'Cats Turn to Turnquist
10/25/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Montana State players and coaches spent considerable effort disputing the fact that senior receiver Scott Turnquist was quarterback Travis Lulay's go-to guy during the fourth quarter of the Bobcats' stunning 21-17 come-from-behind win over #10 Northern Arizona on Saturday.
They weren't very convincing.
"Basically, he was just the one getting open," Lulay said after engineering one of the most improbable comebacks in Bobcat Stadium history. "I have a lot of faith in all our receivers, and whoever gets open is the one I'm going to look for. Scott was the one getting open."
Turnquist, a fifth-year senior who continues to climb MSU's career receiving charts, caught 14 passes on Saturday. He has long been cast a possession receiver in MSU's offense against more explosive weapons such as Junior Adams, Aaron Hill, and Corey Smith. On Saturday, he looked for all the world like a featured receiver. "It's a great feeling," Turnquist said after the win.
Montana State trailed 17-7 against one of the better defensive teams in Division I-AA with just 2:19 to play after Paul Ernster nailed a 30-yard field goal. Lulay completed passes of six, 10, and 14 yards to Turnquist to move the Bobcats to the NAU 44, then found freshman Brandon Roosevelt for 10 yards. On a first-and-10 from the NAU 32, Lulay raced into the end zone on a quarterback draw.
After recovering an on-side kick with 1:07 to play -- "When we recovered that kick I had no doubt that we would win," said MSU coach Mike Kramer -- Lylay found Turnquist 20 and six yards, then scrambled for 18 yards and found Ryan Elliott for four yards to the NAU six. Lulay hit Turnquist on a crossing route that appeared to be a touchdown but was spotted at the one, then snuck in from a yard out for the score.
Kramer said he saw it coming from his veteran receiver. "Scott has had his eyes slitted since I harangued him (after the Idaho State loss)," Kramer said, referring to a public tongue-lashing he gave his senior receivers Turnquist and Corey Smith. "I'm not the kind of guy that's going to call out a kid in public unless I fell I've exhausted my other motivational techniques. Scott responded to that like the man he is."
That response was evident to the 12,000-plus crowd in Bobcat Stadium on Saturday, but in particular to his quarterback. "I saw him get off the bench when the defense was on the field and he was leading cheers and really giving them encouragement," Lulay said. "That really set the tone."
One of Saturday's much-hyped showdowns was between NAU's explosive receiver tandem of Johnny Marshall and Clarence Moore and MSU's secondary. Kramer said that he was more interested -- and impressed -- in the ability of Bobcat receivers Smith and Turnquist to negate the impact of Moore and Marshall. He liked what he saw.
"There were two senior receivers on each side of the field, and they each made big plays," Kramer said. "Corey's came on the on-side kick (that he recovered) and Scott made his plays in the fourth quarter. I thought we matched those receivers well."
Because Turnquist is MSU's slot receiver, most of his catches come on crossing and underneath routes. Kramer said that NAU's defense is designed to stop outside routes, making the team vulnerable underneath and in the middle of the field. "You can't throw outside on them," he said. "You just can't. Scott wasn't necessarily the go-to guy today, but by design he was the player we needed to get the ball to."
They weren't very convincing.
"Basically, he was just the one getting open," Lulay said after engineering one of the most improbable comebacks in Bobcat Stadium history. "I have a lot of faith in all our receivers, and whoever gets open is the one I'm going to look for. Scott was the one getting open."
Turnquist, a fifth-year senior who continues to climb MSU's career receiving charts, caught 14 passes on Saturday. He has long been cast a possession receiver in MSU's offense against more explosive weapons such as Junior Adams, Aaron Hill, and Corey Smith. On Saturday, he looked for all the world like a featured receiver. "It's a great feeling," Turnquist said after the win.
Montana State trailed 17-7 against one of the better defensive teams in Division I-AA with just 2:19 to play after Paul Ernster nailed a 30-yard field goal. Lulay completed passes of six, 10, and 14 yards to Turnquist to move the Bobcats to the NAU 44, then found freshman Brandon Roosevelt for 10 yards. On a first-and-10 from the NAU 32, Lulay raced into the end zone on a quarterback draw.
After recovering an on-side kick with 1:07 to play -- "When we recovered that kick I had no doubt that we would win," said MSU coach Mike Kramer -- Lylay found Turnquist 20 and six yards, then scrambled for 18 yards and found Ryan Elliott for four yards to the NAU six. Lulay hit Turnquist on a crossing route that appeared to be a touchdown but was spotted at the one, then snuck in from a yard out for the score.
Kramer said he saw it coming from his veteran receiver. "Scott has had his eyes slitted since I harangued him (after the Idaho State loss)," Kramer said, referring to a public tongue-lashing he gave his senior receivers Turnquist and Corey Smith. "I'm not the kind of guy that's going to call out a kid in public unless I fell I've exhausted my other motivational techniques. Scott responded to that like the man he is."
That response was evident to the 12,000-plus crowd in Bobcat Stadium on Saturday, but in particular to his quarterback. "I saw him get off the bench when the defense was on the field and he was leading cheers and really giving them encouragement," Lulay said. "That really set the tone."
One of Saturday's much-hyped showdowns was between NAU's explosive receiver tandem of Johnny Marshall and Clarence Moore and MSU's secondary. Kramer said that he was more interested -- and impressed -- in the ability of Bobcat receivers Smith and Turnquist to negate the impact of Moore and Marshall. He liked what he saw.
"There were two senior receivers on each side of the field, and they each made big plays," Kramer said. "Corey's came on the on-side kick (that he recovered) and Scott made his plays in the fourth quarter. I thought we matched those receivers well."
Because Turnquist is MSU's slot receiver, most of his catches come on crossing and underneath routes. Kramer said that NAU's defense is designed to stop outside routes, making the team vulnerable underneath and in the middle of the field. "You can't throw outside on them," he said. "You just can't. Scott wasn't necessarily the go-to guy today, but by design he was the player we needed to get the ball to."
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