The Gap is Getting Wider

[GoldstoneCat]

I will say for UM, in regard to football, this is the best that the 2nd team has been during a period of dominance for the other. In the past, one team has been great and the other has been mediocre to bad. The Griz are very good while still being clearly a tier below the Cats.

I agree and I'm sure that's what makes it hard for them. In a vacuum, losing 1 conference game, getting the 3 seed, and losing on the road in the semifinals would have to be considered a success. At minimum a very good season. The fact that both losses were to us, though, makes it feel like failure. The gap is getting wider, too, because they are not changing and adapting to compete specifically with us. They were better at beating crappy teams this year but they lost by 23 in Bozeman last year, 25 this year with their best team in 15 years. I get the frustration within their fan base.

[nanacat]

I will say for UM, in regard to football, this is the best that the 2nd team has been during a period of dominance for the other. In the past, one team has been great and the other has been mediocre to bad. The Griz are very good while still being clearly a tier below the Cats.

I agree and I'm sure that's what makes it hard for them. In a vacuum, losing 1 conference game, getting the 3 seed, and losing on the road in the semifinals would have to be considered a success. At minimum a very good season. The fact that both losses were to us, though, makes it feel like failure. The gap is getting wider, too, because they are not changing and adapting to compete specifically with us. They were better at beating crappy teams this year but they lost by 23 in Bozeman last year, 25 this year with their best team in 15 years. I get the frustration within their fan base.

This board was down last night, for some reason, so i scrolled through egriz for kicks and grins. The majority of posts I read reflected this exactly, well except hoops who thinks everything is dandy. But yes, several are realizing that Bobby and co. are not changing or improving despite getting good transfer players and having an undefeated record going into Cat-Griz. Some are calling for change though some want a new AD, some want new position coaches, and no one thought Bobby could be fired but shouldn't be renewed in 2027.

[MrGoodKat]

I will say for UM, in regard to football, this is the best that the 2nd team has been during a period of dominance for the other. In the past, one team has been great and the other has been mediocre to bad. The Griz are very good while still being clearly a tier below the Cats.

I agree and I'm sure that's what makes it hard for them. In a vacuum, losing 1 conference game, getting the 3 seed, and losing on the road in the semifinals would have to be considered a success. At minimum a very good season. The fact that both losses were to us, though, makes it feel like failure. The gap is getting wider, too, because they are not changing and adapting to compete specifically with us. They were better at beating crappy teams this year but they lost by 23 in Bozeman last year, 25 this year with their best team in 15 years. I get the frustration within their fan base.

And honestly it really is a failure.

They had tons of seniors and the Cats are one of the youngest teams in the country.

And losing to the rival doesn’t just suck because you don’t like them, it sucks because it tips the recruiting battle. And in the portal era, in-state recruiting is more important than ever.

[grizzh8r]

I will say for UM, in regard to football, this is the best that the 2nd team has been during a period of dominance for the other. In the past, one team has been great and the other has been mediocre to bad. The Griz are very good while still being clearly a tier below the Cats.

I agree and I'm sure that's what makes it hard for them. In a vacuum, losing 1 conference game, getting the 3 seed, and losing on the road in the semifinals would have to be considered a success. At minimum a very good season. The fact that both losses were to us, though, makes it feel like failure. The gap is getting wider, too, because they are not changing and adapting to compete specifically with us. They were better at beating crappy teams this year but they lost by 23 in Bozeman last year, 25 this year with their best team in 15 years. I get the frustration within their fan base.

And honestly it really is a failure.

They had tons of seniors and the Cats are one of the youngest teams in the country.

And losing to the rival doesn’t just suck because you don’t like them, it sucks because it tips the recruiting battle. And in the portal era, in-state recruiting is more important than ever.

Yep, cuz those in-state kids have proven they are far more likely to want to stay home to play for championships and not chase those mid-level FBS NIL offers to teams whose highest aspirations are to play in the Rate Bowl (yes, this is a direct dig at UNM and Scottre Humphrey).

[MTnative]

It's not just football.

#BOTW Results
2024-25 Montana State 13, Montana 4
2023-24 Montana State 10, Montana 7
2022-23: Montana State 13, Montana 3
2021-22: Montana State 11, Montana 6
2020-21: Montana State 8, Montana 3
2019-20: Montana State 9, Montana 4
2018-19: Montana State 11, Montana 6
2017-18: Montana State 12, Montana 5
2016-17: Montana State 10, Montana 7
2015-16: Montana 12, Montana State 5
2014-15: Montana 9, Montana State 8
2013-14: Montana 14, Montana State 3

Our track and field, and cross country teams have really leveled up also.
I don’t think this gets near enough attention as it should…
I like this streak .
Also, Peter Fields was terrible. Good riddance.

Cross country has produced some pretty high caliber athletes and competitors in the last few years. That program has reached new heights, really cool to see “peripheral” sports doing so well here.

Fields was a cancer. And so was his wife. The “do you know who I am” line was dropped on a family member when Mrs Fields was at a function. Full of themselves, and really for no reason at all given the low level achievements he oversaw.

I am not a Fields fan, but he did what he was hired to do. That was to get the athletic department on a strong financial footing. When Peter took over, the department was bleeding red. He turned that around.
There is no doubt Leon is a significant upgrade.

Fields was hired to be a manager.

Leon is a leader. The two could not be more different. We are damn lucky to have Leon at the helm.

[RobertSebastianCat-81]

I give the grisllies credit for doing as well as they did. A season with their only losses against a single team. And it turned out that booby did a pretty good job of finding players in the portal (good luck with that strategy next season). Their big plays and domination of the two SD teams had me concerned, but the Cat's defense held their star players to no significant successes, plus we got takeaways, though the last one ruled as incomplete should have lifted our score to 55 points. And our offense had the big plays! Rocky's catch was just phenomenal, and how demoralizing to them that it came on third and 20 while they appeared to be shutting us down.

[Catbacker_1]

I give the grisllies credit for doing as well as they did. A season with their only losses against a single team. And it turned out that booby did a pretty good job of finding players in the portal (good luck with that strategy next season). Their big plays and domination of the two SD teams had me concerned, but the Cat's defense held their star players to no significant successes, plus we got takeaways, though the last one ruled as incomplete should have lifted our score to 55 points. And our offense had the big plays! Rocky's catch was just phenomenal, and how demoralizing to them that it came on third and 20 while they appeared to be shutting us down.

I’m really not understanding the narrative that the gris played a tougher playoff schedule. SDSU limped into the playoff as a four loss team. They manage and a home win against a weak CAA team, and lose to a better gris team. SDU was terrible for much of the first half of the season and most of the analysts didn’t have them making the playoffs of till they went on a run at the end. Again a 4 loss team that limped in. The Bobcats had to play two conference champs that both were on long winning streaks and playing with a ton of confidence. The valley is a strong conference because of the DSU’s but I feel the other teams in that conference get overhyped because of the name on the jersey. I’m glad the gris were overconfident coming into this game but I had little doubt we win even when we went down it the third quarter.