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Post by The Cats on Nov 5, 2023 11:25:04 GMT -5
The Bucs travel to Cullowhee with a 2-7 overall record and are on a 3-game skid.
However, their last win came against Wofford, in a game which they won 41-10, over the team we just beat - by a field goal. We must win both our final two games in order to have a shot at an at-large bid to the NCAA.
The Bucs lost yesterday 24-31 to VMI, our next (and last regular season game). I'd recommend you watch that game on ESPN+ if you have not done so - both games are not give-me's and will take the Cats playing good sound football to win both games.
Oh yeah, there's a trophy involved, as well in this game.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 5, 2023 16:10:42 GMT -5
This is a game you circle on the calendar if you are a coach and player. This is a rivalry game with a lot on the line. Bragging rights is one thing but there is just something bigger at stake for both teams. There's no better feeling then to be holding that trophy on the road. The cats had the privilege of going into Johnson City and getting to take that Blue Ridge Border Battle Trophy home last season. ETSU has had a season they'd like to forget and you know they would like nothing more then to come into Cullowhee and take home the trophy. For them this is their championship and the only thing they have left to play for. They are going to come out and be ready to play.
This is a game we cannot afford to lose. Both the coaches and players know how much this game means for season. We cannot come out and play like we have the last three games. I don't care what ETSU record is, we cannot come out sluggish.
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Post by wcugrad95 on Nov 6, 2023 11:10:57 GMT -5
I feel like this game is a rivalry more because of the history of both teams being in the SOCON for many seasons and due to the locations being so close/the schools both being public universities - I honestly don't feel like them adding the "trophy" and a name makes it anything more (same thing for the "Purple" made-up and gimmicky rivalry with Furman).
That being said, no doubt ETSU would like nothing better than to ruin our season. And since the Bucs returned to football this has been a pretty tightly contested game. All-time the series is WCU with 26 wins, ETSU with 25 wins, and 1 tie. The last 10 are evenly split with 5 wins each, and since 2018 we have had 2 OT games with them (the 2019 game went into 3 OTs). Even in 2021 when ETSU was seeded and so good, they pulled away at the end but the game was close all the way until the 4th quarter.
If we were totally healthy I still think this would be a tougher game than anybody expected 3 or 4 weeks ago, but given our health and how the team has played the last 2 weeks with the turnovers, penalties, and lack of discipline we better get some things figured out at practice this week.
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Post by wcu77 on Nov 6, 2023 12:18:46 GMT -5
I feel like this game is a rivalry more because of the history of both teams being in the SOCON for many seasons and due to the locations being so close/the schools both being public universities - I honestly don't feel like them adding the "trophy" and a name makes it anything more (same thing for the "Purple" made-up and gimmicky rivalry with Furman). That being said, no doubt ETSU would like nothing better than to ruin our season. And since the Bucs returned to football this has been a pretty tightly contested game. All-time the series is WCU with 26 wins, ETSU with 25 wins, and 1 tie. The last 10 are evenly split with 5 wins each, and since 2018 we have had 2 OT games with them (the 2019 game went into 3 OTs). Even in 2021 when ETSU was seeded and so good, they pulled away at the end but the game was close all the way until the 4th quarter. If we were totally healthy I still think this would be a tougher game than anybody expected 3 or 4 weeks ago, but given our health and how the team has played the last 2 weeks with the turnovers, penalties, and lack of discipline we better get some things figured out at practice this week. With the way we have played the last three weeks, I don't get a good feeling about this one or VMI. We have been falling behind early and by pretty big margins so unless we reverse that and get off to a good start, then play without all the turnovers and penalties we are in trouble these last two games. Late in the Wofford game our defense came alive and made some important stops but they have to play like that for an entire game for us to have a shot. We can't continue to fall behind by two or three scores and count on the offense to get us back in it. The offense has to stop with all the turnovers and get some momentum early. They have lots of work to do this week and then hopefully pull out a win Saturday, then it's on to next week.
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Post by cats2020 on Nov 6, 2023 12:33:44 GMT -5
Amazing that the series is so dead even. Also our 2nd most played opponent.
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Post by catamountalum04 on Nov 6, 2023 12:38:55 GMT -5
I feel we have a bigger rivalry against Furman than ETSU
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Post by The Cats on Nov 6, 2023 13:21:38 GMT -5
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Post by Admin on Nov 6, 2023 18:58:26 GMT -5
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Post by FLCATAMOUNT on Nov 6, 2023 18:58:51 GMT -5
I think coach is frustrated in the way we have been playing, especially on defense. He said on his show tonight that we are playing too soft. He also said that we will find players that want to play and play fast and pull the trigger and make plays. He also said that the defense needs to start faster and not wait until the second half. I think he is challenging the team to play like he knows they can. We have young players but they are talented athletes that are fast.
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Post by wcu77 on Nov 6, 2023 19:19:01 GMT -5
I think coach is frustrated in the way we have been playing, especially on defense. He said on his show tonight that we are playing too soft. He also said that we will find players that want to play and play fast and pull the trigger and make plays. He also said that the defense needs to start faster and not wait until the second half. I think he is challenging the team to play like he knows they can. We have young players but they are talented athletes that are fast. Listening on the radio Saturday, there were several times when he had 2nd and 3rd team players in on defense. I'm sure he knows who was in when they made those big stops in the 4th so that is a good place to start.
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