BOZEMAN — After a career-altering set of blunders, Nick LaSane has taken care of business. Saturday against Portland State, the running back Montana State once expected to be their primary ball carrier will return to the MSU backfield.
The bruising senior has waited his turn in a crowded Bobcat running backs group over the last four years, fighting for scraps behind Chad Newell, Shawn Johnson, Gunnar Brekke and Anthony Knight. Last season, LaSane foreshadowed his potential with a 61-yard run that set up a crucial Newell touchdown in MSU’s 24-17 win over rival Montana in Missoula.
LaSane rose to the top of the depth chart during spring drills. But last summer, LaSane was arrested two different times, including once for driving under the influence of alcohol. The illegal activity caused Montana State head coach Jeff Choate to cut LaSane’s scholarship in half, suspend him for the first four games of the season and give the Dallas native a list of tasks he needed to accomplish.
That suspension ended earlier this week. LaSane is expected to play a large role in MSU’s running game on Saturday against the Vikings.
“He’s handled himself very well and that’s part of the deal,” Choate said on Monday. “As I said a long time ago, this could be a very positive thing for him. This wasn’t easy for anybody. That’s the guy back in May that we were saying was going to be our cowbell and that we were going to ride that guy. It was a blow to our team and a blow to Nick. But he’s handled it well. We are excited to get him an opportunity to help contribute to the team now.”
Montana State head coach Jeff Choate coaching senior running back Nick LaSane last spring/ by Brooks Nuanez
Choate said he has been pleased with the work LaSane has done pacing the scout team and showing good special teams repetitions in practice.
“When we sat down, the expectation was that he would follow through with some of the expectations he had outside of football to correct some of the wrongs to improve yourself as a person,” Choate said. “The second thing was that he was going to be on scout team. Put a pinnie on, cover kicks, be the scout team tailback, be a leader down with that group, not be a distraction. He did all those things. If he hadn’t, he wouldn’t be playing. He’s responded in the correct way.”
LaSane’s return will bolster a rushing attack that, outside of slippery quarterback Chris Murray, has been by committee thus far this season.
Sophomore Edward Vander has show flashes, like his 43-yard scamper on the first play of the game of MSU’s 25-17 loss to No. 18 Weber State last weekend. He added a 24-yard run in the fourth quarter during a 73-yard day, a career-high for the junior college transfer. He is averaging 5.0 yards per carry on his other 24 carries outside of Saturday and 6.4 yards per rush this season.
True freshman Troy Andersen had a breakout performance by rushing for 131 yards and two touchdowns in MSU’s 49-21 win over North Dakota, the Bobcats’ lone victory this season. Anderson has 51 yards other than that game after playing sparingly with a shoulder injury in MSU’s 31-27 loss to No. 4 South Dakota State.
Troy Andersen bursts up field against Weber State
On this week’s depth chart, LaSane, Vander and junior Logan Jones are the three running backs listed. Andersen is not listed.
“I think (LaSane’s return) probably will effect Troy’s role,” Choate said. “Troy has, depending on the game, had a different role each week. That’s the thing that is probably the most impressive about him. He’s a one-rep guy. Line up here, do this, got it. Whether it was empty as a receiver this week, or running out of the backfield, he’s a guy who because of his versatility, we can utilize him in specific packages and maybe take a couple of shots off of him here and there.”
The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Dillon product has already affirmed the notion that he is one of the best pure athletes to come out of Montana in the modern generation. He earned Class A Offensive Player of the Year honors as a quarterback and Southwest A Defensive Player of the Year honors as a safety. He was recruited to Montana State as a linebacker.
Given MSU’s injury situation at linebacker — senior Jakob McCarthy is out for the season, as is redshirt freshman Jakob Hadley while sophomore Josh Hill has missed the last two games – the discussion of moving Andersen back to linebacker has already occurred.
Troy Andersen and quarterback Chris Murray run the zone-read option
“Yes it’s tempting,” Choate said. “Ask (Defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Ty (Gregorak), I’m sure he’ll give you the same answer.”
“He is smart and everything about Troy as a coach is appealing,” Gregorak said. “He’s a long, fast, smart athlete. He was recruited to play linebacker here. If that happens and when that happens, that will be a good thing for the team.”
“Bu I was the first one to say in August if this was best with the team, we had to do it,” Gregorak added on Andersen’s sudden move to running back in August. “The kid is an athlete.”
Regardless of where Andersen ends up for the second half of this season or for the next three-plus years of his career, he has already carved a reputation as a rising star draped in mystery. MSU’s long-standing procedure of not allowing true freshmen talk to the media remains so the last time Andersen himself talked was when he committed to the Bobcats in June.
His performances in various high school all-star games last summer added to his legend. His instantly apparent strength and speed turned heads during fall camp as he ran past and through defenders in his first weeks playing tailback.
“As soon as Troy gets in the open field, he’s deadly,” MSU sophomore right tackle Mitch Brott said two weeks ago. “He weighs a lot, very fast. I’m excited for him. He sure knows how to hit a hole, put his head in there and take a hit.”
Troy Andersen against South Dakota State
He appeared overwhelmed in his college debut at Pac 12 Washington State and had just one carry against SDSU. Then came his eye-popping performance against UND as he became just the third true freshman running back, and the first since 2006, to rush for more than 100 yards.
“He’s an awe-shucks kid,” Choate said two weeks ago. “I think when we start playing rap music in the locker room before the game, he puts his head phones on an listens to Merle Haggard or something. But he has that quiet confidence about him. He’s a gifted young man not just in terms of what he has the football in his hand. You look at the prowess of every aspect of his athletic endeavors at Beaverhead County High School and oh by the way, go look at his transcript. That was pretty impressive too.
“He’s a very smart kid, a very hard working kid given that he’s a ranch kid,” added MSU running backs coach Michael Pitre. “It makes my job really easy because he wants to be coached up. It’s been fun working with him.”
LaSane’s return will no doubt be a shot in the arm, Armstrong said, simply because of his experience and ability to run multiple packages and sets. Often times this season, Jones, Vander and Andersen have been in for specific sets but have to constantly sub as Vander and Andersen continue to learn the ins and outs of Armstrong’s multiple offense. Even if it means less carries for Andersen, the Bobcats are happy to have LaSane back in the fold.
“Nick is a very physical, downhill runner,” Armstrong said. “Hopefully he will have fresh legs and bad intentions.”
Photos by Brooks Nuanez. All Rights Reserved.
