Danny Uluilakepa
Photo by: Garrett Becker
Bobcats Stage Sonny Holland Spring Classic Saturday at 1 pm in Bobcat Stadium
4/19/2024 4:48:00 PM | Football
Scrimmage provides one more evaluation for MSU coaches entering the summer...
BOZEMAN, Montana – Montana State wraps up spring drills in advance of the 2024 season in traditional fashion Saturday with the Sonny Holland Spring Classic at 1 pm in Bobcat Stadium.
As the culmination of spring drills, Saturday's scrimmage provides a jumping off point for summer workouts and eventually preseason camp. But it also offers another evaluation for fourth-year coach Brent Vigen and his staff. "The spring is about evaluating every opportunity that's in front of you," he said, "and that's been our mindset. We have no business looking ahead to anything. We have to take what's directly in front of us and work hard and move forward."
Spring ball as a whole, and Saturday's Sonny Holland Classic in particular, provide the capstone of the spring semester. "The whole process began in January and February with an incredible effort put in by our guys and the strength staff in the weight room to try to continue to change who we are physically," he said. "At the same time, this is a time we continue to bond as a team, bring our team more together, work on the mental aspect of how to fight through things. And then that transitions into spring ball when you get to work on the field."
Saturday's scrimmage offers Bobcat fans to preview the work of new coordinator situations, with tight ends coach Tyler Walker taking over the offense and linebackers coach Bobby Daly collaborating with defensive line coach Shawn Howe on defense. "I didn't want to vacate what we were doing schematically because the time we've invested in these systems and the number of guys returning," Vigen said.
The Bobcats welcome back starters Blake Schmidt and Brody Grebe on the defensive line, Danny Uluilakepa at linebacker. In the back end, safeties Dru Polidore and Rylan Ortt and corners Jon Johnson and Simeon Woodard all return. "Defensively, Bobby and Shawn working in tandem with Bobby the play-caller, this has magnified both of their voices. In this part of the calendar year you're looking at questions like, who do we emphasize? What do we stress? Who might need some help? But the continuity of what we're doing and the belief and trust between our players and coaches I believe is truly there."
Quarterback Tommy Mellott triggers the offense, and without the graduated Sean Chambers to operate a dual-quarterback system more of the load falls to Mellott and the team's other offensive weapons. Developing depth at quarterback also emerged as an emphasis this spring. "We need Tommy to continue growing as a quarterback," Vigen said, "but I feel strongly that his best complete game here was the North Dakota State game. The nature of his game includes the elite trait of his speed and running ability, but at the same time we need to pick and choose and protect him. We need to solidify that backup role, and that evaluation continues, but we also have depth at running back and receiver."
Vigen is pleased with the offense's development through the first 14 practices of the spring. "Offensively, I'm impressed what Tyler has accomplished to this point working with three guys he's worked with previously. I saw the best opportunity to move forward in what we're doing with Tyler, and while his approach as a thinker and a processor is different and how that plays out on Saturdays remains to be seen, but I've been pleased with how that move has played out so far."
While Saturday's scrimmage marks the end of spring drills, Vigen said it also marks the beginning of a new phase of preparation for the looming season. "Trying to define who has emerged as bona fide starters if we played next Saturday, who has forced his way onto the field. Then there's the next layer of guys, and then there are guys that might be a little further off. So we use (spring scrimmages) to define those roles, and also to paint a picture for each individual where they are going into the summer. This is the time we begin laying out our plan for the summer in preparation for the 2024 season."
Saturday's scrimmage is free and open to the public. It's also televised around Montana on SWX Sports.
#GoCatsGo
As the culmination of spring drills, Saturday's scrimmage provides a jumping off point for summer workouts and eventually preseason camp. But it also offers another evaluation for fourth-year coach Brent Vigen and his staff. "The spring is about evaluating every opportunity that's in front of you," he said, "and that's been our mindset. We have no business looking ahead to anything. We have to take what's directly in front of us and work hard and move forward."
Spring ball as a whole, and Saturday's Sonny Holland Classic in particular, provide the capstone of the spring semester. "The whole process began in January and February with an incredible effort put in by our guys and the strength staff in the weight room to try to continue to change who we are physically," he said. "At the same time, this is a time we continue to bond as a team, bring our team more together, work on the mental aspect of how to fight through things. And then that transitions into spring ball when you get to work on the field."
Saturday's scrimmage offers Bobcat fans to preview the work of new coordinator situations, with tight ends coach Tyler Walker taking over the offense and linebackers coach Bobby Daly collaborating with defensive line coach Shawn Howe on defense. "I didn't want to vacate what we were doing schematically because the time we've invested in these systems and the number of guys returning," Vigen said.
The Bobcats welcome back starters Blake Schmidt and Brody Grebe on the defensive line, Danny Uluilakepa at linebacker. In the back end, safeties Dru Polidore and Rylan Ortt and corners Jon Johnson and Simeon Woodard all return. "Defensively, Bobby and Shawn working in tandem with Bobby the play-caller, this has magnified both of their voices. In this part of the calendar year you're looking at questions like, who do we emphasize? What do we stress? Who might need some help? But the continuity of what we're doing and the belief and trust between our players and coaches I believe is truly there."
Quarterback Tommy Mellott triggers the offense, and without the graduated Sean Chambers to operate a dual-quarterback system more of the load falls to Mellott and the team's other offensive weapons. Developing depth at quarterback also emerged as an emphasis this spring. "We need Tommy to continue growing as a quarterback," Vigen said, "but I feel strongly that his best complete game here was the North Dakota State game. The nature of his game includes the elite trait of his speed and running ability, but at the same time we need to pick and choose and protect him. We need to solidify that backup role, and that evaluation continues, but we also have depth at running back and receiver."
Vigen is pleased with the offense's development through the first 14 practices of the spring. "Offensively, I'm impressed what Tyler has accomplished to this point working with three guys he's worked with previously. I saw the best opportunity to move forward in what we're doing with Tyler, and while his approach as a thinker and a processor is different and how that plays out on Saturdays remains to be seen, but I've been pleased with how that move has played out so far."
While Saturday's scrimmage marks the end of spring drills, Vigen said it also marks the beginning of a new phase of preparation for the looming season. "Trying to define who has emerged as bona fide starters if we played next Saturday, who has forced his way onto the field. Then there's the next layer of guys, and then there are guys that might be a little further off. So we use (spring scrimmages) to define those roles, and also to paint a picture for each individual where they are going into the summer. This is the time we begin laying out our plan for the summer in preparation for the 2024 season."
Saturday's scrimmage is free and open to the public. It's also televised around Montana on SWX Sports.
#GoCatsGo
Players Mentioned
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CB
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