I think the big payday more or less is offset by the fact they didn’t get paid for an FCS game in 2020.

Turnover and penalties near our end zone cost them three touchdowns and they set us up for the winning field goal with an interception. Their offense made plays but couldn’t convert third downs. Their defense gave up too many third down plays. We got four first downs on the final possession to end the game, even though starting out first and 15. If you're them it has to be frustrating. So many if only moments.

I think the additional year of eligibility has increased the experienced depth. That was one of the FBS advantages over FCS teams. The FBS teams are deeper too but there is a limit to how much additional depth helps them, once you have enough more doesn’t help as much. We saw in the Tulsa game that we played almost as many players as a deep FBS team. We had 70 players and only one was a 2021 grad.

I don’t think any of the Tulsa fans would dispute that.

Yep, I think more of our players lost weight than gained it. A lot of these guys look like they’re 5% body fat.

I wonder if Rodrigues lost the ten pound difference in his weight since the spring. He is 170 now. That’s how it appears, but they don’t update weight every season.

It takes a few years of success to make a name for yourself. These early season polls are just name recognition. We need to beat some ranked FCS teams to give us credibility in the FCS polls.
Can’t keep losing to Eastern and Weber. Especially this year where they beat us just a few months ago, there is an expectation we’re not as good.

We were without a couple of defensive linemen, one an all big sky second team player Luka Nixon And Princeton Toki wasn’t on the travel roster. Toki played some this spring and while he didn’t generate many stats he’s a load.

Luka Nixon didn’t play. According to the official stats. Key player for us this spring. Can’t tell who started in his place.

And we didn’t see an injured Aggie! Our team seems extremely fit. No cramps for us,

Stanford was poorly coached. We also beat their coach when he was at UOP.
Stanford’s starting QB hurt his hand in first half and had to leave game. Backup was not ready to play, even though I think he went on to do well, I think he was drafted. They had an unstoppable runner who ran through #8 UCLA like a knife through butter, but they didn’t use him.

California not liked most places, so nothing new. Montana had more hostile environment
This game is not the upset the Stanford game was because that was by a Davis team still transitioning from D2, over a power conference team, that can recruit almost anyone they want.
Tonight’s was over a team that recruits a lot of the 3star type of recruits we get. They have more scholarships, and hence more depth than we do. Likely better talent than anyone else we will play this year, so still a great achievement beating them.

CJ Hutton was impressive.

Tulsa was unable to sustain drives. They had tons of yardage per play , but when they needed to convert on third down they.were 2/10..
We got much less yardage per play but we’re able to.get a convert 10/19 third downs.
I thought we’d have more success running but our passing game was better than expected.
We outplayed them, mostly at QB even though they dominated the line play..
Gilliam really showed his value at the end.

Tulsa is not better than the 2005 Stanford team. That Stanford team played two top ten teams UCLA and Norte Dame tough. And would have been bowl eligible with another win.

I responded to assertion in the quote you posted from the article , I know it wasn’t your position. The article asserts that as a reason and doesn’t even quote the athlete, so I think it’s just BS.

Re: Eligibility immediately for Peyton,
The article says “ Dixon is currently in Albuquerque, and while he is not yet practicing with the team, he should be eligible for the 2021 season since he transferred from the FCS level.”
I don’t think that’s right. I don’t think FCS has anything to do with it. The rule change as I understand it applied to all transfers and they were immediately eligible but it was a one time thing. Players who transferred previously need a waiver from the NCAA. Seems like if anyone wouldn’t be entitled to one it’s someone who’s going to his third school in three years as a freshman.

I don’t imagine he had a lot of interaction with either offensive coordinator, both were are also the quarterback coach and can’t be expected to cater to the third string running back. He had an opportunity to win a job over an incoming freshman in the fall 2020 while Plough was still here and couldn’t do it. We’ve seen enough on the field to understand why.

Tulsa seems to be constructed in a way that makes it hard for them to be upset by an FCS team
Their 3-3-5 defense makes teams work put together a drive and their run oriented offense will be tough on lesser teams. We can beat teams like Tulsa. but have to catch them when they’re having an off year. Tulsa isn’t. So my guess is Tulsa 31, Davis 17. That said, we don’t really have a read on our offense yet, with the new QBs, . It will be interesting if we can run successfully against their defense.

From the Tulsa team site https://tulsahurricane.com/news/2021/8/29/football-tulsas-montgomery-excited-its-game-week.aspx
Pretty accurate summary of us by Coach Montgomery, but he wouldn’t mention anything bad if he saw it. I thought we lost two starters in Airey and Richardson, but Lamson started the last three games, perhaps because Richardson was known to be moving on. We also lost Crawford for this game at least.
Some of Tulsa’s players are reportedly going to be suspended due to the brawl with Mississippi State, and two cornerbacks transferred. We’re taking 70 players according to Hawkins, so maybe we will be somewhat closer to matching their depth. Let’s hope coach Montgomery is right about the tackling.

The Aggies, who played a 5-game spring season, return an astounding 81 lettermen and 21 of 22 starters.

"Cal Davis is a really, really good football team. They're extremely well coached. I have a lot of respect for Dan Hawkins. Look where he's been and what he's done, this team is following suit with that," said Montgomery. "They play extremely aggressive defensively and do a great job of tackling in space. Offensively, they're innovative. They have motion involved, a lot of different formations. They're going to run it and throw it."

"They have talent and experienced talent on both sides of the ball and in special teams. It will be a great early test for us. Glad we're getting to play at home," added Montgomery.