cover zero and absolutely stacking the box with no defender further than 7 yards off the line of scrimmage (at least from what I could see on TV) and the call is to run twice on a couple of critical late series. I don’t think that was entirely on Hastings but was the call, i.e. to run and play it safe. Regardless, seems like a tight end release or some such route would have been a good call.

Offense might marginally improve just with Tompkins healthy and all else equal …. But that’s if MH can hit him in a forward pass because we’re not doing really any sweeps, pitches, direct snaps etc to get playmakers the ball.

Relatedly, going to harp again that I hope the staff considers bringing back the wildcat package for the Red zone. Ungainly, predictable, but got the ball in 50% of the time at least

pass defense was very porous in second half. Many big chunk plays and commerce was 4-4 on fourth down conversions. I think the absence of Rex Conners really showed in the second half. The passing yardage for commerce was obscene but you have to give credit to their QB who refused to go down and had a strong but inconsistently accurate arm.

I think the play calling and offense is still somewhat seeking an identity. Passing success in the second half opened up the run, but run was stuffed up the middle in first half. There seems to be no lateral running game as in pass years by which to make the defense have to guard against both. Simply running up the middle predictably has not been a good formula so far. If we had an o-line like North Dakota showed in the second half against Montana, it might be a different story. Maybe Plough should consider recruiting from some midwestern corn-fed boys.

I’m with you on the wildcat. If we had a running QB we wouldn’t need it, but we don’t.

It’s weird how a couple mistakes can make a big difference. Big play to get first and goal from 1, nicely designed play gets a TD…. Oh wait, flag for illegal formation. Backward play, settle for FG. That could have been 13-0 instead of 9 and some momentum and crowd energy.

Second half, Perez gets 30 yard punt return setting us up for a score to maybe put it away. Wait, 2 flags for illegal substitution….next play, LONG TD on 4th down pass. That’s a big swing. We’re slumping and they are singing in the sidelines.

For some reason, Porter Connors did not play during the dramatic 4th quarter. Aaron Shebloski and then Nick Afato were playing along with David Meyer.

In the post-game presser, Plough was praising the play of Meyer and said he had to really step up "when we lost Porter." So are both Connors injured now?

I’m surprised the transfer inside linebacker from Cal didn’t play.

Porter Connors was listed w 1 tackle.

*thumbs up*

Porter Conor was testing his lower leg (calf or ankle) sometime in the second quarter (I think). Next time I saw hi he had a clear wrap on it. Just judging by how he was moving it didn’t seem like anything really severe.

Peace might have been the back up QB for the Lions, but he was dangerous. He got out of more than one or two sacks and made good plays. Hope we get both Conners and Tompkins back next week.

The Aggie defense continues to rack up weekly Big Sky honors as LB David Meyer has been named the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week for week 2. Porter Connors garnered the same award for week 1 last week.

https://ucdavisaggies.com/news/2024/9/9/football-david-meyer-named-big-sky-co-defensive-player-of-the-week.aspx

This is a very well done video:

Really great video, well done by the production staff.

Would be nice to have basic game/broadcast highlights night of or the day after the game, that really is standard fare for any Division I Football program.

Do we still not provide Twitter clips / highlights, on game day?

An X clip, or a legitimate highlight package? Personally, I want a legitimate highlight package - available on YouTube, fully licensed and approved by network involved and the Big Sky/UC Davis.

Both I guess. My gut says this would help PR and recruiting. Other schools have short clips posted during the game.