Page 69 - Flathead Beacon // 8.13.14

FLATHEADBEACON.COM
BATTLE IN THE BIG SKY / 8/13/14 / 69
PLAYERS TO WATCH
“People are underestimat- ing how good we are going to be. I think this team will be a lot better than what people think,” says Austin Barth, a former
multi-sport standout at Columbia Falls. Austin Barth is entering his third season as a redshirt sophomore with the Montana State Bobcats, and the former Wildcat is confident this year’s squad will quickly reload and defy expecta-
tions.
It won’t be easy. Last year’s team,
which underperformed and finished 7-5 overall and 5-3 in the Big Sky Con- ference, was loaded with standout se- niors. Head coach Rob Ash has the tough task of filling several key positions this fall, including quarterback. Four-year starter DeNarius McGhee, a two-time Big Sky Conference MVP, is gone, along with running back Cody Kirk, wide re- ceiver Tanner Bleskin and Buck Buchan- an award winner Brad Daly, a defensive
endT. hat talented core of Bobcats helped win three conference championships and advance to the play- offs three times in four years. MSU was 36-12 overall the past
four seasons.
This year’s team does have 13 returning starters, includ-
ing All-American return specialist and running back Shawn Johnson. But there’s no denying the Bobcats are in the midst of a transition.
Coaches tabbed MSU to finish third in the Big Sky Confer- ence, just behind rival Montana. The first Football Champi- onship Subdivision preseason coaches’ poll had the Bobcats ranked 19th in the nation. It extended the team’s streak to 61 consecutive weeks in the national rankings.
“It’s a complement to our program, without doubt,” Ash, entering his eighth year, said. “But it’s a reflection of what has happened, not what will happen. This group of guys will de- termine our fate, and it hasn’t played a game together yet. It’s exciting, but doesn’t have any bearing on the future.”
The Bobcats opened fall camp last week in preparation for the season opener Aug. 30 at Arkansas State. In the first few practices, the defense stood out, particularly three veteran linebackers — Alex Singleton, Na’a Moeakiola and Cole Moore — who presence and experience will provide a needed boost this fall. The entire defensive line is stacked with talent and should provide a strong backbone for this year’s team.
Yet much of the depth chart remains to be settled in the weeks leading up to Aug. 30. Especially at the quarterback po- sition.
“The No. 1 priority is to choose a quarterback,” Ash said, “and that’s an unusual feeling. It’s reminiscent of 2010. It feels eerily similar to then, when we were making that decision.”
Right now three players are contending for the No. 1 spot — junior Jake Bleskin, sophomore Dakota Prukop and redshirt freshman Quinn McQueary. As the team’s backup last year, Bleskin played in six games and started two mid-season con- tests after McGhee went down with an injury. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Great Falls native threw for back-to-back 300 yard games in both starts, against Colorado Mesa and Stephen F. Austin, and finished the season with 733 passing yards and six touchdowns, along with one rushing TD.
The center position will feature a new starter as well, and
REBUILDING THE BOBCATS
AFTER LOSING THEIR LONGTIME QB AND OTHER VETERAN PLAYERS, MONTANA STATE IS LOOKING FOR NEW LEADERS TO EMERGE
MONTANA ST.
SHAWN JOHNSON
#4, Senior, RB, 5-9, 175 lbs
Described as one of the most dynamic players in the conference, Johnson is the Bobcats’ top returning running back and return specialist. Last season he averaged 146.4 all-purpose yards per game and picked up first team all- conference honors as a returner. He was also MSU’s first All-American return specialist in a decade. He rushed for 638 yards and six touchdowns while sharing snaps with Cody Kirk, who graduated. He also caught 28 passes for 243 yards and a TD. His 10 total TDs were second most on the team behind Kirk (18). In order for MSU’s offense to roll, the Bobcats will rely heavily on Johnson.
ALEX SINGLETON
#43, Senior, LB, 6-2, 240 lbs
Singleton is one of three standout linebackers returning to action for MSU after missing all or most of spring with an assortment of injuries. Na’a Moeakiola missed all of last year with an injury; he tallied 81 tackles, including 12 for loss, during his 2012 season. Cole Moore has also been hampered in the past, but all three men are back to full speed. That could mean Singleton is on track for another strong year. Last fall he led the Bobcats in total tackles with 110, includ- ing 16.5 for loss. He was named honorable mention all-conference.
JOEL HORN
#70, Junior, OL, 6-4, 320 lbs
The Bobcats will have a new starter at both QB and center, with the former Glacier High School standout vying for the key lineman position. Horn has emerged as one of the top offensive line- men at MSU, and during the recent fall camp, he contended with Quinn Catalano for the starting center position. Both men could end up sharing time throughout the season, playing a vital role in the Bobcats’ new-look offense. The starting QB, vacant for the first time in four years following the graduation of DeNarius McGhee, will be decided among junior Jake Bleskin, sophomore Dakota Prukop and redshirt freshman Quinn McQueary.
Montana State
receiver Brian
Flotkoetter
COURTESY MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY
“OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE SOME BIG NAMES TO FILL IN BUT IT’S GOOD TO SEE SOME PEOPLE STEP UP TO THE CHALLENGE.”
AUSTIN BARTH, MONTANA STATE TIGHT END
MONTANA STATE
BOBCATS
Opponent
AT ARKANSAS STATE BLACK HILLS STATE CENTRAL ARKANSAS EASTERN WASHINGTON NORTH DAKOTA*
AT SACRAMENTO STATE AT UC DAVIS
WEBER STATE
AT CAL POLY PORTLAND STATE IDAHO STATE
AT MONTANA (114TH MEETING) *HOMECOMING
2014 SEASON
Date
AUG. 30 SEPT. 6 SEPT. 13 SEPT. 20 SEPT. 27 OCT. 4 OCT. 11 OCT. 18 NOV. 1 NOV. 8 NOV. 15 NOV. 22
Time
5 P.M.
7 P.M. 3:30 P.M. 1 P.M.
2 P.M.
7 P.M.
5 P.M. 3:30 P.M. 7 P.M. TBA
TBA
TBA
continued on page 67