MSU Game Notes vs. Weber State
9/18/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
Standing where most expected it to be after two games, Montana State heads south this weekend to face a Weber State team that, like MSU, continues to seek its identity. The Bobcats lost to Texas A&M and defeated Division II Dixie State, while Weber State opened the season with a loss to FBS top 25 entry Boise State and last week was beaten by perennial FCS playoff entry Cal Poly. The Wildcats are led by quarterback Jimmy Barnes and a stout offensive line anchored by All-America candidate David Hale.
GAME FACTS
KICKOFF: 1:35 pm
SITE: Ogden, UT
STADIUM: Stewart Stadium
PRESS BOX: 801/626-6588
RADIO: Bobcat Network (Jeff Lasky, Dan Davies, Jim Sargent)
TELEVISION: Altitude (Bill Riley, Toby Christensen)
HIGHLIGHTS
• MSU’s 61 points marked its second-most in a home opener, and its sixth-highest total ever
• The home-opening crowd of 14,217 was MSU’s largest ever for an opponent other than Montana
STREAKS
• Kory Austin’s TD punt return snapped a string of 38 straight games without a punt return for a touchdown
• The win over Dixie State snapped a two-game regular season non-conference losing streak
MILESTONES
• Jack Rolovich is 616 yards from joining MSU’s passing yardage top 10, and 67 completions from the top 10
SHINING
• CB KORY AUSTIN earned Big Sky POW honors for the longest blocked FG return and sixth-longest punt return in MSU history
• RB DEMETRIUS CRAWFORD rushed for 128 yards in his Bobcat Stadium debut
• MSU’s O-LINE, with two first-time starters, produced 309 rushing yards and allowed only three sacks in the first two games of 2007
ABOUT THE BOBCATS...
MSU in ‘07: 1-1
Conf./Record: Big Sky/0-0
Home/Road: 1-0/0-1
Grass/Turf: 1-1/0-0
Day/Night: 1-0/0-1
HEAD COACH: Rob Ash
Alma Mater: Cornell/’73
Overall/Years: 177-100-5/28th
At MSU/Years: 1-1/1st
vs Weber State: 0-0
Home/Road: 0-0/0-0
SERIES: 24-19-1 MSU
At MSU: 13-8-1
At WSU: 11-11
Current Streak: MSU 6
ABOUT THE WILDCATS...
WSU in ‘07: 0-2
Conf./Record: Big Sky/0-0
Home/Road: 0-1/0-1
Grass/Turf: 0-1/0-1
Day/Night: 0-0/0-2
HEAD COACH: Ron McBride
Alma Mater: San Jose State/’63
Overall/Years: 98-74/17th
At School/Years: 10-14/3rd
vs MSU: 0-2
Home/Road: 0-1/0-1
ABOUT WSU The Wildcats
Spirit Colors: Royal purple, white
Location: Ogden, UT
Enrollment: 14,005
Stadium: Stewart (17,500)
OPPONENT ‘06 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
A30 at Boise State L 7-56
S8 Open
S15 at Cal Poly L 19-47
S22 *Montana State 1:35 pm
S29 *at Montana 1:05 pm
O6 *Sacramento State 1:05 pm
O13 *at Northern Colo. 12 noon
O20 *Northern Arizona 1:05 pm
O27 *at Portland State 2:35 pm
N3 *Idaho State 1:05 pm
N10 Fort Lewis 1:05 pm
N17 *at Eastern Wash. 3:05 pm
BOBCAT 2007 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
S1 22/21 at #25 (AP)Texas A&M L 7-38 Bobcats out-gain Aggies 402-390
S15 20/19 Dixie St. W 61-7 MSU’s sixth-highest scoring total ever
S22 18/18 *at Weber State 1:35 pm The Wildcats won 2 of their last 3 to close ‘06
S29 --/-- *Idaho State 1:35 pm John Zamberlin led CWU to win at MSU in ‘02
O6 --/-- Southern Utah 1:35 pm ‘Cats, T-Birds have met only once, 1993
O13 --/-- *at Eastern Wash. 3:05 pm EWU owns four straight wins over Bobcats
O20 --/-- *Sacramento State 1:05 pm Rob Ash is 10-10 against schools from California
O27 --/-- *at Northern Colo. 12:05 pm Bobcats making first trip to UNC since 1956
N3 --/-- *Northern Arizona 12:05 pm NAU’s last four trips to MSU decided by 7 or less
N10 --/-- *at Portland State 3:30 pm ‘Cats lost 6 of last 7 at PSU
N17 --/-- *Montana 12:35 pm Last two Cat-Griz games produce 42 total points
times listed Mountain
Opening Information
Montana State begins its 45th season in the Big Sky Conference against fellow charter member Weber State on Saturday, and through four-and-a-half decades the Bobcats stand 22-22 in league openers. • The Bobcats are 12-10 opening Big Sky play at home, 9-12 when its first league game is on the road, and 1-0 when its first game against a Big Sky foe is at a neutral site. • Montana State has opened Big Sky Conference play eight times with Weber State, including five times in Ogden. The Bobcats are 3-5 overall opening league play against the Wildcats, 2-3 in Stewart Stadium.
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. • 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 Dixie State crowd, the top four attendance figures in MSU history for non-conference opponents have come in the past two-plus seasons. • 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 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 15 consecutive home crowds of at least 12,000.
Openers
Montana State is now 55-45-5 in season openers since the Montana State A&M Aggies began play in 1897. Kyle Field marks the latest in an impressive list of historic venues in which MSU has opened seasons in the last quarter-century: 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.
An Old Friend
Former MSU offensive coordinator Don Bailey (2000-06), who helped lead the ‘Cats to three Big Sky titles, works as Weber State’s receivers coach.
Yards are Good...
The Bobcats have compiled at least 400 yards in each of its two games, and stand 22nd in FCS in total yards. MSU logged consecutive 400-yard games once last year (vs. Idaho State and Sac State).
...but Points Win Games
MSU’s 61 points Saturday is the sixth-highest total in school history.
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.
Lots of Wins
Montana State head coach Rob Ash’s 177 career wins is 24th among active coaches.
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. MSU has not returned a kickoff for a touchdown since then, a streak that stands at 38 games. The Bobcats have not allowed a punt return for a touchdown in 47 straight games (since Cal Poly, 2003) or a kickoff return in 68 straight contests.
The Turnover Tale
Since the beginning of the 2005 season, MSU is 7-1 when positive in turnover margin, 3-4 when even in turnovers, and 6-5 when giving up more turnovers than it forces.
Back Where We Began
Montana State’s first Big Sky game in history was a 26-8 win at Weber in 1963.
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 27-6 since the 2000 season when holding the opponent to less than 20 points.
Three-Wheelin’
MSU offensive coordinator Dale Ploessl has constructed a nifty little three-man tailback tandem. Demetrius Crawford has 175 rushing yards through two games, Aaron Mason 82 (despite missing three quarters at A&M) and Isaiah Taito 67.
Bonus Football
MSU is 4-2 all-time in overtime games. Below is a look...
2004 44-51 Eastern Washington+
2004 31-24 Portland State+
1994 31-34 Eastern Washington++
1990 28-25 Eastern Washington+
1984 44-41 Nevada+
1982 30-27 Idaho State+
Born in a Small Town
Seven Bobcats from small Montana high schools (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. Below are the sub-Class AA players traveling with the Bobcats on Saturday...
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)
Close Calls
Before the 38-7 loss at Texas A&M, only two of MSU’s previous nine games were decided by double-digits (the 14-0 win over nationally-ranked Portland State and the playoff loss at eventual national champion Appalachian State).
MSU When Leading After...
1st Qtr: 1-0/2nd Qtr: 1-0/3rd Qtr: 1-0
MSU When Trailing After...
1st Qtr: 0-1/2nd Qtr: 0-1/3rd Qtr: 0-1
ROB ASH, ON...
...the Dixie State game: “I think our overall execution is beginning to improve. We are still making some assignment mistakes that should be expected, given we had such a short training period. It’s easy to forget that when you look at tape and think, why are we missing assignments here and there, but that’s probably because we just don’t have that base that you get by going through spring ball and being in a system for two or three years. I was happier watching the tape than I was after the game. My reaction after the game was that it was pretty sloppy, and that was probably because of the penalties. That bothered me more than any other single thing in the game. Overall, we’re getting closer.”
...settling into an in-season routine: “I think this week will do that for us. Yesterday was our first Sunday of game week that’s going to be normal. We built a game-week schedule back in the summer, and now we can actually use it. I don’t have as many (outside) obligations this week, so I’m looking forward to having a normal week.”
...Weber State: “I watched the Boise game on tape, and I’m very impressed with Weber State. Boise’s a great team, but Weber is solid and very well coached. The offensive line is extremely solid, the defense has given up some big plays but they’re very physical and they get after you. They’re going to be just fine. They got beat by a large margin, but watching the tape I don’t see that big of a margin. (Weber) has some good quickness on offense, especially at receiver. Their linebackers are big and strong, their corners are very aggressive. I thought overall they looked pretty strong.”
Current Montana State Depth Chart
Offensive Returners
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&
70 Dominic Sonsini (sawn-SEE-nee) 6-3 293 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
72 Mike Person 6-5 264 RFr&
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
25 Aaron Mason* 5-10 180 So
20 Isaiah Taito** (TIE-toe) 5-11 206 Jr
1 Demetrius Crawford 5-9 185 Jr+
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
95 Elliott Barnhart*** 6-3 227 Sr&
84 Brandon Bostick** 6-4 261 Jr&
91 Joe Schreibeis* (SHRY-bice) 6-4 226 So
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&
58 Ryan Cerise (sir-EECE) 6-3 259 So&
60 Dylan Kinkelaar* (KINK-uh-lawr) 6-2 256 Jr&
NOSE
97 Chris Kolone (KOE-loe-nay) 6-4 309 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
44 Epikopo King*** (epp-ee-KOE-poe) 6-0 214 Sr&
31 Chase Gazzerro** (guh-ZARE-oh) 5-10 203 Jr
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&+
7 Bryant Matthews* 5-11 224 Sr&+
LEFT CORNER
13 Kory Austin*** 5-11 184 Sr&
2 David Taylor 5-8 175 Jr+
FREE SAFETY
8 Jeff Brown* 6-0 188 Jr&+
3 Jordan Craney 6-0 182 Fr
4 Ramon Lewis (ruh-MOAN) 6-2 203 Jr+
ROVER
27 Kevin Retoriano* (ruh-tore-ee-AW-no) 5-9 183 So&
30 Denis Speights* (like spates) 6-1 192 So&
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
PAT/FG 49 Michael Sweeney
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
GAME FACTS
KICKOFF: 1:35 pm
SITE: Ogden, UT
STADIUM: Stewart Stadium
PRESS BOX: 801/626-6588
RADIO: Bobcat Network (Jeff Lasky, Dan Davies, Jim Sargent)
TELEVISION: Altitude (Bill Riley, Toby Christensen)
HIGHLIGHTS
• MSU’s 61 points marked its second-most in a home opener, and its sixth-highest total ever
• The home-opening crowd of 14,217 was MSU’s largest ever for an opponent other than Montana
STREAKS
• Kory Austin’s TD punt return snapped a string of 38 straight games without a punt return for a touchdown
• The win over Dixie State snapped a two-game regular season non-conference losing streak
MILESTONES
• Jack Rolovich is 616 yards from joining MSU’s passing yardage top 10, and 67 completions from the top 10
SHINING
• CB KORY AUSTIN earned Big Sky POW honors for the longest blocked FG return and sixth-longest punt return in MSU history
• RB DEMETRIUS CRAWFORD rushed for 128 yards in his Bobcat Stadium debut
• MSU’s O-LINE, with two first-time starters, produced 309 rushing yards and allowed only three sacks in the first two games of 2007
ABOUT THE BOBCATS...
MSU in ‘07: 1-1
Conf./Record: Big Sky/0-0
Home/Road: 1-0/0-1
Grass/Turf: 1-1/0-0
Day/Night: 1-0/0-1
HEAD COACH: Rob Ash
Alma Mater: Cornell/’73
Overall/Years: 177-100-5/28th
At MSU/Years: 1-1/1st
vs Weber State: 0-0
Home/Road: 0-0/0-0
SERIES: 24-19-1 MSU
At MSU: 13-8-1
At WSU: 11-11
Current Streak: MSU 6
ABOUT THE WILDCATS...
WSU in ‘07: 0-2
Conf./Record: Big Sky/0-0
Home/Road: 0-1/0-1
Grass/Turf: 0-1/0-1
Day/Night: 0-0/0-2
HEAD COACH: Ron McBride
Alma Mater: San Jose State/’63
Overall/Years: 98-74/17th
At School/Years: 10-14/3rd
vs MSU: 0-2
Home/Road: 0-1/0-1
ABOUT WSU The Wildcats
Spirit Colors: Royal purple, white
Location: Ogden, UT
Enrollment: 14,005
Stadium: Stewart (17,500)
OPPONENT ‘06 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
A30 at Boise State L 7-56
S8 Open
S15 at Cal Poly L 19-47
S22 *Montana State 1:35 pm
S29 *at Montana 1:05 pm
O6 *Sacramento State 1:05 pm
O13 *at Northern Colo. 12 noon
O20 *Northern Arizona 1:05 pm
O27 *at Portland State 2:35 pm
N3 *Idaho State 1:05 pm
N10 Fort Lewis 1:05 pm
N17 *at Eastern Wash. 3:05 pm
BOBCAT 2007 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
S1 22/21 at #25 (AP)Texas A&M L 7-38 Bobcats out-gain Aggies 402-390
S15 20/19 Dixie St. W 61-7 MSU’s sixth-highest scoring total ever
S22 18/18 *at Weber State 1:35 pm The Wildcats won 2 of their last 3 to close ‘06
S29 --/-- *Idaho State 1:35 pm John Zamberlin led CWU to win at MSU in ‘02
O6 --/-- Southern Utah 1:35 pm ‘Cats, T-Birds have met only once, 1993
O13 --/-- *at Eastern Wash. 3:05 pm EWU owns four straight wins over Bobcats
O20 --/-- *Sacramento State 1:05 pm Rob Ash is 10-10 against schools from California
O27 --/-- *at Northern Colo. 12:05 pm Bobcats making first trip to UNC since 1956
N3 --/-- *Northern Arizona 12:05 pm NAU’s last four trips to MSU decided by 7 or less
N10 --/-- *at Portland State 3:30 pm ‘Cats lost 6 of last 7 at PSU
N17 --/-- *Montana 12:35 pm Last two Cat-Griz games produce 42 total points
times listed Mountain
Opening Information
Montana State begins its 45th season in the Big Sky Conference against fellow charter member Weber State on Saturday, and through four-and-a-half decades the Bobcats stand 22-22 in league openers. • The Bobcats are 12-10 opening Big Sky play at home, 9-12 when its first league game is on the road, and 1-0 when its first game against a Big Sky foe is at a neutral site. • Montana State has opened Big Sky Conference play eight times with Weber State, including five times in Ogden. The Bobcats are 3-5 overall opening league play against the Wildcats, 2-3 in Stewart Stadium.
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. • 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 Dixie State crowd, the top four attendance figures in MSU history for non-conference opponents have come in the past two-plus seasons. • 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 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 15 consecutive home crowds of at least 12,000.
Openers
Montana State is now 55-45-5 in season openers since the Montana State A&M Aggies began play in 1897. Kyle Field marks the latest in an impressive list of historic venues in which MSU has opened seasons in the last quarter-century: 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.
An Old Friend
Former MSU offensive coordinator Don Bailey (2000-06), who helped lead the ‘Cats to three Big Sky titles, works as Weber State’s receivers coach.
Yards are Good...
The Bobcats have compiled at least 400 yards in each of its two games, and stand 22nd in FCS in total yards. MSU logged consecutive 400-yard games once last year (vs. Idaho State and Sac State).
...but Points Win Games
MSU’s 61 points Saturday is the sixth-highest total in school history.
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.
Lots of Wins
Montana State head coach Rob Ash’s 177 career wins is 24th among active coaches.
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. MSU has not returned a kickoff for a touchdown since then, a streak that stands at 38 games. The Bobcats have not allowed a punt return for a touchdown in 47 straight games (since Cal Poly, 2003) or a kickoff return in 68 straight contests.
The Turnover Tale
Since the beginning of the 2005 season, MSU is 7-1 when positive in turnover margin, 3-4 when even in turnovers, and 6-5 when giving up more turnovers than it forces.
Back Where We Began
Montana State’s first Big Sky game in history was a 26-8 win at Weber in 1963.
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 27-6 since the 2000 season when holding the opponent to less than 20 points.
Three-Wheelin’
MSU offensive coordinator Dale Ploessl has constructed a nifty little three-man tailback tandem. Demetrius Crawford has 175 rushing yards through two games, Aaron Mason 82 (despite missing three quarters at A&M) and Isaiah Taito 67.
Bonus Football
MSU is 4-2 all-time in overtime games. Below is a look...
2004 44-51 Eastern Washington+
2004 31-24 Portland State+
1994 31-34 Eastern Washington++
1990 28-25 Eastern Washington+
1984 44-41 Nevada+
1982 30-27 Idaho State+
Born in a Small Town
Seven Bobcats from small Montana high schools (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. Below are the sub-Class AA players traveling with the Bobcats on Saturday...
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)
Close Calls
Before the 38-7 loss at Texas A&M, only two of MSU’s previous nine games were decided by double-digits (the 14-0 win over nationally-ranked Portland State and the playoff loss at eventual national champion Appalachian State).
MSU When Leading After...
1st Qtr: 1-0/2nd Qtr: 1-0/3rd Qtr: 1-0
MSU When Trailing After...
1st Qtr: 0-1/2nd Qtr: 0-1/3rd Qtr: 0-1
ROB ASH, ON...
...the Dixie State game: “I think our overall execution is beginning to improve. We are still making some assignment mistakes that should be expected, given we had such a short training period. It’s easy to forget that when you look at tape and think, why are we missing assignments here and there, but that’s probably because we just don’t have that base that you get by going through spring ball and being in a system for two or three years. I was happier watching the tape than I was after the game. My reaction after the game was that it was pretty sloppy, and that was probably because of the penalties. That bothered me more than any other single thing in the game. Overall, we’re getting closer.”
...settling into an in-season routine: “I think this week will do that for us. Yesterday was our first Sunday of game week that’s going to be normal. We built a game-week schedule back in the summer, and now we can actually use it. I don’t have as many (outside) obligations this week, so I’m looking forward to having a normal week.”
...Weber State: “I watched the Boise game on tape, and I’m very impressed with Weber State. Boise’s a great team, but Weber is solid and very well coached. The offensive line is extremely solid, the defense has given up some big plays but they’re very physical and they get after you. They’re going to be just fine. They got beat by a large margin, but watching the tape I don’t see that big of a margin. (Weber) has some good quickness on offense, especially at receiver. Their linebackers are big and strong, their corners are very aggressive. I thought overall they looked pretty strong.”
Current Montana State Depth Chart
Offensive Returners
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&
70 Dominic Sonsini (sawn-SEE-nee) 6-3 293 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
72 Mike Person 6-5 264 RFr&
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
25 Aaron Mason* 5-10 180 So
20 Isaiah Taito** (TIE-toe) 5-11 206 Jr
1 Demetrius Crawford 5-9 185 Jr+
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
95 Elliott Barnhart*** 6-3 227 Sr&
84 Brandon Bostick** 6-4 261 Jr&
91 Joe Schreibeis* (SHRY-bice) 6-4 226 So
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&
58 Ryan Cerise (sir-EECE) 6-3 259 So&
60 Dylan Kinkelaar* (KINK-uh-lawr) 6-2 256 Jr&
NOSE
97 Chris Kolone (KOE-loe-nay) 6-4 309 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
44 Epikopo King*** (epp-ee-KOE-poe) 6-0 214 Sr&
31 Chase Gazzerro** (guh-ZARE-oh) 5-10 203 Jr
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&+
7 Bryant Matthews* 5-11 224 Sr&+
LEFT CORNER
13 Kory Austin*** 5-11 184 Sr&
2 David Taylor 5-8 175 Jr+
FREE SAFETY
8 Jeff Brown* 6-0 188 Jr&+
3 Jordan Craney 6-0 182 Fr
4 Ramon Lewis (ruh-MOAN) 6-2 203 Jr+
ROVER
27 Kevin Retoriano* (ruh-tore-ee-AW-no) 5-9 183 So&
30 Denis Speights* (like spates) 6-1 192 So&
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
PAT/FG 49 Michael Sweeney
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
Wednesday, June 10
Friday, March 27
Monday, March 23
Friday, March 13
