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Was there really not a thread for this one yet?

The two Big Sky games this week are the hardest to predict. I'm confident the Bobcats will do a much better job on Sam Houston's offense than they did last year, but I don't think that will quite be enough. Sam Houston's a really good team, & I think they may have caught a break with a banged-up-or-possibly-out Cody Kirk.

Here's my assessment of the matchups & my pick for the game:

• • • Quarterbacks -- Montana St.
      
      Running Backs - Sam Houston St.
      
      Receivers/TEs - (push)
      
      Offensive Line - Sam Houston St.
      
      
      Defensive Line - Montana St.
      
      Linebackers --- Montana St.
      
      Secondary ---- Sam Houston St.
      
      
      Kicking ------ Montana St.
      
      Punting ------ Sam Houston St.
      
      Return Teams - Sam Houston St.
      
      Kickoffs ------ Montana St.
      
      
      
      
      
      • Sam Houston St. 27-24 Montana St.

Cat/Kat fans are apparently lazy. This should be a close match up, i give MSU the edge with the 12th man and the weather on their side. 33-30 bobcats

I like the fact that no one is talking about the game. Not many people were giving us a chance against SB, and there was very little chatter going on before the game. SHSU kicked the shit out of us last year, so I think most Cat fans are just exited for a chance to get even. Should be a hell of a game.

After seeing Cal Poly shut down Sam Houston State's offense last week, I feel like Montana State- with a better run stop than CP- is catching the Bearkats at the right time... and in the right place (Bozeman is always a tough place to play, but in December?)

What I'm not sold on is Montana State's offense. But I think it'll be good enough.

I still like MSU in this one.

I agree. A good, hard-fought game, with MSU ultimately coming out victorious with a spread of somewhere between a FG and a FG + Safety.

grizzaholic wrote:I still like MSU in this one.

So do I!

Go Cats!!

Grizo406 wrote:

grizzaholic wrote:I still like MSU in this one.

So do I!

Go Cats!!

CatBlitz22 wrote:

Grizo406 wrote:
So do I!

Go Cats!!

Grizo knows his stuff. I wouldn't want to get on his bad side.

grizzaholic wrote:

CatBlitz22 wrote:

Grizo knows his stuff. I wouldn't want to get on his bad side.

I'm pretty sure I just saw a piece of the sky fall...

Forecast is for 31 with 57% humidity, so it will feel like 21.

Not sure if that is cold enough to help out MSU.

I know, I know, both teams have to play in the same weather, but it took me a HELLUVA lot longer to get used to the "cold" of Seattle than it did to get used to the heat of Phoenix. In fact, I was ready for Phoenix heat from day one. Seattle, almost a year.

SeattleGriz wrote:Forecast is for 31 with 57% humidity, so it will feel like 21.

Not sure if that is cold enough to help out MSU.

I know, I know, both teams have to play in the same weather, but it took me a HELLUVA lot longer to get used to the "cold" of Seattle than it did to get used to the heat of Phoenix. In fact, I was ready for Phoenix heat from day one. Seattle, almost a year.

The Forecast also calls for snow and blow too,

... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM MST SATURDAY FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 6000 FEET... ... WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 5 PM FRIDAY AFTERNOON UNTIL 5 PM SATURDAY AFTERNOON FOR ELEVATIONS BELOW 6000 FEET...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREAT FALLS HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW... WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM MST SATURDAY FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 6000 FEET. FOR ELEVATIONS BELOW 6000 FEET... A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FROM 5 PM FRIDAY AFTERNOON UNTIL 5 PM SATURDAY AFTERNOON.

* TIMING AND MAIN IMPACT: LIGHT SNOW IS EXPECTED IN THE MOUNTAINS FROM TONIGHT THROUGH LATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON. THE LIGHT SNOW IS EXPECTED TO START TO AFFECT LOWER ELEVATIONS BEGINNING LATE FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND CONTINUING THROUGH LATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS: TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 5 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED AT LOWER ELEVATIONS... WHILE A GENERAL 6 TO 12 INCHES CAN BE EXPECTED FOR ELEVATIONS ABOVE 6000 FEET. ISOLATED AMOUNTS AROUND 15 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN THE WEST YELLOWSTONE AND BIG SKY AREAS.

* WINDS AND VISIBILITY: NORTHWEST WINDS WILL BEGIN TO INCREASE LATER TONIGHT AND ON FRIDAY TO 15 TO 25 MPH... WITH AROUND 30 MPH AT TIMES. THUS VISIBILITIES WILL BE REDUCED TO LESS THAN ONE HALF MILE AT TIMES.

* ELEVATIONS: THE SNOW WILL AFFECT ELEVATIONS ABOVE 6000 FEET TONIGHT AND FRIDAY... THEN ALL ELEVATIONS SHOULD SEE ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY.

* OTHER IMPACTS: THE GUSTY WINDS WILL CREATE AREAS OF BLOWING SNOW AND GREATLY REDUCED VISIBILITIES... ESPECIALLY IN OPEN AREAS AND THROUGH MOUNTAIN PASSES. EXPECT ROADWAYS TO GRADUALLY BECOME SNOW COVERED AND SLIPPERY FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

* LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE: BATTLE RIDGE PASS... BOZEMAN... BOZEMAN PASS... TARGHEE PASS... WEST YELLOWSTONE... BIG HOLE PASS... CHIEF JOSEPH PASS... DILLON... MONIDA PASS... ENNIS... NORRIS HILL... RAYNOLDS PASS AND TWIN BRIDGES.

I still have nightmares about last seasons game versus SHSU university and I am trying to figure how MSU can beat them. Last year on offense most of our offensive plays began with one of our OL getting shoved 4 yards into the backfield messing up everything and on defense besides assignments missed our DL got pushed off of the line of scrimmage.

We may have a better defense this year and might be more assignment sound, but we are just as small and even more inexperienced along the offensive line this year. Not to mention that besides Akpla our WR couldn't get off of their man press defense.

We will see what happens but it would be a miracle to win this game.

Anarkissed wrote:I like the fact that SHSU is flying under the radar. Everybody seems to be writing them off this year and I don't really know why. They played NDSU very tough in the Championship game last year and return 19 starters. Their losses were a freakish comeback by Central Arkansas and decent showings against Texas A&M and Baylor. They have only played 3 home games this year, so they are road-tested. Beware the Bearkats!

I don't think anyone is shortchanging Sam Houston State. A lot of people thought they were a legit darkhorse to make it out of that side of the bracket. They were the "other" team I wanted Eastern to avoid (North Dakota State being the first). But I think a lot of people no longer feel they are the same threat they appeared a week or so ago because of the fairly weak showing against Cal Poly. They couldn't move the ball at all against a defense that was middle-of-the-road in the Big Sky, and really would have lost handily if Cal Poly could've hung onto the ball. So the question is, was that a one-off terrible performance by Sam Houston State and will the real Sam Houston State be back this weekend? Or, is the Southland just a weak conference and SHSU is just the best of a bad lot? I'm split 50/50 on it. But I know Montana State's defense can run stop very, very well.

Anarkissed wrote:

Hummmmm


Awesome

Trying to work today...Not much getting done.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DG0vXTE ... detailpage[/youtube]

LDopaPDX wrote:

Anarkissed wrote:I like the fact that SHSU is flying under the radar. Everybody seems to be writing them off this year and I don't really know why. They played NDSU very tough in the Championship game last year and return 19 starters. Their losses were a freakish comeback by Central Arkansas and decent showings against Texas A&M and Baylor. They have only played 3 home games this year, so they are road-tested. Beware the Bearkats!

I don't think anyone is shortchanging Sam Houston State. A lot of people thought they were a legit darkhorse to make it out of that side of the bracket. They were the "other" team I wanted Eastern to avoid (North Dakota State being the first). But I think a lot of people no longer feel they are the same threat they appeared a week or so ago because of the fairly weak showing against Cal Poly. They couldn't move the ball at all against a defense that was middle-of-the-road in the Big Sky, and really would have lost handily if Cal Poly could've hung onto the ball. So the question is, was that a one-off terrible performance by Sam Houston State and will the real Sam Houston State be back this weekend? Or, is the Southland just a weak conference and SHSU is just the best of a bad lot? I'm split 50/50 on it. But I know Montana State's defense can run stop very, very well.

My question is, how do they play when they can't feel their hands or their feet?

Better show by the Bobcats this year, but Sam wins 41-35.

Gil Dobie wrote:Better show by the Bobcats this year, but Sam wins 41-35.

Gil, what you giving MSU? Wanna bet avatars? I know you have some sort of class unlike the NAU fan.

grizzaholic wrote:

Gil Dobie wrote:Better show by the Bobcats this year, but Sam wins 41-35.

Gil, what you giving MSU? Wanna bet avatars? I know you have some sort of class unlike the NAU fan.

Not sure I want to bet on a cat, Bearcat or Bobcat, just throwing out my bestimate.

Gil Dobie wrote:

grizzaholic wrote:

Gil, what you giving MSU? Wanna bet avatars? I know you have some sort of class unlike the NAU fan.

Not sure I want to bet on a cat, Bearcat or Bobcat, just throwing out my bestimate.

Ok. You are still better than others who don't own up to bets.

The game is on tonight on ESPN2

I think the weather is unpleasant. Not all that cold for up there but windy so it'll feel colder. But it WILL be VERY windy according to the forecast. That'll take away the long passing game and allow defensive backs to sit on routes. Or at least they can take the shot.

And I think Sam Houston State is more of a running team than Montana State is. Not that Montana State can't run the ball but they tilt more towards the pass than Sam Houston State does. They're almost reverse of each other stats wise.

Sam Houston State is 274 yards per game rushing and 187 passing. Montana State is 177 rushing and 248 passing. I just don't think Sam Houston State's going to be affected as much if the conditions screw up the passing game. It's not like when Stephen F. Austin goes up to that part of the country with its flag football offense.

Entertaining game so far. That was an impressive pick by SHSU to get his toes in, and also an impressive goal line stand by MSU to hold them to 3.

Screamin_Eagle174 wrote:Entertaining game so far. That was an impressive pick by SHSU to get his toes in, and also an impressive goal line stand by MSU to hold them to 3.

Remember it's a drink for every snowball you see hit the field!