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Week 1 Preview: Thursday’s Games

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010 by catbob in Big Sky

The first slate of games kicks of this week!  And yes, I did not say weekend on purpose because 2 of our Big Sky brethren will start their season tomorrow.  As per usual during the first week, many teams are playing outside of our FCS division, some up, some down.  So let’s get right to it, since there isn’t much else to be said.  Predicted winners in bold:

Thursday, September 2:

Western New Mexico @ #23 Northern Arizona

The Lumberjacks look to improve upon their disappointing 2009 campaign, in which they finished 4-4 in league, 5-6 overall including 4 straight losses.  Graduated are Alex Henderson, the lead rusher and scorer for the Jacks, as well as their two leading receivers in Ed Berry & Conrad Meadows.  A host of running backs are looking to replace Henderson, namely Giovannie Dixon who was the primary backup last year.  (more…)

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Here We Go Again…

Monday, August 30th, 2010 by catbob in Big Sky, football

Howdy! This blog has remained silent for too long, and I am as much to blame as anyone. But this year is going to be different. It’s game week for every school in the Big Sky, and darnit, I’m excited as… as… well a person who has a very good reason to be very exited. I plan to do a weekly matchup and prediction blog on Wednesday’s, as well as a recap of the week’s events every Sunday, with my own ingenious insight added for good measure.

So to kick this party off, let’s talk about the one thing, the word of the year in the Big Sky: uncertainty.

Smith was 1st team all-conference all 4 years

The league lost some amazing talent this last year: two of the elite running backs in the Sky and all of FCS in Alex Henderson & Trevyn Smith. An accurate passer who decimated the Sky for four years, Matt Nichols. Gone are 5 of the top 6 receivers in terms of yards per game in the Sky, including Marc Mariani, Tim Toone & Tony Davis. Hell, even one of the best tights ends this decade in the Big Sky is now departed in Nathan Overbay. (more…)

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Bobcat Happenings/Updates, 8/11

Monday, August 11th, 2008 by catbob in Montana State

This year is shaping up to be the most extensively covered year of Bobcat football in history, with three, count them three new websites and/or blogs which are covering the Cats.

Rob Ash Football: This is a site that I believe was created by Rob Ash and associates. They have audio/video interviews with players and coaches, and Coach Ash himself has even pitched in a blog entry so far. I look forward to seeing what kind of video they offer during the season, as I’ve also felt MSU was lacking in this department.

Chronicle’s Blue & Gold: The brain child of departed editor Jeff Welsch, has been taken to new blogging heights by recently hired Will Holden, who has been attending every practice and blogging his thoughts. He has mentioned that video may be in the works for the Chronicle website as well; let’s cross some fingers.  Make sure to check out the blog portion of the site here.

ABC’s Tenzone: Last but not least, ABC has a sports blog that recently was installed on their website. Dave Griffiths has been attending weekday practices, and reporting about them on the blog. Also, on the right side of the page you can view the 10 @ 10 videos, which often show clips of the practices, as well as a quick interview or two.

Now onto some gridiron news. Starting center Jim Verlanic went down with a knee injury earlier today. This is bad news for the Cats as depth at C was the thinnest pretty much anywhere on the team. First reports indicate the injury isn’t too serious and we could see him back in a month or less. Freshman WR Colby Kinna injured his knee last week as well, but he will miss the entire season. He was not a projected starter.

The QB battle continues to heat up, with no clear starter emerging at this point. Sophomore Mark Desin (Billings, MT), junior Mark Iddins (Santa Ana JC), and sophomore Cody Kempt (U of Oregon) have all been getting equal reps. All three are very mobile, but Desin has the size disadvantage at 5’10, while Iddins and Kempt are both 6’2. No one has stood out yet, but all three have shown flashes.

The new turf is getting close to complete: pictures can be seen here. RB Demetrius Crawford cannot wait to play on it, and I can’t wait to see him play on it either. The turf may be completed in time for the planned scrimmage Saturday, August 16th.

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Coaches and Media Pick Montana #1 in Preseason

Tuesday, July 22nd, 2008 by catbob in Big Sky

Perhaps a surprise to some, the Griz were picked first in both the media and coaches preseason polls.  Some might have felt Eastern Washington deserved the #1 spot, but with the coaching turnover in Cheney, and the Grizzlies continued dominance in the Sky as of late, this is no surprise to this blogger.

Big Sky Conference
2008 COACHES POLL
Team (First-place votes) …………………………Points
1. Montana (7) …………………………………….. 63
2. Eastern Washington (1) ……………………. 52
3. Northern Arizona (1) ……………………….. 50
4. Montana State …………………………………. 40
5. Weber State ……………………………………. 38
6. Portland State ………………………………….. 30
7. Sacramento State …………………………….. 27
8. Idaho State ………………………………………. 15
9. Northern Colorado ………………………….. 9

2008 MEDIA POLL
Team (First-place votes) ………………………….. Points
1. Montana (23) …………………………………… 361
2. Eastern Washington (19) …………………. 350
3. Montana State …………………………………. 254
4. Northern Arizona (1) ……………………….. 248
5. Weber State ……………………………………. 229
6. Portland State ………………………………….. 194
7. Idaho State ………………………………………. 124
8. Sacramento State …………………………….. 113
9. Northern Colorado ………………………….. 65

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Big Sky RB Rankings

Monday, June 30th, 2008 by catbob in Big Sky

Just as I did for the QBs, here is a ranked list of the best running backs in the Sky.  Gone are Lex Hilliard (UM) and Josh Barnett (ISU), two of the better running backs the Sky has had for a few years.

1.  Trevyn Smith, Weber State – All Smith has done is rush for 2443 yards and 15 TDs in his first two years at Weber.  Oh, and did I mention his is going to be a junior this fall?  Two more years of the reigning Big Sky rushing yardage leader.  Now that Weber might actually have a passing game to compliment Smith, the Wildcat’s offense could be a nightmare for teams to defend next year.  Smith is shifty, has good speed, and rarely goes down on the first hit.  The classic “no one wanted him out of high school, turned into a star” story.

2.  Alex Henderson, Northern Arizona – After a breakout freshman season in 2006, Henderson slipped a bit in his sophomore campaign, falling shy of the 1,000 yard mark.  This is due to sharing time with Lionel Scott, who combined with Henderson, make the Lumberjack backfield one of the best in the league, if not the best.  They combined for over 1,500 yards last year.  I still believe Henderson is the better of the two backs, and looks poised to regain that 1,000 yard rushing mark in 2008.

3.  Demetrius Crawford, Montana State – The Cats have had a string of good newcomers in the backfield in the last few years, but none of them count sustain their success the following season (Evin Groves, 2005, Aaron Mason 2006), due mainly to injuries.  Can Demetrius become the Cats first 1,000 yard rusher since Ryan Johnson in 2002?  At 5’9 185, he is a small back, but might fit in perfectly with the spread offense Coach Ash will be instilling next fall.

4.  Dale Morris, Eastern Washington – Had a great second half of the season, rushing for 513 yards and 8 TDs in the final six games, and rushed for 130 yard and 4 scores in the first round game against McNeese State.  Of course when you have one of the most potent passing attacks in the county, it tends to open the running game up a little bit.  He is a hard-nosed runner, and is hard to tackle at 5’9 205.

5.  Bryan Hilliard, Sacramento State – Just when you think its safe, another Hilliard enters the backfield in the Sky.  This time, however, he is a Hornet.  Hilliard had a solid freshman campaign, rushing for 826 yards and 7 TDs, and had over 30 carries in each of the last two games of the season, where he rushed for 168 yard and 243 in the season finale against ISU.  I’ve yet to see him really play (he only had 2 carries against MSU), so he may be deserving of a higher ranking.  Coach Sperbeck has this team heading in the right direction.

6.  Thomas Brooks-Fletcher, Montana – TBF as he is known, has had an up and down career at UM so far.  He has had some injuries, and played behind All-American Lex Hilliard for a year.  He had a career high 479 yards in 2006, with 2 scores.  He is a solid runner, with a good combination of speed and power.  With the Griz having one of the biggest OL in the Sky this coming season, he could have a breakout year in his junior campaign.  But he has some big shoes to fill.

7.  David Woods, Northern Colorado – Not really a home-run threat (long of 20), but a solid back who can get the yards needed.  Had 715 yards and 5 touchdowns.  Of course the only game he did not play in, was at Montana State, and ironically it was the only game the Bears won.

8.  Ken Cornist, Idaho State – He may deserve to be higher on the list, but has never returned to his freshman form (783 yards and 14 TDs) , due mainly to being behind Josh Barnett.  I’m not exactly sure what the Bengals are doing at RB next season, as they have a LOT of running backs on the roster.  Cornist is a talented runner, and we will see if he can have a good senior season.

9.  ??, Portland State – The leading rusher from last year was a fullback who had just over 500 yards, and he graduated.  I honestly have no idea who the running back is for the pass happy Vikings, as their athletic site is horrid and I can’t even find a roster on it.  Their second leading rusher was a converted LB who had to play due to injuries.  Vikings fans… help?

I will admit I haven’t been keeping up with transfers as much as I have in the past, so I may have missed some high-profile guys who are coming in and are slated to start at their respective school.

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MSU Stadium Expansion

Thursday, May 15th, 2008 by catbob in Montana State

MSU Stadium Expansion Plan <– Click to see the video

Included are six phases:

A. It should first be mentioned that MSU is installing FieldTurf as we speak.
1. 38 new skysuites over the student side bleachers.
2. Replace the south endzone bleachers with a bowl, in total adding about 600 seats (getting rid of those rickity bleachers we currently have).
3. Upper bowl of south endzone (adding 3,730 seats).
4. Rebuild east (student) grandstand, adding 3800 seats and removing 6000.
5. Lower bowl of north endzone, adding 2,630 seats.
6. Upper bowl of north endzone, adding 3,730 seats.

New capacity will be approximately 22,00, and is schedule to be completed over the course of about 10 years.

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Big Sky Players in the Draft

Monday, April 28th, 2008 by catbob in Big Sky

A pair of Montana players were drafted this weekend, along with an OT from Ogden.

4 34 133 Baltimore David Hale OT Weber State
5 19 154 Atlanta Kroy Biermann OLB Montana
6 38 204 Miami Lex Hilliard RB Montana

A few Sky players have also signed some free agent contracts:

C Brennen Carvalho, Portland State signs with Packers
DT Casey Tyler, Portland State signs with Patriots
K Dan Carpenter, Montana signs with Dolphins

EDIT TO ADD:
LB Jorden Senn, Portland State signs with Colts
FB Olaniyi Sobomehin, Portland State signs with Saints
RT Daren Heerspink, Portland State signs with Dolphins

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Big Sky QB Rankings

Thursday, April 17th, 2008 by catbob in Big Sky

One man’s humble attempt to rank the QBs in the Sky based on how I think they will fair in their respective 2008 campaigns.

1.  Cameron Higgins, Weber State – Newcomer of the year in 2007, this freshman averaged 340 yards per game of total offense in the last 4 games of the season.  He has a strong running game to support him, a solid WR corp, and he can run the ball effectively himself.  This season will decide whether his freshman campaign was a fluke, or he is the real deal, and I am a believer.

2.  Matt Nichols, Eastern Washington – It was a tough decision between Nichols and Higgins, but I gave Higgins the nod because his coaching staff remains intact.  Nichols may be the best pure passer in the league, but the BSC is leaning towards QBs with more mobility than in years past, and Higgins has a slight advantage in this department, though Nichols is certainly no slouch.  He may have the best WR in the conference in fellow junior Aaron Boyce.

3.  Cole Berquist, Montana – What I like about Berquist is his ability to create and his accuracy under pressure.  He isn’t going to wow anyone with huge numbers (though he is capable), but he isn’t going to cost you any games.  He is also deceptively mobile as well, and is a very smart player.  I was tempted to put him below Kriesien, because I think the Griz WR corp is going to have a drop off from last year, but I think the new guys will step up and Berquist will have a great senior campaign.

4.  Lance Kriesien, Northern Arizona – Kriesien may be the worst pure passer on this list (not that he is a bad passer), but he may be the most athletic.  He averaged 15 carries a game last year, and might have to increase that total with the loss of Alex Watson to graduation.  He is a legitimate threat to pass or throw every play, and the turf of the NAU Skydome suits his style of play.  He could be near the top of the Sky in total offense output next season.

5.  Drew Hubel, Portland State – Returning for his sophomore campaign after replacing injured starter Brian White halfway through the season last year, Hubel showed flashes of brilliance in that crazy run and shoot offense that Glanville’s Vikings run.  He also showed flashes of why he is a freshman, tossing 9 picks in his final two games of the season.  Unlike the top 4 ranked QBs on the list, Hubel is zero threat to run the ball, as he is a pure pocket passer.  Another year in Glanville’s system could do wonders for this newcomer.

6.  Russel Hill, Idaho State – Another immobile QB, this freshman had a pretty good first season on a team with a first-year head coach.  He threw for over 2300 yards, but finished with 15 INTs to 14 TDs, for a rating of 128.8, good for fifth in the league last year.   This is another case of a freshman working out kinds in a situation with a new coaching staff.  I’m not sold on the WRs, or his OL, however.

7.  Jordan Rasmussen/Mark Iddins/Mark Desin, Montana State – What was originally thought to be a 2 person race, ex-WR Mark Desin has been impressing so far this spring.  Rasmussen is a sophomore, prototypical NFL-style QB with good size (6’4 222).  Iddins is a JC transfer, will be a junior, and is very mobile and has a good arm.   He was rated a 3 star JC recruit by scout.  Desin threw for over 9300 yards in his high school career in Montana, and will be a sophomore.  He is the most mobile of all, but is only 5’11 tops.  One of these three will probably finish in the top 5 but no one knows who will be starting yet.

8.  Bryan Waggener/Mike Vlahogeorge, Northern Colorado – Big things are expected of Waggener, who used his redshirt season at the University of Florida, after being a 4 star recruit out of Citrus JC. He has good size and good speed, and could be a real sleeper in a year that should be chalk full of good QBs in the Big Sky. Vlahogeorge saw time under center last season for the Bears, and looks to have the most game experience of the group of QBs vying for the starting position in Greeley.

9. Jason Smith/McLeod Bethel-Thompson – Bethel-Thompson is another big name drop-down, and has a pretty good resume, having started the Las Vegas Bowl for UCLA last season. He has good size and had a great high school in not only football, but basketball and baseball as well. Coach Sperbeck also brought in some JC WRs to help, and if everything clicks Bethel-Thompson could be looking a newcomer of the year award. He will have to get past Smith, who started every game for the Hornets last year as a freshman, though it was not an impressive season.

It should be noted that numbers 1-5 were very close, and could almost be interchanged. Numbers 7-9 are all about unknowns, I gave the nod to the Cats because of previous experience and depth of competition. But again, these could pretty much be interchanged with each other as well.

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Bobcat Update 4/14

Monday, April 14th, 2008 by catbob in Montana State

I thought I’d spend a few minutes talking about what has been going on in MSU land so far this spring.

First, the big news out of Bozeman is the fact that the Board of Regents approved a plan that would allow MSU to purchase an artificial playing surface.  While the specific surface has not yet been selected, the construction will begin after spring drills sometime and is scheduled to be completed by August 1st, making it available for the upcoming season.  This was most likely pushed for after a muddy last season, including a mudbowl that was the Souther Utah game.  The Cats have also had to cancel about half their practices so far because of weather and no dry playing surface, so this will also be beneficial for spring ball.

The first scrimmage has been completed as of 4/13, and the Cats played fairly well considering the limited number of practices they have been able to hold.  Of course the biggest question in the Bobcat camp is who is going to emerge as the starting QB after the departure of senior QB Jack Rolovich?  The candidates:  Jordan Rasmussen (6’4 226), a redshirt sophomore who is the last remaining Kramer prototype QB recruit;  Mark Iddins (6’2 198), a mobile, highly regarded JC transfer with 2 years left to play; or Mark Desin (5’11 192), who simply broke the Montana high school passing record, throwing over 9,000 yards in his high school career, who is the most mobile of the three, as he is pretty much guaranteed a spot at WR (where he played last year) if he doesn’t win the job.  You would think with Desin’s size that he wouldn’t have a chance, but he played well in the first scrimmage, as he went 10-16 for 93 yards and one score, with a few nice scrambles (which they don’t record).

Stats from the first scrimmage:

RUSHING: Aaron Mason 8-33, Blayde Becksted 11-21, Anthony Tillemans 8-12.
PASSING: Jordan Rasmussen 13-8-0, 80, 0; Mark Desin 16-10-0, 93, 1 TD; Mark Iddins 10-8-0, 52, 1; Willie Sullivan 3-1-1, 2, 0.
RECEIVING: Tyler Bolton 5-53-1, Derek Green 3-18-0, Brandon Bostick 3-33-0, Joe Schreibeis 3-28-0, DeAndre Green 3-22-1, Shane Robison 3-27-0, Blayde Becksted 2-2-0, Anthony Tillemans 2-3-0, Deon Toliver 1-6-0, Derek Erickson 1-5-0, Aaron Mason 1-3-0, Mecklen Davis 1-5-0.

Star RB Demetrius Crawford sat out with a minor injury, as did first-team all-american LB Bobby Daly.  If the name Mecklen Davis sounds familiar to you, he was a starter for the Cat B-Ball team 2 years ago, and was a solid bench player last year as well.

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Montana State’s Recruiting Class

Wednesday, February 6th, 2008 by catbob in Montana State

Brian Bignell, HS, 6-2, 225, DL Helena Capitol, (AA Co-MVP)
Jared Rohrback, HS, 6-1, 215, LB Great Falls CMR, (AA Co-MVP)
Matt Harris, JR, 6-2, 225, LB Orange Coast Community College, (JC)
Mark Iddins, JR, 6-3, 205, QB Mukilteo, WA (JC – Scout 3 star)
Anthony Patterson, JR, 6-4, 300, OL Sierra Junior College (CA)
Steven Foster, HS, 6-5, 240, TE Helena High
Ben Taunauu, HS, 6-5, 286, OL Mater Dei HS (CA)
Rick Haluszka HS, 6-2, 205, QB/DB/P Harlem, MT
Jody Owens HS, 6-0, 195, LB Mesquite Horn HS (TX)
Clint Mentzal HS, 6-5, 280, RT, Midlothian High (TX)
Ricky Evans HS, 6-0, 185, RB, South Grand Prarie HS (TX)
Zach Coleman HS, 5-10, 165, CB, Bishop Dunne HS (TX)
C.J. Palmer HS, 6-0, 225, RB/LB, Klein HS(Houston, TX)
DeSean Thomas HS, 6-0, 190, CB/WR, Cleburne HS(TX)
Matt Bernard HS, 6-4, 305, OG, Gig Harbor High School (WA)
James Ekumah, HS, 6-1, 215 LB, Arlington Bowie HS (TX)
James Andrews, HS, 6-1, 185 CB, Rockwall HS(TX)
Jason Cunningham, HS, 6-2, 165 K, Tascosa HS(Amarillo, TX)
Jake Chilton, HS, 6-0, 185 DB, Billings(Central)
Reil Cornelius, HS 6-3 180, WR Helena
Turner Daines, HS 6-3 265, OL Billings(Central)
Ryan Damberger, HS 6-1 215 TE Bozeman
Derek DeJong, HS 6-4 215 DE Manhattan Christian
Heath Howard, HS 5-10 180 CB Plentywood
Kevin Steiner, HS 6-5 205 TE Shelby

Not sure yet:

Todd Brandt, HS, 6-5, 215, OL Bozeman, (First team All State) 

Brandt had verballed according to all news outlets, but his name is strangely absent from the signing day list.

Full bios and more information can be found in this PDF.

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