|
Post by wcu77 on Sept 22, 2024 6:07:46 GMT -5
Please don’t think that ANY Socon game is in the bag - all teams are capable of beating us unless we play 4 quarters. I agree as this team is very much a Jekyll and Hyde team this year. Never know who will show up. I don't think there is any way that this team will win out and go undefeated the rest of the way. I see us losing two or three conference games at least, with those being ETSU, Mercer and either UT-C or Furman(maybe both of the last two). I agree that any other team is also capable of beating us so no one should be assuming we win any given game.
|
|
|
Post by catamountalum04 on Sept 22, 2024 7:35:55 GMT -5
I will say this. I don't know if it is the loss of the three cord, Lee and Reid to Pitt but this team is not nearly as good as last year. I don't mean just the offense. The offense, as we have discussed, is not as good this year as in years past but the run defense seems to be giving up more yards per game on the ground. That might have to do with a better OOC schedule this year but still we should be improving every year. The only thing that has looked better is the secondary but that still is not playoff caliber. I think we finish .500 on the season
|
|
|
Post by troy on Sept 22, 2024 8:29:07 GMT -5
I felt our defense is getting way more stops than last year. I'll take the runs over all the deep passes on us from last year.
|
|
|
Post by wcu77 on Sept 22, 2024 8:43:50 GMT -5
I will say this. I don't know if it is the loss of the three cord, Lee and Reid to Pitt but this team is not nearly as good as last year. I don't mean just the offense. The offense, as we have discussed, is not as good this year as in years past but the run defense seems to be giving up more yards per game on the ground. That might have to do with a better OOC schedule this year but still we should be improving every year. The only thing that has looked better is the secondary but that still is not playoff caliber. I think we finish .500 on the season I'm trying to remain optimistic that a 7-5 record is achievable but that assumes we only lose two more games. Already dropping 3 games puts us in a big hole to dig out of for a good season in regard to a win loss record so a 6-6 record is entirely possible. I just hate that we wasted our chance last year at a title and playoff berth. It was right there for the taking and we blew it.
|
|
|
Post by newfoundcat on Sept 22, 2024 9:31:05 GMT -5
We played very hard. The officiating did not go our way but we battled. I will say that I’ve been to many football games in different locations. This Montana stadium was the biggest home field advantage that I have ever seen. The 25,000+ crowd never let up. They were into the game from beginning to end. No place I’ve been comes close to this one.
|
|
|
Post by FLCATAMOUNT on Sept 22, 2024 9:33:36 GMT -5
I will say this. I don't know if it is the loss of the three cord, Lee and Reid to Pitt but this team is not nearly as good as last year. I don't mean just the offense. The offense, as we have discussed, is not as good this year as in years past but the run defense seems to be giving up more yards per game on the ground. That might have to do with a better OOC schedule this year but still we should be improving every year. The only thing that has looked better is the secondary but that still is not playoff caliber. I think we finish .500 on the season I'm trying to remain optimistic that a 7-5 record is achievable but that assumes we only lose two more games. Already dropping 3 games puts us in a big hole to dig out of for a good season in regard to a win loss record so a 6-6 record is entirely possible. I just hate that we wasted our chance last year at a title and playoff berth. It was right there for the taking and we blew it. Cole went down with a shoulder injury in the first quarter or we would have made it. This year, we have more real depth at QB.
|
|
|
Post by catamountalum04 on Sept 22, 2024 9:35:05 GMT -5
I will say this. I don't know if it is the loss of the three cord, Lee and Reid to Pitt but this team is not nearly as good as last year. I don't mean just the offense. The offense, as we have discussed, is not as good this year as in years past but the run defense seems to be giving up more yards per game on the ground. That might have to do with a better OOC schedule this year but still we should be improving every year. The only thing that has looked better is the secondary but that still is not playoff caliber. I think we finish .500 on the season I'm trying to remain optimistic that a 7-5 record is achievable but that assumes we only lose two more games. Already dropping 3 games puts us in a big hole to dig out of for a good season in regard to a win loss record so a 6-6 record is entirely possible. I just hate that we wasted our chance last year at a title and playoff berth. It was right there for the taking and we blew it. I agree. I mean I hope I am wrong but ETSU, Mercer, and UTC have played better than us thus far in thier games. Bell also seems to be more frustrated this year in games because of the mistakes the team is making in game. Mistakes that might be costing us wins. I am still team Bell and I want him here till he retires but I think recruiting last cycle was not his best
|
|
|
Post by FLCATAMOUNT on Sept 22, 2024 9:55:52 GMT -5
Of course I have a different take than some of the posters on here. I think we have improved each game. The NC State game was a perfect storm. They took us lightly and our game plan was great. I think that the Campbell game was that we did not take them seriously because of our performance at State and that our coaches did not take them very serious. If we play Campbell ten times, I think we beat them 9 times. We got better against Elon and figured some things out. We never gave up and played hard from start to finish. Elon is much better than Campbell so we improved greatly in that game. Finally against Montana, we put it all together against a team that is the best FCS team we will face all year. We have a week off to get some people better. Also, the new DC was introduced after the season last year and our guys have only been in this system for 4 games. I am sure that these first 4 games have been a lot of our players figuring out what they are supposed to do on defense. I think that has a lot to do with the big plays that we gave up on defense. The more they play in the system, the more they will gel as a defensive unit. I am sure that some of our players are figuring it out as they go along. Look at the change that this team has gone through this year. New OC and QB coach. Same offensive system but it is still change. New DC with a new defensive system and philosophy. So my take is that I love the way the schedule worked out. First 4 games is the preseason and now we have a week off to get some folks healthy and extra time to review film and teach so we clean up the mistakes we still have after 4 games. The upcoming games count and we have to take them one at a time and continue to get better. This team is starting to come together and will be fine.
GO CATS!!!!!!!!!!
|
|
|
Post by wcugrad95 on Sept 22, 2024 10:07:40 GMT -5
ETSU is good - I watched quite a bit of their game against Elon and their QB and RB (Irby) will be a handful for the entire conference.
Mercer and Furman have been very tough games for us, especially if they are meaningful. I think retiredcat has mentioned that we haven't won at Samford since something like the 60s. UTC demolished us in a homecoming game that ruined a good season several years ago and are usually a tough out because of their physicality. And it is clear Wofford and Citadel might not be playoff-contender ready yet, but they are way better teams than last year.
At the same time, we just played the toughest OOC schedule I can remember. We played pretty good in 2 of the games, ok against a ranked opponent to get a road win, and we crapped the bed against the weakest team we have played yet. Many WCU teams of the past decade or so would be 1-3 or even 0-4. The difference now is even though we lost some stud players to the portal (don't forget we also lost Keaton on D), I still truly believe we have the talent to go win 5 or 6 SOCON games.
5-3 or 6-2 won't be enough for the playoffs and would be dissapointing, but is light years ahead of where we were before Bell got here. And there is not a game left on our schedule that we aren't capable of winning. Might not win them all, but we have a team that very well could.
Montana is a top-10 football team (many had them top-5 to start the season). We started looking like the offense we are accustomed to. We went into their place and were a handful of plays away from the biggest win in 40 years. So I am going to hope even in a loss we are heading in the right direction after really wondering about the team after the Campbell game.
|
|
|
Post by Speedwell Cat on Sept 22, 2024 10:12:09 GMT -5
A few things worth considering for the rare optimist on here, in no particular order: A 3-1 start would’ve been a stretch, considering the schedule. Most of us guessed 2-2. We laid a rotten egg against Campbell - horrible - but we played pretty well at the toughest venue in the FCS and at State. Which are the “real” Cats? I’d say it’s tougher to do what we did yesterday than it is to get caught with your pants down in week two. I’ll take the upside - the fact that we did it shows we can do it. Beyond that, let’s not forget the role chemistry plays in all of this. We have two new coordinators and we lost a bunch of offensive juice to the portal and three coaches. It isn’t reasonable that we would pick right up where we left off.
I often think of the ‘96 hoops team as the perfect example of chemistry. Man, for 13 games that team SUCKED. They were beaten at home by the Coker Cobras! But when they figured it all out, they were good enough to take a one seed to the wire.
I’m hopeful we’ll take what we’ve learned OOC and get a good start in conference play.
|
|