Injuries (heading to Frisco )

[mslacatfan]

Getting Jon Johnson back for another year next year would be HUGE!

With that being said, we can make a legit run this year, so if he is healthy enough to play then don’t mess around, just play him.

[catatac]

I thought I heard on this week’s Ridin with Rider that he mentioned something about one of the currently injured players possibly going for a redshirt this year? Maybe I misheard, or maybe that’s not what he meant. It was a quick comment he made, But it’d be interesting if it’s in the cards for any of them.

So for starters/main contributors we have Perkins, Davis, Polidore and Elliott that haven’t played yet this year and Johnson that has a a game or two in this year.

Do any have their redshirts still available?

Polidore would be really interesting if he could actually redshirt this year.

Assuming we get none of those guys back this game or for UNC, that only leaves 6 regular season games left. It makes it a very intriguing decision if a redshirt is available, play them 4 out of the remaining 6 games and roll into the playoffs as healthy and rested as possible.

Might all be a moot point, I don’t recall off the top of my head if any of them have a RS available or not.

Polidore: Redshirted at Air Force in 2021.
Perkins: Redshirted at MSU in 2019.
Davis: Redshirted at Wisconsin in 2019.
Elliott: Has not redshirted yet (came to MSU in 2020 during the Covid year and played in 2021, 22, 23)
Jon Johnson: Has not redshirted (JC in 2021 and 2022 and played at MSU in 2023)

I hope MSU doesn't mess around with this too much, I still strongly suspect that's what they were doing with Isaiah Ifanse in 2022 and it burned them in the end when he transferred out and used his final year of eligibility elsewhere. If a player is healthy and can help the team by being in there for 5 or 6 or 7 games instead of 4, then play him.

I get it, and it’s a debate that goes on forever and both sides have validity to them.

I wouldn’t say the Ifanse thing burned them, they were totally fine the year he redshirted and it was nice to have that option of him coming back for another year, but ultimately he made a decision to go elsewhere, the Cats weren’t out anything though. They were fine the year he redshirted, and they were fine without him the year he left. He would have been gone that year one way or another, if he didn’t redshirt then his eligibility would have been up and he’d have been gone the next year anyway. I don’t recall the Cats losing any games that redshirt year because he wasn’t out there.

There is nuance to it I think. If a player is injured for part of the season but then ready to go with 6 games left, but 2 or 3 of those games are against garbage teams that you know you can win without that player, AND the player wants to redshirt, then do it, gain a year of eligibility that way. There is no guarantee the player is here for all of his eligibility but at least it’s an option. And the team isn’t out anything if the player is sitting against inferior opponents.

If the player is ready to go and there are 7,8,9 games left in the season, then that is almost always a situation you just play him and not worry about retaining a redshirt.
Or if you have 5 or 6 games left but it’s a gauntlet of a schedule and that player is going to be relied on heavily to win those games, then you play them.

Basically there isn’t a black and white answer on this, but I’m personally a fan of redshirting when possible to have the option later to essentially extend their career a year.

I'm more with MSU01 on this. If I'm the head coach I am absolutely playing anybody that makes the team better, unless we're 99.99999% sure they aren't needed for us to win a specific game. For example, Mercyhurst, and perhaps Utah Tech? Everyone else, Northern CO, etc... I'm playing them even if it puts them at five games rather than four.

[mslacatfan]

Good news.

[GoCats18]

Good news.

Wasn’t he guilty of helmet to helmet though and will miss the first half of UNC? We really need to clean that stuff up. Seems like we get called for it all the time.

[mslacatfan]

any injury updates from the ISU game? Whats the word on Eiden? That was the only injury that I can remember from the game.... hopefully its nothing serious.

[94VegasCat]

I saw Taki U getting his knee wrapped in ice. Same knee as before I’m unsure.

[catatac]

Good news.

Wasn’t he guilty of helmet to helmet though and will miss the first half of UNC? We really need to clean that stuff up. Seems like we get called for it all the time.

I don't remember any of our players getting ejected this season but yes, this one was a total bone head move, no idea what he was thinking.

[Pecos24]

Is Marquis Johnson injured? I didn't see him on the field for kick returns.

[technoCat]

Is Marquis Johnson injured? I didn't see him on the field for kick returns.

This what I was wondering. Need to find a way to get him some touches.

[CodyCat]

What about Eiden?

[JudithBasinCat]

What about Eiden?

I thought I saw him back in at the end of the game

[HelenaCat95]

Eiden was back in. Any word on Taki?

[GoCats18]

I don't remember any of our players getting ejected this season but yes, this one was a total bone head move, no idea what he was thinking.

Danny U did in the first half of Mercyhurst.

[Prodigal Cat]

I wonder where guys like J Davis and Perkins are at? I'm kinda of the mind that if Justus isn't ready for UNC i'm not super crazy about throwing him out there against Idaho for his first start back. That D line is very good and bringing him back to start that game is a little throwing him to the wolves. I know he is really good but not exactly the game to get the rust off.

[KIX]

I wonder where guys like J Davis and Perkins are at? I'm kinda of the mind that if Justus isn't ready for UNC i'm not super crazy about throwing him out there against Idaho for his first start back. That D line is very good and bringing him back to start that game is a little throwing him to the wolves. I know he is really good but not exactly the game to get the rust off.

Seems to be the million dollar question. Perk has been out so long he must have broken something and Davis is a complete mystery. Odd. But with Vigen, maybe not.

[CodyCat]

I wonder where guys like J Davis and Perkins are at? I'm kinda of the mind that if Justus isn't ready for UNC i'm not super crazy about throwing him out there against Idaho for his first start back. That D line is very good and bringing him back to start that game is a little throwing him to the wolves. I know he is really good but not exactly the game to get the rust off.

Seems to be the million dollar question. Perk has been out so long he must have broken something and Davis is a complete mystery. Odd. But with Vigen, maybe not.

Vigen said last week that Davis was practicing but wouldnt play at ISU.

[kcatz]

I wonder where guys like J Davis and Perkins are at? I'm kinda of the mind that if Justus isn't ready for UNC i'm not super crazy about throwing him out there against Idaho for his first start back. That D line is very good and bringing him back to start that game is a little throwing him to the wolves. I know he is really good but not exactly the game to get the rust off.

Seems to be the million dollar question. Perk has been out so long he must have broken something and Davis is a complete mystery. Odd. But with Vigen, maybe not.

There's a Facebook Ad on the R Bar page with a cute video advertising for a block party on Sept 27.

It should clear up a question or two on Perk.

(It could have been shot awhile ago but there are fall leaves on the ground in the parking lot so ???

[mslacatfan]

[cats2506]

I saw Taki U getting his knee wrapped in ice. Same knee as before I’m unsure.

[catatac]

Yes, I just watched Vigen's UNC interview and that is all very good news in the injury front, relatively speaking. I was nervous about Taki, Kenny, and was it Connor that also went down? Was thinking there could have been serious injuries there but it sounds like nothing serious and all could play this weekend. As someone else posted, Marquis was hurt in the prior game and sounds like he's out for a couple weeks. Perk, Dru, and Julius are still working back and he said Dru and Julius are out there practicing... didn't mention anything about Perk. Jon will miss the first half due to targeting call, and he should get the club off his hand this week.