Bobcats Poised to Rejoin the Ranks of the Nation’s Elite
By Danny Waldo
In 2018, the Montana State football team enjoyed their most successful season under current head coach Jeff Choate, but they ended the year hungry for more and enter 2019 with soaring expectations.
2018 Recap
The 2018 season kicked off under the lights on a beautiful August night versus an experienced Western Illinois squad out of the Missouri Valley Conference in MSU’s annual Gold Rush game. Head coach Jeff Choate had been hyping the game all offseason as a test to see how his ‘Cats stood up against a talented team out of one of the most powerful conferences in the FCS.
Montana State was breaking in a new starting quarterback in sophomore Troy Andersen who had moved from running back to under center after previous starter Chris Murray was ruled ineligible for the 2018 campaign. As expected, the Bobcats got off to a slow start, falling behind by a touchdown at the break, but they would come roaring back in the second half to steal a hard-fought opening night victory, and the season was under way.
Over the course of the next two months, the Bobcat season ebbed and flowed from impressive victories to head-scratching defeats, and as the calendar turned to November, MSU’s record sat at 4-4, and Bobcats appeared poised to extend their streak of no postseason play to four years.
But in a blink of an eye, the season flipped. The Bobcats suddenly caught fire, reeling off three consecutive victories, including their third in a row over the rival Montana Grizzlies in one of the most exciting and miraculous finishes in the history of the Brawl of the Wild, and out of nowhere, MSU snuck into the FCS playoffs with an at-large berth on the strength of a 7-4 record.
MSU would go on to earn their first win in the FCS playoffs since 2012, defeating Incarnate Word in the opening round, before seeing their season come to an end at the hands of the eventual national champions, North Dakota State, losing in the Fargo Dome 52-10.
The loss in North Dakota set the Bobcats on the path to improvements for 2019.
The first major shakeup came in the coaching ranks, as Bobcat defensive coordinator Ty Gregorak resigned from his post after three seasons, and longtime Bobcat assistant and former All-American, Kane Ioane, was hired back from the University of Washington, where he had spent the past two seasons as a defensive quality control analyst.
Matt Miller, who had been handed offensive coordinator duties in October and was a major part of the Bobcats’ resurgence, was made the permanent OC, while 2017 offensive coordinator Brian Armstrong returned to coaching the offensive line, and Erik Frazier was brought in from Western Illinois to coach receivers and become the passing game coordinator.
Season Preview
With the coaching staff retooled and a number of key players returning on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball, the Montana State Bobcats should be right in the thick of a heated race for the Big Sky Conference title in 2019. The Big Sky Conference was one of the toughest conferences in the nation last season, a year in which four members were invited to the postseason, and one, Eastern Washington, made it all the way to the national championship game.
The league should be just as competitive again in 2019 with several stars returning for co-league champions Weber State, Eastern Washington and UC-Davis, which returns preseason First Team All-American quarterback Jake Maier, who guided UC-Davis to their first FCS quarterfinal berth in program history.
With all of the talent returning, MSU could only muster a preseason prediction of a fourth-place finish in the league, but the Bobcats returned to the preseason FCS poll, earning a No. 14 prediction in the Hero Sports preseason poll. But predictions are just that, and with a talented pool of players of their own, including Mr. Do-Everything, Troy Andersen, the Bobcats are intent on crashing the party in Frisco, Texas, site of the FCS national championship, come January.
Offense
Montana State will look to be a more balanced offense in 2019 after three straight seasons of run-heavy, smashmouth football. Not that the Bobcats will get away from their bread and butter after boasting one of the most successful running games in the conference the past three years, but with a more prototypical quarterback under center this season, expect the ‘Cats to fling it around more than they have in the past.
The Bobcats will start their fourth different quarterback to open the season after Troy Andersen switched to the defensive side of the ball. Physical specimen, Casey Bauman, a 6’7, 230 lb. behemoth will assume the reins of the Bobcat offense after beating out Tucker Rovig in a tightly contested competition during Fall Camp.
Bauman, a redshirt freshman, has seen very little action since arriving in Bozeman, but he boasts the physical tools to make the Bobcats more dynamic on offense, with a cannon arm and more than adequate speed. In his senior season of high school, Bauman threw for 27 touchdowns and ran for another 15 more. Although he doesn’t bring a lot of experience, he has several weapons around him to take the pressure off his shoulders, starting at the running back position.
MSU returns one of the most electrifying rushers in the league in sophomore Isaiah Ifanse, who recorded one of the most successful freshman seasons in Bobcat history. As a freshman, Ifanse ran for 1025 yards and seven touchdowns, while adding another 106 yards receiving and one touchdown.
But as successful as Ifanse was, he’s not the most dangerous ballcarrier the Bobcats boast. That title belongs to junior Troy Andersen. Last season, Andersen rushed for 1,412 yards and 21 scores from the quarterback position. And although he has switched to linebacker entering the 2019 campaign, head coach Jeff Choate has made it known that Andersen will still have a role on offense as well.
On the outside, the Bobcats return ultra-productive receiver Kevin Kassis, the ‘Cats leading pass-catcher from a year ago. In 2018, Kassis hauled in 55 passes for 663 yards and three touchdowns. Travis Jonsen switched from quarterback to receiver last season and ended the year on a high note after posting a 100-yard receiving game versus the Grizzlies; he is one of the most explosive athletes on the Bobcat roster and should see more balls coming his way this season. The Bobcats will also be looking to get more production out of fellow receiver Lance McCutcheon, who is primed for a breakout season.
The offensive line should be strong once again, anchored by senior Mitch Brott and fellow returnees Lewis Kidd and Taylor Tuiasosopo.
Defense
With the return of Kane Ioane as defensive coordinator, the Bobcats are hoping to return to their glory days of early 2000s when MSU boasted one of the stingiest defenses in the country. Fortunately for Ioane, he has some studs to make the dream become a reality.
On the defensive line, MSU welcomes Jason Scrempos, a 6’6 299 lb. transfer from the University of Washington. He could partner with fellow Washington transfers Bryce Sterk and Amandre Williams to form a formidable front for the Bobcat defense. Sterk was one of the most productive defensive players in the league last season, and Williams brings FBS ability to the defensive line as well.
Linebacker could just as easily be the Bobcats strongest position group with the return of Josh Hill from an injury-filled 2018 season, as well as the transition of Troy Andersen to the position he was originally recruited to fill. Chad Kanow and Michael Jobman also add experience to the middle of the Bobcat defense, and several younger players are eager to prove themselves at the position as well.
The back end of the Bobcat defense should be a strength as well. Greg Filer III, Brayden Konkol, Jojo Henderson and Jahque Alleyne all return to anchor the Bobcat secondary. Alleyne led the team in interceptions last season. Tyrel Thomas is also back after making big contributions during his first two seasons in Bozeman.
Special Teams
Tristan Bailey returns to handle the kicking duties after making 14 of 19 attempts, including a 50-yarder in the Bobcats’ season-opening victory over Western Illinois. He will be aided in the kicking game by the return of punter Jerod Padmos. Padmos earned Second Team All-Big Sky in 2017 after averaging 42.5 yards per punt.
The Bobcats got a taste of success in the postseason for the first time under Choate last season, their first tangible proof that his blueprint for the program is coming to fruition, and as they say, success breeds success. With that kind of optimism, Bobcat fans should expect big things from the ‘Cats in 2019.
