With the last week before Thanksgiving upon us, there’s no more pretending that this isn’t the biggest game of the season. Big Sky Champion Montana brings a perfect 10-0 record to Bozeman, along with a 7-0 league mark and its 12th straight conference title, for the 109th Cat-Griz game, which suddenly holds considerable meaning for the Bobcats. At 7-3, Montana State needs another victory to boost itself into post-season consideration. Montana has won three straight in this series.
Game Notes in pdf
THIS WEEK’S GAME
KICKOFF: 12:05 pm MT
SITE: Bozeman, MT
STADIUM: Bobcat Stadium
RADIO: Bobcat Radio Network (Jeff Lasky, Dan Davies, Tyler Wiltgen)
TELEVISION: KPAX-TV (Phil Buck, Mike Callaghan, Grady Bennett)
FOR OPENERS
* Montana State owns eight consecutive winning seasons, one campaign shy of the longest such streak in school history (1956-64)
* The Bobcats are 23-4 when positive or even in turnover margin since the beginning of 2006, but just 5-14 when finishing a game negative in turnovers.
* Montana State has trailed in five of its seven wins in 2009
STADIUM STUFF
* Montana State finishes the year with a 3-2 road record, clinching its first winning season away from home since the 4-2 road campaign in 2006
* Montana State’s final 2009 record on natural grass will stand at 2-2
BIG SKY BULLET POINTS
* Montana State continues to lead the Big Sky in rushing defense (81.2 yards per game)
HIGHLIGHTS
* Rob Ash joins Mike Kramer (twice), Sonny Holland (who had three in a row) and Tony Storti as the only Bobcat coaches with consecutive seven-win seasons
* MSU has blocked five kicks this season
STREAKS
* Montana State has intercepted at least one pass in three straight games for the second time this season
* Michael Rider has a takeaway in two straight games - he intercepted a Sac State pass, and forced a PSU fumble
* RG Jeff Hansen and RT Mike Person have 33 straight starts next to each other
MILESTONES
* Everett Gilbert’s 525 receiving yards and 1,077 all-purpose yards are the most ever by a Bobcat freshman
* Aaron Mason is one of 11 Bobcats with five 100-yard rushing days in his career
SHINING
* DE Dane Fletcher matched his career high with 11 tackles against Sac State while recording 4 tackles-for-loss, 2.5 sacks, and three quarterback hurries
* DT Dan Ogden has registered 2.5 sacks in MSU’s last two games, and his 7.5 tackles-for-loss and 5.0 sacks are second among Big Sky interior linemen
* LB Jody Owens registered his first career interception against Sac State