FB: Northwest Conference

[George Thompson]

Linfield gave up 4 TDs to both Hardin Simmons and Whitworth.    LC turnovers were a big part of both.

So far, WU has an advantage in turnovers.    If LC's offense coughs up the ball, they are in trouble;  WU will score a bunch.   To win the Wildcats can NOT commit turnovers.   

LC is a very young team; that also presents experience problems.     Yet, at the same time, they have shown great potential.     But, potential does not win games.     WU presents a huge challenge for Linfield.

Linfield 24   Willamette 21   


GO WILDCATS!   GO!

[D O.C.]

                                                NEWSFLASH!!
                     George shows up and crawls out on a limb!

[bluenote]

There are two other games between Top 25 teams on the docket as well, with the game of the season in the NWC between No. 16 Willamette and No. 23 Linfield (also on video, though hardly free)

...cheapskate...

[downtown48]

Over/Under on Linfield turnovers: 2

2 or less: Linfield wins
More than 2: Linfield loses

Prediction: 1 Linfield turnover, defense takes it away 3 times, Linfield wins 17-16...WU scores and goes for 2 as time expires and gets stopped.

Killing me that I can't make this one but i figured out how to plug the laptop into the TV so the Cats will be on 60 inches tomorrow!!  Is the video broadcast worth it??  Haven't done it before...do you get the radio commentary?

[Pat Coleman]

There are two other games between Top 25 teams on the docket as well, with the game of the season in the NWC between No. 16 Willamette and No. 23 Linfield (also on video, though hardly free)

...cheapskate...

No offense, but $12 is about 50% higher than I'm willing to pay, even for a game between two Top 25 teams and even with the Web site paying for it. Web video isn't reliable enough for me to fork over 12 bucks.

[Wildcat'64]

Downtown,
Yes it's definitely worth the price to watch the Cats live.  I've watched at least three games over the past two seasons.  If you can hook up to your 60 inch screen it'll be fabulous.  The audio from D&D is played under the video so it's two professional broadcasters doing the play by play with the video.  They also have an instant replay feature which is great.  They must be using about 3 cameras to cover the broadcast because there is definitely one on the roof, and one or two on the sidelines.  They also do cut aways showing the crowd reaction, the scoreboard, the cheerleaders, etc.
Enjoy the show on that 60 inch monster screen.  Well worth the $12.00 versus a Pac10 ticket for many $$ more.  It's like sitting in the reserved section ($12) without having the post in the way so you miss seeing how the play developed....I swear someday I'm going to take a chain saw to the game and cut down those posts!

[(509)Rat]

I swear someday I'm going to take a chain saw to the game and cut down those posts!

I'll go ahead and pitch in any funds necessary to make this dream a reality.  Anything to get rid of a few Cats is a worthwhile cause IMO.   

[D O.C.]

Congratulations to Willamette.

Mum on LINFIELD.

[MonroviaCat]

Wilamette played a good game and Linfield played about 2 good quarters.  Congrats to the Bearcats, definitely the better team today.  Don't fall asleep against Menlo and UPS and represent us well in the playoffs. 

Cats---just couldn't stop the big play today and made too many mistakes in the first quarter.  D was good on about 80% of plays but then would give up a big one to negate all the good play..... Oh well....let's go out and ensure the streak next week.

[spiritof86]

Willamette is a very good and I wish them luck in the playoffs.


Honestly, the best the cats can hope for is 6-3....again. This is not a 6-3 team, and this is not a .666 program. In order to stop this bad bleeding and to restore the glory, the answer is obvious. Joseph Smith, as good as a company guy as he is, must be fired. Locey had a bad patch and then was saved by a once-in-a-lifetime transfer. I doubt the next Brett Elliot is stewing on a D1 bench, just waiting to come to Mac. I know that Coach Smith has friends and even relatives on this board, but that should make no difference. The play calling is awful, the special teams are mind-boggling, and the mystique is quickly becoming tarnished. Save the program and fire Joe Smith. This is a job that many more capable men would kill for, I can think of a few off hand. Things are stale- 55-28 at home should prove that. For the love of Linfield football,  this slide into utter mediocrity must be stopped. Joe Smith is the pied piper. Will we all follow him?

[downtown48]

Well, big surprise, the game came down to turnovers which is what I consider a blocked punt.  Two special teams plays are the difference in this one.  Linfield continues to lose games because of a lack of attention to detail...

Not real sure what to say about this one.  The defense could not limit the big play after otherwise getting the team back into the football game in the 2nd and 3rd quarters.  The offense obviously lacks any kind of big play threat whatsoever but they showed great resolve with some good drives when they needed them.  I was actually pleasantly surprised with their ability to get back into the game with the dink and dunk stuff they run.  Just couldn't get it done when it was a three point game late.  I will say the run/run/pass/punt series' were beginning to frustrate me.

Bearcats are fundamentally sound...it's not surprising to me that they've won all of their games, they don't shoot themselves in the foot...ever.  I would imagine prepping for that offense in one week is going to be a chore for whoever they play in the playoffs.  They played an outstanding game.

[cawcdad]

Just got home from the Menlo-Whitworth game. Souza hurt his MCL and out but several kids filled in admirably. The Oaks had a chance at the end, but a penalty and and the Whit D stiffened to stop Menlo on a 4th down play to take over on downs and run out the clock. The Pirate offense is rather predictable, but they had a bigger line and moved the Oak D around. And Anderson is a load.

Got MCats test on the Linfield final as I pulled up to my house. Bummer. Thanks.

[downtown48]

Spirit, I think you're going to get roasted on this one, I don't think it's time to start calling for Joe's job...yet.  I don't think you're quite accurate with Locey either.  When Brett came to town Locey was coming off four straight conference titles and had only lost two conference games in four seasons...

Locey didn't make the playoffs until the 5th season.  Now that being said, what I do find alarming is the absolute lack of fundamentals.  The turnovers have gone from kind of a flukey, one season deal, to a trend;  we are now known for turning the football over.  Locey's non-playoff teams didn't turn it over 18 times in three games and they won games instead of losing them on special teams.  The fact that they don't do the basics well makes me nervous.         

[spiritof86]

By the way, I know linfield will never do the right thing and fire Joe Joseph Smith. If Linfield was into the correct firings of athletic coaches then Larry Doty would have been unemployed a long time ago.

Last 5 games vs Willamette and Whitworth: 1-4. Gross. Joe Jospeh does not pull face masks and give up runs but he does prepare these teams.

Mediocrity, thy name is Linfield.

[spiritof86]

Spirit, I think you're going to get roasted on this one, I don't think it's time to start calling for Joe's job...yet.  And I don't think you're quite accurate with Locey either.  When Brett came to town Locey was coming off four straight conference titles and had only lost two conference games in four seasons...

Locey didn't make the playoffs until the 5th season.  Now that being said, what I do find alarming is the absolute lack of fundamentals.  The turnovers have gone from kind of a flukey, one season deal, to a trend;  we are now known for turning the football over.  Locey's non-playoff teams didn't turn it over 18 times in three games and they won games instead of losing them on special teams.  The fact that they don't do the basics well makes me nervous.         

I posted in a bit of haste, but downtown made my pts for me. The early Locey teams were great, but not champions. These Smith teams are lazy and inept.

I do not care if I am roasted because I am right. Smith needs to get gone and anyone who denies it needs to put down the purple kool-aid. Turnovers, dumb plays, losing to rivals we routinely beat-down. When will it stop??? Not until Smith is gone.

I apalogize to Coach Locey- he could motivate. Joseph? Not sure.