Bobcat Defense Takes the Day
8/19/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Montana State's defense limited the offense 293 yards on 76 plays during the Bobcats' first major scrimmage of the fall on Saturday afternoon.
"Naturally, the defense is a little ahead of the offense," MSU's seventh-year head coach Mike Kramer said. "The defense knows our offense as well as our offense knows it. It's practice 14 of the fall but it's really the 29th straight practice (counting spring drills) they've faced only our offense."
"I liked what Ryan (Force), Epikopo (King) and Bobby (Daly) were able to do on defense," Kramer said. "The defense got good pressure on the quarterback."
MSU quarterbacks Cory Carpenter (4-for-7, 58 yards) and Jack Rolovich (9-for-14 for 141 yards) each had their moments on Saturday. "Both guys held the ball a little too long for my liking," Kramer said, indicating he would announce MSU's starting quarterback on Monday.
Rolovich threw the only interception by a varsity quarterback Saturday -- newcomer Jordan Rasmussen threw two picks -- but also connected on the day's only touchdown. Deon Toliver made a diving catch in the end zone on a 27-yarder from Rolovich on the varsity's last possession of the day.
"I thought we caught the ball pretty well," Kramer said of his team's receiving corps. "There weren't a lot of drops, they held onto the ball well." Fourteen receivers combined for MSU's 25 catches, with Mark Desin catching four and Josh Lewis three.
Starting tailback Evin Groves played on only MSU's first two possessions, taking the rest of the afternoon off. "He's not really injured, but his groin tightened up because he's fatigued." Isaiah Taito also exited early with a hamstring injury (out at least one week), leaving most of the ground work to freshmen Aaron Mason, Brandon Grimsley and Blayde Becksted. "Brandon worked his way into the varsity sequencing with the way he played today," Kramer said.
Kramer called Saturday's affair "just a camp scrimmage," and said the team is "leg-tired and not very sharp because we are fatigued." Saturday's practice was the 14th of 27 prior to MSU's September 2 season opener at Colorado.
Still, he is pleased with what his squad has shown him to this point. "This team has a lot of physical skill and physical ability," he said. "The element of game experience will elude this team, though, until it actually plays in a game."
The Bobcats will scrimmage again on Thursday at 4 pm on the Bobcat practice fields.
RUSHING: Brandon Grimsley 10-39, Blayde Becksted 6-14, Aaron Mason 5-1, Evin Groves 4-19; Isaiah Taito 2-5, Cory Carpenter 1-5, Jack Rolovich 1-6, Jordan Rasmussen 2-7.
PASSING: Cory Carpenter 7-4-0, 58, 0; Jack Rolovich 14-9-1, 141, 1 TD; Jordan Rasmussen 24-12-2, 108, 0.
RECEIVING: Mark Desin 4-50, Josh Lewis 3-39; Kyle Begger 3-36, Mike Jefferson 3-28, Kody Swartz 2-8, Deon Toliver 1-27-1, Ty McDonald 1-13, Derek Erickson 1-14, Brandon Bostick 1-5, Tyler Bolton 1-25, Derek Green 1-20, Skylar Johnson 1-0, Isaiah Taito 1-11, Jamelle Banks 1-10.
DEFENSIVE HIGHLIGHTS: Sacks -- Clive Lowe 1, Reyshawn Bobo 1, Ryan Force 1, Dylan Kinkelaar 3, Dustin O'Connell 1. Interceptions -- Josh Peterson, Greg Palmer, Brad Steffen. Tackles for Loss -- Clive Lowe, Dane Fletcher, Brandon Hoffenbacker, Brett Irigoin, Bobby Daly, Dustin O'Connell. Pass Breakups -- Denis Speights, Conroy Black, Kory Austin, Dustin O'Connell, Arnold Briggs.
"Naturally, the defense is a little ahead of the offense," MSU's seventh-year head coach Mike Kramer said. "The defense knows our offense as well as our offense knows it. It's practice 14 of the fall but it's really the 29th straight practice (counting spring drills) they've faced only our offense."
"I liked what Ryan (Force), Epikopo (King) and Bobby (Daly) were able to do on defense," Kramer said. "The defense got good pressure on the quarterback."
MSU quarterbacks Cory Carpenter (4-for-7, 58 yards) and Jack Rolovich (9-for-14 for 141 yards) each had their moments on Saturday. "Both guys held the ball a little too long for my liking," Kramer said, indicating he would announce MSU's starting quarterback on Monday.
Rolovich threw the only interception by a varsity quarterback Saturday -- newcomer Jordan Rasmussen threw two picks -- but also connected on the day's only touchdown. Deon Toliver made a diving catch in the end zone on a 27-yarder from Rolovich on the varsity's last possession of the day.
"I thought we caught the ball pretty well," Kramer said of his team's receiving corps. "There weren't a lot of drops, they held onto the ball well." Fourteen receivers combined for MSU's 25 catches, with Mark Desin catching four and Josh Lewis three.
Starting tailback Evin Groves played on only MSU's first two possessions, taking the rest of the afternoon off. "He's not really injured, but his groin tightened up because he's fatigued." Isaiah Taito also exited early with a hamstring injury (out at least one week), leaving most of the ground work to freshmen Aaron Mason, Brandon Grimsley and Blayde Becksted. "Brandon worked his way into the varsity sequencing with the way he played today," Kramer said.
Kramer called Saturday's affair "just a camp scrimmage," and said the team is "leg-tired and not very sharp because we are fatigued." Saturday's practice was the 14th of 27 prior to MSU's September 2 season opener at Colorado.
Still, he is pleased with what his squad has shown him to this point. "This team has a lot of physical skill and physical ability," he said. "The element of game experience will elude this team, though, until it actually plays in a game."
The Bobcats will scrimmage again on Thursday at 4 pm on the Bobcat practice fields.
RUSHING: Brandon Grimsley 10-39, Blayde Becksted 6-14, Aaron Mason 5-1, Evin Groves 4-19; Isaiah Taito 2-5, Cory Carpenter 1-5, Jack Rolovich 1-6, Jordan Rasmussen 2-7.
PASSING: Cory Carpenter 7-4-0, 58, 0; Jack Rolovich 14-9-1, 141, 1 TD; Jordan Rasmussen 24-12-2, 108, 0.
RECEIVING: Mark Desin 4-50, Josh Lewis 3-39; Kyle Begger 3-36, Mike Jefferson 3-28, Kody Swartz 2-8, Deon Toliver 1-27-1, Ty McDonald 1-13, Derek Erickson 1-14, Brandon Bostick 1-5, Tyler Bolton 1-25, Derek Green 1-20, Skylar Johnson 1-0, Isaiah Taito 1-11, Jamelle Banks 1-10.
DEFENSIVE HIGHLIGHTS: Sacks -- Clive Lowe 1, Reyshawn Bobo 1, Ryan Force 1, Dylan Kinkelaar 3, Dustin O'Connell 1. Interceptions -- Josh Peterson, Greg Palmer, Brad Steffen. Tackles for Loss -- Clive Lowe, Dane Fletcher, Brandon Hoffenbacker, Brett Irigoin, Bobby Daly, Dustin O'Connell. Pass Breakups -- Denis Speights, Conroy Black, Kory Austin, Dustin O'Connell, Arnold Briggs.
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