FB: Northwest Conference

[CamCat]

GHC and Wildcat 11, thanks for your refelection.  I appreciate your knowledge and experience with the Wildcat program over a lot of years. I can't say I am sorry that I missed the game and listened to
the internet feed, but it is nice to know that much better can be expected as the team matures and proper adjustments are made.

[bluenote]

I stated on this board earlier that WOU was a good DII team this year from my perspective after seeing them play Willamette. They are much improved over last year. They seem to be beefing up with good skill players, they offer scholarships and apparantly have a good crafty coaching staff now. I know we need games but is it such a wise idea to play DII schools that offer scholarships, etc? Just wondering what other people thought. The place was packed I guess and should be a good moneymaker for the athletic dept. in any case.

I think anyone that was at the game realizes that we have more rebuilding to do than what most of us thought we would. This process will take some time. I'm cool with that as long as we are improving week to week. I still beleive we can be very respecable, win the conference and make the playoffs, especially if we can pull it together and win this week in Texas. As Wldcat11 reminds us, we are in a rebuilding year, we're going to take some lumps as we develope our younger kids. Let's brush this game aside, learn from it and look forward. That's the only smart thing to do. The players and coaches will look at things and work on the areas that need work. Things will get better, believe me!

['Cats Fa Natic]

I guess I'll give my two cents in now....

I don't blame any Linfield fan for feeling bad and frustrated about the performance last night but to question the player's desire, heart and preparation is unforgivable in my book.  I don't think one player out there said to themselves "I think I won't try hard tonight".  There are key positions with players in them that are going through the growing pains of making the proper adjustments on the field, on both sides of the ball.  In past years we've been lucky to have this process be only one side of the ball, this allowed the other to catch up without it being too noticeable.  That's not the case this year.     

...

Linfield football is always talking about working through adversity and not letting negativity take over.  I thought our fans could do the same.....

Sorry, I have to disagree here, at least about the desire part. It wasn't there. At least not that I saw.

Here's what I saw. Halfway throught the third quarter #11 and 37 tried to pump up the team (I was within 15 yards of them as I was down on the south end of the field at that point) and the team responded to them by not responding. They guys wouldn't even look at them or, when they did, look at them like they were nuts. The two quickly gave up.

Last year, when our D was down, how did the team respond? Shouts of "DEFENSE! DEFENSE!" from the sidelines. And not just one or two, the WHOLE TEAM. It whipped them up and the D would (usually) come through. Samething for the O side of the ball. None of that last night. None. That's a lack of desire.

We SHOULD question a team that puts out that kind of performance. And individuals should get called out, not because it's picking on them but so they can either pick up their game or step aside for someone else. No one here, that I've seen, is saying this player or that coach is a bad person, but they are saying they did not pull it out last night. It wasn't just one person, it was the team-wide letdown and that made individuals look bad.

But I don't think anyone here thinks they won't do their best to turn it around and all of us are willing to give them the chance but last night's kind of performance won't cut it.

Regarding the fans, I was actually expecting far more negativity than what's been here, considering as badly as they played. Comments have been relatively mild and most of them spot on regarding performance.

You can't call a stinker a rose and have it smell any differently.

But it's definitely time to move on. Next week will be very crucial. Okay, we stunk it up this week. Anyone like how that feels? No? Then let's remember-- and not do that again.

To quote a favorite sports saying: "It's not how many times you get knocked down, it's how many times you get up."

So let's get up and kick some butt this week.

['Cats Fa Natic]

Wow, this is the first time I've been on here since last night and I couldn't agree with WC11 more.  The negativity is a joke.  Talk about spoiled, fairweather fans.  It reminds me of sitting in the stands the last two years and actually hearing the donkeys in the crowd crying because we were on a 18 play dink and dunk drive.  For them we weren't scoring fast enough! 

...

All of the "streak is in jeapordy" talk is just ludacris!  The boys will be fine, they have a VERY TOUGH game next week, but will be fine win or lose.  They will roll through the NWC.  It sounds like they have some things to work on.  Right now it's just the exception...let's wait a few more games before we start calling it the rule!

Hey, I'm actually HOPING the fair-weather fans will leave. More room in the stands that way. 

The streak isn't in jeopardy until we have four losses. When we have four losses, then I'll start to sweat. Fortunately, L&C is waiting in the wings.

[dawgs go deep]

If they show up!!!!!

I obvioulsy didnt see the game and know little about Linfield but it is hard to sometimes judge a team by how loud they are.  Some kids, and some teams just are not rah-rah, they talk with their pads.  I think its best to judge a team by how hard they play on the field, not how loud they cheer on the sidelines.  Just my opinion.

['Cats Fa Natic]

Okay, I'm up for building for next week and getting out of the down mood. So let's maybe see what GOOD things we can take away from this.

I will say that their kickoff and punt-return coverage was pretty good, other than that one that went for 24. All told, they had 5 for 47 yard, so take away that one for 24 and that leaves 4 for 23 yards. That's pretty darn good.

And of course, there was that spectacular TD kickoff return. So the returns game actually seems as good, if not better than last year.

Anyone else have something good to point to that we can build on?

[swede]

lets just call this one a wake up call. Remember WOU had a game under its belt (42-0 ever the Bearcats) so as dissapointed as we may be, the 28-14 game leads me to believe the cats will be fine. Some adjustments and fine tunning will be made on both sides of the ball and by the time the Homecomming game rolls around the 'cats will show the road to the NWC title runs through Mactown again.

You Gotta believe!

[wildcat11]

Fan,

I don't think anybody feels we played well last night.  We didn't play well at all....but to come on in here and rant and rant about individual players is gross.

I was surprised at how BAD (Benzel) was. I know, I know. You've got to give the kid time and all that but he had time. He had two years behind Elliot and apparently didn't learn squat about being a leader. Again, what I saw on the sidelines should be an embarassment.

The only embarrassment was reading you taking this kid to the woodshed.  I don't know Tim but I know he organized and was at every summer session busting his a$$ to get ready and has been working hard to get ready.  He has to feel horrible about last night.  But thankfully you're here to tell him how bad he played.

Someone needs to tell both cruickshank and montalvo that if the play is designed to go up the middle, and if there are 19 guys at the point of attack, TRY SOMETHING ELSE. Time and again, right up the middle, smack into the wall! Up the middle, smack! Over and over. Ugh.

Some thoughts on this. Benzel's body language was just giving it away too much. He needs to learn to disguise the ball better and slip it into the RBs hands. He's not the worst at it but he needs to improve. Maybe he ought to practice magic tricks. Seriously. It's a sleight of hand and he just didn't have it.

Great...typical airchair QB'ing.  If the hole isn't there just "try something else"  That is like telling a sprinter that losing a race to run "faster".

Like I said before the only thing more disappointing than last night is reading posts like yours.

Go 'Cats!  Let's get ready to go to Texas and commit to playing Linfield football.

[CamCat]

Wildcat 11,

Thanks for more incisive reflection on a tough opening game for all of us. You'll have to wait another 16 hours or so before I can give you another dose of holy water to express my sentiments.   

[MonroviaCat]

Other good things:
It sounded like (over the netcast) the recievers were getting open quite a bit (but throws were off/dropped).  So, once we clean up the timing/catching we may be rolling with the passing game.

The running back....uhm....Ragan had some nice runs and sounds like he might make a nice RB for us this year.

Biggest positive:  As bad as the Cats played, they only gave up 4 TDs and ended the game within 2 scores of WOU.  This sounds like a stretch, but consider....Willamette played (from what I've heard) equally bad against WOU and the gave up 6 TDs and wer 6 TDs behind when the final whistle blew.  In other words, we played bad but were still, on paper, in the game.  

[cawcdad]

In the short time I have followed Linfield football they had only lost 3 times before last night, so I had become especially spoiled. I apologize for any negative comments I may have made. Great teams and great programs will learn from mistakes and grow from them. They become stronger. I believe this will happen to the Cats. What's done is done. On to Texas!!!!

[bluenote]

I remember a few years ago when a young kid stepped in at qb and turned things around for the rest of the season and a couple more when things looked bleak...... Tyler Mathews. I'm all for giving people a shot but let's not rule out anyone yet either who may be able to step it up a notch.

[CamCat]

"There are alot of good teams out there but the Linfield Wildcats, now that's the team of the future in the world of DIII football."....  John Madden

Would you tell us about that quote? When did he make it?

[roocru]

I vote for The Cowboys to move up to # 6.

DenS,

You and the other NWC posters know me from years past posting when UMHB played Willamette and when UMHB played your Cats in the finals.  You also should know I do not believe in a lot of trash talking. The quote above is from the ASC game update board and was posted by you right after the Cru lost to CNU. 

I am not here to gloat in your loss to WOU.  That is not my style.  However in light of what did happen to both our teams I think that maybe gloating on another conference's board about some other team's loss was not such a good idea after all.  I keep up with the NWC board all the time and I know how your board works.  You guys dish it out with the best of them but also usually know how to take it when it is deserved.  Just a reminder that sooner or later some of these things can come back and bite you.

If I read your post wrong I apologize in advance.  If I didn't, I would suggest we let everything playout before we post.  Good luck to the Cats and all NWC teams next week even though I hope the ASC can win another out-of-conference contest.

[swede]

I only made one comment on the board that I should have kept to myself. If I ruffled some fethers, I apologize.

GO CATS!!!