Bobcat Game Notes vs. NAU
10/30/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
THE STORYLINE
Two of the three teams battling for second place in the Big Sky meet Saturday in Bobcat Stadium, with plenty to settle. While the Bobcats battle the ghosts of Northern Colorado’s gruesome early-Halloween trick last Saturday, Northern Arizona looks to move past a disappointing home loss to Montana. While NAU stands alone in second at 4-2 in Big Sky play, the Bobcats and Eastern Washington are each 3-2. While the Bobcats host NAU on Saturday, Eastern visits the Lumberjacks the following weekend.
GAME FACTS
KICKOFF: 12:07 pm MDT
SITE: Bozeman, MT
STADIUM: Bobcat Stadium
PRESS BOX: 970/351-1065
RADIO: Bobcat Network (Jeff Lasky, Dan Davies, Jim Sargent)
TELEVISION: Max Media (Chris Byers, Ron Heller, Dave Griffiths)
HIGHLIGHTS
• Montana State is 11th in the nation in scoring defense, second in the Big Sky, at 16.6 points allowed per game
• The Cats have outscored league opponents 33-15 in the fourth quarter and 63-39 in the second half this year
• MSU is 13th in the FCS in attendance average (14,287)
STREAKS
• Bobby Daly has double-digit tackles in six straight games, and in seven of the eight this season
• The Cats have won four straight coin tosses after losing the first four
• Demetrius Crawford has led the Cats in rushing in all eight games
MILESTONES
• Jack Rolovich is now seventh in MSU history in career passing (3,256)
• Bobby Daly’s 264 career tackles is 34 from MSU’s career top 10 list
SHINING
• RB DEMETRIUS CRAWFORD rolled up 198 all-purpose yards in his first start
• SS KEVIN RETORIANO has a takeaway in five of the last six games
• LB WILL CLAGGETT intercepted his first pass as a Bobcat and added nine tackles, 1.5 for a loss, on Saturday at UNC
ABOUT THE BOBCATS...
MSU in ‘07: 5-3
Conf./Record: Big Sky/3-2
Home/Road: 4-0/1-3
Grass/Turf: 5-3/0-0
Day/Night: 5-2/0-1
HEAD COACH: Rob Ash
Alma Mater: Cornell (Ia.)/’73
Overall/Years: 181-102-5/28th
At MSU/Years: 5-3/1st
vs Northern Ariz.: 0-0
Home/Road: 0-0/0-0
SERIES: 19-22
At MSU: 13-7
At NAU: 6-15
Current Streak: MSU 1W
ABOUT THE LUMBERJACKS...
NAU in ‘07: 5-4
Conf./Record: Big Sky/4-2
Home/Road: 3-1/2-3
Grass/Turf: 1-2/4-2
Day/Night: 5-2/0-2
HEAD COACH: Jerome Souers
Alma Mater: Oregon/’83
Overall/Years: 54-58/10th yr
At School/Years: same
vs MSU: 4-5
Home/Road: 3-2/1-3
ABOUT NAU: The Lumberjacks
Spirit Colors: Blue, gold
Location: Flagstaff, AZ
Enrollment: 18,779
Stadium: Skydome (15,300)
OPPONENT ‘07 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
A30 W. New Mexico, W, 47-0
S8 at Arizona, L, 24-45
S15 at Appalachian St., L, 21-34
S22 *Northern Colorado, W, 34-14
S29 *at Sacramento St., L, 9-38
O6 *at Portland State, W, 44-43
O13 *Idaho State, W, 45-24
O20 *at Weber State, W, 29-20
O27 *Montana, L, 16-21
N3 *at Montana State, 1:05 pm
N10 *Eastern Wash., 3:05 pm
Opening Information
The Bobcats now own three straight wins over Sacramento State, and since the Hornets topped MSU in Reno H. Sales Stadium in 1991 the ‘Cats have won Sac State’s last six straight trips to Bozeman. • Montana State has won eight straight in Bobcat Stadium. • MSU has now lost two of their last three overall against Northern Colorado, and two of its last three in Greeley. • Rob Ash has never faced a school from Colorado.
Stadium Stuff
Kyle Field’s crowd of 79,000+ became the largest ever to watch a Bobcat football game, and was the largest in front of which Montana State has ever played. • MSU’s 7-3 win over Southern Utah marked the fewest total points scored in a game held in Bobcat Stadium, and the fewest in a Bobcat win since the Cats topped Lewis & Clark 7-6 in 1955. • The top five home-opening crowds in Bobcat Stadium (and MSU) history have come, in ascending order, in the past five seasons, topped by the gold-clad throng of 14,217 that saw MSU whip Dixie State. • Topped by the Southern Utah crowd, the top five attendance figures in MSU history for non-conference opponents have come in the past two-plus seasons. • The Cats have not won in Cheney’s Woodward Stadium since 1990. • MSU’s two-game winning streak at NAU’s Walkup Skydome is its first ever, and the four-game winning streak against the Jacks is also MSU’s longest. • Montana State’s 61-0 win over Dixie State to open the home portion of the 2007 season marked the sixth-highest points total in MSU history, with all those contests at home, and the fifth-highest total in Bobcat Stadium’s current configuration. • Bobcat Stadium has hosted 18 consecutive home crowds of at least 12,000, four straight over 14,000.
Big Sky Bullet Points
• Montana State is 28-13 in Big Sky Conference play in the last five-plus seasons
• The Bobcats’ 28 league wins in that span is second-most in the conference
• MSU has five straight conference wins, and eight straight overall, in Bobcat Stadium
• Montana State leads the Big Sky in punt returns
Hello, My Name Is...
Four of the Big Sky’s nine schools have first-year football coaches in ‘07. Rob Ash is 2-0 against his fellow newcomers so far in 2007.
Ash Escort
In order to promote the Montana Hope Project, which aids Treasure State children in need, a Montana State Trooper escorts Rob Ash during the ‘07 season.
400 Over & Under
MSU has held nine of its last 10 opponents to less than 400 total yards. Eastern Washington’s 475 yards on Oct. 13 snapped a string of eight straight games MSU had held the opponent below 400 yards, and was the most against the Cats since UC Davis had 496 last September.
Return Remarks
Kory Austin’s 85-yard punt return against Dixie State marked the first time since Nov. 15, 2003, that the Bobcats returned a punt for a touchdown. Austin is 13th in the nation with 13.2 yards per return.
Lots of Wins
Montana State head coach Rob Ash’s 181 career wins is 24th among active coaches.
The No-Return Policy
Corey Smith’s 90-yard return of the Cat-Griz opening kickoff in 2003 was MSU’s last kickoff return for a score. That streak stands at 43 games. The Bobcats have not allowed a punt return for a touchdown in 52 straight games (since Cal Poly, 2003) or a kickoff return in 73 straight contests.
Returning to Returns
Jon Wanago and Rob Pouliot returned picks for TDs vs. Boise St. in ‘88, MSU’s only two-TD game on int. returns before Mike Beach and Chase Gazzero this year.
The Turnover Tale
Since the beginning of the 2005 season, MSU is 10-1 when positive in turnover margin, 4-5 when even in turnovers, and 6-6 when giving up more turnovers than it forces. The ‘Cats are +6 this season.
The End Zones Weren’t Muddy
The 10 points Montana State and Southern Utah combined to score on Oct. 6 marked the fewest total points scored in a game in Bobcat Stadium. In MSU’s last two home games, the teams on hand have combined for just three touchdowns.
Wins and Stuff
MSU posted a winning overall record for the fifth straight season in 2006, and its winning conference record marked the sixth straight year over .500 in league play. The 2006 season also marked the fifth straight year MSU finished among the Big Sky’s top three, and MSU’s eight 2006 wins marked the most by a Bobcat team since the 1984 National Champions.
20 is Terrific
Montana State is 30-7 since the 2000 season when holding the opponent to less than 20 points.
Close Calls
MSU played only three games decided by 14+ points last year, but five of MSU’s eight 2007 tilts have beaten that spread.
Low-Scoring Wins
Since World War II, Montana State has won only four games while scoring less than 10 points. Below is a look...
10/6/07 MSU 7, Southern Utah 3 Bozeman
9/17/55 MSU 7, Lewis & Clark 6 Bozeman
10/14/72 MSU 9, Weber State 3 Ogden
10/7/61 MSU 9, Arkansas State 6 Jonesboro
Protecting the Home Turf
MSU’s top scoring defense efforts during the regular season in Bobcat Stadium...
Avg Year Total Pts Gms
8.6 1992 43 5
9.2 1976 46 5+
9.8 2007 39 4
12.2 1973 61 5
14.0 2003 84 6
+ - Doesn’t include PLAYOFFS: 1976 - 1 gm, 16 pts)
Pick Party
MSU has intercepted 14 passes this year, matching last year as the highest single-season at the school since 1993 and seven from joining the school’s single-season top 10 list in that category.
Born in a Small Town
Seven small-school Bobcats (Class B or C) occupy spots on MSU’s travel roster, including four who played either six-man or eight-man football in high school. ...
Jesse Anderson, Fort Benton (Class B)
Elliott Barnhart, Broadus (Class B)
Kyle Begger, Miles City (Class A)
Brett Irigoin, Lambert (Class C)
Dylan Kinkelaar, Winifred (Class C)
Ty McDonald, Geyser (Class C)
Mike Person, Glendive (Class A)
Josh Peterson, Seeley-Swan (Class B)
Tanner Ripley, Highwood (Class C)
Chris Smith, Laurel (Class A)
Jim Verlanic, Anaconda (Class A)
Tricks and Treats
Playing traditional Big Sky title contender NAU is frightening enough. Below are MSU-NAU games in the last 30 years on a weekend adjacent to Halloween...
10/29/05 MSU 29, NAU 22 at Bozeman
10/30/04 MSU 60, NAU 14 at Flagstaff
10/25/03 MSU 21, NAU 17 at Bozeman
10/26/02 NAU 20, MSU 17 at Flagstaff
10/27/01 NAU 35, NAU 28 at Bozeman
10/28/00 NAU 32, MSU 9 at Flagstaff
10/30/99 NAU 49, MSU 20 at Flagstaff
10/31/98 MSU 32, NAU 25 at Bozeman
10/29/88 NAU 28, MSU 17 at Bozeman
11/6/82 MSU 32, NAU 19 at Bozeman
10/25/80 NAU 27, MSU 24 at Bozeman
10/28/78 NAU 43, MSU 22 at Bozeman
11/5/77 NAU 28, MSU 21 at Flagstaff
11/6/76 MSU 33, NAU 0 at Bozeman
MSU When Leading After...
1st Qtr: 3-0/2nd Qtr: 3-0/3rd Qtr: 4-0
MSU When Trailing After...
1st Qtr: 2-2/2nd Qtr: 2-2/3rd Qtr: 1-2
ROB ASH, ON...
...the Northern Colorado game: “It’s hard to put a finger on any one thing in that game Saturday, we just made too many mistakes. Turnovers, penalties, dropped passes, we missed a lot of opportunities, and I think when we got to the second half we started pressing. Jack (Rolovich) threw the ball well and made good reads and kept us coming back throughout the game, although his one major mistake, the interception in the red zone, hurt us. I thought the defense played well. Credit Northern Colorado for staying close and finding a way to get it done.”
...MSU’s focus this week: “I made the assumption after the Sacramento State game that we had some on-going problems fixed, but you can never assume anything. Some of those things really hurt us Saturday. We’ll continue to work hard in those areas, and as coaches we have to convey that it’s alright to play close games, that this program has won close games, and that we’ll move forward and get through this.”
...Northern Arizona: “NAU is good. They’re a really good football team. They are very aggressive defensively. They play a flex-style defense with a lot of man-to-man, and they have good coverage people. They force the issue and take the game to you. They run a classic spread offense, they’re in shotgun most of the time and call a lot of plays at the line of scrimmage. Their quarterback is very mobile, and they do a great job with the quarterback run game. They are 50-50 between the run and pass, and they have outstanding skill players and a strong line.They are very athletic, and play very hard.”
Current Montana State Depth Chart
Offense
LEFT TACKLE
53 Peder Jensen*** 6-6 279 Sr&
74 Jeff Miller 6-7 290 Fr&
LEFT GUARD
66 Chris Smith* 6-3 303 Jr&
62 Neil Boyce* 6-3 314 So&
CENTER
61 Jim Verlanic* (vurr-LANN-ick) 6-0 260 Jr&
76 Jeff Hansen* 6-4 286 So&
RIGHT GUARD
76 Jeff Hansen* 6-4 286 So&
71 Jesse Hoffman 6-4 307 RFr&
RIGHT TACKLE
74 Jeff Miller 6-7 290 Fr&
62 Neil Boyce* 6-3 314 So&
QUARTERBACK
12 Jack Rolovich* (ROE-loe-vitch) 6-2 223 Sr&+
15 Cory Carpenter** 6-2 210 Sr&
HALFBACK
1 Demetrius Crawford 5-9 185 Jr+
20 Isaiah Taito** (TIE-toe) 5-11 206 Jr
25 Aaron Mason* 5-10 180 So
W RECEIVER
6 Josh Lewis* 5-11 160 Sr&+
19 Jamelle Banks 6-0 169 Fr&
X RECEIVER
9 Deon Toliver* (like oliver) 6-3 185 Jr+
10 Ty Lulay* 6-0 185 Jr&
Z RECEIVER
80 Derek Green* 6-3 178 So&
82 Tyler Bolton 5-10 198 Jr*
TIGHT END
84 Brandon Bostick** 6-4 261 Jr&
91 Joe Schriebeis (SHRY-bice) 6-4 226 So&
95 Elliott Barnhart*** 6-3 227 Sr&
Defense
BANDIT
47 Dane Fletcher* 6-2 229 So&
96 Paul Bartsch* (like arch) 6-2 258 Sr+
TACKLE
99 Aaron Papich*** (PAPP-itch) 6-2 272 Sr&
60 Dylan Kinkelaar* (KINK-uh-lawr) 6-2 256 Jr&
NOSE
97 Chris Kolone (KOE-loe-nay) 6-4 309 Jr+*
90 Brandon Hoffenbacker 6-3 315 Jr
93 Dan Ogden 6-0 265 Fr
END
50 Reyshawn Bobo* (RAY-shawn) 6-1 232 Sr&+
48 Dustin O’Connell 6-2 231 RFr&
SAM
7 Bryant Matthews* 5-11 224 Sr&+
44 Epikopo King*** (epp-ee-KOE-poe) 6-0 214 Sr&
MIKE
54 Bobby Daly** 6-1 215 Jr&
34 Jeff Price 6-0 204 So&
WILL
41 Will Claggett*(KLAGG-it) 6-1 226 Sr&+
32 Brett Irigoin* (EAR-uh-goyn) 6-0 192 Jr*
LEFT CORNER
2 David Taylor 5-8 175 Jr+
OR 13 Kory Austin*** 5-11 184 Sr&
FREE SAFETY
8 Jeff Brown* 6-0 188 Jr&+
4 Ramon Lewis (ruh-MOAN) 6-2 203 Jr+
ROVER
27 Kevin Retoriano* (ruh-tore-ee-AW-no) 5-9 183 So&
3 Jordan Craney 6-0 182 Fr
RIGHT CORNER
24 Michael Beach* 6-0 194 Sr&+
26 Arnold Briggs 5-10 171 RFr&
*-indicates number of letters earned &-player has used redshirt year, +-indicates player is a transfer
PLACEMENTS/KO 49 Eric Fisher
KO/PUNT 39 Eric Fisher
PUNT RETURN 13 Kory Austin
KICK RETURN 6 Josh Lewis/2 David Taylor
LONG SNAPS 65 Tim Garcia SHORT SNAPS 65 Tim Garcia
HOLDER 10 Tyler Lulay
Two of the three teams battling for second place in the Big Sky meet Saturday in Bobcat Stadium, with plenty to settle. While the Bobcats battle the ghosts of Northern Colorado’s gruesome early-Halloween trick last Saturday, Northern Arizona looks to move past a disappointing home loss to Montana. While NAU stands alone in second at 4-2 in Big Sky play, the Bobcats and Eastern Washington are each 3-2. While the Bobcats host NAU on Saturday, Eastern visits the Lumberjacks the following weekend.
GAME FACTS
KICKOFF: 12:07 pm MDT
SITE: Bozeman, MT
STADIUM: Bobcat Stadium
PRESS BOX: 970/351-1065
RADIO: Bobcat Network (Jeff Lasky, Dan Davies, Jim Sargent)
TELEVISION: Max Media (Chris Byers, Ron Heller, Dave Griffiths)
HIGHLIGHTS
• Montana State is 11th in the nation in scoring defense, second in the Big Sky, at 16.6 points allowed per game
• The Cats have outscored league opponents 33-15 in the fourth quarter and 63-39 in the second half this year
• MSU is 13th in the FCS in attendance average (14,287)
STREAKS
• Bobby Daly has double-digit tackles in six straight games, and in seven of the eight this season
• The Cats have won four straight coin tosses after losing the first four
• Demetrius Crawford has led the Cats in rushing in all eight games
MILESTONES
• Jack Rolovich is now seventh in MSU history in career passing (3,256)
• Bobby Daly’s 264 career tackles is 34 from MSU’s career top 10 list
SHINING
• RB DEMETRIUS CRAWFORD rolled up 198 all-purpose yards in his first start
• SS KEVIN RETORIANO has a takeaway in five of the last six games
• LB WILL CLAGGETT intercepted his first pass as a Bobcat and added nine tackles, 1.5 for a loss, on Saturday at UNC
ABOUT THE BOBCATS...
MSU in ‘07: 5-3
Conf./Record: Big Sky/3-2
Home/Road: 4-0/1-3
Grass/Turf: 5-3/0-0
Day/Night: 5-2/0-1
HEAD COACH: Rob Ash
Alma Mater: Cornell (Ia.)/’73
Overall/Years: 181-102-5/28th
At MSU/Years: 5-3/1st
vs Northern Ariz.: 0-0
Home/Road: 0-0/0-0
SERIES: 19-22
At MSU: 13-7
At NAU: 6-15
Current Streak: MSU 1W
ABOUT THE LUMBERJACKS...
NAU in ‘07: 5-4
Conf./Record: Big Sky/4-2
Home/Road: 3-1/2-3
Grass/Turf: 1-2/4-2
Day/Night: 5-2/0-2
HEAD COACH: Jerome Souers
Alma Mater: Oregon/’83
Overall/Years: 54-58/10th yr
At School/Years: same
vs MSU: 4-5
Home/Road: 3-2/1-3
ABOUT NAU: The Lumberjacks
Spirit Colors: Blue, gold
Location: Flagstaff, AZ
Enrollment: 18,779
Stadium: Skydome (15,300)
OPPONENT ‘07 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
A30 W. New Mexico, W, 47-0
S8 at Arizona, L, 24-45
S15 at Appalachian St., L, 21-34
S22 *Northern Colorado, W, 34-14
S29 *at Sacramento St., L, 9-38
O6 *at Portland State, W, 44-43
O13 *Idaho State, W, 45-24
O20 *at Weber State, W, 29-20
O27 *Montana, L, 16-21
N3 *at Montana State, 1:05 pm
N10 *Eastern Wash., 3:05 pm
Opening Information
The Bobcats now own three straight wins over Sacramento State, and since the Hornets topped MSU in Reno H. Sales Stadium in 1991 the ‘Cats have won Sac State’s last six straight trips to Bozeman. • Montana State has won eight straight in Bobcat Stadium. • MSU has now lost two of their last three overall against Northern Colorado, and two of its last three in Greeley. • Rob Ash has never faced a school from Colorado.
Stadium Stuff
Kyle Field’s crowd of 79,000+ became the largest ever to watch a Bobcat football game, and was the largest in front of which Montana State has ever played. • MSU’s 7-3 win over Southern Utah marked the fewest total points scored in a game held in Bobcat Stadium, and the fewest in a Bobcat win since the Cats topped Lewis & Clark 7-6 in 1955. • The top five home-opening crowds in Bobcat Stadium (and MSU) history have come, in ascending order, in the past five seasons, topped by the gold-clad throng of 14,217 that saw MSU whip Dixie State. • Topped by the Southern Utah crowd, the top five attendance figures in MSU history for non-conference opponents have come in the past two-plus seasons. • The Cats have not won in Cheney’s Woodward Stadium since 1990. • MSU’s two-game winning streak at NAU’s Walkup Skydome is its first ever, and the four-game winning streak against the Jacks is also MSU’s longest. • Montana State’s 61-0 win over Dixie State to open the home portion of the 2007 season marked the sixth-highest points total in MSU history, with all those contests at home, and the fifth-highest total in Bobcat Stadium’s current configuration. • Bobcat Stadium has hosted 18 consecutive home crowds of at least 12,000, four straight over 14,000.
Big Sky Bullet Points
• Montana State is 28-13 in Big Sky Conference play in the last five-plus seasons
• The Bobcats’ 28 league wins in that span is second-most in the conference
• MSU has five straight conference wins, and eight straight overall, in Bobcat Stadium
• Montana State leads the Big Sky in punt returns
Hello, My Name Is...
Four of the Big Sky’s nine schools have first-year football coaches in ‘07. Rob Ash is 2-0 against his fellow newcomers so far in 2007.
Ash Escort
In order to promote the Montana Hope Project, which aids Treasure State children in need, a Montana State Trooper escorts Rob Ash during the ‘07 season.
400 Over & Under
MSU has held nine of its last 10 opponents to less than 400 total yards. Eastern Washington’s 475 yards on Oct. 13 snapped a string of eight straight games MSU had held the opponent below 400 yards, and was the most against the Cats since UC Davis had 496 last September.
Return Remarks
Kory Austin’s 85-yard punt return against Dixie State marked the first time since Nov. 15, 2003, that the Bobcats returned a punt for a touchdown. Austin is 13th in the nation with 13.2 yards per return.
Lots of Wins
Montana State head coach Rob Ash’s 181 career wins is 24th among active coaches.
The No-Return Policy
Corey Smith’s 90-yard return of the Cat-Griz opening kickoff in 2003 was MSU’s last kickoff return for a score. That streak stands at 43 games. The Bobcats have not allowed a punt return for a touchdown in 52 straight games (since Cal Poly, 2003) or a kickoff return in 73 straight contests.
Returning to Returns
Jon Wanago and Rob Pouliot returned picks for TDs vs. Boise St. in ‘88, MSU’s only two-TD game on int. returns before Mike Beach and Chase Gazzero this year.
The Turnover Tale
Since the beginning of the 2005 season, MSU is 10-1 when positive in turnover margin, 4-5 when even in turnovers, and 6-6 when giving up more turnovers than it forces. The ‘Cats are +6 this season.
The End Zones Weren’t Muddy
The 10 points Montana State and Southern Utah combined to score on Oct. 6 marked the fewest total points scored in a game in Bobcat Stadium. In MSU’s last two home games, the teams on hand have combined for just three touchdowns.
Wins and Stuff
MSU posted a winning overall record for the fifth straight season in 2006, and its winning conference record marked the sixth straight year over .500 in league play. The 2006 season also marked the fifth straight year MSU finished among the Big Sky’s top three, and MSU’s eight 2006 wins marked the most by a Bobcat team since the 1984 National Champions.
20 is Terrific
Montana State is 30-7 since the 2000 season when holding the opponent to less than 20 points.
Close Calls
MSU played only three games decided by 14+ points last year, but five of MSU’s eight 2007 tilts have beaten that spread.
Low-Scoring Wins
Since World War II, Montana State has won only four games while scoring less than 10 points. Below is a look...
10/6/07 MSU 7, Southern Utah 3 Bozeman
9/17/55 MSU 7, Lewis & Clark 6 Bozeman
10/14/72 MSU 9, Weber State 3 Ogden
10/7/61 MSU 9, Arkansas State 6 Jonesboro
Protecting the Home Turf
MSU’s top scoring defense efforts during the regular season in Bobcat Stadium...
Avg Year Total Pts Gms
8.6 1992 43 5
9.2 1976 46 5+
9.8 2007 39 4
12.2 1973 61 5
14.0 2003 84 6
+ - Doesn’t include PLAYOFFS: 1976 - 1 gm, 16 pts)
Pick Party
MSU has intercepted 14 passes this year, matching last year as the highest single-season at the school since 1993 and seven from joining the school’s single-season top 10 list in that category.
Born in a Small Town
Seven small-school Bobcats (Class B or C) occupy spots on MSU’s travel roster, including four who played either six-man or eight-man football in high school. ...
Jesse Anderson, Fort Benton (Class B)
Elliott Barnhart, Broadus (Class B)
Kyle Begger, Miles City (Class A)
Brett Irigoin, Lambert (Class C)
Dylan Kinkelaar, Winifred (Class C)
Ty McDonald, Geyser (Class C)
Mike Person, Glendive (Class A)
Josh Peterson, Seeley-Swan (Class B)
Tanner Ripley, Highwood (Class C)
Chris Smith, Laurel (Class A)
Jim Verlanic, Anaconda (Class A)
Tricks and Treats
Playing traditional Big Sky title contender NAU is frightening enough. Below are MSU-NAU games in the last 30 years on a weekend adjacent to Halloween...
10/29/05 MSU 29, NAU 22 at Bozeman
10/30/04 MSU 60, NAU 14 at Flagstaff
10/25/03 MSU 21, NAU 17 at Bozeman
10/26/02 NAU 20, MSU 17 at Flagstaff
10/27/01 NAU 35, NAU 28 at Bozeman
10/28/00 NAU 32, MSU 9 at Flagstaff
10/30/99 NAU 49, MSU 20 at Flagstaff
10/31/98 MSU 32, NAU 25 at Bozeman
10/29/88 NAU 28, MSU 17 at Bozeman
11/6/82 MSU 32, NAU 19 at Bozeman
10/25/80 NAU 27, MSU 24 at Bozeman
10/28/78 NAU 43, MSU 22 at Bozeman
11/5/77 NAU 28, MSU 21 at Flagstaff
11/6/76 MSU 33, NAU 0 at Bozeman
MSU When Leading After...
1st Qtr: 3-0/2nd Qtr: 3-0/3rd Qtr: 4-0
MSU When Trailing After...
1st Qtr: 2-2/2nd Qtr: 2-2/3rd Qtr: 1-2
ROB ASH, ON...
...the Northern Colorado game: “It’s hard to put a finger on any one thing in that game Saturday, we just made too many mistakes. Turnovers, penalties, dropped passes, we missed a lot of opportunities, and I think when we got to the second half we started pressing. Jack (Rolovich) threw the ball well and made good reads and kept us coming back throughout the game, although his one major mistake, the interception in the red zone, hurt us. I thought the defense played well. Credit Northern Colorado for staying close and finding a way to get it done.”
...MSU’s focus this week: “I made the assumption after the Sacramento State game that we had some on-going problems fixed, but you can never assume anything. Some of those things really hurt us Saturday. We’ll continue to work hard in those areas, and as coaches we have to convey that it’s alright to play close games, that this program has won close games, and that we’ll move forward and get through this.”
...Northern Arizona: “NAU is good. They’re a really good football team. They are very aggressive defensively. They play a flex-style defense with a lot of man-to-man, and they have good coverage people. They force the issue and take the game to you. They run a classic spread offense, they’re in shotgun most of the time and call a lot of plays at the line of scrimmage. Their quarterback is very mobile, and they do a great job with the quarterback run game. They are 50-50 between the run and pass, and they have outstanding skill players and a strong line.They are very athletic, and play very hard.”
Current Montana State Depth Chart
Offense
LEFT TACKLE
53 Peder Jensen*** 6-6 279 Sr&
74 Jeff Miller 6-7 290 Fr&
LEFT GUARD
66 Chris Smith* 6-3 303 Jr&
62 Neil Boyce* 6-3 314 So&
CENTER
61 Jim Verlanic* (vurr-LANN-ick) 6-0 260 Jr&
76 Jeff Hansen* 6-4 286 So&
RIGHT GUARD
76 Jeff Hansen* 6-4 286 So&
71 Jesse Hoffman 6-4 307 RFr&
RIGHT TACKLE
74 Jeff Miller 6-7 290 Fr&
62 Neil Boyce* 6-3 314 So&
QUARTERBACK
12 Jack Rolovich* (ROE-loe-vitch) 6-2 223 Sr&+
15 Cory Carpenter** 6-2 210 Sr&
HALFBACK
1 Demetrius Crawford 5-9 185 Jr+
20 Isaiah Taito** (TIE-toe) 5-11 206 Jr
25 Aaron Mason* 5-10 180 So
W RECEIVER
6 Josh Lewis* 5-11 160 Sr&+
19 Jamelle Banks 6-0 169 Fr&
X RECEIVER
9 Deon Toliver* (like oliver) 6-3 185 Jr+
10 Ty Lulay* 6-0 185 Jr&
Z RECEIVER
80 Derek Green* 6-3 178 So&
82 Tyler Bolton 5-10 198 Jr*
TIGHT END
84 Brandon Bostick** 6-4 261 Jr&
91 Joe Schriebeis (SHRY-bice) 6-4 226 So&
95 Elliott Barnhart*** 6-3 227 Sr&
Defense
BANDIT
47 Dane Fletcher* 6-2 229 So&
96 Paul Bartsch* (like arch) 6-2 258 Sr+
TACKLE
99 Aaron Papich*** (PAPP-itch) 6-2 272 Sr&
60 Dylan Kinkelaar* (KINK-uh-lawr) 6-2 256 Jr&
NOSE
97 Chris Kolone (KOE-loe-nay) 6-4 309 Jr+*
90 Brandon Hoffenbacker 6-3 315 Jr
93 Dan Ogden 6-0 265 Fr
END
50 Reyshawn Bobo* (RAY-shawn) 6-1 232 Sr&+
48 Dustin O’Connell 6-2 231 RFr&
SAM
7 Bryant Matthews* 5-11 224 Sr&+
44 Epikopo King*** (epp-ee-KOE-poe) 6-0 214 Sr&
MIKE
54 Bobby Daly** 6-1 215 Jr&
34 Jeff Price 6-0 204 So&
WILL
41 Will Claggett*(KLAGG-it) 6-1 226 Sr&+
32 Brett Irigoin* (EAR-uh-goyn) 6-0 192 Jr*
LEFT CORNER
2 David Taylor 5-8 175 Jr+
OR 13 Kory Austin*** 5-11 184 Sr&
FREE SAFETY
8 Jeff Brown* 6-0 188 Jr&+
4 Ramon Lewis (ruh-MOAN) 6-2 203 Jr+
ROVER
27 Kevin Retoriano* (ruh-tore-ee-AW-no) 5-9 183 So&
3 Jordan Craney 6-0 182 Fr
RIGHT CORNER
24 Michael Beach* 6-0 194 Sr&+
26 Arnold Briggs 5-10 171 RFr&
*-indicates number of letters earned &-player has used redshirt year, +-indicates player is a transfer
PLACEMENTS/KO 49 Eric Fisher
KO/PUNT 39 Eric Fisher
PUNT RETURN 13 Kory Austin
KICK RETURN 6 Josh Lewis/2 David Taylor
LONG SNAPS 65 Tim Garcia SHORT SNAPS 65 Tim Garcia
HOLDER 10 Tyler Lulay
Wednesday, June 10
Friday, March 27
Monday, March 23
Friday, March 13
