I'm far more confident about Saturday's game than I was for the game a month ago, for many reasons:
The bye: Simply cannot overstate how desperately needed that week off was.
Loud's return: Obviously getting your best defensive player back would help any team. But he is so critically important to the style of defense the GRIZ play, and I'd say they are automatically 7 points better with him in the lineup.
The way both teams have looked in the playoffs: Look, I know the cats are trying to hype up the teams they played, but please. We're talking about the 2nd place team in the Ivys (Ivys!!); and a team in SFA who quite literally could not catch a forward pass. And the cats looked mostly discombobulated and unmotivated in each. Meanwhile, the GRIZ absolutely boatraced two MoValley teams who began the year ranked in the top 3, and would have remained there but for injuries to guys who were all back for the playoffs.
Intangibles: I have to think Sixx openly looking for other jobs has impacted the buy-in in the locker room, and when you throw the Davis thing ("I respect, he respects, all respect") into the mix, there is something clearly wrong with the cat program. Meanwhile, the GRIZ are playing their best ball of the year at the right time.