MSU enters its bye week ranked fifth in the nation
Photo by: Daryn Hendrickson
Limiting Mistakes Key for Bobcat Bounce-Back
10/15/2012 1:12:00 PM | Football
MSU gets two weeks to tune up for next outing
A two-week respite could be just what the doctor ordered for the Montana State football team coming off a hair-raising three-week stretch.
The Bobcats enter their bye week fresh off a three-game string in which each of the contests were decided by a touchdown or less, including two wins and two road games. And it didn't take long after Saturday's loss to Eastern Washington for Bobcat players and head coach Rob Ash to identify key areas for improvement.
"Eliminate mistakes," Ash said of his Bobcat team that has mixed 11 turnovers with an assortment of other errors.
MSU had just seven turnovers in its first four games, showing steady improvement across the board in running out to a 4-0 record capped off by a 41-16 pasting of Northern Colorado. Instead of continuing in the direction the Bobcats committed four turnovers and had to survive a last minute drive against Southern Utah to stay unbeaten with a 24-17 win. A week and four more turnovers later they had to do essentially the same thing in a 48-41 win over UC Davis.
Saturday's loss to Eastern Washington not only had turnovers, but other miscues including a blocked punt, missed field goal, and a roughing the punter penalty. Adding to the frustration, the Bobcats allowed just 211 yards, which typically yields about 10 points, but the blocked punt was recovered in the end zone for a touchdown, an interception was returned for a touchdown, the drive extended by the roughing the punter penalty led to a touchdown, and an earlier interception resulted in a field goal. In all, 24 of EWU's 27 points were off MSU miscues.
The soul searching began immediately after the game with MSU getting two weeks to prepare for North Dakota, which plays in Bozeman on Oct. 27.
“The extra week will help us out,” senior defensive lineman Caleb Schreibeis said shortly after the game. “I'm anxious to get things fixed. This is terrible, but this might be the thing that forces us to look at the film and get things fixed that have been plaguing us for a few weeks here. It's the little technical things that can sometimes be overlooked, but they're huge because they can make the difference between a good team and a bad team. I have faith in this team and I know this team can come back from it.”
Junior linebacker Na'a Moeakiola was on the same page.
“We have to keep encouraging each other that this isn't the end of the road,” he said. “I have faith in this team. We have to remain focused and keep moving forward. We're going to need to lean on someone after this and we've got each other. If you make a mistake, we've got each other through the highs and the lows.”
Senior quarterback DeNarius McGhee had a slightly different take, but the premise was the same.
“The technical areas are what really got us,” he said. “On the first interception I should've thrown it away. On the second one I should have read it. Those are just little things you have to recognize in order to win a game and if you recognize those things you'll flourish.”
Head coach Rob Ash didn't initially like the fact that his team has two weeks to play again, but saw a silver lining.
“It's two weeks to sit and stew about a loss,” he said. “We'll probably be grumpy in two weeks when we play again. Maybe that'll be good. There are a lot of guys determined not to feel this way again, I could see it in there eyes.”
MSU's job now will be to move that determination from their eyes to their heads by game time against UND.
The Bobcats enter their bye week fresh off a three-game string in which each of the contests were decided by a touchdown or less, including two wins and two road games. And it didn't take long after Saturday's loss to Eastern Washington for Bobcat players and head coach Rob Ash to identify key areas for improvement.
"Eliminate mistakes," Ash said of his Bobcat team that has mixed 11 turnovers with an assortment of other errors.
MSU had just seven turnovers in its first four games, showing steady improvement across the board in running out to a 4-0 record capped off by a 41-16 pasting of Northern Colorado. Instead of continuing in the direction the Bobcats committed four turnovers and had to survive a last minute drive against Southern Utah to stay unbeaten with a 24-17 win. A week and four more turnovers later they had to do essentially the same thing in a 48-41 win over UC Davis.
Saturday's loss to Eastern Washington not only had turnovers, but other miscues including a blocked punt, missed field goal, and a roughing the punter penalty. Adding to the frustration, the Bobcats allowed just 211 yards, which typically yields about 10 points, but the blocked punt was recovered in the end zone for a touchdown, an interception was returned for a touchdown, the drive extended by the roughing the punter penalty led to a touchdown, and an earlier interception resulted in a field goal. In all, 24 of EWU's 27 points were off MSU miscues.
The soul searching began immediately after the game with MSU getting two weeks to prepare for North Dakota, which plays in Bozeman on Oct. 27.
“The extra week will help us out,” senior defensive lineman Caleb Schreibeis said shortly after the game. “I'm anxious to get things fixed. This is terrible, but this might be the thing that forces us to look at the film and get things fixed that have been plaguing us for a few weeks here. It's the little technical things that can sometimes be overlooked, but they're huge because they can make the difference between a good team and a bad team. I have faith in this team and I know this team can come back from it.”
Junior linebacker Na'a Moeakiola was on the same page.
“We have to keep encouraging each other that this isn't the end of the road,” he said. “I have faith in this team. We have to remain focused and keep moving forward. We're going to need to lean on someone after this and we've got each other. If you make a mistake, we've got each other through the highs and the lows.”
Senior quarterback DeNarius McGhee had a slightly different take, but the premise was the same.
“The technical areas are what really got us,” he said. “On the first interception I should've thrown it away. On the second one I should have read it. Those are just little things you have to recognize in order to win a game and if you recognize those things you'll flourish.”
Head coach Rob Ash didn't initially like the fact that his team has two weeks to play again, but saw a silver lining.
“It's two weeks to sit and stew about a loss,” he said. “We'll probably be grumpy in two weeks when we play again. Maybe that'll be good. There are a lot of guys determined not to feel this way again, I could see it in there eyes.”
MSU's job now will be to move that determination from their eyes to their heads by game time against UND.
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