You can forgive yourself for letting your imagination run wild when Montana State sends in its “Delta” package in for a play. It’s not difficult to do. In fact, what else would you do when two ex-military behemoths bound from the sideline toward the huddle.
When Devin Slaughter, a former Army Ranger who graduated high school in 2016 and who’s built like he just jumped out of the screen of a Marvel movie, and Omar Aigbedion, a transfer from the United States Military Academy at West Point, line up in the MSU backfield, the world seems to go into hand-held cinematography. The motion of the play heightens the senses, the color becomes washed out as the brain tries in vain to process what’s about to happen.
Then, when the officials signal ‘first down’ or ‘touchdown,’ everything comes back into focus. The crowd wails, and Slaughter and Aigbedion trot back off the field to awaiting high-fives from teammates after securing either a fresh set of downs or six points for the Bobcats.
With Slaughter (6-3, 285) and Aigbedion (6-3, 300), MSU puts a double thrust on opposing defensive fronts. The first wave of starting linemen engages, then a second blast in the form of the Delta package hits. Any correlation with the Army’s Delta Force is purely coincidental. The name is more collegiate than military and comes from its triangular shape in the Greek alphabet. With Slaughter and Aigbedion on either side of quarterback Sean Chambers, who is slightly behind the duo, a triangle is formed.
“Those guys are in a great position for (Delta formation),” MSU’s Derryk Snell, who typically plays tight end, but is also filling in at running back and has followed Slaughter and Aigbedion into opposing defensive lines. “They just go up and smack people in the face, so it’s awesome.”
Slaughter is listed as a defensive lineman but isn’t in the game rotation. He’s on the field goal and extra point units, but after making the somewhat unexpected adjustment to life as a Division I football player, he seems to have found a home as a fullback in MSU’s Delta package.
“Coach (Taylor) Housewright, trying to create whatever we can, saw him as somebody we could potentially put in a fullback-type position” MSU head coach Brent Vigen said. “That’s come into play a little bit the last two weeks and (Slaughter) has bought into it wholeheartedly.”
“Moreso than anything he’s a member of this team now, wholly.”
Slaughter, who was recruited by various schools including Oregon State before suffering a serious back injury and subsequently enlisting in the Army, hadn’t played football in years before joining MSU last summer
“It’s a neat story the way it’s continued evolve,” Vigen said. “He caught our attention in the spring, this big guy who looks like a football player who had served our country and is going to school here. He has a football background.”
Vigen and the staff schemed ways to find Slaughter an opportunity and “we also had to get him to come out. It was kind of both.
“He was a little reluctant but he wanted to keep playing football. Being a little bit older, he wasn’t exactly sure how that would play out since he hadn’t play in some time. And then he pulled his hamstring about 15 minutes into his first practice.”
But as time went on, Slaughter got more and more comfortable fitting in. He pulled another muscle during fall camp and didn’t get a ton of reps along the defensive line as he tried to find his way. That’s when Housewright created a package that included Slaughter.
“His perspective on what it means to go to battle is completely different than any of our guys. His intensity about that but also then also his appreciation for coming back and being able to play a game again that he didn’t think he would play again has rubbed off on him. I appreciate him for all he has brought to our team both on and off the field.”
Aigbedion, who is technically a freshman, has been very involved in the Bobcat’ offense since the start of the season. He’s part of a three-man rotation at the guard spots with junior Cole Sain and sophomore JT Reed.
“He’s a second-year guy and he’s very mature,” Vigen said of Aigbedion. “He plays the game with great intensity and passion. I think he’s got a bright, bright future.”
While the media and fans have raved about MSU’s personnel depth, especially in light of the rash of injuries in the running back room, the Bobcats are also developing a depth of offensive plays and formations. Through just six games 15 different players have handled the ball on running plays and of those ten have five carries or more.
MSU has not only added the Delta formation, but also uses its wide receivers to carry the ball out of the backfield, and not only on sweeps. Snell is the lone tight end, so far, to carry the ball out of the backfield, however, it shouldn’t surprise anyone to see other tight ends and maybe a defensive player or two get a carry before the season’s over.
The Bobcats are back in action this Saturday in Greeley, Colo. where they face Northern Colorado at 1:00 PM.
