BOZEMAN — Day 3 of Montana State fall football camp is in the books, and one thing fans can be confident in is this year’s defense.
Montana State had the second-best defense in the Big Sky Conference last year and is returning many of those players in the front trenches.
“I have to tip my hat to them, those guys got after it. Our front line, our D-line is going to be a problem for everyone we play,” said Montana State coach Jeff Choate. “They know how to get after the quarterback, and they’ve got good beef inside.”
Choate also singled out some players of note, like defensive tackles Tucker Yates and James Williams.
“They demand double (teams), they are going to beat centers one-on-one, so you demand a double. Now you create some single opportunities for guys like Tyrone (Fa’anono) and Derek (Marks),” Choate said.
At the defensive back position, Jahquay Alleyne and the Gibson twins — Ty’Rese and Ty’Rhae — have stepped into a vocal leadership role, something Choate is very fond of.
“What you’re trying to do is get into the wide receiver’s head, that’s what you’re trying to do, and the wide receiver is trying to get into your head,” Choate said of the defensive back/wide receiver competition. “That’s the game within the game and probably not a lot of fans truly appreciate that.”
“We’ve had not a lot of that around here. One-on-ones have been pretty mundane. Now you’ve got a group, well, Jahquay has been around the block a couple times … but the Gibsons are the ones, they’re the insiders. I think it’s awesome. I think it ups the level of excitement and competition.”
The Bobcats continue their fall camp on Monday.
