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#12 UCD at #14 WSU

A

AlumniWSU

Active member
Conference opener:...UC Davis Aggies coming to O-town to begin Big Sky play. 3-0 Aggies beat Dixie St in last game 60-27 but of course are bragging about the 19-17 win over FBS Tulsa to begin the season.

Will the Wildcats lick their wounds from the JMU beat down & fix their turnover / offensive woes to begin league play with a win or go 1-3 ??
 
Hey there Wildcats fans! We're excited for what we feel is our first real FCS test of the season after beating up on San Diego and Dixie. The Tulsa game was fun, but we also acknowledge that they were playing with a good number of starters out as a result of some incidents that occurred in their bowl game the previous season. Fingers crossed this is the year the Aggies can finally put it together against you guys, but until we can do it I have to believe that y'all are the favorites in this match up. Any updates on the status on Barron?

Anyway, here's to a clean and exciting game!
 
CA Forever said:
Hey there Wildcats fans! We're excited for what we feel is our first real FCS test of the season after beating up on San Diego and Dixie. The Tulsa game was fun, but we also acknowledge that they were playing with a good number of starters out as a result of some incidents that occurred in their bowl game the previous season. Fingers crossed this is the year the Aggies can finally put it together against you guys, but until we can do it I have to believe that y'all are the favorites in this match up. Any updates on the status on Barron?

Anyway, here's to a clean and exciting game!
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We seldom get any sort of injury updates. When Barron went out with the knee injury it was said to be the sort that could be 1 week or multiple weeks. He was not dressed last week and that would have been the 1 week scenario. At this point it would just be a WAG. If you see him playing on Saturday, that is how you will know. If he is dressed but not in the game, then it would be an 'if needed' sort of thing.

IMHO, one player should never be the key to any football game. QB is an important aspect, for sure, but there is a lot more that goes into playing well. I'm thinking that we will run 11 guys against UCD's 11 and see how it all works out. My feelings are that defense will play the biggest role in this game. :coffee:
 
I feel like this will be a very close game. It seems to me that UCD's offense is good and their defense is just average, while Weber's defense is good enough to keep Weber in the game. I think both teams will put points on the board in the range of 25-30 points. I am picking Weber by 3... 28 to 25! I picked JMU by 17 last week and ended up being close with that guess. Here's hoping that I pick the winner again this week. This game will tell us if Weber can go 8-3 or 6-5. 8-3 will get them in the playoffs but not 6-5. 7-7 will probably not yield a playoff spot either. Since we do not play Montana this year in the regular season I am hoping and thinking 8-3 is in the cards. If they could go undefeated in conference it would be 9-2 and get them a top 8 seed. Not likely however that they can go undefeated in conference.
 
baller said:
I feel like this will be a very close game. It seems to me that UCD's offense is good and their defense is just average, while Weber's defense is good enough to keep Weber in the game.
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It's tough to know where we really stand at this point. We put up points against teams that we should have put up a ton of points against. Dixie State started a different quarterback against us than the one they had in for the previous 2 games so I don't really know how to compare the offensive production they had. Our defense seems very boom or bust though. We've forced 9 turnovers over the first 3 games, but then there are drives where they look lost on the field. Like I said before, I think this is the first game of the season for us that will be a good measure of where we actually stand.

I'm still picking y'all to win because I've just learned to not get my hopes up when the Aggies are forced to play the cream of the crop.
 
I think this is going to be a very close game. Being a home game, I would usually give the edge to Weber State, but there is a lot of issues going on: QB play (doubt Barron is ready and Weisser lacks a lot of game experience), inconsistent offense especially in red zone, FG kicking, Cooley leaving team, etc.

It should be strength vs strength or Weber’s D vs Davis’s offense. I think UC Davis learns from Spring game and wins 27-24. I certainly hope I am wrong. I don’t know the status of UC Davis: injuries, struggles, etc. Maybe they have some issues going on as well.

If Weber State starts Johnson, I think UC Davis could force turnovers and win by more.

Should be a good day for football. I’m hoping the Wildcats come out fired up and get on track. Big games in the first half of the season.
 
I know people on here think I overreacted from my post about the JMU game but I think that’s just fans who aren’t being objective about this team. I’m the first to admit coach Hill has made this team a legit force since he came in and for that I’ve become spoiled, however this fall’s team is well below the standard he’s set.

Let’s start with the offense which has been awful from the start. Obviously I expected to lose to Utah and probably JMU but I didn’t think our offense would be so crummy thus far. Barron showed great promise against Utah but until his injury he looked baffled against a Dixie St. team that is awful at best. Johnson is NOT a good QB (don’t get me started on this whiff of a transfer) so that clearly shows a lack of depth that Weber has had a problem with for years at this position. Outside of Cantwell coach Hill hasn’t recruited one truly great QB to WSU and that’s on him and the rest of the staff. I’m hoping Weisser can be a spark until Barron is healthy to return and hopefully show that promise from Utah. The RB’s have been good for the most part. As usual though Davis is proving to be injury prone and streaky, McMillan has been steady, Jackson isn’t really that good, and Bankston has shown promise as well. The WR’s are what has disappointed me to this point. Shaheed has been solid when thrown to, but the rest have been unreliable or down right bad. Grimes has been a non factor since his hyped arrival and injuries and drops have plagued most of the rest of the wideouts. Offensive line has been 50/50 at best. I know injuries have hurt but again the lack of depth shows through huge here. We desperately need more talent on the OL and that’s being generous. Hammer so far as the OC has called some decent plays but I feel this was a bad hire. He time and again thinks gadget plays are going to work but against quality defenses it just absolutely kills drives. His red zone play calls have been horrible and very junior high level.

On the defensive side we’ve been okay at times. I understand coach Hill wanting to be involved in the overall team and wanting to hand over the reins but so far the results have been mixed. I feel like the pass rush is a complete bust and our edge rushers (which used to be a highlight) have been horrid. The interior line has been solid against the run but again pedestrian against the pass. The LB’s have been absolutely abused in pass coverage which is where I find the most trouble with our defense so far. The CB and S play has been spotty with some highlights but a lot more big plays given up then years prior. That’s why for me I’d say the defense has been exposed and I’m far less confident in this side then ever under coach Hill.

Special teams have also had highs and lows with Shaheed and our punter doing the best. Coverage has been okay but the FG kicking again sucks.

I’m hoping the Cats can turn it around this weekend and going forward this season but with the Big Sky being so good this year I’m honestly seeing 6-5 at best and most likely missing out on the playoffs this year. As for this game I’m going Weber 24-20 with home field giving them the edge in the end.
 
Game day! You guys have had our number for a bunch of years. This is the biggest game in the FCS this week. Is it going to be a battle of defenses? Hopefully it will be injury free, may the beat team win! It looks like the weather is going to be perfect. Wish i was attending in person.
 
Unfortunately the party is over and for sure this team is toast!! Coach Hill obviously has to take the blame for hiring some coaches that haven’t performed and recruiting clearly has fallen off. Hammer should be out IMMEDIATELY as the OC because his second stint has sucked as hard as the first one. Also, they brought in Dyson to coach the secondary and they look worse now then before Hill took over. Overall the coaches and the players are NOT very good and it’s going to be a long season. Hill better take stock now and make some changes for the future to get better. I also think for people who wanted us to play the spring might want to think of how much of a toll it took on these players. They look weak and slow this fall.
 
Anyone who objectively watched Spring Football knew the Wildcats were extremely fortunate to win their games. The offense is terrible at scoring when needed. The defense has slipped from the dominant defenses it has had.

They desperately need to get an OC that knows a good system and a QB who is Big Sky material (and no, I don’t think Barron is or Johnson or Weisser) but when given an opportunity to get a new OC, they hired a retread who wasn’t good the first time. I love Coach Hill, but he won’t make the tough decisions when needed. This team’s best record is 6-5, but I see them dropping another game as well for 5-6.

It was a good ride…time to rebuild.

UC Davis executed when needed and the Wildcats squandered many opportunities. Congratulations to the Aggies.
 
This is the worst team since 2016. I don’t really know where we excel. Shaheed, Davis, McMillan, Preston Smith, and Lavaka are all great but beyond that I’m not seeing a whole standouts. Offensive line is average. Defensive line is average. Secondary loses guys in coverage regularly. Quarterback is green.

When you game plan against us, what are you worried about?? Our kick returner and nothing else.
 
The Dan said:
I honestly believe that’s the worst roughing the passer call I’ve ever seen.
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With calls like that constantly at home…maybe Weber State shouldn’t shut down the WAC option. I remember the fumble call vs NAU in Spring where replays showed a knee touch, an elbow touch, a roll, then the ball came loose…yet the call wasn’t overturned.

This game came down to not kicking a field goal and the same offense that can move but can’t score. Who passes on both 2nd and 1 and 3rd and 1? Maybe the crappy kicking game came down to going for it in the 2nd quarter instead of opting to going up 10-0. Who knows…but this offensive train wreck has been going on way too long and needs some help, but those changes aren’t coming.

I think there were three teams that were capable of winning the FCS title, the team with Cantwell and the two solid defenses after that had to live with Schramm’s Techmo Bowl playbook.

This team is a big drop off. Much rebuilding to do. I’d start making changes now…but Hammer will stay on until he leaves on his own terms.
 
The Dan said:
This is the worst team since 2016. I don’t really know where we excel. Shaheed, Davis, McMillan, Preston Smith, and Lavaka are all great but beyond that I’m not seeing a whole standouts. Offensive line is average. Defensive line is average. Secondary loses guys in coverage regularly. Quarterback is green.

When you game plan against us, what are you worried about?? Our kick returner and nothing else.
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Totally agree. The offensive and defensive lines are terrible and the secondary is crappy at best. I put a lot of the blame on coach Hill though because his hires of Hammer at OC and Dyson as secondary coach were horrible and just recycling old coaches who aren’t very good. Until we get a true OC and someone to help the recruiting we’re in for some trouble. I think we waste time recruiting players who will NEVER attend a small school like Weber and often lose out on good players chasing dreams. Lack of depth is a glaring weakness. We need a quality FCS level QB and I don’t think we have one on the current roster.
 
Weber is not a 'bad' team, and it is not a good team. It is just average. It is far better than the teams the few years before Hill came. However, Jay Hill had targeted national championships. They reached one rung below that ladder of elite teams in FCS in 20167,17 & 18. From their it dropped back from the second tier to the third tier of teams. That is to say teams that win 6-8 games. Again just average!

I agree with others here that the defense is not as good as it was when Jay coordinated it. Eddie Heckerd is not a great cover guy but he is a good tackler who just gets beat by a step to often. If there was a better cover corner at that position I think the defensive backfield would be good. I also think, like others here, that the defensive line is not good enough. In the trenches they are plenty good, but the two ends are sub-par. At backer they are missing a top notch strong linebacker.

As for the offense as a whole it is the glaringly weakest part of the team. The offensive line has bulked up to the point that they cannot move as quickly as they need to. The starters last night listed average was 6'4" and 317 pounds. Maybe they have overfed those guys... The receivers and the running backs are plenty good enough but the QB's are woefully inadequate. But what do you expect from a Hill coached offense. He learned offense primarily from Whittingham and his offense looks just like Whittingham's. Just not enough attention focused not he offense.

But the biggest single problem of the team is the coaching. Specifically the OC. Last night, the things that yielded great numbers in the first half were completely abandoned in the second half. I don't know how many times they intentionally ran Weisser but it was far too many. They also abandoned the short passing game that was so successful in the second half. I never saw Davis stop that short passing game yet they abandoned it. I blame Jay for not finding a better OC and the offense will not be any different until he goes and finds a real OC placing far more emphasis on a creative offense.

Jay strongly emphasized the roughing the passer that overturned their only interception. I do not think that the end result of the game was changed by that ridiculous call. Weber just got their ass kicked, especially in the fourth quarter.
 
I think Hill needs to fire Hammer which is obvious and also the offensive line coach they have not been good for years and aren't getting any better. Last night's game was determined by the refs as well as Weber's terrible Offensive Coordinator I just hope Hill recognizes and fires or moves Hammer out of the OC job the team will not improve with him history tells us that.
Somebody else should be calling plays the rest of the year and get a new OC in the off season or see if any of the young coaches can do the job. Now would be the time to make the move to let Hammer go because we should be able to beat Cal Poly with anybody and then we have a bye week so get somebody in there to develop some continuity so we have a chance against Montana State the next home game.
 
It's quite clear that this will not be our year. We are still a good team, just not a great team. We, obviously need more of everything. I believe that coach Hill will get the job done. It just might take another year or two.

Is it time to start throwing bathwater and babies? I don't think that you make those sort of decisions in the heat of battle. When the dust settles, then you take a long, hard look at all aspects of your program. Like I said, I believe that coach Hill is well equipped to get it done.

None of us here know enough about the program as a whole, to call for anybodies head, or any other changes for that matter. I sure wouldn't do it. :coffee:
 
Oldrunner it is obvious that this is still the same Matt Hammer that got fired before he just isn't a offensive coordinator maybe a good linebacker coach but terrible OC. The spring season our offense was bad and it hasn't gotten any better this fall. I am worried Hill is too loyal and won't make the tough decision to fire the coaches that aren't doing the job.
 
Sasy; all I'm saying is that we are only seeing 20% of what is going on with the team and that coach Hill is seeing 100%. I have a strong feeling that he will make the right choices. Right now is just not the right time. Right now, they need to get the most out of what they have. We have at least 7 games to go. Get first things done first. As a fan, I just want to enjoy the process. I'm trying hard not to get too high with the wins or too low with the losses. I can still remember trying to enjoy those 2-9 seasons, not too long ago. :coffee:
 
oldrunner said:
Sasy; all I'm saying is that we are only seeing 20% of what is going on with the team and that coach Hill is seeing 100%. I have a strong feeling that he will make the right choices. Right now is just not the right time. Right now, they need to get the most out of what they have. We have at least 7 games to go. Get first things done first. As a fan, I just want to enjoy the process. I'm trying hard not to get too high with the wins or too low with the losses. I can still remember trying to enjoy those 2-9 seasons, not too long ago. :coffee:
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No doubt, all us fans have become a little spoiled by success. Hill has kind of become a victim of his own success, but I would think he would be the first to say it is good to have high expectations and to constantly strive to improve.

I remember the 1-10 year and 2-10 years and basically enjoying the fall colors on the mountain and enjoying the kettle corn as there wasn’t much on the field to get excited about.

I think Hill is extremely loyal to his staff…and that can be a weakness. I mean say if I won the lottery, and I certainly hope I do, and could hire a chauffeur…and say said chauffeur kept showing up drunk to work and ran the car with me in it to a few ditches, cars, or fire hydrants. I could keep handing him the keys and get in the back seat and hope things get better and improve. I could think to myself that maybe he needs to get a feel for the car and a little more driving experience…or I could think, yep, clearly he is not capable of getting from point A to point B safely and get a new chauffeur as soon as possible.

Yes, it’s a rough analogy…and most hires, I don’t think fall into the incapable category, but I think Schramm didn’t and Hammer clearly isn’t going to get the job done and they both have had plenty of time to improve…maybe they are not on the drunk level, but just sleep-deprived and like to check their cell phone and text while driving.

Anyway, I don’t think you procrastinate improvement that can be made immediately.

Hoping Hammer can turn it around and lead the most prolific offense in FCS…because Hill will most likely keep him until he leaves on his own terms. Meanwhile drive safe, wear your seat belt and keep an eye out on the roads. :lol:
 
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