Montana State vs SMU Prediction Thread

[catbob]

I've got absolutely nothing against the outdoors. I've taken vacations to the Pacific Northwest, Big Bend, Yellowstone, and the Collegiate Peaks. Absolutely love the outdoors. One of the best things about visiting these places is that you get to unplug for a few days and recharge the batteries. But God help me I need the buzz and livliness of the city. I would literally go insane if I had to live in a place like Bozeman. I've been there and yes its beautiful. But a haven for the arts and culture it certainly is not.

Interesting, as many consider Bozeman to be one of the more cultured cities in Montana. There is a vibrant downtown, film festivals including http://hatchexperience.org/ Hatchfest, Sweet Pea Festival, MSU recently got 3 million dollar theater on campus, there is the Emerson Center of Arts and Culture in downtown Bozeman, the Museum of the Rockies is a great place to visit, there are more and more fine dining options every year in Bozeman it seems as well.

Now I know it doesn't compare with most larger cities but there is plenty of arts and culture in Bozeman to be found. I moved from Bozeman to Bellingham, WA last year and would take what Bozeman had to offer any day.

But Bozeman doesn't have Rocket Donuts

That overpriced gimmick shop? Psh.

[StallionsModelT]

Nothing unfriendly about calling a spade a spade my good man

Hope you have a great time here in Dallas and enjoy all that SMU has to offer.

[catbob]

Well that may be true.

I guess Dallas has so much to offer than SMU is an afterthought? Less than 22,000 fans a game last year. University of Montana averages over 25k fans a game, and MSU averaged just under 18k last year, but had 21,000 last week against a Monmouth University. We will probably average closer to 20k this year.

And here I thought football was king in Texas? I guess that applies to good football only?

[ponyboy]

Now we got some smack going

BTW, catbob, my brother and sister in law live on lake whatcom

[PSCA]

Different strokes for different folks …. That’s what makes America the greatest country on earth. I have lived in my share of Big Cites West to East coast and in between … enjoyed them immensely. Certain times in my life they were the perfect fit. I now live in a slower culture, and it’s the best fit for me know. The best thing about Big Cites for me now, I can visit them, spend time and enjoy what they have to offer, and come back home. I married a small town girl …. 31 years later, I still like her outlook and take on life.

The Game:

SMU 45
MT 17

FYI: Last weeks game attendance was more like 36k

[StallionsModelT]

catbob,

The following D1A football programs are within a five hour drive of SMU:

Texas
Texas A&M
Baylor
TCU
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
Texas Tech
North Texas
Houston
Rice
UT-San Antonio

SMU is a small (6,500 enrollment) private school in a frontrunner's town full of bandwagon fans of schools that play in bigger conferences and have accomplished far more than we have on the field since the Death Penalty. If we were the only show in town like Sasquatch State then maybe we'd draw a better crowd. The fact is that in Dallas going 6-6 every year and winning meaningless bowl games won't get people excited regardless of how outstanding the institution may be. SMU suffers from being swallowed by the noise that is Texas football and the Dallas sports scene. The only competition MSU has on a Saturday afternoon is the next Iron Man movie.

[StallionsModelT]

And yes. When we play teams that no one has ever heard of like say....Montana State, our attendance will suffer. I'll be shocked if we have 15K in the stands for this snoozefest.

[Rebel10]

MSU 42
SMU 39

Seriously.

How hard will you be rooting for Montana State this weekend, Rebel? Have you and Stallion ordered Bobcats shirts from their campus bookstore? Will they arrive by Saturday?

No way we lose to an FCS team.

[StallionsModelT]

We can absolutely lose to an FCS team. That said, I don't think we will.

[SMU2007]

We should win pretty handily. And everyone will jump back on the BCS dreamboat.

Until the next game anyway.

[Rebel10]

I did not say we could not but I just don't think we will. We are at home and probably not happy about the Tech loss. They will take it out on Montana State imo.

[StallionsModelT]

I want to see this offense get some points on the board EARLY and set the tone. Don't let Montanta State think they belong b/c the longer they hang around they'll start to believe they can win. Set the tone early. Punch them in the mouth. Play backups and freshmen in the second half.

[catbob]

catbob,

The following D1A football programs are within a five hour drive of SMU:

Texas
Texas A&M
Baylor
TCU
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
Texas Tech
North Texas
Houston
Rice
UT-San Antonio

SMU is a small (6,500 enrollment) private school in a frontrunner's town full of bandwagon fans of schools that play in bigger conferences and have accomplished far more than we have on the field since the Death Penalty. If we were the only show in town like Sasquatch State then maybe we'd draw a better crowd. The fact is that in Dallas going 6-6 every year and winning meaningless bowl games won't get people excited regardless of how outstanding the institution may be. SMU suffers from being swallowed by the noise that is Texas football and the Dallas sports scene. The only competition MSU has on a Saturday afternoon is the next Iron Man movie.

Ah yes, we hear this excuse all the time. Usually from FCS schools though, interesting coming from an FBS.

Put a good product on the field, people will come see it. Put a bad product on, and people won't. MSU in the early 2000s was lucky to get 10,000 fans a game. Our old capacity was about 15k, and in the mid 2000s when we started cracking the top 25 and winning a few conference championships, attendance started to max out. Bring in a new pro-sports president who spearheads a stadium expansion project, and the next thing you know our stadium capacity is something like 19,777 before SRO, which will bring it over 21,000 as we showed last week.

And believe it or not, people at our level think very similar to the way you do. We know the FCS powers and the teams that are exciting to watch. We always schedule a DII team much like FBS schools do with FCS. They are boring games, and are rarely a challenge (we did lose to one in 2006 - embarrassing). We complain about strength of schedule, lack of support from the community, etc etc.

The point is, just because we are in an area with no other competitors, doesn't mean success and fan support is just gifted to us. We had to put a product people wanted to see, otherwise they'd find something else to do. MSU hasn't had a losing season since 2001, because we hired a coach who turned the program around, and then his successor has taken us to another level where we have been ranked in the top 10 for a season and a half or something like that.

[St George]

Not sure this stat is correct, but if it is, it looks like the game could be determined from the flip of the coin.

SMU is 15-0 when scoring first and 0-14 when their opponent scores first in their last 29 games.

[crazy horse]

I sure would like to see a few backups get some quality playing time this week.

SMU by 28 without breaking much of a sweat.