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Montana Predictions Game Week

The fact that fans are even predicting a close game with an FCS school is a sad state for our football team. When was the last time we were even CONSIDERING a close game, little lone a possible upset. Frick.

I don't think Montana cant stop Wick and May.

UW 31-21
 
Both offenses have issues with the O-line. Montana has the more proven quarterback. Montana does have a good defense and some depth to go with it. Wyoming, while surely better coached than last year, still fields basically the same defense of one year ago. I think this one boils down to special teams and I think the Pokes still have major issues in the kicking game. I don't see this one being a high scoring game.

I think Montana wins 17-13. Now I hope the Cowboys make me eat some crow.....I would happily do that. I'll wait a few games before I start drinking the Koolaid.
 
CowboyNV said:
Both offenses have issues with the O-line. Montana has the more proven quarterback. Montana does have a good defense and some depth to go with it. Wyoming, while surely better coached than last year, still fields basically the same defense of one year ago. I think this one boils down to special teams and I think the Pokes still have major issues in the kicking game. I don't see this one being a high scoring game.

I think Montana wins 17-13. Now I hope the Cowboys make me eat some crow.....I would happily do that. I'll wait a few games before I start drinking the Koolaid.
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Montana has a good defense? Whenever I caught some of their games, it was a high scoring game.
 
fromolwyoming said:
CowboyNV said:
Both offenses have issues with the O-line. Montana has the more proven quarterback. Montana does have a good defense and some depth to go with it. Wyoming, while surely better coached than last year, still fields basically the same defense of one year ago. I think this one boils down to special teams and I think the Pokes still have major issues in the kicking game. I don't see this one being a high scoring game.

I think Montana wins 17-13. Now I hope the Cowboys make me eat some crow.....I would happily do that. I'll wait a few games before I start drinking the Koolaid.
Click to expand...
Montana has a good defense? Whenever I caught some of their games, it was a high scoring game.
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Yeah, they have a pretty good D Line lead by the preseason player of the year at DE, they have a very inexperienced LB core and they're DB's got torched last year... As for Montana's offense, their QB is very talented, RB's are pretty good, their receivers are very banged up and their number one guy probably won't play because of an illness that held him out of most of fall camp and is yet to get back on the field. Their OLine has 3 starts combined out of their projected 5 starters. Their LT was just recently ruled academically ineligible and their new LT is a converted TE. It will be interesting to see what happens. I have no idea what to expect from our team, lots of question marks and the 30 minute media rule has kept things pretty much under wraps.
 
POKES aren't as bad as predicted. Montana D will be good but mid-level (at best) for MWC. Not the worst D we will face but not the best either. Run game sets the tone and takes pressure off of Kirk.

POKES win 31-10
 
http://ravallirepublic.com/sports/college/montana/football/article_71f7e4a6-89e2-52be-9722-0ea76134770e.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Speltz: Reason to believe in Laramie

Despite unexpected losses, Griz encouraged by August progress

You heard it here first: The Montana football team will give FBS Wyoming all it can handle Saturday afternoon.

OK, OK, I know what you’re thinking. Speltz is at Griz practice every morning so he’s having trouble getting the maroon stain off his brain.

Plus we all know how the ol’ Iowa boy is optimistic to a fault. He sings “Here Comes the Sun” in the shower and believes the Cubs will win the World Series in his lifetime.

Seriously though, Saturday will be terrific theater. Montana’s coaching staff proved last year it knows how to prepare its troops for an opener, guiding the Griz to a 30-6 drubbing of App State.

No, Wyoming is not App State and Saturday’s game is not in Missoula. There are still reasons to like Montana in Laramie.

For starters, the Griz boast a senior signal caller in Jordan Johnson. He has a career record of 20-6.

The Cowboys are going with Colby Kirkegaard, a perennial backup whose only start resulted in a home loss to Cal Poly two years ago. He will set up behind a young line recruited to block for a finesse spread and now adapting to a more aggressive pro-style scheme.

Those linemen will face a formidable defensive front for Montana. Hometown product Zack Wagenmann leads the way at rush end and he’d love to show everyone what NFL scouts suspect – he’s a big-time talent.

Montana’s doubters will point to an offensive line with green tackles. But keep in mind, sophomores Jackson Thiebes and Devon Dietrich have been working with the No. 1 unit since preseason camp started on Aug. 5.

UM may have its hands full against a Cowboy defense with nine returning starters. On the other hand, Wyoming’s defense was awful last season, allowing almost 37 points per game. That’s two more touchdowns per game than the Grizzlies.

Griz coach Mick Delaney isn’t prepared to tell us what’s going to happen Saturday when his team shoots for its first win over Wyoming in 14 tries. But I’ll give you a few hints:

Johnson is going to make things happen, even if he’s flushed out of the pocket. Running back/wideout Travon Van is a playmaker when healthy, as we all learned last season. Van, wideout Jamaal Jones and tight end Mitch Saylor are going to be impact players in the passing game.

Wyoming may also score a few touchdowns. The Cowboys will try to exploit the Grizzlies’ inexperience at linebacker and strong safety.

Saturday may come down to a field goal or crucial turnover. The one certainty is that a Griz win would create quite a buzz around these parts.

“You can’t ever guarantee wins or anything like that because those are not easy obviously,” Delaney offered. “But certainly you want to do everything you have control over and I think these guys have done that by the way they’ve worked.”

The most imposing aspect of Wyoming’s program is the coaching staff. Cowboys first-year skipper Craig Bohl guided North Dakota State to FCS championships the last three years.

That’s scary. But these Cowboys weren’t recruited by Bohl and they may be slow adjusting to a new offense.

Just slow enough for the Griz to get out of Laramie with a win.

Montana 24, Wyoming 21.
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http://ravallirepublic.com/sports/college/montana/football/article_71f7e4a6-89e2-52be-9722-0ea76134770e.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 
I'm actually surprised to see so many really close score predictions, especially with so many predicting a 6-6 season. Typically whether you're Wyoming or anybody else, a close win vs. an FCS program does not paint a pretty picture for the rest of the season. 3-point wins over Montana don't give a strong indication that 5 more wins are ahead. JMO.
 
Not entirely impossible. Wyoming has struggled with openers under the previous regime (weber st and SUU). Something seems different about the team.
 
The score will be 17 to 14. Toss a coin to see who gets the 17. This analysis by Method of Posterior Extraction.
 
My only hope is that we don't have a season similar to 2000. Everyone was expecting a decent year then, we started out with a tough season opener with Auburn. Had a good showing, then made a case for a decent season with a 31-10 blowout of MAC program Central Mich. then everything fell apart...
If we can steer clear of a 2000 type year, I'm good. I just want progress and success.
 
kansasCowboy said:
My only hope is that we don't have a season similar to 2000. Everyone was expecting a decent year then, we started out with a tough season opener with Auburn. Had a good showing, then made a case for a decent season with a 31-10 blowout of MAC program Central Mich. then everything fell apart...
If we can steer clear of a 2000 type year, I'm good. I just want progress and success.
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September is everything. Any hopes of the 6-6 type season that some are shooting for hinges on not screwing up in September. The team absolutely must go 3-0 vs. Montana, Air Force, Florida Atlantic. Lose to any of those teams (or, banish the thought...2+)...and a disaster first season could be in sight. Much like 2013, this team has to take care of business early, cause the later half of the schedule is brutal again.
 
September is everything. Any hopes of the 6-6 type season that some are shooting for hinges on not screwing up in September. The team absolutely must go 3-0 vs. Montana, Air Force, Florida Atlantic. Lose to any of those teams (or, banish the thought...2+)...and a disaster first season could be in sight. Much like 2013, this team has to take care of business early, cause the later half of the schedule is brutal again.
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Not that you are wrong but sad that we view USU, BSU, FSU, etc. as brutal. Most P5 teams would view that as cake city.
 
ragtimejoe1 said:
Not that you are wrong but sad that we view USU, BSU, FSU, etc. as brutal. Most P5 teams would view that as cake city.
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True, both those teams in particular exposed UW's lack of real talent big time last season. UW looked like an FCS team by comparison.
 
kansasCowboy said:
My only hope is that we don't have a season similar to 2000. Everyone was expecting a decent year then, we started out with a tough season opener with Auburn. Had a good showing, then made a case for a decent season with a 31-10 blowout of MAC program Central Mich. then everything fell apart...
If we can steer clear of a 2000 type year, I'm good. I just want progress and success.
Click to expand...

Or last season. Before Texas State, everybody was talking about us possibly winning the MWC.
 
ragtimejoe1 said:
September is everything. Any hopes of the 6-6 type season that some are shooting for hinges on not screwing up in September. The team absolutely must go 3-0 vs. Montana, Air Force, Florida Atlantic. Lose to any of those teams (or, banish the thought...2+)...and a disaster first season could be in sight. Much like 2013, this team has to take care of business early, cause the later half of the schedule is brutal again.
Click to expand...

Not that you are wrong but sad that we view USU, BSU, FSU, etc. as brutal. Most P5 teams would view that as cake city.
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I wouldn't say most P5 teams think they are cake teams.

Boise and USU are likely to end up beating two SEC teams in week 1, neither one at home. And Fresno gets their chance against a Pac12 team.
 
Well, good chance all three lose their openers...maybe even by large margins...but yeah, cupcakes they are not.
 
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