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Brothers write last chapters of Bignell family legacy

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The storyline seemed rich if it could ever come to fruition but the tale encounter moments of doubt. Now, there’s no doubt that Nate and Mac Bignell will play one final season together as defensive standouts for the Montana State Bobcats.

Nate Bignell gets a pass rush in practice

Nate Bignell gets a pass rush

The Bignell lineage at Montana State runs deep. Joe Bignell is in the Montana State Hall of Fame after a standout career that came to a head with All-America tight end honors and leading role on MSU’s 1984 national championship team. His nephews Clay and Brian Bignell were defensive standouts that helped the Bobcats win Big Sky Conference titles in 2010, 2011 and 2012. Joe’s oldest son, Parker, played for the Bobcat football team for two seasons before deciding to pursue a standout rodeo career full time.

Joe’s youngest two sons are now main contributors for the Bobcat defense. Nate, a fifth-year senior defensive tackle, has had a career filled with waiting. He’s earned some playing time but injuries and a scrape with mischief have delayed the breakout some expected from the two-way Class C star when he first signed out of Drummond High. Mac Bignell had to walk on to the Bobcats after a standout career for the Trojans as a quarterback and a safety. His first two years in Bozeman, the 6-foot, 205-pounder originally played safety. During the most recent spring, the MSU coaches switched him to Sam linebacker out of necessity. A few months later, Mac is lighting up opponents and making a highlight that went viral on the Internet after Montana State’s first game, a 45-14 victory over Fort Lewis nearly two weeks ago.

Mac Bignell blitzing

Mac Bignell blitzing

Barring any injury, the Bignell brothers will be key cogs for the No. 11 Bobcats this week and this season. MSU played at No. 14 Eastern Washington on Saturday. Mac, a third-year sophomore, is slated to start at Sam linebacker once again after a debut performance that included eight tackles and two tackles for loss. Nate will be one of three seniors — along with captain Taylor Sheridan and Connor Thomas — who rotate heavily at defensive tackle as the Bobcats try to slow down the Eagles’ passing attack, the first test of what likely will be a season filled with them in 2015.

“Those two playing together one last time, it’s awesome, a fun, fun deal,” Montana State defensive coordinator Kane Ioane said the week leading up to MSU’s opener. “Every time Mac makes a play, Nate is the first one there to congratulate him and vice versa. They feed off each other. The entire defense feeds off that entire energy.”

Nate wears No. 50 while Mac wears No. 49. The closeness in appearance basically stops there. Nate is a 6-foot-2, 290-pound defensive tackle with blonde speckles in his goatee. Mac is a fluid, aggressive athlete who looks the mold of a safety/linebacker hybrid and has dark hair.

Nate Bignell

Nate Bignell

“I can’t even tell they are brothers out on the field,” MSU sophomore linebacker Blake Braun said. “They are both freakin’ studs. They are both playmakers. They both have that fire and that’s contagious out there. When one person makes a play, Nate is always the first one there getting hyped up. Then you look over and there’s Mac too and it gets the whole defense going.”

Mac ignited the defense midway through the second quarter of a surprisingly close game in the Thursday night opener earlier this month. With the score tied 0-0, Fort Lewis quarterback lofted a first-down pass to diminutive running back P.J. Hall in the flat. Bignell saw it coming from the snap. The speedy sophomore sprinted for more than 10 yards, then exploded, completely leveling Hall and bringing the sellout crowd at Bobcat Stadium to its feet. Montana State would score two touchdowns before halftime and cruise from there.

“He’s very decisive,” Montana State head coach Rob Ash said last week. “When he sees the play, it triggers it right now. He goes, doesn’t hesitate. He is not concerned whether he’s right or wrong. He just goes.”

Mac Bignell breaks up pass to Mitch Griebel

Mac Bignell breaks up a pass to Mitch Griebel

“Mac is a ball hawk,” added MSU senior captain wide receiver Mitch Griebel. “That dude, he’s special. He has a knack for always being around the ball and always making the play.”

When Mac blasted Hall, Nate was on the sidelines. But he celebrated in his customarily enthusiastic fashion nonetheless. While he agrees it’s a fun experience playing with his little brother, Nate doesn’t save his celebrations just for his siblings.

“It’s cool to see your brother every day,” Nate said in August. “It’s still a game and you have to go out here and play it. When we line up, he’s still my brother but he’s my teammate and that’s the most important thing at that time. You always have that excitement when you see a family member make a play. It’s brings you up a step but it’s the same with my other teammates. I get excited when I see any of these guys make a play.”

Mac, who like his father is hearing impaired, is a soft-spoken young man who plays with an undeniable fire. He played a few years of varsity football and basketball alongside his brother in the Class C ranks and now he’s getting one more shot at it at the college level.

“I love my brother and I love playing with him,” Mac said. “It’s great to spend one more year with him.”

Mac Bignell vs. Fort Lewis

Mac Bignell vs. Fort Lewis

Last season, senior captain Cole Moore earned third-team All-Big Sky honors at MSU’s Sam position. By the time he graduated, he had 38 straight starts at the position under his belt. His primary backup in 2013 was Braun, then a true freshman. But Braun missed the 2014 season and was moved inside during spring drills earlier this year. Montana State signed Zach Stern out of Santa Monica College to compete for the Sam spot but he wasn’t cleared to join the team until almost a week into fall camp.

Initially, playing Mac Bignell at outside linebacker looked like a stopgap. From the first spring practice all the way through fall camp to the first game, the sophomore proved he was much more than a spring ball solution.

“Mac showed up in spring football, the first day we put the pads on,” Ash said. “He had a great spring, earned himself a starting position, earned himself a scholarship. From the beginning of spring, we knew he was going to be a player so it didn’t surprise me one bit. He’s been a thorn in the offensive’s side all through spring and early camp. I’m sure our offense is glad he’s playing against somebody else now.”

Nate Bignell tracks down Dakota Prukop

Nate Bignell tracks down Dakota Prukop

Nate Bignell fought for playing time along a defensive front that included standout tackles like Sheridan, three-year starter Taylor Dees, All-America Zach Minter and his cousin, Brian. He had a scrape with the law the resulting in a misdemeanor charge that was later dropped, leading to a suspension during 2013. Last year, he proved he belonged in the rotation, notching three tackles for loss and two sacks in spot duty.

At the end of fall camp, Nate received the news he’d been waiting for. He was moved to full scholarship by the Montana State coaching staff. Now he’s just trying to enjoy his last season carrying on his family’s legacy in blue and gold.

“I remember my freshman year and how slow that year seemed and now that seems like it was just yesterday,” Bignell said. “My last year, I’m going to come out here and play as hard as I can and have fun while doing it.”

Nate has acclimated to Montana State’s new defense as well as any MSU interior defensive linemen. He can play in early-down situations and he has abilities as a pass rusher as well. Kane Ioane’s new scheme predicates rotation and staying fresh, something that Nate is thriving on as he tries to write the last chapter to his story and one of the final chapters of the Bignell story at Montana State.

“He’s going to be totally accountable,” MSU defensive line coach Bo Beck said. “He can play with any group. He’s sat behind so many good kids for so long. He’s always been a hard worker. He knows that this is his time. He’s got one shot at this thing. When the end is near, that’s really helped him. I think he’s going to enjoy playing with Mac on the field. That will be neat and it will be neat for Joe. It’s a pretty great family story of being great Bobcats.”

Photos by Brooks Nuanez. All Rights Reserved.

About Colter Nuanez

Colter Nuanez is the co-founder and senior writer for Skyline Sports. After spending six years in the newspaper industry with stops at the Missoulian, the Ellensburg Daily Record and the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, the former Washington Newspaper Association Sportswriter of the Year and University of Montana Journalism School graduate ('09) has cultivated a deep passion for sports journalism during his 13-year career covering the Big Sky Conference. In August of 2014, Colter and brother Brooks merged their passions of writing and art to found Skyline Sports.

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