Lions vs. Rams

[LionFan]

Great game so far, big boy defense by both teams

[JakeTAMUC]

10-3 Lions. 6 minutes left.

[JakeTAMUC]

17-3 Lions. That oughta do it.

[Ram99]

Real classy of the Lions to moon the ASU band and cheer when a Ram was down hurt late in the game

[ASUPops]

With all the pre-game BS & hype out of the way (on my part)...Here is what I think....

This will be a tough game for BOTH teams. The issues for BOTH teams are as follows: (1) Substantial injuries. Neither will be at full strength; (2) Can and have been inconsistent; (3) Either are capable of winning by 14+ depending WHICH team shows up.

Simply glancing at national team stats.......and taking the position that POINTS win games, not stats, TAMUC has the #21 Scoring Offense and Angelo has the #28 scoring offense. ON the defensive side, Angelo has the #7 Scoring Offense and TAMUC has the #50 Scoring Defense.

Another important factor could be discipline. Angelo ranks 12th (tied) in Fewest Penalties and TAMUC ranks 114th in Fewest Penalties.

How about Turnovers Lost....TAMUC tied for 15th with 11 on the season, and Angelo tied for #43 with 14 on the season.

An important note is Angelo has 10 games played and TAMUC 9.....while the Total Scoring Offense & Defense ranks are based on Avgs, the fewest penalties & turnovers lost are TOTAL for the year. When you look at Fewest Penalties per game, Angelo Ranks #22 and TAMUC Ranks #130.

Watching both teams play (saw 2 Angelo games and 4 TAMUC games), TAMUC appears to have more overall talent, but Angelo seems to be much more disciplined. TAMUC has a great skilled player in Smalls, but Angelo's defense is very physical which may neutralize TAMUC.

KEYS TO VICTORY:

BOTH teams must win the battle in the trenches. Whichever team does will give a huge plus to their team for a W.
TAMUC must go to the air and beat Angelo on big plays. The defense must stop the Angelo pass attack, as Angelo has lots of receiving weapons. The Lions have got to get some defensive points and play with more discipline than ever.
ANGELO must b]ground and pound and not abandon the running game. They MUST control TOP and wear down the TAMUC defense. The defense must contain and shutdown Smalls (not an easy task) and make TAMUC depend on the other skill players to win. The Rams need to have a great game on special teams and continue to play disciplined. Consistency may be the biggest factor for a Angelo victory.[/b]

Heck, this game COULD come right down to coaching..

Again.....if EITHER team has a BAD night, look for a 14+ point victory for the other.

Been waiting for this game ALL SEASON. As soon as I saw the schedule, I had a feeling this game was gonna be THE GAME, like it was in 2014.

I wish for a competitive match with good sportsmanship and an INJURY FREE game for both teams.

LET'S PLAY BALL!!!!!

Clearly Angelo DID NOT do this and lost, plain and simple. Also poor coaching cost Angelo. And a few crucial penalties. Again.....needed to follow those keys to victory....AND didn't. Girsch has yet to prove he can win the games that matter. Until he does.....same ol same ol at Angelo. Angelo should get a Bowl game, AGAIN.

Good strong WIN for Commerce!! Good luck in the play-offs. It was good to see some injured players return.

[Techster88]

[QUOTE=ASUPops;n453259]

[texcap]

Offense clearly was not the same as the beginning of the year.

Poor offensive production most likely cost Angelo the playoffs these last two weeks

Significant O-line injuries caused a lot less ability to run the ball and to protect Sullins. It was definitely a big difference.

[ASUPops]

[QUOTE=Techster88;n453308]Abandoned the running game allowing more double coverage. Kinda same ol predictable play calling as past years. VERY conservative. And that "IT" factor that I spoke about last year IS NOT THERE. Thought maybe it was, but a WINNER has his players & coaches READY.....especially for the ones that count the most. Oh well.

On the bright side...its not 6-5 or 7-4. 8-3 is respectable for his first year as HC and with two new coordinators.

We will see what happens in 2020.

[ASUPops]

Significant O-line injuries caused a lot less ability to run the ball and to protect Sullins. It was definitely a big difference.

PLEASE do not use injuries as an excuse.

1s, 2s, 3s are ALL collegiate athletes AND coaches need to coach them up and/or recruit better. ALL people on the team from HC and starting QB to 3rd string LS, to trainer intern, to the "aquatic engineer" MUST PERFORM AND DO THEIR JOB. No EXCUSES.

[Techster88]

PLEASE do not use injuries as an excuse.

1s, 2s, 3s are ALL collegiate athletes AND coaches need to coach them up and/or recruit better. ALL people on the team from HC and starting QB to 3rd string LS, to trainer intern, to the "aquatic engineer" MUST PERFORM AND DO THEIR JOB. No EXCUSES.

[Turbonium]

Oh so you know that the coaches are the problem even though you were never down there? At the end of the day, coaches cant catch balls or tackle for those players. Sounds like you're bitter because your kid isn't good enough to play. 8-3 with 2 of the losses to the 2 best teams in the conference on first year coaching staff is the best it's been in years. Grow up.

Uhhhh his kid was one of the best receivers Angelo has ever had and led the way during the best season they've had in a long time. Sit down.

[Turbonium]

Oh and i'm guessing you know everything about these players and coaches too? How about we stop talking negative about our players and coaches and start being positive to motivate them. No wonder they cant play their best when their own parents are making negative comments about their teams and coaches. I hope one day you all learn and realize the things these coaches do for our kids and start being grateful, it's a shame theres still people like you guys.

I know your statement that his kid isn't good enough to play was completely asinine and so that's what I commented on.

I said nothing negative about anyone, except for you I suppose. Sorry you're frustrated but trying to put down another guy's kid isn't going to help. Especially when you're so far off.

[Mattportman]

[Turbonium]

And I understand that. Thank you for explaining. I know how hard these boys work. My point was that putting down our coaches who work hard for our kids isn't going to change the facts. So much more goes on off the field than we could ever know. It was a good game and ASU put up a good fight. Simple as that. We need to make these message boards a place where a place we encourage and reflect on the positive parts and things we need to work on, not somewhere where we bash on the people who are doing the most for our kids. The players are just as reliable as the coaches are in these games. Let's look forward for the years to come and be proud of what our rams have done this season. This is the start of a brand new winning era. GO RAMS & good luck to the Lions as they prepare for their playoff games.

Good luck with that.

[Turbonium]

Obviously you won't be any help. Have a good night.

I don't think this, or any message board, is going to be fun for you.