J.P. Flynn does not mince words when he talks about what he hopes Montana State’s offense personifies in his senior season.
“Run it down your throat,” the three-time All-Big Sky Conference offensive guard said following MSU’s opening practice of fall camp on August 6. “That’s all there is to say about it.”
MSU freshman running back Anthony Peagus (26)
Montana State senior running back Chad Newell has been a powerful battering ram in an otherwise wide-open Bobcat offense the last two seasons. When Dakota Prukop was not running around like a wild man or throwing lofting deep balls to streaking speedsters like Justin Paige or Jayshawn Gates, the Billings Senior product did his fair share of damage with his enthusiastic, physical running style. His assessment of what Montana State’s offense might look like under new head coach Jeff Choate and Courtney Messingham is simple.
“We are going to run through people’s faces,” Newell said on Saturday. “That’s what we are going to do. Nothing else.”
MSU senior tight end Austin Barth has been used largely in a blocking role each of the last two seasons. He backed up first-team All-Big Sky tight end Tiai Salanoa in 2014 and All-America tight end Beau Sandland, a seventh-round draft pick by the Carolina Panthers, last fall. This season, the Columbia Falls product is expected to be an integral part of Messingham’s attack both as a physical blocker on the edge and a security blanket for transfer quarterback Tyler Bruggman over the middle. He has a plain explanation of his vision for Montana State’s offense.
“Physical, down hill, punch you in the face,” Barth said. “We are going to beat you down the whole game. It’s as simple as that.”
Over the last two seasons, Montana State scored nearly 1,000 points. Despite lighting up scoreboards, the offense was not simply a pass-happy spread attack. Offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey favored a spread, up-tempo version of the triple option, punishing teams with a plethora of ball-carrying options in the run game, including Prukop, one of the most electric offensive weapons in college football and now an Oregon Duck. Over the last two seasons, Montana State ran the football more than 1,000 times (1,072 compared to 727 passes) for 5,554 yards (231 yards per game) over the past two seasons. But few would categorize the Bobcats’ offensive attack as “power run.”
MSU senior running back Chad Newell (17)
Last fall, MSU led the Big Sky and ranked third nationally by averaging 41.9 points and 519 yards of total offense per game last season. Prukop was a one-man wrecking crew, throwing for 3,025 yards and 28 touchdowns, and adding 797 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground. The Bobcats possessed the ball for more than 31 minutes per game and converted 45 percent of its third downs yet MSU still finished with a 5-6 record, partly because much of the statistical production came with Montana State playing chase.
MSU trailed by three scores in the first half of a 55-50 loss at Eastern Washington. Montana State trailed 42-14 in a 49-41 loss at Northern Arizona. MSU fell behind by two touchdowns with 26 seconds left in the first half and weren’t able to get any closer than 14 in a 59-42 loss at Portland State. The ‘Cats trailed 31-7 in a 54-35 loss to rival Montana that sealed MSU’s first losing season since 2002.
When Choate set about figuring out how to get the Bobcats back among the Big Sky’s top teams, he quickly learned film from last season would do no good.
“On the offensive side, I felt like there was so much of what was done there to cater to Dakota. I started watching the film and there was so much that took place in the scheme that was strictly related to his skill set,” Choate said in an interview in July. “When I was evaluating the most important thing in my opinion, the guys up front, well none of those guys from last year’s film were going to be playing so that doesn’t do me a whole lot of good either.”
During the first three days of fall camp, Choate said the Bobcats have “front-loaded our install” on both sides of the ball in an effort to capitalize on their 15 spring practices, the player-run practices conducted all summer and to prepare themselves for their first full scrimmage on August 13. Regardless of the schematics offensively or defensively, Montana State’s new head coach has a similar forethought for what he wants to see.
MSU first string defense during pursuit drills
“I don’t think about the identity of our offense, I only think about the identity of our team and the identity of our team is toughness,” Choate said. “We have to be a physical team on both sides and in the kicking game. Don’t mistake that for we are not going to throw the football. I don’t care if we are pass blocking, we have to have a tough mindset, a tough edge to us and play physical really in all three phases. I want them to embrace that identity.”
Messingham comes to Montana State from the Big Ten. He spent the last two seasons as a quality control assistant on Kevin Wilson’s staff at Indiana. Before that, he was an offensive position coach (2009-2011) and offensive coordinator (2012-13) at Iowa State. He has been everywhere from Southern Miss to Missouri State to Truman State to Iowa Lakes Community College. He has one characteristic he wants to carry over to his new offense.
“We are going to be tough. We are going to be accountable to the guy next to us. The bottom line is as an offensive football team, we need to be physical,” Messingham said following Monday’s practice. “We need to show we are going to run the football and when we do throw it, we will be physical there too.”
MSU defenders doing tackling drills
Last season, Montana State gave up yards (473 yards per game) and points (34.3 per outing) in bunches. Montana State’s largest defensive deficiency was its inability to take away the football. MSU got its hands on just 35 of the 308 passes opponents threw last season, including just three intercepted passes. Opponents averaged 14.2 yards per catch and scored through the air a Big Sky-high 26 times.
The inability to play the ball in the secondary left Montana State vulnerable in the box. MSU gave up 5.7 yards per yards per carry as opponents ripped almost 250 yards per game against the Bobcats. Only three teams in the league gave up more than MSU’s 25 rushing touchdowns.
Enter Ty Gregorak’s air horn. Montana State’s new defensive coordinator — a highly successful assistant for more than a decade at Montana — carries his favorite noisemaker during each team portion of fall camp. Each turnover results in a voluminous blasting of the horn. On Sunday, the Bobcat defense forced five turnovers. On Monday, the defense mustered just one audible blast.
“We don’t talk about last year, we just don’t and I have no idea where we finished in the league but I want to see that turnover ratio swing over our way,” Gregorak said following Monday’s session. “We have to go get the rock. It’s our rock.
“Even if you (the media) are 80 yards away behind the rail, I hope you guys can see punching at the ball. As long as you are in Bozeman, HOB and CPR, hands on ball, club punch rip. HOB, CPR. That’s all we are preaching to these guys. I thought we should’ve gotten a few more turnovers today. Five of them were yesterday. I want to see more.”
MSU senior linebacker Mac Bignell with linebackers coach Kane Ioane
While the Montana State offense is looking to replace All-Americas like Prukop, Sandland and left tackle John Weidenaar along with three other starters up front, the Bobcat defense returns largely in tact.
Montana State loses All-Big Sky defensive tackle Taylor Sheridan but returns sophomore stud nose tackle Tucker Yates. MSU loses safety Desman Carter and cornerback Bryson Keeton from the secondary, but junior safety Bryson McCabe along with junior cornerback Bryce Alley and sophomore corner Tre’Von Strong all have starting experience. The Bobcats also returns All-Big Sky outside linebacker Mac Bignell, a junior flanked by senior Fletcher Collins and junior Blake Braun, each with starting experience from a season ago.
“We have to establish more leadership,” Gregorak said. “I have an idea for a couple of guys but we have to find some more. Everyone knows who our leaders are on offense. Who are they on defense? That’s a giant question mark. It’s still a question mark to me. I want to establish and foster our leaders on defense. We have to have it.”
Photos by Brooks Nuanez. All Rights Reserved.
