Rob Ash will rely at least partially on Trevor Bolton in the kicking game on August 30
Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson
Ash Looks to Kick Kicking Game into Gear as Camp Ends
8/23/2012 2:38:00 PM | Football
Without two starters, Rob Ash and the Bobcats face some uncertainty
As fall camp transitions into game week, Rob Ash is facing a transition himself.
For the first time since the fall of 2007, Montana State's sixth-year head football coach is facing a season without Jason Cunningham. What's worse, MSU's record-setting kicker isn't the only piece missing from MSU's kicking game as the team begins preparations in earnest for the season opener one week from Thursday against Chadron State.
Punter Rory Perez and long snapper Donny Tudahl will each serve a suspension during the opener, giving others a chance to step up in, literally, prime time.
Or as Ash is fond of saying, "The only guy that ever thinks the backup won't do well is him."
When Thursday dawned, however, Ash still wasn't exactly sure who would and wouldn't be backups in the kicking game. "Well," he said. "we're still working on some things."
What is mostly clear is that redshirt freshman Trevor Bolton will enter the opener as MSU's punter. Bolton and AJ Silva remain locked in competition for place-kicking and kickoff chores, with Bolton a nose ahead in field goals and extra points and Silva running in a dead heat with a closer's kick on kickoffs.
On the other end of the place-kicking chores, Nate Bignell has a hold on short snaps. Jake Olson is the man on long snaps. Rick Haluszka, a constant for the past couple of seasons, provides security as the team's holder.
The unsettled nature of the kicking game has not fazed Ash. "We have guys that are taking advantage of their opportunity and doing a good job," he says. "You're not sure how a player's going to perform in a game until he's actually in that situation, but I know our guys will do a good job."
For the first time since the fall of 2007, Montana State's sixth-year head football coach is facing a season without Jason Cunningham. What's worse, MSU's record-setting kicker isn't the only piece missing from MSU's kicking game as the team begins preparations in earnest for the season opener one week from Thursday against Chadron State.
Punter Rory Perez and long snapper Donny Tudahl will each serve a suspension during the opener, giving others a chance to step up in, literally, prime time.
Or as Ash is fond of saying, "The only guy that ever thinks the backup won't do well is him."
When Thursday dawned, however, Ash still wasn't exactly sure who would and wouldn't be backups in the kicking game. "Well," he said. "we're still working on some things."
What is mostly clear is that redshirt freshman Trevor Bolton will enter the opener as MSU's punter. Bolton and AJ Silva remain locked in competition for place-kicking and kickoff chores, with Bolton a nose ahead in field goals and extra points and Silva running in a dead heat with a closer's kick on kickoffs.
On the other end of the place-kicking chores, Nate Bignell has a hold on short snaps. Jake Olson is the man on long snaps. Rick Haluszka, a constant for the past couple of seasons, provides security as the team's holder.
The unsettled nature of the kicking game has not fazed Ash. "We have guys that are taking advantage of their opportunity and doing a good job," he says. "You're not sure how a player's going to perform in a game until he's actually in that situation, but I know our guys will do a good job."
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