If you're a morning person, Montana State's 2010 fall camp is right up your alley.
The Bobcats are on a daily 9:15 am schedule during the portion of camp when the team is allowed just one practice per day, and the primary - but not sole - reason was easily visible on Tuesday afternoon.
"The percentage of being bothered by the weather is lower in the morning," Ash said Tuesday afternoon from his office, as a late-summer storm passed over the MSU campus. "That's not the only reason, but it was definitely a huge factor."
New research also confirms what most know intuitively, as well - that people in general and athletes in particular are fresher earlier in the day. "Some research Coach (Brian) Wright found says that you're more ready to go early in the day, your muscles are fresher, and that makes sense," Ash said.
But missing out on the anxiety of the afternoon squall is nothing but a positive for Ash. "That makes it a lot easier."
* * * *
The most impressive scoop-and-score moment from the defense came late in Tuesday's practice from an All-America -- not Dan Ogden or Clay Bignell, but Bobcat assistant coach Kane Ioane, a four-time national honoree. Much less likely was the man leading the convoy toward the end zone, MSU assistant coach Noah Joseph.
After delivering a 'solid' block Joseph ended up on his back, but Ash wouldn't confirm that the play was about as much contact as the former Drake team captain ever incurred. "Well, he spent his time out on the edge," Ash said with a non-committal laugh.
* * * *
The format is the same, but the voice barking "Period 17", or whatever period the team enters, is different. Scott Gifford, an integral part of practice logistics during his two years as MSU's equipment manager, left MSU for an assistant equipment job at the University of Wyoming (following MSU men's basketball athletic trainer Dustin Enslinger, coincidentally). Now at the bullhorn is Justin Jessop, a former Bobcat track and field athlete who was one of Gifford's right-hand men the past couple of years. Jessop is running the Bobcat equipment room on an interim basis until a full-time manager can be found.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
Bobcat Fall Camp Day One: Spare Thoughts
Some random thoughts from Day One of MSU's fall football camp...
* DeSean Thomas, on his tinted mohawk, which Rob Ash said falls dangerously close to maroon on the color spectrum: "I need to be a hothead in fall camp!"
* After dropping an interception, senior safety Michael Rider was ordered by secondary coach Noah Joseph to drop and do five pushups. Rider did 10.
* It isn't Bobcat football until Luke McEndoo, son of MSU's eighth-year offensive line coach Jason McEndoo, joins the team in its practice-closing huddle.
* You also know Bobcat football is here when you hear Coach Joseph bark at an unsuspecting defender, "Scoop and score! That's our football!"
* Senior running back Blayde Becksted, plagued by injuries throughout his career, ran strong on Monday, even despite a dropped pitch.
* Linebacker Roger Trammell looked good Monday, and wears jersey number nine, the same number as redshirt freshman quarterback Denarius McGhee.
* DeSean Thomas, on his tinted mohawk, which Rob Ash said falls dangerously close to maroon on the color spectrum: "I need to be a hothead in fall camp!"
* After dropping an interception, senior safety Michael Rider was ordered by secondary coach Noah Joseph to drop and do five pushups. Rider did 10.
* It isn't Bobcat football until Luke McEndoo, son of MSU's eighth-year offensive line coach Jason McEndoo, joins the team in its practice-closing huddle.
* You also know Bobcat football is here when you hear Coach Joseph bark at an unsuspecting defender, "Scoop and score! That's our football!"
* Senior running back Blayde Becksted, plagued by injuries throughout his career, ran strong on Monday, even despite a dropped pitch.
* Linebacker Roger Trammell looked good Monday, and wears jersey number nine, the same number as redshirt freshman quarterback Denarius McGhee.
Bobcat Camp Day One: Stormy Weather
A good omen? Rob Ash hopes so.
The wind blew, rain threatened and even spit a little, and as the Bobcats ran through the early portion of fall camp's first practice session storm clouds gathered ominously and aimed right at the MSU practice fields. Athletic Trainer Rob Higgs stood by judiciously with the lighting meter.
And then something funny happened: nothing.
The storm veered to the north, plastering the northwest end of the Gallatin Valley. The 2010 American Legion Class A Northwest Regional Tournament endured a rain delay of over an hour, with local officials burning the water off the field.
On the south end of town, though, Ash smiled at the thought of the terrible weather that plagued his team last fall and during the spring.
"I hope this means our luck is changing," he said as the sun peered through.
The wind blew, rain threatened and even spit a little, and as the Bobcats ran through the early portion of fall camp's first practice session storm clouds gathered ominously and aimed right at the MSU practice fields. Athletic Trainer Rob Higgs stood by judiciously with the lighting meter.
And then something funny happened: nothing.
The storm veered to the north, plastering the northwest end of the Gallatin Valley. The 2010 American Legion Class A Northwest Regional Tournament endured a rain delay of over an hour, with local officials burning the water off the field.
On the south end of town, though, Ash smiled at the thought of the terrible weather that plagued his team last fall and during the spring.
"I hope this means our luck is changing," he said as the sun peered through.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
With Big Sky Conference coaches participating in a conference call on Tuesday morning to discuss the upcoming season, football is officially upon us. Rob Ash's comments are available in podcast form at www.msubobcats.com, and below are one-liners from his Big Sky peers...
Montana's Robin Pflugrad, on transparency in his program: "I don't think there's a whole bunch of secrets out there. There's this thing called the internet, and everything you do is out there." On Montana's tradition: "We have great tradition, but that doesn't carry the ball across the end zone."
Weber State coach Ron McBride, on an FCS team moving to the Football Bowl Subdivision: "I don't think it's tough at all. It's just a matter of finances, and quality of all programs, and the football program is going to carry the torch."
Northern Colorado coach Scott Downing, on his team's offense: "I'm optimistic about our offense as a whole because of changes in our scheme and some of the things we worked on during spring ball."
NAU coach Jerome Souers, on the league's parity: "The Big Sky Conference has historically been a conference of parity. On any given day any team can get somebody."
Sacramento State's Marshall Sperbeck, on his team's move into the upper echelon of the league: "This is going into my fourth year as head coach, and you have to start making that kind of jump and progress... There are a lot of factors that you can't control, things that are out of your hands. But like I said, we're optimistic."
Portland State coach Nigel Burton, on the transition to a more conventional offense than the run-and-shoot: "I've got an O-line coach in Brad Davis who played at Oklahoma and is used to smash-mouth football, and I think he's back in his element."
Eastern Washington's Beau Baldwin, on Bo Levi Mitchell replacing Matt Nichol at quarterback: "It's obviously tough for anybody to come in and be compared to a four-year starter and two-time MVP who did all the things Matt did."
Montana's Robin Pflugrad, on transparency in his program: "I don't think there's a whole bunch of secrets out there. There's this thing called the internet, and everything you do is out there." On Montana's tradition: "We have great tradition, but that doesn't carry the ball across the end zone."
Weber State coach Ron McBride, on an FCS team moving to the Football Bowl Subdivision: "I don't think it's tough at all. It's just a matter of finances, and quality of all programs, and the football program is going to carry the torch."
Northern Colorado coach Scott Downing, on his team's offense: "I'm optimistic about our offense as a whole because of changes in our scheme and some of the things we worked on during spring ball."
NAU coach Jerome Souers, on the league's parity: "The Big Sky Conference has historically been a conference of parity. On any given day any team can get somebody."
Sacramento State's Marshall Sperbeck, on his team's move into the upper echelon of the league: "This is going into my fourth year as head coach, and you have to start making that kind of jump and progress... There are a lot of factors that you can't control, things that are out of your hands. But like I said, we're optimistic."
Portland State coach Nigel Burton, on the transition to a more conventional offense than the run-and-shoot: "I've got an O-line coach in Brad Davis who played at Oklahoma and is used to smash-mouth football, and I think he's back in his element."
Eastern Washington's Beau Baldwin, on Bo Levi Mitchell replacing Matt Nichol at quarterback: "It's obviously tough for anybody to come in and be compared to a four-year starter and two-time MVP who did all the things Matt did."
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
News & Notes In A Post-Rosenblatt World
Alright, Rosenblatt Stadium is around for a while longer, but it is no longer the home of the College World Series, and life in this corner of the blogosphere is less for it. A couple of notes as summer's first death knell (Independence Day) looms...
* Running backs coach Milo Austin has left Montana State to assume a football operations position at the University of Cincinnati. The move came just four short months after Austin joined the Bobcat staff. MSU coach Rob Ash's accelerated search for a replacement is underway.
* The last week has been a good one for catching up with former Bobcat basketball standouts. University of Iowa law student Ted Morris, an MSU center from 2005-07, blocked 38 shots and grabbed 294 rebounds as a Bobcat. He enters his second year at the UI Law School this fall, and said he's glad the "paper chase" first year is behind him. But, he added with his trademark laugh, "If I can survive (Bobcat coach Brad Huse), I can survive law professors."
Next it was Dewey Michaels' turn to parade through the Fieldhouse. Big Dewey blocked a school-record 149 shots in the Blue and Gold.
Finally, The Bobcat Blog ran into hometown hero Danny Faaborg, he of the flowing, golden locks, was on his way to the library to study, on "break" from medical school in the WAMI program, which has led him to Seattle and Boise in the last two years.
It's great to see guys like that, it's great when former players come back for visits, and it's a great reminder of the quality of people the Bobcat Basketball program turns out. They were all fine, skilled players, but far better people, and they have our continued affection and admiration.
* Finally, on a personal note, if you're in Bozeman over the Fourth of July Weekend and want to see some good baseball and help a good cause, come out to the Legion Field, where the Class A Spikes host the Howard Rein Invitational. Howard was a local high school teacher who volunteered on the Bobcat football stat crew for many, many years untily dying of ALS ("Lou Gehrig's Disease") way too soon. Proceeds from the weekend tournament go to our regional ALS chapter.
--Bill Lamberty
* Running backs coach Milo Austin has left Montana State to assume a football operations position at the University of Cincinnati. The move came just four short months after Austin joined the Bobcat staff. MSU coach Rob Ash's accelerated search for a replacement is underway.
* The last week has been a good one for catching up with former Bobcat basketball standouts. University of Iowa law student Ted Morris, an MSU center from 2005-07, blocked 38 shots and grabbed 294 rebounds as a Bobcat. He enters his second year at the UI Law School this fall, and said he's glad the "paper chase" first year is behind him. But, he added with his trademark laugh, "If I can survive (Bobcat coach Brad Huse), I can survive law professors."
Next it was Dewey Michaels' turn to parade through the Fieldhouse. Big Dewey blocked a school-record 149 shots in the Blue and Gold.
Finally, The Bobcat Blog ran into hometown hero Danny Faaborg, he of the flowing, golden locks, was on his way to the library to study, on "break" from medical school in the WAMI program, which has led him to Seattle and Boise in the last two years.
It's great to see guys like that, it's great when former players come back for visits, and it's a great reminder of the quality of people the Bobcat Basketball program turns out. They were all fine, skilled players, but far better people, and they have our continued affection and admiration.
* Finally, on a personal note, if you're in Bozeman over the Fourth of July Weekend and want to see some good baseball and help a good cause, come out to the Legion Field, where the Class A Spikes host the Howard Rein Invitational. Howard was a local high school teacher who volunteered on the Bobcat football stat crew for many, many years untily dying of ALS ("Lou Gehrig's Disease") way too soon. Proceeds from the weekend tournament go to our regional ALS chapter.
--Bill Lamberty
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