FULL PAPER SATURDAY, OCT. 1 INSIDE GAME VS. SACRAMENTO STATE D AY SACRAMENTO STATE AT No. 4 MONTANA STATE, BOBCAT STADIUM, 1:35 P.M. — hOMECOMING GAME INSIDE SPRINGBOARD Today’s game crucial for Big Sky success I G2 IDENTITY CRISIS Sac State has been up and down this season; which team shows up THE BROTHERHOOD today? I G2 A fierce offensive line unit has been forged from an unlikely quintet TIDE IS TURNING the jeers of his fellow linemen. at 190 pounds. He weighs over 270. Not By COLTER NUANEZ Although Dennehy received good- working out three hours a day, not eating Hornet program Chronicle Sports Writer hearted ribbing from his offensive the amount of calories they eat, it will looks a lot like linemates, he isn’t the only one who’s come off.” packed on the pounds over the last Weight fluctuation is just one thing Montana State’s I G2 asey Dennehy and handful of years. Terrien has put on 45 this tight-knit group shares. Because just Alex Terrien have pounds since his freshman season, as has two of MSU’s five starters were originally senior left tackle Conrad Burbank (6-4, recruited to play on the offensive front, already lined out the 295). But junior center Shaun Sampson the five-some has shouldered skepticism STILL GOING C and senior right tackle Leo Davis take for several seasons. But the camaraderie parameters of a trying bet. the weight-gaining cake. When Sampson the unit shares coupled with the under- STRONG? walked on to the Bobcats out of Helena dog mentality they bring each Saturday Colter Nuanez says But for the sake of the Mon- Capital, he weighed 190 pounds. Now, has caused for an evolution into a mean, tana State football team, the he is up to more than 270 pounds. Davis, hard-nosed line capable of plowing any MSU’s offense should originally recruited as a linebacker out of opponent that stands in its way. continue to fire on all competition won’t begin Billings Skyview, has put on 85 pounds Since gaining 75 yards in the team’s since switching to offense. season opener against FBS Utah, Mon- cylinders I G6 until the season ends. Each Bobcat lineman has a similar tana State is averaging 250 rushing yards plan as Dennehy’s upon graduation. per game during the No. 4 Bobcats’ Once upon a time, Dennehy was a Davis joked the crew might need to “call three-game winning streak. walk-on running back/linebacker who 1-800-JENNY CRAIG” to accomplish “Those guys are extremely tough,” tipped the scale at 210 pounds. These their weight-loss goals, but the quintet said sophomore quarterback DeNarius days, the fifth-year senior is Montana knows the importance of shedding the McGhee, who shares offensive captain State’s smash-mouth starting left guard unnecessary pounds. duties with Terrien. “We are tough and packs about 280 pounds around on “It’s 50 above or 50 below; you either across the board on the offensive line. his 6-foot frame. lose 50 pounds or gain 50 pounds,” Ter- And the backups are tough too. That’s Terrien, MSU’s 6-foot-4, 283-pound rien said with a laugh. what you get out of the guys in the senior counterpart at the other guard “It’s kind of my little joke that you North, the Northwest. Guys from Mon- spot, has a post-football challenge for will either gain 50 or lose 50,” said MSU tana (Dennehy, Sampson, Davis), North Dennehy. Once their days of pulling and offensive line coach Jason McEndoo, Dakota, Washington (Terrien), Nevada ‘CAT-GRIZ trapping and zoning are complete, Den- who dropped 45 pounds after his NFL (Burbank), states like that, you get nehy must return to his freshman form. career was finished. “The biggest thing is crazy, tough guys like that. And we have MSU hosts Montana “Jeans don’t fit me anymore, so I’m you have to stay active. Guys like Shaun, a bunch of guys who love to straight hoping to earn season’s going to win this bet with Alex. I will Casey and Leo, it will just come off g r i n d .” SPORTS be 210 by the time I graduate,” Dennehy naturally because they just aren’t meant first win I said following MSU’s Tuesday practice to to be that big. Shaun Sampson came in More LIne | G5 SEAN SPERRY/CHRONICLE PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER Top: Montana State’s offensive line, from left, Leo Davis, Alex Terrien, Shaun Sampson, Casey Dennehy and Conrad Burbank usually are tagged as underdogs, but says O-line coach Jason McEndoo: “Sometimes, it’s not about height, weight, size or speed.” Bridger Orthopedic. John D. Campbell, M.D. Fellowship Trained in Sports Medicine, US Ski Team Physician Daniel M. Gannon, M.D. Fellowship Trained in Joint Replacement Steven R. Speth, M.D. Fellowship Trained in Spinal Surgery Montana State Team Physicians Robert B. Blake, M.D. Fellowship Trained in Hand Surgery, Upper Extremity Care Jon F. Robinson, M.D. Fellowship Trained in Foot & Ankle Surgery Richard N. Vinglas M.D. Fellowship Trained in Hand Surgery, Upper Extremity Care Alexander B. LeGrand, M.D. Fellowship Trained in Sports Medicine, US Ski Team Physician Martin K. 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Pyette, M.D. Non-operative Musculoskeletal Care, US Ski Team Physician Where we help you lead WWW.BRIDGERORTHOPEDIC.COM TEL: 406.587.0122 FAX: 406.587.5548 a healthier and more active life. 1450 Ellis Street, Ste. 201, Bozeman, MT 59715 G6 | Saturday, October 1, 2011 bozeman daily chronicle BOBCAT GAME DAY Sacramento State at Montana State 1:35 p.m. Bobcat Stadium THE EDGE DEPTH CHARTS Montana State Sacramento State SACRAMENTO STATE AT MONTANA STATE Offense Defense LEFT TACKLE END WHEN MONTANA STATE HAS THE BALL 68 Conrad Burbank 6-4/297 Sr 10 David Coleman 6-2/225 Sr 79 Quinn Catalano 6-5/276 Fr 94 Trent Eskew 6-3/235 S0 Rushing: Sacramento State has EDGE State head coach Rob Ash said Sac LEFT GUARD NOSE TACKLE shown a soft spot in defending the State is “three out of four back”, 57 Casey Dennehy 6-1/280 Sr 62 Matt Lawrence 5-10/265 Jr run, something that should bode well meaning the Hornets rely heavily on 62 Ben Tauanuu 6-4/300 Jr 97 Nathan Castro 6-0/325 Fr for a Montana State running game their front seven to stop the run. The CENTER DEFENSIVE TACKLE that’s churning on all cylinders. The team will run a lot of man coverage 56 Shaun Sampson 6-0/277 Jr 95 Matt Agaiava 5-11/280 Sr Hornets are surrendering 214 rushing and press receivers off the line while 61 Alex Terrien 6-4/283 Sr 99 Alesana Laban 6-1/290 Jr yards per game. In mid-September, attempting to bring pressure with an RIGHT GUARD END Weber State cranked out 324 yards array of blitzes. 61 Alex Terrien 6-4/283 Sr 98 Zack Nash 6-4/260 Sr on the ground, including more than Montana State offensive line coach 75 Andrew Verlanic 6-4/279 Jr 90 Ben Cowger 6-5/240 Fr 300 after halftime. Jason McEndoo said his unit has spent all RIGHT TACKLE WILL LINEBACKER Since being held to 75 rushing yards against week preparing for a Sac State team that 50 Leo Davis 6-4/300 Sr 91 Todd Davis 6-1/230 So Utah, Montana State is averaging 250 yards per blitzes as much as any team in the Big Sky 72 Stephen Memory 6-4/295 Jr 48 Henry Fernandez 5-11/215 So game. The ‘Cats’ schemes on the offensive line Conference. QUARTERBACK MIDDLE LINEBACKER seem to become more diverse and perplexing Look for Montana State to slow the Hornets’ 9 DeNarius McGhee 6-0/213 So 11 Jeff Badger 5-11/230 Jr to opposing defenses each week. Running swarm by using screen passes and play-action. 5 Grayson Galloway 6-4/207 Jr 42 Cody Allen 6-0/240 So backs Cody Kirk and Tray Robinson continue Robinson has proven to be an effective threat RUNNING BACK CORNERBACK to get stronger as well. Kirk has two 100-yard on screen plays this season, as has Kirk. If 25 Cody Kirk 5-10/214 So 7 Kyle Monson 5-6/175 Sr games in his last three outings and the only Montana State can get its run game going 7 Tray Robinson 6-1/221 Jr 22 Corey Vanderbeek 5-9/175 So reason he didn’t go over the century mark in all early, it could be a long day for the Sac State X RECEIVER CORNERBACK three is he didn’t get a single second-half carry defense. The ground game should open up 1 Elvis Akpla 6-1/190 Sr 32 Osagie Odiase 6-1/175 So two weeks ago against Minot State. Robinson play-action, which in turn will spark the passing 4 John Ellis 5-10/180 So 9 Marquese Smith 5-9/195 Sr continues to get more comfortable with the game. Z RECEIVER STRONG SAFETY MSU offense through four games as a Bobcat Last season, quarterback DeNarius McGhee 86 Tanner Bleskin 6-3/215 So 6 Ryan McMahon 6-0/190 Jr after transferring from Nebraska.