Bobcats Battle Aggies Saturday
8/29/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Montana State may be in unfamiliar territory when it opens the 2007 season at Texas A&M on September 1, but it won’t be in unfamiliar circumstances. The Bobcats opened each of the previous two seasons in a Big 12 stadium (Oklahoma State in 2005, Colorado last year). Rather than meeting a coach making his debut at that school in the opener, though, the Bobcats will be playing for one. Rob Ash, who is 1-1 in his first game as a head coach at a new school, hopes to top his five immediate predecessors. The last coach to win his Bobcat opener was Sonny Lubick in 1978.
GAME FACTS
KICKOFF: 6 pm CDT/5 pm MDT
SITE: College Station, TX
STADIUM: Kyle Field
PRESS BOX: 979/845-4526
RADIO: Bobcat Network (Jeff Lasky, Dan Davies)
TELEVISION: none
HIGHLIGHTS
• MSU opens the season with a new head coach for the first time since 2000 (Mike Kramer’s Bobcats lost to Humboldt State 23-14) • The Bobcats open the season with a returning starter at quarterback for the fifth time in the last six years • The Bobcats have never faced Texas A&M
STREAKS
• Since Sonny Lubick beat North Dakota in his Bobcat coaching debut, five straight first-year Bobcat coaches lost their opener • MSU has lost two straight games in the state of Texas (at Southwest Texas in 1997, and at Stephen F. Austin in 2002) • The Bobcats own a three-game winning streak against Colorado, but have lost all five meetings against other current Big 12 opponents
MILESTONES
• MSU threw for 2,940 yards last year, fourth-most in school history • Aaron Mason rushed for 645 yards last year, an MSU freshman record
SHINING
• LB BOBBY DALY joins Aaron Papich and Epikopo King as MSU’s three preseason all-league choices • QB JACK ROLOVICH is 1,300 yards from MSU’s career passing top 10 • K ERIC FISHER opens the season as MSU’s kicker and punter
ABOUT THE BOBCATS...
MSU in ‘07: 0-0
Conf./Record: Big Sky/0-0
Home/Road: 0-0/0-0
Grass/Turf: 0-0/0-0
Day/Night: 0-0/0-0
HEAD COACH: Rob Ash
Alma Mater: Cornell/’73
Overall/Years: 176-99-5/28th
At MSU/Years: 0-0/1st
vs A&M: 0-0
Home/Road: 0-0/0-0
SERIES: First meeting
At MSU: 0-0
At A&M: 0-0
Current Streak: none
ABOUT THE AGGIES...
A&M in ‘07: 0-0
Conf./Record: Big 12/0-0
Home/Road: 0-0/0-0
Grass/Turf: 0-0/0-0
Day/Night: 0-0/0-0
HEAD COACH: Dennis Franchione
Alma Mater: Pittsburg State/’73
Overall/Years: 180-96-2/25th
At School/Years: 25-23/5th
vs MSU: 0-0
Home/Road: 0-0/0-0
ABOUT A&M: The Aggies
Spirit Colors: Maroon, white
Location: College Station, TX
Enrollment: 46,587
Stadium: Kyle Field (82,600)
OPPONENT ‘06 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
S1 Montana State, 6 pm
S8 Fresno State, 6 pm
S15 Louisiana-Monroe, 6 pm
S20 at Miami, 6:45 pm
S29 *Baylor, 6 pm
O6 *Oklahoma State, 1 pm
O13 *at Texas Tech, TBA
O20 *at Nebraska, TBA
O27 *Kansas, 1 pm
N3 *at Oklahoma, TBA
N10 *at Missouri, TBA
N23 *Texas, TBA
Opening Information
The Bobcats open in a Big 12 stadium for the third straight year on Saturday. • The ‘Cats are opening away from home for the fifth time in the past seven seasons. • MSU’s only season opener in the Lone Star State was at Texas Tech (9/17/38)
Stadium Stuff
Kyle Field, home to 82,000 of college football’s most dedicated fans on autumn Saturdays, becomes the largest stadium the Bobcats have ever played in, and the expexted sellout Saturday will stand as the largest crowd an MSU team has ever played in front of. • The 80,000-plus fans that cram into Kyle Field Saturday will eclipse by about four thousand the total number of fans that watched Rob Ash’s final two Drake teams over the course of the 2005 and ‘06 season. • 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 the longest ever. • Montana State’s 45-0 loss to UC Davis in 2006 was the team’s second-worst home defeat since Bobcat Stadium was remodeled in 1997 (UM, 49-3, 1999), and was the first shutout at home since losing to Idaho 34-0 in 1985. • The crowd of 12,087 for UC Davis marked the fifth-largest for a non-conference game in school history, and the paid crowd of 14,117 for Portland State was MSU’s second-largest Homecoming crowd. • Bobcat Stadium has hosted 14 consecutive home crowds of at least 12,000.
Openers
Montana State is 55-44-5 in season openers since the Montana State A&M Aggies began play in 1897. MSU is 1-1 the past two seasons opening in Big 12 stadiums, losing 15-10 at Oklahoma State in 2005 and beating Colorado last year. This year marks the first in the last three that the Bobcats aren’t facing a team with a new head coach. Kyle Field marks the latest in an impressive list of historic venues in which MSU has opened seasons: 2006-Folsom Field (Colorado); 2003-War Memorial Stadium (Wyoming); 2001-Legion Field (UAB); 1988-The Swamp (Florida); 1982-Rice Stadium (Utah); 1981-Martin Stadium (Washington State).
Hello, My Name Is...
Four of the Big Sky’s nine schools have first-year football coaches in 2007.
Road Rules
Montana State was a different team on the road than at home last year. MSU averaged 378.6 yards and 25.6 points a game on the road, gaining 289.0 yards and 16.6 points in home games. Those numbers were skewed even further by Montana holding the ‘Cats to 196 yards in the regular season finale at Missoula.
Turnover Talk
MSU finished only one season in the last five with more takeaways than turnovers.
The No-Return Policy
On Nov. 22, 2003, Corey Smith returned the opening kickoff of the Cat-Griz game for a touchdown which spurred the Bobcats to a 27-20 win and the Big Sky title. Since then, MSU has not returned a punt or kickoff for a touchdown, a streak that stands at 36 games. The Bobcats have not allowed a punt return for a touchdown in 45 straight games (since Cal Poly, 2003) or a kickoff return in 66 straight contests.
Lots of Wins
Texas A&M coach Dennis Franchione (180) and MSU’s Rob Ash (176) have combined for 356 college wins. Franchione enters 2007 ranked 18th among active coaches, while Ash is 24th.
Lots of Wins, Redux
Dennis Franchione is Ash’s third foe from that list. Ash is 1-0 against Bob Ford of Albany, 1-8 against Lycoming’s Frank Girardi, and 4-14 vs. Dayton’s Mike Kelly.
A Graves Situation
Texas A&M and the Bobcats share one significant historical link: D.V. Graves, MSU’s head coach from 1920-21 (10-6-1), also coached at Texas A&M in 1928 (6-1). A Missouri grad, Graves was 21-12-3 at Alabama (1911-14).
ROB ASH, ON...
...Texas A&M: “The first thing you notice when you watch them is a lot of speed. They are very quick at every position, everybody on that team can run. But when you start to break them down, they’re very solid. They know what they want to do on both sides of the ball. Their offense is extremely varied, with option components. They spread you out and can attack from anywhere. They are very skilled, and have a good scheme.”
...fall camp: “The first week was unlike anything I’ve been through because we had so much to learn. Nobody had any idea what the schemes were, the vocabulary, anything. The first week was painful and difficult for everybody, but the second week was extremely rewarding. We had nine practices in six days, and at that point I could see things starting to click. People started to go beyond assignments and get into technique and how to play the game. Last week we were able to go to another level. I told the team a day or two before camp ended that we have officially caught up. We were coaching technique and game plan, rather than assignments. That was a good feeling.”
...keys for the Bobcats: “This will sound simplistic, but it’s not. The first thing we’re looking for is to get the right personnel out there for each play, get everybody on the same page and in the right spot, snap the ball effectively, and get the play going. Defensively, we need to get lined up, adjust to the motion or shift, and be in the right position when the ball’s snapped. The second key is ball security, taking care of the ball. If we can do those two things I’ll be happy with that. The rest of it is physical, and we’ll see how the guys match up. I think our guys will play well.”
GAME FACTS
KICKOFF: 6 pm CDT/5 pm MDT
SITE: College Station, TX
STADIUM: Kyle Field
PRESS BOX: 979/845-4526
RADIO: Bobcat Network (Jeff Lasky, Dan Davies)
TELEVISION: none
HIGHLIGHTS
• MSU opens the season with a new head coach for the first time since 2000 (Mike Kramer’s Bobcats lost to Humboldt State 23-14) • The Bobcats open the season with a returning starter at quarterback for the fifth time in the last six years • The Bobcats have never faced Texas A&M
STREAKS
• Since Sonny Lubick beat North Dakota in his Bobcat coaching debut, five straight first-year Bobcat coaches lost their opener • MSU has lost two straight games in the state of Texas (at Southwest Texas in 1997, and at Stephen F. Austin in 2002) • The Bobcats own a three-game winning streak against Colorado, but have lost all five meetings against other current Big 12 opponents
MILESTONES
• MSU threw for 2,940 yards last year, fourth-most in school history • Aaron Mason rushed for 645 yards last year, an MSU freshman record
SHINING
• LB BOBBY DALY joins Aaron Papich and Epikopo King as MSU’s three preseason all-league choices • QB JACK ROLOVICH is 1,300 yards from MSU’s career passing top 10 • K ERIC FISHER opens the season as MSU’s kicker and punter
ABOUT THE BOBCATS...
MSU in ‘07: 0-0
Conf./Record: Big Sky/0-0
Home/Road: 0-0/0-0
Grass/Turf: 0-0/0-0
Day/Night: 0-0/0-0
HEAD COACH: Rob Ash
Alma Mater: Cornell/’73
Overall/Years: 176-99-5/28th
At MSU/Years: 0-0/1st
vs A&M: 0-0
Home/Road: 0-0/0-0
SERIES: First meeting
At MSU: 0-0
At A&M: 0-0
Current Streak: none
ABOUT THE AGGIES...
A&M in ‘07: 0-0
Conf./Record: Big 12/0-0
Home/Road: 0-0/0-0
Grass/Turf: 0-0/0-0
Day/Night: 0-0/0-0
HEAD COACH: Dennis Franchione
Alma Mater: Pittsburg State/’73
Overall/Years: 180-96-2/25th
At School/Years: 25-23/5th
vs MSU: 0-0
Home/Road: 0-0/0-0
ABOUT A&M: The Aggies
Spirit Colors: Maroon, white
Location: College Station, TX
Enrollment: 46,587
Stadium: Kyle Field (82,600)
OPPONENT ‘06 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
S1 Montana State, 6 pm
S8 Fresno State, 6 pm
S15 Louisiana-Monroe, 6 pm
S20 at Miami, 6:45 pm
S29 *Baylor, 6 pm
O6 *Oklahoma State, 1 pm
O13 *at Texas Tech, TBA
O20 *at Nebraska, TBA
O27 *Kansas, 1 pm
N3 *at Oklahoma, TBA
N10 *at Missouri, TBA
N23 *Texas, TBA
Opening Information
The Bobcats open in a Big 12 stadium for the third straight year on Saturday. • The ‘Cats are opening away from home for the fifth time in the past seven seasons. • MSU’s only season opener in the Lone Star State was at Texas Tech (9/17/38)
Stadium Stuff
Kyle Field, home to 82,000 of college football’s most dedicated fans on autumn Saturdays, becomes the largest stadium the Bobcats have ever played in, and the expexted sellout Saturday will stand as the largest crowd an MSU team has ever played in front of. • The 80,000-plus fans that cram into Kyle Field Saturday will eclipse by about four thousand the total number of fans that watched Rob Ash’s final two Drake teams over the course of the 2005 and ‘06 season. • 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 the longest ever. • Montana State’s 45-0 loss to UC Davis in 2006 was the team’s second-worst home defeat since Bobcat Stadium was remodeled in 1997 (UM, 49-3, 1999), and was the first shutout at home since losing to Idaho 34-0 in 1985. • The crowd of 12,087 for UC Davis marked the fifth-largest for a non-conference game in school history, and the paid crowd of 14,117 for Portland State was MSU’s second-largest Homecoming crowd. • Bobcat Stadium has hosted 14 consecutive home crowds of at least 12,000.
Openers
Montana State is 55-44-5 in season openers since the Montana State A&M Aggies began play in 1897. MSU is 1-1 the past two seasons opening in Big 12 stadiums, losing 15-10 at Oklahoma State in 2005 and beating Colorado last year. This year marks the first in the last three that the Bobcats aren’t facing a team with a new head coach. Kyle Field marks the latest in an impressive list of historic venues in which MSU has opened seasons: 2006-Folsom Field (Colorado); 2003-War Memorial Stadium (Wyoming); 2001-Legion Field (UAB); 1988-The Swamp (Florida); 1982-Rice Stadium (Utah); 1981-Martin Stadium (Washington State).
Hello, My Name Is...
Four of the Big Sky’s nine schools have first-year football coaches in 2007.
Road Rules
Montana State was a different team on the road than at home last year. MSU averaged 378.6 yards and 25.6 points a game on the road, gaining 289.0 yards and 16.6 points in home games. Those numbers were skewed even further by Montana holding the ‘Cats to 196 yards in the regular season finale at Missoula.
Turnover Talk
MSU finished only one season in the last five with more takeaways than turnovers.
The No-Return Policy
On Nov. 22, 2003, Corey Smith returned the opening kickoff of the Cat-Griz game for a touchdown which spurred the Bobcats to a 27-20 win and the Big Sky title. Since then, MSU has not returned a punt or kickoff for a touchdown, a streak that stands at 36 games. The Bobcats have not allowed a punt return for a touchdown in 45 straight games (since Cal Poly, 2003) or a kickoff return in 66 straight contests.
Lots of Wins
Texas A&M coach Dennis Franchione (180) and MSU’s Rob Ash (176) have combined for 356 college wins. Franchione enters 2007 ranked 18th among active coaches, while Ash is 24th.
Lots of Wins, Redux
Dennis Franchione is Ash’s third foe from that list. Ash is 1-0 against Bob Ford of Albany, 1-8 against Lycoming’s Frank Girardi, and 4-14 vs. Dayton’s Mike Kelly.
A Graves Situation
Texas A&M and the Bobcats share one significant historical link: D.V. Graves, MSU’s head coach from 1920-21 (10-6-1), also coached at Texas A&M in 1928 (6-1). A Missouri grad, Graves was 21-12-3 at Alabama (1911-14).
ROB ASH, ON...
...Texas A&M: “The first thing you notice when you watch them is a lot of speed. They are very quick at every position, everybody on that team can run. But when you start to break them down, they’re very solid. They know what they want to do on both sides of the ball. Their offense is extremely varied, with option components. They spread you out and can attack from anywhere. They are very skilled, and have a good scheme.”
...fall camp: “The first week was unlike anything I’ve been through because we had so much to learn. Nobody had any idea what the schemes were, the vocabulary, anything. The first week was painful and difficult for everybody, but the second week was extremely rewarding. We had nine practices in six days, and at that point I could see things starting to click. People started to go beyond assignments and get into technique and how to play the game. Last week we were able to go to another level. I told the team a day or two before camp ended that we have officially caught up. We were coaching technique and game plan, rather than assignments. That was a good feeling.”
...keys for the Bobcats: “This will sound simplistic, but it’s not. The first thing we’re looking for is to get the right personnel out there for each play, get everybody on the same page and in the right spot, snap the ball effectively, and get the play going. Defensively, we need to get lined up, adjust to the motion or shift, and be in the right position when the ball’s snapped. The second key is ball security, taking care of the ball. If we can do those two things I’ll be happy with that. The rest of it is physical, and we’ll see how the guys match up. I think our guys will play well.”
Wednesday, June 10
Friday, March 27
Monday, March 23
Friday, March 13
