A bigger picture for the Aggies is jostling for playoff selection. I don’t think that the committee will select more than 4 big sky teams. Last year they only selected 5 to let Montana in - we know how that goes - and they won’t have to prop the door open for their favorite son this year as their record will be better.

So, in my view the Aggies are battling (indirectly this week and directly the last week) Sac State for that 4th spot. Sac State is very unlikely to lose to Poly, so the best realistic situation the Ags could end up with is 7-4 winning out to include a win over Sac which would be the same overall record as Sac, and
Hopefully a win over Sac as the final game would serve as a “tiebreaker”. Also Montana just trounced Sac and the Ags held it close. Of course the committee does whacky things and it gets political. Eastern has 5 losses and has to play Montana State so there is no way they would bump anybody.

All of this goes without saying that the Ags better take care of business in a Pocatello if they want the final game to have its potential meaning.

game sealer. Montana simply was not good at the beginning of the season but have really improved. I still think Montana State will beat them, especially if they use Chambers more. A mystery to me why they don’t get him in more.

Allowing 23 against Portland is not bad at all especially considering 6 points on absolute bomb field goals.

I am confident he will be drafted. He is a total athlete with a build the nfl will like. As good as he was, Gilliam suffered from being on the small size. I think Larison is a bit faster too. There are quite a few former FCS players in the NFL. If you are good, they will find you. The starting quarterback for the Chicago Bears last I knew is a former D2 player.

Good win. Good to see second half offense and defense did a good job again.

Good think they scored a TD and didn’t try a field goal. That extra point attempt was ugly.

Lan Larison is just a stud. Run blocking has improved and I think Portland State is getting tired.

He walked back so probably ok. Saschere looks like he pulled something on his shoulder on his last throw.

Unsportsmanlike is just unacceptable.

Gives them great field position.

Larison with some good blocking. Really needed a TD there.

Their kicker has a leg. A real weapon in a close game.

A sweep - something g they used to do but put on the shelf. Nice for an alternative besides up the middle.

As I understand it, based mostly from what I know about the Harbaugh/Michigan situation, is that you can’t have a hired member of the program intentionally be in person at a future opponents game with the intention of scouting that team. I think the real issue is taking video (specifically of signs) to correlate with subsequent offensive plays or defensive alignments.

The reality is anyone can simply subscribe to ESPN+ for $11/month and watch any future opponents game and rewind etc. to his hearts content. So I think the main issue is intentional
“Research” with regard to signs, e.g., taking video of signs relayed, prior to and outside of the head to head game. I got a chuckle from the college game day sign at the U of Utah that said “Michigan stole my other sign”.

I think Barnum is over-reacting. Barnum is tight with Bobby Hauck and hired his son Robby. That right there ought to tell you something.

After watching sections of the game again, I think:

-Hastings did not have as “bad” of a game as some have indicated. A couple interceptions were either bad routes by the receiver or not cutting a route (Scott Gordon mentioned that on the radio feed and the pass to Gale. Josh didn’t have one of his better receiving games (dropped an easy 20 yard or so pass, and didn’t locate one along the sideline. I was really impressed with Davis who seemed to me to really go after balls and show his potential after not being a big factor.

On the inability to get the ball into the end zone while deep in the red zone, the Aggie O-line was not getting a good push (and NAU had penetration) - a couple of the runs had pulling guards or washout blocking to one side - again with no real holes or push developing. NAU did a good job, but I just wonder if straight ahead zone blocking letting the back find a hole would be more effective down deep. Easy to question in retrospect I guess.

Another thing that baffled me was the TD pass into the corner of the end zone by NAU that looked clearly out of bounds. I don’t know why Hawkins did not risk a timeout with a challenge on that other than no one had a view or tv feed to let him know. In reality, if there was a reply official he should have invoked a view.

The Aggies have really seemed to abandon the fly sweep actions that they used quite frequently in the past. This might be due to Mark Speckman leaving and perhaps Cody Hawkins.

agreed. You make the defense work harder when they you don’t score. Definitely most of this year’s malaise is with the offense.

Good post. I too remember the D2 days - was on baseball team with Moroski - but I warmed the bench. Football fan due to band-uh.

UNC Chapel Hill is quite snobbish about their academic pedigree yet I am darn well sure they have quite relaxed academic requirements for football-basketball players. They had some ethical issues with tutors doing the work for players in what I would deem a rather easy major and that was big news here a few years ago. Of course you don’t want to go down that road.

Big win for Idaho.
I hope Idaho State beats Sac.

I think you forgot about UNC - they are pretty awful.

The issue is not with playing Babbs or not. It’s deeper than that.

Old man Mo. The fumble to the house totally changed momentum in the first half. And the whole tenor of the game really never changed.