Chris Murray and the Bobcats play at Washington State on Saturday
Photo by: Adrian Sanchez-Gonzalez
Chris Murray Follows His Coach's Footsteps, Leading MSU into Martin Stadium
9/1/2017 8:07:00 AM | Football
Bobcats revisit the site of 2010 near-upset
It was a different time and a different Montana State team, but the 2017 Bobcats have a couple of things in common with the most recent MSU team to visit Washington State's Martin Stadium. The Cats have a quarterback in his second year in the program, a head coach and staff fairly early in their Montana State tenure, and a youthful roster.
And DeNarius McGhee.
"We went down to the wire," said McGhee, Montana State's quarterbacks coach, of the game in 2010 when he led the Bobcats into Pullman. "We were up with around three or four (minutes) to go, then they went down and scored. We got the ball with between one and two minutes left, but we couldn't pull it out."
That was McGhee's second game – and start – with the Bobcats, and came after a redshirt season. He nearly led MSU to a colossal upset. The Bobcats led 22-7 at the beginning of the fourth quarter, but WSU's Jeff Tuel threw a pair of touchdown passes to draw his team close, and then with just over two minutes left Nico Grasu kicked an 18-yard field goal to put Washington State ahead 23-22. The Cats weren't done. McGhee moved his team to the Cougars 26, but on a second-and-two C.J. Mizell intercepted a pass to end the upset bid.
"It was a good atmosphere," McGhee says of the crowd of 26,356 that gathered on that early-autumn afternoon, "but I think it will be much different now. They've rattled off some wins in the last few seasons so the environment will be better. Their facilities have improved a great amount since we played there, therefore I think the environment will be much better. There will be 40 to 50,000 people there."
The showdown with Washington State may be Murray's first against an FBS opponent, as it was for McGhee, but the most recent game played by the sophomore from Inglewood, California, may have provided a good test run. Murray led the Cats into Montana's Washington-Grizzly Stadium last November, and against long odds led the Bobcats to a stirring 24-17 win.
"The (Montana) game, that's as rowdy and as loud and as hostile as a game may get," said McGhee, who led MSU to a pair of wins at UM. Dealing with crowd noise is built into the Bobcat offensive system, but McGhee said it's a systemic issue and not a worry point. "That being said we do talk about it, but the kid understands and we practice as if we're in the game. We have that kind of mindset, so that will help, and so will some mechanical things with the cadence, ensuring our command (of the situation) on that day. But as far as the environment, we don't talk about that too much because sometimes you can make (players) nervous by doing that."
Montana State coach Jeff Choate served as an assistant at Washington State for a season, and understands the passion surrounding the Cougars program and the atmosphere that generates. He said he wants his quarterback to show progress in management of game situations early this season. "I want Chris to continue to develop as a decision-maker," Choate said. "One of the things we did to help Chris was to hire DeNarius McGhee to coach quarterbacks, and he's done a tremendous job mentoring Chris on and off the field. He's provided structure and discipline, and that's helped the maturation process."
That process has included accepting the mantle of leadership, a point Murray said McGhee has hammered home. "The command and leadership," he said of his position coach's strongest area of influence. "He's made that role presentable for me, and I've done my best to try to take that role. I think I've improved with that, and I think I' will (improve) throughout the season when we face adversity."
Murray said McGhee's presence in his life hasn't always been easy, but it has been productive and positive. "From when he got here he's been hard on me, not only football-wise but on my studies he's been hard," Murray said. "Now my grades are better and that's a result of (McGhee) being on my case, him being after me. It's the same way on the field, with film, all that stuff. I think when you have everything handled at home, your grades are good, there are no distractions, everything's better. He's done a really good job with that."
After a spring that saw an emphasis on footwork, Murray said McGhee hasn't changed his style, but has improved his play. "I wouldn't say (I'm a) different (player), I'd say improved. That's everybody's goal. I would love to become a true dual-threat quarterback, that's my goal this year. I want that to be my label by the end of the season."
One of Choate's points of emphasis for his offense in the off-season was to simplify the system by paring down the language and the amount of pre-snap decisions for the quarterback. Murray said that has paid dividends. "Honestly, it's that the reads are way simpler," he said of his ability to play more freely during preseason scrimmages. "That makes me play faster. Obviously the calmer you are the faster you can play. But my feet are way better than last year technically. Mechanically my throwing motion didn't change, but the reads and (improved footwork) let me play faster."
While Saturday's game may ring familiar for Bobcats fans – it is MSU's third game against the Cougars in the last 16 years – and for McGhee, Murray takes it in stride. "Faceless opponent," he says of whichever team may be next on the Bobcats schedule. But he's not taking for granted the opportunity to play an important football game.
"I live for this," he says emphatically, adding that a 7:35 pm Pacific Time kickoff on national television (Fox Sports One) only adds to the allure. "I honestly, really believe that. It's going to be the only game on (late Saturday night), everyone will be watching, so it's time for big players to make big plays."
And DeNarius McGhee.
"We went down to the wire," said McGhee, Montana State's quarterbacks coach, of the game in 2010 when he led the Bobcats into Pullman. "We were up with around three or four (minutes) to go, then they went down and scored. We got the ball with between one and two minutes left, but we couldn't pull it out."
That was McGhee's second game – and start – with the Bobcats, and came after a redshirt season. He nearly led MSU to a colossal upset. The Bobcats led 22-7 at the beginning of the fourth quarter, but WSU's Jeff Tuel threw a pair of touchdown passes to draw his team close, and then with just over two minutes left Nico Grasu kicked an 18-yard field goal to put Washington State ahead 23-22. The Cats weren't done. McGhee moved his team to the Cougars 26, but on a second-and-two C.J. Mizell intercepted a pass to end the upset bid.
"It was a good atmosphere," McGhee says of the crowd of 26,356 that gathered on that early-autumn afternoon, "but I think it will be much different now. They've rattled off some wins in the last few seasons so the environment will be better. Their facilities have improved a great amount since we played there, therefore I think the environment will be much better. There will be 40 to 50,000 people there."
The showdown with Washington State may be Murray's first against an FBS opponent, as it was for McGhee, but the most recent game played by the sophomore from Inglewood, California, may have provided a good test run. Murray led the Cats into Montana's Washington-Grizzly Stadium last November, and against long odds led the Bobcats to a stirring 24-17 win.
"The (Montana) game, that's as rowdy and as loud and as hostile as a game may get," said McGhee, who led MSU to a pair of wins at UM. Dealing with crowd noise is built into the Bobcat offensive system, but McGhee said it's a systemic issue and not a worry point. "That being said we do talk about it, but the kid understands and we practice as if we're in the game. We have that kind of mindset, so that will help, and so will some mechanical things with the cadence, ensuring our command (of the situation) on that day. But as far as the environment, we don't talk about that too much because sometimes you can make (players) nervous by doing that."
Montana State coach Jeff Choate served as an assistant at Washington State for a season, and understands the passion surrounding the Cougars program and the atmosphere that generates. He said he wants his quarterback to show progress in management of game situations early this season. "I want Chris to continue to develop as a decision-maker," Choate said. "One of the things we did to help Chris was to hire DeNarius McGhee to coach quarterbacks, and he's done a tremendous job mentoring Chris on and off the field. He's provided structure and discipline, and that's helped the maturation process."
That process has included accepting the mantle of leadership, a point Murray said McGhee has hammered home. "The command and leadership," he said of his position coach's strongest area of influence. "He's made that role presentable for me, and I've done my best to try to take that role. I think I've improved with that, and I think I' will (improve) throughout the season when we face adversity."
Murray said McGhee's presence in his life hasn't always been easy, but it has been productive and positive. "From when he got here he's been hard on me, not only football-wise but on my studies he's been hard," Murray said. "Now my grades are better and that's a result of (McGhee) being on my case, him being after me. It's the same way on the field, with film, all that stuff. I think when you have everything handled at home, your grades are good, there are no distractions, everything's better. He's done a really good job with that."
After a spring that saw an emphasis on footwork, Murray said McGhee hasn't changed his style, but has improved his play. "I wouldn't say (I'm a) different (player), I'd say improved. That's everybody's goal. I would love to become a true dual-threat quarterback, that's my goal this year. I want that to be my label by the end of the season."
One of Choate's points of emphasis for his offense in the off-season was to simplify the system by paring down the language and the amount of pre-snap decisions for the quarterback. Murray said that has paid dividends. "Honestly, it's that the reads are way simpler," he said of his ability to play more freely during preseason scrimmages. "That makes me play faster. Obviously the calmer you are the faster you can play. But my feet are way better than last year technically. Mechanically my throwing motion didn't change, but the reads and (improved footwork) let me play faster."
While Saturday's game may ring familiar for Bobcats fans – it is MSU's third game against the Cougars in the last 16 years – and for McGhee, Murray takes it in stride. "Faceless opponent," he says of whichever team may be next on the Bobcats schedule. But he's not taking for granted the opportunity to play an important football game.
"I live for this," he says emphatically, adding that a 7:35 pm Pacific Time kickoff on national television (Fox Sports One) only adds to the allure. "I honestly, really believe that. It's going to be the only game on (late Saturday night), everyone will be watching, so it's time for big players to make big plays."
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