Tucker Rovig
Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson
Defense Shines on Third Day of Preseason Camp at Montana State
8/5/2018 3:08:00 PM | Football
Newcomers step forward in run game, pass defense
BOZEMAN, Montana – Sunday was catch-up day during Montana State's third practice of the preseason – as in, the process of installing the team's offense finally caught up to the players charged with running it.
"I would say it was the day where the install caught up with the offense," said Bobcat coach Jeff Choate, indicating that after three days of practice the offense covering most of down-and-distance situations has been installed. "So now you've got basically the entire field, all the downs and distances, that are on top of them. And while there were some really good things – we were excellent in 9-on-7, we were excellent in 7-on-7 – when you put all the pieces together there are a few more moving parts, a little more situational stuff, and (the offense) struggled."
Post-practice discussions always pass through the quarterback position, and Choate was pleased with redshirt freshman Tucker Rovig's day on Sunday. "Tucker had kind of a bounce-back day today," Choate said. "Tucker was probably the best guy today in some respects. I could see some of the of the install catch up with Casey (Bauman, a freshman), but Casey made some tremendous throws. He's got a very, very good arm, and he's got a little bit of moxie about him. He's got that quarterback feel, if that makes sense. Troy (Andersen, a sophomore) when he ran the ball looked really good today, he made a couple of bad decisions in the pass game. Travis (Jonsen) is kind of working through that foot (injury), this is the first practice he's made it all the way through, and he did some things leadership-wise that I thought were very, very positive today."
Offensive struggles in practice often stem from good defense, and Choate said "I've got to tip my hat to (the defense) today. Those guys got after it."
The third-year head coach liked the play of his team's defensive front. "Our D-line is going to be a problem for everybody that we play," he said. "They really know how to get after the quarterback, we've got good beef inside."
Working from the inside out, experience and depth works to the Bobcats' advantage, Choate said. "Guys like Tucker (Yates) and James Williams (both nose tackles), they demand a double. They're going to beat most centers in this league one-on-one, so if you demand a double you're creating single opportunities for guys like (defensive ends) Tyrone (Fa'anono) and Derek (Marks), who I thought had a really nice day today, Bryce Sterk, Dante Sparaco. So we've got a lot of options there, and I thought those guys had a really nice day today."
Sunday was the first day in shoulder pads, which allowed Choate to evaluate the run game. A pair of true freshmen caught his eye. "Isaiah Ifanse has really good vision and quicks, and Lane Sumner is a really good inside zone runner. He's got a really good feel for the game. Just standing behind and watching when you can look at it from a perspective of real football, I thought those two guys did a good job."
In the secondary, where competition is heated at all four positions, two true freshmen also moved their way into competition. "The Gibson twins (Ty'Rhae and Ty'Rese) are extremely physical," Choate said. "They are extremely physical. They have heavy hands, they get their hands on you, it's hard to get off the jam, we were doing board drill to start and they were all into that. They like to scrap a little bit."
The Bobcats will be in shoulder pads again Monday, with practice beginning at 10:30 am.
#GoCatsGo
"I would say it was the day where the install caught up with the offense," said Bobcat coach Jeff Choate, indicating that after three days of practice the offense covering most of down-and-distance situations has been installed. "So now you've got basically the entire field, all the downs and distances, that are on top of them. And while there were some really good things – we were excellent in 9-on-7, we were excellent in 7-on-7 – when you put all the pieces together there are a few more moving parts, a little more situational stuff, and (the offense) struggled."
Post-practice discussions always pass through the quarterback position, and Choate was pleased with redshirt freshman Tucker Rovig's day on Sunday. "Tucker had kind of a bounce-back day today," Choate said. "Tucker was probably the best guy today in some respects. I could see some of the of the install catch up with Casey (Bauman, a freshman), but Casey made some tremendous throws. He's got a very, very good arm, and he's got a little bit of moxie about him. He's got that quarterback feel, if that makes sense. Troy (Andersen, a sophomore) when he ran the ball looked really good today, he made a couple of bad decisions in the pass game. Travis (Jonsen) is kind of working through that foot (injury), this is the first practice he's made it all the way through, and he did some things leadership-wise that I thought were very, very positive today."
Offensive struggles in practice often stem from good defense, and Choate said "I've got to tip my hat to (the defense) today. Those guys got after it."
The third-year head coach liked the play of his team's defensive front. "Our D-line is going to be a problem for everybody that we play," he said. "They really know how to get after the quarterback, we've got good beef inside."
Working from the inside out, experience and depth works to the Bobcats' advantage, Choate said. "Guys like Tucker (Yates) and James Williams (both nose tackles), they demand a double. They're going to beat most centers in this league one-on-one, so if you demand a double you're creating single opportunities for guys like (defensive ends) Tyrone (Fa'anono) and Derek (Marks), who I thought had a really nice day today, Bryce Sterk, Dante Sparaco. So we've got a lot of options there, and I thought those guys had a really nice day today."
Sunday was the first day in shoulder pads, which allowed Choate to evaluate the run game. A pair of true freshmen caught his eye. "Isaiah Ifanse has really good vision and quicks, and Lane Sumner is a really good inside zone runner. He's got a really good feel for the game. Just standing behind and watching when you can look at it from a perspective of real football, I thought those two guys did a good job."
In the secondary, where competition is heated at all four positions, two true freshmen also moved their way into competition. "The Gibson twins (Ty'Rhae and Ty'Rese) are extremely physical," Choate said. "They are extremely physical. They have heavy hands, they get their hands on you, it's hard to get off the jam, we were doing board drill to start and they were all into that. They like to scrap a little bit."
The Bobcats will be in shoulder pads again Monday, with practice beginning at 10:30 am.
#GoCatsGo
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