By Danny Waldo
Score one for the offense.
After getting outplayed by the defense in a mistake-filled Triangle Classic in Great Falls back on April 8th, the offense took its turn in the spotlight on a sun-soaked Saturday afternoon at Bobcat Stadium in the annual Sonny Holland Classic to conclude 2017 spring practices.
Dropped balls and missed assignments plagued the offensive side of the ball in the Electric City, but none of those issues were evident in Bobcat Stadium in front of a nice crowd of supporters looking to get their final glimpse at head coach Jeff Choates’ squad before the fall.
Reigning Big Sky Conference Freshman of the Year, Chris Murray, displayed improved accuracy in the passing game, and fellow quarterback Tyler Bruggman showed the accuracy and leadership many expected last season when the highly touted transfer arrived from Arizona.
Murray completed 10 of 13 passing attempts for 107 yards, while Bruggman contributed another 119 through the air on 5 of 8 completions, and the No. 1 offense connected on three touchdowns through the air. In Montana State’s final game last season, a 24-17 victory over rival Montana, Murray completed just 2 of 9 passes for 37 yards.
Sophomore receiver Kevin Kassis had a spectacular conclusion to his spring, racking up four catches for 87 yards and two touchdowns, to go along with 17 yards rushing. “He’s a guy we can count on to do a variety of things,” Choate said. “He’s smart, we can line him up in a variety of positions, he’s good with the ball in his hands in a lot of ways – as a returner, as a slot receiver, as an outside receiver, even in the backfield some. He’s a valuable weapon in our offense.”
The MSU offense also rolled up 148 yards on the ground, led by Nick LaSane who tallied 32 yards on just three carries, and Murray, who totaled 33 yards on eight carries.
The offense looked much improved since the Triangle Classic, but the defense continued to make big plays, including a 55-yard pick-six by Bozeman product Balue Chapman on the scrimmage’s only turnover of the afternoon.
With the conclusion of spring practices, the players will now break until they reconvene for player-run practices in early June. Fall camp begins in August and coaches cannot organize workouts until that time. The Bobcats open the season on September 2nd in Pullman, WA versus the PAC-12’s Washington State Cougars.
Danny Waldo is a local freelance writer, covering Bozeman Hawk and Montana State Bobcat athletics