Rob Ash and the Bobcats head to Drake this weekend
Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson
FIRST LOOK: Montana State visits Drake on Saturday
9/5/2012 11:31:00 AM | Football
Rob Ash returns to Drake Stadium, where he won 82 games as Bulldogs coach
Rob Ash was born in Des Moines, Iowa, where his father grew up. He spent 18 years coaching at Drake University in that city, raised both his children there, and with his wife Margaret made and maintains many friendships there.
But as he prepares to take his sixth Bobcat team to Drake on Saturday, Ash's feet are firmly planted in Bozeman.
"It doesn't feel like I'm going home," Ash says. "My home is at Montana State and in Bozeman. I really feel that way. Enough time has gone by (since moving to Bozeman) that this is my program and Drake is Chris Creighton's program, and this is my home."
Bozeman became Ash's home in the summer of 2007, when a sudden change at the top of the Bobcat program - which had won the Big Sky three times in the previous five years - left MSU seeking a leader for its program. The road led to the Midwest, where Ash had rebuilt the Drake program, if not from scratch certainly from the ground up.
A couple years before Ash's return to Iowa from Juniata in Pennsylvania, where he had become that school's leader in wins by a football coach, Drake had declassified from Division I football to non-scholarship Division III status. During that time, DU's program had played one campaign in exhibition status. Ash arrived two seasons later.
When examining Saturday's matchup, Ash feels as if he is looking in a mirror.
"Drake is very solid and sound," he said. "They have tough, smart players that are very well-coached. Watching them on film is a lot like watching our team. Chris Creighton and his staff have done an excellent job."
Drake's 2010 team represented the last Bulldogs squad with players Ash had coached in Des Moines, and that season's game was a tight, emotional affair. Drake was within 9-7 late in the second half when Orenzo Davis' 15-yard run gave the Cats a 16-7 halftime edge. Jason Cunningham's fourth field goal less than two minutes into the second half gave MSU a cushion, and between the 8:29 and 11:08 marks of the third quarter MSU scored three touchdowns - one by defensive tackle Zach Minter - to break the game open.
Many players from both sides return this year, with Drake quarterback Mike Piatkowski at or near the head of the class. He was outstanding on that day in 2010 before leaving with an unfortunate injury.
While the Bobcats earned a 48-21 win that far more competitive than indicated by the final score, that game proved a turning point for both teams.
"We were in a much different situation then," Ash said. "We hadn't accomplished anything in our program. DeNarius was a young quarterback, and we were still building. But we that game started us on a great run, we beat the Griz, won the (Big Sky) championship. And Drake came within a game of winning their league that season, then won it last year."
Ash knows enough about both programs to expect a close, hard-fought game Saturday. "I think this will be a very good game. Drake should have a big crowd and it will be a fun environment."
But as he prepares to take his sixth Bobcat team to Drake on Saturday, Ash's feet are firmly planted in Bozeman.
"It doesn't feel like I'm going home," Ash says. "My home is at Montana State and in Bozeman. I really feel that way. Enough time has gone by (since moving to Bozeman) that this is my program and Drake is Chris Creighton's program, and this is my home."
Bozeman became Ash's home in the summer of 2007, when a sudden change at the top of the Bobcat program - which had won the Big Sky three times in the previous five years - left MSU seeking a leader for its program. The road led to the Midwest, where Ash had rebuilt the Drake program, if not from scratch certainly from the ground up.
A couple years before Ash's return to Iowa from Juniata in Pennsylvania, where he had become that school's leader in wins by a football coach, Drake had declassified from Division I football to non-scholarship Division III status. During that time, DU's program had played one campaign in exhibition status. Ash arrived two seasons later.
When examining Saturday's matchup, Ash feels as if he is looking in a mirror.
"Drake is very solid and sound," he said. "They have tough, smart players that are very well-coached. Watching them on film is a lot like watching our team. Chris Creighton and his staff have done an excellent job."
Drake's 2010 team represented the last Bulldogs squad with players Ash had coached in Des Moines, and that season's game was a tight, emotional affair. Drake was within 9-7 late in the second half when Orenzo Davis' 15-yard run gave the Cats a 16-7 halftime edge. Jason Cunningham's fourth field goal less than two minutes into the second half gave MSU a cushion, and between the 8:29 and 11:08 marks of the third quarter MSU scored three touchdowns - one by defensive tackle Zach Minter - to break the game open.
Many players from both sides return this year, with Drake quarterback Mike Piatkowski at or near the head of the class. He was outstanding on that day in 2010 before leaving with an unfortunate injury.
While the Bobcats earned a 48-21 win that far more competitive than indicated by the final score, that game proved a turning point for both teams.
"We were in a much different situation then," Ash said. "We hadn't accomplished anything in our program. DeNarius was a young quarterback, and we were still building. But we that game started us on a great run, we beat the Griz, won the (Big Sky) championship. And Drake came within a game of winning their league that season, then won it last year."
Ash knows enough about both programs to expect a close, hard-fought game Saturday. "I think this will be a very good game. Drake should have a big crowd and it will be a fun environment."
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