Clash of the Cats
After eking out a win against conference foe Idaho last weekend, the Bobcats are going to have to shape up against a far stronger Weber State squad. Heading into this weekend’s matchup, the Bobcats currently sit tied at fourth place in the Big Sky Conference along with two other teams — including the Weber State Wildcats.
Weber State is coming off of a tremendous 2017 campaign. The Wildcats made a playoff run all the way to the quarterfinals until they were barely knocked off by last year’s runner-up James Madison University. Six games into their 2018 season, it seems the Wildcats remain a force to be reckoned with. Their only losses came from FBS Utah and conference opponent Northern Arizona, a game that could be described as an aberration. And the Wildcats are coming off an impressive 14-6 win against Eastern Washington. During the contest Weber State allowed zero touchdowns, the first time the Eagles have been held to no touchdowns since 2008. Granted, senior quarterback Gage Gubrud was not in the lineup. During Head Coach Jeff Choate’s weekly press conference he praised the Wildcats defense, calling them “the best defense in the FCS.”
While Weber’s defense has been great, their offense has been less than spectacular. During their six games they have averaged about 240 yards per contest, only 117 of which come through the air. Possibly the brightest point of the Wildcats’ offense is freshman running back Josh Davis. In his five games he has tallied up 551 yards, four touchdowns on 91 rushing attempts and an additional punt return touchdown.
The Bobcats are now 2-1 in conference play, and 4-2 on the year, their only losses coming at the hands of two teams ranked inside the top 10. During this year’s campaign, MSU’s defense has continually improved game-to-game. Their ability to pressure and sack opposing quarterbacks (11 sacks this year) and cause negative plays has contributed to their success. The Cats’ secondary has played their part as well. In total, they have pulled in five interceptions, two of which have come from Virginia Tech transfer Jacque Alleyne.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Cats’ running game remains strong. In their five games, the Bobcats have rushed for a total of 1,004 yards, and sophomore quarterback Troy Andersen accounts for over half of the total rushing yards. After weeks of wondering who will be the starting quarterback, Cats fans can say for certain that Andersen will continue to fill the role. During practice last week, redshirt freshman quarterback Tucker Rovig injured his foot and will be sidelined for the remainder of the season. When Choate was asked about the quarterback depth, he jokingly replied, “We got two true freshman and a converted linebacker, so I’ve felt better.”
Saturday’s contest in Ogden, Utah is an important one for both teams. This has been said every week, but in a highly competitive conference like the Big Sky, it’s true. The difference between earning a playoff spot and watching the postseason from your couch is one game, as proven by Eastern Washington last year after their 7-4 record wasn’t quite good enough to secure a playoff berth. For the Bobcats to be successful this game, their defense is going to have to hold Weber State to only a couple of scores. If the defense can do that, the offense will have to capitalize on the few opportunities they will receive against Weber’s elite defense. Either way, it’s going to be a physical matchup between the two teams.
Comments ()