22015015 MMontanaontana StateState BBobcatsobcats DDakotaakota PPrukop,rukop, QQBB JJPP FFlynn,lynn, OOGG 6-2, 200, Jr, Austin, TX 6-5, 320, Jr, Bettendorf, IA 2015 STATS Inc FCS Player of 2015 STATS Inc FCS the Year Watch List First Team Preseason All- 2015 STATS Inc FCS Third America Team Preseason All-America 2014 First Team All- 2014 Third Team All-Big Sky Big Sky Threw for 2,559 yards and Started last 21 straight rushed for 966 with 31 touchdowns games accounted for in 2014 22015015 BBobcatobcat FFootballootball QQuickuick FFactsacts MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY Name (Founded) ................Montana State University (1893) Location .......................................................... Bozeman, MT Enrollment ................................................................... 15,200 President ..................................................Dr. Waded Cruzado Athletic Director ........ Peter Fields (Maine-Presque Isle/’79) ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS Assistant AD, Media Relations/FB Contact .......Bill Lamberty Offi ce/Cell Phone ....................406/994-5133, 406/580-6781 E-mail Address [email protected] Sports Information Director ................................Tom Schulz Offi ce/Cell Phone ....................406/994-5130, 406/580-6786 2014 RESULTS E-mail Address [email protected] Record Overall/Conference ..............................8-5/6-2, T3rd Asst. Director/New Media & Operations .......Jordan Simkins # Weeks Ranked .................................................................15 Offi ce Phone .....................................................406/994-5349 Final Ranking ................................................................20/20 E-mail Address [email protected] FCS Playoffs .....1st round loss to South Dakota State, 47-40 Athletics Fax Number ......................................406/994-2278 Aug 30 at Arkansas State L 10-37 Web Site .............................................www.msubobcats.com Sept 6 Black Hills State W 57-10 Sept 13 Central Arkansas W 43-33 MEDIA INFORMATION Sept 20 Eastern Wash. L 51-52 Radio Network ......................................Bobcat Sports Network Sept 27 *North Dakota (HC) W 29-18 Play-by-play .. Jay Sanderson ([email protected]) Oct 4 *at Sacramento St W 59-56 Analyst ..................Dan Davies ([email protected]) Oct 11 *at UC Davis W 77-37 Beat Writer ..........................Jon Maletz, Bozeman Chronicle Oct 18 *Weber State W 23-13 Contact, ............970/618-3629, [email protected] Nov 1 *at Cal Poly L 27-35 Beat Writer ................................ Colter Nuanez, Bobcat Beat Contact .................406/531-9998, [email protected] Nov 8 *Portland State W 29-22 Beat Writer ...................... Scott Mansch, Great Falls Tribune Nov 15 *Idaho State W 44-29 Phone, e-mail ....406/791-1431, [email protected] Nov 22 *at Montana L 7-34 Beat Writer .............................Greg Rachac, Billings Gazette Nov 29 $South Dakota St L 40-47 Phone, e-mail ...406/670-2026, grachac@billingsgazettecom COACHING AND SUPPORT STAFF 2015 SCHEDULE (Mountain time unless noted) Rob Ash (Cornell, Ia., ‘69) ...........................HEAD COACH Sept. 3 Fort Lewis (Gold Rush) ...................7 pm Cowles MT Overall Record: 241-131-5, 34 yrs .....at MSU: 65-32, 9th yr Sept. 12 Open Sept. 19 at Eastern Washington ................1 pm PT ROOT Kane Ioane (MSU ‘05) .................Co-DC/Linebackers (11th) Sept. 26 *Cal Poly (Homecoming) ...........1:35 pm Cowles MT Jamie Marshall (Drake ’99) .............Co-DC/Secondary (9th) Tim Cramsey (New Hampshire ‘99) ...Off. Coord./QBs (3rd) Oct. 3 *at Northern Arizona ..............4 pm MST Cowles MT Daniel DaPrato (UL-Monroe, ‘04) .. Special Teams/TE (3rd) Oct. 10 *Sacramento State ...................... 5:05 pm ROOT Jason Eck (Wisconsin, ‘98) ....................Offensive Line (1st) Oct. 17 *at Portland State .................12:35 pm PT ROOT Cody Kempt (MSU, ‘10) ..............................Receivers (2nd) Oct. 24 East Tennessee State ...................2:35 pm Cowles MT Michael Pitre (UCLA, ‘08) ..................Running Backs (2nd) Oct. 31 *at North Dakota .................. 1:05 pm CT Cowles MT Bo Beck (Colorado St. ‘02) ......Def. Line/Recr. Coord. (9th) Nov. 7 *Southern Utah .........1:05 pm or 1:35 pm ROOT Michael Rider (MSU ‘11) ...........................Cornerbacks (3rd) Nov. 14 *at Idaho State ............................2:35 pm Cowles MT Jody Owens (MSU ‘13) .....................Linebackers Asst. (1st) Nov. 21 *Montana ....................................12 noon ROOT Kevin Decker (New Hampshire/’12) ...........Offensive Intern TEAM INFORMATION Sam Cole ......................................................Defensive Intern Affi liation/Conference ..............................NCAA DI FCS/Big Sky Mickey Mangieri (New Hampshire/’11) .................ST Intern Nickname ........................................................................... Bobcats Offi ce Coordinator ..........................................Colleen Reyes Colors ............................................................................. Blue, gold Video Coordinator ...........................................Garrett Becker Stadium ................................................................. Bobcat Stadium Athletic Trainer .....................................................Rob Higgs Seating Capacity .................................................................. 17,777 Equipment Manager ..........................................Scott Gifford Turf ...................................................................................FieldTurf Primary Offense/Defense ..........................................One-back/4-3 2015 PERSONNEL BREAKDOWN Starters Returning: Offensive/Defensive/ST ..........................9/3/3 Offensive Lettermen Returning/Lost .......................................22/7 Defensive Lettermen Returning/Lost .....................................20/12 Specialist Lettermen Returning/Lost .........................................3/0 22015015 BBobcatobcat FFootballootball - OOutlookutlook BBigger.igger. BBetter.etter. BBobcatobcat SStadiumtadium PProvidesrovides CCatat FFansans TThrillinghrilling EnvironmentEnvironment Table of Contents In the four seasons since renovating Bobcat Stadium, the Preseason Info and Outlook .................................2-11 Montana State University football program has reaped the Position Capsules ...................................................12-20 benefi ts. Notebook ........................................................................ 13 Th e Bobcats have consistently fi nished among the Roster .............................................................................. 21 nation’s top fi ve in average attendance, total attendance, Depth Chart ...................................................................22 and percentage of capacity. Th e passion for Bobcat football Opponent Capsules ..............................................23-24 among the program’s fans has been stoked to a fervor never Coaches ....................................................................25-33 before seen. Adding the Sonny Holland Zone complex, Stats and Records ................................................34-48 Bobcat Stadium has become one of the FCS’ most colorful and formidable game day environments. What a fantastic last 1,500 days Bobcat Football has Personnel Breakdown Reno H. Sales Stadium, enjoyed! upon completion in 1973. Since the beginning of the 2011 season, MSU has won 2015 RETURNER SUMMARY 22 football games on its home turf, 36 overall, captured two Big Sky Championships, and pre- Starters Returning: Offensive/Defensive/ST ..............9/3/3 sented some of the program’s greatest players ever. It felt like a new era of Bobcat football began Offensive Lettermen Returning/Lost ...........................22/7 when Bobcat Stadium’s Sonny Holland End Zone complex opened in 2011, and that era’s fi rst Defensive Lettermen Returning/Lost ........................20/12 four seasons have been an unqualifi ed success. Specialist Lettermen Returning/Lost .............................3/0 During the Stadium’s current epoch, Bobcat fans have voted enthusiastically with their OFFENSIVE STARTERS RETURNING feet. Just a shade under 18,000 fans per game have matriculated through Bobcat Stadium in the JP Flynn, OG 6-5/320/Jr .................. 1st Team All-Big Sky last three seasons, and MSU has fi nished in the top 10 nationally in total attendance in aech of Alex Eekhoff, OT 6-7/280/Sr .............13-game starter in 2014 the last tthree seasons. Th e Cats fi nished fourth last fall. Mitch Griebel, WR 5-11/190/Sr ... Team-hi 45 catches, 445 yds Th e Bobcats christened the newest iteration of Bobcat Stadium that day with a 38-14 win Mitchell Herbert, WR 6-4/205/So ...Tied for team-hi 4 TD catches over future Big Sky rival UC Davis in front of the largest crowd to that point in school history. Joel Horn, C 6-4/325/Sr .............13-game starter in 2014 Th e Sonny Holland Zone stadium expansion project, initiated just more than a year earlier, Justin Paige, WR 5-11/175/So ..Team-hi 31.6 yards per catch presented a modern and beautifully simple design that gives Montana State among the fi nest Dakota Prukop, QB 6-2/200/Jr . 3,525 total yds, Preseason All-America football stadiums in the FCS while moving the program’s John Weidenaar, OT 6-8/290/Sr ..........Started