Defense a trouble spot for Bobcats

The Montana State Bobcats' slide from Big Sky front-runner to playoff spectator can be pinned on one thing - the defense.

What was considered the strength of the Bobcats coming into the season, and even through most of the first eight games, has come apart at the seams. Injuries, inexperience and plain old poor play has left MSU on the outside looking in going into the 'Cat-Griz game.

"Some really ineffective play all around," MSU coach Mike Kramer said Tuesday.

"Defensively we just put two poor games back-to-back. We're not playing the way we're capable of playing."

Injuries have been a problem in the secondary almost the entire season, but the Bobcats were able to compensate with strong play up front. In losses to Sacramento State and Eastern Washington, however, the defensive line has not lived up to expectations.

"Wildly ineffective in the last two games," Kramer said. "We've not been able to generate pressure on the quarterback with our down four guys."

The results have been 38 points and 489 yards to Sac State and 51 points and 536 yards to Eastern Washington.

"To begin with, we're a man team," Kramer said "What's happened is we've lost a little of our swagger at corner. Both Andre (Fuller) and Kory (Austin) can't consistently play on an island."

That, coupled with the front seven's inability to perform well, has rendered the Bobcats unable to stop anybody.

"We're a defense-based program that has been shattered," Kramer said. "It's going to take some tremendous coaching this week and a lot of work in the offseason to get us back.

"We have to find a way to get the guys on the field to play the way we want them to play. We want to fix in this game ('Cat-Griz) the reason we're in this situation."

And while the defense has fallen apart, the offense has blossomed into one of the most potent in the Big Sky. The Bobcats have had over 400 yards of offense in each of the last six games, over 500 in each of the two losses, and over 600 against Eastern.

"Offensively we've been on the steady rise," Kramer said. "We don't feel like our offense is exceptional, but the way teams defend us, we're able to take advantage."

Quarterback Travis Lulay has been putting up gaudy numbers the last few weeks, and comes into the final game of the season as the league's leading passer in terms of yardage.

His play down the stretch has to make him a candidate for offensive player of the year, and with one more year to go, Lulay will likely go down as the greatest quarterback in MSU history. Considering the high number of drops early in the season, and even late, his number could be even better.

"We always have a couple of drops early," Kramer said. "When you run the offense the way we do, you can't drop the ball."

- LITMUS TEST: When asked if his team still had a shot at the playoffs with a win over Montana, Kramer had a simple reply.

"No man, we lost to Sac State," he said.

While losing to the Hornets may be an unpardonable sin in the eyes of the playoff committee, what really cost the 'Cats was blowing a three-touchdown lead last week to Eastern.

"It was a bitter loss," Kramer said. "Something that's going to stick sideways for a long time."