Thursday, August 30
BOZEMAN
7 pm
Montana State University
vs
Western Illinois (GOLD RUSH)
Photo by: Andrew Pedersen
GAME #1: Bobcats Open 2018 with Gold Rush Game, Powerful Western Illinois
8/29/2018 7:12:00 AM | Football
Leathernecks bring experienced squad to Bobcat Stadium
BOZEMAN, Montana – Jeff Choate doesn't exactly feel like he's watching his own team when he views game film of Western Illinois' 2017 team, but stylistically there are some strong binding themes.
"There are similarities," Montana State's third-year coach says as he preps his team for the challenge of welcoming the Leathernecks to Bobcat Stadium for Thursday's Gold Rush game. Kickoff is 7 pm.
"Their D front is probably the strength of their defense, not unlike ours, we run similar base defenses," he said. On offense, "they're committed to running the football. The biggest difference, the edge they have is veteran leadership at quarterback. In the kicking game they bring back both their punter and kicker, and McShane is a dynamic punt returner."
Of course, stark differences also move pretty quickly to the forefront. Jared Elliott is a first-year head coach, although his 2016 return to WIU – he was the team's co-offensive coordinator the past two seasons – coincides with Choate's arrival at Montana State as the Bobcats head coach. Elliott inherits a program that has qualified for the FCS Playoffs in two of the past three seasons. "Coach Elliott is clearly a guy who was a trusted member of that staff, the administration felt he was the right guy to continue to course that program was on," Choate said.
Western Illinois' offense rides the arm of senior quarterback Shane McGuire and running back Steve McShane. A two-time honorable mention all-conference choice, McGuire finished 12th in the FCS in passing efficiency (154.1) and 14th in passing yards (2,852) a season ago. McShane, a second team all-league choice in football and a first team selection in baseball, gained 582 yards rushing and averaged 103.8 all-purpose yards a game, 56th in the FCS.
Choate said McGuire's veteran presence and arm talent, combined with McGuire's versatility, presents Elliott and the offensive staff opportunities. "(Elliot is) very creative on offense," Choate said. "I like the things they do offensively in terms of putting pressure on the defense. They do a little bit of everything. They'll get into empty sets, they'll have extra tight ends in the game, unbalanced, a lot of funk in the high red zone, they'll hit you with reverses and double passes."
Still, McGuire remains the straw that stirs the drink in Choate's eyes. "But the common denominator for me is that they have a senior quarterback that is a very experienced young man, very efficient, very smart. He's kind of the undisputed leader of that team. In this day and age I can watch his media day and see his interview, and the way he handles himself you can tell he's got a lot of confidence in his abilities and the way his teammates defer to him you can tell that he's the guy in the locker room that makes that thing go. He's won a lot of games there."
Choate also calls McShane "a really, really dynamic player, one of the more dynamic players at this level anywhere in the country. He is a threat both as a receiver and a runner, and as a punt returner. I really like their offensive style. They're committed to running the ball, they're a very good play action team. One of the things you have to be able to defend is the edges of the defense. They run a lot of fly sweep so your eye discipline has to be very good. It will be a challenge to defend them. It's a confident unit (that plays) in a very good league."
Most conversations about WIU's defense around the Bobcat football program in recent days has begun with some variation of, "Number 99 is really, really good." Choate is in that camp. "I think the best player I've seen on film as an interior defensive lineman is (Khalen Saunders). He's a really, really good player and creates a lot of problems regardless of who they play. He's a problem for everybody and he's a guy who will be an All-American type player."
Saunders has provided tremendous productive in the middle of the Leathernecks' defense. He has 105 tackles in 33 games over the past two seasons, including 17 for a loss and nine sacks. Last season he batted down three passes and forced three fumbles, and compounding the physical problems posed by a 6-2, 310 lb interior lineman is the fact that "they move him around," according to Choate, and he allows WIU to pressure opposing quarterbacks without blitzing. "They're not a heavy blitz team, about 27% of the time they bring pressure, and a lot of that has to do with how good they are up front. It allows them to mix coverages."
Another complicating factor is the talent around Saunders on the Western Illinois defense. "They have excellent players at each level of defense. At linebacker, (Quentin Moon) is a big physical guy, kind of a thumper at inside linebacker, a tough guy. I think he certainly has the ability to come into his own (this year) and take over that defense. On the third level they return really good players."
Western Illinois' results mirror the program's talent level, Choate says. "The only game they played all (last) year that wasn't competitive in the second half was the SDSU game, that just kind of got away from them," he said. "Other than that they hung toe-to-toe with everybody they played, whether it was the University of South Dakota, a playoff team, North Dakota State, national champions, and Weber State, who was the Big Sky Champion a year ago. It's an excellent football team with good continuity with Coach Elliott, and I don't think you'll see a lot of differences, especially on offense."
The arrival of game week brings exhilaration for everyone involved in college football, and probably a touch of relief for Montana State's offensive staff. A spring of uncertainty at the quarterback position led to a summer of transitioning from starter Chris Murray (redshirting to concentrate on academics) to a different player. Last year's Big Sky Freshman of the Year, Troy Andersen, joined junior college transfer Travis Jonsen and redshirt freshman Tucker Rovig in a spirited competition throughout fall camp. Game week dawned with Andersen and Jonsen sharing the top spot on the depth chart. None of those three have taken a snap as a quarterback at MSU.
Elsewhere on offense, though, experience abounds. Two receivers with starting experience return, along with three fifth-year senior tight ends and a running back with game experience in Karl Tucker. Four starters return on the offensive line, as well.
Defensively, the Cats appear deep and experienced, particularly in the front seven. Defensive line starters Derek Marks, Zach Wright and Tucker Yates return, and at the Buck position transfers Bryce Sterk and Dante Sparaco have competed throughout the off-season, with Kyle Finch joining in the competition.
The Cats have squared off with Western Illinois only twice previously, beating the Leathernecks 38-16 in Bozeman in 1990 and opening the 1993 campaign with a 29-16 win in Macomb. Thursday's Gold Rush game marks the second straight season a Missouri Valley Football Conference team has visited Bobcat Stadium for that event, after South Dakota State's appearance a season ago. WIU is the eventh current MVFC member to play in Bozeman in the last 14 seasons.
Tickets for Thursday's game, starting at $25, are available at msubobcats.com/tickets. Gold Rush t-shirts are available at the MSU Bookstore and Universal Athletic.
"There are similarities," Montana State's third-year coach says as he preps his team for the challenge of welcoming the Leathernecks to Bobcat Stadium for Thursday's Gold Rush game. Kickoff is 7 pm.
"Their D front is probably the strength of their defense, not unlike ours, we run similar base defenses," he said. On offense, "they're committed to running the football. The biggest difference, the edge they have is veteran leadership at quarterback. In the kicking game they bring back both their punter and kicker, and McShane is a dynamic punt returner."
Of course, stark differences also move pretty quickly to the forefront. Jared Elliott is a first-year head coach, although his 2016 return to WIU – he was the team's co-offensive coordinator the past two seasons – coincides with Choate's arrival at Montana State as the Bobcats head coach. Elliott inherits a program that has qualified for the FCS Playoffs in two of the past three seasons. "Coach Elliott is clearly a guy who was a trusted member of that staff, the administration felt he was the right guy to continue to course that program was on," Choate said.
Western Illinois' offense rides the arm of senior quarterback Shane McGuire and running back Steve McShane. A two-time honorable mention all-conference choice, McGuire finished 12th in the FCS in passing efficiency (154.1) and 14th in passing yards (2,852) a season ago. McShane, a second team all-league choice in football and a first team selection in baseball, gained 582 yards rushing and averaged 103.8 all-purpose yards a game, 56th in the FCS.
Choate said McGuire's veteran presence and arm talent, combined with McGuire's versatility, presents Elliott and the offensive staff opportunities. "(Elliot is) very creative on offense," Choate said. "I like the things they do offensively in terms of putting pressure on the defense. They do a little bit of everything. They'll get into empty sets, they'll have extra tight ends in the game, unbalanced, a lot of funk in the high red zone, they'll hit you with reverses and double passes."
Still, McGuire remains the straw that stirs the drink in Choate's eyes. "But the common denominator for me is that they have a senior quarterback that is a very experienced young man, very efficient, very smart. He's kind of the undisputed leader of that team. In this day and age I can watch his media day and see his interview, and the way he handles himself you can tell he's got a lot of confidence in his abilities and the way his teammates defer to him you can tell that he's the guy in the locker room that makes that thing go. He's won a lot of games there."
Choate also calls McShane "a really, really dynamic player, one of the more dynamic players at this level anywhere in the country. He is a threat both as a receiver and a runner, and as a punt returner. I really like their offensive style. They're committed to running the ball, they're a very good play action team. One of the things you have to be able to defend is the edges of the defense. They run a lot of fly sweep so your eye discipline has to be very good. It will be a challenge to defend them. It's a confident unit (that plays) in a very good league."
Most conversations about WIU's defense around the Bobcat football program in recent days has begun with some variation of, "Number 99 is really, really good." Choate is in that camp. "I think the best player I've seen on film as an interior defensive lineman is (Khalen Saunders). He's a really, really good player and creates a lot of problems regardless of who they play. He's a problem for everybody and he's a guy who will be an All-American type player."
Saunders has provided tremendous productive in the middle of the Leathernecks' defense. He has 105 tackles in 33 games over the past two seasons, including 17 for a loss and nine sacks. Last season he batted down three passes and forced three fumbles, and compounding the physical problems posed by a 6-2, 310 lb interior lineman is the fact that "they move him around," according to Choate, and he allows WIU to pressure opposing quarterbacks without blitzing. "They're not a heavy blitz team, about 27% of the time they bring pressure, and a lot of that has to do with how good they are up front. It allows them to mix coverages."
Another complicating factor is the talent around Saunders on the Western Illinois defense. "They have excellent players at each level of defense. At linebacker, (Quentin Moon) is a big physical guy, kind of a thumper at inside linebacker, a tough guy. I think he certainly has the ability to come into his own (this year) and take over that defense. On the third level they return really good players."
Western Illinois' results mirror the program's talent level, Choate says. "The only game they played all (last) year that wasn't competitive in the second half was the SDSU game, that just kind of got away from them," he said. "Other than that they hung toe-to-toe with everybody they played, whether it was the University of South Dakota, a playoff team, North Dakota State, national champions, and Weber State, who was the Big Sky Champion a year ago. It's an excellent football team with good continuity with Coach Elliott, and I don't think you'll see a lot of differences, especially on offense."
The arrival of game week brings exhilaration for everyone involved in college football, and probably a touch of relief for Montana State's offensive staff. A spring of uncertainty at the quarterback position led to a summer of transitioning from starter Chris Murray (redshirting to concentrate on academics) to a different player. Last year's Big Sky Freshman of the Year, Troy Andersen, joined junior college transfer Travis Jonsen and redshirt freshman Tucker Rovig in a spirited competition throughout fall camp. Game week dawned with Andersen and Jonsen sharing the top spot on the depth chart. None of those three have taken a snap as a quarterback at MSU.
Elsewhere on offense, though, experience abounds. Two receivers with starting experience return, along with three fifth-year senior tight ends and a running back with game experience in Karl Tucker. Four starters return on the offensive line, as well.
Defensively, the Cats appear deep and experienced, particularly in the front seven. Defensive line starters Derek Marks, Zach Wright and Tucker Yates return, and at the Buck position transfers Bryce Sterk and Dante Sparaco have competed throughout the off-season, with Kyle Finch joining in the competition.
The Cats have squared off with Western Illinois only twice previously, beating the Leathernecks 38-16 in Bozeman in 1990 and opening the 1993 campaign with a 29-16 win in Macomb. Thursday's Gold Rush game marks the second straight season a Missouri Valley Football Conference team has visited Bobcat Stadium for that event, after South Dakota State's appearance a season ago. WIU is the eventh current MVFC member to play in Bozeman in the last 14 seasons.
Tickets for Thursday's game, starting at $25, are available at msubobcats.com/tickets. Gold Rush t-shirts are available at the MSU Bookstore and Universal Athletic.
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DT
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