I would like to share a perspective I’ve long had about being a fan. It seems to me that having placed team sports in the context of national championships has spoiled the original value of the core entity: the individual game. This UCD 2023 season illustrates the point. We were all enjoying the victory over arch-rival Sac State, but only for one day when that joy was ruined by not getting into the FCS playoffs. Maybe it goes too far to suggest that not getting into the playoffs spoiled the win, but I remember the days in the FWC when a simple victory in one game was enough to bring us joy, an upset over a major opponent would make the whole season and a conference title got the whole campus celebrating. Now it is not enough to win a game (and this is for every team sport at the pro and college levels) but your team has to get into the playoffs. For some teams, just getting into the playoffs is not enough, they have to win a national championship (which is why I’m glad I’m not an Alabama fan). On the other hand, for low level amateur athletes such as I was, just being able to play in one game was thrill enough and to win was the best natural high. Placing our sports into the context of national titles has ruined enjoyment of the sport for every fan except the ones who root for the final winner.

No I meant EWU (loss by 3) and Weber (loss by 1), the kinds of games where one play winds up making the difference. (I don't mean one specific play necessarily but any one of a bunch of plays). Against NAU we simply played poorly. Even some of the best teams have a game or two like that, e.g. Washington who barely made it past weak Stanford and Arizona State teams, but are able to pull out a win.

While I'm disappointed, I can't say I'm surprised. As with most of you, I think we were shy one win of getting in. If the Ags could have pulled out one over either EWU or Weber State, that would have done it. I agree, too, that the bad loss to Northern Arizona hurt. It's no consolation being one of the first four out. I still wonder about Hawkins claim that this was his most talented team at UCD.

Hasn't the Big Sky gotten 5 teams into the playoffs in the past?

Credit for this win goes to the defense despite the late scores. Holding a team to 1/6 on 4th downs is exceptional.

I think they're overusing the wildcat. Too high a probability that Larison is going to run so usually the Ags only get a few yards. In this game, he's only averaging 3.3 yards per carry.

Right. Ags need to get at least 2 first downs on this possession.

Whew! D does it again!

Penalties have been a problem not so much for the total yards, but the bad timing of them.

Isn't it kind of offensive to write that Hastings is a "slacker" implying that he isn't trying his best? Maybe we don't think he's a great quarterback and we can complain about his inconsistency, but to insinuate that he is of weak character is another matter.

I don't know why Sac State stays with the freshman QB. He isn't having a good day at all. I suspect we might see Bennett start the second half.

The defense is playing out of its mind. Sac State has only 23 total yards, 3 on the ground.

Hastings is looking better than I've seen him all season so far.

It doesn't look like the weather is going to be a factor? Is the field wet?

The O-line is getting a great push, driving the Sac State defenders two yards back on the run plays. They need to keep that up.

Run the ball down the Hornets' thoraxes.

I only know what I see in the stats. Fulcher and Tau-Tolier don't get many carries, combined abut 14 per game. The second leading rusher is the quarterback, Bennett. Larison averages well over 20 alone and gets 6.5 yards per carry. So it seems that the Hornets depend more on their passing attack.

Seems like a wet field might favor the Aggies since Sac State no longer has a stud running back. Thier leading rusher averages only 46 yards per game.

That's a very cool promo. Anyone know if the Chancellor ever played football?

I wonder why the North Dakota State coaching staff did not pick up on the Zone to Man switch. I can't believe they didn't see it when we played Montana since they must have had scouts watching both teams on Sunday. The problem with that defense is that when we start in a zone, sometimes we stay in it and sometimes it becomes a matchup zone, so hard for the players on the court to adjust on the fly. It's brilliant defense IMHO.