T

he Hammer and the Anvil.

Captain Kirk and Texas Ranger.
The Bruise Brothers.
The blogosphere and Bobcat faithful have
been searching for an appropri-
ate nickname for the burly
Montana State running
back duo of Cody Kirk
and Tray Robinson for
quite some time. The
suggestions are abun-
dant, just like the yards
the two bruising tailbacks
are racking up this season.
And the nicknames, like
the yards, all sum up the
punishment the MSU tail-
backs dole out.
Through seven games,
Kirk and Robinson have
combined to rush for
1,053 yards on 194 carries
(5.4 yards per carry) and
10 touchdowns, each total the
most of any pair of running backs
in the Big Sky Conference. Not only
have Kirk and Robinson piled up the yards
this season, theyve also done an exemplary
job holding onto the football and helping
MSU close out games.
Take last week for example. After build-
ing a 28-10 halftime lead against Northern
Arizona, the Bobcats went to the ground.
Kirk, a sophomore, and Robinson, a junior,
bulldozed their way to a combined 192
second-half rushing yards. MSU pos-
sessed the ball for more than 22 second-
half minutes in defeating the Lumber-
jacks 41-24.
They run hard, they run in a power-
ful way and because of that, when we get
to the fourth quarter, having two power-
ful backs has allowed us to wear people
down, said MSU head coach Rob Ash,
whose team is second in the Big Sky with
213 rushing yards per game.
The main focus, the focal point of getting
those guys going is wearing out the defense,
added second-year running backs coach Kerry
Dixon. We knew we could thunder and thunder,
as we call it with those guys. We are Montana
State, we are gritty and we are going to hit you in the
mouth all game long. Thats the philosophy we have
with those two guys.
More bruise I g5
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saturday, OCt. 22
at nO. COlOradO
Game
Day
Full PaPer
InsIDe
InsIDe
HOme FInale
Hawks look to
make it two in a row
against Hellgate
on Senior Night
spOrts
secOnD HalF
Big Sky Conference
teams begin
stretch run I G5
sTIll
sTruGGlInG
Northern Colorado has
had trouble competing
at Div. I level I G2
nO. 4 mOnTana sTaTe aT nOrTHern cOlOraDO, nOTTInGHam FIelD, 1:35 P.m.
THe KIDs are
all WrIGHT
MSUs ofensive
coordinator says,
respect the ball
G2
nOT clOse
Colter Nuanez
says Bobcats win this
one easily I G6
tHE BruIsE BrOs.
Kirk and Robinson make a living beating down opposing defenses
Printed on recycled PaPer
stOry By COltEr nuanEZ I CHroNI Cle SportS WrI ter
G6 | Saturday, October 22, 2011 bozeman dai ly chroni cle
Depth charts
Montana State
Offense
LEFT TACKLE
68 Conrad Burbank 6-4/297 Sr
79 Quinn Catalano 6-5/276 Fr
LEFT GUARD
57 Casey Dennehy 6-1/280 Sr
62 Ben Tauanuu 6-4/300 Jr
CENTER
56 Shaun Sampson 6-0/277 Jr
61 Alex Terrien 6-4/283 Sr
RIGHT GUARD
72 Stephen Memory 6-4/295 Jr
75 Andrew Verlanic 6-4/279 Jr
RIGHT TACKLE
61 Alex Terrien 6-4/283 Sr
50 Leo Davis 6-4/300 Sr
QUARTERBACK
9 DeNarius McGhee 6-0/213 So
5 Grayson Galloway 6-4/207 Jr
RUNNING BACK
25 Cody Kirk 5-10/214 So
7 Tray Robinson 6-1/221 Jr
X RECEIVER
1 Elvis Akpla 6-1/190 Sr
4 John Ellis 5-10/180 So
Z RECEIVER
86 Tanner Bleskin 6-3/215 So
84 Brian Flotkoetter 6-2/205 Fr
W RECEIVER
14 Everett Gilbert 5-9/195 Jr
10 Kruiz Siewing 5-11/189 Jr
TIGHT END
89 Steven Foster 6-5/260 Jr
88 Shane Robison 6-5/260 Sr
KICKER
15 Jason Cunningham 6-1/180 Sr
Defense
END
11 John Laidet 6-5/255 Sr
41 Brad Daly 6-1/232 So
TACKLE
96 Zach Minter 6-1/285 Jr
99 Brian Bignell 6-2/255 Jr
NOSE TACKLE
98 Christian Kelii 6-0/305 Jr
97 Zach Logan 6-4/295 Fr
BANDIT
49 Caleb Schreibeis 6-3/253 Jr
48 Connor Verlanic 6-4/231 Fr
SAM LINEBACKER
2 Naa Moeakiola 5-11/220 Sr
44 Aleksei Grosulak 5-10/215 So
MIKE LINEBACKER
42 Clay Bignell 6-2/240 Sr
51 Michael Foster 6-1/232 Fr
WILL LINEBACKER
23 Jody Owens 6-1/221 Jr
43 Alex Singleton 6-2/210 Fr
BOUNDARY CORNER
13 Darius Jones 5-10/179 Jr
8 Zach Coleman 5-10/172 Jr
ROVER
5 Joel Fuller 6-0/200 Jr
31 Robert Marshall 6-0/202 Fr
FREE SAFETY
28 Steven Bethley 5-11/210 So
6 Heath Howard 5-10/190 Jr
FIELD CORNER
17 Sean Gords 5-10/188 So
37 Deonte Flowers 5-11/168 Fr
PUNTER
18 Rory Perez 6-3/179 So
No. Colorado
Defense
LEFT END
97 Nick Hernon 6-1/213 Sr
99 Marcus Lucas 6-3/235 Jr
NOSE GUARD
63 Marcus Felker 6-0/368 Sr
94 Lexingston Smith 6-2/294 Fr
RIGHT TACKLE
95 VJ Holmes 6-3/260 Sr
44 Dylan Kildahl 6-4/259 Jr
RIGHT END
91 Devontae Chapple 6-5/259 Fr
48 Ryan Holmes 6-1/227 So
SAM LINEBACKER
43 Taylor Young 6-2/195 Fr
47 Clay Haverty 6-1/198 So
MIKE LINEBACKER
56 Clarence Bumpas 6-2/244 So
49 Gavin Miller 6-2/227 So
WILL LINEBACKER
51 Cameron Friend 5-11/223 Jr
27 Robert Davis 6-1/205 Fr
CORNERBACK
9 Brandon Owens 6-0/179 Sr
11 Courtney Hall 5-7/162 Fr
FREE SAFETY
26 Elliott Dorsey 5-11/202 Sr
30 Jordan Bible 5-8/191 Jr
STRONG SAFETY
6 Chuks Nweke 6-1/203 Sr
42 Kyle Griffin 6-2/198 Fr
CORNERBACK
32 Marcel Gibbons 5-11/193 Jr
23 Colby Riggins 5-10/183 Jr
PUNTER
37 Cameron Kaman 5-10/163 Sr
Offense
LEFT TACKLE
77 Nick Candler 6-5/286 Jr
72 Rick Aversano 6-2/272 Jr
LEFT GUARD
57 Jake Solomon 6-4/332 Jr
67 Amal Gumbs 6-3/301 Sr
CENTER
65 Alex Shapiro 6-2/289 Sr
64 Zak Thrall 6-3/286 So
RIGHT GUARD
72 Rick Aversano 6-2/272 Jr
50 Cody Gilmore 6-2/294 Jr
RIGHT TACKLE
76 Lee Barbiasz 6-7/306 Sr
69 Jake Schalamon 6-3/246 Jr
QUARTERBACK
9 Seth Lobato 6-5/221 So
5 Dylan Orms 6-1/198 Sr
RUNNING BACK
33 Quentin Hildreth 5-7/200 So
31 John Burnley 6-0/208 Jr
RECEIVER
18 Chris Morris 6-2/194 Jr
3 Dimitri Stimphil 5-8/170 Fr
RECEIVER
1 Patrick Walker 5-181 Sr
2 Marcell Peoples 5-7/169 Fr
RECEIVER
16 Dominic Gunn 5-11/175 Jr
3 Dimitri Stimphil 5-8/170 Fr
TIGHT END
84 Doug Steele 6-3/255 Jr
88 Cameron Stewart 6-4/239 So
KICKER
38 Dave Eden 5-11/178 So
THE EDGE
Montana state at northern coloraDo
Rushing: The punishing running
back combo of Cody Kirk and Tray
Robinson seems to get better by the
week. Never mind that the Montana
State ofensive line was short-handed
the last two weeks. Junior Steven
Memory transitioned seamlessly into
the lineup in place of senior Leo Davis,
opening gaping hole after gaping hole as
MSU rolled up a season-high 297 rushing yards
against Northern Arizona.
The Lumberjacks entered last weeks game
with the Big Sky Conferences top rushing
defense. They left Bozeman the victim of 192
second-half rushing yards, including 96 yards
and a touchdown each by Kirk and Robinson
after the intermission. This week, look for
Montana State to jolt out to an early lead
again, then play keep away. Last week against
the Jacks, MSU held the ball for 22 of 30
second-half minutes. Against a Bears defense
that gives up 160 yards per game on the
ground, the rushing and time of possession
totals could slant even heavier in MSUs favor
today.
If MSU does have a big lead after halftime,
look for senior C.J. Palmer and true freshman
Shawn Johnson to get their frst signifcant
carries since MSU played Minot State in Week
3.
Today, the Bobcats will approach and most
likely surpass 300 yards rushing as a
team.
Passing: Sophomore quarterback
DeNarius McGhee has found
his stride. Over the past three
games wins over Sacramento
State, Portland State and NAU
McGhee has completed 70 percent
of his passes for 746 yards, nine
touchdowns and just one interception.
Eight of McGhees nine touchdown passes
in the last three weeks have come before
halftime. MSU is efectively employing its
desired strategy in its 4-0 Big Sky Conference
start: jump ahead early, then munch up the
second-half clock.
MSUs run game is so potent, opponents
must respect it. As the season progresses,
teams will continue to put heighten
importance on slowing down Kirk and
Robinson. This in turn sets up opportunities
for the best play-action passer in the Football
Championship Subdivision to work his magic.
McGhees play-action fakes are second to
none. Against defenses concentrated on
slowing the run, the sophomores illusionist
ability with the football is tremendous. Against
PSU alone, McGhee made fve magnifcent
fakes resulting in fve long pass plays. Look for
more of the same today.
EDGE: Montana State
WHEN MONTANA STATE HAS THE BALL
EDGE
Rushing: Last weeks matchup
against Northern Arizona billed
the top-ranked defense in the Big
Sky (MSU) versus the leagues top
ofense (NAU). Montana State took
the challenge and ran with it, bury-
ing the Lumberjacks for 152 yards
less than their season average for
total yards.
Today, MSUs defense remains the best
in the Big Sky. The Cats lead the league in
scoring defense, rushing defense, passing
defense and total defense.
MSUs defensive prowess is in stark con-
trast to a Northern Colorado ofense that has
struggled all season. UNC is last in the league
in scoring (18.6 ppg) and total ofense (260.3
ypg).
Much of MSUs success this year has come
because of the Bobcats ability to stop the
run and render ofenses one-dimensional.
UNC has the second-worst rushing attack in
the league (just 63 ypg), meaning long-yard-
age situations will be prevalent today.
Much of UNCs ground game ineptitude
has come as a result of playing from behind
all season. But one of UNCs main ofensive
weaknesses is its ofensive line. No running
game will mean open season for an
MSU defensive unit that leads the
league with 23 sacks.
Passing: The Bears have shown
fashes in the passing game. Last
week against Eastern Washington,
UNC redshirt freshman quarterback
Seth Lobato threw for 408 yards. He
hasnt seen a pass rush like Montana
States, however.
UNC has given up 20 sacks this season,
second only to Idaho State in the Big Sky.
Thats bad news for the Bears, as MSU has
thrived in the pass rush all season, fustering
the likes of EWUs Bo Levi Mitchel, Sac States
Jef Fleming and NAUs Cary Grossart. All
three aforementioned quarterbacks are more
experienced than Lobato.
Today, look for MSU to absolutely smother
any attempt to run by UNC. That in turn will
set up long-yardage situations. Since the
score will presumably be lopsided early, UNC
will go to the air early and often. Look for
Brad Daly, Caleb Schreibeis, Zach Minter and
the MSU defensive line to have a big day in
the Bears backfeld and look for Lobato to be
staring skyward often.
EDGE: Montana State
WHEN NORTHERN COLORADO HAS THE BALL
OVERALL
This one should be over early. Look for
Montana State to establish the run with
great success right out of the gate. That
will lead to play-action passes and points
and the board. Once MSU is up by a
comfortable margin, look for the Cats to
eat the clock. Montana State could score
as many points as theyd like in this one,
but MSU head coach Rob Ash will call of
the dogs early and get some PT for some
of his non-starters. No trap game here,
just MSUs seventh straight victory as
November quickly approaches.
For four weeks straight, MSU has
had plenty of motivation. All four
conference games played by the
Bobcats featured opponents with
high-powered ofenses to inspire
the MSU defense.
Today, exterior motivation is
nonexistent, but dont expect
a letdown from MSU. These Cats
want to continue their roll through
October. Back-to-back weeks against
conference cellar-dwellers (MSU plays
Idaho State next Saturday) should
help the Bobcats close October 6-0 in
Big Sky play.
EDGE Montana State
INTANGIBLES
45 14
Analysis by COLTER NUANEZ of the Chronicle
EDGE
EDGE
The Bobcats get the edge here
simply because Jason Cunningham
is better than every other kicker in
the Big Sky, save Montanas Brody
McKnight. Rory Perez (41.6 yards per
punt) is also superior to UNCs Cam-
eron Kaman (38 yards per punt).
The return game is one place
Northern Colorado has an advantage.
Dominic Gunn is one of the leagues
best. He is averaging 27 yards per
kick return on 18 returns this season,
including a 94-yard touchdown return
against Montana in Missoula. Patrick
Walker is also a threat.
EDGE: Montana State
SPECIAL TEAMS
EDGE
Dumas/from G1
BOBCATGAMEDAY
Montana State at Northern Colorado
1:35 p.m. Nottingham Field
Before Wright arrived, MSUs passing game was limited,
to say the least. In the 2008 season, Bobcats passed for more
than 200 yards just twice in 12 games. The team went 7-5
that year.
Since Wright joined the team, the Cats have been under
200 passing yards just four times. But theyre 3-1 in those
games. The reason? A running game.
Coach Wright is a genius, honestly, MSU receiver Elvis
Akpla said. He understands that we really need balance on
our team. We put the hurt on them in the passing game or
we wear them down and get the defense to give up by the
fourth quarter. We love what he has us doing on offense.
Wright certainly isnt a one-man show. Hes part of a
network of coaches who are constantly jabbering on headsets
throughout games. The banter must resemble the conversa-
tions between pit crew and driver during NASCAR races.
Air travelers are allowed to listen to the traffic control-
lers during flights. Its too bad fans arent afforded the same
privilege during games. Must be fascinating.
Many offensive coordinators are in a booth high above the
field during games. Not Wright. Hes on the field.
But he relies on those eyes in the sky.
Because were a no-huddle offense, the guys in the booth
are critical, Wright said. Every coach has one or two things
that he looks for and that is relayed in a short amount of
time. Were able to get a play in in a short amount of time. It
allows us to slow the game down out there when it all seems
to be happening so fast.
And when a play or a drive clicks, theres nothing like it.
Thats part of what makes football so special: that rush
you get on game day and then on a series, Wright said. That
makes it fun when we can get into a rhythm on a drive and to
see it as its happening.
And now comes Northern Colorado, which has the 119
th
-
ranked pass defense (out of 120) in the nation.
Wright may have a ball. As long as he doesnt put it on the
ground.
Tim Dumas can be reached at tdumas@dailychronicle.com
and 582-2651.

By COLTER NUANEZ
Chronicle Sports Writer
As the Big Sky Conference season
begins its second half this week,
three teams will take a break from
league play. A few other teams
namely Eastern Washington, Sacra-
mento State, Montana and Northern
Arizona will begin the second
half of the conference slate with key
games this weekend.
Eastern must travel to Sacramento
to take on the Hornets in a game
that is shaping up like a playoff elim-
ination battle for both sides. No. 12
Montana takes a 14-game winning
streak over NAU to Flagstaff, Ariz.,
to take on Jerome Souers Lumber-
jacks. No. 3 Montana State travels
to Northern Colorado to battle the
winless Bears.
In non-conference action, Idaho
State travels south to take on Foot-
ball Bowl Subdivision Brigham
Young University. Weber State will
host Beehive State rival Southern
Utah. Division III Willamette will
look for an upset at Portland State.
Eastern Washington at
Sacramento State
While the winner of this one will
still have some work to do to get into
the Football Championship Subdivi-
sion playoffs, the loser will almost
definitely eliminate itself from a bid.
EWU (3-4, 3-2 Big Sky) has won
three straight after an 0-4 start.
Sacramento State (3-3, 2-2) has been
up and down, notching wins over
Montana and FBS Oregon State, but
losing to Weber, MSU and Southern
Utah.
Its definitely a game for us, that if
we dont win, its definitely impos-
sible to make the playoffs, said
EWU fourth-year head coach Beau
Baldwin. I think Sac has a little
more wiggle room in that regard.
Our focus, just like every coach will
tell you, hasnt been talking about
playoffs. Its been about putting all
our energy into getting guys ready
for this week each week.
The Hornets are fresh off a bye
and play four of their final five
games at home.
Its a great opportunity to get
started here in the second half,
said fifth-year head coach Marshall
Sperbeck. During a bye week, you
tried to get healed up and rested and
start your second half on a positive
note. We kind of look at this week as
a start of a new season.
EWU senior quarterback Bo Levi
Mitchell has won the last two league
Offensive Player of the Week awards.
Last week in the Eagles 48-27 win
over Northern Colorado, Mitchell
threw for 400 yards and three touch-
downs and ran for a score.
No. 12 Montana at
Northern Arizona
The ties between Montana and
NAU are plentiful. Northern Ari-
zona head coach Jerome Souers was
UMs defensive coordinator for 12
seasons under Don Read, including
leading the defense of UMs 1995
national championship team. NAUs
current defensive coordinator, Andy
Thompson, played linebacker for the
Grizzlies.
The ties dont stop there. In fact,
Souers and UM head coach Robin
Pflugrad have been friends since
their middle school days in Eugene,
Ore. Pflugrad said Souers moved to
town in sixth grade and lived just
a few blocks away from the Grizzly
head coach.
We were friends all through
junior high, high school, college and
still remain very close, Pflugrad
said. Jeromes father was a tremen-
dous high school football coach and
a tremendous person. He used to
take us over to a high school to play
basketball on Sunday afternoons.
Great, great memories when I think
back to those days.
Montana (5-2, 4-1) played a
dismal first half last week against
Portland State, but rallied for a 30-24
win thanks in large part to a staunch
defensive effort after halftime. UM
has made a habit of turning it up in
the third quarter, but dont count on
Souers squad focusing on any sort
of patterns.
NAU (2-4, 1-3) entered last week-
ends game against MSU with the
leagues top-ranked offense. But the
Bobcats derailed the Lumberjacks
plan by holding NAU to just 49
yards rushing, rendering the Jacks
attack one-dimensional.
With Montana State stopping the
run so well, NAUs receivers played
a really good game, Pflugrad said.
I think it was a breakout game for
a couple of those receivers so we
are looking to have to defend a few
more things than maybe earlier in
the season.
Southern Utah at Weber State
The Wildcats step out of confer-
ence play and into a state rivalry
that will only become stronger when
SUU joins the Big Sky next fall.
WSU head coach Ron McBride
said he doesnt see any real weak-
nesses on Southern Utahs roster.
And he knows quite a bit about its
makeup because he recruited many
of the players himself.
I know most of the kids that play
down there, watched them in high
school, McBride said. Theyve
done a real good job of developing
the talent down there. They have a
nice football team.
Southern Utah (3-4) began the
season 3-1, including a 35-14 win
over Sac State, but the Thunderbirds
have lost three straight since. Weber
(3-3, 3-1) will be shorthanded today
as McBride suspended eight players,
including sophomore cornerback
Robbie Diamon (eight tackles) and
freshman linebacker Luke King (15
tackles).
They are all good kids, theres
just certain things you cant do and
they did something you cant do,
McBride said. Its unfortunate be-
cause they all help our football team.
Its very costly.
Idaho State at
Brigham Young
The Bengals (2-5) won their con-
ference opener 50-20 over Northern
Colorado. Since then, ISU has lost
four straight by an averaged score of
33-12.
This week wont get any easier as
Idaho State travels south to Provo
to take on a Cougar team which has
won four straight, including three in
a row since the benching of starting
quarterback Jake Heaps in favor of
Riley Nelson.
They are playing extremely
fast now on both sides of the ball
since they made the switch to Riley
Nelson, said first-year ISU head
coach Mike Kramer. We just have
to approach it as just another game.
This first-year run through with a
whole new coaching staff, if we were
a building, we would still be laying
the foundation. When you build the
building, the last thing you see is the
footings. Whether its BYU or BYU-
Rexburg, we just need to get on the
bus and play as hard as we can.
Willamette at
Portland State
PSU is the only team in the Big
Sky that doesnt play a Division I
opponent today. Head coach Nigel
Burton sarcastically said he was
really glad the Vikings had to take
a break from the conference grind
and try to slow down Willamettes
difficult Fly offense.
Everything about (the fly) is a
pain in the rear, Burton said. Its
not really similar to read zone at all.
Its got some elements of the Wing-T
to it, just guys coming from a little
further away and the ability for guys
to hit the edges a little more quickly.
It really messes with the reads as
terms of linebackers and what they
are used to doing. Im real glad we
scheduled this game.
To make matters more difficult,
PSU will be without the nations
leading rusher, Cory McCaffrey.
The senior suffered what is being
reported as a torn Achilles tendon
during last weeks loss at Montana.
We are hoping to get Cory back
at some point, but the guy who has
to step up is Zach Richard, Burton
said. Zach is probably a younger
version of Cory anyway in terms
of his ability to make moves in the
open field. And he is actually a little
bit faster.
There is no charge to publish these photographs. Call 582-2619 with questions.
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Name of Service person __________________________________
Dates served ____________________________________________
Branch of Service ________________________________________
Rank ___________________________________________________
*Special honors or awards ________________________________
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The Bozeman Daily Chronicle will publish
a special pullout section of photos on Friday,
November 11, 2011, thanking our Armed Forces
veterans and current military for their service
to our country.
Bring your loved ones photo to the Bozeman
Daily Chronicle (at 2820 W College or Mail to
PO Box 1190, Bozeman, MT 59771) with this flled
in form no later than 5pm on November 4 in
order to participate.
Veterans Day november 11, 2011.
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*Due to limited space, not all honors & awards can be listed-
please put them in order of importance.
Saturday, October 22, 2011 | G5 bozeman dai ly chroni cle
BIg SkY
CONFERENCE
Standings
Team Conf. All
Montana State 4-0 6-1
Montana 4-1 5-2
Weber State 3-1 3-3
E. Washington 3-2 3-4
Portland State 2-2 3-3
Sacramento State 2-2 3-3
N. Arizona 1-3 2-4
Idaho State 1-4 2-5
N. Colorado 0-5 0-7
Todays games
Idaho State at BYU, 1:05 p.m.
Montana St. at No. Colorado., 1:35 p.m.
Montana at No. Arizona., 4:05 p.m.
So. Utah at Weber St., 4:05 p.m.
Willamette at Portland St., 6:05 p.m.
E. Wash. at Sacramento St., 7:05 p.m.
BOBCATGAMEDAY
Montana State at Northern Colorado
1:35 p.m. Nottingham Field
Big Sky teams look to stay alive
AP
Montana quarterback Jordan Johnson (10) and the Grizzlies hope to run past Northern
Arizona today. UM has won the last 14 meetings between the two schools.
Bruise/from G1
Many tailback combos
are hailed as one-two
punches. The Kirk-Rob-
inson combo has quite
literally been a knockout
this season. Robinson has
carried the ball on the
next play following a Kirk
carry 18 times this season.
During those 36 plays,
Kirk is averaging 10 yards
per carry and Robinson is
averaging more than six
yards per tote. Twelve of
the 18 one-two combos
have netted MSU first
downs and the duo has
gotten back-to-back first
downs four times.
They both soften
it up for each other,
added sophomore captain
quarterback DeNarius
McGhee. Its all about
fresh legs. Both of those
guys have fresh legs after
back-to-back plays be-
cause they can get a break
from the other guy. Thats
going to be important
down the stretch to keep
both guys healthy.
The duo has certainly
become dynamic and
warranting of a nickname
for their punishing run-
ning style. As recent as
five months ago, MSU was
in search of more than a
nickname. The Bobcats
were adamantly hoping
for someone to replace
one of their most potent
offensive weapons.
In June, Orenzo Davis
was declared academi-
cally ineligible for the
2011 season. Last season,
Davis was a second-team
All-Big Sky selection after
rushing for 1,126 yards
and 10 touchdowns.
We were concerned
about our running game,
Ash said. (Davis) was a
big part of what we did
last year. All-Conference
player, 1,200-yard rusher.
While the coaching staff
may have been concerned,
McGhee wasnt worried.
He spent the summer
watching Kirk transform
himself into an animal
by using a relentless work
ethic second to none on
this MSU roster. McGhee
also knew of a talented
running back at the
University of Nebraska,
a former high school
teammate, who might be
looking of a change of
scenery soon.
McGhees former team-
mate was Dontrayeveous
Tray Robinson. At Trin-
ity High School in Euless,
Texas, McGhee and Rob-
inson led the Trojans to 28
wins in 30 games during
their junior and senior
seasons, finishing each
year nationally ranked.
When it came time to pick
a college, both came north
McGhee to MSU and
Robinson to Nebraska.
Robinson played spar-
ingly as a freshman and
sophomore in Lincoln. He
rushed 63 times for 248
yards and two touch-
downs in two seasons
for the Huskers. But Bo
Pelinis offense contin-
ued to shift toward more
of a zone-read offense.
Robinson needed a one-
cut system like Montana
States to thrive.
While home for
Christmas last December,
McGhee persistently told
Robinson of Montana
States penchant to run the
football.
I was trying to ignore
(McGhee), but I re-
ally couldnt ignore him
because he talks very
loud, said Robinson with
a laugh. He kept it real
with me. He told me ev-
erything that was true.
In January, Robinson
was granted a transfer to
MSU.
I was trying my best
to recruit him the whole
time so Id like to think I
had an influence on him
coming here, McGhee
said with a laugh. He
made a great decision and
he loves it. He is getting
the rock. He is splitting
out at receiver, tight end,
running back. He is a
versatile guy and its great
to have him because he is
another great player on
our team.
I love it, I love this
place; if it wasnt so cold
here in the winter, Id
probably live here after
football, said Robinson,
who lives in Bozeman
with his wife, Gaberiella
Heimuli-Robinson.
When Davis was de-
clared ineligible, Kirk saw a
door open for him to pur-
sue his immediate goals.
I definitely saw it as
an opportunity, Kirk
said. Orenzo, he is a
real good back, its tough
not having him. But in
college football, you have
to take advantage of your
opportunities because
sometimes you only get
one opportunity and if
you dont take advantage
of it, its gone.
With a chiseled 6-foot-
1, 226-pound transfer
from a Big 12 university
brought in to compete
with him head to head,
Kirk could have eas-
ily given Robinson the
cold shoulder. Instead,
Kirk embraced his new
teammate, helping him
learn the nuances of of-
fensive coordinator Brian
Wrights offense.
I love Tray; we go in,
prepare, watch quite a bit
of film together before
games, Kirk said. Its
great having him here.
We just help each other
out, Robinson said. If we
were competing against
each other, I really dont
think we would get much
good stuff done.
Kirk, whos uncle Tom
Mahlum played for the
MSU 1984 national title
team, currently is second
in the Big Sky with 728
yards and eight rushing
touchdowns. Replacing a
player like Davis would be
a challenge for any team,
but Kirk is not surprised
by his success.
Every year, I write my
goal, Kirk said. Last
year, my goals were a little
low. Rotate in at running
back, play special teams.
This year, my goals were
higher. I wanted to be the
best running back I can,
not just on this team, but
in this league.
Thunder and Thunder.
The Bruise Crew. Power
and Fury. Call Kirk and
Robinson what you want.
Ash is just glad to have
such a dynamic duo in his
backfield.
We are probably fur-
ther ahead in the running
game than I would have
ever guessed back in the
spring, but Im obviously
very happy about that,
Ash said.
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2011 MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY
Photo by Sean Sperry
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rian Wright is a fun-
damental guy. Not
quite John Wooden
teaching players how
to lace their shoes
or pull up their socks, but
close.
Montana States offensive
coordinator preaches the
basics: throwing, catching,
running with the football, blocking.
And never put the ball on the ground.
Ever.
Respect the football, he likes to say.
Not just after the snap, not just dur-
ing practice, and not when reaching the
end zone, which the Bobcats have done a
league-high 29 times this fall.
Just hand the ball to the official,
Wright says.
The motto and Wrights harping is
working. MSU had lost just two fumbles
this season. A year ago the Cats fumbled
17 times.
He even put some of our trainers in an
officials jersey during fall camp, (in order
to practice the practice) said running back
Tray Robinson.
Wright has another maxim: wherever
the ball is, just put it down well, let the
official do it and try and score.
Could be MSUs own
3-yard line. Doesnt matter.
The Bobcats have finished
off at least one touchdown
drive of at least 75 yards
in each of its seven games.
They have 13 of at least 79
yards and four that have
gone for 90-plus.
Average TD drive this sea-
son: 70.3 yards.
Theres no such thing as playing for field
position. The end zone is always the goal.
Thats our job, Wright says. I feel
thats what youre expected to do.
Wright is currently in his second season
at MSU. He spent nine years at Youngstown
State in Ohio, near where he grew up.
He began coaching early during his
final season at the College of Wooster in
Ohio, when a hamstring injury forced
the wide receiver to the sideline for good.
After graduating, Wright entered the cor-
porate world, working at a major bank
in Cleveland. He lasted six months.
I wanted to do more than make
money, he said.
He presided over some talented offenses
at Youngstown State, but his current unit
is like money in the bank.
By COLTER NUANEZ
Chronicle Sports Writer
Motivation can come from all over in the
game of football. For Northern Colorado,
motivation comes in wanting to return the
schools football program to its once lofty
national position.
In the 1990s and early 2000s, UNC was
one of the dominant NCAA Division II
football teams in the country. Northern
Colorado captured back-to-back Division II
titles in 1995 and 1996. Players like San Di-
ego Chargers wide receiver Vincent Jackson
and Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Aaron
Smith once wore Bears jerseys.
Four years into their transition to NCAA
Division I, the Bears are still looking to
find their footing on the football field. Last
season, UNC finished 3-8, in seventh place
in the Big Sky Conference. But this season,
under first-year head coach Earnest Collins
Jr., UNC (0-7, 0-5 Big Sky) is still in search
of its first win with No. 3 Montana State (6-
1, 4-0) coming to Greeley today.
These Bears are young and theres talent
sprinkled across the roster. Redshirt fresh-
man defensive end Devontae Chapple is
second in the league with five sacks. Sopho-
more safety Marcell Gibbons leads the Big
Sky with nine tackles for loss. Sophomore
middle linebacker Clarence Bumpas leads
the league with 88 total tackles. Redshirt
freshman Seth Lobato has thrown for 1,213
yards and eight touchdowns.
More important than the statistics, the
Bears see the bigger picture of what it takes
to rebuild a program.
The hunger to win a game and the deter-
mination to rebuild a program to where it
should be, thats what keeps us going every
day, said Bumpas, formerly of Kansas State.
It all comes down to the grind. Regardless
of wins and losses, the attitude has to remain
the same. Its all a grind. You love the game
so much to come out every day and keep at
it even when you are 0-7. Its about passion,
its about heart. We go out there and fight
like every game is our last. We are as hungry
as ever.
Today, the Bears will need that hunger
with the stoutest opponent the team has yet
faced coming to Nottingham Field. UNC
will try to wrestle MSUs blend of balance on
offense that has led to the Cats averaging 37
points in Big Sky play and a Bobcat defense
that leads the league in multiple categories.
When you have a team thats as good as
they are, as balanced as they are offense,
defense, run and pass you have to try to
find a weakness if they have one, said Col-
lins, who played at UNC in the mid-1990s.
If you do find a weakness here or there, you
have to try to hit it on them. You will prob-
ably only have one shot so you gotta get it.
Northern Colorado will try to build on
last weeks performance against Eastern
Washington. The Bears trailed by a touch-
down entering the fourth quarter only to see
the defending national champs pull away for
a 48-27 win.
Lobato had arguably his best game against
the Eagles, throwing for 408 yards and a
touchdown.
Weve been struggling and this past game,
our offense was starting to click and we were
starting to move the ball down the field,
said junior wide receiver Patrick Walker,
who leads the team with 47 catches for 505
yards and five scores. That gives us a lot of
confidence coming into this week. When
you throw for 400 yards, you are doing
something right. Hopefully we can build on
it.
We are throwing the ball more than we
normally would, but part of that is because
we are always behind, added Collins. We
are trying to gel and get in the right calls, the
right blocking schemes, the right blocking
schemes. We want to establish the run, we
just havent had much success doing it.
UNC is running for just 63 yards a game,
something that doesnt bode well for the
Bears as they prepare to take on the leagues
best defense. Negating UNCs running game
will lead to long-yardage situations that the
MSU pass rush hopes to exploit.
MSU currently leads the league in scoring
defense (21.4 ppg), rushing defense (120
ypg), passing defense (180 ypg) and total
defense (300 ypg). The Bobcats also lead the
conference in sacks with 23. UNC has given
up 20 sacks, the second-most in the league
behind Idaho State. All numbers point to an-
other dominating day for the MSU defense,
yet the group is still hungry to maintain its
high level of play.
We are at the top, we are No. 1 in a lot
of categories in the conference, said junior
defensive tackle Zach Minter. To get better
is to never settle, never stop progressing. We
can say we are No. 1, but we cant take plays
off. We wont. Thats not like our defense, our
players, our coaches, our program to slow
down. We need to continue to get better and
keep our intensity.
Key to slowing down the Bears offensive
attack, particularly the passing game, will be
to slow down Walker. The junior has gained
more than 200 yards from scrimmage more
than any of his teammates.
Pat is our guy, he just makes plays, Col-
lins said He has a way of just getting open
and demanding the ball. Its kind of ironic
this week because we look at (MSU senior
wide receiver) Elvis (Akpla) the same way.
Elvis is going to make a play for Montana
State just like Pat. We have to make sure we
get other guys involved so we can focus in
on Pat.
Akpla has been MSUs deep threat all
season. The senior transfer from Oregon has
caught eight touchdowns, the third-most in
America. He has touchdown receptions in
each of Montana States last six games, all
wins.
He is just one weapon the Bobcats sport
offensively. Sophomore running back Cody
Kirk spearheads a running game that is
averaging 213 yards per contest. Kirks 728
yards and eight touchdowns are second in
the Big Sky.
Then theres the Bobcats offensive
catalyst, sophomore quarterback DeNarius
McGhee. Over his last three games, McGhee
has completed 70 percent of his passes for
746 yards, nine touchdowns and just one
interception.
He is magical to watch, said MSU head
coach Rob Ash. Im glad he is on our team.
He creates plays. Whats best about DeN-
arius is he has a short memory. After he
makes a great play, he lines up the next play
like nothing happened. After he makes a
mistake, he lines up and makes the next play
like nothing happened. Thats an unusual
characteristic for an athlete in any sport and
I think its his most important characteristic.
He has great physical tools to go along with a
great head for the game.
For UNC, playoff aspirations are nonexis-
tent so today marks the teams Super Bowl,
the Bears shot to derail MSUs Big Sky run.
Its always a pleasure to play someone of
a high ranking, Walker said. It always gets
us motivated to play harder. But I feel like we
are still doing our thing, preparing like any
other team. We just have to execute, lay it
all on the line and hopefully come out with
a W.
For Montana State, the 6-1 start and the
four-game conference winning streak are
something the team takes pride in. But the
league season is only at its midpoint. Four
games remain between MSU and its quest to
repeat as Big Sky champs.
At the end of the year, no one is going to
look back and take any credence as to what
the standings were after four weeks, Ash
said. All they are going to look at is the final
standings. We cant rest.
Sideline
Briefing
Records
Montana State 6-1, 4-0 Big Sky
Northern Colorado 0-5, 0-7
Series
28th meeting, MSU leads 16-10-1
Weather forecast
Sunny, high 69
Crowd
5,000 expected
TV
Altitude (Chris Marlowe,
Scott Hastings, Maya Starks)
Radio
KXLB-FM (100.7), Jef Lasky, Dan
Davies, Tyler Wiltgen
Coaches

Schedules
Northern Colorado
20 Lindenwood 22
14 @ Colorado St. 33
20 @Idaho St. 50
45 Weber St. 21
28 @ Montana 55
0 Sacramento St. 14
27 @ E. Washington 48
Today Montana St. 1:35 p.m.
10/29 No. Dakota 1:35 p.m.
11/5 @ No. Arizona 4:05 p.m.
11/12 Portland St. 12:05 p.m.
Montana State
10 at Utah 27
38 UC Davis 14
43 Minot St. 7
36 @ Eastern Washington 21
31 Sacramento St. 21
38 @Portland St. 36
41 Northern Arizona 24
Today @ Northern Colorado 1:35 p.m.
10/29 Idaho St. 12:05 p.m.
11/5 @ Weber St. 1:35 p.m.
11/19 Montana 12:05 p.m.
Players to watch
NORTHERN COLORADO: LB
Clarence Bumpas leads the Big Sky
in tackles and is ffth in the nation.
MONTANA STATE: FS Steven
Bethley will have his hands full
with UNCs receiving corps.
Injury report
MONTANA STATE
OUT: DE Preston Gale (knee);
WR Kerry Sloan (knee); LB Roger
Trammell (knee).
QUESTIONABLE: oL Leo Davis
(knee).

Bears still looking for success at Div. I level
CoURTESY oF NoRTHERN CoLoRADo UNIVERSITY
Northern Colorado sophomore Seth Lobato (9) threw for a career-high 408 yards last week.
ROB
ASH
MSU, 5th year
32nd year overall
35-18 at MSU
211-117-5 overall
EARNEST
COLLINS JR.
UNC, 1st year
3rd year overall
0-7 at UNC
8-19 overall
TIM
DUMAS
Chronicle
Sports Editor
More DUMAS I g6
BOBCATGAMEDAY
Montana State at Northern Colorado
1:35 p.m. Nottingham Field
The last time
Oct. 23, 2010 in Bozeman
Montana St. 37, Northern Colorado 35
NC 7 7 14 7 35
MSU 3 14 10 10 37
First Quarter
N: Davis 68 pass from orms (Eden kick),
3-67 1:37. NC 7, MSU 0
M: Cunningham 32 FG, 11-57 6:06. NC 7,
MSU 3
Second Quarter
N: Harris 1 run (Eden kick), 4-50 1:19. NC
14, MSU 3
M: Lloyd 14 from McGhee (Cunningham
kick), 10-66 4:57. NC 14, MSU 10
M: Lloyd 22 pass from McGhee (Cunning-
ham kick), 5-64 2:02. MSU 17, NC 14
Third Quarter
M: Cunningham 24 FG, 5-37 2:21. MSU 20,
NC 14
M: Begger 19 pass from McGhee (Cun-
ningham kick), 10-64 3:56. MSU 27, NC 14
N: Davis 20 pass from orms (Eden kick),
4-80 1:04. MSU 27, NC 21
N: Steele 3 pass from orms (Eden kick),
8-63 3:42. NC 28, MSU 27
Fourth Quarter
M: Cunningham 24 FG, 9-53 2:01. MSU 30,
NC 28
M: Davis 77 pass from McGhee (Cunning-
ham kick), 5-87 2:11. MSU 37, NC 28
N: Morris 10 pass from orms (Eden kick),
13-92 2:53. MSU 37, NC 35
Alls Wright with this offense
B