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Playoffs

MTST 14-42 NDSU
WEB 14-30 JMU

• Best Performance: (#1) North Dakota St. 42, (#5) Montana St. 14 - The Bison average 9.3 yards-per-play and 8.6 yards-per-carry in completely dismantling a Bobcat team that had won 6 straight games by double digits.
  
  Worst Performance: (#5) Montana St. 14, (#1) North Dakota St. 42 - The Bobcats gain just 298 yards and allow 541, both season worsts against FCS competition.
  
  Most Surprising Result: (none)

Celebration Bowl

ALCORN 44-64 NCAT (in Atlanta, GA)

• Best Performance: (#23) North Carolina A&T 64, Alcorn St. 44 - Kylil Carter throws for 364 yards and 6 touchdowns on just 30 attempts. He also put up 96 rushing yards just for good measure.
  
  Worst Performance: Alcorn St. 44, (#23) North Carolina A&T 64 - This was the first Celebration Bowl to be decided by more than 7 points.
  
  Most Surprising Result: (#23) North Carolina A&T 64, Alcorn St. 44 - This was the first time NC A&T had allowed 40+ points to an FCS opponent in 8 years, and they still won by 20.

Following questions

• Was it all Bison
  Bobcat bad day
  Strength of schedule issues

JBB wrote:Following questions

• Was it all Bison
  Bobcat bad day
  Strength of schedule issues

MSU had a stronger schedule.

kalm wrote:

JBB wrote:Following questions

• Was it all Bison
  Bobcat bad day
  Strength of schedule issues

MSU had a stronger schedule.

That leaves Bison fault and Bobcat bad day. Maybe a little of both?

The Bison passing game, specifically the “Long-Bomb” was the back-breaker.

JBB wrote:

kalm wrote:
MSU had a stronger schedule.

That leaves Bison fault and Bobcat bad day. Maybe a little of both?

The Bison passing game, specifically the “Long-Bomb” was the back-breaker.

Totally agree. Not afraid to let a deserving RS wing it in a big game. That’s what’s impressed me the most all along about the Bizon. They don’t throw much but can...not if they have to...it’s more like when they want to.

Gawdamn machine...

kalm wrote:

JBB wrote:Following questions

• Was it all Bison
  Bobcat bad day
  Strength of schedule issues

MSU had a stronger schedule.

No

Amazing how much better the ILSU defense was than MSU’s..Even after ILSU lost their 6’6”/315 noseguard in the 2nd qtr, their defense was stymying NDSU..

MSU on the other hand looked, slow, no DL penetration, lot of arm tackling.

kalm wrote:

JBB wrote:Following questions

• Was it all Bison
  Bobcat bad day
  Strength of schedule issues

MSU had a stronger schedule.

Not if you go by the Sagarin schedule strength ratings. I didn't look at them before the game and they'd have been somewhat different then than they are now. But right now NDSU's schedule is rated 156 while Montana State's is rated 160th. It's virtually certain that NDSU's schedule was rated slightly tougher going in.

Montana State did play the best team either team played in that they played Texas Tech. But Texas Tech wasn't that great this year. It was a 4-8 team that is currently 51st in the Sagarin ratings.

I think it's because the MVC is rated as a tougher conference than the Big Sky. So far I have not found a conference strength rating system that does not have the MVC rated as stronger than the Big Sky. In general I think it was a good year for the Big Sky. I have found a number of rating systems that have the Big Sky rated as one spot behind the MVC. But so far the MVC is always higher than the Big Sky and most of the time #1 (I did find one thing that had the Colonial rated higher).

BDKJMU wrote:Amazing how much better the ILSU defense was than MSU’s..Even after ILSU lost their 6’6”/315 noseguard in the 2nd qtr, their defense was stymying NDSU..

MSU on the other hand looked, slow, no DL penetration, lot of arm tackling.

I had to miss much of the game due to having to go to a family Christmas Party but when I watched NDSU's first offensive possession the MSU tackling was just awful. I mean that was REALLY bad.

JohnStOnge wrote:

kalm wrote:
MSU had a stronger schedule.

Not if you go by the Sagarin schedule strength ratings. I didn't look at them before the game and they'd have been somewhat different then than they are now. But right now NDSU's schedule is rated 156 while Montana State's is rated 160th. It's virtually certain that NDSU's schedule was rated slightly tougher going in.

Montana State did play the best team either team played in that they played Texas Tech. But Texas Tech wasn't that great this year. It was a 4-8 team that is currently 51st in the Sagarin ratings.

I think it's because the MVC is rated as a tougher conference than the Big Sky. So far I have not found a conference strength rating system that does not have the MVC rated as stronger than the Big Sky. In general I think it was a good year for the Big Sky. I have found a number of rating systems that have the Big Sky rated as one spot behind the MVC. But so far the MVC is always higher than the Big Sky and most of the time #1 (I did find one thing that had the Colonial rated higher).

Both NDSU and JMU are rated higher than Texas Tech. Should be a great championship game.

JohnStOnge wrote:

BDKJMU wrote:Amazing how much better the ILSU defense was than MSU’s..Even after ILSU lost their 6’6”/315 noseguard in the 2nd qtr, their defense was stymying NDSU..

MSU on the other hand looked, slow, no DL penetration, lot of arm tackling.

I had to miss much of the game due to having to go to a family Christmas Party but when I watched NDSU's first offensive possession the MSU tackling was just awful. I mean that was REALLY bad.

Yep. I forgot mention the bad angles also..

JohnStOnge wrote:

BDKJMU wrote:Amazing how much better the ILSU defense was than MSU’s..Even after ILSU lost their 6’6”/315 noseguard in the 2nd qtr, their defense was stymying NDSU..

MSU on the other hand looked, slow, no DL penetration, lot of arm tackling.

I had to miss much of the game due to having to go to a family Christmas Party but when I watched NDSU's first offensive possession the MSU tackling was just awful. I mean that was REALLY bad.

They were ranked 18th in run defense behind Weber St at 16. In perspective, JMU #1, UNI 11, Illinois St 14 and NDSU 30. Just another example of the fact that you can throw stats out the window when playing teams from other conferences.