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Post by Outsider on Oct 3, 2022 8:02:26 GMT -6
Ok, so we are now 4-1/1-0; time to move on. This Saturday we face SFA for the first of two games. SFA is now 2-3/0-1 and fresh off a last minute upset at the BOTPW. SFA is always a difficult foe and their record this year is zero indication of our ability to beat them. I think they are going to be ready for some vindication of Saturday as well as their usual thrill of the feel of putting the Cats in their place. Again, our challenge will be to contain Gibson and put pressure on Self. Saturday, SFA put up a total of 397 yards in their loss to Sam; rushing for 144 and passing for 253. They gained roughly a hundred yards on Sam and still lost. Massey Power ratings moved us up to #37 and SFA down to #51. I find that interesting seeing the Massey composite has us at #31 and SFA at #60. I think all of that gets thrown out the window though this Saturday. I kept feeling this deja-vu after our games until it hit me that I am feeling the same way that I recall UCA fans feeling a few years ago. They would win game after game, but it was always a 2nd half victory and they never felt comfortable. I think I can describe myself this way. I am stoked at our record, but none of our games have been dominant, except for our defensive performances. I do feel that this game is within our grasp, even though it is being played in Nac. We need a better first half showing though and we need to come out the first quarter playing hard. Can we put our other games behind us and focus? This is the non-conference game, but I don't think that really matters. We need to win, period.
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Post by kjmike1956 on Oct 3, 2022 9:07:30 GMT -6
I am very hopeful of a win this week, but I was very impressed watching SFA outplay Sam Houston St last Saturday. I think it will be difficult to beat them at their stadium. This is where we get an idea of how we stand in the WAC and how likely we are to compete for the WAC title. Luckily, this away game does not count as a WAC game. Our home game against SFA will count toward the conference standings. I think SFA and Southern Utah are our biggest competition for the WAC title. I am making the trip to Nacogdoches and look forward to a competitive game. We definitely need to play better in the 1st half against SFA.
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Post by ybp80 on Oct 3, 2022 12:21:08 GMT -6
As I said Saturday, SFA played a heck of a game. In my very non-expert opinion, our game with them comes down to our defensive line pressuring their QB, and us having a full game of solid QB play (whichever qb that may be.) We are right there with SFA (or better than them) in every other category.
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Post by ybp80 on Oct 3, 2022 12:53:54 GMT -6
As I said Saturday, SFA played a heck of a game. In my very non-expert opinion, our game with them comes down to our defensive line pressuring their QB, and us having a full game of solid QB play (whichever qb that may be.) We are right there with SFA (or better than them) in every other category.
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Post by Outsider on Oct 3, 2022 13:00:43 GMT -6
I am very hopeful of a win this week, but I was very impressed watching SFA outplay Sam Houston St last Saturday. I think it will be difficult to beat them at their stadium. This is where we get an idea of how we stand in the WAC and how likely we are to compete for the WAC title. Luckily, this away game does not count as a WAC game. Our home game against SFA will count toward the conference standings. I think SFA and Southern Utah are our biggest competition for the WAC title. I am making the trip to Nacogdoches and look forward to a competitive game. We definitely need to play better in the 1st half against SFA. The most important of the 2 games will be the WAC home one against them. Still, we need every win we can get. We know that the AQ is going through the ASUN, not the WAC. IF the WACSUN gets lucky enough to have another team get voted in, every win matters. Even if we win out, I don't think we would make the playoffs, but that is a goal of our players and I want them to be able to make their argument. Saturday will be an uphill battle but not impossible. SFA has shown their weaknesses if we game-plan and execute accordingly. I am making the trip as well and have everything booked. I just have to remember no fighting with the SFA students this time...
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Post by dallasalum on Oct 3, 2022 15:54:02 GMT -6
Anyone heard anything re: a tailgate?
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Post by rc on Oct 4, 2022 9:56:03 GMT -6
Our time has come. This weekend our game with SFA will finally be the crystal ball moment for our team. It seems all season so far that the games have been a bit strange, not completely revealing about what our team really is. But Saturday we will find out a great deal about who we are. Actually this is the game I thought, before the season started, that would reveal the most about our offense and defense. So I am very much on the edge of my seat going into the SFA game.
My take so far is our DL and LBs are pretty stout. My biggest surprise is our kicking game, specifically field goals, but even kickoffs going OB. I thought after last year, our big leg would be a real weapon but so far it has been a bit iffy. The QB position is not really our problem, we have capable guys who can get it done. Pass protection is a different matter. Is it the play calling and lack of deception? Maybe. We are typically very predictable and that allows our opponents to blitz a lot and to harrass the QBs. We run into the middle of the line on first down so often, but admittedly, we have a bevy of good backs and our yards gained rushing is not too bad. SFA will be a test of the running game and OL protection. So, now we will see where we are this weekend. We might be ready and deceptively better, or we might be more of the same slow start stuff and strange game -- I am ready and anxious. Go Wildcats!!!
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Post by dallasalum on Oct 4, 2022 11:31:15 GMT -6
How many OB kickoffs have we had? IMO our OC needs to watch some NFL games to get some plays. Some OCs in the NFL are very creative in this aspect of the game. We do seem to be too predictable. It looked to me like the blocked extra point and field were illegal plays by the defense. I don't think that a player is allowed to "climb the back" of one of his players. I know that is illegal in the NFL.
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Post by kjmike1956 on Oct 4, 2022 12:54:44 GMT -6
Our time has come. This weekend our game with SFA will finally be the crystal ball moment for our team. It seems all season so far that the games have been a bit strange, not completely revealing about what our team really is. But Saturday we will find out a great deal about who we are. Actually this is the game I thought, before the season started, that would reveal the most about our offense and defense. So I am very much on the edge of my seat going into the SFA game. My take so far is our DL and LBs are pretty stout. My biggest surprise is our kicking game, specifically field goals, but even kickoffs going OB. I thought after last year, our big leg would be a real weapon but so far it has been a bit iffy. The QB position is not really our problem, we have capable guys who can get it done. Pass protection is a different matter. Is it the play calling and lack of deception? Maybe. We are typically very predictable and that allows our opponents to blitz a lot and to harrass the QBs. We run into the middle of the line on first down so often, but admittedly, we have a bevy of good backs and our yards gained rushing is not too bad. SFA will be a test of the running game and OL protection. So, now we will see where we are this weekend. We might be ready and deceptively better, or we might be more of the same slow start stuff and strange game -- I am ready and anxious. Go Wildcats!!! I agree with you 100%. This game will reveal what kind of team we really are. Based on where we stand at present, we would be favored against Southern Utah and SFA at home if we played this week. We would be the underdog to Sam Houston St away and the game against Tarleton St at Tarleton St will be close to a pickit game. I like our chances at winning the WAC since I think SFA and Southern Utah are our biggest competition and we play both of them at home. Even Sam Houston is beatable this year.
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Post by texas48 on Oct 4, 2022 13:17:16 GMT -6
According to the stats, one KO has gone out of bounds.
Zepeda has 25 other kicks for an average of 64.5 yards per kick with 22 touchbacks. That is second in the FCS with touchbacks. ACU's kick return has allowed a season-low three returns for an average of 13.67 yards per return (sixth).
While the 5-11 is not as good as we would like, he is 406 from 20-39 yards. He is 1-5 from 40-plus with a long of 44 with one block, according to the stats. We are one of 35 schools in the nation with at least two blocked kicks, but at least we haven't had four blocked like four colleges and four with three (including UIW).
And yes, gaining an advantage by stepping, jumping or standing on another player should be a penalty.
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Post by Cap'n Cattitude on Oct 4, 2022 13:19:11 GMT -6
Let’s set one thing straight. SFA is a creation of their own PR department. Take away the game against Warner High School and they are scoring 20 ppg and giving up 35 ppg. “They played really well against SHSU,” Would that be the same Sam Houston averaging less than 12 ppg? The Jacks had one nice catch and run for a TD. Otherwise, they averaged 3.9 yds per rush attempt and 4.6 yds per pass attempt. Somebody keeps voting SFA into the top 25. But their record doesn’t justify it. Two losses to FBS teams, for sure. But they were bad beats. Not competitive at all. They scraped out a 4 pt win against the #62 FCS team and lost to an overrated SHSU team because they couldn’t make plays when it mattered.
I am NOT saying that we are better than SFA or will win on Saturday. But there’s no reason to think that the Lumberjacks are better than the Wildcats, either.
I’ll make my predictions later in the week.
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Post by jCat on Oct 4, 2022 13:29:00 GMT -6
Dropping back to develop deeper routes puts a lot of pressure on our linemen. We may need something else to get our receivers and backs moving in space so they can make plays... Maybe our vanilla approach on offense has been an effort to hide a deeper playbook we can unpack against the Lumberjacks.
We'll need to be patient and continue to run the ball, but I am skeptical that we'll be able to muscle our way to first downs at the beginning of the game. But persistence in the running game has paid off this season.
The SFA pass rush and DEs are for real. They were a huge equalizer against the Bearkats blowing by their offensive tackles on play after play.
Also, the SFA receiving core has plenty of quickness and speed. As everyone knows, they will take their shots and run screens. In fact, they may run more screens against us than we've seen in all our previous opponents combined.
SFA also loves to load receivers on one side of the field and let Trae Self run in the opposite direction. We should expect misdirection at a key moment in the game.
If ACU plays a smart, disciplined game on defense, and gets some consistent energy out of its passing game, the Cats will be fine. But if our pass rush doesn't disrupt Self, and the D gets stuck on the field, he'll load up and drop bombs everywhere.
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Post by rc on Oct 4, 2022 13:42:41 GMT -6
I expect ACU to win, and I would love to sweep them. No doubt that would get us on the radar. I suspect the Tarleton game will be very significant.
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Post by OscarWildeCat, Admin on Oct 4, 2022 15:45:39 GMT -6
The game that would really get us on the radar is a win at North Dakota. UND is one of the better teams in the MVFC. They just knocked off a top ten team, Missouri State. Meanwhile a win over SFA will help, probably moving us into the Top 25 and dropping SFA out of the rankings.
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Post by acutrackfan on Oct 4, 2022 16:17:42 GMT -6
I am always leery any time we play in Nac -- crazy things seem to happen there, although it is not anything close to the crazy things that happened in the LSC days when we played in Kingsville. It appears to me that we may have the better team, although that is still hard to discern because none of the ACU wins indicate that we have a juggernaut on our hands YET.
I agree with Cap'n that SFA is a marketing marvel -- they have a HC who does a fantastic job of selling others on how good his team is.
This game hould be rather low-scoring. If we can put up 28 points against a pretty good defense, I think there is a good chance we can win this game. But, scoring 28 points or more has only happened for ACU 2 times this season and one of those was against a D-2 school. Maybe 28-21 for ACU.
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