Grizzlies showed little interest in Ogden

The Daily Inter Lake

The northwest Montana contingent of Griz Nation is cringing.

Flathead High School football star Daniel Ogden has signed to play football for the Montana State Bobcats.

Big No. 90 committed to the 'Cats on Thursday night.

"They gave me their offer this past summer at 'Cat Camp," Ogden said. "It took me a long time to make my decision."

The University of Montana offered Ogden - a 6-foot-1, 256-pound all-state defensive tackle - only a partial scholarship at fullback and made contact with him well after the football season ended.

But the Bobcats had their eye on him for quite awhile.

"They (MSU) showed a lot of interest in me," Ogden said. "I talked to them all year. They knew who I was and I knew who they were. I met all the coaches and went to the Portland State game, which is when they started their big win streak.

"The Grizzlies offered me a partial and it was for fullback, which I wouldn't have minded. But it was an easy decision because of the free education."

Indeed, it was the work of MSU coach Mike Kramer and his coaching staff that made the difference. The Bobcats recruited and still have on their roster former FHS stars Brandon Hoffenbacker, Beau Watkins, Richard Boggs and Tanner Rauk along with former Whitefish High School standout Mike McCracken.

"The Bobcats have been really good to the Flathead Valley the last couple of years," Ogden said. "The Hoffenbackers and my family are close. I started watching (Brandon) when I was in seventh grade and he was a freshman. They bumped him up onto the varsity squad as a freshman. He's really good. So with him telling me I should come down (to MSU) and how well I'd fit into their defense really encouraged me. It made me feel like I made the right decision."

The Bobcats are coming off an 8-5 season where they won seven of their last nine games, including a first-round playoff victory at home against Furman, 31-13. The

two losses were to the Griz, 13-7, and eventual two-time defending national champion Appalachian State in the quarterfinals. The Bobcats started the season

with a 19-10 victory at Division I-A Colorado.

"I like the coaching staff - that was a big reason - and I like where their program is heading," Ogden said. "Plus they said they wanted me for D-line, so I won't have to switch positions."

But Ogden was worried because Kramer was a top candidate to take over the Idaho head coaching job until he pulled out of consideration because he believes his MSU program is in disarray with a lot of off-the-field problems and wants to pull it around.

"I was worried and wondering what was going to happen," Ogden said. "They would have still honored my full-ride scholarship, but the fact that Kramer and his whole coaching staff may have gone may have switched everything. Another coaching staff may have wanted me for a different position."

The Bobcats switched their defensive scheme from a 3-4 to the flex halfway through the season and prospered.

"I'm hoping to redshirt so I can learn the defense all year," Ogden said.

Ogden was second on the Braves in defensive statistics points with 158. His junior-year total of 221 defensive statistics points ranks 16th all-time in Braves history. He recorded 15 tackles for losses and 82 total tackles last year for the 7-4 Braves. He also tallied 4 1/2 sacks, five quarterback hurries, a pass breakup with a forced fumble and fumble recovery.

As a fullback, Ogden ran the ball 40 times for 292 yards (7.3 yards per carry) and eight touchdowns. He also punted the ball nine times for a 28.7 yards per punt average.