I know Idaho has played stiffer competition but I think getting them to 3rd down could be important.

Idaho 3rd down conversion rate = 0.26
Opposition rate = 0.40

UCD 3rd down conversion rate 0.37
Opposition rate 0.33

Obviously Idaho has been successful keeping opponents out of the end zone.

one Lung antique tractor. The game against Nevada - Reno 1977 or 1978 was the craziest and loudest ever. I think 13,000 SRO crowd. It seems to me that Idaho or Montana State should bring similar enthusiasm but that hasn’t been the case recently.

Not sure if the link below will result in a paywall for others but it shows how football (in part) and attendant social aspects can attract students from other locations - in the cited case from northeast to south. Tuition/fees (lower in south) also a big part. I know students from NE came to NC State because out-of-state tuition was cheaper than NE schools in-state. There’s a big tailgating/football Saturday vibe here too.

https://www.wsj.com/us-news/education/sorry-harvard-everyone-wants-to-go-to-college-in-the-south-now-235d7934?st=rLSEau&reflink=article_copyURL_share

agree with your post. I think the one thing that folks don’t notice about Idaho is they don’t have a high scoring offense. I think this will be a low scoring game (yes Idaho has a stout defense) and the game could be determined by turnovers. If Rex ia back, I see the possibility of a couple picks of their young QB Wagner as the Aggie D has shown that propensity. Limiting their run game will be important.

regardless of which view is taken, it’s going to take a lot of money, whether it comes from big donors, naming rights bought by corporations, or whatever endowment money is available for a allowable expenditures. I suspect the pushback at USC about playing an FCS school had financial (as in I won’t donate) implications.

So whomever has money or has connections to money will always have the greater influence.

good. I was thinking pre-game would be a good “teaching” opportunity.

Does the university-sanitized band play and sing Aggie fight after all touchdowns? Play/sing hot time after turnovers?

- teach freshman and students some of the traditional

- How about putting the lyrics to Aggie fight in the big screen while band sings it?

-What do soldiers going off to war do? Sing
-What did Welsh coal miners do when going off to the mines do? Sing hymns
-what did the Aggie Band-uh do when parading from band room to Toomey field do? Sing
-what makes a muskrat guard his musk? Oops, wrong metaphor.

As for critical game moments, how about the band playing? When watching the Tennessee-Oklahoma game both bands were engaged. A few bars of the Hussite War hymn, a few bars of Mars (bringer of War) from Holst’s The Planets. Back and forth. It was awesome and I heard no canned music. I guess I am a dinosaur but my point is it gets the band and students/fans to participate rather than having a glorified DJ push buttons. I went to several games at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville (Tennessee) while a grad student and there is nothing like the whole crowd singing Rocky Top while the band plays.

I think almost everyone does that these days. They do it at NC State. Personally I find it sort of annoying after hearing it ad infinitum whether you are a home team fan or not.

Also, noticed that NC State has a tee retrieving dog. I had to tell my daughter and son-in-law that the idea was stolen from Davis that started it circa 15 years? ago.

LOL. Competing with, and/or trying to be Stanford fans?

As a former Band-uh member from way back and from only gathering from what I can hear on radio tv, the band-uh was much better for game experience. Constant cheering and yells and energy. We went to all away games and were the primary cheer section at those (of - Far Western Conference if anyone embers). We were small in number but could play pretty dang loud. BTW, our uniforms were much classier and better. Satin back with CA for color flashes. What is with the new weird blue color?

What I see now on tv is sort of like a social event in which the game is secondary (both students and band). It is certainly a California cultural thing that hurts the game experience and the home team. I don’t see how that is going to markedly change.

I watched the ACU vs Idaho game. ACU came storming back in the last half and scored 3 touchdowns only to lose when not converting a fourth down in Idaho territory down 3. There recipe to get back on the game was up tempo offense and quite a bit of passing. Up tempo prevented substitution and seemed to tire Idahos defense and I think if there is a weak link in Idaho’s defense it is their secondary. This was an ACU team that almost lost to Northern Colorado although transitive properties in college football are oftentimes meaningless.

I am not fatalistic about this upcoming game primarily because the Aggie defense is stout. Hopefully they can get some bodies back especially Rex Conners. Offense will need to improve and winning the turnover battle critical. I thought Miles had a nice game and navigated the pocket better. Offensive line still needs to gel.

I think I’d take out Larison so as not to risk injury.

Ags are pretty deep at wide receiver. Running back would be more logical in development. We don’t have the luxury of observing training camp and practice so I have got to think the coaches have their reasons.

probably as good (which of course not as good as Larison) but I think there is an insufficient sample size for comparison.

maybe fisher sees some action later this game. Need to get him on space.

because Larison is a harder runner and unless the oline opens more holes you need someone like Larison. That’s my best guess.

totally agree.

Idaho escapes with 27-24 win. They were tiring at the end. Maybe a bit hot and humid for them.

Total domination - up and down the field between the 20s, and 15 measley points.

Edit …. a measley 18 points.

…..and another red zone failure. Gale looking good though.