Bryce Sterk (left), Logan Jones and the Cats face Texas Tech at 2 pm MT on Saturday
Photo by: Andrew Pedersen
GAME #1: Bobcats Travel to West Texas to Face Explosive Red Raiders
8/28/2019 9:16:00 AM | Football
Montana State faces Texas Tech for the first time since 1938
BOZEMAN, Montana – Jeff Choate knows the hill is steep. He has the differences in budgets and scholarship numbers committed to memory, and having coached in the Pac 12 and SEC Choate knows the challenge that awaits his Montana State Bobcats as they face Texas Tech on Saturday.
He's aware, but he's not backing down.
"I think we're excited for the opportunity to go down and play against a Power 5" opponent, Choate said, "and we're appreciative of the opportunity. Part of it is to go to a place like (Texas Tech), with the pageantry, and to see, this is pretty cool. But you can't be intimidated by it. You've got to roll with it, you've got to enjoy it. You've got to have that ambiance drill where you're taking it all in, smell the hot dogs cooking, the barbecue, but when the whistle blows let's go play ball. Get your eyes where they need to be, give great effort and let's see what happens."
The Bobcats face a Texas Tech team led by former Utah State coach Matt Wells, who makes his Red Raider debut on Saturday. Bobcat coach Jeff Choate is familiar with Wells and his body of work. "I have a ton of respect for Matt Wells," Choate said. "I think he did a tremendous job at Utah State University. I've known Matt for a while, we've actually talked a few times about staff things, and I think he was an excellent choice for Texas Tech. One area I think he's done a tremendous job when you look at his time at Texas Tech, he was losing coaches every year to different power 5 programs. It seemed like he was able to replace those guys and really not miss a beat."
Tech benefits from 13 returning starters, seven on offense, and 42 total lettermen back. Quarterback Alan Bowman triggers an explosive offense that features receiver TJ Vasher, one of the top pass-catchers in the nation. He hauled in 54 balls a season ago. "TJ Vasher is a matchup problem, he's a huge guy on the perimeter," Choate said. While Wells and offensive coordinator David Yost don't operate the Air Raid system of his two immediate predecessors, Choate said he expects Tech to play fast in terms of its athletes' speed and its pace of play.
"They're really very similar to (former Texas Tech) Coach (Mike) Leach and what they do in the pass game at Washington State, but (Wells is) an up-tempo guy," Choate said. "You're going to see a ton of speed in terms of not just their skill athletes but in how fast they go. That's one of the things they do is try to run a lot of plays but they're more balanced than a Washington State would be in terms of their run-pass percentage."
Choate praised Yost and his ability to manage an offense, as well as Bowman. "I think Coach Yost is as good as there is as a play-caller, he can dial stuff up, and that tempo is going to be a problem. I think (Bowman's strengths are) accuracy and decision-making, that's what it comes down to. One of the things that I really think will help Bowman is their commitment to being more balanced. The run game is always the quarterback's best friend."
Choate said that one of the challenges of scouting a team led by a first-year head coach is balancing "that combination of trying to look at the personnel from Texas Tech and the scheme from Utah State." Utah State's tendency under Wells and defensive coordinator Keith Patterson was to play a base 3-4 defense with quarters in the secondary, with pressure when appropriate. "They're going to turn it loose on third down," Choate said. "That's who they've been, and I don't see that changing."
The Bobcats counter with experience on both sides of the line of scrimmage. A player with starting experience mans each offensive line position, and the Cats return three starting receivers and a thousand-yard rusher at running back in Isaiah Ifanse. But they surround a first-time starting quarterback, redshirt freshman Casey Bauman, who took just four snaps a season ago.
"I think poise is the thing I want to see. The reality is, he's going to be nervous. And he should be. For me to say this guy's going to be calm, cool and collected, ice water in his veins, c'mon. That's human nature. What we have to do is get him hit a couple times and he's got to shake it off and go play. And he will. The worst time for him is going to from the time we get off the field after warmups until he takes his first snap. That's going to seem like an eternity. But that's part of growing up. I think about a young quarterback making his first collegiate start, and he's doing it in that atmosphere. Everything after this is going to seem easier."
The Bobcats also return seven starters on defense, although cornerback Munchie Filer is not expected to play. That leaves veteran Damien Washington, whose 31 career games is second-most on the defense, and sophomore Ty'Rhae Gibson at the corners. They surround possibly the Big Sky's best safety duo in Jahque Alleyne, who picked off five passes in 2018, and MSU's leading tackler last season in Brayden Konkol.
Montana State has traveled to Lubbock only once previously, dropping a 35-0 decision to the Red Raiders to open the 1938 season. The Bobcats stand 59-50-5 all-time in season openers, 13-37-3 when opening a season on the road, 0-2 opening a new season in Texas, and 0-1 opening at Tech. Montana State's last season-opening road win was in 2006 at Colorado.
Saturday's game kicks off at 2 pm MT/3 pm CT, and airs in Montana and across the region on ROOT Sports, and elsewhere on Fox Sports Southwest. The game streams on Fox Sports Go.
#GoCatsGo
He's aware, but he's not backing down.
"I think we're excited for the opportunity to go down and play against a Power 5" opponent, Choate said, "and we're appreciative of the opportunity. Part of it is to go to a place like (Texas Tech), with the pageantry, and to see, this is pretty cool. But you can't be intimidated by it. You've got to roll with it, you've got to enjoy it. You've got to have that ambiance drill where you're taking it all in, smell the hot dogs cooking, the barbecue, but when the whistle blows let's go play ball. Get your eyes where they need to be, give great effort and let's see what happens."
The Bobcats face a Texas Tech team led by former Utah State coach Matt Wells, who makes his Red Raider debut on Saturday. Bobcat coach Jeff Choate is familiar with Wells and his body of work. "I have a ton of respect for Matt Wells," Choate said. "I think he did a tremendous job at Utah State University. I've known Matt for a while, we've actually talked a few times about staff things, and I think he was an excellent choice for Texas Tech. One area I think he's done a tremendous job when you look at his time at Texas Tech, he was losing coaches every year to different power 5 programs. It seemed like he was able to replace those guys and really not miss a beat."
Tech benefits from 13 returning starters, seven on offense, and 42 total lettermen back. Quarterback Alan Bowman triggers an explosive offense that features receiver TJ Vasher, one of the top pass-catchers in the nation. He hauled in 54 balls a season ago. "TJ Vasher is a matchup problem, he's a huge guy on the perimeter," Choate said. While Wells and offensive coordinator David Yost don't operate the Air Raid system of his two immediate predecessors, Choate said he expects Tech to play fast in terms of its athletes' speed and its pace of play.
"They're really very similar to (former Texas Tech) Coach (Mike) Leach and what they do in the pass game at Washington State, but (Wells is) an up-tempo guy," Choate said. "You're going to see a ton of speed in terms of not just their skill athletes but in how fast they go. That's one of the things they do is try to run a lot of plays but they're more balanced than a Washington State would be in terms of their run-pass percentage."
Choate praised Yost and his ability to manage an offense, as well as Bowman. "I think Coach Yost is as good as there is as a play-caller, he can dial stuff up, and that tempo is going to be a problem. I think (Bowman's strengths are) accuracy and decision-making, that's what it comes down to. One of the things that I really think will help Bowman is their commitment to being more balanced. The run game is always the quarterback's best friend."
Choate said that one of the challenges of scouting a team led by a first-year head coach is balancing "that combination of trying to look at the personnel from Texas Tech and the scheme from Utah State." Utah State's tendency under Wells and defensive coordinator Keith Patterson was to play a base 3-4 defense with quarters in the secondary, with pressure when appropriate. "They're going to turn it loose on third down," Choate said. "That's who they've been, and I don't see that changing."
The Bobcats counter with experience on both sides of the line of scrimmage. A player with starting experience mans each offensive line position, and the Cats return three starting receivers and a thousand-yard rusher at running back in Isaiah Ifanse. But they surround a first-time starting quarterback, redshirt freshman Casey Bauman, who took just four snaps a season ago.
"I think poise is the thing I want to see. The reality is, he's going to be nervous. And he should be. For me to say this guy's going to be calm, cool and collected, ice water in his veins, c'mon. That's human nature. What we have to do is get him hit a couple times and he's got to shake it off and go play. And he will. The worst time for him is going to from the time we get off the field after warmups until he takes his first snap. That's going to seem like an eternity. But that's part of growing up. I think about a young quarterback making his first collegiate start, and he's doing it in that atmosphere. Everything after this is going to seem easier."
The Bobcats also return seven starters on defense, although cornerback Munchie Filer is not expected to play. That leaves veteran Damien Washington, whose 31 career games is second-most on the defense, and sophomore Ty'Rhae Gibson at the corners. They surround possibly the Big Sky's best safety duo in Jahque Alleyne, who picked off five passes in 2018, and MSU's leading tackler last season in Brayden Konkol.
Montana State has traveled to Lubbock only once previously, dropping a 35-0 decision to the Red Raiders to open the 1938 season. The Bobcats stand 59-50-5 all-time in season openers, 13-37-3 when opening a season on the road, 0-2 opening a new season in Texas, and 0-1 opening at Tech. Montana State's last season-opening road win was in 2006 at Colorado.
Saturday's game kicks off at 2 pm MT/3 pm CT, and airs in Montana and across the region on ROOT Sports, and elsewhere on Fox Sports Southwest. The game streams on Fox Sports Go.
#GoCatsGo
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