Jeff Choate knows when he sees a good defensive front.
From stops coaching linebackers or defensive line at Boise State, Washington State, Florida and Washington, Montana State’s first-year head coach has seen his fair share of defensive talent. When he watches the film against Western Oregon, MSU’s Division II opponent on Saturday afternoon, the front seven of the Wolves’ defense stands out.
MSU running back Gunnar Brekke fights for yards vs. Bryant
“They are Big Sky caliber, especially against the run,” Choate said. “They have a couple of guys who have some twitch and they generate pressure a lot with their linebacker corps. This is a better defensive line than we played week. We will have our hands full.”
Last week against Bryant, an FCS team from the Northeast Conference with roughly as many scholarships (30) as WOU (36), the Bobcats averaged exactly four yards per carry on 35 rushes, gaining 139 yards on the ground. Senior Gunnar Brekke received his stoutest load of his career, carrying the ball 17 times for 80 yards and scoring a third-quarter touchdown, his first of the season.
Take away Brekke’s 28-yard burst to spark MSU’s first touchdown drive in the second quarter and true freshman Chris Murray’s 33-yard scamper aided by a missed tackle at the line of scrimmage and MSU struggled to run the ball between the tackles. MSU’s other 33 carries netted just 2.3 yards per rush.
On Saturday, Montana State will square off with a WOU squad that allowed just 95 yards rushing and 2.6 yards per carry to fellow Big Sky Conference member Sacramento State. The stout defensive performance coupled with three forced turnovers and a Paul Revis punt return for a touchdown boosted Western Oregon to a 38-30 win over Sac State.
The Wolves should provide a stiff test for a Bobcat offense still trying to gain traction behind an offensive line featuring four returning starters and a first-year starting quarterback in journeyman junior Tyler Bruggman.
“Honestly, their front seven is one of the most physical front sevens we have played or will play all year,” said MSU senior captain left guard J.P. Flynn, the only returning starter on the offensive front. “They have No. 8 off the edge (senior Jeremy Moore), big physical player, two big physical players in 90 (senior George Swartzlender) and 92 and 99 (junior Michael Kluge) clogging up the middle. And their linebackers, all three of them run to the ball, active players. It’s going to be a fun game and we are looking forward to it.”
MSU senior offensive lineman JP Flynn (75) barks at the ‘Cats stagnant offense last Saturday vs. Bryant
The Western Oregon defensive front features a foursome with size and strength. Moore is a 6-foot-2, 280-pound senior defensive end who leads the team with two sacks, both notched against Sac State. Kluge is a 5-foot-11, 285-pound tackle who eats up blockers, clearing running lanes for sophomore linebacker Bo Highburger, Western Oregon’s hyperactive leading tackler. Swartzlender is 6-foot-3, 320-pound monster who had three tackles in the backfield against the Hornets and already has four TFLs this season. Kui Williams is a 6-foot-4, 265-pound senior who had two sacks last week against Central Washington, helping WOU push their sack total to 10 this season already.
The 6-foot-1, 215-pound Highburger is the playmaker of the defense. He had 14 tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack against Sac State. He already has 30 tackles, six tackles for loss, two sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recover this season. Tafatolu Naea is a 6-foot-2, 240-pound senior who already has 23 tackles and four tackles for loss, including 12 stops against Sac.
“They come off the ball and their front seven, they are bigger guys, really physical,” said MSU junior offensive lineman Monte Folsom. “It’s going to be a fun test for us to have a physical battle in the trenches.”
Choate said he noticed right away the technique and fundamentally sound nature WOU plays with up front. The Wolves’ defensive line is coached by Kimo Van Olhoffen, a 15-year NFL star for the Pittsburgh Steelers who is in Boise State’s athletic Hall of Fame.
“Their front seven is the strength of their team,” Choate said. “Their defensive line is physical, stout. They have this Moore kid who is a very good pass rusher. They are well-coached, physical and they have a number of 300 pounders so they are hard to move.”
MSU head coach Jeff Choate and defensive backs coach Gerald Alexander
While Montana State’s offense will look to get on track against the physical Wolves defense, the MSU defense will be tested by a variable offense with several explosive playmakers.
Western Oregon employs a two-quarterback system with 6-foot-3, 225-pound junior Phillip Fenumiai serving as more of a running threat and 6-foot-6, 245-pound Nick Duckworth serving as the downfield passing threat. Fenumiai rushed for just 12 yards against Sac State but completed 8-of-15 passes for 97 yards and a 10-yard touchdown pass to Malik Braxton. Choate calls him a “big, physical, physical kid who brings it.” Duckworth completed 6-of-9 passes for 73 yards and a 36-yard TD to Wesley Gray to extend WOU’s lead from 24-22 to 31-22 in Sacramento. Choate said he remembers Duckworth from his time recruiting the Scottsdale area and called Duckworth “a giant” who can “sling it pretty good.”
“Those guys compliment each other in many ways,” Choate said.
“They do two different things with each quarterback so we have to have two different game plans with each one,” added MSU junior captain outside linebacker Mac Bignell. “We just have to do our jobs, stay home on the running quarterback, don’t let him get out in the open.”
Junior Paul Revis, the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year in 2014 and a Division II All-America, killed the Hornets in Sacramento. Choate calls the 5-foot-9, 175-pounder WOU’s “most dynamic player”, adding that Revis reminds him of University of Montana freshman Jerry Louie-McGee, the reigning Big Sky Special Teams Player of the Week.
“(Offensive coordinator) Brian Harris does a great job of getting his playmakers the ball and Revis is the No. 1 guy,” Choate said. “We have to know where he is. He’s a dangerous, really good football player.”
WOU rushed for 152 yards, including 77 by true freshman Torreahno Sweet in the win over Sac State. Braxton added 60 yards and a threw a touchdown to Revis in the upset win. The running back rotation will also feature Steven Long, a junior transfer from Portland State who earned honorable mention All-Big Sky Conference honors in 2014 by rushing for 605 yards on 88 carries. Long totaled 902 yards and seven touchdowns while at Portland Tate before transferring.
WOU wide receiver Paul Revis/by GNAC Conf
From the stout defensive front to the array of skill players, Flynn said Western Oregon jumps out on film. The test should be comparable to the one MSU received from Bryant last week, the captain said. The fact that Western Oregon has already has notched a Big Sky win this season has the Bobcats aware that avoiding an upset will be key with Big Sky Conference play in the horizon.
“That’s one thing Coach Choate makes sure is you play to your best level not the level of your opponent,” Flynn said. “These guys are good. There’s no reason to think we are the favorite. They have a lot of talent, a lot of physicality to them and it’s going to be a competitive game.”
Photos by Brooks Nuanez or noted. All Rights Reserved.
