About an hour into his first fall camp as Montana State’s head football coach, Jeff Choate exploded.
During a defensive pursuit drill, Choate abruptly stopped the action, gathered the Bobcats around and ripped into them with passion. He and new defensive coordinator Ty Gregorak forced all the defensive players wearing white jerseys to do up-downs for a healthy duration before doing more pursuit drill, something uncommon in Rob Ash’s last few seasons, non coincidentally two campaigns filled with lackluster defensive play.
MSU head coach Jeff Choate working defensive line drills
“Sometimes you have to remind them what you want,” Choate said following the first of what will be 29 fall camp practices before MSU’s opener on September 1 at Idaho. “It’s ok to be demanding. You are not going to reach high standards if you aren’t demanding. We need to not have to interrupt practice to remind them of how we do things. There is going to be some moments like that and we have to respond.”
The Bobcats did respond during an up-tempo practice that tested Montana State’s summer conditioning (See Video Here). The MSU offense and defense had a healthy back and forth during team periods, the practice was filled with a slew of conditioning-testing work throughout and the vibe of a new coaching staff was recognizable from the first minute of the session.
“It was totally different to say the least,” said MSU senior offensive guard J.P. Flynn, an All-America candidate as he enters his final season. “You could tell just attitude-wise that this staff is expecting your best effort every single rep no matter what rep it is or what drill it is. You are expected to be locked in 100 percent of the time and it’s tough. I can only imagine what it’s going to be like when the pads come on and I’m excited.”
Montana State’s first fall camp practice featured 34 players making their practice debut for the Bobcats, including eight transfers who joined the team during the off-season. Transfer quarterback Tyler Bruggman (Scottsdale CC) and transfer center Alex Neale (UNLV) came to MSU in January and participated in all 15 spring practices.
Tight end Austin Barth (15) makes a catch over the middle over linebacker Lukas McCarthy (11) during a team session
For cornerback drop-downs Naijiel Hale (Washington) and John Walker (Colorado), graduate transfer offensive tackle Patrick Carroll (UNLV), former Montana wide receiver Dalton Daum, junior college defensive tackles Fou Polataivao (College of San Mateo) and Brandon Hayashi (Citrus College) and junior college linebacker Lukas McCarthy (Fullerton College), the first practice under Choate was a test of their physical fortitude.
Hale sat out the second half of practice with what appeared to be a pulled muscle in his leg. Carroll, Polataivao and Hayashi visibly struggled to push through the trying practice. Jakob McCarthy, Lukas’ twin brother, did not participate as he tries to gain academic eligibility.
“Their conditioning, not good,” Choate said. “That’s going to be a challenge, especially for some guys who came in a little later. We have some big bodies and the reality is it takes those guys a little longer to work into it. We knew that and that’s why we are going to have a little extra work at the end of practice to try to ease these guys into it.
“I did think the McCarthy kids made some plays. I’m not sure he knows exactly where he is going right now but he has some play-making ability. I thought Johnny Walker stepped in and did some good things. I think he is in a little better shape. I’m excited to see how all those guys come together.”
The majority of the Bobcats stuck around this summer. Choate and his staff appointed leaders for each group to lead player-run practices. Flynn said Montana State met at least three times a week to compliment its strength and conditioning program.
Lineback Blake Braun (34) and running back Anthony Peagus (26) doing pass block-pass rush drills
“You could definitely see who was here this summer and who wasn’t,” senior running back Chad Newell, a team captain in 2015, said. “The conditioning at the end and even during practice, we are running everywhere. This is definitely a conditioning test first day of practice.
“Everyone here is an athlete and everyone wants to be here. It’s going to suck for (the transfers) a little bit more but there’s just more of a steep curve. Everyone is going to get to the same level. They just have a higher cliff to climb.”
During the team portions of the first session, the offense and the defense each produced highlights. One exchange included a nice strip by Lukas McCarthy of redshirt freshman tight end Woody Brandom recovered by the defense, prompting a loud blast of an air horn by Gregorak. On the very next play, Bruggman fired a laser into a window to senior tight end Austin Barth for a long gain.
“That’s what is going to make our team better,” said Barth, a senior from Columbia Falls who hopes to become MSU’s third straight first-team All-Big Sky Conference tight end. “If they are challenging us and we are challenging them, then that’s how the team is going to rise all together. We don’t need just one side to dominate. We need both sides to get better.”
“I liked the exchange between our offense and our defense today,” added Choate said. “I thought it was competitive and right. There wasn’t any bombs over Bahgdad where you are blowing coverages. There wasn’t any defense forcing turnover after turnover. There is going to be some of those days but I thought the competitive balance was where it needs to be to be improving. I’m excited to see how that goes once we start playing for real, once we put the pads on.”
Running back Chad Newell (17) looks for space in the hole during a team session
Earlier this decade, Montana State put together a dominant run through the Big Sky. MSU won 21 of 24 league games between 2010 and 2012, earning three straight league titles in the process. The last three seasons have been precluded with substantial hype but have largely defined by a failure to meet high expectations. After the first losing season in 14 years, the script has flipped.
“The last three years, we’ve been picked either No. 1 or No. 2 and I think this is good for us,” said Barth, who’s Bobcats were picked to finish seventh by the Big Sky’s coaches and eighth by the affiliated media. “We are going to come out and prove people wrong. We don’t have the target on our back this year.”
Barth, Newell and Flynn are among five fifth-year seniors — middle linebacker Fletcher Collins and wide receiver Will Krolick are the others — on the Bobcats’ 94-man roster in camp that have experienced a Big Sky title. All five were redshirts on the 2012 championship team. Montana State’s other six seniors were either transfers or in defensive tackle Matt Brownlow’s case, walked on after the 2012 season.
Newell said he remembers the legacy left by his running back predecessors like Cody Kirk and Tray Robinson. He remembers watching those who came before him gutting out crucial victories. The Billings Senior product said he feels the his time running short.
“Us as seniors, there’s five of us that have rings and all of us want those rings bad,” Newell said. “We have one opportunity to do that. It’s urgent, it’s here, it’s time to go. That urgency from the seniors is trickling down.”
Running back Gunnar Brekke (2) looks for space in the open field
PRACTICE NOTES: Running back Logan Jones, an All-Big Sky performer on special teams as a true freshman, was not at practice on Monday. His status is unknown…Senior offensive lineman Doug Hanson has retired after off-season shoulder surgery…Linebacker Toti Moeakiola is no longer with the team, meaning Montana State no longer has an alum of Euless Trinity High, the alma mater of former MSU standouts like DeNarius McGhee, Tray Robinson and Eryon Barnett…Linebacker Marcus Tappan, a transfer from Cincinnati before last season, is officially no longer with the program after being charged with a DUI in the off-season. He will transfer to Glendale Community College…Redshirt freshman offensive lineman Bryan Wilkes, a walk-on from Great Falls C.M. Russell, has left the program…Brayden Konkol, a redshirt freshman from Belgrade originally recruited to play safety, has moved to linebacker…Tanner Hoff, a freshman defensive back from Hot Springs, is not longer with the Bobcats…Riley Griffiths, a defensive tackle from outside Seattle, suffered an injury to his hand that required surgery during the spring. The surgery resulted in complications and Griffiths will spend the fall semester in Issaquah recovering…Senior defensive tackle Joe Naotala is no longer with the team…Jacob Hadley, a 6-foot-6, 195-pound freshman from Billings Central recruited as an athlete, played safety on Monday…Brian Campbell, a 6-foot-3, 195-pound walk-on out of Covington, Washington, played defensive back on Monday…preferred walk-ons offensive lineman Luke Channer (Corvallis), linebacker Austin Barrette (Santa Margarita, California), offensive lineman Conner Floden (El Dorado Hills, California) and running back Nick Van Horssen will join the team when school starts at Montana State… Dylan Stenseth, a sophomore who previously played at Montana and sat out last season per NCAA rules, will join Montana State’s roster expands to 105 players at the beginning of school.
Photos by Brooks Nuanez. All Rights Reserved.
