AFA Matchup

[LawPoke]

The next four games are very winnable - Fresno, New Mex, at SJSU, csu.

No need to panic. Yeah it sucks we lost, but it could have gone either way.

Yeah, we lost a road game to a decent team. Sucks, but it's not the end of the world ... yet. I do think we've got to give some other QBs a chance. If Sean stinks the joint up in the first half of next game I would like to see Williams.

I agree. Could be a boost that the team needs.

Got to disagree here...(hope that is ok...this is a message board after all) I think that game was a master class in how to get dominated by AFA. We had exactly two possessions where we did anything at all. I don't think it could have gone much worse for us if Troy Calhoun had scripted it himself.

There was a brief moment from the last few minutes of the first half through our first cruddy drive after the half where I though there was a glimmer but it was fool's gold.

This. I don’t know why we defer the kickoff. We seldom do anything with the second half kick.

The second half was a akin to a root canal without anesthesia.

 

[LanderPoke]

Just like people say sometimes they need to see more winning before conceding a team is good.. well I need to see more sucking to concede we are bad. If we lose to Fresno by double digits I'll be right there with most of you. BUT until then this team gets the benefit of the doubt from me.

Bohl better have one fist on Williams' biceps waiting to throw him in there the moment Sean starts sucking.

 

[wwplayer]

Just like people say sometimes they need to see more winning before conceding a team is good.. well I need to see more sucking to concede we are bad. If we lose to Fresno by double digits I'll be right there with most of you. BUT until then this team gets the benefit of the doubt from me.

Bohl better have one fist on Williams' biceps waiting to throw him in there the moment Sean starts sucking.

Couldn't agree more

 

[307bball]

Just like people say sometimes they need to see more winning before conceding a team is good.. well I need to see more sucking to concede we are bad. If we lose to Fresno by double digits I'll be right there with most of you. BUT until then this team gets the benefit of the doubt from me.

Bohl better have one fist on Williams' biceps waiting to throw him in there the moment Sean starts sucking.

That is fair....and even though I don't agree with you...I see where you are coming from.

For me, rating team through the first 5 games of the year, I'm obviously happy to only have one loss but that good feeling is overwhelmed by how it looks like we are closer to the UCONN's and Montana's of the world from a competitive standpoint than we are to the AFA's of the world.

My "benefit of the doubt" is going down with each game...yes...lots of wins but they are not against teams that a top MWC program should struggle with. If we had stubbed our toe and pulled the Montana game out and then gone on to take care of business (not saying dominating...just not needing final minute drives to beat NIU and UCONN) in the other games before losing a well contested game to AFA .... at that point I would have far more "benefit of the doubt".

Instead we legitimately have one convincing win (Ball St.) ....three games where we had to steal victory from the jaws of defeat (NIU, UCONN, Montana) against very marginal teams....and one game where a real program (AFA) took us behind the woodshed.

Anyways...I'm definitely seeing a half empty glass at this point with very little opportunities left to bring the level up this season. As has been noted, just three more wins gets us to 7....We probably get there. Yay..I guess. :roll:

 

[bladerunnr]

Just like people say sometimes they need to see more winning before conceding a team is good.. well I need to see more sucking to concede we are bad. If we lose to Fresno by double digits I'll be right there with most of you. BUT until then this team gets the benefit of the doubt from me.

Bohl better have one fist on Williams' biceps waiting to throw him in there the moment Sean starts sucking.

Wow. That's some statement. Does that mean you'll be okay with the team if we lose by say....14-6? I won't say were a bad team but I sure as hell won't say were a good team until we beat a team that isn't terrible. So if we lose saturday and beat New Mexico the following week, I won't be jumping for joy. When's the last time we beat a conference foe with a winning record? I'll just leave it at that.

 

[LanderPoke]

Just like people say sometimes they need to see more winning before conceding a team is good.. well I need to see more sucking to concede we are bad. If we lose to Fresno by double digits I'll be right there with most of you. BUT until then this team gets the benefit of the doubt from me.

Bohl better have one fist on Williams' biceps waiting to throw him in there the moment Sean starts sucking.

Wow. That's some statement. Does that mean you'll be okay with the team if we lose by say....14-6? I won't say were a bad team but I sure as hell won't say were a good team until we beat a team that isn't terrible. So if we lose saturday and beat New Mexico the following week, I won't be jumping for joy. When's the last time we beat a conference foe with a winning record? I'll just leave it at that.

? . Lol. When did I say I was “ok” or happy with anything. If you are going to make stuff up just have a conversation with yourself or better yet, just state your opinion. Sheesh

 

[bladerunnr]

Just like people say sometimes they need to see more winning before conceding a team is good.. well I need to see more sucking to concede we are bad. If we lose to Fresno by double digits I'll be right there with most of you. BUT until then this team gets the benefit of the doubt from me.

Bohl better have one fist on Williams' biceps waiting to throw him in there the moment Sean starts sucking.

Wow. That's some statement. Does that mean you'll be okay with the team if we lose by say....14-6? I won't say were a bad team but I sure as hell won't say were a good team until we beat a team that isn't terrible. So if we lose saturday and beat New Mexico the following week, I won't be jumping for joy. When's the last time we beat a conference foe with a winning record? I'll just leave it at that.

? . Lol. When did I say I was “ok” or happy with anything. If you are going to make stuff up just have a conversation with yourself or better yet, just state your opinion. Sheesh

Why don't you read you're own idiotic quote? Unless we lose by double digits saturday, "this team gets the benefit of the doubt".

 

[LanderPoke]

Just like people say sometimes they need to see more winning before conceding a team is good.. well I need to see more sucking to concede we are bad. If we lose to Fresno by double digits I'll be right there with most of you. BUT until then this team gets the benefit of the doubt from me.

Bohl better have one fist on Williams' biceps waiting to throw him in there the moment Sean starts sucking.

Wow. That's some statement. Does that mean you'll be okay with the team if we lose by say....14-6? I won't say were a bad team but I sure as hell won't say were a good team until we beat a team that isn't terrible. So if we lose saturday and beat New Mexico the following week, I won't be jumping for joy. When's the last time we beat a conference foe with a winning record? I'll just leave it at that.

? . Lol. When did I say I was “ok” or happy with anything. If you are going to make stuff up just have a conversation with yourself or better yet, just state your opinion. Sheesh

Why don't you read you're own idiotic quote? Unless we lose by double digits saturday, "this team gets the benefit of the doubt".

yeah a 4-1 team grudgingly gets my benefit of the doubt for now. If we keep it close vs a very good Fresno team that’s enough for me to keep somewhat believing. You are a moron and struggle to understand English. Goodbye

 

[bladerunnr]

Just like people say sometimes they need to see more winning before conceding a team is good.. well I need to see more sucking to concede we are bad. If we lose to Fresno by double digits I'll be right there with most of you. BUT until then this team gets the benefit of the doubt from me.

Bohl better have one fist on Williams' biceps waiting to throw him in there the moment Sean starts sucking.

Wow. That's some statement. Does that mean you'll be okay with the team if we lose by say....14-6? I won't say were a bad team but I sure as hell won't say were a good team until we beat a team that isn't terrible. So if we lose saturday and beat New Mexico the following week, I won't be jumping for joy. When's the last time we beat a conference foe with a winning record? I'll just leave it at that.

? . Lol. When did I say I was “ok” or happy with anything. If you are going to make stuff up just have a conversation with yourself or better yet, just state your opinion. Sheesh

Why don't you read you're own idiotic quote? Unless we lose by double digits saturday, "this team gets the benefit of the doubt".

yeah a 4-1 team grudgingly gets my benefit of the doubt for now. If we keep it close vs a very good Fresno team that’s enough for me to keep somewhat believing. You are a moron and struggle to understand English. Goodbye

I may be a moron, but even a dumbbell like myself understands that if we lose saturday, there is no reason to "believe". We will have played 6 games - beat 4 cupcakes (3 in nail biters) and lost to 2 decent, but hardly unbeatable conference opponents. Anyone whose watched us has seen we can't run the ball consistently and we can't defend the pass. We've seen this movie before and it's not going to end any differently.

 

[johnpoke]

Here is how I view it:

If the pokes win the Time of possession battle, they will win by a small lead.
If the pokes take the TOP + a few turnovers - usually on the opposition side, they will win by a large amount.

The key to Bohl's philosophy. Focus on offense, as long as it is turning up clouds of dust and getting first downs, Wyoming will win, and the defense looks stellar.
Put the defense on the field, and try to run against them, they will usually stop you. Every now and then he gets a DC in there that can make passing look bad, we haven't seen that in a a while - since ol greybeard Hazelton.

Wyoming will win when the TOP is in their favor + a turnover. Add in a few more turnovers and they will win significantly. Add in an offensive turnover, they will still win, and things start focusing on defense.

Overall, Bohl has done a pretty good job at this, but if you listen to his air force plan on youtube, he didn't come close to doing what he wanted (eg win the TOP battle, get a few turnovers in his favor).

The Wyoming offense is engineered to stay on the field. It didn't do that against air force. The defense is engineered to stay on the sidelines and get turnovers. It did not do that during this game. That's why we have won against the 4 that lost, and lost against the 1 that was air force.

The game plan works, they just didn't execute to get there. Wyoming needs to win the TOP battle and turnover battle to win games like this. AF was ready and out coached them. Simple as that.

I haven't watched any Fresno games, I have watched a couple of Air Force games, and I bet that Wyoming will need to:
1. win the TOP battle. If Wyoming fails this - its going to be a close game.
2. win the turnover battle. If Wyoming fails this - its going to be a close game.
3. If Wyoming really any of the above - they will start the rout.
4. Wyoming's defense has to stay off the field if they want to blow out any team. Too many teams come back with a hard fisted passing attack and close the gap.

We really like to place our laurels on the defense, but it is indeed the offense that (suck or not in your opinion) keep's us in these games.

Offensively or defensively - Wyoming wins when running the ball and stopping the run. That makes for a good balance, and considering issues recruiting to Laramie in the last 20 years and such, doing such development is a good strategy.

We won't see another air force this season. However, it is really disappointing that our defense didn't get in the backfield more and stop more runs, let them get around 3.5-4 yars a play, and just slowly wear us down.

Then they came back hard, with the passing game, which I have seen them do against us (and I swear it was only against us a few years back), and succeed.

Rivalry game on our side my ass (they came ready to play and ready to conquer - luckily we slowed em down).

That was a good Air Force team. I think the game plan was solid. However, they out coached us - negating that game plan. They caught the game management off guard. And I think that game could have swung the other direction in the pokes favor. I personally like, and blame Polosek - I'll give him a pass though, it is his first year going against such a dominant running offense. It is a tough team to plan against. I bet he'll do a hell of alot better going forward.

This is just all my humble opinion. I'm probably wrong.

TLDR; run the football; Stop the run. We failed at that.

 

[ragtimejoe1]

Meh, gotta let the season play out. They play the games for a reason. What if it's 50 mph winds which eliminates the passing game and fresno has an injury or two early, does it still count if the POKES win or did the POKES just get lucky that nature and unfortunate events handed them the win?

Obviously there are concerns. The 2 you mention are symptoms of the inability to pass consistently and generate a pass rush. AF passing was bungled preparation, imo.

 

[johnywyo]

Go Pokes, I'm in N Dakota heading west to the Gem City for a rollout performance! Keep it positive and let the sun shine Saturday- please!