Field Pass - Southern Utah by Bozeman Daily Chronicle

No. 20 Southern Utah (6-2) vs. Montana State (4-4), 1:40 p.m., Bobcat Stadium A S P E C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E

DAILY CHRONICLE

FIELD PASS BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

F O L LO W T H E G A M E L I V E : D A I LYC H R O N I C L E . CO M / S P O R T S

SIDELINE BRIEFING SERIES: MSU leads 3-1

Oct. 3 @ No. Arizona, L 49-41 Oct. 10 Sac. State, W 35-13 Oct. 17 @ Portland State, L 59-42 Oct. 24 East Tenn. State, W 63-7 Oct. 31 @ North Dakota, L 44-38 Nov. 7 Southern Utah, 1:40 p.m. Nov. 14 @ Idaho State, 2:35 p.m. Nov. 21 Montana, 12:10 p.m.

CROWD: Bobcat Stadium (17,777) TELEVISION: ROOT Sports (Tom Glasgow, Jason Stiles, Jen Mueller) RADIO: Bobcat Radio Network (Jay Sanderson, Dan Davies, Riley Corcoran)

Southern Utah Sept. 3 @ Utah State, L 12-9 Sept. 12 @ S.D. State, L 55-10 Sept. 19 No. Colorado, W 30-3 Sept. 26 Brevard College, W 55-7 Oct. 2 @ Weber State, W 44-0 Oct. 17 Sacramento State, W 44-0 Oct. 24 @ UC Davis, W 34-6 Oct. 31 Cal Poly, W 54-37 Nov. 7 @ Montana State, 1:40 p.m. Nov. 14 @ Portland State Nov. 21 Northern Arizona

COACHES: Rob Ash, MSU, ninth year 36th year overall 69-36 at MSU, 245-135-5 overall Ed Lamb, SUU, eighth year Eighth year overall 43-45 at SUU SCHEDULE Montana State Sept. 3 Fort Lewis, W 45-14 Sept. 19 @ E. Washington, L 55-50 Sept. 26 Cal Poly, W 45-28

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Offense Junior running back Gunnar Brekke is cleared to return from a

concussion that forced him to miss two games. Against an aggressive, physical defense, MSU’s backs will be involved in the run game, but also the pass. Brekke averaged 97 total yards in the last two full games he played and scored in each. Senior quarterback Ammon Olsen transferred from BYU, was the Big Sky’s Newcomer of the Year in 2014 and is putting together another solid campaign. He’s thrown 14 touchdowns and just three interceptions while also adding three rushing scores. His 62 percent completion rate is fifth among conference leaders. Defense Junior bandit Jessie Clark has come on strong the past two weeks. He had two tackles for loss, a sack and three hurries against East Tennessee State, and followed it up with a TFL and a forced fumble to compliment five stops against North

Dakota. This will be the transfer’s third straight start for the Bobcats. James Cowser garners much of the attention for the stout Thunderbirds, but Miles Killebrew is also having an excellent year. The defensive back leads the team with 83 tackles and has six pass break-ups. MSU offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey on Tuesday called the 6-foot-3, 230-pound senior one of the best defensive players in the Big Sky. QUICK HITS: n The three Division I wins

Montana State has logged at home are against teams with a combined 5-19 record. MSU’s four road defeats are against teams that are 23-10. n Dakota Prukop has 2,908 total yards of offense (363.5 per game) this season, the eighth-best mark in school history. He needs to average 316 over the final three regularseason games to break Travis Lulay’s 2004 record of 3,856.

406.587.0122 • Fax: 406.587.5548 450 Ellis Street, Suite 201, Bozeman, MT 59715 bridgerorthopedic.com

406.587.0122 • Fax:406.587.5548 450 Ellis Street, Suite 201, Bozeman, MT 59715 bridgerorthopedic.com

FREESTONE REHABILITATION

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BOZEMAN WEST END BOZEMAN BELGRADE FREESTONE 3406 Laramie Drive 406.587.0122 406.388.7229 COMING SOON Soon 1532 Ellis Street, Suite 103 403 Gallatin Farms Ave. REHABILITATION Bozeman 406.587.0122 Belgrade 406.388.7229 Bozeman West End Coming

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BY J O N M A L E T Z

C H R O N I C L E S P O R T S E D I TO R

THUNDERBIRDS SOARING Resilient Southern Utah back among Big Sky’s elite after trying 2014 campaign

The Thunderbirds (6-2) have won six consecutive games, finally cracked the FCS top 25 last week and head to Bozeman with an unblemished Big Sky record. Win its final three games against the Bobcats, Portland State and Northern Arizona, and SUU will be assured of no worse than a share of the conference title. “Honestly, for a coach I think a lot of times the more apt word is relief,” eighth-year head coach and former BYU linebacker and defensive end Ed Lamb remarked earlier this week. “I think we just put so much pressure on ourselves to help these guys be successful. When they are, it’s kind of like, OK, I’m doing my job at least to the point that I’m not getting in their way.” A multitude of factors impeded progress during a forgettable 2014 campaign.

Start with a grueling August and September slate that featured games against the FBS’ Nevada and Fresno State plus FCS powers Southeast Louisiana and South Dakota State, which were ranked third and 11th, respectively, at the time. The Thunderbirds were outscored 151-45 and emerged with an 0-4 record and myriad questions, particularly on offense. SUU could not settle on a starter at quarterback, so two signal callers with disparate skill-sets shared work and “neither got the amount of reps they needed,” Lamb admitted. The lack of continuity yielded playcalling difficulties and inconsistency, offensive coordinator Justin Walterscheid said. In turn, the defense was on the field an inordinate amount of time.

CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS

ames Cowser sure missed this. The enthusiasm and optimism coursing through both the program and quaint Cedar City. The prospect of playing meaningful games in November and challenging for a Big Sky crown. The opportunity to end a decorated career on more satisfying terms. This is resurgent Southern Utah’s true character, the first-team AllAmerican defensive end insists. Last year’s three-win campaign was a learning experience, sure, but largely an anomaly. “We feel like that playoff team is who we really are,” the senior said of 2013’s 8-5 squad, which toppled Montana State en route to a postseason berth. “It’s really helped me enjoy everything about football again.”

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“The defensive guys recognize that we don’t have to shut teams out to win. We now seem to be firing more on all cylinders.” — Ed Lamb, Southern Utah head coach

RECYCLE

LIKE A CHAMP!

Ed Lamb

“Guys started to wear down and become injured,” Lamb recalled. “Pretty soon, coaches and players, we didn’t know what was even the strategy to win much less be able to put it all together cohesively and go out and have a winning effort.” Added Cowser, “It was pretty tough on the team. There were close games at times, but it felt like little things — we’d play well for three quarters, then have a letdown in the fourth — would cost us. It’s not like we were horrible, but we’d have horrible moments.” Young SUU, which had just two seniors on the two-deep and six on the travel squad, surrendered more than 35 points and 526 yards per game. It logged one victory in its first eight, but did manage two in the final four against North Dakota and Northern Arizona. “We dug ourselves a hole we really couldn’t get out of,” defensive coordinator Demario Warren said, “but those last four games really showed the guys believed in each other, believed in the program. We just knew we needed to work a bit harder. “Our focus has been staying together during the hard times so that when times get good, we could enjoy them together.” Added Walterscheid, “We didn’t give fans a whole lot to cheer about. We wanted to make sure and improve on that.” Lamb and company knew they could bank on the production of strong safety Miles Killebrew and Cowser, who in 2014 broke Jared Allen’s single-season conference record with 28.5 tackles for loss, including 11.5 sacks, plus the eventual returns of linebackers Matt Holley and Mike Needham. Holley was sidelined because of injury, and Needham missed last season while serving as a Mormon missionary.

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Love for our Bobcats goes beyond just cheering at the game. Show your team spirit and pride in your community by recycling at todays game and help us reduce what goes to our local landfill. GREEN TOTES = RECYCLABLES (cans, plastic bottles, plastic cups) BLUE TOTES = TRASH (pizza boxes, glass, plastic bags) Thank you for recycling like a Champ!

PROUD TO SUPPORT THE CATS.

Southern Utah All-American defensive end James Cowser enters today’s game with 72.5 career tackles for loss, .5 shy of Jared Allen’s Big Sky record.

They were confident they had found stability at quarterback thanks to Ammon Olsen. The BYU transfer, who assumed starting duties last September, threw for 3,049 yards and 21 touchdowns and earned Big Sky Newcomer of the Year honors. They were certain they were working with a determined bunch, too. “I don’t think I’ve ever lost that many games,” Olsen said. “It was kind of a weird feeling, not a good feeling obviously. It was good motivation for the summer.” Added Cowser, “Having people step up on the offensive line, filling in pieces where you were weak and having a great off-season, that’s a sure recipe for success.” That line, which features a freshman, two sophomores, two juniors and two players who played on the defensive front a year ago, still was finding its way during losses to Utah State and South Dakota State to begin this season. No matter. One of the nation’s most

opportunistic defenses helped the Thunderbirds race past Northern Colorado thanks to five interceptions. A 55-7 rout of overmatched Brevard followed. SUU has been soaring ever since. “We played an opponent we were better than, and I think we got a little confidence from that,” Lamb said. Added Warren, “They never gave up and always stuck together. Now, it’s really paying off.” The Thunderbirds surrendered just nine points in their first four Big Sky games, have picked off 14 passes — they had 11 last season — and lead the league in scoring defense, total defense and pass defense. Perhaps more telling, Lamb contends, is their turnover margin; while the defense has forced 22, the offense has just four, equating to a conference-best margin of plus-2.25 per game. “I think we’re confident,” Olsen said. “More than anything, our defense is confident in us, and we’re confident

in the defense. They know we’re going to put up points, and we know they’re going to do their best not to give up any. … They’ve just been incredible.” Added Lamb, “The defensive guys recognize that we don’t have to shut teams out to win. We now seem to be firing more on all cylinders.” And ready to stake its claim as one of the conference’s best. Don’t expect this group to be consumed with the increased attention, however. These Thunderbirds are intent on savoring, but not squandering this opportunity. “You never want to say losing games is a good thing, but I think we made the most of a bad situation last year,” Cowser said. “I think we just love playing football again. If you asked me what my favorite parts of games are, it’s celebrating with my teammates, it’s celebrating with the guys in the locker room or on the bus. We take a lot of pride in that, in developing a bond. I guess that other stuff just kind of shows up.”

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PHOTOS BY ADRIAN SANCHEZ-GONZALEZ/CHRONICLE

Montana State’s offense has only turned the ball over eight times in eight games, while Southern Utah’s defense has forced 22.

STRENGTH vs. STRENGTH

MSU rarely turns the ball over, and Southern Utah forces mistakes. Something’s going to give. BY PA R K E R G A B R I E L

im Cramsey answered each of the first two questions at his weekly news conference appearance with the same 10 words. “Dakota Prukop is the best football player in this country.” The inquiries concerned whether defenses had figured out how to keep the junior quarterback contained, and whether he has slowed down as a 4-4 season wears on. In reality, the third-year offensive coordinator has plenty of ammunition to support his case. Prukop is ranked in the top 10 in every major national pass-

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CHRONICLE SPORTS WRITER

ing category, is tied for second in points created per game (22.5), third in total yards (363.5) and in the top 20 for rushing touchdowns. It’s also realistic to suggest Prukop played his worst game of the season Saturday in Grand Forks, North Dakota, where the Bobcats suffered a crushing, one-possession loss that all but ended their hopes of making the playoffs. He accounted for 289 yards and three scores and led the team on game-tying drives twice in the second half. However, the offense also failed to convert on two fourth-quarter chances to take the lead,

and never mounted a serious threat from its own 41-yard line with 1 minute, 37 seconds remaining. More surprising, perhaps, were Prukop’s three turnovers. He threw two interceptions in three plays before halftime, and then lost a fumble early in the fourth. In truth, the preseason All-Big Sky quarterback is the least of MSU’s worries. Still, it does set up an intriguing matchup this week, as the Bobcats face the conference’s most prolific turnover-forcing defense. “We’ve been good with turnovers minus that little skid last week,” Cramsey said.

Indeed, MSU had just four giveaways through its first seven games. The Thunderbirds have forced 22 through eight. “They’re very aggressive in the secondary, they play with nice depth, and then they attack the football,” MSU head coach Rob Ash said. “That’s their personality across the board — they attack the game. They get the ball out; they have a high number of not just interceptions, but fumbles, as well.” Other aggressive defenses the Bobcats have played — UND, Portland State and Northern Arizona included — have had to at least mix in some zones and coverage looks in an effort to slow Prukop. “What they’re doing now is they’re not giving me a hard, hard pass rush and instead giving a soft spy on that first level,” he said, noting UND was the first to employ the technique last year and other teams have followed suit. “I usually have two spies on me, but that’s nothing new. The time when that works is third and long, when we’re going to run long routes and I become (my own) check-down option.” At times Saturday, UND dropped both of its defensive tackles, rushed the defensive ends wide and kept its inside linebackers in the box, Cramsey said, putting six sets of eyes squarely on Prukop. While that may sometimes keep the Austin, Texas product from breaking loose in the run game, it also gives him more time in the pocket without heavy duress. “Now he’s stepping around, working his pocket mechanics and completing passes down the field,” Cramsey said. “To me, that’s a sign of a kid becoming a better quarterback.” SUU can try the same tactic, and it might prevent Prukop from racking up rushing yards, but that takes away from the pass rushing of James Cowser and others. If the Thunderbirds decide to play press man and bring pressure, there’s nobody to account for Prukop when he escapes. This is the give and take that MSU’s offense can force on defenses. The only key is not to turn the ball over, and that’s what the Bobcats did too often against UND. Prukop’s first interception was striking because it was the first he’s thrown in the middle of the field all season. He missed sophomore receiver Justin Paige, who had four defenders in the area, high and wide; the ball sailed into the waiting arms of safety Cole Reyes. “It was an interception I haven’t thrown in a long time,” Prukop admitted. “I had a miscue with the receiver … and I was wrong. What the receiver had been taught, the way the safety played it, he’s supposed to stick his route down. I saw it as the receiver should have bent it. That’s a ball where you have to trust that the timing is going to work out or it’s going to be a pick, and sure enough, as soon as I released it I knew it.” His fourth-quarter fumble also was atypical. Prukop was flushed right and eluded defensive linemen Noah Johnson and William James. However, Johnson recovered and wrapped him up from behind. Prukop has saved yards many times by throwing the ball away at the last second, but tried to do so too late and was burned by his typically sound instincts. “You never live with that,” Cramsey said, “The guy that me and Dakota watch the most is Russell Wilson, because I think he’s the best … at creating, he’s the best at getting himself into a good situation, and he’s also the best at conceding when he knows he’s not going to get out of a situation.” UND’s defense got Prukop one more time than he got them Saturday. The same cat-and-mouse game awaits against SUU, and the Bobcats always like their chances with No. 5 directing the attack. “He’s taken 590 snaps this year and probably made about 10 or 15 mistakes. Those are really, really, really good odds,” Cramsey said. “Dakota Prukop is going to make a mistake. Andrew Luck threw three picks (Monday) night, too. Peyton Manning has more interceptions than touchdowns this year. That stuff happens, but I would take Dakota Prukop over any player in the country.” Parker Gabriel can be reached at 582-2690 or pgabriel@dailychronicle.com. Follow him on Twitter @pgabriel15.

Tim Cramsey BIG SKY PUBLISHING

FIELD PASS 2015

MONTANA STATE TWO-DEEP OFFENSE

LT LG C RG RT TE QB RB X F/Y Z PK

55 73 75 54 70 65 63 60 71 60 85 15 5 2 17 27 82 87 13 19 3 4 45

BANDIT TACKLE NOSE END SAM MIKE WILL CB ROVER FS CB P 8

MONTANA STATE BOBCATS ROSTER

John Weidenaar Caleb Gillis JP Flynn Monte Folsom Joel Horn Doug Hanson Kyle Godecke Dylan Mahoney Alex Eekhoff Dylan Mahoney Beau Sandland Austin Barth Dakota Prukop Jake Bleskin Chad Newell Gunnar Brekke Mitch Herbert Connor Sullivan Mitch Griebel Jayshawn Gates Justin Paige Brandon Brown Luke Daly

DEFENSE 33 96 90 50 92 97 98 2 49 42 41 59 34 16 3 38 6 10 1 12 26 24 30 2

Jessie Clark Zach Wright Taylor Sheridan Nate Bignell Tucker Yates Connor Thomas Tyrone Fa’anono Shiloh LaBoy Mac Bignell Joey Michael Grant Collins Fletcher Collins Blake Braun Zach Hutchins Bryson Keeton Trace Timmer Desman Carter Bryson McCabe DeMonte King Khari Garcia Tre’von Strong Bryce Alley Trevor Bolton Jake Bleskin

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BIG SKY PUBLISHING

# 1 2 2 3 3 4 5 5 6 7 7 8 9 10 11 12 12 13 14 14 15 16 16 17 18 19 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44

NAME DeMonte King Jake Bleskin Shiloh LaBoy Bryson Keeton Justin Paige Brandon Brown Braelen Evans Dakota Prukop Desman Carter Jordan Hoy Will Krolick Manny Kalfell Tavon Dodd Bryson McCabe Tanner Roderick Ben Folsom Khari Garcia Mitch Griebel Brady McChesney Toti Moeakiola Austin Barth Zach Hutchins Alex Tennant Chad Newell Wyatt Christensen Jayshawn Gates Marcus Tappan Nick LaSane Bryce Alley Zach Stern Tre’von Strong Gunnar Brekke Logan Jones West Wilson Trevor Bolton Brayden Konkol Sam Plucker Jessie Clark Blake Braun M. Gates-Mouton Chris Harris Sidney Holmes Trace Timmer Noah James Blake Sylvester Grant Collins Joey Michael Walker Cozzie Koni Dole

YR. POS. HT. Rf. DB 6-0 Sr. QB/P 6-1 Jr. DE 6-4 Sr. CB 6-2 So. WR 5-11 Jr. WR 6-0 Rf. CB 5-11 Jr. QB 6-2 Sr. DB 6-2 Fr. QB 6-1 Jr. WR 6-1 Sr. WR 6-2 Rf. RB 5-8 So. DB 6-0 Sr. WR 6-2 Fr. QB 6-2 So. DB 5-10 Sr. WR 5-11 Fr. QB 5-11 Rf. LB 6-0 Jr. TE 6-5 Jr. DL 6-3 Fr. WR 6-3 Jr. RB 6-1 Jr. LB 6-0 So. WR 5-8 So. LB 6-2 So. RB 5-11 So. CB 5-11 Jr. LB 6-2 Fr. DB 6-1 Jr. RB 5-11 Fr. RB 5-9 So. DB 5-11 Sr. K/P 5-10 Fr. S 6-1 Fr. LB 6-2 Jr. DE 6-3 Jr. LB 6-2 Jr. CB 5-9 Fr. DB 6-2 Fr. DB 5-11 Sr. DB 6-0 Rf. RB 6-1 Rf. LB 6-0 Rf. LB 6-4 Sr. LB 6-3 Fr. LB 6-1 Rf. LB 6-0

WT. HOMETOWN 190 Bellflower, CA 200 Great Falls 250 Honolulu, HI 190 Bakersfield, CA 175 Katy, TX 180 Austin, TX 190 Frisco, TX 200 Austin, TX 190 Pomona, CA 187 Rockwall, TX 190 Anchorage, AK 200 Bozeman 180 Houston, TX 205 Spirit Lake, IA 205 Bozeman 198 Jackson 195 Pomona, CA 190 Littleton, CO 170 Kalispell 215 Euless, TX 250 Columbia Falls 215 Las Vegas, NV 180 Littleton, CO 225 Billings 215 Fountain Valley, CA 155 Palo Alto, CA 235 Pasadena, CA 220 Dallas, TX 175 Houston, TX 200 Tarzana, CA 190 Billings 200 Helena 175 Kalispell 200 Columbia, MO 195 Great Falls 201 Belgrade 230 Appleton, WI 245 Amite, LA 220 Riverside, CA 185 Palo Alto, CA 190 Lake Elsinore, CA 190 Silsbee, TX 185 Great Falls 205 Kalispell 200 Corvallis 215 Bozeman 205 Cashmere, WA 220 Helena 210 Huntley Project

45 Luke Daly 46 Woody Brandom 47 Keegan Bray 48 Tanner Hoff 49 Mac Bignell 50 Nate Bignell 51 B. J. Ojo 53 Robert Walsh 54 Monte Folsom 55 John Weidenaar 56 Rocky Hogue 57 Tyrone Fa’anono 58 Josh Hill 59 Fletcher Collins 60 Dylan Mahoney 61 Byron Rollins 62 Mitch Brott 63 Kyle Godecke 65 Doug Hanson 66 Bryan Wilkes 67 Jake McFetridge 68 Garrett Gregg 70 Joel Horn 71 Alex Eekhoff 72 Colin Hammock 73 Caleb Gillis 74 Wade Webster 75 JP Flynn 76 Kash Perry 79 Chris Robinson 80 Curtis Amos 82 Mitchell Herbert 83 Hunter Mahlum 84 Cameron Sutton 85 Beau Sandland 86 Keon Stephens 87 Connor Sullivan 88 John D’Agostino 89 Wilson Brott 90 Taylor Sheridan 91 Robert Wilcox 92 Tucker Yates 93 Matt Brownlow 94 Devin Jeffries 95 Joe Naotala 96 Zach Wright 97 Connor Thomas 98 Riley Griffiths 99 Marcus Ferriter

So. Fr. Fr. Fr. So. Sr. Fr. Sr. So. Sr. So. So. Fr. Jr. So. Fr. Fr. Sr. Jr. Fr. Fr. Fr. Sr. Sr. Fr. So. Rf. Jr. Fr. Fr. Rf. So. Rf. Fr. Sr. Fr. Rf. Rf. Rf. Sr. Jr. Rf. So. So. Jr. Rf. Jr. Fr. Fr.

K TE DL S LB DE LB LB OL OL LS DL LB LB OL DL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL DL TE WR WR WR TE WR WR WR TE DL DL DT DT DL DT DL DT DL DL

6-2 6-4 6-2 6-1 6-1 6-2 6-2 5-11 6-2 6-8 6-3 6-2 6-0 6-2 6-6 6-3 6-6 6-6 6-4 6-3 6-5 6-2 6-4 6-7 6-3 6-6 6-5 6-5 6-6 6-3 6-0 6-4 6-1 6-5 6-6 6-1 6-4 6-1 6-5 6-4 6-1 6-0 5-9 6-1 6-2 6-2 6-3 6-3 6-4

185 224 218 200 205 290 225 225 300 290 225 250 200 220 275 230 270 325 280 252 295 255 325 280 230 275 290 320 310 252 220 205 205 190 260 190 230 185 240 285 260 310 305 250 275 250 285 260 220

Billings Corona, CA Spokane, WA Hot Springs Drummond Drummond Marvel, TX Twin Bridges Dillon Manhattan Merced, CA Oxnard, CA Kalispell Seattle, WA Great Falls Missoula Billings Dillon Trabuco Canyon, CA Great Falls Huntington Beach, CA Afton, WY Kalispell Reno, NV Missoula Glenn Bettendorf, IA Bettendorf, IA Utica Pasadena, CA Burleson,TX Eugene, OR Missoula Norco, CA Woodland Hills, CA R. Cucamunga, CA Ennis Bozeman Billings Littleton, CO Frisco, TX Colstrip Missoula Kalispell Carlsbad, CA New Braunfels, TX Kalispell Issaquah, WA Butte

SOUTHERN UTAH TWO-DEEP

SOUTHERN UTAH THUNDERBIRDS ROSTER

OFFENSE LT LG C RG RT TE X W Z RB QB PK

73 65 75 79 54 67 66 63 56 77 17 88 3 82 1 5 11 13 33 4 2 10 86 12

Andrew Eide Alex Thompson Austin Mikkelson Austin Peterson Keyan Norman Guillermo Fierro Evan Ross Todd Hess Mark Evans Camran Parhar Anthony Norris Steven Wroblewski Justin Brown T.J. Fenton Brady Measom Naia Ursua Mike Sharp Ty Rutledge Jarom Healey Malik Brown Ammon Olsen Tannon Pedersen Keita Calhoun Trevor McGirr

DEFENSE

DE DT DT DE LB LB LB CB CB FS SS P

53 57 51 99 52 95 98 37 94 35 7 55 34 14 36 40 25 29 22 38 28 31 83

James Cowser Josh Talbot Sefesi Vaa’ivaka Sione Fukofuka Shad Ennis Frank Sanft Chance Bearnson Taylor Pili Taylor Nelson Tyler Penkalski Matt Holley Junior Tufuga Mike Needham Logan Barker LeShaun Sims Marcus Pane Josh Thornton Jalyn Harrison Kyle Hannemann Dayton Deloach Miles Killebrew Mitch Dalley Tate Lewis

NAME

YR. POS. HT. WT. HOMETOWN

Porter Harris

Fr. LB

5-11 207 St George, UT

Brady Measom

Jr. WR 5-9 168 South Jordan, UT

Austin Gumucio

Jr. LB

6-3 239 Grantsville, UT

Ammon Olsen

Sr. QB

6-4 225 Draper, UT

Sefesi Vaa’ivaka

So. OL

6-3 350 South Jordan, UT

Justin Brown

Sr. WR 6-2 207 Ogden, UT

Spencer Rudolph Fr. OL

6-6 295 Kaysville, UT

Malik Brown

Sr. RB

James Cowser

Sr. DE

6-4 258 Fruit Heights, UT

6-1 207 Las Vegas, NV

Naia Ursua

RJr. WR 5-11 196 Kailua-Kona, HI

Keyan Norman

So. DL

6-3 290 Highland, UT

Pete Williams

So. RB

Junior Tufuga

Jr. LB

6-0 230 American Samoa

5-9 185 Denver, CO

Matt Holley

Gr. OLB 6-1 230 Las Vegas, NV

Mark Evans

So. OL

6-4 284 Woods Cross, UT

C.J. Morgan

Sr. WR 5-11 195 Aurora, CO

Josh Talbot

Jr. DE

6-3 252 Plain City, UT

Tannon Pedersen So. QB

P.J. Taeao-Tauanu’u Jr. DL

6-3 337 Las Vegas, NV

Mike Sharp

Jr. WR 6-2 200 St. George, UT

Jason Brimhall

Fr. OL

6-4 265 Pleasant Grove, UT

Trevor McGirr

Jr. K

5-11 190 Alpine, CA

Frank Sanft

Sr. OL

6-1 260 Ha’alaufuli, Tonga

Ty Rutledge

So. DB

6-1 198 St. George, UT

Todd Hess

So. OL 6-2 295 Ashton, ID

Logan Baker

So. LB

6-3 217 Monroe, UT

Daniel Fleischman Sr. OL

6-6 314 Issaquah, WA

Trevor Brown

So. QB

6-5 224 Provo, UT

Alex Thompson

So. OL

6-6 261 Boise, ID

Kahoalii Karratti

So. QB

5-9 176 Kealakekua, HI

Evan Ross

Jr. OL 6-6 302 Plain City, UT

Anthony Norris

Sr. TE

6-5 250 Las Vegas, NV

Guillermo Fierro

So. OL

6-4 281 St. George, UT

Tyler Park

Sr. QB 6-1 210 Keller, TX

Jacob Painter

Fr. OL

6-4 270 Los Alamitos, CA

Levi Te’o

Jr. RB 5-9 190 Laie, HI

Tayson Reid

Fr. OL

6-4 290 Preston, ID

6-3 196 Highland, UT

Christopher Flynn Sr. DB

6-0 180 Compton, CA

Dominic O’Brien

Fr. OL

6-4 290 San Pedro, CA

Kyle Hannemann So. DB

5-11 200 Alpine, UT

Andrew Eide

Jr. DE

6-5 286 Orem, UT

A. Sattiewhite

Jr. DB

6-1 191 Ogden, UT

Grady Sami

Fr. OL

6-7 335 Colorado Springs, CO

Josh Thornton

Jr. CB

5-11 186 West Palm, FL

Austin Mikkelson Fr. OL

6-5 300 St. George, UT

Toa Afatasi

Jr. FB

5-9 208 Kearns, UT

Steve Clark

Jr. OT

6-6 319 Ogden, UT

Miles Killebrew

Sr. DB

6-3 230 Henderson, NV

Camran Parhar

Jr. OL

6-4 310 Martinez, CA

Jalyn Harrison

Fr. CB

5-10 175 W. Village, CA

Joshua Anderson Fr. TE

6-3 245 St. George, UT

Tyler Collet

So. DB

6-2 183 Moorpark, CA

Josh McMillin

Fr. TE

6-3 208 Herriman, UT

Mitch Dalley

So. DB

5-11 199 Farmington, UT

T.J. Fenton

So. WR 6-2 190 Cypress, CA

Chase Stephens

Fr. CB

5-10 165 R. Cucamonga, CA

Tate Lewis

Jr. P

Jarom Healey

Jr. RB

5-11 221 Hurricane, UT

Logan Parker

So. WR 6-4 237 South Jordan, UT

Mike Needham

Sr. LB

6-3 200 St. George, UT

Sean Larson

So. TE

6-6 250 South Jordan, UT

Tyler Penkalski

So. LB

6-1 208 Henderson, NV

Keita Calhoun

So. K

6-0 169 Temecula, CA

LeShaun Sims

Sr. DB

6-0 200 Las Vegas, NV

Steven Wroblewski Sr. TE

6-7 247 Brainerd, MN

Taylor Pili

So. LB 6-4 232 West Valley City, UT

Allasane Niang

Jaloni Williams

Sr. DB

6-1 200 Los Angeles, CA

DaShaun Cosby Jr. So. DE

6-7 217 Oakland, CA

Dayton Deloach

Jr. DB

5-11 194 Delta, UT

Kolton Donovan

RSo. LS

6-3 250 Washington, UT

Marcus Pane

So. CB

6-1 210 Gilbert, AZ

Lloyd Stephens

So. DE

6-1 217 West Weber, UT

Kahlil Bradley

Fr. WR 6-2 184 Monrovia, CA

Taylor Nelson

So. LB

6-3 230 Vancouver, WA

Josh Kariya

Jr. LB

6-3 235 Kaysville, UT

Shad Ennis

So. DT

6-3 272 Draper, UT

So. DL

6-2 265 Layton, UT

6-6 228 Plain City, UT

Fr. WR 6-1 187 Salt Lake City, UT

Josh Bulloch

Fr. LB

6-2 207 Stansbury Park, UT

Colin Greenhill

Zack Moreton

Fr. LB

6-2 213 Sandy, UT

Robert Torgerson Jr. DL

6-2 275 Richfield, UT

Jake Brown

Fr. TE

6-3 200 St George, UT

Chance Bearnson So. DL

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Fighting to the end Ash hopes MSU embraces fun, finishes disappointing season strong BY J O N M A L E T Z

C H R O N I C L E S P O R T S E D I TO R

spot below Weber State and above Northern Colorado. AS ROB ASH TOOK HIS SEAT AND PREPARED for his Ash insisted he isn’t concerned about his future, only his playweekly media address, a pair of Montana State staffers could be ers. heard gushing about their beloved Royals’ recent World Series “Sunday was tough, as always, but we talked … about not trytriumph. ing to judge our entire existence as a program and as individuals “I’m perfectly happy to talk about baseball if you’d like,” the based on one close game that veteran Bobcats head coach could’ve gone either way,” he jokingly chimed in. added. “Just like we wouldn’t want Anything likely seems more to think we were invincible if we palatable than attempting to won a close game, we don’t want expound on his team’s continto think we’re garbage because we ued struggles, or most recent lost a close game. deflating loss in Grand Forks, “The only pressure I’m feeling North Dakota. is I want these guys to enjoy the MSU, once ranked in the FCS’ game again. … I want to see my top 10 and the popular choice to team after a game in that locker battle Eastern Washington for room smiling.” Big Sky supremacy, is officially Tears abounded last week after eliminated from conference title a fourth-quarter, fourth-down contention. Its season likely will batted pass extinguished the Bobextend no further than Nov. 21’s cats’ bid for a first road win. Brawl of the Wild. The players have proven resilThe Bobcats plummeted out ient, however, defensive line coach of the top 25 after a record 82Bo Beck said. A lighthearted feelweek streak and clearly are out ing permeated practice Tuesday as of sorts after a 4-4 start no one MSU gutted through a two-plus could have predicted. hour session in biting wind, snow “The margin between winand freezing temperatures. ning and losing is this big,” Ash “They bee-bopped in from the asserted, holding his thumb and classroom, we had some laughs, index finger a short distance and then it got serious when the apart, “and we’re just on the film popped on,” Beck said. “They wrong side of that tiny little felt good — they even felt good fraction right now. A couple on Sunday. … They’re like, ‘What plays go different and we’re 6-2, now, coach? What now?’ It’ll take 7-1 without any trouble at all. a lot to make them quit.” “We just needed to win a While the future is muddled, couple close games, get a couple Bobcats head coach Rob Ash on his team’s 4-4 start, “A couple plays go different and we’re 6-2, 7-1 without any trouble at all.” one thing remains clear: This stops and make a play Saturday group believes there is plenty to and we’re talking a whole differplay for in November. ent language right now.” That begins with today’s clash against nationally ranked SouthPeter Fields is not speaking at all. Earlier this week, the athletic ern Utah, the best program to visit Bozeman this fall and one that director declined the Chronicle’s request to discuss the direction toppled MSU in the snow in November 2013. That 22-14 decision of the program and the future of its leadership. came in the middle of the Bobcats’ three-game swoon Ash is signed until June 30, 2018, an agreement forged in to conclude the regular season. August according to an addendum in a contract the Chronicle MSU then ventures south to Pocatello to take on Idaho State obtained Monday. He is 69-36 in eight-plus seasons here, but now before returning home to confront the Grizzlies. The ’Cats have confronting the prospect of missing the playoffs for the second not topped their in-state rival at home since 2005, and have time in three years. dropped two straight in the series. The perennial power is eighth in the Big Sky standings, one

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Coaches do not expect the team’s commitment to wane despite inauspicious circumstances. “It started Saturday in that locker room. You saw guys that really wanted to step up and say, ‘Hey, let’s not hang our heads. We’re a proud program, and we’re going to continue to fight,’” co-defensive coordinator Kane Ioane said. “They’ve got a lot of pride in this program, and they’re going to keep coming out here and giving everything they’ve got.” Added senior wide receiver Mitch Griebel, “This season might not have gone like the way we wanted, but nothing’s going to change for us. We’re still a family.” A family that doggedly clings to the hope that a three-game win streak could help them curry the favor of the playoff selection committee. The community is firmly in their corner, Ash said. “The feedback that I’ve been getting from emails and letters and texts … the last two days, everybody’s excited about the game (against the Thunderbirds). ‘Hang in there. We’ll be there Saturday. Let’s go get them,’” he recalled. “With the very enthusiastic kind of response we’ve been getting from our fan base, I know we’ll have a great crowd and our kids will play well.” All talk about what transpires when this campaign ultimately fades to black can wait, Beck said. “If you think about that, then you’ve defeated yourself,” he added. “Right now, we have things we need to protect in this program, a legacy. … We’ve won a lot of football games here, and we’re going to win a lot more.”

夀漀甀爀渀攀眀搀攀瀀漀猀椀琀猀氀椀瀀⸀ 圀椀琀栀䘀椀爀猀琀䴀漀渀琀愀渀愀䈀愀渀欀ᤠ猀昀爀攀攀洀漀戀椀氀攀愀瀀瀀Ⰰ 礀漀甀挀愀渀搀攀瀀漀猀椀琀愀挀栀攀挀欀昀爀漀洀礀漀甀爀猀洀愀爀琀瀀栀漀渀攀愀渀礀琀椀洀攀Ⰰ 愀渀礀眀栀攀爀攀 ⴀ 昀漀爀昀爀攀攀⸀ 倀氀甀猀Ⰰ 攀愀爀渀 ␀ ⸀㄀戀愀挀欀攀瘀攀爀礀琀椀洀攀礀漀甀甀猀攀礀漀甀爀搀攀戀椀琀挀愀爀搀眀椀琀栀昀爀攀攀䌀攀渀琀攀渀渀椀愀氀䌀栀攀挀欀椀渀最⸀

㄀㤀琀栀 ☀ 伀愀欀簀䈀漀稀攀洀愀渀Ⰰ 䴀吀眀眀眀⸀昀椀爀猀琀洀漀渀琀愀渀愀戀愀渀欀⸀挀漀洀吀漀爀攀挀攀椀瘀攀 ␀ ⸀㄀戀愀挀欀Ⰰ 瀀甀爀挀栀愀猀攀猀洀甀猀琀瀀漀猀琀琀漀愀挀挀漀甀渀琀⸀ 刀攀焀甀椀爀攀猀昀爀攀攀攀匀琀愀琀攀洀攀渀琀猀⸀

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FIVE Ryan Miller covers Southern Utah athletics for The Spectrum and Daily News. He answered five questions about the Thunderbirds and their matchup with Montana State.

Can you give some insight into Southern Utah’s undefeated start in the Big Sky? How has it engineered this turnaround, and why has it taken so long for the national polls to recognize the campaign the Thunderbirds have put together? There were a lot of things a season ago that derailed the campaign early. They were putting in a new offense, adjusting to a new defensive coordinator, key players suffered major injuries and they had a bit of a quarterback controversy. They just haven’t had to face any of that this year. Continuity and a little bit of luck on the injury front have gone a long way. Fair or not, there are reasons to be skeptical of SUU. The Thunderbirds have yet to beat a team that is even in contention for a postseason berth, and the one playoff team

Q UESTIONS

they did play, South Dakota State, smoked them 55-10. The national polls waited (and depending on how you feel about Cal Poly, may still be waiting) for the T-Birds to get a quality win. SUU will get its opportunity in the next three weeks to really prove how good it is. SUU gave up a total of nine points against four Big Sky opponents before Cal Poly scored 34 last week. What was the key to the defense in that run — besides the fact that Northern Colorado, Weber State, Sacramento State and UC Davis are all in the bottom half of the league?

The key has been how deep this defense is. On every level, SUU has multiple players that can make plays. James Cowser and Miles Killebrew may dominate the headlines, but they have a lot of support. Safety Kyle Hannemann and linebackers Mike Needham and Matt Holley have been wizards

in forcing turnovers, and Sefesi Vaa’ivaka and Shad Ennis have really helped shore up the middle of a defensive line that was run over a season ago. It’s an aggressive unit that will sometimes give up big plays (see the game against Cal Poly), but that aggression also helps create takeaways and defensive points. Ammon Olsen was the conference newcomer of the year last season. How has his game progressed as a senior?

He didn’t start the season as he would’ve liked. But over SUU’s sixgame winning streak, Olsen has really started to find his groove. His deep ball has improved dramatically since the season began, which he showcased in a game-clinching touchdown last Saturday. He’s also a capable scrambler. Olsen’s not going to win many foot races, but he has a knack for making plays outside of the pocket. That might be the biggest progression from a year ago.

Tell Montana State fans a little about Miles Killebrew? He had 101 tackles last year and is leading the team this season. Killebrew is without question an NFL talent. His feel for the game is so good that he always seems to know exactly where a play is going — the main reason he gets so many tackles. He’s really everything you want in a safety. He can be the last line of defense, and he is one of the best at coming up and stopping the run. There are very few plays that he isn’t involved in. Can Southern Utah win the Big Sky?

Without facing some of the top teams in the conference, it’s hard to get a good feel for the Thunderbirds. They pass the eye test, but the resume, at least for right now, is a little lacking. Today’s game will tell us a lot. But to answer the question, yes, the T-Birds can win the conference title. Follow Miller on Twitter @millerjryan.

November Bobcat Baby of the Month

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Post your favorite family Bobcat spirit photo on Bozeman OB/GYN’s Facebook page to enter to win (4 ) Cat/Griz tickets for Saturday, November 21. Winner will be announced on Bozeman OB/GYN’s Facebook, Monday, November 16.

TEAM STATISTICS 2015 Big THROUGH NOV. 6 Sky Conference Team Statistics Through games of Oct 31, 2015 SCORING OFFENSE 1. Montana State 2. Portland State 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10 11 12 13

Eastern Washingt Northern Arizona Southern Utah Cal Poly Northern Colorado Montana North Dakota Idaho State UC Davis Weber State Sacramento State

SCORING DEFENSE 1. Southern Utah 2. Portland State 3. Montana 4. North Dakota 5. Weber State 6. Sacramento State 7. Northern Colorado 8. Montana State 10 11 12 13

Northern Arizona UC Davis Eastern Washingt Cal Poly Idaho State

FG XPT 2XP DXP Saf

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 9 8 8 9 8

50 39 43 38 36 36 33 25 27 25 19 23 17

4 10 2 8 11 4 4 10 11 3 12 11 9

FG XPT 2XP DXP Saf

8 8 8 9 9 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

14 19 24 32 31 32 33 37 36 37 39 39 45

7 6 7 9 12 9 12 4 6 7 8 7 8

TOTAL OFFENSE 1. Montana State 2. Eastern Washingt 3. Cal Poly 4. Northern Arizona 5. Portland State 6. Montana 7. Idaho State 8. Southern Utah 9. Northern Colorado 10 North Dakota 11 Weber State 12 UC Davis 13 Sacramento State

G Rush

TOTAL DEFENSE 1. Southern Utah 2. Portland State 3. North Dakota 4. Weber State 5. Montana 6. UC Davis 7. Sacramento State 8. Idaho State 9. Cal Poly 10 Northern Arizona 11 Northern Colorado 12 Montana State 13 Eastern Washingt

G Rush

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 9 9 8 8 8 8 9 9 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

1762 1035 3250 1302 2148 1066 1028 1327 1235 1998 1374 906 951 1408 1337 851 1492 1680 1739 1132 2169 1424 1599 1632 2252 2235

43 38 38 38 31 32 31 21 24 18 19 18 17 13 18 23 25 31 29 31 35 31 34 34 32 44

2 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0

Pts Avg/G

359 304 304 290 280 260 241 207 219 181 169 189 146

44.9 38.0 38.0 36.2 35.0 32.5 30.1 25.9 24.3 22.6 21.1 21.0 18.2

Pts Avg/G

120 150 188 248 253 248 265 269 269 277 292 293 338

15.0 18.8 23.5 27.6 28.1 31.0 33.1 33.6 33.6 34.6 36.5 36.6 42.2

Pass Plays Yards Avg/P TD Avg/G

2495 2985 514 2351 1316 2320 2232 1914 1716 1145 1759 1837 1784

590 601 701 563 533 661 622 584 517 588 641 576 557

4257 4020 3764 3653 3464 3386 3260 3241 2951 3143 3133 2743 2735

7.2 6.7 5.4 6.5 6.5 5.1 5.2 5.5 5.7 5.3 4.9 4.8 4.9

48 532.1 41 502.5 36 470.5 37 456.6 38 433.0 25 423.2 24 407.5 29 405.1 27 368.9 27 349.2 20 348.1 18 342.9 15 341.9

Pass Plays Yards Avg/P TD Avg/G

1285 1404 2477 1840 1293 1682 2336 1419 2235 2102 2198 1595 1760

583 586 588 636 587 531 564 600 584 621 668 566 651

2693 2741 3328 3332 2973 3421 3468 3588 3659 3701 3830 3847 3995

4.6 4.7 5.7 5.2 5.1 6.4 6.1 6.0 6.3 6.0 5.7 6.8 6.1

13 336.6 18 342.6 32 369.8 27 370.2 23 371.6 36 427.6 28 433.5 40 448.5 36 457.4 36 462.6 31 478.8 37 480.9 36 499.4

RUSHING OFFENSE 1. Cal Poly 2. Portland State 3. North Dakota 4. Montana State 5. Southern Utah 6. Northern Arizona 7. Northern Colorado 8. Weber State 9. Montana 10 Eastern Washingt 11 Idaho State 12 Sacramento State 13 UC Davis

RUSHING DEFENSE 1. North Dakota 2. Sacramento State 3. Weber State 4. Portland State 5. Southern Utah 6. Cal Poly 7. Northern Arizona 8. Northern Colorado 9. Montana 10 UC Davis 11 Idaho State 12 Eastern Washingt 13 Montana State

PASS OFFENSE 1. Eastern Washingt 2. Montana State 3. Northern Arizona 4. Montana 5. Idaho State 6. Southern Utah 7. UC Davis 8. Sacramento State 9. Northern Colorado 10 Weber State 11 Portland State 12 North Dakota 13 Cal Poly

G Comp-Att-Int

PASS DEFENSE 1. Southern Utah 2. Montana 3. Portland State 4. Idaho State 5. Montana State 6. Weber State 7. UC Davis 8. Eastern Washingt 9. Northern Arizona 10 Northern Colorado 11 North Dakota 12 Cal Poly 13 Sacramento State

G Comp-Att-Int

8 8 9 8 8 8 8 9 8 8 8 8 8 9 8 9 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8

Att. Yards Avg/A

Long

Avg/G

5.4 5.4 4.9 5.4 4.5 3.9 4.5 3.8 3.5 4.0 3.8 3.5 3.1

60 79 80 61 67 56 75 27 45 62 23 69 21

29 28 15 26 15 9 16 10 8 9 5 4 6

406.2 268.5 222.0 220.2 165.9 162.8 154.4 152.7 133.2 129.4 128.5 118.9 113.2

Att. Yards Avg/A

Long

Avg/G

39 78 69 61 41 59 73 40 80 95 57 61 79

5 14 9 11 10 17 21 12 10 21 22 19 18

94.6 141.5 165.8 167.1 176.0 178.0 199.9 204.0 210.0 217.4 271.1 279.4 281.5

605 395 408 328 293 330 275 360 308 262 271 270 295 288 284 362 322 362 302 325 350 409 299 405 403 391

3250 2148 1998 1762 1327 1302 1235 1374 1066 1035 1028 951 906 851 1132 1492 1337 1408 1424 1599 1632 1680 1739 2169 2235 2252

3.0 4.0 4.1 4.2 3.9 4.7 4.9 4.7 4.1 5.8 5.4 5.5 5.8 Pct.

Yds Avg/A TD Avg/G

8 231-339-6 68.1 8 168-262-6 64.1 8 161-233-5 69.1 8 203-353-9 57.5 8202-351-16 57.5 8 178-291-3 61.2 8 183-281-7 65.1 8 159-287-6 55.4 8 140-242-8 57.9 9146-281-12 52.0 8 75-138-3 54.3 9 92-180-5 51.1 8 44-96-3 45.8

2985 8.8 32 373.1 2495 9.5 22 311.9 2351 10.1 28 293.9 2320 6.6 17 290.0 2232 6.4 19 279.0 1914 6.6 14 239.2 1837 6.5 12 229.6 1784 6.2 11 223.0 1716 7.1 11 214.5 1759 6.3 10 195.4 1316 9.5 10 164.5 1145 6.4 12 127.2 514 5.4 7 64.2

Pct.

8116-221-14 52.5 8 92-178-5 51.7 8130-264-12 49.2 8 119-195-4 61.0 8 107-175-2 61.1 9 158-274-7 57.7 8 135-232-3 58.2 8 154-248-6 62.1 8 178-296-7 60.1 8 207-318-5 65.1 9 188-300-3 62.7 8 182-282-7 64.5 8 165-280-8 58.9 BIG SKY PUBLISHING

Yds Avg/A TD Avg/G

1285 1293 1404 1419 1595 1840 1682 1760 2102 2198 2477 2235 2336

5.8 7.3 5.3 7.3 9.1 6.7 7.2 7.1 7.1 6.9 8.3 7.9 8.3

3 160.6 13 161.6 7 175.5 18 177.4 19 199.4 18 204.4 15 210.2 17 220.0 15 262.8 19 274.8 27 275.2 19 279.4 14 292.0

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S E L A C S E H T G N I P TIP WHEN SOUTHERN UTAH HAS THE BALL

WHEN MONTANA STATE HAS THE BALL

When the Bobcats are on offense, or for the defensively inclined, when the Thunderbirds are on defense, two of the best units in the Big Sky will be squaring off. MSU leads the conference in scoring, and the Thunderbirds in scoring defense. MSU leads in total offense, and the Thunderbirds in total defense. MSU leads in third-down conversion percentage, and the Thunderbirds in third-down conversion defense. On and on it goes. “It’s going to be fun on Saturday,” Bobcats offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey surmised. MSU hasn’t scored fewer than 35 this season, while the Thunderbirds had allowed 16 total over a five-game stretch before surrendering 34 — still plenty of room for a win — against Cal Poly last week. SUU is led by defensive end James Cowser (second in the Big Sky with seven sacks) and the conference’s third-leading tackler, senior strong safety Miles Killebrew (10.5 per game). “(Cowser) is as good a defensive end as there is in this league,” Cramsey said. (Killebrew) might be one of the best defensive players in the league overall.” While those two anchor the first and third levels, respectively, Matt Holley leads the linebacking corps. All told, the ability of the front seven to wreak havoc on a passing game — SUU is yielding league lows in passing yards (160.3) and pass efficiency (93.1) — has helped the secondary hunt down a league-best 14 interceptions. ”They can force quarterbacks to throw the ball before it’s time to throw it,” Cramsey said. Cowser’s been having that effect for a long time. He’s got 72.5 career tackles for loss, and could very well break Jared Allen’s Big Sky record of 73 before leaving Bobcat Stadium. “He’s an incredible player, an incredible athlete, and I can’t wait to play against him,” Prukop said.

The junior is putting together quite a campaign of his own. His 2,908 total yards (363.5 per game) is third-best in the nation and already the ninth-best, single-season mark in school history. He needs to average 316 per game to break Travis Lulay’s 2004 record by the end of the regular season. “I just watch the offense, and they score everywhere they go,” SUU defensive coordinator Demario Warren said. “They’ve got a lot of weapons at receiver, the running back runs downhill, and like I said, Dakota’s one of the best players I’ve seen on film in a long time.” One of the areas at which Prukop excels is manipulating safeties and linebackers with his eyes and his fakes. MSU’s balance on offense makes play-action an effective tool, and Cramsey makes it even more difficult by dialing up multiple run looks — jet sweep and then power, for instance — on the same play. Still, Prukop said it’s hard to fool Killebrew and free safety Kyle Hannemann. “The thing I’m seeing from their safeties is they’re good cover dudes, but they really like to stick their noses in the run game,” he added. “They are very disciplined, and they read the quarterbacks extremely well.” Added Ash, “They’re on a nice roll right now. Their defense is playing at an extremely high level — not only stopping people, but scoring a lot of points themselves.” MSU’s offense has been on a nice roll the entire season. Saturday, though, only one of the units will come out on top. — Parker Gabriel

Their defense has grabbed most of the attention — an inevitable development considering the rate at which they are piling up turnovers — but the Thunderbirds’ offense quietly has grabbed a spot in the league’s top five in scoring. The combination has yielded lopsided victories and fueled a resurgence for a program that won just three games last fall. A rare mid-season staff shakeup — offensive coordinator and former BYU head coach Gary Crowton stepped down for “personal reasons” after Oct. 2’s 44-0 rout of Weber State — has not slowed SUU. Not much does. “You look at them on film and a lot of times you click on the next play and they’re already snapping the ball — they’re even faster than the camera,” Montana State head coach Rob Ash remarked. “I don’t think there’s anybody maybe who’s played as fast as these guys do.” With former assistant OC Justin Walterscheid calling plays — a role he held in 2013, when SUU won in Bozeman — the Thunderbirds are averaging 44 points in their past three. All told, the team has won six straight after opening with losses to Utah State and South Dakota State. To do it, they have relied as much on a ball-hawking defense as their enviable balance. Six SUU players have logged 15 or more catches, led by Justin Brown’s 39 for 507 yards and four touchdowns and Mike Sharp’s 22 for 278 and four scores, three of which came in a nine-catch outburst against Sacramento State.

Three in the backfield have rushed for 250 or more. Despite just one 100-yard effort, Malik Brown paces the group with 557 and has scored three of his five touchdowns in the past two weeks. Orchestrating a unit that averages more than 400 yards an outing is steady senior and former BYU backup Ammon Olsen, who has thrown seven touchdowns in the past three contests; that included a 421-yard, five-score effort against the Hornets. The 6-4, 225-pounder, who originally committed to SUU in high school, but opted to head to Provo after his Mormon mission, is completing 63 percent (126 of 199) of his passes in conference play. That’s the same number he tallied last fall, when Olsen was Big Sky Newcomer of the Year. “I think he diagnoses very well as far as the coverage that he’s seeing pre-snap, and is able to get the ball out very quickly,” Bobcats co-defensive coordinator Kane Ioane said. “He does a good job as far as the run-pass options, seeing exactly what his read is and getting the ball out, whether he’s handing it or he’s pulling it and throwing. … They get up and down the field, they throw the ball around, and they’re not afraid to take shots as far as the deep shots. They’ve converted on quite a few of those throughout the year.” The MSU defense limps into this clash as the Big Sky’s worst in defensive pass efficiency, is 12th out of 13 in total defense (480.9) and eighth in scoring defense (33.6). The Bobcats will be hard-pressed to maintain their perfect record at home, although Ioane is confident. “Our home field advantage is awesome, and our guys have really taken to it this year,” he said. “I love the way our guys fight. We’ve been able to respond well to adversity.” — Jon Maletz

THE BOTTOM LINE Which Montana State will show up this afternoon? The team that has coasted in previous home bouts, albeit against largely inferior opposition? (The FCS foes who have visited Bozeman this fall are a combined 5-19.) Or will last week’s loss and sobering realization that some goals will

go unfulfilled lead to an uninspired performance? Rob Ash wouldn’t count on it. “Just think about the guys on this football team. Is there any one of those guys that would let us have a letdown? I really don’t think there are,” the head coach said. “They enjoy the game, they respect the game, and

JON MALETZ: SOUTHERN UTAH 38, MSU 27

they know winning is fun.” We are not inclined to side with Ash. The Bobcats are reeling, while the Thunderbirds have everything to play for, not to mention something to prove after easily navigating a rather light conference slate thus far. SUU will be unaffected by what promises to be a sizable crowd — it

nearly won at Utah State in the opener, and beat MSU here in 2013. James Cowser and the Thunderbirds defense no doubt will impact the decision, but watch for senior quarterback Ammon Olsen to test the hosts deep and with a fast tempo. That has proven to be a winning combination against the Bobcats.

PARKER GABRIEL: SOUTHERN UTAH 34, MSU 31 BIG SKY PUBLISHING

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PA S S 2

Southern Utah (6-2, 5-0) at MSU (4-4, 2-3), 1:40 p.m., Bozeman

UC Davis (1-7, 1-4) at Weber State (4-5, 3-3), 12:05 p.m., Ogden, Utah

The Thunderbirds forced six turnovers in last week’s win over Cal Poly and lead the nation in turnover margin (plus-18) and the conference in total defense. The Bobcats lead the conference in total offense, and quarterback Dakota Prukop is third in the nation in that category. This is SUU’s first two-game road trip. Last meeting: Southern Utah 22, Montana State 14 (2013)

The Aggies are 0-3 on the road, but lead the Big Sky in red-zone conversions (95.5 percent, 21 of 22, 13 touchdowns). Davis leads the league in time of possession (36:06), and the Wildcats’ Jay Hill is 1-2 against California teams. Last meeting: UC Davis 37, Weber State 13 (2012)

Portland State (7-1, 4-1) at Northern Colorado (4-4, 2-4), Noon, Greeley Vikings safety Patrick Onwuasor earned ROOT Sports Defensive Player of the Week honors after intercepting three passes against Montana. PSU is 3-0 against nationally ranked teams, has two wins against FBS programs and is 7-1 for the first time in school history. The Bears lead the nation in both punt and kick returns. Last meeting: Northern Colorado 32, Portland State 28 (2014)

5 4

2 3

Northern Arizona (5-3, 3-2) at Eastern Washington (6-2, 5-0), 3 p.m., Cheney Lumberjacks quarterback Case Cookus threw a school-record-tying seven touchdown passes to secure Root Sports Offensive Player of the Week honors, while punter Ryan Hawkins earned special teams accolades. The Eagles are first in the league in passing offense, but last in total defense. Receiver Cooper Kupp caught two touchdowns against Weber State, running his career mark to 54. Last meeting: Northern Arizona 28, Eastern Washington 27 (2014)

ND ROU

THE

Montana (4-4, 3-2) at Idaho State (2-6, 1-4), 1:35 p.m., Pocatello The Grizzlies lead the league with an average of three sacks per contest, and defensive end Tyrone Holmes leads the nation with 11. The Bengals are the least penalized team in the Big Sky (34.2), but are last in turnover margin (minus-17). Montana is 1-2 on the road, and its 16 points at Portland State were a season low. Last meeting: Montana 70, Idaho State 24 (2012)

Sacramento State (2-6, 1-4) at Cal Poly (2-6, 1-4), 7:05 p.m., San Luis Obispo The Mustangs are the nation’s top rush offense (406.2), while the Hornets own the league’s second-best rushing defense (141.5). Cal Poly is the second-worst defense (36.6) in the Big Sky, and fumbled five times against Southern Utah. Sacramento State head coach Jody Sears is 0-3 against the Mustangs, while linebacker Darnell Sankey leads the league in tackles per game (14). Last meeting: Cal Poly 56, Sacramento State 27 (2014)