Bobcats set to open 2019 camp
by Danny Waldo
The Montana State football team is set to kick off the 2019 season when Fall Camp begins in a little over a week, and while the 2018 season showed the program is heading in the right direction, it also showed there is much work left to do.
After a two-game losing streak to close out the month of October that knocked MSU to 4-4 on the season, the ‘Cats righted the ship by winning three straight contests in November, including a historic comeback to defeat the Grizzlies, to sneak into the FCS playoffs where they defeated Incarnate Word for their first playoff victory since 2012.
But the good vibes ended there, as Montana State was pummeled by perennial FCS power North Dakota State in the quarterfinals, suffering a 52-10 setback.
And so it is that Montana State shifts its focus to the 2019 season with hopes of rejoining the juggernauts of the FCS, and first and foremost on the minds of fans and coaches alike is who will be under center when the lights come on in Lubbock, Texas, site of Montana State’s season opener on August 31st.
MSU has been a revolving door of quarterbacks lately, having started the season with a different starter each of the past three seasons. In 2016, it was Tyler Bruggman who earned the season-starting nod, but he was soon replaced by budding freshman Chris Murray. Murray wowed fans with his fleet feet, and led MSU to a defeat of Montana, earning Big Sky Conference Freshman of the Year accolades along the way. He parlayed his freshman performance into the starting nod heading into the 2017 season, where he was once again an electrifying force on the offensive side of the ball. But academic issues derailed his 2018 campaign, opening the door for another underclass phenom to take over.
Incoming sophomore Troy Andersen broke onto the scene in his freshman campaign by earning the starting nod at running back, the first true freshman at MSU to do so since as far back as 1990. He also earned starts at linebacker on his way to earning MSU’s second Big Sky Conference Freshman of the Year awards. Bobcat coaches made the decision to move him to the quarterback position before the start of Fall Camp in 2018, and Anderson responded by earning the opening day start versus Western Illinois, where he guided the ‘Cats to an impressive season-opening win. But an injury suffered in that start opened the door for Tucker Rovig to start in Week 2 versus South Dakota State.
Rovig’s career at Montana State got off to a rough start, as MSU was soundly defeated by the No. 3 ranked team in the country, 45-14, but he would redeem himself in Week 3, leading the ‘Cats to a 47-24 over Wagner College, throwing for an impressive 310 yards and three touchdowns in the win. However, injuries ended his 2018 season, forcing Andersen back under center where he would remain the rest of the season.
So, as we head into the 2019 season this is what we know about the quarterback situation. Murray is no longer a part of the team after failing to regain his eligibility, word has it that Andersen is moving to the defensive side of the ball at the linebacker position, and Rovig returns from injury, but only has two games of experience to evaluate him with. Whether Rovig can win the job that seems to be his, or will Casey Bauman or Ruben Beltran emerge as MSU’s fourth season-opening starter in the past four years. At this point, it’s anybody’s guess. Stay tuned. •
