Chronicle article 11/30 - Respect

[urcrackinmeup]

Earning some respect

MSU’s defense struts its stuff in Furman win

By TIM DUMAS Chronicle Sports Writer

Mike Kramer might have had a point when he said the rest of the Big Sky Conference does not respect Montana State’s defense.
After defeating Furman in a playoff game last Saturday, he made his disappointment clear.
Earlier this season, his Bobcats shut out 15th-ranked Portland State and limited No. 2 Montana to a single touchdown in Missoula.
Yet when postseason awards were handed out last week, none of his defensive players were named first team all-conference.
Safety Ryan Force and linebacker Epikopo King made the second team, but somehow linebacker Bobby Daly, and his 107 tackles, was only good enough to gain honorable mention status.
The tradeoff, however, isn’t so bad.
“Ego-wise, it might hurt some of their feelings,” MSU defensive coordinator Rob Christoff said. “But I think that all of those guys would rather be playing right now with an opportunity to win the national championship than be first team all-conference. They’re just excited to be where they’re at.”
Kramer countered: “We
know it’s us against the world.
The respect we get is from
ourselves.”
And the Southern
Conference.
Jerry Moore, head coach of
SoCon champion Appalachian
State, needed to watch very little
game film of Montana State’s
31-13 victory over Furman to
reach this conclusion:
“It’s really, really simple — they whipped them,” said Moore, whose team hosts MSU Saturday in a quarterfinal playoff game. “You don’t have to look at that tape very long; they just got whipped.”
Furman, also a Southern Conference team, was just as impressed.
“They did some things defensively we hadn’t seen all year,” head coach Bobby Lamb said, “and we made adjustments too late.”
John Kivett, Furman’s all-SoCon right tackle, said, “we couldn’t get anything going. They just beat us.”
Now that’s respect. A respect slowly gained after the Bobcats surrendered 80 points over a two-game span in September.
The difference from now and then is due to a renewed confidence and a switch to a more mobile defense. A “flex” defense.
Montana State’s version consists of using one dedicated defensive lineman, usually David Siataga, with seven other linebacker types that can be aligned in numerous — or flexible — ways.
The first row of linebackers move one way while the second row moves in the opposite direction.
“We never stay static,” Kramer explained. “We don’t play muscle on muscle. On every play, somebody’s moving with a crosser behind them.”
The Bobcats have surrendered just four touchdowns in the last three games — two of them coming in garbage time against Furman. But linebacker Will Claggett says losing three September home games by a combined 99-34 did more for the unit than the switch to the flex.
“Those three losses put it into perspective that we needed to get it going,” he said. “Whatever we needed to do, we’ll do. I don’t think it was a change in defense, it was a change in the mind set that we had.”
Saturday’s opponent, Appalachian State, is ranked in the top 10 nationally in total offense (413 yard per game), scoring offense (34.4 ppg) and rushing offense (225 ypg). The Mountaineers also have 59 gains this season of 20 yards or more, including a season-high eight against Coastal Carolina last Saturday.
Kramer is sure App State will have trouble grasping the flex because his team already does.
“They’ve not seen it, they’ve not smelled it, they’ve not touched it. We’ve been studying it for 12 years,” he said. “We’ve been around this defense a lot as an opposing team and we still don’t have a handle on it. There’s no way you can get a total handle on it in one week.”
Furman learned such a fact last week.
On Saturday, No. 1 Appalachian State gets its chance.
And the Mountaineers won’t need to wait until kickoff to experience a Montana State defense that is worthy of national — if not from its own conference — attention.
How’s this for respect?
“In this area,” App State’s Moore said Tuesday from Boone, N.C., “and in Division I-AA football, Furman has a very rich tradition. There’s a certain amount of mystique that goes along with them. Montana State obviously didn’t know that because they just spanked them.”

[catsrback76]

Earning some respect

MSU’s defense struts its stuff in Furman win

By TIM DUMAS Chronicle Sports Writer

“In this area,” App State’s Moore said Tuesday from Boone, N.C., “and in Division I-AA football, Furman has a very rich tradition. There’s a certain amount of mystique that goes along with them. Montana State obviously didn’t know that because they just spanked them.”

IT's time to name the defense

[1BadBobcat]

Earning some respect

MSU’s defense struts its stuff in Furman win

By TIM DUMAS Chronicle Sports Writer

“In this area,” App State’s Moore said Tuesday from Boone, N.C., “and in Division I-AA football, Furman has a very rich tradition. There’s a certain amount of mystique that goes along with them. Montana State obviously didn’t know that because they just spanked them.”

IT's time to name the defense

The Bozeman Bruisers

[Bleedinbluengold]

OMG...

[Cat Grad]

I think, all things considered, I'll be much happier for all the All-American awards methinks are pending for our kids As I recall, both 76 and 84 saw our conference as it was configured back then snub more than a few of our kids then but after the playoffs, the National Awards came rolling in. In fact, Don Ueland as I recall wound up getting a player of the game award and gave us two 1000 yard rushers by the time the season was over. Too lazy right now to do the research and post it, but ya'll can look the awards up.

[083190]

A name for the defense....The Gold Rush.

[CATCO]

A defense led by a first year coach who just about quit the team during our slide in September....Amazing!!! They are going to have to play there best this weekend.

BTW, I do not really like Gold Rush, but can't think of anything better. Do a poll of the top 4 choices.