SPORTS

Sac State's defense to test Bobcats

Tribune Staff
  • Montana State has won nine straight in the series with Sacramento State
  • Bobcats defeated Hornets 59-56 last season in an epic Big Sky clash
  • In 101 games coached at Montana State, Rob Ash's teams have scored at least 30 points 51 times

BOZEMAN – The Montana State Bobcats haven’t had many defensive highlights this season.

Montana State quarterback Dakota Prukop (5) hands off the ball to running back Chad Newell last week at Northern Arizona.

But that’s not the case with the Sacramento State Hornets.

The Hornets and star middle linebacker Darnell Sankey visit Bobcat Stadium Saturday afternoon at 5 (ROOT TV) in a Big Sky Conference clash.

Sankey is “one of the very best players in the entire conference,” MSU coach Rob Ash says of the man who logged 21 tackles against the Bobcats a season ago. The Cats won that epic struggle 59-56 in Sacramento.

Sankey is a 6-2, 250-pounder with exceptional speed who could give the Cats problems.

“Their front four is very good, very active,” Bobcat offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey said. “They’re very twitchy. Sankey, to me, is the best I’ve seen so far in this league. I had him up there in the league last year as one of the best linebackers. They do a very good job in the D-line of keeping people off of him. They do enough movement up front so it’s hard to get to Sankey and get a body on him.”

The Bobcats, 2-2 overall and 1-1 in the Big Sky following last week’s 49-41 loss at Northern Arizona, are ranked 18th in the FCS Stats poll. The Cats also own a 16-6 advantage in the all-time series with Sacramento State (1-4, 0-2).

I don’t see a record,” Ash said. “I see a team with a lot of skill and really good athletes.”

Though Sac State is averaging but 19 points per game, the Hornets have some hope. That’s because the Bobcats have not displayed stellar defense rank near the bottom of the Big Sky in rushing defense (260-yard average), total defense (464-yard average) and scoring defense (37-point average).

But the Cats can light up a scoreboard.

Led by junior quarterback Dakota Prukop, who leads the Big Sky in total offense (426-yard average), the Bobcats have rolled up big numbers offensively. Halfback Chad Newell averages 84 yards rushing and pass-catchers Mitch Griebel, Beau Sandland and Mitch Herbert are all having banner seasons.

Ash, though, said the gaudy offensive stats don’t matter to him as much as victories do.

“The offense is playing at a high level,” Ash said, “but you always work to get better. Most importantly I think everyone in our locker room understands that this is a team game. The goal is not to score a certain number of points, or to hold the other team under a certain number, but to score more points than the other team.

“It doesn’t matter to me how many we score. Our goal is only to score more points than they do.”

Sophomore quarterback Kolney Cassel made his first career start last week in the Hornets’ 27-20 loss to Northern Colorado and passed for 294 yard and two touchdowns. Junior halfback Jordan Robinson has three 100-yard rushing efforts this year and ranks fourth in the Big Sky with an average of 90 yards per game.

Prukop passed for 348 yards and five scores and ran for 140 yards and three touchdowns last year against the Hornets in a career-best performance. The Bobcats have won nine straight in the series, including eight in a row at home. Ash is unbeaten in seven games against Sac State.