Montana State's defense is off to a solid start in the spring
Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson
Bobcat Defense Hopes to Build on Strong 2011
4/5/2012 9:48:00 AM | Football
Stop unit looks to springboard back to dominance with good spring
Jamie Marshall knows there's a simple way to keep things fresh, even when his Bobcat defense returns eight starters and 19 lettermen.
“Competition,” he says simply. “We definitely have more than 11 guys that can help us play winning football. If someone doesn't pull their weight, we'll put the next guy in. We're not afraid to change the depth chart around.”
The quest to get on the field, to make plays, and to keep up with the curve has led to a highly-competitive environment on the defensive side of the ball this spring, says Montana State's sixth-year head coach Rob Ash. “The best way to keep things fresh is competition for playing time, and we have that on the defense. At linebacker Jody Owens isn't even out there, so the guys there are working to see who the next players are.”
The new challenges of the upcoming season also prevents complacency, Ash says. “The defense is tweaking their scheme a little bit, adding new new wrinkles, so there's learning going on. That keeps things fresh, too.”
The first wave of tweaks and changes will be on display Friday morning at 11:30 am, when the Bobcats stage their first major scrimmage of the spring. Marshall says his unit's priority lies at or near – or behind – the line of scrimmage. “We still want to work on stopping the run,” says the engineer of last year's Big Sky-leading pass defense, which missed leading the league in total defense by just a tick. “We didn't meet expectations in that area last year when you look at the end-of-the-year stats. We didn't play the way we need to at the end of the year.”
Marshall said that in addition to scheme changes, spring drills provides considerable time for work on fundamentals. “We teach guys how to defeat blocks, how to defend the pass, how to win on the pass rush,” he said. “Each player needs to have the tools to win one-on-one matchups. You have to work on those things in the spring because there are more opportunities for crossover, good-on-good.”
While much of the preseason attention lands on MSU's defensive front seven, Ash has trained his gaze on the backfield. “We have a new coach, which changes the dynamic, and we're adding (cornerback) James Andrews back into the mix, which creates more competition for those guys. The same is true at safety, where young guys like James Nelson and Rob Marshall are progressing to the point where they're going to challenge.”
Whoever ends up earning playing time at each position, Marshall believes his unit provides the key to the new season when it arrives.
“Where we go as a team depends on how well we play on defense. Our expectations this year are different than last year. In 2011 we wanted to make a comeback on defense and be proud of what we did, and we accomplished that. This year, we need to make a statement.”
“Competition,” he says simply. “We definitely have more than 11 guys that can help us play winning football. If someone doesn't pull their weight, we'll put the next guy in. We're not afraid to change the depth chart around.”
The quest to get on the field, to make plays, and to keep up with the curve has led to a highly-competitive environment on the defensive side of the ball this spring, says Montana State's sixth-year head coach Rob Ash. “The best way to keep things fresh is competition for playing time, and we have that on the defense. At linebacker Jody Owens isn't even out there, so the guys there are working to see who the next players are.”
The new challenges of the upcoming season also prevents complacency, Ash says. “The defense is tweaking their scheme a little bit, adding new new wrinkles, so there's learning going on. That keeps things fresh, too.”
The first wave of tweaks and changes will be on display Friday morning at 11:30 am, when the Bobcats stage their first major scrimmage of the spring. Marshall says his unit's priority lies at or near – or behind – the line of scrimmage. “We still want to work on stopping the run,” says the engineer of last year's Big Sky-leading pass defense, which missed leading the league in total defense by just a tick. “We didn't meet expectations in that area last year when you look at the end-of-the-year stats. We didn't play the way we need to at the end of the year.”
Marshall said that in addition to scheme changes, spring drills provides considerable time for work on fundamentals. “We teach guys how to defeat blocks, how to defend the pass, how to win on the pass rush,” he said. “Each player needs to have the tools to win one-on-one matchups. You have to work on those things in the spring because there are more opportunities for crossover, good-on-good.”
While much of the preseason attention lands on MSU's defensive front seven, Ash has trained his gaze on the backfield. “We have a new coach, which changes the dynamic, and we're adding (cornerback) James Andrews back into the mix, which creates more competition for those guys. The same is true at safety, where young guys like James Nelson and Rob Marshall are progressing to the point where they're going to challenge.”
Whoever ends up earning playing time at each position, Marshall believes his unit provides the key to the new season when it arrives.
“Where we go as a team depends on how well we play on defense. Our expectations this year are different than last year. In 2011 we wanted to make a comeback on defense and be proud of what we did, and we accomplished that. This year, we need to make a statement.”
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