BOZEMAN, Mont. -- It's not a secret, and Mike Kramer isn't about to turn it into one.

"All eyes will be on the quarterback," MSU's seventh-year head coach says as his team prepares to open spring camp on Monday, March 27. "Everyone will be watching the quarterback, everyone will be talking about the quarterback, all the focus will be on the quarterback."

Junior Cory Carpenter, who served as record-setting signal caller Travis Lulay's understudy for three seasons, enters camp as the only trigger man on the Bobcat roster who was in the program before Christmas. Carpenter completed two of his three passes for 51 yards last year in mop-up duty, but he inherits the mantle of next-great-thing by virtue of his limited experience.

Kramer recognizes that the bar at Carpenter's position has been set high. "We want the guys playing quarterback to be comfortable that if they make a mistake they can just go on to the next play, but we're not used to our quarterback making mistakes. We need those guys to relax, but we need them to perform at a high level." MSU's three quarterbacks vie to replace Lulay, who finished second in Big Sky history in total offense and led MSU to three Big Sky titles in his four seasons as the club's starting quarterback.

Hawaii transfer Jack Rolovich and freshman Colin Beeson join Carpenter under center. "Cory enters the spring as the number one," Kramer said. "He'll take the reps with the ones, and Jack and Colin will split reps with the twos. But we really consider this thing wide open. We'll evaluate every practice, every repetition."

The performance of quarterbacks are inextricably woven into that of other skill position players on offense, and Kramer indicated that he plans to spend considerable time evaluating his pass-catchers. "While we await (injured transfer) Donnell Wheaton's return from arthroscopic knee surgery, I'll be anxious to watch Mike Jefferson's considerable speed and skill. We planned on Tyler Lulay starting at the Z position, but he tweaked a hamstring and will miss about 10 days. We'll look at Deon Toliver there, and see what we have with some young players."

Running back Evin Groves and an experienced offensive line returns to anchor the offense, but several youngsters have the opportunity to make impressions up front. Starters Peder Jensen at tackle and guard Brant Birkeland are both shelved for at least the beginning of spring drills with injuries.

Defensively, MSU remains experienced up front and at linebacker. The secondary draws Kramer's interest on that side of the ball, where senior cornerbacks Eddie Smith and Chris Davis look to return from injuries. "If those two guys are able to play, we could be very, very solid in the secondary."

Kramer has pushed the start of spring ball back to March 23 to accommodate weather and field conditions, and will wrap up spring drills with the Sonny Holland Classic on April 21. In between, MSU's annual Triangle Classic in Great Falls stands as the highlight. That scrimmage marks the debut of the 2006 team, and Kramer knows what everyone will be watching.

"That will be a fun weekend," he said. "We all want to see how those quarterbacks play."

IMPORTANT SPRING DATES   

Mon, 3/27        Camp Opens, 4 pm

Sat, 4/8        Triangle Classic, GF, 1 pm

Fri, 4/14        Scrimmage, 1 pm

Thu, 4/20        Sonny Holland Classic, 4 pm

Practice days: 4 pm on M-Tu-W-F-Sa during week one, TBA thereafter

INJURY INFO       

Montana State opens the spring without the services of several veterans and one noteworthy newcomer. Receiver Donnell Wheaton, who transferred from UNLV in January, will miss the first 2-3 weeks with a knee injury. Starting offensive linemen Peder Jensen (tackle, knee) and Brant Birkeland (guard, back) both miss at least the first two weeks of the spring. On defense, nose tackle Andy Matakis (knee) continues to recover from his second surgery, while Clive Lowe tweaked a hamstring the week before camp. Both are likely out for the spring.

A LOOK AT 2006

. Montana State returns only five offensive starters this spring, but three (guard Brant Birkeland and tackles Joe Hirst and Peder Jensen) are in the offensive line

. MSU looks to replace its starter at quarterback and all three receiver spots this year

. Both Bobcat cornerbacks (Kory Austin, Andre Fuller) return

. MSU faces a spring without a returning starter at quarterback for the first time since Mike Kramer’s first season in Bozeman (2000)

2005 HIGHLIGHTS

        It was the perfect ending -- Travis Lulay taking a knee one last time in Bobcat Stadium, the frenzied crowd rushing the field, tearing down the goalposts, and marching them downtown. And Lulay, like the finest hero in the greatest western, rides into the sunset. It seems like yesterday, and also like years ago, but the Bobcats face the post-Lulay era head-on March 27, when Mike Kramer opens his seventh spring session as MSU’s head coach. The Bobcats welcome starting running back Evin Groves and four O-line starters, but rebuild at WR and QB. Seven starters return on defense. More on MSU's 2005 Championship season...

.  Three Bobcats earned Big Sky Player of the Week honors -- Evin Groves on offense, Nick Marudas on defense, Jeff Hastings special teams -- in the same week for their first time ever for their work against Montana

.  Jeff Hastings finished 12-for-13 on field goal attempts inside 40 yards, and finished with a school record 16 field goals in 2005

.  Jeff Bolton earned FB Gazette National Offensive Lineman of the Week honors for the second straight week in the win over Montana

.  Travis Lulay became one of four MSU quarterbacks to beat the Griz three times, and joined Dennis Erickson as the only Bobcat signal callers to win three league titles

.  The Bobcats were nationally-ranked for all 12 weeks of 2005

.  MSU rides the wave of four straight winning seasons for the first time since ‘76-79

.  Travis Lulay is one of seven players in college football history with 10,000 career yards passing and 1,000 rushing