the year and has not played since. Akem has a high sprain and is unlikely to go.



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Re: Matchups

Post by tdub » Thu Nov 21, 2019 3:17 pm

mtgrizfankb wrote:
Thu Nov 21, 2019 3:01 pm
blueandgoldblitz wrote:
Thu Nov 21, 2019 2:52 pm
Not seeing anything about Sulser in anyone's posts. Is he hurt or something?
Sulser has had an injury most the year and has not played since. Akem has a high sprain and is unlikely to go.
Obviously helps the Cats, but that’s a super bummer for them. I think Akem is one of the best receivers in the country and is fun to watch.


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brucat5
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Re: Matchups

Post by brucat5 » Thu Nov 21, 2019 3:23 pm

tdub wrote:
Thu Nov 21, 2019 3:17 pm
mtgrizfankb wrote:
Thu Nov 21, 2019 3:01 pm
blueandgoldblitz wrote:
Thu Nov 21, 2019 2:52 pm
Not seeing anything about Sulser in anyone's posts. Is he hurt or something?
Sulser has had an injury most the year and has not played since. Akem has a high sprain and is unlikely to go.
Obviously helps the Cats, but that’s a super bummer for them. I think Akem is one of the best receivers in the country and is fun to watch.
Man, injuries suck. Hate that part of the game.



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Re: Matchups

Post by blueandgoldblitz » Thu Nov 21, 2019 3:43 pm

How about a full injury report from both sides? Who's out on the griz? Sounds like possibly Sulser and Akem. Anyone else?

I'm not even sure who's out on the Cats right now. Is Connor Wood still out? I'm guessing Filer won't play. Who else?



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catatac
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Re: Matchups

Post by catatac » Thu Nov 21, 2019 9:38 pm

blueandgoldblitz wrote:
Thu Nov 21, 2019 3:43 pm
How about a full injury report from both sides? Who's out on the griz? Sounds like possibly Sulser and Akem. Anyone else?

I'm not even sure who's out on the Cats right now. Is Connor Wood still out? I'm guessing Filer won't play. Who else?
Not happening. All I know for sure on the Griz out is Sulser, Akem, and Mamula or whatever the D Lineman's name is.


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Re: Matchups

Post by Htowngriz » Fri Nov 22, 2019 10:06 am

Sounds like true frosh DE McGourin will play in his 4th game this year. He's an absolute beast and could be a game changer for the defense.



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Re: Matchups

Post by VimSince03 » Fri Nov 22, 2019 10:07 am

Htowngriz wrote:
Fri Nov 22, 2019 10:06 am
Sounds like true frosh DE McGourin will play in his 4th game this year. He's an absolute beast and could be a game changer for the defense.
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Re: Matchups

Post by cats2506 » Fri Nov 22, 2019 10:11 am

Htowngriz wrote:
Fri Nov 22, 2019 10:06 am
Sounds like true frosh DE McGourin will play in his 4th game this year. He's an absolute beast and could be a game changer for the defense.
I see, so you think your best player for DE is a true Fr, but you been redshirting him this year :-k


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Re: Matchups

Post by CelticCat » Fri Nov 22, 2019 10:14 am

It's almost like their backups are better than their starters!


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