Field Pass - Sacramento State by Bozeman Daily Chronicle

Sacramento State (1-4) vs. No. 18 Montana State (2-2), 5:10 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

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SIDELINE BRIEFING SERIES: MSU leads 16-6 CROWD: Bobcat Stadium (17,777) TELEVISION: ROOT Sports (Tom Glasgow, Jason Stiles) RADIO: Bobcat Radio Network (Jay Sanderson, Dan Davies, Riley Corcoran) COACHES: Rob Ash MSU, ninth year 36th year overall 67-34 at MSU, 243-133-5 overall Jody Sears Sac State, second year Fourth year overall 8-9 at Sac State, 12-28 overall SCHEDULE: Montana State Sept. 3 Fort Lewis, W 45-14

Sept. 19 @ E. Washington, L 55-50 Sept. 26 Cal Poly, W, 45-28 Oct. 3 @ No. Arizona, L 49-41 Oct. 10 Sac State, 5:10 p.m. Oct. 17 @ Portland St., 1:35 p.m. Oct. 24 East Tenn. State, 2:35 p.m. Oct. 31 @ North Dakota, 12 p.m. Nov. 7 Southern Utah, 1:40 p.m. Nov. 14 @ Idaho State, 2:35 p.m. Nov. 21 Montana, 12:10 p.m. PLAYERS TO WATCH: Offense Sophomore receiver Mitchell Herbert had seen his number of receptions increase in each of MSU’s first three games, but he was held to three for 42 yards against Marcus Alford and Northern Arizona. In Tim Cramsey’s offense, no player — aside from quarterback Dakota Prukop — has consistently put up huge numbers, but the collective group does. Still, Herbert had two touchdowns in each of MSU’s first two games, and hasn’t found the end zone since. Junior receiver Nnamdi Agude

hauled in six catches against the Bobcats a year ago, but they went for 197 yards and two scores. He finished the season with 1,057 yards and 10 scores. He’s No. 3 in receptions and yards for the Hornets this season — behind Shane Harrison and Isiah Hennie — and has yet to score. Defense Freshman cornerback Tre’von Strong made his first career start against Northern Arizona and had an up-and-down day. He was beaten twice early, then rebounded to break up two passes. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Billings native provides a physical presence opposite senior Bryson Keeton, but the right corner has been a revolving door for MSU — senior Trace Timmer and sophomore Bryce Alley have also started there. The Bobcats haven’t recorded an interception in their past five games against Division I opponents; the last came against Idaho State’s Justin Arias

on Nov. 15. It’s hard not to focus on linebacker Darnell Sankey. The senior is tied for the FCS lead with 71 tackles, and leads the Hornets with 4.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. Against Northern Colorado a week ago, Sankey had 15 stops, two TFLs and a sack. He’s on pace to blow by his 2014 totals of 99 tackles and eight for loss. QUICK HITS: n Rob Ash (7-0) has not lost to Sacramento State in his nineyear career as MSU head coach, though three of the past four meetings have been decided by three points. n Montana State is fourth in the FCS in total offense (578.3) and fifth in scoring (45.2). The Bobcats offense has scored at least six touchdowns in each game this season. n Chad Newell has rushed for a touchdown in seven straight games, the longest streak in at least 30 years at MSU.

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COURSE CORRECTION

Montana State confident it can mend defensive deficiencies 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

PHOTOS BY ADRIAN SANCHEZ-GONZALEZ/CHRONICLE

Defensive end Nate Bignell and Montana State are 11th out of 13 in the Big Sky in scoring defense (36.5) through four games.

aylor Sheridan appeared exhausted and defeated. As he lounged on a folding chair inside a cramped interview room at Walkup Skydome, the Montana State captain paused to search for the words to accurately describe another unsatisfying evening and a performance that has become all-too familiar of late. None would suffice. The senior was exasperated, but also resolute. “We’re supposed to hold them to nothing, and so far we haven’t showed you guys that, but it’s coming,” the defensive lineman asserted. “Don’t count us out, because there’s a sick, bad taste in everyone’s mouth right now, and we’ll make sure to get that done.”

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“We’re going to be fine … and to me, this is why you coach. You don’t want to put Tecmo Bowl on and beat them by 70 every time — that’s no fun, and we don’t have the ability to do that. As a coach, it’s a real challenge to say, ‘Hey, it’s broken. Let’s fix it.’ I’m happy to come to work every day and do that.” — Bo Beck, Montana State defensive line coach

Just how they plan on doing that is outwardly indistinct, though one thing is certain: If the Bobcats hope to salvage the season, time is of the essence. “We’re going to be fine … and to me, this is why you coach,” defensive line coach Bo Beck said. “You don’t want to put Tecmo Bowl on and beat them by 70 every time — that’s no fun, and we don’t have the ability to do that. As a coach, it’s a real challenge to say, ‘Hey, it’s broken. Let’s fix it.’ I’m happy to come to work every day and do that. “Obviously, whatever I’m saying isn’t working, so I have to find another way to say it.” Little is working for MSU after an off-season of transformation. The scheme was altered and former Bobcats great Kane Ioane was elevated to co-defensive coordinator and handed play-calling responsibilities. Multiple avenues were explored to improve personnel, including identifying drop-

downs and junior college transfers to pair with a recruiting class skewed toward that side of the ball. A unit with just three returning starters continues to struggle, however, with inexperience, predictability and missed assignments at all three levels. Consequently, it languishes at or near the bottom of the Big Sky standings in virtually every statistical category. Consider these numbers: n The Bobcats have produced just six sacks, tied for the fewest in the conference. n They’ve logged just one interception and are last in passing defense efficiency. Eastern Washington and Northern Arizona quarterbacks Jordan West and Case Cookus combined to produce more touchdowns (10) than incompletions (nine). n They’re 11th out of 13 in scoring defense (36.5) and ninth in total defense (464 yards). n They’ve allowed opponents to score

touchdowns on 12 of 13 red zone trips. n Foes are converting 42.6 percent of third downs, the second-worst mark in the league; the figure is especially troubling when considering the Lumberjacks were just 3 of 11. On fourth, the number balloons to 63.6 percent. On those two downs alone, West was 7 of 8 for 237 yards and two touchdowns — a 78-yard slant to Nic Sblendorio and 35-yard connection with Kendrick Bourne. “Obviously, I think the quarterbacks are very comfortable back there,” Ioane lamented. n They’ve surrendered 49 or more points twice, and have allowed the last six Division I opponents a 100-yard rusher. n They’ve surrendered 9.46 yards per snap in their losses, and last week were burned by nine plays of 22 or more yards, including three of 40-plus; two came courtesy of tailback Casey Jahn,

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Montana State defensive lineman Taylor Sheridan, left, on last week’s loss to Northern Arizona, “I can’t say it was fun. … It was one of those things where every time we came to the sideline, they kept asking, ‘What happened? What happened?’ We didn’t play Bobcat football when it came down to it.”

whose career day included 24 carries for 175 yards and two scores. (Two weeks prior, the Eagles’ Jabari Wilson established a new best with 188 on more than 11 per carry.) “You look at 11 plays that went for 323 yards,” Ioane said of the last week’s 49-41 defeat in Flagstaff. “That’s what we’ve got to get fixed, and that’s on me as a coach. I’m not coaching well enough as far as to get these guys to understand that we need to execute 100 percent of the time.” “I guess 49 points is a lot of points,” Ash added after the game, “and we’ve got to get some questions answered.” He continued Tuesday, “We spent a

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lot of time Sunday evaluating all of that, and it comes down to a couple of things, sort of a similar theme to last year. We’ve got to get some more pressure on quarterbacks in passing situations, and there’s a lot of ways to do that. Does that mean more blitzes, does it mean winning one-on-one matchups, maybe different personnel?” Nothing is off limits now, although both coaches and players are convinced the situation is far from dire and a turnaround not far away. “We missed a lot of dumb things, we were in the wrong spots (against NAU),” Sheridan said. “Myself especially, I didn’t hit fits right and once didn’t line up in

the right spot. Sometimes when that happens, you’re out of (sorts). “There’s so many things that could’ve changed it. Personally, we did a safe punt, … I blew right through and the ball was an inch from my pad. If I put that up and we block it, we go up or something. And then another, that screen, I read it perfectly and the ball tipped right off my fingertips. … Everything’s there, but the little things are missing. If we polish it up, we’re going to be pretty damn good.” Added Beck, “The kids want to compete — they’re not broken. … You can’t go cower in a hole, you have to go do it. We’re going to get it right.”

17 CHAD

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MONTANA STATE TWO-DEEP OFFENSE

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

55 62 75 54 70 65 63 73 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 Mitch Brott JP Flynn Monte Folsom Joel Horn Doug Hanson Kyle Godecke Caleb Gillis 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 16 94 90 50 97 92 98 2 49 42 41 34 59 22 3 26 6 29 12 1 24 38 30 2

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

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# 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

SACRAMENTO STATE HORNETS ROSTER

SACRAMENTO STATE TWO-DEEP OFFENSE LT LG C RG RT TE X WR H WR Z WR RB QB PK

76 67 74 62 78 53 65 71 75 51 88 89 15 84 5 83 86 87 25 22 16 3 58 68

Lars Hanson Rajaee Jordan Ruben Meza David Villanueva Anthony Viveiros Ivan Espiritu Lake Aiono Pu’e Togia Jonathan Bade Taylor Tappin John McGill John Cortez Shane Harrison Damon Jackson Isiah Hennie Jaelin Ratliff Nnamdi Agude Justin Cox Jordan Robinson Jeremiah Reddick Daniel Kniffin Kolney Cassel Brad Cornish Devon Medeiros

DEFENSE

LE LT RT RE MLB SAM ROVER BS FS CB CB P

95 George Obinna 99 JJ Castillo 93 Peter Nonu 52 PJ Johnson 92 Antonio Hayes 59 Wyatt Ming 98 Ben Sorensen 97 Terrance Jackson 44 Darnell Sankey 45 Jacob Bowman 55 Manoah Pearson 54 Tyler Meteer 1 Joey Banks 36 Elijah Wallace 10 Austin Clark 9 Malcolm Thomas 29 M. Scott-Anderson 23 Dre Terrell 7 Josh Armstrong 26 Ernest Jenkins 24 Anthony Payne 20 Nicholas Payne 57 Smith Heath 58 Brad Cornish

NAME

YR. POS. HT. WT. HOMETOWN

Justin Holloway

LB Fr.

6-2 235 Chula Vista, CA

Joey Banks

DB Fr.

5-10 190 Elk Grove, CA

Kevin McKinney

LB Fr.

6-0 220 Mission Viejo, CA

Jordan Thomas

DB Fr.

6-0 190 Sacramento, CA

Taylor Tappin

OL Fr.

6-5 295 Windsor, CA

Kolney Cassel

QB So. 6-2 200 Yakima, WA

PJ Johnson

DL Fr.

6-3 265 Sacramento, CA

Demetrius Warren RB Jr.

Ivan Espiritu

OL Fr.

6-3 280 Reedley, CA

Isiah Hennie

Tyler Meteer

LB So. 6-2 220 Loomis, CA

Nate Ketteringham QB Fr.

6-3 200 San Diego, CA

Manoah Pearson LB Fr.

6-0 225 Carson, CA

Joshua Armstrong DB Sr. 6-0 180 Redlands, CA

Xavier Hernandez LB Fr.

6-3 220 Villa Park, CA

Dominic Coulter

Smith Heath

Sr. 6-1 200 Chico, CA

Malcolm Thomas DB Fr.

Brad Cornish

Sr. 6-3 195 Santee, CA

Austin Clark

DB So. 5-11 195 Cottonwood, CA

Wyatt Ming

DL Fr.

6-2 340 Lodi, CA

Stone Sander

TE So. 6-4 230 Auburn, CA

Nick Bianco

OL Fr.

6-3 295 Visalia, CA

Alexis Robinson

QB Fr.

David Villanueva

OL Sr.

6-1 300 Escondido, CA

James Ferraro

DB So. 5-11 180 Fullerton, CA

Ricky Williams

OL Fr.

6-3 285 Sutter, CA

Trevor Wright

WR Fr.

Pailake Aiono

OL So. 6-3 330 West Covina, CA

Shane Harrison

WR Sr. 6-2 210 Chatsworth, CA

Rajaee Jordan

OL So. 6-5 285 Clovis, CA

Daniel Kniffin

QB So. 6-2 200 Ft. Worth, TX

Devon Medeiros

Nolan Merker

QB Fr.

5-10 175 Elk Grove, CA

Tim Hernandez

LS Sr. 6-2 260 Bellflower, CA

Hunter Rockwell

RB Jr.

5-10 190 Newark, CA

Pu’e Togia

OL So. 6-3 274 Carson, CA

Nick Crouch

DB Jr.

6-0 200 Trabuco Canyon, CA

Casey Dakin

OL Jr.

6-4 285 Templeton, CA

Nicholas Payne

DB Jr.

6-1 175 San Diego, CA

George Uribe

OL Fr.

6-1 295 Folsom, CA

Marcus Green

DB So. 5-9 180 Elk Grove, CA

Ruben Meza

OL Fr.

6-5 265 Murrietta, CA

Jeremiah Reddick RB Fr.

6-0 205 Bakersfield, CA

Dre Terrell

DB Fr.

5-7 190 Elk Grove, CA

Jonathan Bade

OL So. 6-5 250 Amer. Canyon, CA

Anthony Payne

DB Jr.

6-1 190 San Diego, CA

Lars Hanson

OL Sr. 6-8 305 Bermuda Dunes, CA

Jordan Robinson RB Jr.

5-11 195 Chino Hills, CA

Kyle Evanski

DL So. 6-3 280 Citrus Heights, CA

Ernest Jenkins

DB So. 6-0 180 Sacramento, CA

Anthony Viveiros OL Sr.

6-1 280 Castro Valley, CA

Tyler Young

WR Jr.

5-7 180 Sacramento, CA

Oscar Nava

DL Fr.

6-2 335 Rohnert Park, CA

Hakeem Mays

RB Fr.

5-11 170 Antioch, CA

I. Spencer-Lopez

WR Fr.

6-5 200 Pasadena, CA

M. Scott-Anderson DB Fr.

5-11 190 Vallejo, CA

Jabarri Johnson

WR Fr.

6-4 210 Oakland, CA

Mister Harriel

RB Fr.

6-0 190 Sacramento, CA

Aaron Maher

TE So. 6-3 225 Santa Rosa, CA

Tamas Stewart

DB Fr.

5-11 185 Rialto, CA

Jaelin Ratliff

WR Fr.

5-10 165 Stockton, CA

Garrett Steele

RB Sr. 6-0 220 Kingsburg, CA

Damon Jackson

WR Fr.

5-10 165 Tracy, CA

Remmy Nerio

DB Fr.

6-2 190 Riverside, CA

Johnnie Rucker

WR Fr.

6-4 185 Long Beach, CA

Marcus Bruce

DB Fr.

5-10 180 Bakersfield, CA

Nnamdi Agude

WR Sr. 6-3 195 Corona, CA

Jason Williams

DB Fr.

5-8 150 Murrieta, CA

Justin Cox

WR Sr. 6-2 185 Lodi, CA

Elijah Wallace

DB Fr.

6-0 190 Victorville, CA

John McGill

TE Fr.

6-3 220 Sacramento, CA

John Cortez

TE So. 6-3 225 Rosamond, CA

5-6 185 Fresno, CA

WR So. 5-7 150 San Diego, CA

WR Sr. 6-3 225 Tustin, CA 6-0 205 Roseville, CA

6-3 200 Eureka, CA 5-11 180 Upland, CA

Fr.

5-6 180 Hilmar, CA

6-3 240 Ventura, CA

John Wagstaff

LB Fr.

Nick Melchor

DB So. 6-0 190 San Jose, CA

CJ Cambra

DL Fr.

Sedrick Thomas

DB Fr.

5-11 160 Elk Grove, CA

Antonio Hayes

DL Sr. 6-0 270 Portland, OR

6-3 225 Los Angeles, CA

Peter Nonu

DL Sr. 6-0 360 Long Beach, CA

6-0 220 Petaluma, CA

Vince Elefante

DL Fr.

6-4 280 Upland, CA

LS Sr. 6-2 250 Redding, CA

George Obinna

DL Fr.

6-2 235 Tracy, CA

DL So. 6-2 250 Orange, CA

40 41 42

Tyree Thompson Casey Longaker Josh Latham

LB Fr. LB Fr.

6-0 290 Madera, CA

Nick Mazza

DL Sr. 6-2 275 Clayton, CA

Lennard Cowans

Darnell Sankey

LB Sr. 6-2 250 San Jose, CA

Terrance Jackson DL Fr.

Jacob Bowman

LB Jr.

6-1 230 Palmdale, CA

Ben Sorensen

DL So. 6-4 250 Clovis, CA

Blake Cuzzupoli

6-0 220 Mission Viejo, CA

JJ Castillo

DL Sr. 6-4 285 Lincoln, CA

Fr.

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6-3 225 Inglewood, CA

FIELD PASS 2015

SWING MAN

Mahoney adds sixth element to offensive line BY PA R K E R G A B R I E L

he offensive line Montana State trots out on its first possession each week features four seniors and one junior.

That group boasts 133 starts, AllConference and All-America accolades and the enduring trust of quarterback Dakota Prukop and offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey. If everything goes the way the Bobcats hope for the remainder of the

CHRONICLE SPORTS WRITER

season, sophomore Dylan Mahoney will not be credited with a start. However, the Great Falls CMR product has carved out extensive playing time in a rotation on the right side with guard Kyle Godecke and tackle Alex Eekhoff. While the two seniors filter in and out but stay at the same position, Mahoney plays both. “That’s one of the toughest things you can ask as an offensive lineman,” Prukop said. For position coach Jason Eck, the

rotation serves multiple purposes. The two seniors on the right side spent the off-season recovering from significant injuries. Godecke said he had three surgeries on his foot in a seven-month span, while Eekhoff worked his way back from a shoulder injury and now sports a large arm brace. Mahoney filled in with the starting units through spring and fall camps, and now can spell the veterans to keep them fresh. Maybe more important, Eck said Mahoney plays because he deserves to.

Montana State sophomore offensive lineman Dylan Mahoney has worked his way onto the field by learning multiple positions.

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First-year Montana State offensive line coach Jason Eck, left, believes rotating offensive linemen can pay dividends in experience and health.

“To me, it helps to play as many guys as you have that (are good enough),” the coach said, “because now you’re building experience and depth, and if you have a guy that has to come out, now you’ve got guys that have played.” “You’ve got to know everything,” Mahoney added during fall camp. “You’ve got to know all the spots. To be a good offensive line, you’ve got to know what everybody’s doing. I don’t think it’s really a problem for really any of us to go to any position. I think that’s good preparation.” That hasn’t always been the prevailing wisdom for the Bobcats. Head coach Rob Ash said earlier in the season that replacing a member of the starting five for anything other than an injury is a concept Eck, the first-year assistant, brought to the program. “It’s funny, I read an article last week that was written about the Patriots and how they’re rotating linemen this year, and it was that they were so cutting edge for rotating linemen,” Eck said. “It kind of goes in cycles.” The rotation hasn’t hurt MSU’s offensive production. Through four games, the Bob-

“The offensive line is a tightknit group; those guys are brothers, they communicate extremely well.” — Dakota Prukop, MSU quarterback

cats are averaging 226 yards on the ground and 5.2 per carry — both in line with 2014 numbers — despite trailing for large chunks against Eastern Washington and Northern Arizona. In pass protection, MSU has yielded just three sacks. “The offensive line is a tight-knit group; those guys are brothers, they communicate extremely well,” Prukop said. “Mentally, they’re understanding schemes instead of just personal responsibilities, and that’s what makes a really good unit is when they

all know where each other are. When you’ve got that down, that’s why you have a guy that can (switch positions).” Making it slightly easier for Mahoney is the fact that he’s playing exclusively to the right of center Joel Horn. While the spacing and footwork does change between guard and tackle, staying on the same side provides continuity, according to left guard JP Flynn, who used to man the opposite side. “The stance is what gets me,” he said. “Coming out of a left-hand stance and right-hand stance, it messes up your weight distribution and your muscle memory.” Through four games, the Bobcats are putting together an offensive campaign that looks poised to challenge the record books in a number of categories. They’re averaging 578 yards and a Big Sky-best 45.2 points per game. They’ve scored at least six touchdowns in every contest, and have found the end zone on 52 percent of their possessions. All of that has been done while rotating an underclassman into the program’s most experienced unit. Said Flynn: “He’s doing a great job of it and playing his ass off.”

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Montana State sophomore wide receiver Justin Paige is averaging nearly 50 yards per reception through four games this season.

TURNING TO PAIGE

Talented Bobcats deep threat re-emerges after quiet stretch BY J O N M A L E T Z

ustin Paige can relax a bit now. The soft-spoken, hard-charging sophomore from Katy, Texas admits he was equal parts agitated and excited when he confronted man-to-man press coverage during the second half of last week’s tussle at Northern Arizona. Those feelings intensified as he exploded off the line of scrimmage, shed a Lumberjacks cornerback and gazed into the Walkup Skydome lights at a ball

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

fluttering in his direction. Finally. “When they call your number, you’ve got to make the play,” Paige said. “Even if it’s been a while, you have to catch that ball.” Similar opportunities have been sporadic this fall. Montana State’s most reliable, potent deep threat — and one of 2014’s most pleasant surprises — caught 12 passes

for 379 yards and three scores after being pressed into duty as a true freshman. He has added bulk without sacrificing his trademark speed, has developed into a polished route runner, and had an immediate impact in Sept. 3’s opener. He caught two passes, one that wound up 1 yard from the end zone, for 95 yards. He was targeted just once, however, and never touched the ball on offense against Eastern Washington and Cal Poly.

balancing schoolwork with rigorous “I wouldn’t say it was really frustratweight room and track workouts, and ing … but it would be nice to have the ball in my hands more,” Paige admitted. routinely huddles with Kempt to pour over film and the nuances of particu“Who wouldn’t want that?” lar routes and blocking assignments. “More so than the defense taking On a recent afternoon following a away the deep threat, I think it was midweek practice, one the defense giving us the short dinks and dunks,” “WHEN THEY CALL assistant fired up a JUGS machine to help Paige log quarterback Dakota YOUR NUMBER, YOU’VE extra repetitions in the fadPrukop said. “You’ve got ing sunlight. to go through your reads He embraces the prepaand take what the defense GOT TO MAKE THE PLAY. gives you, and that’s your EVEN IF IT’S BEEN A ration, Paige asserted, and the hard work. On a few first read so you take that. WHILE, YOU HAVE TO occasions after lengthy fall “Justin, he’s different sessions in the Auand very unselfish. … He CATCH THAT BALL.” camp gust heat, a solitary figure kind of keeps to himself. — JUSTIN PAIGE, could be seen slowly barrel You might expect him to MSU WIDE RECEIVER rolling from end zone to kind of be that stereoend zone. typical stud speed receiver “It’s easy to lose track of time when that you see on “Hard Knocks” — all I’m out there; sometimes I plan for two those fast guys like to talk. Justin shuts hours, then look at the clock and go, his mouth and just goes to work.” ‘Oh, snap, I’ve got class. I’ve been out That’s always been his pupil’s edge, here for three,’” Paige jokes. “I just love receivers coach Cody Kempt says. doing it — it’s fun practicing your techNearly every Saturday during the winter, staffers would encounter Paige nique, getting faster and stronger and seeing it pay off in games — and I hate jogging in Brick Breeden Fieldhouse losing. That’s a pretty good combinawhen they arrived to set up for bastion.” ketball games. He spent the summer

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“He’s a very determined individual that wants to be the best possible player he can be,” Kempt added. “That’s why I like him,” Prukop said. “That’s why I trust him.” The junior signal caller’s “prized pony” is running again, and averaging nearly 50 yards per completion. With his team trailing 4214 and in desperate need of a spark in the third quarter last week, Paige encountered the man-to-man coverage for which he had longed, took off on a post and trotted 64 yards to the end zone. Later, he and Prukop connected on a 40-yard dart, and the Bobcats added a two-point conversion to pull to within eight. “If we would’ve gotten that (ensuing) onside kick, we would’ve won,” Paige lamented. Despite the deflating loss, MSU’s second in three games, the receiver’s re-emergence is a promising development with wide-ranging implications. “It’s not like we went away

Dakota Prukop on Paige, “He’s a Ferrari, and when you get that on a team, it opens up a lot of things for a lot of people.”

from him — it’s just how the offense works some times,” offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey said. “We played Eastern that was kind of playing deep on some things and back on him, and then Cal Poly was playing some man coverage and playing on him. To me, that takes Justin

out, but then now you open up Dakota’s run game, you open our run game, open up Beau (Sandland), open up (Mitchell) Herbert. … (Sacramento State) Coach (Jody) Sears might be thinking to himself, ‘Now what?’” “Obviously, we didn’t forget

who he was for those two games,” Kempt added, “but it’s a nice reminder to see him run past guys and having that ball thrown over the top. … To have No. 3 have a game like that and get his momentum going in the right direction is going to be good for everyone.”

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S E L A C S E H T G N I TIPP WHEN SACRAMENTO STATE HAS THE BALL

Rob Ash insists he, his staff and his players are not concerning themselves with the numbers in advance of today’s visit from struggling Sacramento State. The Hornets (1-4) have dropped four straight since their season-opening, 41-20 defeat of NAIA Eastern Oregon. They’ve scored just 11 touchdowns — Montana State has 25 in one fewer game — and average just 19 points per outing, the Big Sky’s second-lowest tally. They’re also 12th in both passing efficiency and rushing offense. All signs point to a Bobcats rout. Ash knows better, however. His defense is allowing 36.5 points per game, 11th best in the league. And while his squad will be seeking its 10th consecutive win in this series, these programs have staged some dramatic clashes in years past. “Our team is not looking at the record, we’re looking at the film,” Ash asserted Tuesday. “We’re seeing athletes on that film.” Quarterback Garrett Safron and top receiving target DeAndre Carter — who gave MSU fits during last year’s 59-56 thriller that featured more than 1,300 yards of offense and 49 points in the fourth quarter alone — have moved on. A few familiar faces remain, however. Receiver Nnamdi Agude burned cornerback Bryson Keeton for a 74-yard score on the Hornets’ first play last October. After two snaps, he had 111 yards, and teamed with Carter to overwhelm the Bobcats with 17 catches for 381 and five scores. Agude’s running mates now include 6-foot-2, 210-pound senior Shane Harrison, who caught eight balls for 125 in the opener, and Isiah Hennie. The sophomore is the first in program history to log a punt and kick return touchdown, and is second in the Big Sky in all-purpose yards (138). Bobcats co-defensive coordinator Kane Ioane likened the 5-7, 150-pounder to Jayshawn Gates. In the backfield, junior Jordan Robinson, who is averaging more than 5 per carry, will be gunning for a fourth consecutive 100-yard effort, and also poses a credible threat in the short and

intermediate passing game. “They do have great skill-sets as far as both receivers and the running back. … They’ve got length on the outside and speed on the outside,” Ioane remarked. “Everyone’s got a 6-2, 6-3 high jumper out there that they just throw the ball up to. … We need to put a ban on that somehow. “(Robinson is) a dynamic running back that can hit the home run on any given snap, any given time he touches the ball. … We have got to limit his yards per touch, not necessarily his yards per carry.” Who lines up under center — and near 6-8, 305-pound left tackle Lars Hanson, who has started every game since 2013 — remains to be seen. Daniel Kniffin started the first four games, but was injured against Eastern Washington. Southern Methodist transfer and fellow sophomore Kolney Cassel, who appeared in five games with the Mustangs and even started against Texas A&M, took the reins last week. He responded with a 28-for-44 effort for 294 yards and two touchdowns. He opened the final drive with five consecutive completions, but misfired on third and fourth down as the Hornets’ rally fell short. Sacramento State outgained Northern Colorado, 438-179, and ran 21 more plays (83-62). Cassel is fourth in the league in passing efficiency, while Kniffin is sixth in passing average (214.6). “They’re pretty much the same guy. … They’re about the same size, they both have good arms, and they’re pretty mobile; the offense doesn’t call on them to run a lot, but they can,” Ash said. Added Ioane, “At any moment, they could have a breakout day.” — Jon Maletz

WHEN MONTANA STATE HAS THE BALL

Northern Arizona held Dakota Prukop in check for three quarters. The junior signal caller entered the final 15 minutes with 185 yards passing and 53 rushing. Then, he completed 10 of 14 for 214, including touchdown strikes of 13, 85 and 40. Though the Bobcats came up short, the Austin, Texas native finished with 453 total yards, raising his FCS-leading average to 426. The Lumberjacks disguised their defense, and despite a general commitment to playing man-to-man, surprised the Bobcats with a variety of zones, blitzes and coverages. They held MSU to a season-low 3.9 yards per carry and a loss, despite giving up 234 yards and 21 points in the final frame. This week’s challenge will be far less deceptive. He wears No. 44 for Sacramento State. Senior linebacker Darnell Sankey is tied for the FCS lead with 71 tackles, 14 better than anyone else in the Big Sky. His exploits through five games include a school-record 27 tackles Sept. 19 against Weber State, 15 and two sacks a week ago against Northern Colorado, and 43 more stops than anyone on his team. “Sankey, to me, is the best I’ve seen so far in this league,” thirdyear MSU offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey said. Added offensive line coach Jason Eck, “He’s a great player. He’s fast; when we watched him play against Washington, his speed didn’t look out of place. He’s making tackles sideline to sideline.”

The Hornets use their defensive linemen to keep blockers from getting to Sankey at the second level. In their 4-2-5 alignment, they can also move him around and look for ways to put him in position to make plays. “Those dudes are holding up some crazy blocks up front,” Sankey said. “A lot about tackling, people don’t understand, is it’s just effort. Yeah, sometimes you’re going to be behind a little bit, but are you willing to sprint 30 yards to go tackle the ball, try to get a fumble? I’m willing to do that. I just run until the ball is down.” The Bobcats have the capability of relying on zone or power in the run game, read option with Prukop, and a variety of counters, sweeps and misdirection. Getting blockers to the second level is not a new concept, but it will be a focus this week. “It is a little bit of a game,” Eck said. “You’re trying to give your guys good angles to get to the backers and do some of the things that are going to present good opportunities to get to (Sankey). That’s definitely part of the game plan.” This won’t be the first encounter between the current national leaders in total offense and tackles. In last year’s 59-56 MSU win, Prukop accounted for 488 yards and eight touchdowns, while Sankey rolled up 21 tackles. The senior linebacker also said he met Prukop in July at the Big Sky Football Kickoff in Park City, Utah. “He’s a great player and amazing person, as well, more importantly,” Sankey said. “Our guys here compared him to Johnny Manziel a little bit. He can scramble outside the pocket, and he has a great sense of where the defense is.” — Parker Gabriel

THE BOTTOM LINE Bobcats players and coaches described the conference opener against Cal Poly as a mustwin. Now, with losses to a pair of Big Sky teams — though Eastern Washington doesn’t count in the league standings — MSU has little margin for error with seven games remaining.

Dakota Prukop leads the nation in total offense, and the Bobcats the conference in scoring. Sacramento State has struggled to produce points, but also returns a group of receivers that torched MSU a season ago. The Hornets had Garrett Safron then, and like three of the previous

four meetings between these two, the Bobcats won by three. MSU has clear issues on defense that need to be addressed, but its firepower likely will ensure that a narrow margin will not materialize at Bobcat Stadium.

JON MALETZ: MSU 48, SACRAMENTO STATE 27 PARKER GABRIEL: MSU 54, SACRAMENTO STATE 31 BIG SKY PUBLISHING

FIELD PASS 2015

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Sacramento State (1-4, 0-2) at MSU (2-2, 1-1), 5:10 p.m., Bozeman

Weber State (2-3, 1-1) at Montana (3-2, 2-0), 2:05 p.m., Missoula

The Bobcats lead the Big Sky in scoring (45.2) and are second with an average of 226 rushing yards. Dakota Prukop leads the league with 425.8 yards per contest. The Hornets will counter with the third-ranked rushing defense. Linebacker Darnell Sankey is averaging more than 14 tackles per outing. Last time: Montana State 59, Sacramento State 56 (2014)

The Wildcats turned the ball over six times — including five interceptions — in last week’s 44-0 loss to Southern Utah. Grizzlies tackle Caleb Kidder was named ROOT Sports Defensive Player of the Week after recovering a fumble and picking off a pass at UC Davis, the second consecutive week a Montana player garnered the award. The Grizzlies lead the nation in sacks with 22 through five games.

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Portland State (3-1) at North Texas (0-4), 6 p.m., Denton The Vikings will be playing their second FBS program of the season — they opened with a win at Washington State. Portland State boasts the Big Sky’s top scoring defense (12.5) and has logged eight interceptions in just four games. The Vikings, who will play the Mean Green for the first time, also are holding the opposition to a 26.5 percent (18 of 68) third-down conversion rate, the top mark in the conference.

Expect a high-scoring affair between the teams with the Big Sky’s two worst total defense tallies. The Mustangs are tops in the nation in rushing (363.8), while the Eagles lead the way in total offense (590.5). Eastern junior Cooper Kupp is already the conference leader in touchdown receptions (47), and is in line to establish new marks for receptions (268), receptions per contest (7.7) and career receiving yards (4,140). Last time: Eastern Washington 35, Cal Poly 22 (2013)

Cal Poly (2-3, 1-1) at Eastern Washington (2-2, 1-0), 2:05 p.m., Cheney

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Idaho State (1-4, 0-2) at UND (4-1, 2-0), 12:05 p.m., Grand Forks Linebacker Will Ratelle is averaging 8.6 tackles a game — and is second in the conference in tackles for loss with 7.5 — for North Dakota, which is 2-0 at the Alerus Center and has the Big Sky’s top run defense (69.2). The Bengals are hitting the road for a fourth consecutive game and have been outscored 190-34 over their past three. Last time: North Dakota 28, Idaho State 25 (2013)

Northern Arizona (3-2, 1-1) at UC Davis (0-5, 0-2), 5 p.m., Davis The Lumberjacks are fresh off an impressive 49-41 win over Montana State in which running back Casey Jahn was named ROOT Sports Offensive Player of the Week. Quarterback Case Cookus is second in the league in passing efficiency for NAU, which has allowed 16 sacks. The Aggies have converted 13 of 14 red zone opportunities — only the Bobcats are better — and sport the league’s second-ranked pass defense (179). They are last in rush offense (98), however. Last time: Northern Arizona 23, UC Davis 21 (2014)