Dennis Erickson as Montana State's quarterback
BOBCAT GAME DAY NOTEBOOK #1: Bobcat Hall of Famer Dennis Erickson Honored Today
9/2/2017 7:00:00 PM | Football
Cats face 'big' challenges at Washington State
Today in Martin Stadium, Dennis Erickson's football career comes full circle.
A former Montana State quarterback who served as head coach for both Washington State and the Seattle Seahawks will be honored during tonight's game for his induction into the State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame. His fellow 2017 inductees include Mike Holmgren and Curt Warner. Plaques of the 208 inductees are displayed at the Shanaman Sports Museum at the Tacoma Dome.
A quarterback from Everett, Washington, Erickson was a Bobcat star. He earned All-Big Sky honors from 1966-68, leading Montana State to three straight conference championships. He sandwiched a single season as an assistant coach at Billings Central (1970) around time as a Bobcat assistant, then worked at Idaho, Fresno State and San Jose State before becoming the Vandals' head coach in 1982. That began a long head coaching journey, which included a 9-3 season at Washington State in 1988, when the Cougars earned their first bowl win since 1916. Erickson also coached the Seattle Seahawks.
WELCOME TO THE BIG-TIME: For most Bobcats, Saturday night's game won't be much of a demarcation from the football environment of Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman or Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula. The scope may be bigger, but as MSU quarterbacks coach DeNarius McGhee, who played there as a Bobcat in 2010, Martin Stadium will provide a game-day feel "as loud and as rowdy and as hostile" as the Treasure State's two stadiums, only on a larger scale.
For a small handful of Bobcats, though, Saturday's game marks quite a step up.
"I believe it'll only take a second for us to realize we're not in a Friday afternoon walk-through in Bobcat Stadium," MSU head coach Jeff Choate said. "We have nine true freshman who are likely to play, and it's going to be different for guys like Troy Andersen from Dillon, Montana, and Lance McCutcheon, from Bozeman."
Choate said managing emotions is important. "We've talked to our young men about not being there to win the warmups," he said. "We can't go out with crazy energy and expend it all before kickoff. We have to prepare and play with a tremendous amount of discipline."
Still, once the hitting starts Choate expects his players to fall into a rhythm. "The field is still the same size," he said. "It's still blocking and tackling and trying to execute (each player's) job. Once the game starts, you're just playing football."
HERCULEAN: Washington State defensive lineman Hercules Mafa'ata carries a memorable name and impressive list of credentials. The 6-2, 252 lb junior is a Preseason All-America who enters the season on the Nagurski Award and Bednarik Award watch lists for the nation's top defensive player. But where Mafa'ata shines the brightest is on the field. "His first step is as impressive as anyone I've ever seen," said Bobcat head coach Jeff Choate. "I've coached some good defensive linemen, and he is impressive."
Montana State offensive coordinator Brian Armstrong, the team's offensive line coach a season ago, says Mafa'ata will be a handful for opposing offensive lines all season. "He is a big twitch big guy who creates havoc," he said. "He has a great set of skills, but more than that he has a great motor. He plays hard."
THEY PLAY DEFENSE, TOO: While Washington State's Air Raid offense makes headlines, Bobcat head coach Jeff Choate calls the Cougars' defense an excellent complement for the team's high-octane offense.
"I'd call it a high-risk, high-reward defense," Choate said. "They zip and zap a lot, use a lot of pre-snap and post-snap movement, and as a result of all that movement they end up with a lot of TFLs. And having worked for Mike (Leach, WSU's head coach), that's what he wants." Along with the turmoil the Cougars' defense creates after an offense snaps the ball, Choate said MSU will need to deal with "pre-snap stems," or movement along the defensive front after the offense comes set. "That's problematic. A false start penalty is as good as a tackle-for-loss."
MOUNTAIN OF A MAN: The numbers make you look twice: 6-foot-9, 368 lbs. The performance is eye-popping: a unanimous All-America as a junior last season, a sure-fire early-round NFL Draft selection, if all goes right, this year.
Washington State offensive guard Cody O'Connell is undoubtedly one of the best players in college football at what he does, which is stonewalling pass rushers and mauling would-be tacklers. His abilities haven't escaped the notice of Jeff Choate. "He is about three human beings larger than Mac Bignell," Choate says of O'Connell's potential matchup with Montana State's most agile and aggressive player in the front seven. "It's a big task. But sometimes the frigate can out-maneuver the aircraft carrier."
A former Montana State quarterback who served as head coach for both Washington State and the Seattle Seahawks will be honored during tonight's game for his induction into the State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame. His fellow 2017 inductees include Mike Holmgren and Curt Warner. Plaques of the 208 inductees are displayed at the Shanaman Sports Museum at the Tacoma Dome.
A quarterback from Everett, Washington, Erickson was a Bobcat star. He earned All-Big Sky honors from 1966-68, leading Montana State to three straight conference championships. He sandwiched a single season as an assistant coach at Billings Central (1970) around time as a Bobcat assistant, then worked at Idaho, Fresno State and San Jose State before becoming the Vandals' head coach in 1982. That began a long head coaching journey, which included a 9-3 season at Washington State in 1988, when the Cougars earned their first bowl win since 1916. Erickson also coached the Seattle Seahawks.
WELCOME TO THE BIG-TIME: For most Bobcats, Saturday night's game won't be much of a demarcation from the football environment of Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman or Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula. The scope may be bigger, but as MSU quarterbacks coach DeNarius McGhee, who played there as a Bobcat in 2010, Martin Stadium will provide a game-day feel "as loud and as rowdy and as hostile" as the Treasure State's two stadiums, only on a larger scale.
For a small handful of Bobcats, though, Saturday's game marks quite a step up.
"I believe it'll only take a second for us to realize we're not in a Friday afternoon walk-through in Bobcat Stadium," MSU head coach Jeff Choate said. "We have nine true freshman who are likely to play, and it's going to be different for guys like Troy Andersen from Dillon, Montana, and Lance McCutcheon, from Bozeman."
Choate said managing emotions is important. "We've talked to our young men about not being there to win the warmups," he said. "We can't go out with crazy energy and expend it all before kickoff. We have to prepare and play with a tremendous amount of discipline."
Still, once the hitting starts Choate expects his players to fall into a rhythm. "The field is still the same size," he said. "It's still blocking and tackling and trying to execute (each player's) job. Once the game starts, you're just playing football."
HERCULEAN: Washington State defensive lineman Hercules Mafa'ata carries a memorable name and impressive list of credentials. The 6-2, 252 lb junior is a Preseason All-America who enters the season on the Nagurski Award and Bednarik Award watch lists for the nation's top defensive player. But where Mafa'ata shines the brightest is on the field. "His first step is as impressive as anyone I've ever seen," said Bobcat head coach Jeff Choate. "I've coached some good defensive linemen, and he is impressive."
Montana State offensive coordinator Brian Armstrong, the team's offensive line coach a season ago, says Mafa'ata will be a handful for opposing offensive lines all season. "He is a big twitch big guy who creates havoc," he said. "He has a great set of skills, but more than that he has a great motor. He plays hard."
THEY PLAY DEFENSE, TOO: While Washington State's Air Raid offense makes headlines, Bobcat head coach Jeff Choate calls the Cougars' defense an excellent complement for the team's high-octane offense.
"I'd call it a high-risk, high-reward defense," Choate said. "They zip and zap a lot, use a lot of pre-snap and post-snap movement, and as a result of all that movement they end up with a lot of TFLs. And having worked for Mike (Leach, WSU's head coach), that's what he wants." Along with the turmoil the Cougars' defense creates after an offense snaps the ball, Choate said MSU will need to deal with "pre-snap stems," or movement along the defensive front after the offense comes set. "That's problematic. A false start penalty is as good as a tackle-for-loss."
MOUNTAIN OF A MAN: The numbers make you look twice: 6-foot-9, 368 lbs. The performance is eye-popping: a unanimous All-America as a junior last season, a sure-fire early-round NFL Draft selection, if all goes right, this year.
Washington State offensive guard Cody O'Connell is undoubtedly one of the best players in college football at what he does, which is stonewalling pass rushers and mauling would-be tacklers. His abilities haven't escaped the notice of Jeff Choate. "He is about three human beings larger than Mac Bignell," Choate says of O'Connell's potential matchup with Montana State's most agile and aggressive player in the front seven. "It's a big task. But sometimes the frigate can out-maneuver the aircraft carrier."
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