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Post Game: Griz fall apart

BWahlberg

Well-known member
DONOR
What a disappointing loss, there's really no way around it and no real positive spin you can place on a loss to a team that had no business winning this game (in theory). In a spot where you've got a real challenging stretch ahead the Griz looked unprepared, unable to execute, and obviously full of mistakes.

When you look at teams that want to play in the post-season they have those "must win" games where even if they were ugly AF, they were still wins. Today's loss push the Griz to the wrong side of the bubble and backs them up with now having the need to put together a long string of wins to get back into the post-season talk.

Looking at the stats its even uglier that what it looked like on the field:

- 2 for 12 on 3rd down (and no 3rd down conversions in the first half)

- practically 39:00 to 21:00 TOP in Portland's favor

- 289 yards of total offense

- 11-31 passing

- 2 first downs in the first half, and an opening 7 first possessions that resulted in either a lost fumble or a 3 and out.

- 19 of 22 PSU's points scored off turnovers and the other 3 came off a blocked punt.

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All those errors and the Griz were still in a position to get away with a win, that's something. This was a head-scratcher of a game honestly. The game plan on offense didn't work. Portland put 8 in the box with a spy on Sneed and it totally disrupted the offense for far too long. Sneed in-turn was waaay off missing throws quite a bit and then unfortunately having to deal with a lot of drops as well at times when he was on the money. The O-line protection took a step back too and the OL had to deal with more injuries as well, so more shuffling around.

Beyond that the jet-sweep 2-point attempt baffled me, just put the offense out there, the percentages are better, the Griz were running for 5 yards per carry. And then the 4th and final killer fumble by Curran, again, just run the damn ball and if you don't get it, kick the fieldgoal and walk out of that stadium with the win. I know Hauck in his post-game shouldered a lot of blame for this loss and while there's plenty to spread around... some of these errors do fall on him. Also, the blocked punt, I may have counted it wrong but I believe PSU had just 10 guys on the field.

What's crazy to me is that right now this team should be 6-0.

While the offense was a big let-down the defense did their damnedest. Having played 2/3s of a game last week and having to do it again today they were continually put in bad spots by fumbles and a blocked punt. They forced 3 turnovers of their own, had several big stops, and even on the 2nd to last play of the game they got through the PSU O-line to knock them back a few yards (although in the end it didn't matter).

Some more general thoughts:

- Dante Olson should just be given the Buck Buchanan award, oh man. 19 tackles and 2 forced fumbles today plus a half sack. This guy is an animal and I love watching him play. I keep thinking he can't keep up this pace of play... but he does. We're damn lucky to be able to watch such a talented guy come of age for this team.

- Adam Eastwood didn't put up the numbers he did last week but I still thought he showed more good stuff and improvement as the main running back for this team. He's seeing the field much better than he was earlier in the season and has really molded into the feature-back that Bobby wants on a team.

- Sneed and Toure finally connected! Was really starting to wonder if/when they'd link up for a deep shot.

- This defense really puts LBs and DBs in a great position to make plays. Buss and Lewis had great days, as did Miller and Hauck. These guys continually hit hard, didn't quit on plays, and drove through the ball carriers.

- While there's plenty of ST concerns there was one play that showed me what these coaches and players are continually working on. After the Griz went up 20-19 on the ensuing kick it was a bounce and roll kick that the PSU returner cut to the far side of the field. Evan Epperly, smartly, never left his lane and closed off what could've been a very long return. Instead Ep forces the returner back inside and he's stopped short of the 20 yard line I believe.

- I liked the use of Sulser around the field, especially in the 2nd half which forced PSU to peel off the spy on Sneed a lot.

----------------

Now this UND road trip feels like a must-win. Griz need to regroup, learn from these mistakes, and bounce back fast. I have faith that these players and the coaching staff will do all they can to make it so, and will be ready to roll next week at UND.

Go Griz!
 
I said it in another thread, but we finally saw the floor of this team, and it’s ugly as hell.

The only thing that makes me feel even slightly better is knowing that we’re capable of playing much better.

But damn...

I still can’t believe how bad we looked for so long.
 
uofmman1122 said:
I said it in another thread, but we finally saw the floor of this team, and it’s ugly as hell.

The only thing that makes me feel even slightly better is knowing that we’re capable of playing much better.

But damn...

I still can’t believe how bad we looked for so long.

Yeah agreed. I think the coaches knew there was this kind of a floor based on some comments going into the UNI game saying they just don't fully know what to expect.

It was a shock, when they came out and scored off a fumble recovery right out the gate in the 3rd I thought, "OK, here we go," the team had the fans and momentum behind them... but couldn't get it done.
 
If our defense had played at the same level our offense did this game would have been a 50 point route by PSU. Worst offensive output by a Griz team in modern history.
 
RobGriz said:
If our defense had played at the same level our offense did this game would have been a 50 point route by PSU. Worst offensive output by a Griz team in modern history.

Which is nuts, after last week I was worried the defense would've been the group that was sluggish today.
 
BWahlberg said:
RobGriz said:
If our defense had played at the same level our offense did this game would have been a 50 point route by PSU. Worst offensive output by a Griz team in modern history.

Which is nuts, after last week I was worried the defense would've been the group that was sluggish today.

Defense was up against it the whole first half through no fault of their own, they did a great job of keeping us in it with the ineptitude of the offense.
 
I said this in another thread

I have said this on the WIU game...when you have a team that is stout against the run, loading the box, or is doing a flex defense, run the stupid jet sweep multiple times...then run JLM or Susler on several fake jet sweeps and this opens up the middle big time. If the Griz would have done this in the first and second quarters the outcome would have been much different.
 
jodcon said:
BWahlberg said:
RobGriz said:
If our defense had played at the same level our offense did this game would have been a 50 point route by PSU. Worst offensive output by a Griz team in modern history.

Which is nuts, after last week I was worried the defense would've been the group that was sluggish today.

Defense was up against it the whole first half through no fault of their own, they did a great job of keeping us in it with the ineptitude of the offense.
True story
 
rgrizfan said:
Wish they would have let Cam play more.

Me too. Looked good when he got the opportunity. Certainly wouldn't have hurt anything. Sneed was just flat awful today
 
Most teams, at every level of football, have "off" games. It is very difficult to play well and win every week. At a minimum you need 22 players (at this level 22 YOUNG players) to each do their best. That's at minimum, two different sets of 11 players doing their best on every down. "Off" games are a part of any team, but especially a YOUNG team in the midst of a coaching change. Remember, there are a handful of grown men trying to organize 105(?) young 18-22-year-olds in such a way that they will consistently execute their version of a game plan over another set of coaches and young men with their own plans and dreams. While there are a few programs that function with great consistency; the reality is that with all the moving parts and different individuals involved in this, a poor performance is bound to happen.

That being said....Hope this doesn't happen again. I'm sure the players and coaches feel this more than any of us fans. Let them lick their wounds, learn from their mistakes, and come back with a fire and intensity we, and they, have not seen yet. Now is the time for these young men to prove to us, and most importantly themselves, that they have the grit, resilience, determination, and relentlessness to achieve their goals. Even if they lose another game or two, I have a feeling these guys will bring a fire and determination that will make us all proud.

Go Griz, always and forever.
 
fltheadgriz said:
I said this in another thread

I have said this on the WIU game...when you have a team that is stout against the run, loading the box, or is doing a flex defense, run the stupid jet sweep multiple times...then run JLM or Susler on several fake jet sweeps and this opens up the middle big time. If the Griz would have done this in the first and second quarters the outcome would have been much different.

No no no...no adjustments allowed until halftime. Come on, man. Rookie mistake.
 
The Griz got smacked down by what is supposed to be one of the worst teams this year in the BSC. Add to that loss it happened at home during homecoming!

The true test will be how this team responds. I had hoped they had the disappointment of a loss filled by WIU. That apparently was not the case. I can only hope that every coach and player is sick to there stomach over this debacle of a loss and it can serve as a stepping stone to build a solid rest of the season on. If it does not, it could spell for a disappointing season for all coach, player and fan.

What’s even more sad is there is only a handful of PSU fans that are ecstatic over this win for them today because of there lack of followers. Meanwhile there are thousands upon thousands of Griz fans filled with disappointment and disbelief.

Here is to coach Hauck insuring this team and coaching staff learns from this.

The sun comes up tomorrow Griz fans. Let’s have faith!

Go Griz
 
I watched probably 2/3 of the game and defensively, you played well enough to win...especially with PSU’s top offensive weapon out of the game (the big tight end).

Offensively, I was absolutely shocked UM wasn’t running the ball more, especially with sneed. The last couple years, MSU absolutely killed psu on the ground, specifically with the qb run. If you can get their stacked inside linebacker caught up on the inside, it’s game over for them.

PSU’s bread and butter on defense is creating havoc on the line of scrimmage and playing tight man coverage. They can’t do that when they have OLinemen running downhill at them.

Maybe the lack of running is an indictment on the O-Line, but it sure looked like UM’s offensive game plan played right into the few things that PSU does well on defense.
 
wbtfg said:
I watched probably 2/3 of the game and defensively, you played well enough to win...especially with PSU’s top offensive weapon out of the game (the big tight end).

Offensively, I was absolutely shocked UM wasn’t running the ball more, especially with sneed. The last couple years, MSU absolutely killed psu on the ground, specifically with the qb run. If you can get their stacked inside linebacker caught up on the inside, it’s game over for them.

PSU’s bread and butter on defense is creating havoc on the line of scrimmage and playing tight man coverage. They can’t do that when they have OLinemen running downhill at them.

Maybe the lack of running is an indictment on the O-Line, but it sure looked like UM’s offensive game plan played right into the few things that PSU does well on defense.

Griz were running for 5 yards per carry almost, absolutely should have been running more
 
wbtfg said:
I watched probably 2/3 of the game and defensively, you played well enough to win...especially with PSU’s top offensive weapon out of the game (the big tight end).

Offensively, I was absolutely shocked UM wasn’t running the ball more, especially with sneed. The last couple years, MSU absolutely killed psu on the ground, specifically with the qb run. If you can get their stacked inside linebacker caught up on the inside, it’s game over for them.

PSU’s bread and butter on defense is creating havoc on the line of scrimmage and playing tight man coverage. They can’t do that when they have OLinemen running downhill at them.

Maybe the lack of running is an indictment on the O-Line, but it sure looked like UM’s offensive game plan played right into the few things that PSU does well on defense.

They made that adjustment. At halftime. That’s apparently the soonest you are allowed to make adjustments in a football game.
 
BWahlberg said:
uofmman1122 said:
I said it in another thread, but we finally saw the floor of this team, and it’s ugly as hell.

The only thing that makes me feel even slightly better is knowing that we’re capable of playing much better.

But damn...

I still can’t believe how bad we looked for so long.

Yeah agreed. I think the coaches knew there was this kind of a floor based on some comments going into the UNI game saying they just don't fully know what to expect.

It was a shock, when they came out and scored off a fumble recovery right out the gate in the 3rd I thought, "OK, here we go," the team had the fans and momentum behind them... but couldn't get it done.

excuses excuses excuses. maybe bobby ain't that great of a coach after all?
 
I thought the best thing about yesterday was Bobby Hauck's post game press conference in which he took all the blame for the game. He said he got outcoached, and that they were not adequately prepared on offense, defense and special teams and that it was his fault and he accepted full responsibility.

For some reason, in a day when it seems like everyone is blaming everyone else for problems, I found Bobby's remarks refreshing and extraordinary!
 
Gaeilge1 said:
I thought the best thing about yesterday was Bobby Hauck's post game press conference in which he took all the blame for the game. He said he got outcoached, and that they were not adequately prepared on offense, defense and special teams and that it was his fault and he accepted full responsibility.

For some reason, in a day when it seems like everyone is blaming everyone else for problems, I found Bobby's remarks refreshing and extraordinary!

I thought when Bobby got here the days of being outcoached were over? He’s now been outcoached the 2nd half of the UNI game, the 1st quarter and last 5 minutes of the WIU game, the 1st half of the Sac Game and the 1st half of the PSU game.
 
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