Griz Land Exiled OK Guard

J.D. Quinn, one of the players that was suspended by the Oklahoma Sooners for being paid by a local car dealership without actually working there, has informed sources that he will attend the University of Montana. Quinn is a very talented guard who started for OU before his dismissal.
His colleague in this "scandal" is Rhett Bomar, the talented starting QB for the Sooners who earned MVP honors in his bowl game last year. Bomas has landed with Sam Houston State University, another I-AA school.

Here is the quote from the article, in New York Times: " Both players were declared ineligible by Oklahoma. J.D. Quinn will attend Montana."

I believe these two signings reflect poorly on I-AA, and did nothing to help the stereotype that we are the fallout league for players who got in trouble for various reasons at their I-A institutions. Normally the transfers with baggage aren't in the national spotlight with as much press as these two players were and are.

Wildcats Have Playoff Aspirations

Brief little snippit on the upcoming Wildcats season. One thing I found interesting was the lack of experience returning the secondary, with all four starters from a year ago lost to graduation. While I do disagree that Weber has a strong offensive line (you lost the McQuistan brothers, remember?), they have a lot of talent in the backfield, even with the loss of Zach Hall, to have a potent offense.

Also, here is a cool article about head coach Ron McBride:
HERE

Both Sides Play Well In Final Scrim

The passing game threw four TDs in the final scrimmage for the Griz, on just 9-11 passing and 4 TDs. In fact only one ball actually hit the ground, the other incompletion was an INT thrown by true freshman Andrew Selle. The rushing game was much more ineffective, however, rushing for just 42 yards on 26 tries, but was also hurt by about 21 sack yards.

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING (26-42): Brady Green 5-19, Chase Reynolds 4-14, Greg Coleman 3-11, Reggie Bradshaw 2-9, Thomas Brooks-Fletcher 5-9, Andrew Selle 1-5, Andrew Schmidt 1-minus 4, Josh Swogger 2-minus 5, Cole Bergqquist 3-minus 16.

PASSING (9-11-1 for 169 yards): Swogger 3-3-0 for 33 yards, 1 TD; Selle 3-4-1 for 93 yards, 2 TDs; Clint Stapp 2-2-0 for 36 yards, 1 TD; Bergquist 1-2-0 for 7 yards.

RECEIVING: Eric Allen 3-33, Craig Chambers 2-49, Dan Beaudin 1-65, Steven Pfahler 1-10, Marc Mariani 1-7, Bryan Riggs 1-5.

Big Sky Preview - The Oregonian

Norm Maves Jr. over at The Oregonian did a little preview of the Big Sky for it's readers. Unfortunately he misses on a few crucial parts here and there. So being the nice guy that I am, I thought I would correct a few things for him.

MONTANA STATE 2005: 7-4 Returning starters: 5 offense, 7 defense, 1 kicker The story: Quarterback Travis Lulay no longer is around to bail out the Bobcats. Montana State can't replace him and won't try, but somebody -- Lincoln High School's Colin Beeson? -- has to step in and run the offense right away. If the defense buys time for the offense to readjust, Montana State will be back in the race. As usual.

- Colin Beeson transfered to Central Washington. So I have my doubts he will replace Lulay.

IDAHO STATE 2005: 5-6 Returning starters: 9 offense, 6 defense, 1 kicker The story: The Bengals have two 700-yard rushers -- Ken Cornist and Josh Barnett -- and nine returning offensive starters, but need a quarterback to ignite it all. If they do, the Bengals could make life tough for somebody in their indoor Holt Arena.

- I agree they need a quarterback, but it seems to me that Matt Gutierrez has been pretty darn impressive in fall camp/scrimmages. Maybe impressive enough to warrant a mention?

WEBER STATE 2005: 6-5 Returning starters: 8 offense, 4 defense The story: New coach Ron McBride turned the struggling Wildcats completely around last year, but must rebuild a defense with seven new starters this season to keep it going. Offensive weapons abound: quarterback Ian Pizarro, who threw for 2,357 yards last year, and running back Zach Hall, who ran for 848 yards, are back.

- Zach Hall is and was a force last year, but unfortunately he suffered the same fate as Lex Hilliard and is done for the year. Adrian Conway will be the #1 guy.

Overall a pretty good summation. Nothing glaring, just a few minor oversights. I'm glad to see the Big Sky get any press at all in big cities.

Backups Get Most Of The Reps In Scrimmage

The defense held the offense to 196 yards of total offense as the Eagles concluded their second scrimmage of the fall on Wednesday, which lasted 42 plays. Nothing much to report here, but slated #2 back Dale Morris suffered a foot injury which will sideline him for a month.

Touchdowns:
A.J. Jimmerson 1 run (Sheldon Weddle kick)

Rushing: Dezmon Cole 8-62, A.J. Jimerson 7-19, Toke Kefu 1-4, J.C. Sherritt 1-minus-2, Chris Peerboom 3-minus-5, Matt Nichols 1-minus-5, Alex Smart 4-minus-8, Total 26-65 (includes seven sacks for minus 36 yards).

Passing: Matt Nichols 1-2-0-64, Chris Peerboom 7-12-1-64, Alex Smart 1-2-0-3, Totals 9-16-1-131.

Receiving: A.J. Jimerson 3-24, Brynsen Brown 1-6, Shane Eller 2-74, Nicholas Ramos 2-18, Nathan Overbay 1-9, Total 9-131.

Interceptions: Lonnie Hosley.

Leading Tacklers: Brett Igbinoba 7, Shea Emry 6, Brady Smith 6, Marcus Walker 6, Brandon Keeler 6, DeNique Ford 5, Makai Borden 5.

Sacks: E.J. Whitley 5, Aaron Cartwright 4, Lorenzo Lomack 4, Tyler Jolley 4.

Got sack?

Bobcats Add Two Late Transfers

With the hamstring injury to backup running back Isaiah Taito, and everyone below him on the depth chart just a true freshman, Mike Kramer decided to fortify the position today with the addition of UTEP (University of Texas-El Paso) backup Jon Lane. Lane rushed for just 27 yards on 11 carries for a score last year and a couple receptions, but figured to be either the #2 back, but more likely the #3 back. Originally a walk-on at UTEP, he will receive a full-ride to play for the Bobcats. Lane is a sophmore. The link is HERE.

Also landing with the Bobcats is Tyrone Henderson, a talented safety from Colorado. Henderson was the third leading tackler for the Buffs last year, despite missing their bowl game against whoever (who watches bowl games, right?). He was an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection. His experience at the I-A level will most likely land him a starting spot opposite returning starter Ryan Force. Henderson will be a junior, and was dismissed from the Buffs from "violating unspecific team rules." LINK.

Two Big Sky Standouts Land On Buchanon Watch List

Montana defensive end Mike Murphy and Idaho State linebacker Pago Togafu have both landed on the watch list for the Buchanon Award, I-AA's award for the top defensive player in the country.

Murphy, a senior, comes into the season sixth all-time on Montana's career sack and tackles for loss lists, with 31.5 and 20. Was hampered a bit with a thumb injury last year, but was still able to snag a second team all-conference spot.

Togafu was a first team linebacker last year, leading the team with 103 tackles, second in the conference, and also had an INT, a forced fumble, and three pass breakups. Togafu is also a senior.

There couldn't be two more deserving candidates in a traditionally offensive-oriented Big Sky.

Scrimmage Reports

Idaho State (second scrimmage)
Highlights: Gutierrez has thrown 296 yards on 21-30 passing in two scrimmages, with 5 TDs and only one INT.

Sacramento State (second scrimmage)
Highlights: 5 QBs are fighting for the starting spot. Marcel Marquez was just 1-4 for 13 yards, and no other QB impressed. Marquez does have the best escability, however.

Weber State (second scrimmage)
Highlights: Redshirt freshman Trevyn Smith filled in nicely for the injured Zach Hall, rushing for 115 yards on 12 carries and two TDs. Adrian Conway still looks to be the starter, however.

Portland State
Highlights: Sawyer Smith was 7-10 with 82 yard and a TD.

Montana State
Highlights: Defense had 7 sacks, 3 INTs, 6 tackles for loss, and 5 pass breakups.

Montana
Highlights: Josh Swogger and last years starting QB Cole Berquist combined for 8-22 for 87 yards, and running backs Brady Green and Thomas Brooks-Fletcher combined for 28 yards on 12 rushes.

QB Battle Over - Carpenter Gets Nod

Cory Carpenter has been named the starter for MSU. Carpenter had been in competition with Jack Rolovich since spring, and earned the starting spot on Monday. Here are a few nuggets from Carpenter:

"Sitting behind Travis was hard," he said. "I didn't get any playing time, and that's hard, but there's only one quarterback on the field at one time, and we all know that. That's how it is. I'm ready."

"It takes a little pressure off," he said.

This doesn't mean the competition is over, however. If Carpenter fails to get it going by the time conference rolls around (my guess), don't be surprised to see Rolovich tossed in to ignite the flame. I believe either quarterback is going to be a capable replacement for Travis Lulay, and what should be a talented group of wideouts will not hurt either.

Achilles Bites Again

Zach Hall, who took a majority of the carries last year, tore his achilles earlier this week and will miss the entire 2006 season. Hall, a senior, will petition for another year of eligibility. Hall was slated to be the #2 back this year, behind junior Adrian Conway. A host of RBs look to take Halls place, including Southern Utah transfer Marky Filipe and freshman Trevyn Smith, who ran very well in the most recent Wildcat scrimmage.

Preview #3 - Northern Colorado

After a unnecessarily long hiatus, the continuation of the Big Sky Preview carries on with Northern Colorado:

Northern Colorado (Great West Conference)
'05 Record (4-7, 0-5)
'05 Rating - C-
Starters returning: 6 off, 8 def, 1 spec
Letterwinners returning/lost: ??/??

2005 Review:
The 2005 season marked an improvement in what has been a fairly rough (yet expected) transition for the Bears from DII ranks to those of D1. While an improvement, the Bears still finished just 4-7, and 0-5 in a pretty tough GWF Conference. It would also mark the final season for head coach Kay Dalton, who would be relieved of his duties at the end of the bleak season. The Bears would struggle mightily on the road, losing all 6 contests, but would be a very respectable 4-1 at home. Key weaknesses for this Bear squad would be run defense and scoring defense. While only giving up slightly over 200 yards per game in the air, they would give up nearly 180 yards per game on the ground, 4th in the Great West, and 27 TDs on the ground, worst in the league. The main factor in the Bears secondary success was the play of S Reed Doughty, who landed a contract with the Redskins this offseason. He would lead the team in tackles with 159, over 50 more than the next closet player. Senior quarterback Nick Hager had a decent season, throwing for 1665 yards, 17 TDs and 11 INTs to finish third in the league in passing yards, partly in play to two very talented WRs, Andy Birkel and Cory Sleeth. The ground game also shined, combing for over 1800 yards, 1034 of which belonged to Junior sensation Andre Wilson, despite only playing in 9 games. But the combined TD output of the passing and running games would equal the total number of TDs given up by the run defense alone, 27. Unfortunately for UNC, this is a fairly inopportune time to join the Big Sky as the Sky is transitioning from a bombs away league into a power running one.

Key Losses: S Reed Doughty, QB Nick Hager, OL Shaun Farner, OL Bradley Forbush, CB Greg Gebhardt, LB Jake Duren
Key Players Returning: RB Andre Wilson, WR Andy Birkel, LB Joe Kenney, DL Matt West, DB Matt Thomas, DB Sirwestly Williams, LB Sam Lewis, RB Patrick Ealey, C Matt Sens, OL Jake Gable
Transfers: DL Nasseer Ghafur (Compton CC), K David Dyches (Nebraksa), TE Brian Barmann (Missouri), WR Cory Fauver (Adams State), DB Will Granger (U. of South Dakota), LB Asa Matthews (Butler CC), DB J.V. Vails (Otero JC)

2006 Outlook:

Offense:
With a new coach and a new system, the offensive might struggle early on. First year head coach Scott Downing brings his multiple-pro offense to Greeley. And to help the transition, the Bears return several talented players that could benefit from this transition. Andre Wilson returns for his senior season, and looks to build from his performance from a year ago, where he rushed for 1034 yards and 6 TDs. Last year he caught 13 balls for 69 yards, but look for that number to increase in a multiple-pro scheme. Oh, and did I mention those numbers were in just 9 games? This is a top-notch back who could possibly lead the Sky in rushing at the end of the year, especially with the tragic loss of Lex Hilliard for the season. If Wilson can get loose, expect that to open the passing game up, leading to another big season for senior to be Andy Birkel. Birkel hauled in 50 passes for 907 yards and 10 TDs last season, his first as a Bear after spending two seasons at Nebraska. He is a talent at wideout and should look to break the 50 yard reception barrier once again. The rest of the WR corp is fairly green. They return only 2 receivers who made catches from last year, a combined 20 receptions. Zac Carlson will have to step up his play from a year ago, where he played in 11 games but hauled in just 15 receptions, third best on the team. Also gone is Nick Hager, the leading passer from a year ago. T.J. Swanson saw the most action last year, playing in 5 games throwing for 538 yards and 4 scores along with 4 INTs. He will be challenged by Cody Stone who saw action in 3 games last year, redshirt freshman Brian Wiedeman, and junior Dominic Breazeale. A fairly green offensive line will have to step up and make room for Wilson and keep defenders off the new QB for the Bears to run a successful new scheme in their first year in the tough Big Sky Conference.

Grade - C+

Defense:
The Bears lost a big blow in losing their #1 and #2 tacklers from last year. Jake Duren left the team, he transferred to a IA school. You don't hear that very often. The #1 tackler, Reed Doughty, was picked up in the NFL draft, and was one of the best defensive players the school has ever seen. The Bears do return a solid group on defense, however, but will have to step up the fill the holes left by Duren and Doughty. Joe Kenney returns after being 3rd on the team in tackles, and will be filling in for Duren. Downing has been high on the sophmore in fall practice so far. Sam Lewis had a solid year in 2005, and is going to be called upon more this year. Perhaps the most talented portion of the Bears is the secondary. Replacing Doughty will be tough, but returning are starters Matt Thomas, Sirwestly Williams, Jason Hildenbrand and Aaron Henderson. Downing has applauded the play of Thomas, Henderson and Hildenbrand, and seems to think that Hildenbrand is a vocal leader in the secondary. The Bears LB and DB corps return a solid 7 INTs from last year, and can improve upon that number this year. The DL also returns plenty of veterans in Matt West, Vinny Pallone and Jacob Carlson, who all saw actions in every game last year, and combined for 3 sacks and 14 tackles for loss. Also impressive in scrimmage is redshirt freshman DE Jake Ducket, who has made a couple sacks in the fall practices. Overall this is a group with enough veteran players and potentially talented newcomers that could finish in the top half of the Sky in defense.

Grade - C+

Overall Grade - C

Final Thoughts:
The Bears are not used to seasons like last. This is a proud program with a winning tradition, and they are doing everything in their power to return to that glory. While I do not think they will find in this year, they did make a solid hiring in Scott Downing and he should take this team and turn them into contenders for league crowns in years to come. But a new coach, a new scheme in a new conference does not bode well for this Bears squad, who may never find a rhythm in 2006. I look for them to finish in the bottom half, if not the very bottom. If they can come together and learn the scheme quicker than expected, they could finish middle of the pack, which would be a great accomplishment from a team that didn't win a conference game a year ago.

EWU Concludes First Scrimmage

The quarters tossed three touchdowns and threw for 303 yards as the Eagles concluded their first week of practice with a scrimmage. Starter Chris Peerboom was 5-12 for 41 yards, but was overshadowed by backup Chris Nichols, who threw for 209 yards on 12 of 19 passing with 2 scores. The biggest problem according to coach Wulff was inconsistency in the passing game, due to a lack of timing between the QBs and the WRs. His remedy? More practice.

"For a first scrimmage I think it was pretty good," he added. "The blocking was fairly solid and I thought the tackling was pretty darn solid. Again it is not where we need to be but I do think it is something we can definitely build from. And if we can build from this, I am going to be pretty happy when we get going."

Hilliard Done For Season

Sad news from Grizland - Lex Hilliard, the preseas All-American and Payton hopeful tore his achilles tendon Wednesday, according to www.montanagrizzlies.com. It is always a shame to see a great kid suffer a terrible injury like this, especially right before his much hyped senior season. But on the bright side, he will be able to redshirt and return in 2007. Backing up Hilliard is a trio of talented running backs: Louisville transfer Reggie Bradshaw, Iowa State transfer Greg Coleman and Brady Green, a senior who has saw limited playing time throughout his career at UM.

Best of luck Lex, get well soon!

Practice Report / Players Leave Squad

I'm trying to play catch up here with the news, so I have to throw a couple stories into one headline.

Above is a link to an article that talks about the departure of two veteran Bobcats, CB Eddie Smith and FB Elliot Grant. Smith graduated last spring, and had a job offer he could not pass up. The often injured Smith was never fully healthy at MSU. Grant also retired due to injuries, planning ahead for his future after football. Bobcat to be Bubba Pugh will not be joining the team for academic reasons as well.

DATES TO REMEMBER
August 7 -- Players report
August 8 -- Testing
August 9 -- First practice
August 17 -- Bobcat Media Day (11:30 am, Bobcat Stadium)
August 26 -- Family Fun Day (12 noon, Bobcat Stadium)
August 28 -- Classes begin, practice at 3:30 pm
Sept. 2 -- MSU at Colorado, 1:30 pm

Sac State Media Guide / Practice Schedule

A few days late, I know, but above is a link to the media guide for the Hornets, while below is the dates of practice.

Mon., Aug. 7: 3:20-5:35 p.m. (half pads)
Tue, Aug., 8: 3:20-5:35 p.m. (half pads)
Wed., Aug. 9: 3:45-6:00 p.m. (full pads)
Thur., Aug. 10: 9:45 a.m.-12:00 p.m. (full pads)
8:00-9:45 p.m. (half pads)
Fri., Aug. 11: 9:45 a.m.-12:00 p.m. (full pads)
Sat., Aug, 12: SCRIMMAGE - 10 a.m.
Sun., Aug. 13: Off
Mon., Aug, 14: 9:45 a.m.-12:00 p.m. (full pads)
Tue., Aug. 15: 9:45 a.m.-12:00 p.m. (full pads)
8:00-9:45 p.m. (half pads)
Wed., Aug. 16: 9:45 a.m.-12:00 p.m. (full pads)
Thur., Aug. 17: 9:45 a.m.-12:00 p.m. (full pads)
8:00-9:45 p.m. (half pads)
Fri., Aug. 18: 9:45 a.m.-12:00 p.m. (full pads)
Sat., Aug. 19: SCRIMMAGE - 10 a.m.
Sun., Aug. 20: Off
Mon., Aug. 21: 9:45 a.m.-12:00 p.m. (full pads)
Tue., Aug. 22: 9:45 a.m.-12:00 p.m. (full pads)
8:00-9:45 p.m. (half pads)
Wed., Aug. 23: 9:45 a.m.-12:00 p.m. (full pads)
Thur., Aug. 24: 9:15-10:30 a.m. (shorts)
SCRIMMAGE - 6 p.m.

Eags Start Practice

The article talks about Harrison Nikolao, a senior DL who has transitioned over to the OL for his final season.

Here is the practice schedule for EWU:

Thursday, Aug. 10 - Practice 9-11 a.m.
Friday, Aug. 11 - Practice 9-11 a.m.
Saturday, Aug 12 - Practice 7:30-9:30 a.m.
Sunday, Aug. 13 - Practice 9-11 a.m. and 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 14 - Practice 9-11 a.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 15 - Practice 9-11 a.m. and 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 16 - Practice 9-11 a.m.
Thursday, Aug 17 - Practice 9-11 a.m.; Scrimmage 2:30 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 18 - Off
Saturday, Aug. 19 - Practice 9-11 a.m. and 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 20 - Practice 9-11 a.m.
Monday, Aug. 21 - Practice 9-11 a.m. and 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 22 - Practice 9-11 a.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 23 - Scrimmage 9 a.m.
Thursday, Aug 24 - Off
Friday, Aug. 25 - Practice 5-7 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 26 - Practice 3-5 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 27 - Practice 3-5 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 28 - Practice 3-5 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 29 - Practice 3-5 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 30 - Depart for Corvallis, Ore.
Thursday, Aug 31 - EWU versus Oregon State, 7 p.m. Pacific time
(Televised Live on Fox Sports Net)

Vikings

http://www.oregonlive.com/...
Article concerning the changes for PSU, and about the upcoming season in general. Good read if you aren't educated in the ways of the Vikings like I am.

So Long I-AA

Hello "NCAA Football Championship Subdivision". Pretty catchy, ain't it? Here is a blurb from the article:

In another action regarding the two football subdivisions in Division I, the Board approved new labels. The presidents approved a change in terminology to “Football Bowl Subdivision” for the former I-A classification and “NCAA Football Championship Subdivision” for the former I-AA group. The Collegiate Commissioners Association helped develop the new labels. ...

So, they are now the BS and we are the CS. Sounds about right to me. I don't know if this will help us CS schools shake the inferiority label we have been tagged with over the years, but I certainly believe it will not hurt. Overall, I wish they would've picked a better name, but the new name for I-A isn't much easier on the tongue either.