Lewis Kidd
Photo by: Garrett Becker
Notes and Quotes on Montana State's 2021 All-Big Sky Choices
11/23/2021 4:48:00 PM | Football
A look at the first and second team selections...
Notes and quotes on Montana State's 2021 All-Big Sky Conference selections…
* Isaiah Ifanse is the first Bobcat running back to earn 1st Team All-Big Sky since Cody Kirk in 2011
* Ifanse's 1,258 yards this year is the eighth-best season in MSU history, and his 3,102 career yards is third-most by a Bobcat
* Lance McCutcheon is MSU's first 1st Team All-Big Sky receiver since Elvis Akpla in 2011
* McCutcheon's 904 receiving yards this season is 60 yards from 10th on MSU's single-season list
* Lewis Kidd has started 44 straight games, 7th-most in school history
* Chase Benson is MSU's first interior defensive lineman to earn 1st Team All-Big Sky honors since Zach Minter in 2012
* Daniel Hardy's 11.0 sacks is the 10th most in a by a Bobcat in a single season, and his 17.5 tackles-for-loss is 0.5 from the school's season top 10 list in that category
* MSU linebackers coach Bobby Daly coached four players on this year's All-Big Sky team: Bobcats Troy Andersen (1st team) and Callahan O'Reilly (2nd team); Idaho's 1st team inside linebacker Tre Walker when Daly was at Idaho (2017-18) and Eastern Washington's Ty Graham, who also played linebacker at Idaho when Daly coached there.
* Montana State's six first team selections is the program's most since 2012. Here is a breakdown of Montana State's First Team All-Big Sky choices this century by offense/defense: 2019 – 2 offense/3 defense; 2018 – 1/0; 2017 – 0/1; 2016 – 1/0; 2015 – 2/0; 2014 – 2/2; 2013 – 0/2; 2012 – 2/4; 2011 – 4/2; 2010 – 3/1 (including one specialist on offense); 2009 – 2/2; 2008 – 2/1; 2007 – 0/1; 2006 – 1/0; 2005 – 2/0; 2004 – 5/3; 2003 – 2/5 (including one specialist on offense); 2002 – 5/3 (including one specialist on offense); 2001 – 4/0; 2000 – none.
MSU LINEBACKERS COACH BOBBY DALY ON TROY: "I think a lot of people see his great ability as a football player and thing it is God-given," said Daly, an All-America linebacker for the Bobcats himself. "What people don't see is the work ethic. He is a very diligent, smart, hard-working individual who is willing to put in the time to get results on the field. He is his toughest critic. He doesn't care about the big plays that he makes, he comes in and watches film and focuses on the mistakes he made within the game. That's the common quality among all those guys. They expect the big plays, but the mistakes eat at them. They want to improve every day. Troy fits that mold."
MSU DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR FREDDIE BANKS ON TROY: "(Andersen's move to linebacker) let us play the style of defense we wanted to play. He plays really hard, really smart, he's the center of the defense so he makes all the checks for us. He's definitely our team's most valuable player in terms of the defense. I think (the position change) was easy for him because he played quarterback, so the transition wasn't very hard. And he's a leader by nature, I think he might have been born with that trait."
BOBCAT HEAD COACH BRENT VIGEN ON TROY: "His impact over his time here has been all over the place. It's been on offense, it's been on defense, it's been on special teams, but this year what we tasked him with is playing a new position in a new space and he took it and ran with it. He led us in tackles and finished second in the conference in tackles. It's a sideline-to-sideline game that he's played (before) but it's also a down-and-dirty game that he hasn't had to play before. He performed real well in that way. He was just shy of 10 TFLs, two interceptions, he's the leader on our defense, as well. In a league with so many good candidates I'm glad to see him get that award.
"The way he attacked it with no spring ball, through the summer and into fall camp he was learning on the fly, and what we saw was a real progression on Saturdays of him getting better and better. I'm sure he'd be the first to say that he's got some room to grow still, but he attacked every opportunity he had to play as well as he could."
VIGEN ON LEWIS KIDD: "Lewis has been our rock, in addition to being our best offensive lineman. He's been there every rep, every practice that he could. His physicality has continued to improve along with the athleticism he has for his size."
VIGEN ON ISAIAH IFANSE: "Isaiah has carried the load and shown up really big in big-time moments. Unfortunately the last six quarters he was a little nicked up."
VIGEN ON LANCE McCUTCHEON: "Lance really jumped onto the scene this year. He had 50 catches, 900 yards, the highest average per reception in the league. Every game and every opportunity he had the most of. I'm really pleased with how he took on that role and excelled in it.'
VIGEN ON DANIEL HARDY: "Daniel, making that move, like Troy and like Lance jumping into a greater role, just took it and ran with it. He was a good player who made big plays, especially at the end of games when teams got into pass mode. He took the opportunity to go to a new position and create a new identity for himself and run with it, and on top of it he was our best guy in kickoff cover. He was willing to do whatever."
VIGEN ON CHASE BENSON: "Chase has a reputation that preceded him in this conference and on this team. Every week he was a force to be reckoned with, except the game he missed and we certainly missed him in that game against Idaho State. He plays with a real passion and reckless abandon, and was so disruptive. Statistically, for an inside guy, he ended up with good numbers in terms of TFLs and sacks. He was a real force."
VIGEN ON THE SECOND TEAM SELECTIONS: "I was pleased with the guys that got second team recognition. Callahan (O'Reilly) is an unsung guy because he's playing next to Troy. He had a very high season-long level of play, he was very consistent. Ty (Okada) was in the mix of a very good defensive back group, but I think he was there every week, made plays every week, and I'm so pleased with all the different types of plays he made. Blitzing, playing in open space, covering, he's done whatever we've asked. Taylor (Tuiasosopo) was a steadying force in there, physical, always showed up."
* Isaiah Ifanse is the first Bobcat running back to earn 1st Team All-Big Sky since Cody Kirk in 2011
* Ifanse's 1,258 yards this year is the eighth-best season in MSU history, and his 3,102 career yards is third-most by a Bobcat
* Lance McCutcheon is MSU's first 1st Team All-Big Sky receiver since Elvis Akpla in 2011
* McCutcheon's 904 receiving yards this season is 60 yards from 10th on MSU's single-season list
* Lewis Kidd has started 44 straight games, 7th-most in school history
* Chase Benson is MSU's first interior defensive lineman to earn 1st Team All-Big Sky honors since Zach Minter in 2012
* Daniel Hardy's 11.0 sacks is the 10th most in a by a Bobcat in a single season, and his 17.5 tackles-for-loss is 0.5 from the school's season top 10 list in that category
* MSU linebackers coach Bobby Daly coached four players on this year's All-Big Sky team: Bobcats Troy Andersen (1st team) and Callahan O'Reilly (2nd team); Idaho's 1st team inside linebacker Tre Walker when Daly was at Idaho (2017-18) and Eastern Washington's Ty Graham, who also played linebacker at Idaho when Daly coached there.
* Montana State's six first team selections is the program's most since 2012. Here is a breakdown of Montana State's First Team All-Big Sky choices this century by offense/defense: 2019 – 2 offense/3 defense; 2018 – 1/0; 2017 – 0/1; 2016 – 1/0; 2015 – 2/0; 2014 – 2/2; 2013 – 0/2; 2012 – 2/4; 2011 – 4/2; 2010 – 3/1 (including one specialist on offense); 2009 – 2/2; 2008 – 2/1; 2007 – 0/1; 2006 – 1/0; 2005 – 2/0; 2004 – 5/3; 2003 – 2/5 (including one specialist on offense); 2002 – 5/3 (including one specialist on offense); 2001 – 4/0; 2000 – none.
MSU LINEBACKERS COACH BOBBY DALY ON TROY: "I think a lot of people see his great ability as a football player and thing it is God-given," said Daly, an All-America linebacker for the Bobcats himself. "What people don't see is the work ethic. He is a very diligent, smart, hard-working individual who is willing to put in the time to get results on the field. He is his toughest critic. He doesn't care about the big plays that he makes, he comes in and watches film and focuses on the mistakes he made within the game. That's the common quality among all those guys. They expect the big plays, but the mistakes eat at them. They want to improve every day. Troy fits that mold."
MSU DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR FREDDIE BANKS ON TROY: "(Andersen's move to linebacker) let us play the style of defense we wanted to play. He plays really hard, really smart, he's the center of the defense so he makes all the checks for us. He's definitely our team's most valuable player in terms of the defense. I think (the position change) was easy for him because he played quarterback, so the transition wasn't very hard. And he's a leader by nature, I think he might have been born with that trait."
BOBCAT HEAD COACH BRENT VIGEN ON TROY: "His impact over his time here has been all over the place. It's been on offense, it's been on defense, it's been on special teams, but this year what we tasked him with is playing a new position in a new space and he took it and ran with it. He led us in tackles and finished second in the conference in tackles. It's a sideline-to-sideline game that he's played (before) but it's also a down-and-dirty game that he hasn't had to play before. He performed real well in that way. He was just shy of 10 TFLs, two interceptions, he's the leader on our defense, as well. In a league with so many good candidates I'm glad to see him get that award.
"The way he attacked it with no spring ball, through the summer and into fall camp he was learning on the fly, and what we saw was a real progression on Saturdays of him getting better and better. I'm sure he'd be the first to say that he's got some room to grow still, but he attacked every opportunity he had to play as well as he could."
VIGEN ON LEWIS KIDD: "Lewis has been our rock, in addition to being our best offensive lineman. He's been there every rep, every practice that he could. His physicality has continued to improve along with the athleticism he has for his size."
VIGEN ON ISAIAH IFANSE: "Isaiah has carried the load and shown up really big in big-time moments. Unfortunately the last six quarters he was a little nicked up."
VIGEN ON LANCE McCUTCHEON: "Lance really jumped onto the scene this year. He had 50 catches, 900 yards, the highest average per reception in the league. Every game and every opportunity he had the most of. I'm really pleased with how he took on that role and excelled in it.'
VIGEN ON DANIEL HARDY: "Daniel, making that move, like Troy and like Lance jumping into a greater role, just took it and ran with it. He was a good player who made big plays, especially at the end of games when teams got into pass mode. He took the opportunity to go to a new position and create a new identity for himself and run with it, and on top of it he was our best guy in kickoff cover. He was willing to do whatever."
VIGEN ON CHASE BENSON: "Chase has a reputation that preceded him in this conference and on this team. Every week he was a force to be reckoned with, except the game he missed and we certainly missed him in that game against Idaho State. He plays with a real passion and reckless abandon, and was so disruptive. Statistically, for an inside guy, he ended up with good numbers in terms of TFLs and sacks. He was a real force."
VIGEN ON THE SECOND TEAM SELECTIONS: "I was pleased with the guys that got second team recognition. Callahan (O'Reilly) is an unsung guy because he's playing next to Troy. He had a very high season-long level of play, he was very consistent. Ty (Okada) was in the mix of a very good defensive back group, but I think he was there every week, made plays every week, and I'm so pleased with all the different types of plays he made. Blitzing, playing in open space, covering, he's done whatever we've asked. Taylor (Tuiasosopo) was a steadying force in there, physical, always showed up."
Players Mentioned
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