BOZEMAN — Matt Miller has never had a problem rising to the occasion on a football field. But Saturday at Holt Arena might be Miller’s greatest challenge yet.
The Montana State assistant football coach rose to statewide fame as one of the great athletes to ever come out of the Treasure State. Miller was twice named the Class AA Offensive Player of the year during his standout career at Helena Capital. He played wide receiver, running back, quarterback and defensive back, serving as a key cog to a Capital team that won 33 straight games and fell just short of winning a Montana record four straight state titles.
After catching 54 passes for 900 yards and six touchdowns and rushing for 951 yards and 12 more touchdowns, Miller earned Montana Gatorade Player of the Year in 2009. Colleges from across the country cam calling, from Arkansas, Dartmouth and Harvard to the East, Colorado State, Arizona State and Boise State to the West.
Miller eventually chose to stay close to home, where he was an instant star at Boise State. He suffered a torn Achilles tendon that caused him to redshirt his first year in Boise in 2010, but was a four-year starter after that. He was a Freshman All-American after catching 62 passes for 679 yards and nine touchdowns for the Broncos in 2011.
By his junior year, he was a first-team All-Mountain West Conference talent, catching 88 passes for 1,140 yards and 12 touchdowns. His senior year, the injury bug struck again. The 6-foot-3, 215-pounder suffered a severe ankle injury five games into his final season, a setback that effectively ended a career that likely would’ve progressed to the NFL otherwise.
Montana State offensive coordinator Matt Miller in 2018/by Brooks Nuanez
On Saturday, the 27-year-old will serve as Montana State’s primary play-caller for the first time. MSU third-year head coach Jeff Choate shuffled his staff following an irrelevant offensive performance that included just seven first downs and just 53 yards passing in the Bobcats’ 34-24 loss at No. 7 Weber State, a contest in which the MSU defense and Troy Andersen’s big play ability helped stake the visiting ‘Cats to a 17-7 lead in the first half.
Brian Armstrong has been MSU’s offensive coordinator in title since the beginning of last season. He is now just the tight ends coach. Choate hired Bob Cole as his quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator in the off-season but he is no longer with the program as of Sunday. Cole split play-calling duties with Armstrong for most of the conference season.
“I just felt like it was time for a new voice in there,” Choate said. “It had been a little bit split between Brian and Bob calling plays. I think both those guys have had equal input offensively. Bob being in the quarterback room, understanding what those guys were comfortable with and capable of, I felt like it was time to get a new voice, a strong voice in that room that was going to bring confidence and energy and a little bit of excitement and I think Matt will do an excellent job of that.”
Miller, who was not made available for interviews this week, has spent the last two and a half seasons coaching Montana State’s wide receivers. A quarterback carousel that has seen Tyler Bruggman, Chris Murray, Andersen and Tucker Rovig all start games under center has in turn affected the productivity of Miller’s group.
Now the former do-everything star — Miller was the first Capital athlete in school history to earn first-team all-state honors in football and basketball in the same year when he did it as a sophomore — will be in control of the offensive play calling, the quarterbacks and potentially the state of MSU’s season. The Bobcats take a 4-3 record to Pocatello that includes a 2-2 record in Big Sky Conference play. MSU certainly needs to go 3-1 down the stretch and perhaps 4-0 if the team hopes to break into the 24-team FCS playoff field for the first time since 2014.
Montana State wide receiver Kevin Kassis (85) and Lance McCutcheon (88)/by Brooks Nuanez
“I just think it’s going to be a different perspective,” MSU junior wide receiver and captain Kevin Kassis said. “A lot of similar things because we are at that point in the season where you can’t change up too much. We just don’t have enough time. Coach Miller will bring a new perspective and different timing for when plays are called. It’s exciting to see how he does.”
Kassis has learned under Miller for his entire career at Montana State. He said he thinks Miller’s promotion will pay dividends for a Bobcat offense that has produced 12 first downs or less on four separate occasions and has thrown for less than 100 yards three times in Big Sky play.
“I think one of the reason’s he had so much success as a player is because of his football IQ,” Kassis said. “He’s a super smart guy who knows football. I think he’s ready for this opportunity too. He takes pride in hard work and this is an exciting time for him.”
Idaho State head coach Rob Phenicie said his staff learned of the move right after Choate announced it at his weekly press conference on Monday. It threw a new fold into ISU’s preparation.
“I know Matt Miller has an extensive Boise State background so we got out our file of trick plays and worked on those,” Phenicie said. “Who knows? He might come out and throw four or five traditional Boise State trick plays on us. It definitely makes it tough.”
Montana State quarterback Troy Andersen (15)/by Brooks Nuanez
“You throw out all the tendencies. It’s like playing the first game of the season. A new coordinator, how much are they going to change their system, we don’t know. We might have to come out and play base for a quarter until we figure out what we are going to do and if they keep No. 15 at quarterback (Andersen), we can’t let him hurt us.”
The passing game has been under scrutiny since Murray took over for Bruggman as the starter under center midway through the 2016 season. Murray looked brilliant at times, non-existent at others during a 2017 season that saw him rush for the second most yards (1,140) in the league as the engine of the top rushing offense in the conference. But the inconsistent passing attack resulted in a 5-6 record, MSU’s third straight losing season after a streak of 14 straight winning campaigns dating back to 2002.
When the announcement came that Murray would sit out the 2018 season to concentrate on his academics, the quarterback situation became more cloudy. From a loss of confidence during spring football by redshirt freshman Tucker Rovig to a broken foot suffered last winter by transfer Travis Jonsen to the retirement of Brady McChesney and Kamden Brown due to injuries to a season-ending injury suffered by Rovig during MSU’s bye, the influx position eventually led to Andersen, the Big Sky’s Freshman of the Year as a running back and linebacker, starting at quarterback for five of seven games this season.
That looks like the same situation Miller will have going forward, at least according to Choate.
Montana State offensive coordinator Matt Miller with wide receiver Kevin Kassis (85)/by Brooks Nuanez
“If I felt like making a change at quarterback would provide the spark that I felt I think we needed, clearly that would’ve been the decision,” Choate said. “I think our team believes in Troy and a big part of that is we know that he is going to compete. He is going to give us everything he’s got.”
Choate said he will help with the offensive game plan and with coaching the wide receivers and offensive personnel in general. But he wants Miller to put his own stamp on the Montana State offense, beginning with what amounts to a playoff game against ISU.
“There’s gotta be a balance there,” Choate said. “Let Matt make Matt’s decisions. I don’t want to cloud his judgment or his decision-making. I want him to bring ideas and let him know that I’m supportive but I also want him to formulate his plan.
“I think it will create a sense of urgency not just within our team but within our staff. And we can move forward in a positive direction.”
Photos by Brooks Nuanez. All Rights Reserved.
