Bobcat LBs Fill Holes
8/15/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Mike Kramer makes his defensive front seven sound like a couple of crews you might hear in a Battle of the Bands, but he knows they are much more likely to deliver hits this fall than any garage band.
"We have the Mauler and Brawlers," Kramer said of his three defensive linemen and outside linebackers, "and the Slippers and Sliders. Those inside guys (Bobby Daly and Epikopo King) might not be big, but they can really run. And they can really play."
King, a junior, and sophomore Daly man the inside linebacker spots for MSU, and gives Kramer "the best linebacker tandem I've ever coached," he said. "Flat-out. Those two are different. You just put them in a whole different category. They are tailbacks playing linebacker, and you do everything you can to protect them so they can run around and make plays."
Bobcat defensive coordinator Rob Christoff, who coached the pair in 2005 as linebackers coach for the first-time starters, said they fit MSU's scheme because of their versatility. "They are good fits because they both have the ability to match up with skill players as well as playing in the box. They are physical enough to play against two-back sets, and athletic enough to cover a tight end or running back in one-back sets."
While the two enter the 2006 season far advanced from a year ago, Kramer said work remains. "Their future greatness won't be determined so much by their physical capabilities," he said, "as their diagnostic capabilities. Their ability to recognize situations will determine how good they become."
* * * * *
Montana State staged its first full-scale scrimmage of the fall on Tuesday afternoon, with predictable results.
"The returning starters were excellent, the new starters played like they've forgotten everything," said MSU Coach Mike Kramer. "Assignment-wise, we simply can't function like this."
Quarterback Jack Rolovich threw a 45-yarder to Michael Jefferson, but was intercepted by linebacker Chase Gazzerro. "Chase's interception was nice," Kramer said.
The areas most laden with experience played the best, Kramer said. "We were good defensively in the front seven," he said. "Reyshawn Bobo continues every day to be more of a factor."
MSU scrimmages again on Saturday at 4 pm at the MSU practice fields.
* * * *
The Bobcat linebacker corps got a boost on Tuesday when junior college transfer Bryant Matthews joined the team. Matthews completed his junior college work recently, and began his five-day acclimation period on Tuesday.
"We have the Mauler and Brawlers," Kramer said of his three defensive linemen and outside linebackers, "and the Slippers and Sliders. Those inside guys (Bobby Daly and Epikopo King) might not be big, but they can really run. And they can really play."
King, a junior, and sophomore Daly man the inside linebacker spots for MSU, and gives Kramer "the best linebacker tandem I've ever coached," he said. "Flat-out. Those two are different. You just put them in a whole different category. They are tailbacks playing linebacker, and you do everything you can to protect them so they can run around and make plays."
Bobcat defensive coordinator Rob Christoff, who coached the pair in 2005 as linebackers coach for the first-time starters, said they fit MSU's scheme because of their versatility. "They are good fits because they both have the ability to match up with skill players as well as playing in the box. They are physical enough to play against two-back sets, and athletic enough to cover a tight end or running back in one-back sets."
While the two enter the 2006 season far advanced from a year ago, Kramer said work remains. "Their future greatness won't be determined so much by their physical capabilities," he said, "as their diagnostic capabilities. Their ability to recognize situations will determine how good they become."
* * * * *
Montana State staged its first full-scale scrimmage of the fall on Tuesday afternoon, with predictable results.
"The returning starters were excellent, the new starters played like they've forgotten everything," said MSU Coach Mike Kramer. "Assignment-wise, we simply can't function like this."
Quarterback Jack Rolovich threw a 45-yarder to Michael Jefferson, but was intercepted by linebacker Chase Gazzerro. "Chase's interception was nice," Kramer said.
The areas most laden with experience played the best, Kramer said. "We were good defensively in the front seven," he said. "Reyshawn Bobo continues every day to be more of a factor."
MSU scrimmages again on Saturday at 4 pm at the MSU practice fields.
* * * *
The Bobcat linebacker corps got a boost on Tuesday when junior college transfer Bryant Matthews joined the team. Matthews completed his junior college work recently, and began his five-day acclimation period on Tuesday.
Wednesday, June 10
Friday, March 27
Monday, March 23
Friday, March 13
