BOZEMAN — Montana State limped into Ogden with a 2-4 record, the four losses by a combine 14 points. MSU’s defensive ills seemed to be cured but all of a sudden, the offense could not take care of the football.
On the second drive of the first start of Chris Murray’s career, MSU offensive coordinator Courtney Messingham called a speed option to the left. The play call seemed perplexing not only because the 17-year-old had just completed his first pass of the afternoon but also because Murray is a right-handed quarterback not deft at running the pitch option, particularly with his off hand.
The pitch skipped behind Gunnar Brekke and into the hands of Weber State linebacker Trey Hoskins. Moments later, the Wildcats held a 14-0 lead en route to a 45-21 victory.
Montana State quarterback Chris Murray/ by Brooks Nuanez
The Bobcats ended their non-conference schedule in 2016 with a 2-1 record thanks in large part to an FCS-best 11 takeaways. New defensive coordinator Ty Gregorak’s aggressive odd front scheme seemed effective. Beginning with quarterback Tyler Bruggman’s three-interception second half in MSU’s Big Sky Conference opening 17-15 loss to North Dakota ignited a rash of turnovers, a plague that would produce 23 giveaways during the Bobcats’ 0-6 start in league play.
Following MSU’s 20-14 loss to Northern Arizona, first-year head coach Jeff Choate and Messingham decided to make a change under center. Bruggman, a journeyman who made stops at Washington State, Louisville and Scottsdale Community College before an underwhelming fourth year at MSU, got the hook following the NAU loss.
Murray, a dynamic, electric yet sporadic freshman took Bruggman’s place. Murray came off the bench to rush for 180 yards but turned the ball over a few times in MSU’s 41-38 loss at Sacramento State. Murray manufactured both of MSU’s touchdown drives in the second half of the NAU loss but his fumble sealed MSU’s third straight conference loss.
In Murray’s first career start against Weber, the precocious rookie and the offense stalled out on their first possession. Weber’s surgical first drive gave the host Wildcats a 7-0 lead. On the ensuing Bobcat chance, Murray rushed for 14 yards on the first play, then completed his first pass, a five-yard gain to Keon Stephens.
On the third play of the possession, Messingham called the speed option to the left for an off-hand pitch. The flick by the 17-year-old signal caller rolled behind the MSU senior captain.
The lack of situational awareness combined with the less than prudent play calling proved to be a theme during MSU’s 4-7 finish in 2017. In the off-season, Messingham, a journeyman in his own right, took the offensive coordinator position on Chris Kliemann’s staff at North Dakota State.
MSU head coach Jeff Choate celebrates with wide receiver Mitch Herbert
Choate promoted offensive line coach Brian Armstrong to offensive coordinator in the off-season. The Helena native found great success as the OC and then head coach at Rocky Mountain College before joining Choate’s staff. Since Armstrong took over, the offensive staff has dissected the individual skills of each personnel group to craft a scheme that can show more consistency than in Murray’s first year as a starter.
Thus far through fall camp, the results have been promising. The offensive play calling has found rhythm and pace, varying tempos and putting Murray, an explosive dual-threat, in a position to efficiently distribute the ball to a group of skill players with noticeably upgraded speed and talent compared to a year ago.
“I think Brian is a really smart, good football coach,” Choate said. “You can throw stones and say, ‘This guy was a high school coach or NAIA coach’ but ball coaches are ball coaches. And he’s a ball coach. I’ve been around that guy for 20-plus years and he’s a smart guy. He relates to players extremely well. He can motivate and I think he’s done a really good job of putting the pieces together of what our skill level is.”
During Montana State’s first fall scrimmage, the offense looked diverse and dangerous as Murray put his improved throwing ability on full display. He completed 10-of-13 passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns, making an array of throws that would’ve seemed impossible 12 months earlier.
Montana State’s defensive performance in the second and final scrimmage noticeably improved, yet Murray still managed to complete 13-of-18 passes for 141 yards.
“What (Armstrong is) doing fits my type of style pretty well,” Murray said. “All the guys are into it. I have confidence in those guys to protect me and the receivers have confidence that I will get them the ball and I have confidence they will make plays.
“I just know that we are more dialed in and focused each play, knowing the down and distance, knowing what to do, being more aware of what’s going on and taking care of the ball. The terminology, he created it a lot simpler not only for me but for the offensive line is protection calls, my reads, simple 1-2-3, ok it’s not there, I can run, do my thing. He made it way easier for all of us.”
Montana State offensive coordinator Brian Armstrong with former captain Chad Newell/ by Brooks Nuanez
Armstrong’s attack prioritizes getting the ball to playmakers in space while limiting the margin for error. The tweaks to last year’s offense include more play-action passes, a variety of inside zone and zone-read option plays and a priority on exploiting the middle of the field with possession receivers like senior Mitch Herbert or mismatch-creating junior tight end Connor Sullivan.
“He’s doing a great job,” said Herbert, a third-team All-Big Sky Conference selection as a sophomore who saw his production take a hit last season. “I know everyone on the offensive side of the ball trusts Coach Armstrong. I like what he’s doing with the passing game. We’ve put in a lot of basic stuff. Off every play, he says we have an answer.”
The Bobcat defense is reinvigorated because of a healthy, deep defensive line after a 2016 filled with devastating injuries, a linebacker corps spearheaded by All-American Mac Bignell and a secondary anchored by All-Big Sky safety Bryson McCabe. The unit made vast strides a season ago, shoring up a once-porous aspect that was the main factor in former head coach Rob Ash’s staff being terminated.
MSU returns veteran tackles Zach Wright, Tucker Yates and Brandon Hayashi along with seasoned ends Grant Collins, Tyrone Fa’anono, Derek Marks and Marcus Ferriter. The linebackers also feature Josh Hill, an 11-game starter last season. The secondary has four proven commodities in McCabe, senior Khari Garcia, sophomore Brayden Konkol plus junior college transfer JoJo Henderson.
Despite the dearth of talent, the unit has struggled to slow down Murray and the starting offense over the last three-plus weeks of fall camp.
“Our offense is challenging,” Gregorak said. “They have given us a ton of different looks. We’ve had to defend a bunch of different pictures throughout camp. And the athleticism and progress of our quarterback makes it scary. I hope to watch him do a lot of things against defenses this year because that kid could be flat special.”
Montana State senior wide receiver Justin Paige/ by Colter Nuanez
Messingham, Bruggman and Murray all took heat a year ago as the MSU offense struggled to move the football, particularly through the air. Bruggman and Murray combine to complete just 45 percent of their passes for 155 yards per game. The duo threw 12 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
While the quarterback play was far from elite, the wide receiver performance was lackluster as well. Herbert led the team with 26 catches and 476 yards but dropped several long shots down the field that could’ve opened up things for the Bobcat offense. Justin Paige, a big-play threat who averaged 35 yards per catch his first two seasons at MSU, was MSU’s fourth-leading receiver with just 15 catches for 190 yards and two touchdowns.
“(Armstrong) definitely simplified the game plan compared to last year,” Paige said. “He cut most of the offensive plays down and simplified it for the whole team, the receivers, the offensive linemen, the running backs.
“We are doing a lot of the same things but with different tempos. We try to speed up the tempo and then we slow it down when we need to.”
The MSU offense stands to benefit from the addition of talent along with the development of several young players. Kevin Kassis showed flashes of his potential during his true freshman season, catching nine passes for 152 yards. The wide receiver group will also get a shot in the arm from junior college transfer Jabarri Johnson, a hard-working 6-foot-4, 210-pound athlete, and true freshman Lance McCutcheon, a Bozeman High product who has been one of the standouts this camp.
Montana State junior tight end Connor Sullivan/ by Brooks Nuanez
“I think Messingham had a different approach to some different things,” Kassis said. “I don’t think he did a bad job but I like the way Coach Army is constructing this offense and the twists he’s putting on it. He has a lot of great ideas. There are a lot of things we can do and we are utilizing everyone’s capabilities.”
A more fluid, cohesive passing game could make the Bobcats much more difficult to stop this fall. Last year, MSU rushed for 212 yards per game as Murray took the league by storm with his legs, rushing for 860 yards and 12 touchdowns himself despite starting just five games.
That rushing attack loses J.P. Flynn, an All-American left guard now with the San Francisco 49ers, as well as right guard Monte Folsom, who had to retire before the season. All-Big Sky fullback Chad Newell and Brekke are also gone to graduation.
But the early returns during fall camp is that an offensive line returning senior captain Dylan Mahoney at left tackle, junior center Alex Neale and sophomore right tackle Mitch Brott, a 2016 Freshman All-American, could be one of the Big Sky’s best.
“I think Messingham last year did a good job of having high expectations, but what Armstrong expects from us is a whole different level,” MSU sophomore Jake McFetridge, Flynn’s slated starter at left guard, said. “He has a huge focus on the o-line really setting the tone. That’s awesome for us as a unit to look at these five guys and say these are our leaders.”
MSU quarterback Chris Murray and running back Noah James/ by Colter Nuanez
The Montana State running backs will have a new look as well. Without Newell, a workhorse and inspirational leader who carved out a reputation as one of the Big Sky’s toughest players, the Bobcats will employ a diverse group of ball carriers. Junior Noah James and junior college transfer Edward Vander will handle the short-yardage carries until suspended senior Nick LaSane returns in October.
Junior Logan Jones might finally get significant carries as a speed threat but he’ll have to fend off true freshman jitterbug Tyrel Burgess. Troy Andersen, the prize of the in-state recruiting battle from Dillon, came to MSU as an outside linebacker expected to play as a rookie. He’ll crack the lineup as a true freshman instead at running back.
MSU will employ triple option elements this season as well. Mixed with tempo and depth, it could make Montana State all of a sudden a tough outfit to defend.
“Having a year to watch players and see what each guy does best, we are starting to understand the pieces and putting guys in the best positions to be successful,” said James, a former walk-on from Kalispell Glacier who earned a scholarship in the off-season. “And Chris not being a 17-year-old kid anymore, a year of ball under his belt, he’s matured a lot. He has really stepped up as a leader on this team, which is crucial when it comes to the quarterback position. I think our offense has really taken a step in the right direction.”
“Armstrong is exactly what we needed,” added Jones, himself a walk-on from Kalispell Glacier. “No offense to the previous coaches. He’s really making sure we know where the bar is set and where we need to be.”
Photos by Brooks and Colter Nuanez. All Rights Reserved.
