i think in this last game after getting behind we saw some long completions and we certainly had a diverse group catching passes. Gbatu, Hutton, Davis, Babb, the tight ends, and Fisher. Fisher is a dangerous receiver. Before this last game I thought our passing game had fallen off due to the change in coordinator, but I’m not so negative now. I’m more disappointed in the defense,

Davis’ offense is fourth in conference game rushing yards and is averaging 5,4 yards per carry. This is with Larison missing 2.5 of the 3 games, and Tompkins missing 1.5 games, and Perez missing all of them. On the other hand only Montana of the three teams we played has a good rushing defense.

Copied from X:

Head coach
@DHawkins34
will hold his weekly press conference today at 1 p.m. Follow along here #GoAgs

https://youtube.com/live/dwp94GF4QxQ?feature=share…

The issue is lack of depth at running back, not lack of good guys at the top of the depth chart. UCD has better run blocking than when Plough and Keane were here. Since they left we run more and are better at it. This is not a knock on them but people and teams get better at what they do. But if you intend to be a running team you need more than a couple of guys you have confidence to play. To get more than two guys you need to give out a running back scholarship or two every year. Davis hasn’t
We had downfield passing in this game and we had 359 yards receiving. We have reliable receivers. Chaz Davis to name one has had good games against Cal, Oregon State, Eastern Washington and Montana.

i had the same foreboding on that. When a team is focused on a single guy on offense it leads to gang tackles and the officials allow too much after the players forward progress is stopped.
On the other hand, there are lots of teams that get away with it.

I think we do have the talent when healthy. I think we turned into a running team after Plough left, but haven't adjusted our recruiting.. We have a roster with very few recruited running backs ( Larison, Ward, Perez, Fisher) and a pocket passer and we are now a running team. On defense we seem out coached. In the two conference games we lost the opposing team seemed to make adjustments in the second half and moved the ball freely after being stifled in the first half. Teams find answers to our defense in every game in the second half.

This was a bad game for the defense. They were out there for a long time because they gave up a high percentage of third down plays. They gave up 31 points to a team averaging 21. The offense moved the ball enough to remove the “they were out there too long” excuse.

Davis is not a good defensive team. They have some outstanding players, but the results aren’t there.
They gave up third down conversions 9 out of 19 times. Sometimes they just looked foolish, like on the third and 17 when the qb ran for it successfully on a planned run. It gives the impression that they weren’t prepared,

Would you believe that for the sixth game this year they list the wrong player in the starting lineup.. If there is a record for this category of screw up they probably have surpassed it.

Now will this be one of the few times in memory where the defense doesn't let them get out of this hole?

if we weren't hurting we’d be solid favorites.
Questions to be answered:
1) Is Tompkins going to play? And if so effectively?
2) Are we going to play Jordan Fisher?
I think we need at least one of those to happen to have an effective running game. Not that the other running backs can’t be used effectively in spots.
I’m assuming Larison is out.

They are missing the opportunity to use turquoise, silver and turquoise we could look like the Navajo.

Please someone tell me that we are not going to have to listen to a Montana broadcast team for today’s game.
I saw they did the NAU game, and our game today is broadcast by Scripps Sports in the Montana area, plus Scott Marsh has no twitter post about the game, so I’m fearful.

It is crazy to cite season statistics for Montana given their weak schedule. Big Sky games are more representative.
The Missoulian article above says: “The Griz are averaging 153.6 rush yards per game, sixth in the league”. In their 2 Big Sky games they averaged 92, and 2.6 yards per carry.
On defending the run the Missoulian says “The Griz enter the game with the No. 1 rushing defense in the Big Sky for yards per game and yards per carry.“ In the conference games they are third in both, behind Davis and Northern Arizona.
We need the defense to step up and dominate this game, and it is reasonable to expect it can. Davis’ defense has been “stifling” in games this year but has not done so for the entire game. Now would be a good time.

I doubt they care about the ESPN+ games.
An indication of how little advertising money is spent on these games is so many regional company adds are streamed to a region where they have no presence, and there is so much dead time without an ad.

In the two big sky games Montana is averaging 2.5 yards per carry. In Davis’ two big sky games they allow 2.0. (Davis’ stats skewed by virtue of playing Cal Poly)

I may be slow, but I just noticed that the “media center” has flip cards that have rosters, and depth charts useful when watching the games. Of course the Davis depth charts have the well known inaccuracies noted many times.
https://ucdavisaggies.com/sports/2023/9/12/media-center.aspx

A mindless analysis. “Two teams that are insanely average” looking at stats, without considering strength of schedule.
The Oregon State game skewed the Davis stats quite a bit and also in the five games Davis has played three teams ranked higher than anyone Montana has played.
I’ll add this stat which isn’t insanely average: In five four games against FCS opponents Davis has given up a total of 334 yards rushing.

Montana planned to use their run game with a big running QB to dominate Idaho State. I dont think they had the success they were expecting, but they’ll likely try to do that again.
The Davis defense needs to carry the team this week with the offense banged up, and it’s reasonable that they can do so.
Montana has had an easy schedule to this point playing what Sagarin calculates is the 247th toughest schedule out if the 261 teams, They have not defeated any team in the top 200 in Sagarin’s rankings.

If I recall correctly they didn’t have lights yet.