Saturday, November 19
12 noon
Montana State University
at
Montana
Photo by: Adrian Sanchez-Gonzalez
Bobcats Head West for 116th Cat-Griz Game
11/18/2016 3:35:00 PM | Football
Brawl of the Wild kicks off at 12 noon in Missoula
Jeff Choate may be new to the sidelines of a Bobcat-Grizzly football game, but he checks a lot of other boxes.
"I've been part of rivalry games, I've been in full (opponents') stadiums, I went to school in the state so I know how much this game means to the people of Montana and the kids in this program," he said. "There's a tremendous amount of passion surrounding this game, and it's 365 days a year."
Then Choate pauses, and applies a label to it that not every college football game carries. "It's a forever game. It's a game these kids will remember forever."
Choate leads his first Montana State (3-7, 1-6 Big Sky) football team into the FCS' ultimate rivalry on Saturday when the Bobcats face the Montana Grizzlies (6-4 overall, 3-4 Big Sky) in Missoula. Kickoff in Washington-Grizzly Stadium is set for 12 noon, and the game is televised regionally on ROOT Sports and nationally on DirecTV's Audience Network.
The 116th Brawl of the Wild matches an explosive UM offense against Montana State's improving defense. The Grizzlies are second in the Big Sky in total offense (499.9 yards per game) and scoring offense (41.7 points a game), behind only Eastern Washington's epic offense. The Cats held EWU below its scoring average by dropping into coverage and limiting explosive plays, but Bobcat defensive coordinator feels that can only be part of the plan Saturday.
"Ideally we'd like to get pressure on the quarterback," the long-time UM assistant who is in his first year on the Bobcat staff said. "It will have to be a mix of things. You don't always have to sack the quarterback to affect a team with pressure, making him uncomfortable is important."
Offensively Montana State looks for continued efficiency, and much of that correlates to the team's ability to, in Choate's words, "value the football. (Freshman quarterback) Chris (Murray) showed growth in that area last week (in a win over UC Davis). He made better decisions, using his legs to get out of trouble rather than try to force the ball into tight coverage, throwing the ball away. You could just see his understanding of that grow throughout the game."
As Murray and the Bobcats continue to develop in the passing game, the team remains productive on the ground. MSU averages 196.4 yards a game rushing the ball, with Murray's explosiveness and running back Chad Newell's power the leading weapons. Gunnar Brekke remains an all-purpose threat, both carrying the ball and as a receiver.
The primary task for the Montana State defense is to "defend the entire field," Choate says. "They want to spread you out horizontally to create space vertically, but they've been effective running the ball, too. They're very explosive." Senior quarterback Brady Gustafson is second in the Big Sky in passing at 324.1 yards a game, and is expected back in the starting lineup Saturday after missing a couple games with injury.
Quietly, Montana State has evolved into an effective special teams unit spearheaded by three freshmen. Punter Jered Padmos and kicker Gabe Peppenger are both among the top 10 in the Big Sky, and returner Kevin Kassis has been effective throughout the season on punts. "We've been pretty efficient on special teams this year," Choate said.
"I've been part of rivalry games, I've been in full (opponents') stadiums, I went to school in the state so I know how much this game means to the people of Montana and the kids in this program," he said. "There's a tremendous amount of passion surrounding this game, and it's 365 days a year."
Then Choate pauses, and applies a label to it that not every college football game carries. "It's a forever game. It's a game these kids will remember forever."
Choate leads his first Montana State (3-7, 1-6 Big Sky) football team into the FCS' ultimate rivalry on Saturday when the Bobcats face the Montana Grizzlies (6-4 overall, 3-4 Big Sky) in Missoula. Kickoff in Washington-Grizzly Stadium is set for 12 noon, and the game is televised regionally on ROOT Sports and nationally on DirecTV's Audience Network.
The 116th Brawl of the Wild matches an explosive UM offense against Montana State's improving defense. The Grizzlies are second in the Big Sky in total offense (499.9 yards per game) and scoring offense (41.7 points a game), behind only Eastern Washington's epic offense. The Cats held EWU below its scoring average by dropping into coverage and limiting explosive plays, but Bobcat defensive coordinator feels that can only be part of the plan Saturday.
"Ideally we'd like to get pressure on the quarterback," the long-time UM assistant who is in his first year on the Bobcat staff said. "It will have to be a mix of things. You don't always have to sack the quarterback to affect a team with pressure, making him uncomfortable is important."
Offensively Montana State looks for continued efficiency, and much of that correlates to the team's ability to, in Choate's words, "value the football. (Freshman quarterback) Chris (Murray) showed growth in that area last week (in a win over UC Davis). He made better decisions, using his legs to get out of trouble rather than try to force the ball into tight coverage, throwing the ball away. You could just see his understanding of that grow throughout the game."
As Murray and the Bobcats continue to develop in the passing game, the team remains productive on the ground. MSU averages 196.4 yards a game rushing the ball, with Murray's explosiveness and running back Chad Newell's power the leading weapons. Gunnar Brekke remains an all-purpose threat, both carrying the ball and as a receiver.
The primary task for the Montana State defense is to "defend the entire field," Choate says. "They want to spread you out horizontally to create space vertically, but they've been effective running the ball, too. They're very explosive." Senior quarterback Brady Gustafson is second in the Big Sky in passing at 324.1 yards a game, and is expected back in the starting lineup Saturday after missing a couple games with injury.
Quietly, Montana State has evolved into an effective special teams unit spearheaded by three freshmen. Punter Jered Padmos and kicker Gabe Peppenger are both among the top 10 in the Big Sky, and returner Kevin Kassis has been effective throughout the season on punts. "We've been pretty efficient on special teams this year," Choate said.
Players Mentioned
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