This year is shaping up to be the most extensively covered year of Bobcat football in history, with three, count them three new websites and/or blogs which are covering the Cats.

Rob Ash Football: This is a site that I believe was created by Rob Ash and associates. They have audio/video interviews with players and coaches, and Coach Ash himself has even pitched in a blog entry so far. I look forward to seeing what kind of video they offer during the season, as I’ve also felt MSU was lacking in this department.

Chronicle’s Blue & Gold: The brain child of departed editor Jeff Welsch, has been taken to new blogging heights by recently hired Will Holden, who has been attending every practice and blogging his thoughts. He has mentioned that video may be in the works for the Chronicle website as well; let’s cross some fingers.  Make sure to check out the blog portion of the site here.

ABC’s Tenzone: Last but not least, ABC has a sports blog that recently was installed on their website. Dave Griffiths has been attending weekday practices, and reporting about them on the blog. Also, on the right side of the page you can view the 10 @ 10 videos, which often show clips of the practices, as well as a quick interview or two.

Now onto some gridiron news. Starting center Jim Verlanic went down with a knee injury earlier today. This is bad news for the Cats as depth at C was the thinnest pretty much anywhere on the team. First reports indicate the injury isn’t too serious and we could see him back in a month or less. Freshman WR Colby Kinna injured his knee last week as well, but he will miss the entire season. He was not a projected starter.

The QB battle continues to heat up, with no clear starter emerging at this point. Sophomore Mark Desin (Billings, MT), junior Mark Iddins (Santa Ana JC), and sophomore Cody Kempt (U of Oregon) have all been getting equal reps. All three are very mobile, but Desin has the size disadvantage at 5′10, while Iddins and Kempt are both 6′2. No one has stood out yet, but all three have shown flashes.

The new turf is getting close to complete: pictures can be seen here. RB Demetrius Crawford cannot wait to play on it, and I can’t wait to see him play on it either. The turf may be completed in time for the planned scrimmage Saturday, August 16th.

Perhaps a surprise to some, the Griz were picked first in both the media and coaches preseason polls.  Some might have felt Eastern Washington deserved the #1 spot, but with the coaching turnover in Cheney, and the Grizzlies continued dominance in the Sky as of late, this is no surprise to this blogger.

Big Sky Conference
2008 COACHES POLL
Team (First-place votes) …………………………Points
1. Montana (7) …………………………………….. 63
2. Eastern Washington (1) ……………………. 52
3. Northern Arizona (1) ……………………….. 50
4. Montana State …………………………………. 40
5. Weber State ……………………………………. 38
6. Portland State ………………………………….. 30
7. Sacramento State …………………………….. 27
8. Idaho State ………………………………………. 15
9. Northern Colorado ………………………….. 9

2008 MEDIA POLL
Team (First-place votes) ………………………….. Points
1. Montana (23) …………………………………… 361
2. Eastern Washington (19) …………………. 350
3. Montana State …………………………………. 254
4. Northern Arizona (1) ……………………….. 248
5. Weber State ……………………………………. 229
6. Portland State ………………………………….. 194
7. Idaho State ………………………………………. 124
8. Sacramento State …………………………….. 113
9. Northern Colorado ………………………….. 65

Hey everyone! I’m the Idaho State Superfan, Ross! Pleased to meet ya’ll! I’m going to give recaps of Idaho State games; virtually every sport will be recapped (cause I go to all of the home games)! And if I can, I will also be on the road (very rarely, though)!

GO BENGALS!

The Rocky Mountain News did a nice summer update on the local DI schools.  UNC coach Scott Downing says about 75% of the team stayed together in Greeley to work out.  That’s more then any other year. 

The Bears are welcoming University of Florida QB Bryan Waggener.  Waggener never played for the Gators, but was one of the highest ranked JC qb’s in the nation. 

Here’s the link: http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/jun/30/winning-attitudes-fuel-for-offseason/

Just as I did for the QBs, here is a ranked list of the best running backs in the Sky.  Gone are Lex Hilliard (UM) and Josh Barnett (ISU), two of the better running backs the Sky has had for a few years.

1.  Trevyn Smith, Weber State - All Smith has done is rush for 2443 yards and 15 TDs in his first two years at Weber.  Oh, and did I mention his is going to be a junior this fall?  Two more years of the reigning Big Sky rushing yardage leader.  Now that Weber might actually have a passing game to compliment Smith, the Wildcat’s offense could be a nightmare for teams to defend next year.  Smith is shifty, has good speed, and rarely goes down on the first hit.  The classic “no one wanted him out of high school, turned into a star” story.

2.  Alex Henderson, Northern Arizona - After a breakout freshman season in 2006, Henderson slipped a bit in his sophomore campaign, falling shy of the 1,000 yard mark.  This is due to sharing time with Lionel Scott, who combined with Henderson, make the Lumberjack backfield one of the best in the league, if not the best.  They combined for over 1,500 yards last year.  I still believe Henderson is the better of the two backs, and looks poised to regain that 1,000 yard rushing mark in 2008.

3.  Demetrius Crawford, Montana State - The Cats have had a string of good newcomers in the backfield in the last few years, but none of them count sustain their success the following season (Evin Groves, 2005, Aaron Mason 2006), due mainly to injuries.  Can Demetrius become the Cats first 1,000 yard rusher since Ryan Johnson in 2002?  At 5′9 185, he is a small back, but might fit in perfectly with the spread offense Coach Ash will be instilling next fall.

4.  Dale Morris, Eastern Washington - Had a great second half of the season, rushing for 513 yards and 8 TDs in the final six games, and rushed for 130 yard and 4 scores in the first round game against McNeese State.  Of course when you have one of the most potent passing attacks in the county, it tends to open the running game up a little bit.  He is a hard-nosed runner, and is hard to tackle at 5′9 205.

5.  Bryan Hilliard, Sacramento State - Just when you think its safe, another Hilliard enters the backfield in the Sky.  This time, however, he is a Hornet.  Hilliard had a solid freshman campaign, rushing for 826 yards and 7 TDs, and had over 30 carries in each of the last two games of the season, where he rushed for 168 yard and 243 in the season finale against ISU.  I’ve yet to see him really play (he only had 2 carries against MSU), so he may be deserving of a higher ranking.  Coach Sperbeck has this team heading in the right direction.

6.  Thomas Brooks-Fletcher, Montana - TBF as he is known, has had an up and down career at UM so far.  He has had some injuries, and played behind All-American Lex Hilliard for a year.  He had a career high 479 yards in 2006, with 2 scores.  He is a solid runner, with a good combination of speed and power.  With the Griz having one of the biggest OL in the Sky this coming season, he could have a breakout year in his junior campaign.  But he has some big shoes to fill.

7.  David Woods, Northern Colorado - Not really a home-run threat (long of 20), but a solid back who can get the yards needed.  Had 715 yards and 5 touchdowns.  Of course the only game he did not play in, was at Montana State, and ironically it was the only game the Bears won.

8.  Ken Cornist, Idaho State - He may deserve to be higher on the list, but has never returned to his freshman form (783 yards and 14 TDs) , due mainly to being behind Josh Barnett.  I’m not exactly sure what the Bengals are doing at RB next season, as they have a LOT of running backs on the roster.  Cornist is a talented runner, and we will see if he can have a good senior season.

9.  ??, Portland State - The leading rusher from last year was a fullback who had just over 500 yards, and he graduated.  I honestly have no idea who the running back is for the pass happy Vikings, as their athletic site is horrid and I can’t even find a roster on it.  Their second leading rusher was a converted LB who had to play due to injuries.  Vikings fans… help?

I will admit I haven’t been keeping up with transfers as much as I have in the past, so I may have missed some high-profile guys who are coming in and are slated to start at their respective school.

Hi fellow Hornet fans. My name Termite and I am going to try and put forth to you my experiences as the. parent of a member of your Sac State Hornets. Whether you are in the same boat as me, having a son on the team or just a fan I hope you find my blog enjoyable. I have never blogged before so bear with me.

My son red shirted last year. This was kind of a strange year for us. Since he was a Mighty Might in Pop Warner to his final year in high school we have watched him kick ass and take names on the football field every fall. But this year he is living away from home starting a new life and watching the games in the stands with us. I felt it was kind of like taking a dog to the field but not letting him hunt. Though in reality, it probably affected him less than it did us. He knew there was a lot to learn.

Now I know that all the kids that play at this level were at the top of the heap in their respective schools. College is different. My son would tell me about his exploits while playing on the scout team and I felt he was going to do just fine. But, then spring ball finally rolls around and the long wait is over. You go out to the scrimmages with your wife and maybe a grandparent or two. And you have questions that you haven’t had since his first year in Pop Warner. Can he play at the same level you are used to seeing? Will he get playing time? How has he adapted to a new school, team and position? As in the past when the teams take the field and the ball is finally snapped all of our hopes are fulfilled. He is out there doing what he does best. And at a high level I might add. Whenever he would come to me with doubts about moving to a new position or something going on in practice or school I would always tell him “just do what you do and you will be ok”. After watching the spring game I know everything is going to be all right. Bring on Humboldt State.

The Las Cruces Sun reports that New Mexico State’s FBS status may be put on hold if their attendance continues to fall, Karl Benson says that if they were to fail to meet the requirements they would be reinstated if they could prove to meet up to the FBS standard. “They would be out of 1A, that is correct,” Benson said. “It would not affect any of the other sports at New Mexico State. They would remain at the 1A level.”  The program’s status in WAC would be up in the air. “Their standing in the conference would be subject to review,” Benson said.

A few other WAC schools face similar scenarios as New Mexico State. Utah state and Idaho are alspo below the standard. All three programs entered the conference three years ago. NCAA requirements mandate that all Division 1A football programs average 15,000 fans in paid attendance for a rolling two-year period.

If at the end of the 2 years one of these 3 schools fails to meet the standard, the WAC would be forced to get rid of that team until they can show they can manage FBS football. This could open an opportunity for a BSC team that can meet the requirement. Mainly Montana, who currently averages enough to play in the WAC. This is a topic all BSC should watch for the next 2 years, someones name could be called….

Las Cruces Sun Article

MSU Stadium Expansion Plan <– Click to see the video

Included are six phases:

A. It should first be mentioned that MSU is installing FieldTurf as we speak.
1. 38 new skysuites over the student side bleachers.
2. Replace the south endzone bleachers with a bowl, in total adding about 600 seats (getting rid of those rickity bleachers we currently have).
3. Upper bowl of south endzone (adding 3,730 seats).
4. Rebuild east (student) grandstand, adding 3800 seats and removing 6000.
5. Lower bowl of north endzone, adding 2,630 seats.
6. Upper bowl of north endzone, adding 3,730 seats.

New capacity will be approximately 22,00, and is schedule to be completed over the course of about 10 years.

A pair of Montana players were drafted this weekend, along with an OT from Ogden.

4 34 133 Baltimore David Hale OT Weber State
5 19 154 Atlanta Kroy Biermann OLB Montana
6 38 204 Miami Lex Hilliard RB Montana

A few Sky players have also signed some free agent contracts:

C Brennen Carvalho, Portland State signs with Packers
DT Casey Tyler, Portland State signs with Patriots
K Dan Carpenter, Montana signs with Dolphins

EDIT TO ADD:
LB Jorden Senn, Portland State signs with Colts
FB Olaniyi Sobomehin, Portland State signs with Saints
RT Daren Heerspink, Portland State signs with Dolphins

Happy to be blogging here, many of you probably know me as RE/MAXGriz over on egriz, I was asked to add some of my long winded insight into the blog features here.  Earlier this week in a discussion about the next season I thought I’d take a look at how the conference has booked their out of conference schedule (OOC).  It’s interesting what’s been set up, and for the amount of teams that are really striving to reach the playoffs, I was pretty surprised at how difficult they set up their schedules.  So lets take a look at what each team has set up before conference play starts:

Eastern Washington - Two FBS schools in Texas Tech and Colorado, in back-to-back games, ouch.  I know that the gap between top FCS teams and many FBS teams has closed, I see both of these games as very tough ones to win for EWU.  They’ve also got a home against Western Washington and two open dates (which I’ll bet one gets filled).  I’d expect possibly a Great West team or maybe another D2 school if they don’t want to travel.  If they look to a mid-west or east coast FCS team I’d expect they’d have to travel out there.  3 road games and 1 home game OOC could be rough, however it could also really toughen them up for the conference.

Weber State - They’ve also got 2 FBS teams, Hawai’i and Utah, probably both losses, those are both very good football teams.  The two home games they have booked are lower division schools, Dixie St and Montana-Western.  So chances are they’ll be 2-2 when done with the OOC, however they’ll not have a single win to help their status with the playoff committee, they’ll have to win at least 7 conference games to be even considered, if they even go 6-2 in conference play they’ll just have 6 Division 1 wins.  So Weber must be banking on winning the conference auto-bid this year.

Idaho State - ISU has Boise and Idaho booked in their OOC, as well as North Dakota.  Boise will most likely win, Idaho… who knows, I’d think the Vandals would have the edge there.  North Dakota went 10-2 last year and beat Southern Utah (although SUU didn’t win a game).  I think this game will be tough for ISU, they’re rebuilding and they’re having budget issues, so they probably won’t book an FCS road game as well.  They could limp out of the OOC with either a 1-2 or 0-3 record.

Portland State - They’ve got an OOC that tilts to their favor, games against Cal Davis and W. Oregon.  I don’t know much about Davis, so I can’t say how competitive they’ll be.  PSU should have their system in place and I think they’ll win both of those games.  Also they travel to Washington State, Wulff, WSU’s coach will be familiar with them, but he’s rebuilding a Cougar team that could have trouble stopping the spread offense.  Could be interesting to see what happens.

Montana - The Grizzlies have a bear of an opening game, testing a defense with 8 new starters against Cal Poly’s amazing and experienced offense.  The Wofford game stung Montana, and Cal Poly could do the same.  After that Montana returns to home to host Southern Utah, Central Washington and Cal Davis.  Most likely they’ll finish the OOC 3-1.

Montana State - Another team with 2 FBS and 2 lower division schools.  The Cats play Minnesota and Kansas State back-to-back, they also host Adams State and South Dakota.  MSU could be in a similar bind as Weber State, coming out of their OOC 2-2 and relying on winning the conference to make the playoffs.  I think they might have a chance to knock off Minnesota, they beat Colorado a few years back, so who knows!

Sacramento State - CSUS has an interesting OOC, they host two lower-division schools, Humbolt State and Southern Oregon.  They also travel to Davis and to Colorado State.  Since half of the conference is playing Davis, maybe I should check up on these guys!  Sac could be 3-1 OOC when it’s all said and done, they don’t play Davis until late, as they usually do. 

Northern Colorado - They’ve got 3 games booked so far, they travel to Purdue and travel to (guess who?) UC Davis.  They also host Texas State.  Didn’t they beat Texas State last year, or the year before that?  UNC is still building, and they’re on the rise, they could come out of this 1-2 but most likely I’ll say 0-3. 

Northern Arizona - NAU plays Arizona State, New Mexico Highlands (who?), and Southern Utah.  Pretty straight forwards, ASU will most likely beat NAU, but the other two games should be wins for the Lumberjacks.  2-1 OOC is decent. 

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Quick, “Who is UC Davis?” note - Just looked it up, Davis went 5-6 last year, their most notable wins were against Portland State and beating San Diego late in the season.  They didn’t do much else.  A quick manual count has them losing 12 seniors to graduation from the 2007 season, which included some skill players.  They’re a younger team, probably still finding their way.

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It amazes me how some teams almost schedule themselves right out of the playoffs, I know it’s usually because of money issues, but there’s a lot of cases where teams would have made the playoffs if they wouldn’t have booked 2 or 3 FBS teams, or didn’t book 2 or 3 Division 2 (or lower) schools.  It will be interesting to see how this all shakes out, it’s just a bummer we’ve got to wait so long until football season actually starts.