The Bobcats in blue burst out in elation as Tyler Bruggman threw a perfect touchdown pass to end Tuesday’s session, the fourth practice of an already vigorous session as Montana State endures its first fall camp under Jeff Choate.
Moments after the celebratory finish for the MSU offense, the entire team – offensive players in blue jerseys, the defensive players wearing white – finished their last practice before strapping on pads with a healthy set of wind sprints.
MSU head coach Jeff Choate coaching a special teams drill
“We have a little fun here at the end and they are hooting and hollering and then all of a sudden, the replay booth says no, that wasn’t a touchdown so we have to go play some more,” Choate said with a smile reminiscent of a father who just watched his sons endure a hard day of manual labor. “One of our core values is toughness. That’s not just the physical part of it. It’s about pushing through adversity.”
The Bobcats entered fall camp this season after what most of the veterans called the most productive summer during their time in Bozeman. After 15 spring practices under a new staff for the first time in nine years, MSU wanted to build upon the foundation rather than lose all progress. Montana State conducted at least three player-run practices (they called the meetings PRPs) per week in addition to their four to five times weekly of conditioning and weight training.
Choate opened camp with a conditioning-filled first practice and has not let up during the first four days of what will be a 29-practice session. Montana State does more defensive pursuit drill than it ever did under former head coach Rob Ash. If the hustle and urgency from the players is absent, Choate will not hesitate to engage the entire team in up-downs. Each practice ends with one side of the ball, or sometimes both, doing wind sprints to finish.
“This is the hardest fall camp I’ve ever been a part of but at the same time, this is exactly what we need,” Montana State senior Gunnar Brekke said. “We’ve gotten better every day. Yesterday (Monday), we came out sluggish and Coach Choate called us out. I think we did a great job of responding as a team. Today, even tougher. Fourth day, your legs are tired, your shoulders are sore after that first day of hitting. I think we came out and put all that aside and competed.
“It’s just fun, man. That’s all I can say about it. It’s fun to come out here and compete as a team against each other, talk a little smack, get after each other. It’s so good for us. It’s already pushing us in the right direction but at the same time, we have so much farther to go.”
MSU cornerback Naijel Hale (7) & Damien Washington (27) work through a turnover circuit with defensive coordinator Ty Gregorak
The energy of the first week of camp, particularly one under a new coaching staff and particularly before the pads go on is sure to be high. Add the intensity that seems to be part of the fabric of Choate’s soul to the mix and the Bobcats seem reborn.
But the lulls of camp are sure to come. And Montana State’s new head coach knows it.
“Even the great teams I’ve been around have peaks and valleys and you are going to have a dip at some point,” Choate said following Monday’s practice. “I’m interested to see how consistent can we be? How consistently can we bring that energy? As a realist, I know at some point in time, we will have a lull. But I also know the structure of practice is to make sure about when those legs get really heavy, we will give them a little more of a mental day than a physical day. I would say any coach in the country would say the same thing: It’s hard to bring it every single day.”
The first four days of fall camp have been filled with what the coaches describe as a healthy back and forth between the offense and the defense. Choate said, as expected, running backs Brekke and Chad Newell, quarterback Tyler Bruggman and tight end Austin Barth have emerged as leaders offensively. Defensive coordinator Ty Gregorak said he wants to see a similar emergence on the defensive side of the ball in coming weeks.
Choate said Wednesday, Thursday and Friday’s practices leading up to MSU’s first scrimmage would not look much different than the previous two days. He said the offensive line would be allowed to cut block, both to work on the technique and to help the defensive front seven prepare for it. He said the team will “go live” for a period or two each day but will save most of the full contact for Saturday.
MSU buck end Shilo LaBoy tags off on Z wide receiver Justin Paige
The camp has been highlighted by position battles across the board. Junior tackle Dylan Mahoney and senior guard J.P. Flynn are sure options to start to the left of sophomore center Alex Neale. The battle for the spots on the right side of the offensive line feature juniors Monte Folsom and Caleb Gillis fighting at guard, senior UNLV transfer Patrick Carroll and redshirt freshman Mitch Brott battling at tackle.
At wide receiver, All-Big Sky performer Mitch Herbert is entrenched at the “X” spot but competition for the “Z” position between junior Justin Paige and redshirt freshman Cam Sutton along with the highly-contested “H” spot between senior Brandon Brown, junior Jayshawn Gates, sophomore John D’Agostino and true freshman Kevin Kassis rages on.
Newell, Brekke and junior Nick LaSane should all get carries out of the backfield. Barring a disaster, Bruggman will be the man handing them the ball. Choate called true freshman Anthony Pegues “a different kind of talent” but stopped short of saying he would forego his redshirt year – yet.
Defensively, MSU had position battles at “Buck” defensive end as sophomore Grant Collins, junior Shiloh Laboy and senior Jessie Clark fight for time. Sophomore Zach Wright is trying to fend off senior Robert Wilcox and junior college transfer Fou Polataivao for the starting nod at defensive tackle next to sophomore nose guard Tucker Yates and junior strong end Tyrone Fa’anono. The linebacker corps of junior Mac Bignell, senior Fletcher Collins and junior Blake Braun all return, but the competition is about to get interesting with twin junior college transfers Lukas and Jakob McCarthy eligible and joining the mix. On the back end, juniors Khari Garcia and Bryson McCabe have the safety spots locked down but the addition of transfers John Walker (Colorado) and Naijiel Hale (Washington) to a corner group already featuring junior Bryce Alley, sophomore Braelen Evans and sophomore Tre’Von Strong has made for another heated competition.
MSU Z wide receiver Cam Sutton makes a catch during a team session
“The one thing that is going to be interesting is I think we have some really tight, competitive battles,” Choate said. “As the McCarthy brothers get out there at linebacker, that’s going to elevate the competition at linebacker. As Fou and (JC transfer Brandon) Hayashi enter the fold on the d-line, it will spike. Patrick Carroll at right tackle too. I’m concerned about the chemistry in the room a little bit. If someone starts to emerge and another guy thinks he’s the dude, is he still riding for the brand? Or is it all about him? That’s one of the things we have to keep a close eye on.”
The heated competition across the board, much like the return to fundamentals and the priority put on toughness, are exactly what these Bobcats need following last season’s fall from grace, Brekke said.
“We’ve lost our edge the last couple of years for whatever reason,” Brekke said. “Since Choate has been here, he’s really established that grit kind of attitude to attack each day no matter how hard it is. It’s tough coming out here every day when it’s this hot. But if you have goals for yourself as a player and more importantly as a team, you come out here and think about where you want to be in the next few months, it makes it that much easier to grind out through camp. Choate does a great job of instilling that into us.”
Photos by Brooks Nuanez. All Rights Reserved.
