Cats v. EWU, Osweiler Stuck on the Bench, and Fighting about Sports is Dumb [Montana Mint Superfans]
The 1-1 Montana Grizzlies travel to Virginia to play Liberty University, and the Cats head to the red field of Eastern Washington. Let’s check in with the Montana Mint Superfans for some thoughts.
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Montana Mint: Both the Griz and the Bobcats are coming off bye weeks. What should we expect going into the weekend?
Bear Tycoon (Griz Fan): I’ll start with the Cats. They are 14.5 point underdogs going into 0-2 Eastern Washington and the over/under is a ridiculous 83 points. I like the Cats to cover, and frankly I could like the Cats to win depending on the money line for two reasons.
First, this is MSU’s first big game. Part the reason they came out flat against Fort Lewis is they probably spent only an afternoon looking at tape, while they spent all summer thinking about their biggest out-of-state rival. I expect the Cats to come out prepared and ready to fight.
Second, Eastern Washington is in the exact OPPOSITE position. Coming into the season, they wanted to put up a fight against Oregon (and did, putting up 42 points! against a team that was in the FBS national championship 8 months ago). They then had to play #11 Northern Iowa on the road (EWU played them tough, but a late pick-sealed the EWU loss). There is only so much bandwidth a coaching staff has for preperation. If I’m EWU’s coaching staff, is my priority a non-conference game or looking forward to Big Sky action (remember, this is a nonconference game for some reason)? I think the latter.
We could be in a bizarre situation where the toughest team in the Big Sky is 0-3.
Clarence Toole (Griz fan): I’m a conspiracy theorist by nature. I’ll hi-jack any conversation and steer it into the realm of jet fuel and the temperature at which steel melts. When I read Bear Tycoon’s prediction for the Cats to cover, I feel like I’m riding that insane edge before I slip off the crazy-slope. This is a “Fools Gold Rush”. In fact, once the Cats get trounced, that should be the title of the article.
Montana Mint: We can make that happen.
Clarence Toole (Griz fan): Thanks. I see EWU desperate to get in the win column. Their tradition for success has undoubtedly left them hungry. We’re talking about hyper-competitive humans. It is good for weak-stomached fans that Cheney’s field is colored red, because EWU will come out guns blazing and it’s going to be bloodier than The Red Wedding. MSU’s soft defense is going to be vaporized.
Scotty Mint (Cats fan): The over/under isn’t absurd to those of us who watched these teams duke it out last year in another non-conference game. The final score was 52-51. That slugfest came down to Vernon Adams converting a two point conversion to seal the game. To think the Cats don’t have as good if not a better chance to win this game this year is a huge oversight.
The Eagles home field advantage isn’t close to making up for the loss of their QB from last year. They may have a field more red than the THC-soaked eyes of a UM journalism major but the crowd isn’t a factor in a stadium that looks at home in a Glendive middle school.
barf.
True, the game isn’t a conference game, but there’s no way Eastern Washington wants to walk away from its home debut with an 0-3 record. You better believe they’re taking this game as serious as T-Train’s inevitable heart attack. I think this game will again come down to the wire with the Cat’s pulling out a win with a last minute drive featuring a run by Prukop of 20+ yards and capped with a field goal by Icee® Veins Daly.
Hot Take Nate (Cats fan): I think the Cats will put up a fight in Cheney. I don’t think EWU will look past this game at all regardless of if it counts in the Big Sky standings or not. This is a rivalry and a battle between two of the nations top teams. I say that Cats cover but fall short on the Inferno by 10. I’m thinking that the 80+ O/U is high but I want it to be over so bad as a fan.
Coach 3-Billz (Cats fan): I think the Inferno will be tough, but I expect a complete turnaround from the Cats. Final score: Cats 42 Eastern 35. Cooper Kupp will be out this weekend against MSU. Should help the Cats, but honestly I’d rather play them full strength. Changes the complexion of that game.
Also, I think the Griz figure out their shit and handle Liberty. Final score there Griz 33 Liberty 21.
Montana Mint: Thanks, Coach. Let’s talk about the Griz. Does everyone agree they will handle LIbery on the road?
Hot Take Nate (Cats fan): I was super surprised to see the Griz lose to Cal Poly. I just didn’t see that coming. How Griz was that game – take the lead on a safety in the last few minutes of the game? It’s that Washington-Grizzly voodoo and nothing ever bounces the wrong way for the Griz at home, right? Then a dude comes in and hits his first FG of his career and wins the game against a team that everyone a week before thought could beat Ohio State? Crazy.
I said Griz would win by 10 over Cal Poly. I thought they’d get beat by NDSU. So now they travel to the East Coast for their first road game against a top 15 team and I have no idea which way to go. I think that after two adrenaline rush games in front of 25K+ at home, a game in a quieter environment could add to a real “let down” game (Cal Poly was not a let down game). I’m saying Liberty gets them by less than a TD. Let’s see if I can get something right.
Scotty Mint (Cats fan): Griz lose 58-2
Bear Tycoon (Griz fan): wonderful analysis, Scotty. The Griz are 3 point favorites against #14 Liberty, who just got pummeled by WVU. I like the Griz to win big. In our season preview, I worried about the effect the long flight to Virginia would have on the players, but then I got a look at this team. Good team+good Coach+coming off a bye=recipe for success. At least it should.
I feel like we know what we are getting with Griz, and we’ve covered the strengths and weaknesses of their team in past articles. I’d be surprised if they lose. On the other hand, We have no clue what we’ll get with the Bobcats. The Fort Lewis game did not inspire a lot of confidence.
Montana Mint: With a few games under our belts, how is the rest of the Big Sky looking?
Hot Take Nate (Cats fan): We need to talk about Portland State. Beat Washington State (yeah it’s Wazzu but it’s a Pac 12 team) and then go to Idaho and beat Idaho State. That’s an impressive start. This conference is going to be TOUGH this year.
Coach 3-Billz (Cats fan): Portland State seems legit. North Dakota beat Wyoming. Idaho State seems legit as well. Southern Utah stuck with Utah State and Eastern is Eastern. Can’t forget Cal Poly either! This could be an insane conference season!
Bear Tycoon (Griz fan): I really love when Idaho and Wyoming lose to 1-aa schools, which seems to happen fairly often. It is a reminder to everyone that says the Griz should jump up a conference. No good can come of it.
I saw that NDSU is favored by 30 points against ND this weekend. That humiliating for Wyoming. A lower division team that just beat you on the road is a THIRTY point underdog to a lower division team. What would the line be in Wyoming v. NDSU? NDSU would have to be a touchdown favorite, at least.
Montana Mint: As we reported last week, Montana is well represented in the NFL this year. How excited does this get you guys.
Clarence Toole (Griz fan): Damn – I like the way our defense looks! We could field a legit team.
QB – Brock Osweiler
RB – Chase Reynolds
FB –
WR – Marc Mariani
WR – Scotty Mint
TE –
LT –
LG –
C – Bear Tycoon
RG – Mike Person
RT –
DE – Dwan Edwards
DT – Z-Train
DT – Clarence Toole
DE – Kroy Biermann
LOLB – Alex Singleton
MLB – Brock Coyle
ROLB – Dane Fletcher
CB – Trumain Johnson
CB – Hot Take Nate
SS – Jimmy Wilson
FS – Colt Anderson
K – Dan Carpenter
P – Coach 3-Billz
KR/PR – Marc Mariani
Bear Tycoon (Griz fans): Poor Brock Osweiler. Towards the end of the first half last night against the Chiefs, it looked like Peyton Manning was toast and the Broncos were close to being Brock Lobster’s team. 35 minutes later, Manning led one of the most exciting comebacks in recent memory. My favorite part of the game was learning the Bronco players call Peyton – Papa John. Sorry, Brock.
As for Clarence’s roster, I welcome the opportunity to line up across from him and Z-Train… two powder puffs.
Z-Train (Griz fan): I run six feet with a lot of force but that’s my max. The perfect DT.
Speaking of the NFL, can we quickly talk about the fight after the 49ers v. Vikings game? People above age 15 in NFL jerseys are uniformly bad news. I immediately judge them. They are the closest thing we have to soccer hooligans and one half step away from joining a real gang.
Real life grownups.
I feel like the obscene price of NFL tickets should price out these lowlife bozos that just want to pummel each other. maybe they are spending rent money on games, or maybe (and I think this is the case) NFL fans across all income levels are violent a-holes.
Scotty Mint: (Cats fan): I’d kick your ass for that stereotypical blanket statement but I wouldn’t want to get blood on my Russell Wilson jersey. 12’S 4LYFE
Clarence Toole (Griz fan): Sadly, the only fight I’ve ever been in was over sports and it ended in a draw. A bullish 5th grader said my foot hit the sidewalk during a playground football game, which would have put me out of bounds. I had a different opinion.
Coach 3-Billz (Cats fan): I’ve always wanted to fight a Griz fan. Been eyeing Z-Train for years now. Those smart-ass anti-Cat comments when we struggle just infuriate me!
Z-Train (Griz fan): It’s all insanely, unfathomably stupid. It’s like piss pounding a T Swift fan because Single Ladies lost out. These are millionaires working for billionaires that don’t give two shits about us beyond how much of our paychecks and tax dollars they can wring out of us, and we plebes beat each other over it.
I just don’t understand it. Why would someone risk life/limb/incarceration to defend a bunch of one-percenters that would probably pull up stakes in the blink of an eye if the city didn’t sacrifice school funding to pay for a new stadium? Maybe it’s all a grand plan by the corporate powers to keep the commoners divided by concocting sports-based tribalism to distract us from the real issues. Maybe my general world view is poking through here.
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