It'll be interesting to see where the Coaches poll everybody after this shake up weekend.

What an awful loss! We shouldn’t even be in the top 25 after this. What a joke.

I hoped the guys were no overconfident at the start of the game and now I wonder if that was a factor.

Dropping us out of the top 25 for losing a game against a team that nearly beat UNLV, lost close to UNM and almost beat montana is a stretch. Bad loss but not that bad. Also a ton of top teams lost today, who do you want in front of us?

Blocked punt for 6 was the difference. And we just couldn’t stop #28, especially on the draw play. It worked nearly every time. Their pass protection was giving their qb all day to find the open guy. Very diappointed.

Looks like today was upset day. Few top 15 upsets.

Only caught bits of the game, the early long ISU run was painful. Was it that brilliant of a misdirection?

Will we get any defensive players back the next 3 weeks?

We could use some more length at WR. NDSU has at least five 6'3" WR, two at 6'4", and a massive fullback (6'2", 248 #s).

Items that stand out:

- we controlled TOP, so our defense shouldn't have been tired (36 m > 23 m)
- we out gained them, 567 > 471
- 3rd down conversion: ISU 6 of 10; UCD 2 of 8
- Psyk and Goligoski share a Sack
- Cofield and Bell each with a Pick

Was Caden at 85%, 90%? His TOs not typical.

Cofield and Vargas injured?

Weird loss. Reminds me of the 2021 matchup when the then-undefeated Aggies lose to a winless Bengals squad. Hopefully we don’t have a first-round matchup against SDSU at Brookings, if we do make the playoffs.

Caden just had an awful game. He wasn't seeing the field at all. His play fumble to end the half. Interception to end the game. Either the kid is hurt or his head is out of place. We need to see some of the other QB's on the roster.

He was also 8 days out of being in the hospital for tonsilitis...on antibiotics and fluids trying to get back to normal.

We saw Harper play last week and I don’t know that a different outcome would have resulted. QB might not have been 100%, but i think disasters on defense, special teams, and play calling may have been more definitive than the offense shortcomings. Not taking easy 3 at the end of Q2 turned out to be game point.

How long would that FG attempt have been?

I believe we were 1st down at the 23 with 7 seconds left, so would have been a ~40 yard attempt? His long this year is 46 yd so maybe “easy” was an overstatement, but still.

So why didn't we go for it? Strange. If Plough was distracted, why didn't the QB coach interject or call a TO?

I put waaaaaaaaaay more of this loss on coaching and the defense than on Caden. What's Caden supposed to do about ISU scoring on damn near every drive?

I think in the post game Plough admitted to getting greedy, he thought there was time for one more shot for 7 before trying for 3 and we ended up with 0. Not sure how the coaching dynamic works on making those tactical decisions.

I don't agree with your assessment of Pinnick's performance yesterday at all. Just look at his numbers and also consider that he was often under pressure and took some vicious hits.

23 of 32 for 325 yards and 1 TD
15 rushes for 83 yards

Yes, 2 INT's: but one was a tipped pass and the last one was under pressure and trying to make something happen in the final seconds. The fumble was when he was blind sided from behind in the final seconds of the first half when we should have just kicked a FG.

Pinnick is a gamer and just a freshman and, if we can keep him here, he could become one of the best QB's in the history of the program.

agree completely. If we do have a potential 3 time player of the week sitting on the bench, however, we could give him a look!

I think it came down to missed red zone opportunities in the second half and that damned blocked punt. 3 times in the deep red zone….3 FGs. Get one TD, we win. 2? It’s an easy win. Take away a blocked punt….getting out of the parking lot at the end would have been much easier!

Caden just had an awful game

If 23 for 32 for 325 yards with a TD (yes 2 ints.) Is a horrible game then that is quite a standard to beat. Watching the game, he surely didn’t appear hurt at all and I thought he made some nice throws. The game was lost with poor special teams play and very inopporune penalties. No other QB on the Rostor would have changed the outcome. Changing QBs would exacerbate any perceived and real issues.

I thought Caden was not 100%, especially considering he missed a week and was under medical care. But even 80% of spectacular still equates to “great” as demonstrated by his impressive stats. The coaches have their hands full righting the “whole” ship this week.

We would’ve lost by 3 touchdowns if we benched Caden..

Came down to special teams, Plough getting greedy at half and not scoring touchdowns/penalties in the redzone during second half.

Sorry, but I'm putting this one on the HC.

General thoughts:
Every team is injured this time of year. Some more than others, some injuries are more important than others. Were we the 6th best team in the country with "5 All-Americans out"? Probably not.
The Ags were finding ways to win, but its really tough out there when getting down into the depth chart. Our depth guys are balling, no doubt there.

IMO Doss probably won the Ags 2-3 games in 2018 (generally being undefendable at times). Lan won the Ags 2-3 games in 2024 (generally being untacklable at times- think the 4th quarter at Sac).

Davis is getting really close to a top-tier FCS program. Dakotas/Montanas on top, with Davis just below. The top-tier doesn't seem to have to lean on the one-dominant-player thing.
I'm not saying we don't have loads of talent, because we do, but I'm talking about the game-changers (Doss, Lan, Rex, CJ). Top-tier just seem to have more guys like that (NFL guys).