Turnquist Turns it On
10/8/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Scott Turnquist knows that he isn't the fastest guy around. He knows he isn't going to blow past opposing cornerbacks and cause safeties to awake in a cold sweat.
But he also knows how to get the job done. Montana State's senior receiver from Billings is 10th in school history in receptions, and is a good game or two from entering the Bobcat career touchdowns and receiving yards list. It's been a pretty good career for a player who was a recruiting afterthought for most schools coming out of Skyview High in 1999.
"It's all about technique," Turnquist says simply, "knowing where the holes are in the defense, running routes the right depth, proper timing. Speed helps, but being precise in your routes is really the main idea behind playing receiver."
Improving technique is much more about work than talent, and Turnquist's work ethic hasn't escaped Bobcat coach Mike Kramer. "Scott is a very dedicated, hard-working player who has turned himself into a very productive receiver."
Turnquist's defining moment, in Kramer's mind, came in a 2001 loss at Washington State. Locked in a battle all evening with Wazzou's all-everything safety Lamont Thompson, Turnquist capped a 148-yard receiving day with a fourth-quarter 47-yard touchdown catch on which he was wide open. "That day really shows that you don't have to be the fastest player on the field to catch passes, but you have to know your system and your assignments, and be disciplined in carrying out those assignments."
Last weekend's decisive 40-0 win at Saint Mary's also proved a turning point. The Bobcat coaching staff challenged the receiving corps to be more productive entering the game, and Turnquist responded with an outstanding day. He caught only two passes, but they were for 27 and 25 yards, and one was a touchdown, exactly the type of productivity needed from the team's receivers.
"We're doing some things that are getting fun back in the game and are interesting," Turnquist said. "We're getting ourselves going, and we're real confident right now coming off of last weekend."
Turnquist has played with four quarterbacks during his Bobcat career, but he has grown comfortable with current signal caller Travis Lulay. "I'm real comfortable with him, being together as much as we were last season and this summer and so far this season. We're gelling together, as the rest of the receivers are."
Turnquist said he doesn't focus on the milestones that are within his grasp. "It's a perk of playing, it's come from playing for a long time. If it happens, great, but I'd much rather win games and win another conference championship."
But he also knows how to get the job done. Montana State's senior receiver from Billings is 10th in school history in receptions, and is a good game or two from entering the Bobcat career touchdowns and receiving yards list. It's been a pretty good career for a player who was a recruiting afterthought for most schools coming out of Skyview High in 1999.
"It's all about technique," Turnquist says simply, "knowing where the holes are in the defense, running routes the right depth, proper timing. Speed helps, but being precise in your routes is really the main idea behind playing receiver."
Improving technique is much more about work than talent, and Turnquist's work ethic hasn't escaped Bobcat coach Mike Kramer. "Scott is a very dedicated, hard-working player who has turned himself into a very productive receiver."
Turnquist's defining moment, in Kramer's mind, came in a 2001 loss at Washington State. Locked in a battle all evening with Wazzou's all-everything safety Lamont Thompson, Turnquist capped a 148-yard receiving day with a fourth-quarter 47-yard touchdown catch on which he was wide open. "That day really shows that you don't have to be the fastest player on the field to catch passes, but you have to know your system and your assignments, and be disciplined in carrying out those assignments."
Last weekend's decisive 40-0 win at Saint Mary's also proved a turning point. The Bobcat coaching staff challenged the receiving corps to be more productive entering the game, and Turnquist responded with an outstanding day. He caught only two passes, but they were for 27 and 25 yards, and one was a touchdown, exactly the type of productivity needed from the team's receivers.
"We're doing some things that are getting fun back in the game and are interesting," Turnquist said. "We're getting ourselves going, and we're real confident right now coming off of last weekend."
Turnquist has played with four quarterbacks during his Bobcat career, but he has grown comfortable with current signal caller Travis Lulay. "I'm real comfortable with him, being together as much as we were last season and this summer and so far this season. We're gelling together, as the rest of the receivers are."
Turnquist said he doesn't focus on the milestones that are within his grasp. "It's a perk of playing, it's come from playing for a long time. If it happens, great, but I'd much rather win games and win another conference championship."
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