MSU vs. Colorado State Game Notes
9/23/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
THE STORYLINE
Looking to bounce back from its first defeat of the season, Montana State travels to Fort Collins, Colo., this weekend to face powerful I-A opponent Colorado State. The Rams are off to an 0-3 start that includes losses to Colorado, Southern Cal and Minnesota. MSU struggled in all three facets of the game Saturday, yet were led by some outstanding individual efforts. Sophomore safety Ryan Force intercepted a pass in his second straight game, Ray Sebestyen stripped two Mustang ball carriers and recovered both fumbles, and Chaz Guinn led the team with five catches. GAME FACTS
KICKOFF: 1:00 pm MST
SITE: Bozeman, MT
STADIUM: Bobcat Stadium
PRESS BOX PHONE: 406/994-6180
RADIO: State Farm Bobcat Network (Kris Atteberry, Dan Davies)
TELEVISION: RapComm/Max Media (Dean Alexander)
HIGHLIGHTS
l The Bobcats face a pair of former head coaches this week -- CSU head coach Sonny Lubick led the Bobcats from 1978-81, and Rams assistant Dave Arnold led the ‘Cats in 1983-86
STREAKS
l MSU has lost 17 straight games to I-A opponents, including two at CSU, since beating Fresno State in ‘84 l The Bobcats open the season against three straight opponents clad in green and gold
MILESTONES
l Sophomore QB Travis Lulay is now third in school history in completions and passing yards l Montana State has never won a road game on September 25 (0-2)
SHINING
l RAY SEBESTYEN forced and recovered two fumbles against Cal Poly last week l FS RYAN FORCE intercepted a pass for the second straight game l WR CHAZ GUINN has led the Bobcats in receiving in both games, and has a team-high 11 catches l QB TRAVIS LULAY, who doubles as MSU’s punter, averages 44.7 yards per punt, and has nailed three of 60 yards or more this year ABOUT THE ‘CATS...
MSU in ‘04 1-1
Conf./Record Big Sky/0-0
Home/Road 1-1/0-0
Grass/Turf 1-1/0-0
Day/Night 1-1/0-0
HEAD COACH Mike Kramer
Alma Mater Idaho/’76
Overall/Years 57-62/11th
At MSU/Years 20-30/5th
vs CSU 0-0
Home/Road 0-0/0-0
SERIES CSU 2-0-1
At MSU 0-0
At CSU 2-0-1
At Neutral never met
Current Streak CSU 2W
ABOUT COLORADO STATE ...
CSU in ‘04 0-3
Conf./Record Mountain West/0-0
Home/Road 0-1/0-2
Grass/Turf 0-3/0-0
Day/Night 0-0/0-3
HEAD COACH Sonny Lubick
Alma Mater W. Montana/’60
Overall/Years 112-66/15th
At School/Years 91-47/12th
vs MSU 1-0
Home/Road/Neu 1-0/0-0
ABOUT CSU The Rams
School Colors Forest green, gold
Location Ft Collins, CO
Enrollment 25,042
Stadium Hughes Stadium
OPPONENT ‘04 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
S4 at Colorado L 24-27
S11 at Southern Cal L 0-49
S18 Minnesota L 16-34
S25 Montana State
O2 at BYU
O16 at San Diego State
O22 Wyoming
O30 New Mexico
N6 at Utah
N13 UNLV
N20 at Air Force
BOBCAT 2004 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
S11 Adams State W 19-0 First season-opening shutout since ‘65
S18 Cal Poly L 14-27 Mustangs have won six straight vs. MSU
S25 at Colorado State 1 pm Bobcats face two former head coaches
O2 *at Idaho State 3:05 pm MSU has lost three straight in Pocatello
O9 *Weber State 1:35 pm Bobcats have won three straight
O16 *Portland State 1:05 pm ‘Cats won in Rose City last year
O23 South Daokata St 1:05 pm The renewal of an old rivalry
O30 *at NAU 7:05 pm MSU hasn’t won in Flagstaff since ‘79
N6 *at Sac State 5:05 pm Hornets look to move up in Big Sky standings
N13 *Eastern Wash. 12:05 pm ‘Cats face Eagles in home finale
N20 *at Montana 12:05 pm The 104th ‘Cat-Griz game
What to Watch
F Line Play... Montana State’s offensive line has protected quarterback Travis Lulay well through two games, allowing just three sacks, but will face its sternest test this weekend against Colorado State’s powerful defensive front
F Big Play Bobcats... Last season, the Bobcat offense sprung 37 plays of 20 yards or more, 19 of them running plays, and a team goal this season was to increase that number. MSU registered five long plays in the opener against Adams State, and only one against Cal Poly. Three of those plays were catches by receiver Chaz Guinn. Through two games, the Bobcats have not managed a running play of at least 20 yards.
F Murderer’s Row... In the first three weeks of the season, Colorado State has played first-ranked USC, 19th-ranked Minnesota, and 3-0 Colorado. According to MSU head coach Mike Kramer, only once before has he faced a team coming of such a murderous stretch of games. “In 1985 we played Washington State, and the four games we broke down on film were USC, UCLA, Arizona, and Arizona State.” The Bobcats lost that game, 64-14. Pinning ‘Em After becoming Montana State’s punter last season, Travis Lulay used a rugby-like roll punt to average 36.2 yards a punt, and pinned the opponent inside the 20 nine times. Lulay has pinned the opponent inside the 20 only once this year on a dozen kicks, but has averaged 44.7 yards a punt, has drilled three line drives of 60 yards or more, six of 40 or more. Included in that total is an 81-yarder against Adams State, the second-longest punt in Montana State history.
1-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 70-79 80-89
2 4 1 2 2 0 1
Finishing Strong
Mike Kramer’s teams have shown the ability to finish strong. Between 1990 and ‘99, the Bobcats were 6-20 in the month of November without a single winning month. Mike Kramer’s ‘Cats are 7-9 in November, including a 6-4 mark in the last two Novembers that have culminated in Big Sky Championships.
Whitewashin’
Montana State has shut out two of its last 11 opponents. The Bobcats blanked Saint Mary’s last October, and shut out Adams State in the season opener this year. The St. Mary’s shutout was the team’s first since blanking Sacramento State in 2001. Mike Kramer’s Bobcats have three shutouts in the past four seasons, the same number of goose eggs the ‘Cats tossed in the 15 years before Kramer arrived.
Third’s a Charm
MSU surrendered only 24 third-quarter points last year, and only seven in the third quarter through the first two games of this season.
Half is Good
The Bobcat defense has held opposing quarterbacks to below 50% passing in six of the last nine games.
Stingy
Only two of Montana State’s last 19 opponents have managed 400 yards against the Bobcats. Two of last season’s opponents -- Northern Arizona and Northern Iowa -- creased 400 total yards against MSU’s Big Sky-leading defense. Montana State’s last four 2002 opponents, along with Adams State and Cal Poly this year, gained less than 400 yards.
Youngsters
Montana State entered this season with only one senior offensive starter, and with only three upperclassmen on defense. That youth is tempered by experience, as the Bobcats also entered the year with a player with at least one career start at 16 of the 22 positions.
Turning it Over
Montana State was +6 in turnovers in the first seven games last season, with a 3-4 record in that span, but were -2 in turnovers in the last six games of the season, going 4-2. MSU was even with Adams State in turnovers, yet lost the Cal Poly game, in which MSU was +1 in turnover margin.
D’ing Up
Here is how MSU’s defense stacked up against the rest of the nation last year, and against history...
* 1st in the Big Sky and 8th in I-AA in total defense, 274.2
* 2nd in the Big Sky and 14th nationally in rushing defense, 107.4
* 1st in the Big Sky and 22nd in I-AA in pass defense, 166.8
* 1st in the Big Sky and 7th nationally in scoring defense, 14.6
* MSU’s total defense average was in the top 10 in the Big Sky since 1981
Playing Quarters
The Bobcats held the opponent scoreless in 26 of the team’s 52 quarters last year, and in six of the eight quarters this year. The Bobcats have held their opponents scoreless in 36 of the last 68 quarters the team has played.
Third’s a Charm
Since the beginning of the 2003 season, MSU has surrendered only 31 third-quarter points. Of those, 14 came in the playoff loss at Northern Iowa.
Anti-Air
MSU held opposing quarterbacks to 44% passing in the last seven regular-sason games last year, and to 46% in the first two games this season.
History Repeating?
The only time before this year that Montana State played Adams State in football, the Bobcats beat the Division II Grizzlies then proceeded to lose their next three games. This year, MSU beat ASC 19-0 in the opener before losing to Cal Poly at home. MSU’s next two games are at Division I-A Colorado State and at Idaho State. Better Handles Montana State fumbled four times in the opener against Adams State, losing one of them. The ‘Cats responded against Cal Poly by not putting the ball on the ground. Ironically, the winning team has fumbled eight times in the first two Bobcat games of the season, losing three, while the losing team has yet to fumble.
Three is All You Get
After forcing Adams State into seven three-and-out possessions in the opener, Cal Poly punted after three tries only twice last weekend.
Touchbacks
Through two games, the most improved area of the Bobcat team is kickoffs. Five of Montana State’s eight kickoffs this year have resulted in touchbacks, two more than the ‘Cats benefited from all of ‘03.
Sudden Change
Montana State has turned the ball over three times this year. Cal Poly returned one interception for a touchdown, and of the other two, MSU held once and allowed one touchdown.
The Home Fires
The ‘Cats are 21-17 in Bobcat Stadium in its current configuration, 11-11 in Big Sky games, and 2-2 against Division II foes.
By the Numbers
2
Number of opponents nicknamed “Grizzlies” that the ‘Cats will face this year, beginning with Adams State in the opener 3 Number of opponents wearing green and gold the Bobcats face in the first three weeks of the season 12,302 Average number of fans present at Montana State’s first two home games of the 2004 season
11
Number of passes caught by Chaz Guinn through two games, two less than the total caught by every other Bobcat wide receiver combined
KRAMER’S QUOTES
On the Bobcats: “I think the defense played extremely well against Cal Poly. They limited their opportunities, and they created opportunities for our offense by forcing turnovers that we couldn’t take advantage of. I like everything we’re doing in the kicking game except placements. Tyler Bolton has been successful in PATs, which is one of the primary things we’re asking of him. Offensively, I thought our pass protection was very adequate, and we ran the ball decently at times. We had seven drops, and because of that we played the second half under duress. Big plays await this offense. All we have to do is catch the ball. Things are going to get more tense until that happens, though, because teams will put more and more players in the box to take away the run and force Travis to release the ball quickly to receivers in traffic.”
On the loss of Nick Marudas: “Losing Nick really hurt us spiritually and emotionally in the fourth quarter Saturday, because Nick has really matured into an outstanding leader. We won’t be able to just plug one person into his role, we’ll do a combination of different things. We’ll be able to play our base defense more now that we’re not seeing more normal offenses.”
On Colorado State: “I expect Colorado State to play in a pathologically emotional frenzy on Saturday. This game is one they have to have, and we’ll get their best shot. Justin Holland is a very talented quarterback who hasn’t really had the oportunity to shine yet because of the extremely high level of competition they’ve played, but he has some stylish wide-outs and a strong, balanced running attack. Defensively they are physical and fast. This is a good football team.”
Current Montana State Two-Deep (with pro-nuns-ee-AY-shuns) Offense
LEFT TACKLE 53 Peder Jensen (just like Peter) 6-5 276 Fr*
72 Garrin Brewton 6-5 283 So*
LEFT GUARD 57 Brant Birkeland 6-1 266 So*
67 Joaquin Echauri (walk-EEN uh-CHAR-ee) 6-3 282 Sr+
CENTER 50 Zack Wolf 6-2 281 Jr
74 Lawrence Figueroa (fig-uh-ROE-uh) 6-1 285 Sr
RIGHT GUARD 74 Lawrence Figueroa (fig-uh-ROE-uh) 6-1 285 Sr
62 Troy Watson 6-2 265 Fr
RIGHT TACKLE 64 Jeff Bolton 6-4 307 Jr
79 Adam DeCock 6-6 285 Fr*
QUARTERBACK 14 Travis Lulay 6-2 203 Jr
16 Rick Coppack (COP-uck) 6-0 185 Fr*
RUNNING BACK 8 Justin Domenick 5-11 217 Jr+
34 Morris Milton 5-9 200 Jr+
23 Jason Gathing (short a, like gather) 6-0 198 Jr*+
27 Jimmy Beal 5-7 165 So*
X RECEIVER 19 Chaz Guinn (like Gwynn) 6-2 194 Jr+
5 Eddie Sullivan 6-0 190 Sr+
SLOT RECEIVER 6 Brandon Roosevelt 5-11 177 So*
29 Michael Williams 5-8 155 So*
82 Matt McCullough 5-11 175 Sr*
Z RECEIVER 1 Ricky Gatewood 6-0 180 Jr*+
80 Kellen Alley 6-2 199 So*
TIGHT END 85 Blake Wolf 6-2 239 Sr*
96 Dusty Daws 6-5 235 Sr*
Defense
ANCHOR END 42 Clive Lowe 6-3 232 So*
90 Ryan Cogley (like frog) 6-3 225 So*
NOSE 98 Beau Clark 6-2 239 Sr*
93 Andy Matakis (muh-TAKE-us) 6-2 249 So+
99 Aaron Papich (Pap like rap) 6-2 248 Fr*
TACKLE 58 Ray Sebestyen (like Sebastian) 6-2 253 Sr*
92 Daryl Rogers 6-1 256 Jr+
94 Tim O’Tool 6-3 249 Jr+
RUSH 40 Chad Gluhm (gloom) 6-0 227 Sr*
42 Clive Lowe 6-3 232 So*
WILL LINEBACKER 47 Jonathan Molock (MOE-lock) 6-1 226 Sr+
44 Epikopo King (epp-ee-COE-poe) 6-1 205 Fr*
MIKE LINEBACKER 33 Mac Mollohan 6-0 215 Jr
39 Brandon Eggart 6-1 213 Sr*
SAM LINEBACKER 91 Roger Cooper 6-3 233 Sr*
36 Clayton Curley 6-1 196 Jr
LEFT CORNER 13 Kory Austin 5-11 176 Fr*
31 Martin Henderson 5-9 177 So*+
FREE SAFETY 20 Ryan Force 6-2 203 So*
25 Toph Grenfell 6-0 196 Jr+
STRONG SAFETY 26 Demond Goins (duh-MOND GO-ins) 5-10 170 Jr*
4 Corky Lindsay 5-9 205 Jr+
RIGHT CORNER 9 Andre Fuller 5-10 159 Fr*
18 Eddie Smith 5-9 180 So+
*-indicates player has used redshirt year, +-indicates player is a transfer
PLACE KICKER: 12-Tyler Bolton KICKOFFS: 35-Travis Doroski
PUNTS: 14-Travis Lulay LONG SNAPS: 96-Dusty Daws
PUNT/KICK RETURNS: 6-Brandon Roosevelt, 29-Michael Williams
HOLDER: 82-Matt McCullough
Looking to bounce back from its first defeat of the season, Montana State travels to Fort Collins, Colo., this weekend to face powerful I-A opponent Colorado State. The Rams are off to an 0-3 start that includes losses to Colorado, Southern Cal and Minnesota. MSU struggled in all three facets of the game Saturday, yet were led by some outstanding individual efforts. Sophomore safety Ryan Force intercepted a pass in his second straight game, Ray Sebestyen stripped two Mustang ball carriers and recovered both fumbles, and Chaz Guinn led the team with five catches. GAME FACTS
KICKOFF: 1:00 pm MST
SITE: Bozeman, MT
STADIUM: Bobcat Stadium
PRESS BOX PHONE: 406/994-6180
RADIO: State Farm Bobcat Network (Kris Atteberry, Dan Davies)
TELEVISION: RapComm/Max Media (Dean Alexander)
HIGHLIGHTS
l The Bobcats face a pair of former head coaches this week -- CSU head coach Sonny Lubick led the Bobcats from 1978-81, and Rams assistant Dave Arnold led the ‘Cats in 1983-86
STREAKS
l MSU has lost 17 straight games to I-A opponents, including two at CSU, since beating Fresno State in ‘84 l The Bobcats open the season against three straight opponents clad in green and gold
MILESTONES
l Sophomore QB Travis Lulay is now third in school history in completions and passing yards l Montana State has never won a road game on September 25 (0-2)
SHINING
l RAY SEBESTYEN forced and recovered two fumbles against Cal Poly last week l FS RYAN FORCE intercepted a pass for the second straight game l WR CHAZ GUINN has led the Bobcats in receiving in both games, and has a team-high 11 catches l QB TRAVIS LULAY, who doubles as MSU’s punter, averages 44.7 yards per punt, and has nailed three of 60 yards or more this year ABOUT THE ‘CATS...
MSU in ‘04 1-1
Conf./Record Big Sky/0-0
Home/Road 1-1/0-0
Grass/Turf 1-1/0-0
Day/Night 1-1/0-0
HEAD COACH Mike Kramer
Alma Mater Idaho/’76
Overall/Years 57-62/11th
At MSU/Years 20-30/5th
vs CSU 0-0
Home/Road 0-0/0-0
SERIES CSU 2-0-1
At MSU 0-0
At CSU 2-0-1
At Neutral never met
Current Streak CSU 2W
ABOUT COLORADO STATE ...
CSU in ‘04 0-3
Conf./Record Mountain West/0-0
Home/Road 0-1/0-2
Grass/Turf 0-3/0-0
Day/Night 0-0/0-3
HEAD COACH Sonny Lubick
Alma Mater W. Montana/’60
Overall/Years 112-66/15th
At School/Years 91-47/12th
vs MSU 1-0
Home/Road/Neu 1-0/0-0
ABOUT CSU The Rams
School Colors Forest green, gold
Location Ft Collins, CO
Enrollment 25,042
Stadium Hughes Stadium
OPPONENT ‘04 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
S4 at Colorado L 24-27
S11 at Southern Cal L 0-49
S18 Minnesota L 16-34
S25 Montana State
O2 at BYU
O16 at San Diego State
O22 Wyoming
O30 New Mexico
N6 at Utah
N13 UNLV
N20 at Air Force
BOBCAT 2004 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
S11 Adams State W 19-0 First season-opening shutout since ‘65
S18 Cal Poly L 14-27 Mustangs have won six straight vs. MSU
S25 at Colorado State 1 pm Bobcats face two former head coaches
O2 *at Idaho State 3:05 pm MSU has lost three straight in Pocatello
O9 *Weber State 1:35 pm Bobcats have won three straight
O16 *Portland State 1:05 pm ‘Cats won in Rose City last year
O23 South Daokata St 1:05 pm The renewal of an old rivalry
O30 *at NAU 7:05 pm MSU hasn’t won in Flagstaff since ‘79
N6 *at Sac State 5:05 pm Hornets look to move up in Big Sky standings
N13 *Eastern Wash. 12:05 pm ‘Cats face Eagles in home finale
N20 *at Montana 12:05 pm The 104th ‘Cat-Griz game
What to Watch
F Line Play... Montana State’s offensive line has protected quarterback Travis Lulay well through two games, allowing just three sacks, but will face its sternest test this weekend against Colorado State’s powerful defensive front
F Big Play Bobcats... Last season, the Bobcat offense sprung 37 plays of 20 yards or more, 19 of them running plays, and a team goal this season was to increase that number. MSU registered five long plays in the opener against Adams State, and only one against Cal Poly. Three of those plays were catches by receiver Chaz Guinn. Through two games, the Bobcats have not managed a running play of at least 20 yards.
F Murderer’s Row... In the first three weeks of the season, Colorado State has played first-ranked USC, 19th-ranked Minnesota, and 3-0 Colorado. According to MSU head coach Mike Kramer, only once before has he faced a team coming of such a murderous stretch of games. “In 1985 we played Washington State, and the four games we broke down on film were USC, UCLA, Arizona, and Arizona State.” The Bobcats lost that game, 64-14. Pinning ‘Em After becoming Montana State’s punter last season, Travis Lulay used a rugby-like roll punt to average 36.2 yards a punt, and pinned the opponent inside the 20 nine times. Lulay has pinned the opponent inside the 20 only once this year on a dozen kicks, but has averaged 44.7 yards a punt, has drilled three line drives of 60 yards or more, six of 40 or more. Included in that total is an 81-yarder against Adams State, the second-longest punt in Montana State history.
1-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 70-79 80-89
2 4 1 2 2 0 1
Finishing Strong
Mike Kramer’s teams have shown the ability to finish strong. Between 1990 and ‘99, the Bobcats were 6-20 in the month of November without a single winning month. Mike Kramer’s ‘Cats are 7-9 in November, including a 6-4 mark in the last two Novembers that have culminated in Big Sky Championships.
Whitewashin’
Montana State has shut out two of its last 11 opponents. The Bobcats blanked Saint Mary’s last October, and shut out Adams State in the season opener this year. The St. Mary’s shutout was the team’s first since blanking Sacramento State in 2001. Mike Kramer’s Bobcats have three shutouts in the past four seasons, the same number of goose eggs the ‘Cats tossed in the 15 years before Kramer arrived.
Third’s a Charm
MSU surrendered only 24 third-quarter points last year, and only seven in the third quarter through the first two games of this season.
Half is Good
The Bobcat defense has held opposing quarterbacks to below 50% passing in six of the last nine games.
Stingy
Only two of Montana State’s last 19 opponents have managed 400 yards against the Bobcats. Two of last season’s opponents -- Northern Arizona and Northern Iowa -- creased 400 total yards against MSU’s Big Sky-leading defense. Montana State’s last four 2002 opponents, along with Adams State and Cal Poly this year, gained less than 400 yards.
Youngsters
Montana State entered this season with only one senior offensive starter, and with only three upperclassmen on defense. That youth is tempered by experience, as the Bobcats also entered the year with a player with at least one career start at 16 of the 22 positions.
Turning it Over
Montana State was +6 in turnovers in the first seven games last season, with a 3-4 record in that span, but were -2 in turnovers in the last six games of the season, going 4-2. MSU was even with Adams State in turnovers, yet lost the Cal Poly game, in which MSU was +1 in turnover margin.
D’ing Up
Here is how MSU’s defense stacked up against the rest of the nation last year, and against history...
* 1st in the Big Sky and 8th in I-AA in total defense, 274.2
* 2nd in the Big Sky and 14th nationally in rushing defense, 107.4
* 1st in the Big Sky and 22nd in I-AA in pass defense, 166.8
* 1st in the Big Sky and 7th nationally in scoring defense, 14.6
* MSU’s total defense average was in the top 10 in the Big Sky since 1981
Playing Quarters
The Bobcats held the opponent scoreless in 26 of the team’s 52 quarters last year, and in six of the eight quarters this year. The Bobcats have held their opponents scoreless in 36 of the last 68 quarters the team has played.
Third’s a Charm
Since the beginning of the 2003 season, MSU has surrendered only 31 third-quarter points. Of those, 14 came in the playoff loss at Northern Iowa.
Anti-Air
MSU held opposing quarterbacks to 44% passing in the last seven regular-sason games last year, and to 46% in the first two games this season.
History Repeating?
The only time before this year that Montana State played Adams State in football, the Bobcats beat the Division II Grizzlies then proceeded to lose their next three games. This year, MSU beat ASC 19-0 in the opener before losing to Cal Poly at home. MSU’s next two games are at Division I-A Colorado State and at Idaho State. Better Handles Montana State fumbled four times in the opener against Adams State, losing one of them. The ‘Cats responded against Cal Poly by not putting the ball on the ground. Ironically, the winning team has fumbled eight times in the first two Bobcat games of the season, losing three, while the losing team has yet to fumble.
Three is All You Get
After forcing Adams State into seven three-and-out possessions in the opener, Cal Poly punted after three tries only twice last weekend.
Touchbacks
Through two games, the most improved area of the Bobcat team is kickoffs. Five of Montana State’s eight kickoffs this year have resulted in touchbacks, two more than the ‘Cats benefited from all of ‘03.
Sudden Change
Montana State has turned the ball over three times this year. Cal Poly returned one interception for a touchdown, and of the other two, MSU held once and allowed one touchdown.
The Home Fires
The ‘Cats are 21-17 in Bobcat Stadium in its current configuration, 11-11 in Big Sky games, and 2-2 against Division II foes.
By the Numbers
2
Number of opponents nicknamed “Grizzlies” that the ‘Cats will face this year, beginning with Adams State in the opener 3 Number of opponents wearing green and gold the Bobcats face in the first three weeks of the season 12,302 Average number of fans present at Montana State’s first two home games of the 2004 season
11
Number of passes caught by Chaz Guinn through two games, two less than the total caught by every other Bobcat wide receiver combined
KRAMER’S QUOTES
On the Bobcats: “I think the defense played extremely well against Cal Poly. They limited their opportunities, and they created opportunities for our offense by forcing turnovers that we couldn’t take advantage of. I like everything we’re doing in the kicking game except placements. Tyler Bolton has been successful in PATs, which is one of the primary things we’re asking of him. Offensively, I thought our pass protection was very adequate, and we ran the ball decently at times. We had seven drops, and because of that we played the second half under duress. Big plays await this offense. All we have to do is catch the ball. Things are going to get more tense until that happens, though, because teams will put more and more players in the box to take away the run and force Travis to release the ball quickly to receivers in traffic.”
On the loss of Nick Marudas: “Losing Nick really hurt us spiritually and emotionally in the fourth quarter Saturday, because Nick has really matured into an outstanding leader. We won’t be able to just plug one person into his role, we’ll do a combination of different things. We’ll be able to play our base defense more now that we’re not seeing more normal offenses.”
On Colorado State: “I expect Colorado State to play in a pathologically emotional frenzy on Saturday. This game is one they have to have, and we’ll get their best shot. Justin Holland is a very talented quarterback who hasn’t really had the oportunity to shine yet because of the extremely high level of competition they’ve played, but he has some stylish wide-outs and a strong, balanced running attack. Defensively they are physical and fast. This is a good football team.”
Current Montana State Two-Deep (with pro-nuns-ee-AY-shuns) Offense
LEFT TACKLE 53 Peder Jensen (just like Peter) 6-5 276 Fr*
72 Garrin Brewton 6-5 283 So*
LEFT GUARD 57 Brant Birkeland 6-1 266 So*
67 Joaquin Echauri (walk-EEN uh-CHAR-ee) 6-3 282 Sr+
CENTER 50 Zack Wolf 6-2 281 Jr
74 Lawrence Figueroa (fig-uh-ROE-uh) 6-1 285 Sr
RIGHT GUARD 74 Lawrence Figueroa (fig-uh-ROE-uh) 6-1 285 Sr
62 Troy Watson 6-2 265 Fr
RIGHT TACKLE 64 Jeff Bolton 6-4 307 Jr
79 Adam DeCock 6-6 285 Fr*
QUARTERBACK 14 Travis Lulay 6-2 203 Jr
16 Rick Coppack (COP-uck) 6-0 185 Fr*
RUNNING BACK 8 Justin Domenick 5-11 217 Jr+
34 Morris Milton 5-9 200 Jr+
23 Jason Gathing (short a, like gather) 6-0 198 Jr*+
27 Jimmy Beal 5-7 165 So*
X RECEIVER 19 Chaz Guinn (like Gwynn) 6-2 194 Jr+
5 Eddie Sullivan 6-0 190 Sr+
SLOT RECEIVER 6 Brandon Roosevelt 5-11 177 So*
29 Michael Williams 5-8 155 So*
82 Matt McCullough 5-11 175 Sr*
Z RECEIVER 1 Ricky Gatewood 6-0 180 Jr*+
80 Kellen Alley 6-2 199 So*
TIGHT END 85 Blake Wolf 6-2 239 Sr*
96 Dusty Daws 6-5 235 Sr*
Defense
ANCHOR END 42 Clive Lowe 6-3 232 So*
90 Ryan Cogley (like frog) 6-3 225 So*
NOSE 98 Beau Clark 6-2 239 Sr*
93 Andy Matakis (muh-TAKE-us) 6-2 249 So+
99 Aaron Papich (Pap like rap) 6-2 248 Fr*
TACKLE 58 Ray Sebestyen (like Sebastian) 6-2 253 Sr*
92 Daryl Rogers 6-1 256 Jr+
94 Tim O’Tool 6-3 249 Jr+
RUSH 40 Chad Gluhm (gloom) 6-0 227 Sr*
42 Clive Lowe 6-3 232 So*
WILL LINEBACKER 47 Jonathan Molock (MOE-lock) 6-1 226 Sr+
44 Epikopo King (epp-ee-COE-poe) 6-1 205 Fr*
MIKE LINEBACKER 33 Mac Mollohan 6-0 215 Jr
39 Brandon Eggart 6-1 213 Sr*
SAM LINEBACKER 91 Roger Cooper 6-3 233 Sr*
36 Clayton Curley 6-1 196 Jr
LEFT CORNER 13 Kory Austin 5-11 176 Fr*
31 Martin Henderson 5-9 177 So*+
FREE SAFETY 20 Ryan Force 6-2 203 So*
25 Toph Grenfell 6-0 196 Jr+
STRONG SAFETY 26 Demond Goins (duh-MOND GO-ins) 5-10 170 Jr*
4 Corky Lindsay 5-9 205 Jr+
RIGHT CORNER 9 Andre Fuller 5-10 159 Fr*
18 Eddie Smith 5-9 180 So+
*-indicates player has used redshirt year, +-indicates player is a transfer
PLACE KICKER: 12-Tyler Bolton KICKOFFS: 35-Travis Doroski
PUNTS: 14-Travis Lulay LONG SNAPS: 96-Dusty Daws
PUNT/KICK RETURNS: 6-Brandon Roosevelt, 29-Michael Williams
HOLDER: 82-Matt McCullough
Wednesday, August 19
Wednesday, June 10
Monday, March 23
Friday, March 13
