Any thoughts of the matchup after the Lamar-UNI game?
UNI doesn't look as scary as I had thought. However, they're known to play very well and very awful all season.
I thought their rushing game was pretty decent, and they look like they'll burn off the clock when they're ahead. I'm hoping they'll get a lot of three and out varieties of a rush, rush, pass, and punt.
It sounds like their secondary and linebacker positions are their weaknesses due to injuries. I presume their defensive and offensive lines are good.
I think Maier should have a field day against their secondaries, but I'm curious to see how we can stop their running attacks.
We just need to get them out of field goal range, because their kicker is very reliable.
I think if we jump on them and get them in a hole they’ll be in big trouble. I seriously doubt that they’ve seen an O like ours. But they did play ndsu tough.
UNI is a very good team and they will bring it next Saturday. I hope Hawk has the guys pumped and firing on all cylinders all week long. It's been a long time coming for us Aggies, time to show what we can do.
Since I don’t live in Northern California and am currently out of the country on vacation, how are the fires? Any chance the game has to get moved again?
Rain this week cleared the air, and more rain is predicted for the middle of the week. Barring calamity (*knock on wood*), air quality should not be a factor.
95% or more contained. Half the fire crews sent home, air clearing, but about 500 still missing. Some worry now about soil erosion. Over 130,000 acres burned, idiotic calamity.
Ok lets get the chatter started...I’ll keep it simple. Two keys:
1. Stop the run (Easier said than done against that monster OL). UNI is gonna be committed to the run, they want to come in and play power football and impose their will on the Ags. (Also this helps to controls TOP keeping ball away from the UCD offense). If the Ags can avoid getting gashed & Force UNI to throw it they’ll be in good shape in getting stops.
2. There isn’t a team that can stop the Davis offense, IF the OL gives JM time to make his reads and deliver the ball. Things fell apart in Cheney
because EWU beat the Ags up front over and over putting pressure on Maier all game Long forcing quick throws/mistakes. Encouraging that Lamar put up 417 yards but their QB’s mobility led to quite a few of those yards keeping plays alive. Jake’s a pocket passer and needs a touch of time to get through his progressions. Does UNI have the defensive line/defensive schemes/blitzes to cause the Ags problems? I’m not sure.
I’m pretty confident in this team and their ability but every game now is a step up in competition and situation. We’re gonna learn a lot and it’s helpful this game is at home in front of what better be a sold out crowd. The type of teams that are going to cause UCD problems are ones that are physical up front and can dominate in the trenches. When you look at UNI they certainly have some of that and when you consider their ceiling is beating a team like SDSU & leading NDSU into the fourth that grabs your attention.
Home. Rested. Hopefully healthy. Coaches I’m sure started Game planning for UNI last week already. Panthers less rested, likely less healthy, etc. Lots to like before you even begin to break down matchups.
I expect game may have a different feel to start. (Offense slow to start?) UCD doesn’t see these type teams all that much but I think the experience in Cheney will benefit them here. Once they get rolling and find rhythm theyll pull away.
UCD by 13
(I reserve the right to change this if it rains)
Most games are won in the trenches. Teams that have excellent players at the skill positions are neutralized if the QB doesn't have to make his reads and has to rush his throws and good RB's can't get going if the holes don't open up. The big question is whether or not the Aggie OL can protect Maier and get a push for Gilliam and Thomas and whether our D line can make it difficult for them to run. We're in the big leagues now...
The teams that have given the Aggies fits are the explosive, big play ones: EWU and Idaho St, not the 3 yards, cloud of dust kind. UNI is only averaging 5.1 ypp. Running game is decent but doesn't scare me. Offensively and defensively, remind me of NAU and Idaho
it’s a totally fair point and I agree to an extent. Davis also hasn’t faced teams like this on the regular out of the MVFC. UNI’s stats may compare to NAU Or Idaho on a YPP Basis but their schedule is tougher (#1 SOS in FCS vs #15/#35) and they offer a different sort of challenge. Beating SDSU was no fluke, they gave NDSU all they could handle as well. (Panthers have also been pretty pedestrian away from the dome, which is important). If the Ags can just limit the running game (not even saying fully stop it) i don’t see how UNI can keep up.
I think UCD wins this game (there’s a lot to like about the situation and matchup) but I also think their could be some struggles early and it may take some adjusting before the Ags take over. I hope
I’m wrong. I am a lot. I would love a stress free blowout by 20+!!
Did some quick estimates and calculations looking at the seats available on the ticketing site.
Gen Admission: ~3000 (end zones, 101, 102) $10
Aggie Pack and Band-uh: ~2000 (104-107) $0
Reserved: ~5800 (103, 108, 109, 118-127) $20 regular sections / $30 golf clap & khakis sections
Can't tell from the site what percentage of GA has been sold other than it indicates "many available." Of course never know how many students will show. But as to the reserved seats, there are about 2300 of the 5800 still available. Section 108 & 109 are showing sold out, so I'm guessing these are the blocks given to UNI. Hopefully a big push this week, but doesn't smell like a sellout yet. Good news is that I would think tickets sold are likely to be redeemed since buyers had to specifically purchase them as opposed to it being just another ticket in the season packet.
JMU -4 @ Colgate
Montana State @ NDSU -32
Jax St -3.5 @ Maine
Wofford @ Kennesaw St -12
Duquense @ South Dakota St -35
SE Mizz St @ Weber St -11
Nicholls St @ EWU -17
UNI @ UC Davis -1.5
I had the same problem a week ago and had to call to get tickets. I told them about the buggy online ticket problem and I'm not surprised that no one has fixed it yet. That seems to be par for the course with ticketing.
I think your statement is why we are no where close to being able to move up to FBS. If we see a weak crowd for our FIRST D1 PLAYOFF GAME EVER, then we really just don't have the fan support yet. If we keep winning people will come, but we REALLY need student turnout for this one... and they need to be loud as hell on defense.
They really need to fix the ticket website. Casual fans would give up and just not call the ticket office. If that's the reason we don't sell out, it will be really upsetting.
One week out. I still have to buy my tickets. There has also been a big change in the student body. Almost every time I go to a game I am explaining basics to first time attendees from other nations.
Another thing to keep in mind is the students have been off from school for a week and a half with the fires and holiday. ICA needs to message them until the cows come home first thing tomorrow morning since they are all returning to campus/town this afternoon and evening.
You are spot on about casual fans not calling the ticket office to get tickets after they get frustrated with the online ticketing problems. Heck, I'm an avid fan and I get frustrated with the seemingly ongoing glitches in the ticket website.
My wife and I also donated to the general athletics fund last year. The level that we donated at listed several small "perks" that we would get as a result. One of them was to have our names listed in the donor section of the football programs handed out at each game. That didn't happen. Truthfully, it's not a big deal to us at all and we didn't bring it to anyone's attention but it might be a big deal to some donors. It's another example, though, of how it seems like things fall through the cracks too often at the athletics department.