SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Steve Kracher looked across the field at the Montana State Bobcats before kickoff and cracked a smile, thinking back.
"Any time you look across the field and see the uniform that you once wore, there's that allegiance, there's those memories that come flooding back to the days that you were in that uniform," Kracher said. "So yes it does bring up a lot of memories."
Kracher is in his first year as a defensive analyst for Cal Poly. But in the 1970s there was no one more synonymous with Bobcat football. From 1972-75, Kracher put forth one of the best careers in MSU history, finishing third all-time in rushing for the Bobcats.
But this week he's game-planning against his former team and has watched more Bobcat game film than anyone on the Mustang staff.
"From a defensive point, I've watched their offense, I've seen every game, watched every clip and entered all the data. Break them down, analyze them for the coordinators so they can put the game plan together," he said.
Kracher, who won the Big Sky rushing titles his junior and senior seasons, is impressed with what he's seen from the Bobcat offense.
"They're very multi-dimensional in terms of how they line up," Kracher explained. "Tackle overs, wildcats, motion shifts, different personnel groupings. Our defensive guys have to have their eyes right. They have to recognize what's going on and play what they see. Recognizing that when the ball is snapped takes discipline."
Kickoff between No. 6 Montana State (4-1) and Cal Poly (2-2) is set for 6 p.m. (MDT) Saturday night.
