Bobcat Game Notes vs. Adams State
8/28/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
THE STORYLINE
With members of the school’s 1984 National Championship squad on hand, Montana State inaugurates its new Field Turf playing surface by hosting Adams State College. The 1984 team is denoted on the Bobcat Stadium field which it donated to the program. The Bobcats look begin the season with a win for the third time in the past five seasons while opening at home for only the third time in the last eight years.
FOR OPENERS
• Montana State opens its season at home for the first time since 2004, when the Bobcats also hosted Adams State • MSU has won eight of its last nine when opening the season in Bobcat Stadium
STADIUM STUFF
• MSU is 11-2 in season-opening games in Bobcat Stadium • MSU’s opener marks the first of 11 games the Cats play on artificial turf this year
BIG SKY BULLET POINTS
• Eastern Washington (#7) and Montana (#8) enter the year in The Sports Network top 10 • All Big Sky teams except Montana and Northern Colorado open up this weekend
Montana State
BOBCATS
0-0/0-0 Big Sky
MSU in ‘08 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 (Ia.)/’73
Overall/Years 182-104-5/28th
At MSU/Years 6-5/2nd
vs ASC 0-0
Home/Road 0-0/0-0
SERIES MSU 2-0
At MSU MSU 2-0
At ASC 0-0
Current Streak UM 1W
SID Bill Lamberty
Office 406/994-5133
E-mail blamberty@msubobcats.com
Adams State
GRIZZLIES
0-0/0-0 Rocky Mountain
ASC in ‘08 0-0
Conf./Record Rocky Mountain/0-0
Home/Road 0-0/0-0
Grass/Turf 0-0/0-0
Day/Night 0-0/0-0
HEAD COACH Marty Heaton
Alma Mater Adams State/’82
Overall/Years 0-0/1st
At School/Years same
vs MSU 0-0
Home/Road 0-0/0-0
ABOUT ASC The Grizzlies
Spirit Colors Green, white
Location/Enrollment Alamosa, CO/2,500
Stadium Rex Stadium
SID Chris Day
Office 719/587-7825
E-mail clday@adams.edu
GAME FACTS
KICKOFF: 1:05 pm
SITE: Bozeman, MT
STADIUM: Bobcat Stadium
PRESS BOX: 406/994-6180
RADIO: Bobcat Network (Jeff Lasky, Dan Davies, Tyler Wiltgen)
TELEVISION: Bobcat Sports Network (Chris Byers, Ron Heller, Dave Griffiths)
HIGHLIGHTS
• MSU was a member of the Rocky Mountain Conference, to which Adams State belongs, from 1922-57 • Adams State is MSU’s fourth Rocky Mountain opponent in the last seven years • The Cats face their second season in the last three with a new starting QB
STREAKS
• Bobby Daly has double-digit tackles in nine straight games • MSU’s last four coaches improved the school’s record from his first season to his second • MSU’s seven straight winning seasons is its longest streak since 1956-64
MILESTONES
• Bobby Daly’s 34 career tackles-for-loss is tied for 10th in MSU history • MSU has sold out its season tickets for three straight seasons
SHINING
• LB BOBBY DALY enters the season as MSU’s first returning consensus All-America in 40 years • DE DANE FLETCHER finished 2007 in the FCS top 10 in tackles-for-loss • QB CODY KEMPT is MSU’s second first-time starting QB in the last three years
THE BOBCATS THIS WEEK
Mon Practice: 3:30 pm
Tue Coaches Corner: 10 am
Media Lunch: Noon*
Practice: 3:30 pm
Wed Practice: 3:30 pm
Cat Chat: 7 pm
Thu Practice: 3:30 pm
Fri Practice: TBA
*-MSU players available only during Media Lunch
Notes on the Offense...
• Personnel on four of MSU’s five slots on the offensive line have changed hands since the end of spring drills, spurred largely by the ineligibility of Jeff Miller and Jim Verlanic’s injury • MSU opens the season with a new starting quarterback for the second time in three seasons • Five of MSU’s top pass-catchers from 2007 return this season
Notes on the Defense...
• Bobby Daly returns as a preseason All-America and a returning consensus All-America at linebacker, where MSU has three players who have started games are back • MSU returns 59 tackles from loss from last year’s team • Six payers who have started games as Bobcats return to Montana State’s defensive line this year, including two of the four full-time starters from a year ago
Notes on the Kick Teams...
• True freshman Jason Cunningham is slated to handle place kicking chores to open they year • Eric Fisher averaged over 42 yards per punt last fall • Long snapper Tim Garcia returns this year, as well
Hello, My Name Is...
The Big Sky welcomed four new head coaches this season, including MSU’s Rob Ash. The Bobcats’ first-year coach finished 3-0 against his fellow newcomers.
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 ‘08season.
Seeing Red
It was easy to see during MSU’s fall training camp that the Bobcats converted only 19 of their 36 red zone trips into points. The high water mark came against Portland State, when the Bobcats scored on four of their five trips inside the Vikings 20.
400 Over & Under
MSU held 13 of its previous 14 opponents to less than 400 total yards entering the season’s final two games. Portland State gained 402 yards against MSU, much of that coming after the game had been decided, but in the finale Montana rolled up 496 yards.
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’s total would have been good for 13th nationally (13.2), but didn’t qualify because of the time he missed with injuries.
Lots of Wins
Montana State head coach Rob Ash’s 182 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 45 games. The Bobcats have not allowed a punt return for a touchdown in 54 straight games (since Cal Poly, 2003) or a kickoff return in 75 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 combined to turn the trick against Weber State in 2007.
The O-Line Shuffle
For three straight seasons, and in five of his six seasons as Montana State’s offensive line coach, the unit Jason McEndoo sent out for the first series of the season was different than that with which he closed the preceeding set of spring drills. This year is no different, as the ineligibility of projected starting tackle Jeff Miller led to Lou Saucedo’s move to tackle and the emergence of redshirt freshmen Conrad Burbank in the starting lineup.
The Turnover Tale
Since the beginning of the 2005 season, MSU is 11-1 when positive in turnover margin, 4-7 when even in turnovers, and 6-6 when giving up more turnovers than it forces. The ‘Cats finished -3 in turnovers in 2007.
Sudden Changes
The Bobcat defense allowed no points after MSU’s four turnovers in game 10 at Portland State, but Montana turned both Bobcat turnovers into touchdowns in the Cat-Griz game.
Pick Party
MSU’s 19 interceptions in 2007 was the ninth-best total in school history
Opening Information
Montana State is 55-45-5 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 third season in the last four that the Bobcats face a team with a new head coach.
They’re Tight
MSU’s four varsity tight ends are each products of Montana high schools: starter Brandon Bostick (Missoula Big Sky), Joe Schreibeis (Billings West), Kyle Begger (Miles City), and Shane Robison (Billings West). In addition, redshirts Steven Foster (Helena High) and Kevin Steiner (Shelby) also hail from the Treasure State.
Born in a Small Town
Nine Bobcats from small Montana high schools (Class B or C) enter the season on the Montana State varsity. Below are the sub-Class AA players slated to log playing tim this year...
Jesse Anderson, Fort Benton (Class B)
Kyle Begger, Miles City (Class A)
Michael Erickson, Havre (Class A)
Justin Hill, Huntley Project (Class A)
Dylan Kinkelaar, Winifred (Class C)
Mike Person, Glendive (Class A)
Tanner Ripley, Highwood (Class C)
Brad Smith, Belgrade (Class A)
Jim Verlanic, Anaconda (Class A)
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+
No Close Calls
Only two of MSU’s last 13 games were decided by less than double-digits.
MSU When Leading After...
1st Qtr: 0-0/2nd Qtr: 0-0/3rd Qtr: 0-0
MSU When Trailing After...
1st Qtr: 0-0/2nd Qtr: 0-0/3rd Qtr: 0-0
ROB ASH, ON...
...fall camp this year vs. last year: “I actually feel like we’re ready for a game this year. It’s nice that it’s at home, because it gives us another day to prepare rather than traveling. I feel like we’re further ahead on offense and defense and special teams, we’re ahead in all areas. Of course, we played well (in the opener) last year, so whether or not it plays out that way this year, we’ll have to wait and see.”
...on the last segment of fall camp: “I think the players are starting to come together as a group of guys who respect each other. They’re feeling a lot of unity and a common ground here, getting to know each other. I get a good sense about our team unity right now. We’ve had a minimum of friction between the two sides of the ball. We’ve had good, solid practices and good, tough, hard-hitting drills where everyone’s been supportive. Sometimes in camp you get warring factions, the offense versus the defense, and it gets to be brutal. Our guys have practiced very well and very level-headed throughout camp.”
...Adams State: “The tables have turned, and I know what Texas A&M went through against us last year, looking at tapes from UCLA for Svoboda, and Drake and Montana State. That’s what we’re doing, we’re just trying to get bits and pieces of information where we can, because we’re not really sure what they’re going to do. It really is like preparing for a ghost, and they have a huge advantage in that area. It’s important for us to go out and do what we’re going to do. We’re not going to keep any secrets, we’re going to practice what we’ve been practicing and go do our thing on offense and defense.”
With members of the school’s 1984 National Championship squad on hand, Montana State inaugurates its new Field Turf playing surface by hosting Adams State College. The 1984 team is denoted on the Bobcat Stadium field which it donated to the program. The Bobcats look begin the season with a win for the third time in the past five seasons while opening at home for only the third time in the last eight years.
FOR OPENERS
• Montana State opens its season at home for the first time since 2004, when the Bobcats also hosted Adams State • MSU has won eight of its last nine when opening the season in Bobcat Stadium
STADIUM STUFF
• MSU is 11-2 in season-opening games in Bobcat Stadium • MSU’s opener marks the first of 11 games the Cats play on artificial turf this year
BIG SKY BULLET POINTS
• Eastern Washington (#7) and Montana (#8) enter the year in The Sports Network top 10 • All Big Sky teams except Montana and Northern Colorado open up this weekend
Montana State
BOBCATS
0-0/0-0 Big Sky
MSU in ‘08 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 (Ia.)/’73
Overall/Years 182-104-5/28th
At MSU/Years 6-5/2nd
vs ASC 0-0
Home/Road 0-0/0-0
SERIES MSU 2-0
At MSU MSU 2-0
At ASC 0-0
Current Streak UM 1W
SID Bill Lamberty
Office 406/994-5133
E-mail blamberty@msubobcats.com
Adams State
GRIZZLIES
0-0/0-0 Rocky Mountain
ASC in ‘08 0-0
Conf./Record Rocky Mountain/0-0
Home/Road 0-0/0-0
Grass/Turf 0-0/0-0
Day/Night 0-0/0-0
HEAD COACH Marty Heaton
Alma Mater Adams State/’82
Overall/Years 0-0/1st
At School/Years same
vs MSU 0-0
Home/Road 0-0/0-0
ABOUT ASC The Grizzlies
Spirit Colors Green, white
Location/Enrollment Alamosa, CO/2,500
Stadium Rex Stadium
SID Chris Day
Office 719/587-7825
E-mail clday@adams.edu
GAME FACTS
KICKOFF: 1:05 pm
SITE: Bozeman, MT
STADIUM: Bobcat Stadium
PRESS BOX: 406/994-6180
RADIO: Bobcat Network (Jeff Lasky, Dan Davies, Tyler Wiltgen)
TELEVISION: Bobcat Sports Network (Chris Byers, Ron Heller, Dave Griffiths)
HIGHLIGHTS
• MSU was a member of the Rocky Mountain Conference, to which Adams State belongs, from 1922-57 • Adams State is MSU’s fourth Rocky Mountain opponent in the last seven years • The Cats face their second season in the last three with a new starting QB
STREAKS
• Bobby Daly has double-digit tackles in nine straight games • MSU’s last four coaches improved the school’s record from his first season to his second • MSU’s seven straight winning seasons is its longest streak since 1956-64
MILESTONES
• Bobby Daly’s 34 career tackles-for-loss is tied for 10th in MSU history • MSU has sold out its season tickets for three straight seasons
SHINING
• LB BOBBY DALY enters the season as MSU’s first returning consensus All-America in 40 years • DE DANE FLETCHER finished 2007 in the FCS top 10 in tackles-for-loss • QB CODY KEMPT is MSU’s second first-time starting QB in the last three years
THE BOBCATS THIS WEEK
Mon Practice: 3:30 pm
Tue Coaches Corner: 10 am
Media Lunch: Noon*
Practice: 3:30 pm
Wed Practice: 3:30 pm
Cat Chat: 7 pm
Thu Practice: 3:30 pm
Fri Practice: TBA
*-MSU players available only during Media Lunch
Notes on the Offense...
• Personnel on four of MSU’s five slots on the offensive line have changed hands since the end of spring drills, spurred largely by the ineligibility of Jeff Miller and Jim Verlanic’s injury • MSU opens the season with a new starting quarterback for the second time in three seasons • Five of MSU’s top pass-catchers from 2007 return this season
Notes on the Defense...
• Bobby Daly returns as a preseason All-America and a returning consensus All-America at linebacker, where MSU has three players who have started games are back • MSU returns 59 tackles from loss from last year’s team • Six payers who have started games as Bobcats return to Montana State’s defensive line this year, including two of the four full-time starters from a year ago
Notes on the Kick Teams...
• True freshman Jason Cunningham is slated to handle place kicking chores to open they year • Eric Fisher averaged over 42 yards per punt last fall • Long snapper Tim Garcia returns this year, as well
Hello, My Name Is...
The Big Sky welcomed four new head coaches this season, including MSU’s Rob Ash. The Bobcats’ first-year coach finished 3-0 against his fellow newcomers.
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 ‘08season.
Seeing Red
It was easy to see during MSU’s fall training camp that the Bobcats converted only 19 of their 36 red zone trips into points. The high water mark came against Portland State, when the Bobcats scored on four of their five trips inside the Vikings 20.
400 Over & Under
MSU held 13 of its previous 14 opponents to less than 400 total yards entering the season’s final two games. Portland State gained 402 yards against MSU, much of that coming after the game had been decided, but in the finale Montana rolled up 496 yards.
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’s total would have been good for 13th nationally (13.2), but didn’t qualify because of the time he missed with injuries.
Lots of Wins
Montana State head coach Rob Ash’s 182 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 45 games. The Bobcats have not allowed a punt return for a touchdown in 54 straight games (since Cal Poly, 2003) or a kickoff return in 75 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 combined to turn the trick against Weber State in 2007.
The O-Line Shuffle
For three straight seasons, and in five of his six seasons as Montana State’s offensive line coach, the unit Jason McEndoo sent out for the first series of the season was different than that with which he closed the preceeding set of spring drills. This year is no different, as the ineligibility of projected starting tackle Jeff Miller led to Lou Saucedo’s move to tackle and the emergence of redshirt freshmen Conrad Burbank in the starting lineup.
The Turnover Tale
Since the beginning of the 2005 season, MSU is 11-1 when positive in turnover margin, 4-7 when even in turnovers, and 6-6 when giving up more turnovers than it forces. The ‘Cats finished -3 in turnovers in 2007.
Sudden Changes
The Bobcat defense allowed no points after MSU’s four turnovers in game 10 at Portland State, but Montana turned both Bobcat turnovers into touchdowns in the Cat-Griz game.
Pick Party
MSU’s 19 interceptions in 2007 was the ninth-best total in school history
Opening Information
Montana State is 55-45-5 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 third season in the last four that the Bobcats face a team with a new head coach.
They’re Tight
MSU’s four varsity tight ends are each products of Montana high schools: starter Brandon Bostick (Missoula Big Sky), Joe Schreibeis (Billings West), Kyle Begger (Miles City), and Shane Robison (Billings West). In addition, redshirts Steven Foster (Helena High) and Kevin Steiner (Shelby) also hail from the Treasure State.
Born in a Small Town
Nine Bobcats from small Montana high schools (Class B or C) enter the season on the Montana State varsity. Below are the sub-Class AA players slated to log playing tim this year...
Jesse Anderson, Fort Benton (Class B)
Kyle Begger, Miles City (Class A)
Michael Erickson, Havre (Class A)
Justin Hill, Huntley Project (Class A)
Dylan Kinkelaar, Winifred (Class C)
Mike Person, Glendive (Class A)
Tanner Ripley, Highwood (Class C)
Brad Smith, Belgrade (Class A)
Jim Verlanic, Anaconda (Class A)
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+
No Close Calls
Only two of MSU’s last 13 games were decided by less than double-digits.
MSU When Leading After...
1st Qtr: 0-0/2nd Qtr: 0-0/3rd Qtr: 0-0
MSU When Trailing After...
1st Qtr: 0-0/2nd Qtr: 0-0/3rd Qtr: 0-0
ROB ASH, ON...
...fall camp this year vs. last year: “I actually feel like we’re ready for a game this year. It’s nice that it’s at home, because it gives us another day to prepare rather than traveling. I feel like we’re further ahead on offense and defense and special teams, we’re ahead in all areas. Of course, we played well (in the opener) last year, so whether or not it plays out that way this year, we’ll have to wait and see.”
...on the last segment of fall camp: “I think the players are starting to come together as a group of guys who respect each other. They’re feeling a lot of unity and a common ground here, getting to know each other. I get a good sense about our team unity right now. We’ve had a minimum of friction between the two sides of the ball. We’ve had good, solid practices and good, tough, hard-hitting drills where everyone’s been supportive. Sometimes in camp you get warring factions, the offense versus the defense, and it gets to be brutal. Our guys have practiced very well and very level-headed throughout camp.”
...Adams State: “The tables have turned, and I know what Texas A&M went through against us last year, looking at tapes from UCLA for Svoboda, and Drake and Montana State. That’s what we’re doing, we’re just trying to get bits and pieces of information where we can, because we’re not really sure what they’re going to do. It really is like preparing for a ghost, and they have a huge advantage in that area. It’s important for us to go out and do what we’re going to do. We’re not going to keep any secrets, we’re going to practice what we’ve been practicing and go do our thing on offense and defense.”
Wednesday, June 10
Friday, March 27
Monday, March 23
Friday, March 13
