GAME 6: MSU Ground Game Lines Up Against Explosive Eagles Aerial Attack

Saturday, October 14

Cheney, WA

2 pm

Montana State University

#10 Eastern Washington

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Bryce Alley and the Bobcats secondary will be tested at Eastern Washington

Photo by: Kelly Gorham

GAME 6: MSU Ground Game Lines Up Against Explosive Eagles Aerial Attack

10/10/2017 5:09:00 PM | Football

Montana State Notes vs. EWU 10-14-17 Eastern Washington Notes vs MSU 10-14-17

Bobcats hope to retain the rush of rushing the ball on EWU's red turf

By: Bill Lamberty

Montana State vs. Eastern Washington Preview
Jeff Choate sums up the anxiety felt by any coach when Eastern Washington pops up on the schedule as the next opponent.

"Not gonna get much sleep this week," Montana State's second-year coach groaned Monday when discussing an Eagles offense that ranks among the nation's top 10 in yards and first downs and is just a few ticks below that in points. "This is an excellent football team."

That's not exactly news. The Eagles claim Big Sky titles and FCS Playoff berths in five of the last seven seasons, producing a Big Sky Offensive MVP in a mind-numbing 12 timed in the last 16 years. Current quarterback Gage Gubrud is among those honored.

"He's really a special player," Bobcat defensive coordinator Ty Gregorak says of Gubrud. "It seems like in my 14 years (as a defensive coach in the Big Sky) Eastern's always got a dude that's pretty dang prolific, and he's definitely the next in line of all the great ones I've coached against from that place. He's obviously a special player."

Gubrud is the most productive quarterback in the FCS, leading the subdivision in passing yards and touchdown throws, and standing third in total offense. The junior has throws for 2,188 yards, including at least 399 in four straight. He has connected on seven passes of more than 40 yards this season, including five in the last two weeks.

"From the Fordham game on, they have been lighting it up," Choate said. "I think they're a gifted, talented outfit. They play with a lot of swagger and a lot of confidence. We're trying to become that, and this is part of the process. This is week six, and we've played five ranked opponents, so we've played pretty good teams. This is what we do every week, we go out and play good teams. It doesn't matter if it's now or down the stretch in the Big Sky, there's a lot of parity in this league. What's got to be different is we've got to score touchdowns instead of settling for field goals, and we've got to not allow (Gubrud) to run around and throw the ball down the field."

Gubrud's opposite number, Bobcat sophomore Chris Murray, offers a unique contrast. Eastern Washington's signal caller is an athletic player who gained 198 yards rushing this year (netting 82 yards), but makes his mark throwing the football. Murray is elusive and fast, and is gaining traction every game operating MSU's dizzying triple-option offense that scatters in run-pass and zone-read concepts.

"It's not unlike what Eastern is doing in the pass game," Choate says of Montana State's evolving option attack. "Option football is very similar to the spread passing game in that we're spacing them out, we're just doing it a little bit differently. It starts more vertical than horizontal and we're making a decision based on how they play us. If we are right, it's hard for the defense to be right… It's about decision-making, and taking advantage about what the defense isn't going to defend."

Statistically Eastern Washington's defense appears prone to surrendering yardage. Choate is not fooled. "I've watched them play and these guys play really hard," Choate said. "They get after it. But they've given up some yards, and that's probably due in large part to the fact that they have to play a lot of snaps there. When you make the decision to be as wide open on offense as Eastern is, one of the by-products of that is that your defense is going to have to play a lot of downs."

Safety Mitch Fettig "has made a lot of plays for them," Choate says, and the junior leads the team with 58 tackles. Linebacker Kurt Calhoun, a junior who Chaote calls "A big, physical kid," and freshman defensive back Anfernee Gurley have each forced two fumbles.

While Montana State's offense never occupies the gridiron simultaneous to Eastern's, the Eagles' prolific point production puts pressure on MSU when is possesses the ball. "I think definitely," offensive coordinator Brian Armstrong said. "You want to control the time of possession as much as you can, and at the same time it's going to be important that we score. Any time you play a high-quality team, whether it's Eastern or South Dakota State or whoever, there's an emphasis on controlling the ball and scoring as many points as you can."

Kickoff for Saturday's game is 2 pm MT/1 pm PT at Roos Field on the Eastern Washington campus in Cheney. The game is televised around Montana on the SWX network of stations.