Cats Playoff Experience Comes from the Top
11/30/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
weekend from a lack of playoff experience.
The Bobcats will benefit from the cumulative effect of more than 20 playoff games as kickofffor tonight's NCAA Division I-AA First Round Playoff game with McNeese State nears. It'sjust that none of that experience lies with the guys that will play the game.
We have a very experienced coaching staff in terms of going through this routine, said MSUcoach Mike Kramer. In fact, only three Bobcat coaches haven't been involved in a playoff
situation as a player or coach, and two of them have been to bowl games. I think that makes a
difference, because it really sets the tone for the week.
According to Joe O'Brien, MSU's defensive line coach who was part of Boise State's run to
the national title game in 1994, the most important element is keeping things the same. You
really have to do your thing, he said. I remember Pokey (Allen, BSU's late head coach who
masterfully engineered that championship season for the Broncos) telling us that playoff football
is the greatest thing in America because it just comesdown tothe players. You have a whole
season behind you, and now it comes down to who wants it the most and who makes the
plays.
Bobcat offensive coordinator Don Bailey, who was part of a playoff experience at a small
NAIA school in West Virginia as its offensive coordinator four years ago, said that surprisingly
a week in preparation for a playoff game can be less intense than a week in the regular season.
You've made it this far, so everyone is good, Bailey said. You just have to do the things you
do and play your game.
Kramer was part of a similarly magical experience at Eastern Washington. He and his staff ledthe Eagles to the semifinals in 1997. If you make it to the playoffs, there are several givens,Kramer said. Your team is obviously playing with some confidence, it has prepared extremelywell throughout the season, it has some kind of belief system, so it's really just a matter ofplaying the game. The teams all have talent, they will all be prepared, they will all be confident.It comes down to the players executing at a high level. That's what makes it fun. That's whatplayoff football is all about.
Kramer isn't worried about his team being star-struck. Any chance of that being a problemwas ended by a tirade I had on Tuesday, he said. We were still enjoying the Grizzly win, butI reminded them that we have work ahead of us. They got the message, and we had a verygood week of practice.
The Bobcats will benefit from the cumulative effect of more than 20 playoff games as kickofffor tonight's NCAA Division I-AA First Round Playoff game with McNeese State nears. It'sjust that none of that experience lies with the guys that will play the game.
We have a very experienced coaching staff in terms of going through this routine, said MSUcoach Mike Kramer. In fact, only three Bobcat coaches haven't been involved in a playoff
situation as a player or coach, and two of them have been to bowl games. I think that makes a
difference, because it really sets the tone for the week.
According to Joe O'Brien, MSU's defensive line coach who was part of Boise State's run to
the national title game in 1994, the most important element is keeping things the same. You
really have to do your thing, he said. I remember Pokey (Allen, BSU's late head coach who
masterfully engineered that championship season for the Broncos) telling us that playoff football
is the greatest thing in America because it just comesdown tothe players. You have a whole
season behind you, and now it comes down to who wants it the most and who makes the
plays.
Bobcat offensive coordinator Don Bailey, who was part of a playoff experience at a small
NAIA school in West Virginia as its offensive coordinator four years ago, said that surprisingly
a week in preparation for a playoff game can be less intense than a week in the regular season.
You've made it this far, so everyone is good, Bailey said. You just have to do the things you
do and play your game.
Kramer was part of a similarly magical experience at Eastern Washington. He and his staff ledthe Eagles to the semifinals in 1997. If you make it to the playoffs, there are several givens,Kramer said. Your team is obviously playing with some confidence, it has prepared extremelywell throughout the season, it has some kind of belief system, so it's really just a matter ofplaying the game. The teams all have talent, they will all be prepared, they will all be confident.It comes down to the players executing at a high level. That's what makes it fun. That's whatplayoff football is all about.
Kramer isn't worried about his team being star-struck. Any chance of that being a problemwas ended by a tirade I had on Tuesday, he said. We were still enjoying the Grizzly win, butI reminded them that we have work ahead of us. They got the message, and we had a verygood week of practice.
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