‘Cats Hand Reins to Rovig
By Danny Waldo
After losing the quarterback competition in Fall Camp to redshirt freshman Casey Bauman, Tucker Rovig has finally emerged as MSU’s signal caller. Just in time for Big Sky Conference play.
The one many thought would be the team’s No. 1 quarterback coming into the 2019 season took a little longer than expected to ascend to that role, but Rovig is happy to be there, nonetheless. “Confidence was like a huge thing with me. When Casey was named the starter, that’s something that I feel like didn’t change for me. My confidence was still there, I was just going to keep on pushing, keep on grinding and doing what I need to do and just stay ready,” said Rovig.
After serving as the backup for MSU’s first three games, Rovig was a surprise starter for the ‘Cats contest versus Norfolk State, and he did not waste the opportunity. The 6’5” gunslinger from Meridian, Idaho threw for 221 yards and four touchdowns in his first start since Week 3 of 2018. While Rovig was the beneficiary of three MSU running backs eclipsing the 100-yard mark, he was still able to showcase his skill set, hitting a number of receivers with precise passes that led to big gains and timely scores.
Now, it’s up to Rovig to keep the job, and head coach Jeff Choate thinks he’s up to it. “I basically said, ‘Hey, you’ve let this thing slip through your hands twice now. This opportunity may not come again and you just have to believe in yourself and go play and I think he did that.” “I’m really proud of the way he performed. That’s to take nothing away from Casey (Bauman), but I believe Tucker operated at a really high level.”
MSU will need its quarterback firing on all cylinders as conference play gets underway. After opening league play at home versus NAU, Montana State plays just one home contest, versus Sacramento State (October 12) in the month of October. Being able to win on the road will go a long way toward determining MSU’s ability to claim their first conference championship since 2012. Strong quarterback play will be key to that becoming a reality.
