Photo by: Andrew Pedersen
CATS IN CAMP #11: Bobcats Begin 'Moving Week' in Style
8/15/2017 4:42:00 PM | Football
Montana State freshmen don’t officially move into their residence halls for one more week, but Bobcat head football coach Jeff Choate applied a familiar moniker to the series of practices that began Tuesday and lead to Saturday’s final full scrimmage of the preseason
Montana State freshmen don't officially move into their residence halls for one more week, but Bobcat head football coach Jeff Choate applied a familiar moniker to the series of practices that began Tuesday and led to Saturday's final full scrimmage of the preseason.
"We challenged the guys pre-practice pretty good," Choate said after Tuesday's full-pad session, "and this is now moving week. This is the week to (distinguish between the) guys that step up and get on that airplane to go to Pullman on the (first) of September, and guys that are not quite ready for prime time. That's what we're challenging the guys with over these next three practices."
Montana State's offense executed particularly well in Saturday's first full scrimmage of fall camp. Choate said after coming out a little flat Monday morning the defensive unit responded well.
"I thought red zone seven-on-seven (Monday) was kind of a lackadaisical effort by the defense," MSU's second-year head coach said, "and I thought they came out and competed well (Tuesday), got some things cleaned up with their communication. We're doing a lot of things to challenge them. I really like what we're doing on offense because it really forces us to defend a lot of things, so I was pleased with their response in that regard. Even going down into the red zone and holding (the offense) to a field goal with the ones and the twos in the overtime period we used at the end of practice, I thought that was a step in the right direction."
Choate liked the tone and tempo he saw Tuesday. "I think all these guys responded," he said. "I thought we had good focus and execution on the offensive side. I thought we had good energy on the defensive side. It's hard when you put the defense in a red zone situation and it's not live. You can see how the thing changed on the four or five live reps we had. We'll have a chance to get those guys going on Saturday."
The process for constructing a travel party, two-deep and starting lineup culminates in many ways on Sunday, 30 hours or so after the team's final scrimmage of the preseason. "There's a lot of back-and-forth" in the process, Choate said of the conversations within the coaching staff in deciding the few remaining starting spots, along with the decisions of which new freshmen play on the varsity. "Some of them are easy decisions, but then you start getting down to BJ (Robertson, MSU special teams coordinator) having the trump card with special teams. That's a critical aspect of it, too."
Montana State opens the season on Sept. 2 at Washington State.
CHOATE PRAISES FRESHMAN CLASS: While admitting that every recruiting class brings with it a great unknown when it gathers on campus for the first time, Montana State's freshman class is "kind of what we thought we were getting. We felt like we had a really, really good class."
Choate said at a point in preseason camp when many new freshmen begin swimming mentally, this year's class has taken steps forward. "You can see the growth. I thought the two young corners competed exceptionally well today. There's a lot of hype on Troy, obviously , and he's done a really nice job, but I think our freshmen offensive line (has played well). Brody McKnight had a great day today, he's a guy that's all of a sudden emerged. With Redd, Wood, Sean Hatten, Brody McKnight, there's some big, young, good offensive linemen there. Kyle Rygg had a really good day in one-on-ones on the D-line. Elu (Leota), is a young man who I think is going to have a role for us this year."
Choate said the future of the Bobcat program is in good hands, if the 2017 class' first two weeks are an indication. "We feel very good about our class. You always do on signing day, but sometimes when you open that present on the first of August for camp it isn't always the same. But these guys have been as advertised.
DALY IMPRESSES DAILY: Senior kicker Luke Daly has impressed throughout the spring and preseason, no one more than head coach Jeff Choate. "He's a really talented place kicker and punter.
Daly has never held the role as MSU's regular punter, but as the team's place kicker in 2014 and '15 before missing last season, he has been excellent. The Billings Central product is 22-for-28 in his career on field goals, including 8-for-9 in 2015. "His talent ceiling is very high," Choate said. "Now we have to have him perform at that level more consistently. We expect him to be at 80 percent inside of 40. If we're trying long field goals, we understand there's a little more margin for error there."
Choate likes Daly's showing as a punter, but said consistency is now job one. "As a punter, you prefer a guy who's a four-five 45 guy every time, so he's kicking the ball 45 yards with a 4.5 hang time and you can count on that inside and out. He's been one of those guys that will kick a 65 yarder and then a 35 yarder. So we have to fill in those gaps in consistency in the punt game, but clearly he has a very strong leg and will be an asset to our team."
"We challenged the guys pre-practice pretty good," Choate said after Tuesday's full-pad session, "and this is now moving week. This is the week to (distinguish between the) guys that step up and get on that airplane to go to Pullman on the (first) of September, and guys that are not quite ready for prime time. That's what we're challenging the guys with over these next three practices."
Montana State's offense executed particularly well in Saturday's first full scrimmage of fall camp. Choate said after coming out a little flat Monday morning the defensive unit responded well.
"I thought red zone seven-on-seven (Monday) was kind of a lackadaisical effort by the defense," MSU's second-year head coach said, "and I thought they came out and competed well (Tuesday), got some things cleaned up with their communication. We're doing a lot of things to challenge them. I really like what we're doing on offense because it really forces us to defend a lot of things, so I was pleased with their response in that regard. Even going down into the red zone and holding (the offense) to a field goal with the ones and the twos in the overtime period we used at the end of practice, I thought that was a step in the right direction."
Choate liked the tone and tempo he saw Tuesday. "I think all these guys responded," he said. "I thought we had good focus and execution on the offensive side. I thought we had good energy on the defensive side. It's hard when you put the defense in a red zone situation and it's not live. You can see how the thing changed on the four or five live reps we had. We'll have a chance to get those guys going on Saturday."
The process for constructing a travel party, two-deep and starting lineup culminates in many ways on Sunday, 30 hours or so after the team's final scrimmage of the preseason. "There's a lot of back-and-forth" in the process, Choate said of the conversations within the coaching staff in deciding the few remaining starting spots, along with the decisions of which new freshmen play on the varsity. "Some of them are easy decisions, but then you start getting down to BJ (Robertson, MSU special teams coordinator) having the trump card with special teams. That's a critical aspect of it, too."
Montana State opens the season on Sept. 2 at Washington State.
CHOATE PRAISES FRESHMAN CLASS: While admitting that every recruiting class brings with it a great unknown when it gathers on campus for the first time, Montana State's freshman class is "kind of what we thought we were getting. We felt like we had a really, really good class."
Choate said at a point in preseason camp when many new freshmen begin swimming mentally, this year's class has taken steps forward. "You can see the growth. I thought the two young corners competed exceptionally well today. There's a lot of hype on Troy, obviously , and he's done a really nice job, but I think our freshmen offensive line (has played well). Brody McKnight had a great day today, he's a guy that's all of a sudden emerged. With Redd, Wood, Sean Hatten, Brody McKnight, there's some big, young, good offensive linemen there. Kyle Rygg had a really good day in one-on-ones on the D-line. Elu (Leota), is a young man who I think is going to have a role for us this year."
Choate said the future of the Bobcat program is in good hands, if the 2017 class' first two weeks are an indication. "We feel very good about our class. You always do on signing day, but sometimes when you open that present on the first of August for camp it isn't always the same. But these guys have been as advertised.
DALY IMPRESSES DAILY: Senior kicker Luke Daly has impressed throughout the spring and preseason, no one more than head coach Jeff Choate. "He's a really talented place kicker and punter.
Daly has never held the role as MSU's regular punter, but as the team's place kicker in 2014 and '15 before missing last season, he has been excellent. The Billings Central product is 22-for-28 in his career on field goals, including 8-for-9 in 2015. "His talent ceiling is very high," Choate said. "Now we have to have him perform at that level more consistently. We expect him to be at 80 percent inside of 40. If we're trying long field goals, we understand there's a little more margin for error there."
Choate likes Daly's showing as a punter, but said consistency is now job one. "As a punter, you prefer a guy who's a four-five 45 guy every time, so he's kicking the ball 45 yards with a 4.5 hang time and you can count on that inside and out. He's been one of those guys that will kick a 65 yarder and then a 35 yarder. So we have to fill in those gaps in consistency in the punt game, but clearly he has a very strong leg and will be an asset to our team."
Players Mentioned
Thursday, July 31
Monday, May 19
Wednesday, May 03
Wednesday, May 03
