Big Sky Kickoff - Skyline Sports

[Colter_Nuanez]

The Big Sky Conference will announce its preseason All-Big Sky football team and the results of the media and coaches' polls next Monday and Tuesday at the Big Sky Kickoff media conference in Park City, Utah. We will have full coverage from that event that will lead us into coverage of fall camps at Montana State and around the league.

In anticipation of those accolades, we will have our picks for the preseason offense, defense and the way we voted in the preseason poll with a breakdown of the league's composite schedule.

SKYLINE SPORTS preseason All-Big Sky team – Offense
http://skylinesportsmt.com/skyline-spor ... m-offense/

Check back tomorrow for the way we voted on defense.

[Montanabob]

I like the offensive picks, no heros on MSU offense. Just an underrated offense that out performs everyone else in the FCS. And a defense that will crush.

9-2

Championship rings in January at Two Dot bar and grill.

Country boys will survive.

[IHATEHIPPIES]

Colter back at it as a true griz homer, pretty sad really. No Bobcats!? That's a joke.

[iaafan]

Hippies: Reese and Calhoun were both good picks. Reese was second team and Calhoun was very efficient at 7.2 per carry and 9 TDs.

I thought the picks were all good. Pre-season picks are just a regurgitation of the previous seasons postseason picks without the graduated seniors. I doubt the BSC preseason picks have any MSU players either.

[luckyirishguy25]

Hippies: Reese and Calhoun were both good picks. Reese was second team and Calhoun was very efficient at 7.2 per carry and 9 TDs.

I thought the picks were all good. Pre-season picks are just a regurgitation of the previous seasons postseason picks without the graduated seniors. I doubt the BSC preseason picks have any MSU players either.

I agree, We have a lot of youngsters needing to prove themselves and some vets that need to step up.

[mslacatfan]

Colter back at it as a true griz homer, pretty sad really. No Bobcats!? That's a joke.

The list looked pretty accurate to me.

What Bobcats would you put on the list over the players that he had listed???

I don't see any of our WR's even coming close to cracking that list. They are not as talented as those guys Colter listed, AND this team does not pass the ball... (doesn't add up for big WR numbers)
It will be RB by committee, I don't expect any single RB to put up huge numbers. (as a group they will do well though)
Murray (or any other QB on the roster).... not quite at Gubrud's level
OL- Alex Neele or Brott might be able to sneak in there if they continue to progress. At this point though, they are not better than what was listed.
Kicker- Luke Daly. This is the only person on offense (in my opinion) that has a chance. At this point he is still an unknown though as he has been away from the team. (heck, we don't even know if he will win the starting job)

[RobertCats]

Colter back at it as a true griz homer, pretty sad really. No Bobcats!? That's a joke.

The list looked pretty accurate to me.

What Bobcats would you put on the list over the players that he had listed???

I don't see any of our WR's even coming close to cracking that list. They are not as talented as those guys Colter listed, AND this team does not pass the ball... (doesn't add up for big WR numbers)
It will be RB by committee, I don't expect any single RB to put up huge numbers. (as a group they will do well though)
Murray (or any other QB on the roster).... not quite at Gubrud's level
OL- Alex Neele or Brott might be able to sneak in there if they continue to progress. At this point though, they are not better than what was listed.
Kicker- Luke Daly. This is the only person on offense (in my opinion) that has a chance. At this point he is still an unknown though as he has been away from the team. (heck, we don't even know if he will win the starting job)

Yup, spot on! Only players on the offensive side of the ball that you could argue for would 2 or 3 on the offensive line. Does not mean LaSane, Herbert, Sullivan among others, could not have HUGE seasons, just that are offensive is mostly unproven. Now the defensive side of the ball you should see some Bobcat names. I expect big things (as does the rest of the conference) from Wright and Yates on the defensive line, and would be shocked if Bignell and McCabe aren't on the preseason list.

[iaafan]

However, I won't be surprised in the least if MSU lands a couple players on the postseason list. Murray, LaSane, Kassis, Neale, Brott, Mahoney, Herbert among others are all quite capable.

[Colter_Nuanez]

We will have a podcast breaking down all our picks on offense and defense, including other players we considered.

We considered the following Montana State offensive players: Chris Murray, Mitch Herbert, Mitch Brott, Dylan Mahoney, Alex Neale and Nick LaSane. None has a notable enough body of work to justify picking them over players like Gage Gubrud, Emmanuel Butler, John Santiago, Joey Kuperman, Randin Crecilius, David Reese and other proven, marquee star players. That's not to say MSU won't have at least a few players on the post season lists. I personally think MSU's offensive line will have several players challenge for All-Big Sky honors and if Herbert can reattain his sophomore form, he could be All-Big Sky again as well.

Stay tuned for our defensive picks this afternoon. We did vote for two Bobcats on that side of things.

[Colter_Nuanez]

SKYLINE SPORTS preseason All-Big Sky team - Defense
http://skylinesportsmt.com/skyline-spor ... m-defense/

[IHATEHIPPIES]

Josh Hill?

[CelticCat]

Hill may very well be on the list by the end of the season, but there are some studs in the conference he needs to upend first.

As for offense, yea... we don't have any stars at this time. And honestly I don't know what kind of offense we will be running, are we going to stick with the diamond formation, are we going to try and go downfield more with a year under Murray's belt, who knows.

Even if we do rush for 300 yards a game, it will be split between Murray, LaSane, Vander/James/Roper/Pegues. I'm not sure we will have a 1,000 yard rusher, but we may have 3 guys over 700.

[Colter_Nuanez]

Big Sky Breakdown: Skyline Sports preseason All-Big Sky selections
http://skylinesportsmt.com/skyline-all-big-sky-podcast/

[Colter_Nuanez]

Big Sky Conference Kickoff Coaches Series: Montana Head Coach Bob Stitt
http://skylinesportsmt.com/big-sky-conf ... bob-stitt/

[Colter_Nuanez]

Big Sky Conference Kickoff Coaches Series: Montana State Head Coach Jeff Choate
http://skylinesportsmt.com/big-sky-conf ... ff-choate/

[Colter_Nuanez]

Big Sky Kickoff Players' Series: North Dakota safety Cole Reyes
http://skylinesportsmt.com/big-sky-conf ... ole-reyes/

[Colter_Nuanez]

Big Sky Conference Kickoff Coaches' Series: UC Davis head coach Dan Hawkins
http://skylinesportsmt.com/big-sky-conf ... n-hawkins/

[Colter_Nuanez]

Big Sky Conference Kickoff Coaches’ Series: Eastern Washington head coach Aaron Best
http://skylinesportsmt.com/big-sky-conf ... aron-best/

[Colter_Nuanez]

Big Sky Conference Kickoff 2017: Oakland Raider defensive end James Cowser

Former Southern Utah defensive end James Cowser , the 2015 Big Sky Conference Defensive MVP and the FCS record holder in tackles for loss and sack in a career, gives an address at the 2017 Big Sky Conference Kickoff.
Cowser currently plays for the Oakland Raiders. In 6 games last season, he had 9 tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery.

2017 Big Sky Conference Kickoff Commissioner’s Address: Andrea Williams
http://skylinesportsmt.com/2017-big-sky ... -williams/

[Colter_Nuanez]

Bignell, Bobcats optimistic despite upcoming challenges
http://skylinesportsmt.com/bignell-bobc ... hallenges/