Choate steady in belief of defensive philosophy

BOZEMAN — More often than not in the Big Sky Conference era, Montana State has prided itself on playing tough defense.

For the duration of Jeff Choate’s career in football — from his first introduction to the Treasure State as a linebacker at Montana Western to his decade-plus coaching high school football in Idaho to his time as an assistant under well-respected head coaches like Mick Dennehy, Chris Petersen and Will Muschamp to his first two seasons as a college head coach — the driven mentor has hung his hat on defense, as well.

As Montana State enters its third season under Choate, the talent defensively has been restocked and depth has been potentially cultivated. The last two seasons have seen a stark turnaround for a unit that fell from the ranks of the nationally elite at the beginning of this decade to a defense that quite literally couldn’t stop anyone.

Photos by Brooks Nuanez. All Rights Reserved.