NDSU “Scouting Report”

[Monymony]

NDSU doesn't have a guy named Theis.

They do have a kid with the last name Lance

[RickRund]

NDSU doesn't have a guy named Theis.

They do have a kid with the last name Lance

Oh yeah. You just popped my bubble

[89Cat]

Take a peak at the NDSU vs USD game if you want a feel for the Bison against a common opponent. Bison ran 47 times for 166 yards against the Coyotes. MSU ran 50 times for 222.

I didn’t watch the NDSU-USD game so I can’t really compare, but I think our run stats are a little misleading. Humphrey was close, really close, to breaking several runs. If he was healthier, he’s getting more yards. The 4th quarter running game…I mean, it’s hard to run when the other team knows that’s all you want to do, and they had a good run defense. If Humphrey can continue to get healthy, and MSU runs their actual offense for an entire game, it looks different out there.

I think what we saw yesterday was very similar to what we saw at Davis. Once we went up by 17 vs USD, the Cats did go into conservative mode. Tommy had run it 1 or 2 times/series throughout the game but, in the third, he either handed it off to Jones or threw deep down the sideline. There was no chance he was going to run the ball and risk injury. The next time he ran it, if I remember correctly, was at the end of the game when we were trying to convert on a third down with just a few minutes left. Now that we've reached the final game and there's no reason to hold him back, I see Tommy running the ball 15-20 times in Frisco.

[Bobcat4Ever]

There is a reason for Tommy to hold back — he got hurt against NDSU in the first quarter in Frisco and our chances of winning went to zero. He’s a special weapon and we need him on the field, running or not. No one else can make that offense go like Tommy. So, Tommy, be smart. You’ve learned a lot, Mellott.

[kwcat]

NDSU fans have to love this! Bleacher report uses a picture of UND!

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/101 ... ampionship

[KIX]

By no means am I trying to over look NDSU, or downplay their talent level……. But my honest opinion is that they are not much better than SD…. I think you could even argue that SD is better than NDSU.

I like our chances. Go cats!

Contain Lance.
Go Cats!

[catatac]

By no means am I trying to over look NDSU, or downplay their talent level……. But my honest opinion is that they are not much better than SD…. I think you could even argue that SD is better than NDSU.

I like our chances. Go cats!

Ya think? SD beat NDSU this year.

[TomCat88]

Take a peak at the NDSU vs USD game if you want a feel for the Bison against a common opponent. Bison ran 47 times for 166 yards against the Coyotes. MSU ran 50 times for 222.

The Bobcats were actually 47-224. Three kneel downs at end for -2. 4.8 per carry. Bison 3.5.

[TomCat88]

MSU has played the 15-6-4 seeds.
NDSU the 13-10-3 seeds.
MSU won:
49-17
52-19
31-17
Total:
132-53
Average:
44-17.7
Point differential:
+26.3

NDSU won:
51-31
31-7
28-21
Total:
110-59
Average:
36.7-19.7
Point differential:
+17

[GoCats18]

Personally, I think all of this is complete nonsense at this point. Stats, awards, common opponents, grass/turf, day/night, indoor/outdoor……none of it matters. NDSU has proven year after year that none of that matters when you are playing in January. You practice, you prepare, you show up and play your ass off until the clock hits 0:00 in the 4th.

[GoldstoneCat]

It will be a very different game plan defensively than against USD. NDSU doesn't have the backs that USD did, but the lance kid is a great receiver that we'll have to pay some extra attention to, and the main difference is Cam Miller in the run game. He's a really good passer too but he's a threat in the run game, not like Tommy but can hurt you, extend drives, throw on the move, all that. I think our passing game can have a field day against them.

[mule]

Personally, I think all of this is complete nonsense at this point. Stats, awards, common opponents, grass/turf, day/night, indoor/outdoor……none of it matters. NDSU has proven year after year that none of that matters when you are playing in January. You practice, you prepare, you show up and play your ass off until the clock hits 0:00 in the 4th.

This^. Two great teams these stats mean nothing. If played the same schedule all the same event as injury etc. stats this year weigh little at best.

[tdub]

Personally, I think all of this is complete nonsense at this point. Stats, awards, common opponents, grass/turf, day/night, indoor/outdoor……none of it matters. NDSU has proven year after year that none of that matters when you are playing in January. You practice, you prepare, you show up and play your ass off until the clock hits 0:00 in the 4th.

Of course that stuff is nonsense to the team. But it’s fun to talk about.

[kwcat]

[kwcat]

[tetoncat]

How many of those yards were Tommy?

How many of NDSU's yards were Miller?

Not trying to be argumentative, but IMO, what they do with regard to their QB is irrelevant. I have long had an issue with the Cats using their QB as a RB, and it has bitten us more than once. My fear is that it will bite us again, and when it does we're done. I get that we're quite thin in the RB department at the moment, and hopefully that will change in the next few weeks (but I doubt it as orthopedic injuries can take a year to heal to 100%), but I think it would be smarter to run the other designated RBs as much as possible and only use Tommy when we absolutely have to. We employ too many designed QB runs (for the past 10+ years), and they work great...until they don't, and the main reason that we are where we are is sitting on the sidelines with his ankle in a boot...or worse.

As dad used to say, "Use the right tool for the right job". But, maybe we don't have "the right tools" right now. If that's the case, then I suppose you do what you have to do. But I didn't see anyone else out there yesterday besides Tommy, Jones, and a few anemic runs from Scottre. Was Coon even in for a play? White? Why not use them?

To be fair, I'm just an armchair coach/QB/RB/WR/LB/DB. I know little about the intricacies.

Closest Mellott came to not getting up Saturday was a blown block on pass play with the D lineman landing square on him. Pocket passing QBs get hurt a lot.

[TomCat88]

Personally, I think all of this is complete nonsense at this point. Stats, awards, common opponents, grass/turf, day/night, indoor/outdoor……none of it matters. NDSU has proven year after year that none of that matters when you are playing in January. You practice, you prepare, you show up and play your ass off until the clock hits 0:00 in the 4th.

This^. Two great teams these stats mean nothing. If played the same schedule all the same event as injury etc. stats this year weigh little at best.

Stats don’t mean everything, but they also don’t mean nothing. The coaches definitely look at them and they don’t try to hide it.

It may turn out that the season stats aren’t reflected in the game stats. By the time we know that it’s irrelevant.

The fact MSU ran the ball better vs USD than Wisconsin, NDSU and SDSU is definitely catching the eyes of the NDSU coaching staff due to the fact that it adds to the verification that MSU’s run game is legit.

[Long Time Cat]

Polasek way easier to like than Entz and it’s not even close. Still hope we crush them on the 6th.

[mule]

Personally, I think all of this is complete nonsense at this point. Stats, awards, common opponents, grass/turf, day/night, indoor/outdoor……none of it matters. NDSU has proven year after year that none of that matters when you are playing in January. You practice, you prepare, you show up and play your ass off until the clock hits 0:00 in the 4th.

This^. Two great teams these stats mean nothing. If played the same schedule all the same event as injury etc. stats this year weigh little at best.

Stats don’t mean everything, but they also don’t mean nothing. The coaches definitely look at them and they don’t try to hide it.

It may turn out that the season stats aren’t reflected in the game stats. By the time we know that it’s irrelevant.

The fact MSU ran the ball better vs USD than Wisconsin, NDSU and SDSU is definitely catching the eyes of the NDSU coaching staff due to the fact that it adds to the verification that MSU’s run game is legit.

NDSU knows who the leading rusher is for us and they also know who we played to get those rushing from. To many if's, with stats at this time of year. I believe jacks has a better rush game then ndsu but who won twice this year.

[Joe Bobcat]

Personally, I think all of this is complete nonsense at this point. Stats, awards, common opponents, grass/turf, day/night, indoor/outdoor……none of it matters. NDSU has proven year after year that none of that matters when you are playing in January. You practice, you prepare, you show up and play your ass off until the clock hits 0:00 in the 4th.

This^. Two great teams these stats mean nothing. If played the same schedule all the same event as injury etc. stats this year weigh little at best.

Stats don’t mean everything, but they also don’t mean nothing. The coaches definitely look at them and they don’t try to hide it.

It may turn out that the season stats aren’t reflected in the game stats. By the time we know that it’s irrelevant.

The fact MSU ran the ball better vs USD than Wisconsin, NDSU and SDSU is definitely catching the eyes of the NDSU coaching staff due to the fact that it adds to the verification that MSU’s run game is legit.

I agree with this post completely. Two types of fans I enjoy betting against, fans that say stats mean nothing and fans that say stats mean everything.
Winning coaches and players use stats to prepare and give themselves an advantage but know full well they must perform well to win. The Bobcats have done the above exceptionally well 15 times this year and have shown no signs of stopping