Montana State Scouting Report

[CelticCat33]

Hey Coug fans, just an MSU fan here excited for football to be back. For those interested, I thought I’d put together a scouting report for the MSU Bobcats.

2016 Record : 4-7

HC: Jeff Choate (Former UW D-Line Coach) – 2nd year

Key Players:
QB - SO. Chris Murray 6’2 180 #8

Reigning Big Sky Conference Freshman of the Year, was the best of some subpar options at QB last year due to attrition. A true freshman who didn’t turn 18 until the season was almost over, and who is still only 18 as a sophomore, he is electric with his legs but his passing game was pretty bad last year. A new OC who understands his skillset better, a full spring and fall camp with summer sessions with good showings at the fall scrimmages so far have many believing his passing game is much improved, but it needs to be drastically better than last year.

LB – SR. Mac Bignell 6’1 215 #49

Undersized, but plays very fast, sheds blockers well and crashes the gap hard. Pre-Season All-American, he is quite simply our best football player period. He makes a living in opponent’s backfields, and has a knack for stripping the ball.

WR – SR. Mitch Herbert 6’4 210 #82

Older brother of Oregon Duck QB Justin Herbert, his production took a nosedive last year after Dakota Prukop left the program to go to Oregon after the 2015 season, our HC was fired and we had a freshman QB (Murray) who struggled mightily to find his target. Has started pretty much since he was a freshman, I expect him to be the main target for Murray. He is a big, sure-handed threat who has some ridiculous catches in his career. Not great speed but just fast enough to be a threat.


S – SR. Bryson McCabe 6’ 205 #10

Took over the starting spot in 2015 and hasn’t looked back, probably the best tackler on the team. Very good in run support, but not the best in pass coverage. I’d put him as our second best defender behind Bignell. He is a sure open-field tackler who likes to run downhill.

Reasons we will be good this year: Experienced, athletic OL. Murray’s improved passing game, improved performance from the WR corp, upgrade to our OC position.

Reasons for concern: Dismal pass rush last year, pretty much the same group of guys. Good run stopping group, no real edge rushers. Inexperience and lack of talent at the CB positions. Unproven running back stable, though the talent seems to be there.

Likely Starters:

OFFENSE:

QB – SR. Chris Murray 6’2 180 #8
RB - SO. Edward Vander, 6’1 200 #5 – JC transfer, combination back with good size and speed.
OR
TrFR. Troy Anderson, 6’3 220 #15 – a big surprise so far, from small town Montana. Recruited initially for LB or S, was moved over to RB due to the projected starter Nick LaSane’s 4 game suspension and Boise St. transfer Jake Roper’s injury (1A and 1B as our HC called the two), and has turned heads. Big, strong kid who ran a 10.88 100 meter in high school. He has that Eric Dickerson stride so he’s faster than he looks.

Others who likely see time: JR. Noah James 6’1 215 #22, RFR. Anthony Pegues 5’8 180 #26, JR. Logan Jones 5’9 175 #28,

WR – SR. Mitchell Herbert 6’4 210 #82
WR – SR. Justin Paige 5’11 175 #3 – the speedster of the group, was our prime big play target in 2015 before the passing game fell off the wagon last year. Averaged something like 30 yards a catch that year.
WR – SO. Kevin Kassis 6’ 190 #85 – pleasant surprise last year as a true freshman, cracked the lineup and made some nice plays down the stretch. Good hands, good combination of speed, quickness and strength.

TE – JR. Connor Sullivan 6’4 250 #87 – pretty much a physical specimen, was a QB/WR in tiny town MT high school and played WR as a freshman before bulking up his formidable frame as a TE. Very athletic, but it remains to be see how much we utilize our TEs in the passing game.
TE – JR. Curtis Amos Jr. 6’ 230 #80 – also very athletic, more in the H-Back mold. Will split time with Sullivan.

LT - SR. Dylan Mahoney 6’6 275 #55
LG - SO. Jake McFetridge 6’6 290 #67
C. - JR. Alex Neale 6’3 285 #70
RG - SR. Caleb Gillis 6’6 285 #73
RT - SO. Mitch Brott 6’6 290 #63 - First team freshman All-American last year

DEFENSE:

Strong side DE: SO. Derek Marks 6’1 245 OR JR. Tyrone Fa’anono 6’2 270 – Marks came on strong as a freshman last year and really bulked up in the offseason, while Fa’anono was the starter 2 years ago but missed nearly all of last year with an injury. Neither is very adept at the pass rush, but good and holding the edge.
Buck End: JR. Grant Collins 6’4 240 #41 – Regarded as one of the prize MT recruits a few years ago, started at LB but was moved to buck by new coaching staff last year. Held his own but I expect bigger things from him this year. The buck is our playmaking, hybrid LB/DE spot and we haven’t had much production there in a few years, in part because of deficiencies in the interior.
DT: JR. Zach Wright 6’2 265 #96 – undersized but plays with a very high motor. Can put pressure up the middle.
NT: JR. Tucker Yates 6’ 290 #92 – bowling ball, state wrestling champion in high school (Montana). He is good at holding the point of attack but needs to make more plays, be more disruptive.

We'll rotate a lot along the DL interior: TrFR Elu "Cheeks" Leota 6' 255 #98, SR. Brandon Hayashi 6' 310 #56, SR. Fou Polataivao 6'1 305 #90

OLB: SO. Josh Hill 5’11 215# 58 OR RsFR. Balue Chapman 6’1 200 #35 – couple of young, undersized MT kids who play fast and hit hard. Size is a concern for me. Chapman has a higher upside, and when he puts on 20-30 pounds he could be a force.
MLB: SR. Mac Bignell 6’1 215 #49
OLB: SR. Lukas McCarthy 6’1 220 #11 – JC transfer last year, was a solid backup, looking to be a leader in our undersized LB corp. Also plays very fast, sideline to sideline.

CB: SR. Bryce Alley 5’11 175 #24 – had played every year since he was a freshman but never broke into a consistent starting role. We had some major unexpected CB turnover in the offseason so now as a senior he needs to be the guy.
CB: SR. Damien Washington 5’10 180 #27 – thrust into gameplay as a freshman last year, performed about as well as a freshman CB can be expected to perform. Probably would benefit from being a role player for another year, but like I said we had some guys leave, so here we are.
Nickel CB: SR. Khari Garcia 5’10 195 #12 – went from starting safety in 2015, team captain in 2016 to eventually being benched in favor of a true freshman. I think the nickel package will be great for him, as it has less pass responsibilities, which was his biggest weakness. He is arguable the hardest hitter on the team so he could make some noise out of the nickel package.
S: SR. Bryson McCabe 6’ 205 #10
S: SO. JoJo Henderson 6’2 195 #19 OR SO Brayden Konkol 6’2 200 – Konkol is the freshman who upended Garcia late last year, but he is another S who is better at stopping the run than the pass. Henderson is the most athletic safety we have, originally a CB, so he has the best coverage skillset.


The Cats are very much still a rebuilding team after the firing of the staff after the 2015 season. We have a ton of freshman, and had a lot of turnover after the new HC Choate took over in 2016. We finished fairly strong last year, winning our last 2 games including a win against the Montana Grizzlies in Missoula, never an easy task. We are young all over, and Choate seemingly wants to employ more of a pro-style, physical team, whereas we previously ran a version of the spread, and Oregon-type offense, so most of the older guys on the roster were recruited for that.

Our potential lack of a pass rush and issues in the secondary are obviously a huge concern against a team like Wazzu. We’ll disguise our packages, bring some extra heat out of the nickel package and use our undersized but fast LB corp to help, but obviously that won’t be enough against a talented team like Wazzu. The issue here for us moving forward is that the Big Sky Conference is a pass happy league, so things may get a little easier for us in terms of the talent level of teams we play against, but there are no slouches when it comes to throwing the ball in the Big Sky (Cal Poly excluded, a triple option team).

 

[GrayOnGray]

Thanks for the report. Congrats on your win against Montana last year. I hope MSU does well in the Big Sky and from what you have written I think it just might happen. Due to our past games against FCS teams lately, many on this board are unsure of how this game will play out, but personally, I think you are catching us at the wrong time. Seems our players have quite a chip on their shoulders about proving we can start strong this season. They are talking the talk, at least. Hope you beat UM again, and I hope I am right. Good luck this season, after 9/2.

 

[Flatlandcoug]

Nice writeup! Based on WSU football history prior to 2015, I would look at this game and assume that WSU would win 63-7 without a second thought. A young, rebuilding team coming off a 4-7 season and all. However, our recent struggles against FCS teams urges caution about that. FWIW, Jeff Choate coached at WSU in 2012 under Leach. So, he knows a little bit about how Leach thinks.

As mentioned above, I think this current team feels like they have something to prove and even though they are saying all the right things to the media, there is a chip on the shoulder this year when it comes to the opening game, particularly against an FCS team. It's a game that could go either way without a doubt. If Falk and his receivers struggle with communication and we give up an early pick to MSU, we could definitely revert to "oh crap, here we go again" territory, tighten up and end up with a bloody knuckle brawl to the finish. On the other hand, if we get a couple early scores, I could see an Arizona 2016 type of game where we stroll to a 38-7 halftime lead and end up with that big win that I would normally "expect". I do think we open it up a bit and purge some demons.

As said above, best of luck after week one!

 

[CelticCat33]

Interesting tidbit, for those who remember the 2010 matchup, a 23-22 victory by the Cougs (I used to say we were the only team to Coug it against the Cougs, sorry!), that was the first start for a freshman MSU QB named DeNarius McGhee, who could go on to break nearly every school passing record. He was a 2x Big Sky offensive MVP, won 3 straight conference titles, threw for 11,203 yards and 79 touchdowns, also rushing for 1,133 yards and 16 TDs.

The reason I bring it up is that he was hired in the offseason to be our new QB coach, so he is coaching the young Murray and if all camp reports are to be believed, his coaching will pay big dividends.

 

[kayak15]

Nice write-up, Celtic. Appreciated.

 

[Coug1990]

Interesting tidbit, for those who remember the 2010 matchup, a 23-22 victory by the Cougs (I used to say we were the only team to Coug it against the Cougs, sorry!), that was the first start for a freshman MSU QB named DeNarius McGhee, who could go on to break nearly every school passing record. He was a 2x Big Sky offensive MVP, won 3 straight conference titles, threw for 11,203 yards and 79 touchdowns, also rushing for 1,133 yards and 16 TDs.

The reason I bring it up is that he was hired in the offseason to be our new QB coach, so he is coaching the young Murray and if all camp reports are to be believed, his coaching will pay big dividends.

Thank you. You really know your team well. Cannot wait until the season starts.

 

[CougPatrol]

Thanks for taking the time to put that report together. Very well done.

I expect a close game, but I'm generally unsure what to expect from our team in early season games. One thing I can guarantee is that Mitch Herbert will have a career day against us. I see him going for 10+ catches and 3 TDs.

 

[95coug]

Interesting tidbit, for those who remember the 2010 matchup, a 23-22 victory by the Cougs (I used to say we were the only team to Coug it against the Cougs, sorry!), that was the first start for a freshman MSU QB named DeNarius McGhee, who could go on to break nearly every school passing record. He was a 2x Big Sky offensive MVP, won 3 straight conference titles, threw for 11,203 yards and 79 touchdowns, also rushing for 1,133 yards and 16 TDs.

The reason I bring it up is that he was hired in the offseason to be our new QB coach, so he is coaching the young Murray and if all camp reports are to be believed, his coaching will pay big dividends.

You weren't the only ones. SMU blew a game in Pullman in a very similar fashion.

Your detailed write up has some things in it that concern me. It sounds like we should be able to move the ball pretty well, with our supposed offensive strength matching with your defensive weakness. However, we lost our two senior leaders in the receiving corps and looked lost in our last 3 games when only one of them was out with an injury. It remains to be seen who - if anyone - is going to step up and replace their production and leadership. So, the mismatch of our receivers against your secondary may not be as large as what it's assumed to be, or would have been a year ago.

Second problem - our DBs have not been a particularly strong point in the last few seasons (and by few, I mean about 15). They've had particular issues with big, tall, and/or physical receivers, as well as anyone with good veteran awareness and route running ability (see Cooper Kupp last season). So, if your QB can get the ball out, I agree your #1 is going to have a big day. Even if he has an actual spot shadow on him that says "we're throwing to this guy on this play", he'll probably get open (again, see Cooper Krupp last season...especially on 3rd down).

Third problem - if there's a single thing I could point to as a weakness of Grinch's defenses, it's their ability to handle a QB who can run. Failing to contain QBs probably cost us at least 2 wins in 2015 (Stanford's Kevin Hogan ran for over 100 against us - knee brace and all. I think 2 other QBs went over 100, and Portland State's was in the 90s). They were a bit better last year (I don't think any QBs had 100), but it's still a glaring weakness.

If our D can't solve either of these issues - and based on the players we have returning, I don't know that we have - then this might just end up being a track meet. After the last two seasons (and Leach's failure to win an opener at WSU), I'd really rather not see that. I really want the game to be over at the half - with 45 points scored, and no more than 7 of them for MSU. But that might not be realistic.

I'll say this though - if we somehow drop this game, I think we should stop scheduling FCS teams. Sun Belt teams should be equally overmatched.

 

[Coug90]

No way, Pippens will shut him down!

Thanks for taking the time to put that report together. Very well done.

I expect a close game, but I'm generally unsure what to expect from our team in early season games. One thing I can guarantee is that Mitch Herbert will have a career day against us. I see him going for 10+ catches and 3 TDs.

 

[CelticCat33]

Well just when you think you know what the two deep is going to look like, there are a few big changes.

Looks like my projected starter, RB - SO. Edward Vander, 6’1 200 #5, isn't even on the two-deep. Instead the starter is listed JR. Logan Jones, 5'7 170 #28. He's a little burst of lightning from Kalispell, MT, but not exactly a guy who is going to get 20 carries a game. I'm guessing this is WSU specific - We are probably going to employ a running back by committee so in reality Jones may not even end up with the most carries, but it was kind of a shocker for most Cat fans as we hadn't heard much about him this camp. Jones didn't play last year but 2 years ago returned a kickoff for a 102 yard TD so he has the speed.

The other interesting move is the starting S for last few games last year has been moved to Will, SO. Brayden Konkol 6'2 200. This was likely prompted by a season/career ending injury suffered by SR. Lukas McCarthy 6’1 220 #11, who apparently had his jaw broken this weekend... This may actually be Konkol's best position, as he is one of the better tacklers on the team, and his speed and experience at S will help in coverage against WSU. He just isn't there size-wise yet and again I think this is WSU specific.

We are playing small but fast defensively against WSU - all 3 LBs can run, with maybe the exception of MLB Hill, and we'll likely play a nickel with an experience S manning that spot.

 

[CelticCat33]

You weren't the only ones. SMU blew a game in Pullman in a very similar fashion.

Your detailed write up has some things in it that concern me. It sounds like we should be able to move the ball pretty well, with our supposed offensive strength matching with your defensive weakness. However, we lost our two senior leaders in the receiving corps and looked lost in our last 3 games when only one of them was out with an injury. It remains to be seen who - if anyone - is going to step up and replace their production and leadership. So, the mismatch of our receivers against your secondary may not be as large as what it's assumed to be, or would have been a year ago.

Second problem - our DBs have not been a particularly strong point in the last few seasons (and by few, I mean about 15). They've had particular issues with big, tall, and/or physical receivers, as well as anyone with good veteran awareness and route running ability (see Cooper Kupp last season). So, if your QB can get the ball out, I agree your #1 is going to have a big day. Even if he has an actual spot shadow on him that says "we're throwing to this guy on this play", he'll probably get open (again, see Cooper Krupp last season...especially on 3rd down).

Third problem - if there's a single thing I could point to as a weakness of Grinch's defenses, it's their ability to handle a QB who can run. Failing to contain QBs probably cost us at least 2 wins in 2015 (Stanford's Kevin Hogan ran for over 100 against us - knee brace and all. I think 2 other QBs went over 100, and Portland State's was in the 90s). They were a bit better last year (I don't think any QBs had 100), but it's still a glaring weakness.

If our D can't solve either of these issues - and based on the players we have returning, I don't know that we have - then this might just end up being a track meet. After the last two seasons (and Leach's failure to win an opener at WSU), I'd really rather not see that. I really want the game to be over at the half - with 45 points scored, and no more than 7 of them for MSU. But that might not be realistic.

I'll say this though - if we somehow drop this game, I think we should stop scheduling FCS teams. Sun Belt teams should be equally overmatched.

On paper, there are some bad mismatches for us. Even if your WR corp is young and doesn't have that same leadership, your scheme alone is going to give us big troubles. Our two starting CBs are probably average talent for the Big Sky, and we have a true freshman who cracked the 2 deep so that should tell you where we are at corner. Our safeties should be improved from last year, and as I mentioned in my last post we'll be playing a small, but quick LB corp, and a nickel page, so we will have some speed back there, but that doesn't mean they can cover or tackle.

Our pass rush has been dismal, and the Cougs sound like they have a pretty solid OL. If we don't get any pressure whatsoever on Falk then it doesn't matter how talented or seasoned our secondary is, they will get torched. I'm hoping we can pressure out of odd packages and different angles, because our front 4 won't do it alone.

As for your concern about your secondary, I wouldn't be too worried just yet. Murray didn't even complete 50% of his passes last year - a lot has been said by the media about his improvement passing the ball, as he was and still is extremely raw, but he hasn't proven anything yet (obviously since we haven't played a game yet). He had good numbers in our scrimmages, but is that due to our porous secondary or is he just that much improved?

Murray took off running way too early way too often last year, but because of his elite athleticism it worked out for him. He'd get happy feet real quick and wouldn't even get to his 2nd read sometimes. That is one of the biggest positives I've heard is that his poise in the pocket and his footwork have drastically improved. I don't think he will be running as much this year, but he is absolutely capable of taking a read-option 70 yards to the house. He has quickness, gets up to full speed quickly and has a long stride to outrun defenders.

 

[CougPatrol]

Without knowing anything about the specific players you mentioned, it makes sense that your defensive coordinator is going with a small, quick lineup. When playing the air raid, you absolutely must be able to cover in the back 7. In the game of pick your poison, you want to tempt WSU to run the ball every down.

If our QB checks down to the run time and time again, I think we'll move the ball at will. Thing is, nobody in our offense (from head coach, to QB, to receivers, to O-linemen)wants to run the ball. We do it reluctantly, even though there are games when we roll up 200+ yards of rushing offense. Montana State's defensive goal has to be to drop everyone in coverage.

 

[CelticCat33]

Run defense was a strength last year - we finished 3rd in the conference at 145.9 yards per game, allowing 16 TDs. Compare that to 2015 when we were 11th in the conference, 248 yards per game and 25 TDs.

The contrast between our defenses between the last coaching staff in 2015 and our new coaching staff has been striking. In 2015 we were 10th of 13 in total defense, giving up 472 yards per game and giving up 51 TDs. Under Choate and new DC Ty Gregorak, we improved to 3rd in the league, 388 yards per game and 34 TDs allowed. I'm excited to see what strides we can make in his 2nd year.

 

[95coug]

A speedy RB and a QB who can run could be trouble. We've struggled covering running QBs anyway, and if he's got a pitch man who can keep up, our guys on the edge could be a problem. It irks me to think that we could be vulnerable to a 1982 offense run by an FCS team...but we could be.

We'll likely be trying to bury you under points, so playing possession ball and keeping our O off the field is smart. If it works, you'll wear down our D - especially the line, which isn't deep - and the 4th could turn into a shootout, with us throwing for 10-15 yard chunks and you running for the same.

Of course, that's the nightmare scenario for us. I'd much rather have the issue decided by halftime, so I can get some sleep.

 

[CelticCat33]

That is key for me, is if MSU can get the running game going. Late last year teams knew we were going to run the ball because our passing game was so awful, and they couldn't stop it anyway. We rushed for 258 yards against UC Davis and 368 against Montana. Problem is we lost our two leading rushers last year, two heart and soul guys, and the senior Nick LaSane who has waited for years behind some pretty darn good running backs got himself suspended for 4 games.

Our speed isn't next level speed like you'll see week in and week out in the PAC 12, but Murray and the #1 and #2 running backs are no slouches. Logan Jones is probably the fastest of the 3, running a hand timed 4.4 and a 10.9 100 meter dash, Troy Anderson at 6'3 220 ran a 10.88 100 meter in high school, and Murray runs a 4.51 40 yard at 6'2 185. Murray has that game speed though, once he gets by you he is very hard to run down.

 

[MRICoug]

While we have been suspect against running QBs at times, we were improved there last year. Teams that beat us outside of Colorado were not running QB teams in general. It hurt us in spurts last year, but that is not unique to WSU. If a team has a talented running QB it does that to virtually every team. I think we are closer to the pack in that regard compared to 2-3 years ago.

 

[CaliTrojan4Life]

Justin Paige 5’11 175 versus Marcellous Pippins 5'10 180. Not sure how Grinch is going to utilize Pippins but I would love to see these two match up against each other. Both Paige and Pippins will be two of the most athletic players on the field come Saturday. Paige a speedster from Texas and Pippins a savvy all around athlete from Cali. Hoping the Wazzu front four bring the noise on Saturday. If Wazzu's pass rush is effective I see 3 to 4 picks in this game.

 

[CaliTrojan4Life]

As for your concern about your secondary, I wouldn't be too worried just yet.

Hey CelticCat33. I'm not going to get into the Wazzu offensive side of the ball but the defense I will speak on from a coaches perspective. In my opinion from what I've seen from Wazzu's front four over the years it's been their weakest spot on defense. I'll say this, I believe the bigs up front wins games and your skill players fill the seats. That said, Defensive Tackle Hercules Mata'afa is a bad man.

The secondary has been Wazzu's defensive strong suit the past few years. They've had solid play over the years from 2017 NFL Raiders 7th rounder Shalom Luani as well as this years Senior CB Marcellus Pippins. Junior Darrien Molton is the only other experienced CB on the roster. I'm expecting Molton to have a solid year. Sophomore SS Jalen Thompson looks ready to make a name for himself this year after being last years starter as a true freshman. I expect Thompson to make some noise this year. The other DB's on Wazzu's roster have limited playing time. Senior Robert Taylor played sparingly last year and started a few games on defense but was most effective on ST's. Taylor is working hard at trying to fill the shoes of Oakland Raiders Shalom Luani at FS. Sophomore Marcus Strong has very little playing time but he's being groomed by the veteran Pippins to be ready for next year to do big things for the Cougs. If the D-line cause mayhem and disruption to opposing teams offensive passing game the Wazzu secondary will be very special this year. If Wazzu front does not bring pressure on passing downs the secondary will look average at best. Grinch will have to be very creative with his stunts and blitzes if his front doesn't get the job done. I'll be watching this part of Wazzu's defense very close this year.

Here's the stats for all (5) players from last years season.

Marcellus Pippins>(2016): Appeared in all 13 games, starting final 12…recorded 27 tackles including one for loss…had two interceptions and five pass breakups…also returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown…picked off a pass against Eastern Washington…had three tackles including one for loss at Boise State…returned a blocked field 72 yards for a touchdown in the win over Idaho…had two tackles in the win over Oregon…made three stops in the win at No. 15 Stanford…had season-high five tackles and an interception in the win over UCLA…recorded three tackles and two pass breakups in the win at Arizona State…made two stops in the win over California…had two tackles against No. 6 Washington…made two tackles against Minnesota in the Holiday Bowl.

Darrien Molton>(2016): Started all 13 games…second on team with 71 tackles including two for loss, one forced fumble and six pass breakups…made seven tackles against Eastern Washington…recorded six tackles and two pass breakups at Boise State…recorded seven tackles and pass breakup in the win over Idaho…recorded six tackles, one for loss and forced a fumble in the win over Oregon…had five tackles in win at No. 15 Stanford…recorded career-high 10 tackles in win at Oregon State…had six tackles, one for loss and one pass breakup in the win over California…registered six tackles and a pass breakup at No. 12 Colorado…made four stops and a pass breakup against No. 6 Washington…made four tackles against Minnesota in the Holiday Bowl.

Jalen Thompson>(2016): Enrolled in January, 2016 and participated in spring practice…named to True Freshman All-America Team by ESPN.com…named Freshman All-American honorable mention by Campus Insiders…started all 13 games at strong safety…recorded 51 tackles including three for loss and made a team-best seven pass breakups…forced one fumble and recovered another…made two tackles in collegiate debut against Eastern Washington…had three tackles at Boise State…had two pass breakups in the win over Idaho…made two tackles and interception a two-point conversion attempt in the win over Oregon…made team-high seven tackles in the win at No. 15 Stanford…recorded three stops in the win over UCLA…made four tackles and two pass breakups in the win at Oregon State…recorded six tackles, a pass breakup and first career forced fumble in the win over California…made season-high eight tackles including first career tackle-for-loss at No. 12 Colorado…made five stops and recovered a fumble in the Apple Cup…recorded seven tackles including two for loss against Minnesota in the Holiday Bowl.

Robert Taylor>(2016): Appeared in 12 games, making nine starts…recorded 61 tackles with one for loss and two pass breakups…recovered a team-best three fumbles…returned 20 kickoffs for 433 yards including a 100-yard return for a touchdown…averaged 21.6 yards-per-return…made four tackles against Eastern Washington…made six tackles, recovered a fumble and took over the kick return duties in the win over Idaho…made eight stops, recovered a fumble and had a 24-yard kickoff return in the win over Oregon…recovered a fumble and kick returns of 34 and 36 yards in the win over UCLA…made four tackles and returned a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown in the win at Arizona State, earning Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week…recorded eight tackles, shared a tackle-for-loss and had a 23-yard kickoff return in the win at Oregon State…made five tackles and one pass breakup in the win over Arizona…tallied eight tackles in the win over California…made career-high nine tackles at No. 12 Colorado…missed Apple Cup…made seven tackles against Minnesota in the Holiday Bowl.

Marcus Strong>(2016): Appeared in six games, mostly on special teams…made collegiate debut in the win over Oregon…recorded first career tackle in the win at No. 15 Stanford…had a tackle in the win at Arizona State…made a solo tackle in the win over Arizona.

Have a great season!

 

[CelticCat33]

Justin Paige 5’11 175 versus Marcellous Pippins 5'10 180. Not sure how Grinch is going to utilize Pippins but I would love to see these two match up against each other. Both Paige and Pippins will be two of the most athletic players on the field come Saturday. Paige a speedster from Texas and Pippins a savvy all around athlete from Cali. Hoping the Wazzu front four bring the noise on Saturday. If Wazzu's pass rush is effective I see 3 to 4 picks in this game.

The coaches have really been working with Paige to be more of an every down WR, not just a take the top off the defense kind of guy. In 2015, the last year under the old coaching staff and the Oregon style offense, he only caught 13 balls, but had 453 yards and 4 TDs, for an average of nearly 35 yards per catch. All reports are he has hit the weights this summer and added some muscle, which will probably slow him a bit but he is still probably one of the fastest guys in the Big Sky Conference. Last year he caught 15 balls for 190 yards and 2 TDs, but we only threw for 1715 yards as a team, the worst passing output I think MSU has probably seen since the 90s. We won't be a huge passing team but I'm hoping we can get to the 2,500 yard area this year.

The X factor is the WR corp is actually Kevin Kassis. He got some time as a true freshman last year, and emerged as one the guy most capable of gaining YAC. He is already the best route runner on the team, can get open, has good hands, and ability in the open field to make guys miss. He doesn't have breakaway speed but has great quickness.

Everything hinges on Murray. His passing didn't get a whole lot better as the year wore on last year, but his decision making improved immensely in terms of being smart with the football. He didn't throw an INT in either of our last two games, both wins, but he didn't even throw for a combined 100 yards either. We basically just ran the ball nonstop. So he limited his mistakes, but at some point if you want to be a good football team you have to complete some damn passes. Even Cal Poly, the true triple option team in the Big Sky, threw for more TDs than we did (although less yards). And only Sacramento State had worse passing efficiency than we did.

We brought in a pretty good looking high school kid in Tucker Rovig, prototype kid, 6'5 210 with a big arm and some running speed to boot. 2 star kid from Meridian ID who won a state championship as a senior, throwing for 2,387 yards, 30 TDs to 6 INTs including 252 yards and 4 TDs in the championship game. This we believe is the kind of QB Choate wants. The reason I bring it up is there was a good chance Rovig could've won the starting job, as he is already a better QB than Murray, but credit Murray's offseason progress to maintain his starting job. Choate isn't afraid to play freshman over upperclassmen, so Murray must've impressed enough to hold off Rovig.

 

[CaliTrojan4Life]

The coaches have really been working with Paige to be more of an every down WR, not just a take the top off the defense kind of guy. In 2015, the last year under the old coaching staff and the Oregon style offense, he only caught 13 balls, but had 453 yards and 4 TDs, for an average of nearly 35 yards per catch. All reports are he has hit the weights this summer and added some muscle, which will probably slow him a bit but he is still probably one of the fastest guys in the Big Sky Conference. Last year he caught 15 balls for 190 yards and 2 TDs, but we only threw for 1715 yards as a team, the worst passing output I think MSU has probably seen since the 90s. We won't be a huge passing team but I'm hoping we can get to the 2,500 yard area this year.

The X factor is the WR corp is actually Kevin Kassis. He got some time as a true freshman last year, and emerged as one the guy most capable of gaining YAC. He is already the best route runner on the team, can get open, has good hands, and ability in the open field to make guys miss. He doesn't have breakaway speed but has great quickness.

Everything hinges on Murray. His passing didn't get a whole lot better as the year wore on last year, but his decision making improved immensely in terms of being smart with the football. He didn't throw an INT in either of our last two games, both wins, but he didn't even throw for a combined 100 yards either. We basically just ran the ball nonstop. So he limited his mistakes, but at some point if you want to be a good football team you have to complete some damn passes. Even Cal Poly, the true triple option team in the Big Sky, threw for more TDs than we did (although less yards). And only Sacramento State had worse passing efficiency than we did.

We brought in a pretty good looking high school kid in Tucker Rovig, prototype kid, 6'5 210 with a big arm and some running speed to boot. 2 star kid from Meridian ID who won a state championship as a senior, throwing for 2,387 yards, 30 TDs to 6 INTs including 252 yards and 4 TDs in the championship game. This we believe is the kind of QB Choate wants. The reason I bring it up is there was a good chance Rovig could've won the starting job, as he is already a better QB than Murray, but credit Murray's offseason progress to maintain his starting job. Choate isn't afraid to play freshman over upperclassmen, so Murray must've impressed enough to hold off Rovig.

I totally agree with you that everything for MSU offense hinges on Murray's play. That said, everything defensively wise for Wazzu hinges on the front 4 play. Like I said before, I'll be watching the front 4 play of the Cougs very closely tomorrow night. Great reporting on your part. Looking forward to talking with you after the game.

 

[CelticCat33]

Murray is going to give most front 4's problems just with his legs. This year from everything I've seen he is more focused on extending plays with his legs, keeping his eyes downfield rather than just running for yards. As good as the DL for WSU is going to be in terms of what we normally see, I don't think WSU will be able to consistently get to Murray without bringing some help. MSU was only sacked 16 times last year, and I can't find the stats but I'd guess Murray was less than half of those, the rest were likely Bruggman. They will however flush him out of the pocket or make him step up more than we may usually see.

We aren't huge across the OL but we aren't small, averaging about 290. And we aren't a spread team so we are going to have 1-2 TEs even in passing formations. We have Connor Sullivan 6'5 250 who is the receiving threat, Curtis Amos at H-Back at 6'1 235, and Wilson Brott as a blocking specialist at 6'6 265, but he will likely be used mainly in running situations I would guess.

The hard part will be replacing LG J.P. Flynn who is now with the 49ers, he was a bulldozer at 6'5 320. His successor is a sophomore who has seen limited reps so far. But the rest of the line has pretty decent experience returning.

I have a hard time getting a handle on what I think we will do on offense. Our new OC is known for tailoring an offense around the skillsets of the guys he has, which we didn't do very well last year - we kept trying to fit a square peg (Murray) in a round hole, but we seemed to finally get it going the last few games, but our OC bolted for NDSU (good riddance most MSU fans say). You'll see some triple option, you'll see some diamond formation most likely, but most of it will be out of the shotgun.

 

[CaliTrojan4Life]

My only concern is the D-Line allowing Murray tons of time to find uncovered receivers due to broken plays. I know the WSU DB's will initially hold the MSU receivers in check but it's the extended plays or busted plays that allows the receivers a second chance to get open. That's why it's very important that the DL and LB's put pressure on Murray when he's passing the rock. If Wazzu gets pressure and contain Murray in the pocket they will destroy MSU. If Murray is allowed to break containment on pass plays Wazzu's defense will have a long and measurable day. It's on Wazzu's front seven to get it done in this game. Either they're ready or they're not. There shouldn't be no excuses for them not being prepared to contain Murray. We shall see.