Weber State @ EWU Game Thread.

[Screamin_Eagle174]

The one thing I know for sure about this game is that there will be a lot of yards put up by both teams. As common-sense as it is, the team with the least amount of turnovers and whose defense plays better will win this game. EWU's first real test to prove they're a top-10 team this year. Weber is fighting for their playoff lives. Should be a great game.

[AZGrizFan]

The one thing I know for sure about this game is that there will be a lot of yards put up by both teams. As common-sense as it is, the team with the least amount of turnovers and whose defense plays better will win this game. EWU's first real test to prove they're a top-10 team this year. Weber is fighting for their playoff lives. Should be a great game.

Scheduling idiots.

[Screamin_Eagle174]

The one thing I know for sure about this game is that there will be a lot of yards put up by both teams. As common-sense as it is, the team with the least amount of turnovers and whose defense plays better will win this game. EWU's first real test to prove they're a top-10 team this year. Weber is fighting for their playoff lives. Should be a great game.

Scheduling idiots.

It's not out of idiocy, it's out of financial need. Weber (just like everyone else in the Big Sky other than Montana and MSU) have to contend with in-state FBS schools for funding and fan support/ticket purchases. I think they did a good job of scheduling two money games that were also winnable. Unlike Eastern who picks the best of the best BCS to get a paycheck from.

[AZGrizFan]

Scheduling idiots.

It's not out of idiocy, it's out of financial need. Weber (just like everyone else in the Big Sky other than Montana and MSU) have to contend with in-state FBS schools for funding and fan support/ticket purchases. I think they did a good job of scheduling two money games that were also winnable. Unlike Eastern who picks the best of the best BCS to get a paycheck from.

I get that. Seriously, I do. But to schedule TWO body bag games and risk NOT making the playoffs seems absolutely ludicrous to me. Seems like a short-term answer to a long-term problem.

[Screamin_Eagle174]

It's not out of idiocy, it's out of financial need. Weber (just like everyone else in the Big Sky other than Montana and MSU) have to contend with in-state FBS schools for funding and fan support/ticket purchases. I think they did a good job of scheduling two money games that were also winnable. Unlike Eastern who picks the best of the best BCS to get a paycheck from.

I get that. Seriously, I do. But to schedule TWO body bag games and risk NOT making the playoffs seems absolutely ludicrous to me. Seems like a short-term answer to a long-term problem.

Having a competitive team that doesn't make the playoffs is better than not having a team at all because the funding isn't there.

[AZGrizFan]

I get that. Seriously, I do. But to schedule TWO body bag games and risk NOT making the playoffs seems absolutely ludicrous to me. Seems like a short-term answer to a long-term problem.

Having a competitive team that doesn't make the playoffs is better than not having a team at all because the funding isn't there.

A competitive team? Prior to last year Weber's 3 previous years were 6-5, 4-7, and 5-6. Obviously the tradeoff hasn't been working. Perhaps having a (more) competitive team would actually allow them to draw more fans? Would there have been 1000+ extra butts in the seats against MSU if Weber went into that game 4-0 instead of 2-2? Put 1000 extra fans in the seats for 6 home games, I guarantee you they make more in seat sales and concession sales than they did from traveling to Wyoming or Colorado State to get waxed. Starting out the season 0-2 has a tendancy to let the air out of the sails before the season even gets started.

But hey, that's just one man's opinion.

[Screamin_Eagle174]

Having a competitive team that doesn't make the playoffs is better than not having a team at all because the funding isn't there.

A competitive team? Prior to last year Weber's 3 previous years were 6-5, 4-7, and 5-6. Obviously the tradeoff hasn't been working. Perhaps having a (more) competitive team would actually allow them to draw more fans? Would there have been 1000+ extra butts in the seats against MSU if Weber went into that game 4-0 instead of 2-2? Put 1000 extra fans in the seats for 6 home games, I guarantee you they make more in seat sales and concession sales than they did from traveling to Wyoming or Colorado State to get waxed. Starting out the season 0-2 has a tendancy to let the air out of the sails before the season even gets started.

But hey, that's just one man's opinion.

Yeah, maybe if tickets were $100 a pop and hot-dogs $10.50! Even if they charged what the Griz charge (which I'm sure they don't, much less), 1000 fans at $45 is $45,000, by 6 homes games = $270,000. A Weber fan can correct me if I'm wrong, but I think they collected $400,000 EACH for those FBS games. And they hardly got "waxed." They were wins for Weber's taking, but they didn't execute and turnovers killed them.

[AZGrizFan]

A competitive team? Prior to last year Weber's 3 previous years were 6-5, 4-7, and 5-6. Obviously the tradeoff hasn't been working. Perhaps having a (more) competitive team would actually allow them to draw more fans? Would there have been 1000+ extra butts in the seats against MSU if Weber went into that game 4-0 instead of 2-2? Put 1000 extra fans in the seats for 6 home games, I guarantee you they make more in seat sales and concession sales than they did from traveling to Wyoming or Colorado State to get waxed. Starting out the season 0-2 has a tendancy to let the air out of the sails before the season even gets started.

But hey, that's just one man's opinion.

Yeah, maybe if tickets were $100 a pop and hot-dogs $10.50! Even if they charged what the Griz charge (which I'm sure they don't, much less), 1000 fans at $45 is $45,000, by 6 homes games = $270,000. A Weber fan can correct me if I'm wrong, but I think they collected $400,000 EACH for those FBS games. And they hardly got "waxed." They were wins for Weber's taking, but they didn't execute and turnovers killed them.

a) don't let the score fool you. Weber was down 27-6 to Wyoming w/5 minutes left; yeah, they should have beaten CSU, but didn't. Moral victories don't count towards playoff eligiblity.

b) what was their "net" after expenses? A LOT less than $400k, I'm bettin'.

[Screamin_Eagle174]

Also, body-bag games are guaranteed money. Ticket sales are not. Unless you're Montana, because there's no competition. If Montana went 3-8 the next two years, that stadium would still be packed every game. Weber (and EWU, and most every team in the BSC) doesn't have the luxury of owning the market in their respective states/regions for football. Weber competes with Utah and Utah State, EWU with UW and WSU.

[Screamin_Eagle174]

Anyways,

I say Higgins throws at least 1 pick and EWU forces at least 1 fumble.

EWU 38, WSU 31.

[AZGrizFan]

Also, body-bag games are guaranteed money. Ticket sales are not. Unless you're Montana, because there's no competition. If Montana went 3-8 the next two years, that stadium would still be packed every game. Weber (and EWU, and most every team in the BSC) doesn't have the luxury of owning the market in their respective states/regions for football. Weber competes with Utah and Utah State, EWU with UW and WSU.

Here's a link to a VERY telling article about the mindset of the football fan in Utah, written about 6 weeks ago.

http://www.sltrib.com/wsuwildcats/ci_13227382

WSU athletic director Jerry Graybeal hopes to sell 4,000 season tickets and is just now preparing his biggest marketing effort in advance of the Sept. 19 home opener, having determined that earlier pushes are futile. "Our people buy late," he said.

For now, other gauges of interest are encouraging, including record Web site hits and Wildcat Club membership approaching 1,000 -- up from 700.

And then there's the unofficial, yet historically accurate, Mac-o-Meter: "You go in a supermarket," McBride said, "and people you don't know come up and say, 'Hey, we can't wait for football season.' You go to the gas station down here, and people you don't know come up and say, 'Hey, we're excited to watch your team play.' You go down 24th Street to a restaurant and people you don't know come up and say, 'Hey, we're excited for football season.' There seems to be a lot of interest in what we're doing."

And that interest can get sucked away VERY quickly with an 0-2 start.

[AZGrizFan]

I DID love the part at the bottom of the article where it lists "conflicting events" to Weber home games....

Come on out
Weber State's 2009 home football schedule

Date Time Opponent Conflicting event
Sept. 19 6 p.m. Idaho State; Florida State at BYU
Oct. 3 1:30 p.m. Montana St.; LDS General Conference
Oct. 17 1:30 p.m. Sacramento St. Deer hunt opener
Nov. 14 Noon N. Arizona; Utah at New Mexico
Nov. 21 Noon Cal Poly Air Force at BYU; SDSU at Utah

[Wildcat Ryan]

Getting this thread back on topic like Screamin Eagle tried to do,

Remember that shootout 2 years ago between Portland State and Weber State?

This time it'll be Weber State and Eastern Washington.

And I think Weber rebounds and wins 63-56. No defense whatsoever, but a very entertaining game to watch to say the least.

[AZGrizFan]

Getting this thread back on topic like Screamin Eagle tried to do,

Remember that shootout 2 years ago between Portland State and Weber State?

This time it'll be Weber State and Eastern Washington.

And I think Weber rebounds and wins 63-56. No defense whatsoever, but a very entertaining game to watch to say the least.

Hey, you don't like the direction the thread went, change the fucking title.

[Wildcat Ryan]

Getting this thread back on topic like Screamin Eagle tried to do,

Remember that shootout 2 years ago between Portland State and Weber State?

This time it'll be Weber State and Eastern Washington.

And I think Weber rebounds and wins 63-56. No defense whatsoever, but a very entertaining game to watch to say the least.

Hey, you don't like the direction the thread went, change the **** title.

Ooh I didnt hurt your feelings did I

[AZGrizFan]

Hey, you don't like the direction the thread went, change the **** title.

Ooh I didnt hurt your feelings did I

I'm sorry...did you actually take that seriously?

[EWURanger]

Other than the Cal game, this will be the first real test for EWU's defense against a quality FCS opponent. Our defense pitched a shut-out against UNC, held ISU to 3 (FG off a turn-over with vry good field position), but gave up 30 to Sac State. Again, a couple of those scores were due to turn-overs.......but. Still very hard to gauge where our defense is really at.

Still, I don't think anyone's going to be scoring 50 points in this one......

EWU - 34
WSU - 31

[kalm]

I've also heard though seen nothing official that we are playing Washington State University in 2010. This makes sense since the $ stay within the state. Why pay out of state PSU $300,000k when you can play EWU? Isn't that mandatory in Arizona with one of the two FCS's having to play NAU? Sure makes sense.

I agree that scheduling two FCS games for a playoff caliber team is questionable, but I'm guessing that Weber State AD Jerry Graybeal is better prepared to make that decision than any of us, and probably cares more about wildcat wins and playoff appearances as well.

As for the game, most of Eastern's losses over the past decade occurr when the opposing team gets physical. Three that stand out are PSU in 2007 and Sac St. and Montana last year. If you wanna go back to 2005, Weber beat us at home by having early success with the run that set up two really long play action pass plays for TD's.

I think WSU will try to establish the run, and if they have decent success with that and win the turnover battle then I think they are looking really good.

The question marks for EWU are how good the d really is, and when we are going to stretch the field. I wouldn't be surprised if Nichol's throws some deep balls this week and if we don't see Jones featured as a decoy or a part of some trick plays.

I don't like predicting, so I won't.

[GOKATS]

I've also heard though seen nothing official that we are playing Washington State University in 2010. This makes sense since the $ stay within the state. Why pay out of state PSU $300,000k when you can play EWU? Isn't that mandatory in Arizona with one of the two FCS's having to play NAU? Sure makes sense.

Just to clarify, the news today says EWU will play UW next year, not Wazzu. The Bobcats are at Wazzu next year on Sept. 11.

[AZGrizFan]

I agree that scheduling two FCS games for a playoff caliber team is questionable, but I'm guessing that Weber State AD Jerry Graybeal is better prepared to make that decision than any of us, and probably cares more about wildcat wins and playoff appearances as well.

Respectfully disagree. You can't have both. With two FBS games you put your school in a virtually unwinnable situation, particularly when the THIRD game is against a D-II non-counter. That's where many BSC teams have been in recent years...

[native]

I agree that scheduling two FCS games for a playoff caliber team is questionable, but I'm guessing that Weber State AD Jerry Graybeal is better prepared to make that decision than any of us, and probably cares more about wildcat wins and playoff appearances as well.

Respectfully disagree. You can't have both. With two FBS games you put your school in a virtually unwinnable situation, particularly when the THIRD game is against a D-II non-counter. That's where many BSC teams have been in recent years...

Eagle is right about the payday figures for the FBS OOC games. They made a lot more money that another 1,000 season tickets would have made.

I kind of agree that two FBS teams on the schedule is a risk, but Wyoming was winnable and Colorado State was sooooo winnable! The memory of those games will serve us well should we be fortunate enough to make it to the playoffs. We did not schedule any non-DI games this year.

[kalm]

I agree that scheduling two FCS games for a playoff caliber team is questionable, but I'm guessing that Weber State AD Jerry Graybeal is better prepared to make that decision than any of us, and probably cares more about wildcat wins and playoff appearances as well.

Respectfully disagree. You can't have both. With two FBS games you put your school in a virtually unwinnable situation, particularly when the THIRD game is against a D-II non-counter. That's where many BSC teams have been in recent years...

I don't disagree.

Last year, we played Colorado, Texas Tech, and Montana Western. If we had dumped one of the FBS games and Western for SUU, Davis, Texas Tech, SFA etc, we would have had a much better chance of going 8-3 and above the 7 win bar. (Then again, beat Colorado and Sac St at home and the same thing happens - but that's whole other conversation

I'm guessing the reason we didn't is the same old lack of available DI teams to play out west.

An AD has the long term ramifications that extend beyond this year's playoffs to take into consideration.

[native]

Getting this thread back on topic like Screamin Eagle tried to do,

Remember that shootout 2 years ago between Portland State and Weber State?

This time it'll be Weber State and Eastern Washington.

And I think Weber rebounds and wins 63-56. No defense whatsoever, but a very entertaining game to watch to say the least.

Weber has to stop the mistakes and establish the run to win.

Defensively, Weber will have a great deal of trouble stopping Taiwan Jones, but maybe not quite so much trouble stopping the pass. Weber will be able to score, of course, but unless the Wildcats are able to establish the run and dominate possession time, it will be tough to prevail against the Eags in Cheney.

[AZGrizFan]

Respectfully disagree. You can't have both. With two FBS games you put your school in a virtually unwinnable situation, particularly when the THIRD game is against a D-II non-counter. That's where many BSC teams have been in recent years...

Eagle is right about the payday figures for the FBS OOC games. They made a lot more money that another 1,000 season tickets would have made.

I kind of agree that two FBS teams on the schedule is a risk, but Wyoming was winnable and Colorado State was sooooo winnable! The memory of those games will serve us well should we be fortunate enough to make it to the playoffs. We did not schedule any non-DI games this year.

Winnable or not, FCS teams still rarely DO win. And when you schedule two almost guaranteed losses (and a non-counter) every year, i ask this question: WHAT IS THERE FOR THE FANBASE TO BE EXCITED ABOUT OR LOOK FORWARD TO? It may be 1000 extra fans per game THIS season, go 8-3 or 9-2 and it's ANOTHER 1500 per game net year, then 2500+ the year after....this reminds me of the old saying "Rome wasn't built in a day". The Griz used to only draw 12-14K....there was no second deck, no end zone seats....but the tradition was BUILT with winning seasons (not the occasional winning season sprinkled in amongst 4 or 5 .500 seasons or worse).

[GOKATS]

Respectfully disagree. You can't have both. With two FBS games you put your school in a virtually unwinnable situation, particularly when the THIRD game is against a D-II non-counter. That's where many BSC teams have been in recent years...

I don't disagree.

Last year, we played Colorado, Texas Tech, and Montana Western. If we had dumped one of the FBS games and Western for SUU, Davis, Texas Tech, SFA etc, we would have had a much better chance of going 8-3 and above the 7 win bar. (Then again, beat Colorado and Sac St at home and the same thing happens - but that's whole other conversation

I'm guessing the reason we didn't is the same old lack of available DI teams to play out west.

An AD has the long term ramifications that extend beyond this year's playoffs to take into consideration.

The difference last year was it was a 12 game season. MSU played at both Minnesota and Kansas St. last year. In the typical 11 game season MSU will only schedule one FBS school which still allows a good chance to make the playoffs if the team is competitive in conference, if not they probably don't deserve to be in the playoffs anyway. A team like ISU, that currently doesn't have a chance at the playoffs no matter what and seriously needs the money, might as well schedule a couple FBS money games which hopefully will help out the program down the road.

Back on topic, I predict a WSU win in a hard fought ballgame.