MSU Game Notes vs. UNI
11/27/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
THE STORYLINE
Montana State ended the season the way it began, with their eyes on I-AA Football’s ultimate prize. A trip to the playoffs was not certain, though, until Travis Lulay’s punt died at near the MSU one-yard line as time expired that the ‘Cats were in. Montana State’s second straight win over the Grizzlies -- the first in Bozeman since 1985 -- clinched the school’s second straight Big Sky title, and the Bobcats visit Northern Iowa for a first-round playoff game. The Panthers finished the year 9-2, and finished the year with a home win over Southern Illinois to clinch the Gateway title.
GAME FACTS
KICKOFF: 4:05 pm MST
SITE: Cedar Falls, IA
STADIUM: UNI-Dome
PRESS BOX PHONE: NA
RADIO: State Farm Bobcat Network (Kris Atteberry, Dan Davies)
TELEVISION: TBA
HIGHLIGHTS
l Montana State beat Montana Saturday to win its second straight Big Sky Championship
STREAKS
l Montana State has now beaten the Grizzlies two straight years l Senior captains Brent Swaggert (OT) and Jon Montoya (DE) have each started a school-record 47 straight games l Kane Ioane has led the ‘Cats in tackles in six straight games l Bruce Molock has scored at least one touchdown in five straight
MILESTONES
l Sophomore QB Travis Lulay is now third in school history in completions and passing yards l Montana State has qualified for the I-AA Playoffs in back-to-back years for the first time in school history
SHINING
l DT BEAU CLARK had nine tackles, including two sacks and another tackle-for-loss, in MSU’s win over the Grizzlies l RS COREY SMITH, who owns the Big Sky’s career (five) and season (four) records for touchdown punt returns, brought a kick to the house Saturday. Smith was named Big Sky and The Sports Network I-AA Special Teams Player of the Week
ABOUT THE ‘CATS...
MSU in ‘03 7-5
Conf./Record Big Sky/5-2, T1st
Home/Road 4-2/3-3
Grass/Turf 6-4/1-1
Day/Night 6-4/1-1
HEAD COACH Mike Kramer
Alma Mater Idaho/’76
Overall/Years 56-60/10th
At MSU/Years 19-28/4th
vs UNI 0-1
Home/Road 0-0/0-1
SERIES UM 64-33-5
At MSU UM 20-16-3
At UM UM 26-14-1
At Neutral UM 18-3-1
Current Streak MSU 1W
ABOUT NORTHERN IOWA ...
NIU in ‘03 9-2
Conf./Record Gateway/5-1
Home/Road 5-0/4-2
Grass/Turf 3-1/6-1
Day/Night 7-1/2-1
HEAD COACH Mark Farley
Alma Mater Northern Iowa/’87
Overall/Years 25-9/3rd
At School/Years 25-9/3rd
vs MSU 0-0
Home/Road/Neu 0-0/0-0
ABOUT NIU The Panthers
Spirit Colors Purple, old gold
Location Cedar Falls, IA
Enrollment 13,000
Stadium UNI-Dome
OPPONENT ‘03 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
A30 at Iowa State L 10-17
S6 Northern Mich. W 62-0
S18 at Stephen F Austin W 38-24
S27 Northwestern State W 43-10
O4 at Illinois State W 16-7
O11 Indiana State W 22-14
O18 at SW Missouri W 26-20
O25 at Western Ill. W 38-30
N1 Youngstown St W 47-9
N8 at #9 W. Kentucky L 3-24
N15 #2 Southern Ill. W 43-40
NOTING THE ‘CATS
What to Watch
F The X Factor... Special teams have been pivotal in Bobcat games this year...
Date Opponent Play(s)
8/30 Wyoming Cowboys block MSU punt for TD
9/6 G-Webb Corey Smith returns punt, KO for TD
9/20 Cal Poly Darrell Johnson returns punt for TD
9/27 UNC Bears convert 4th down from punt
10/4 SMC Two 2-pointers, two fake punts
10/11 ISU Corey Smith fumbles punt at MSU 13
10/18 WSU ‘Cats convert fumbled punt into TD
11/1 Sac St Corey Smith returns 2 punts for TDs
11/8 EWU Ryan Phillips’ 28-yd KR sets up TD
11/15 PSU Corey Smith returns 4th punt for TD
11/22 Montana Corey Smith 90-yard TD kick ret.
F Tourney Talk... The ‘Cats are in the post-season for the second straight year, an MSU first.
F Good on Good... Saturday’s game will pit Northern Iowa’s explosive, balanced offense against the Big Sky’s top defense. The Panthers average 31.6 points and 409 yards agame, and have turned the ball over only 14 times this season. The Bobcat defense surrenders only 282.1 yards and 15.0 points a game this year, two of the better figures in Big Sky Conference history. Pinning ‘Em Since Travis Lulay became MSU’s punter, he has used a rugby-like roll punt to average 36.5 yards a punt, and has pinned the opponent inside the 20 11 times.
The Games They Remember
Mike Kramer’s teams have shown the ability to finish strong. Between 1990 and ‘99, the Bobcats were 6-20 in the month of November without a single winning month. Mike Kramer’s teams are 8-7 in November, and last year’s 4-1 ride to the Big Sky title was the school’s first winning November since 1984.
Catching On
Scott Turnquist caught 14 passes for the Bobcats vs. NAU, the second-most receptions in one game in MSU history.
Whitewashin’
Montana State’s shutout of Saint Mary’s was the Cats’ first since blanking Sacramento State in 2001. It was MSU’s first road shutout since beating Weber State 48-0 in 1984, 213 games ago.
Paydirt
Bruce Molock has scored eight TDs in the last four games, and his 11 TD runs this year is fifth in MSU history. Playing Quarters The Bobcats have held the opponent scoreless in 26 of the team’s 48 quarters. The loss at Eastern marked the only time this season a team has scored points in each of the four quarters against the Bobcats.
Third’s a Charm
MSU has surrendered only 10 third-quarter points this year -- an Eastern Washington TD, and a field goal by Weber State.
Half is Good
The Bobcat defense has held opposing quarterbacks to 44% passing in the last seven games. Portland State was 9-for-28 two weeks ago.
Stingy
Montana State’s league-leading defense has allowed only one opponent -- Northern Arizona -- to gain more than 400 total yards. Portland State gained just 112 yards, MSU’s best defensive day since holding Mesa State to 49 yards in ‘92.
Pickin’...
Bobcat defensive end Clive Lowe, a redshirt freshman, has intercepted two passes this season. Both came as a result of dropping into coverage in MSU’s zone blitz scheme. Lowe was tied for the team lead until Joey Thomas’ pick on Saturday.
...and Breakin’
Bobcat cornerback Joey Thomas broke up four NAU passes and two against Sac State. He now has 10 this season. As a team, the Bobcats have 29 pass breakups in the last five weeks.
Seeing Red
Since scoring on eight straight red zone opportunities, the Bobcats have struggled in the last four games. MSU is 15-for-21 in that stretch.
Turning it Over
MSU was -6 in turnovers before going +2 against both Portland State and Montana. MSU is 4-1 with a positive TO margin.
D’ing Up
Here is how Montana State’s defense stacks up against the rest of the nation, and against history...
* 1st in the Big Sky and 8th in I-AA in total defense, 282.2
* 2nd in the Big Sky and 14th nationally in rushing defense, 107.4
* 1st in the Big Sky and 22nd in I-AA in pass defense, 166.8
* 1st in the Big Sky and 7th nationally in scoring defense, 15.0
* MSU’s total defense average of 282.2 would be in the top 10 in the Big Sky since 1981
Three is All You Get
The Bobcat defense has forced opposing offenses into three-and-out situations on nearly one-third (28.4%) of their possessions (43-of-151).
Hip! Hip! Lulay!!
With each game, Bobcat quarterback Travis Lulay establishes himself not only as one of the top quarterbacks in Division I-AA, but as one of the premiere signal callers in school history. After just 20 games as MSU’s starter, Lulay is already 3rd in school history in passing yards, 5th in touchdown passes, and 3rd in completions. He was the first true freshman to lead the ‘Cats to a win in over Montana since Dave Alt in ‘56, and is 2-0 vs. UM.
One-Two-Three, Cha-Cha-Cha
The Bobcat offense bogged down a little in the Grizzly game, but has still done a good job moving the sticks recently. After being forced into three-and-out possessions 14 times in 42 drives in the season’s first three games, MSU had only 16 three-and-outs in the next seven games (87 possessions).
Bouncing Back
Travis Lulay threw four interceptions in the season opener at Wyoming, but has been intercepted only six times in the 11 games since. In MSU’s first two games, Lulay was 28-for-59 with four interceptions and two touchdowns. Since, he is 168-for-282 (6 INTs, 8 TDs).
The 100-Yard Clubs
Bruce Molock became MSU’s 39th 100 yard rusher (stats available since ‘64) by getting 120 against Gardner-Webb, and is one of 13 players to rush for 100 yards or more at least four times in a season.
Stiffening Up
The Bobcat defense has allowed opponents only four scores after the team’s 18 offensive turnovers (an interception vs. EWU, was returned for a TD).
The Home Fires
The ‘Cats are 20-16 in Bobcat Stadium in its current configuration, 11-11 in Big Sky games, and 1-2 against Division II foes.
MSU When Leading After...
1st Quarter 5-0
2nd Quarter 6-1
3rd Quarter 6-1
MSU WhenTrailing After...
1st Quarter 1-3
2nd Quarter 1-4
3rd Quarter 1-4
By the Numbers
2
Number of punts returned for TDs by the spectacular Corey Smith against Sacramento State
4
Punts returned for touchdowns this year by Corey Smith, a Big Sky Conference record (one away from the I-AA mark)
5
Punts returned for TDs by Corey Smith in his career, also a Big Sky record, and two away from the I-AA mark
73
Yards opponents have returned Travis Lulay’s 31 punts this season
KRAMER’S QUOTES
On beating the Grizzlies: “I think the day boiled down to the fact that we had a group of 13 seniors that just would not lose, and every important moment in the game had fingerprints from that senior class all over it -- Corey Smith’s return, Joey Thomas and Kenneth Qualls intercepting passes, Bruce Molock getting the running game going behind Brent Swaggert and Mataio Toilolo. We had players of all classes step up, but those seniors came up huge. I thought Travis Lulay managed the game very efficiently, and Bruce Molock really ran well in the second half behind a seasoned, veteran, talented offensive line. But the bottom line of the whole affair was turnovers. The two turnovers our defense forced -- working with Corey’s kickoff return -- gave us the steam we needed to get a truly monumental win.”
On the Playoffs: “I’m proud that the Big Sky got three teams in the playoffs, and I think it is deserving of three teams in the playoffs. Northern Arizona will represent the Big Sky very well at McNeese State, and I know Montana and Montana State will represent the league well. It’s an exciting opportunity for us. We began the year talking about competing after Thanksgiving for a National Championship, the team bought in, our seniors led the way, and here we are.”
On Northern Iowa: “Northern Iowa is an outstanding team, and a tremendous program year after year. They are a very fast team, built for turf and built for a dome. Their statistics are balanced between the run and the pass, but they really like to run the ball. They have two outstanding running backs and a very solid, efficient quarterback. Defensively they are very mutliple. They play a lot of man defense. They remind me a lot of Northern Arizona. Their stadium gets very loud. I’ve coached there as an assistant and as a head coach (all while at Eastern Washington) and it’s an awesome atmosphere. This is a great opportunity for us, and it will be a tremendous experience.”
Current Montana State Two-Deep (with pro-nuns-ee-AY-shuns) Offense
LEFT TACKLE 60 Brent Swaggert 6-4 293 Sr*
76 Dusty Daws 6-5 248 Jr*
LEFT GUARD 65 Mataio Toilolo(muh-TAY-o toy-LO-lo) 6-5 286 Sr*
67 Joaquin Echauri (uh-CHAHR-ee) 6-4 285 Jr+
CENTER 50 Zach Wolf 6-2 275 So
57 Brant Birkeland 6-1 265 Fr*
RIGHT GUARD 64 Jeff Bolton 6-4 331 So
67 Joaquin Echauri (uh-CHAHR-ee) 6-4 285 Jr+
RIGHT TACKLE 73 Joe Hirst 6-6 271 Fr*
70 Chris Haynes 6-3 255 Jr+
QUARTERBACK 14 Travis Lulay (LOO-lay) 6-2 205 So
12 Brent Owens 5-10 183 Fr*
RUNNING BACK 31 Bruce Molock (MOE-lock) 5-11 205 Sr+*
35 David Mayfield 6-1 190 So
X RECEIVER 83 Demetrius Williams 6-2 185 Jr+
6 Brandon Roosevelt 5-11 175 Fr*
SLOT RECEIVER 86 Scott Turnquist 6-0 202 Sr*
82 Matt McCullough 5-11 161 So*
Z RECEIVER 84 Corey Smith 5-10 168 Sr*
5 Eddie Sullivan 6-0 200 Jr+
TIGHT END 85 Blake Wolf 6-2 240 Jr*
88 Jason Goodman 6-4 235 Fr
99 Nick Barbero 6-2 221 Fr*
FULLBACK 4 Ryan Elliott 6-0 224 Sr*
Defense
ANCHOR END 95 Jon Montoya 6-2 258 Sr*
90 Ryan Cogley (rhymes with frog-lee) 6-3 211 Fr*
NOSE 92 Adam Cordeiro (core-DARE-oh) 6-1 258 Sr*
98 Beau Clark 6-1 262 Jr*
71 DeShawn Gibbs 6-3 240 Jr+
TACKLE 58 Ray Sebestyen (like Sebastian) 6-2 253 Jr*
57 Brant Birkeland 6-1 265 Fr*
RUSH END 42 Clive Lowe (like low) 6-3 226 Fr*
40 Chad Gluhm (like gloom) 6-2 240 Jr*
SAM LINEBACKER 43 Nick Marudas (muh-ROOD-us) 6-1 222 So*
36 Clayton Curley 6-2 195 So+
MIKE LINEBACKER 91 Roger Cooper 6-3 224 So*
39 Brandon Eggart 6-0 213 Jr*
WILL LINEBACKER 33 Mac Mollohan 6-0 205 So
47 Jonathan Molock (MOE-lock) 6-0 210 Sr+
LEFT CORNER 2 Joey Thomas 6-2 188 Sr 3 DeAngelo Wall 5-10 167 Fr*
FREE SAFETY 24 Kenneth Qualls 5-10 183 Sr+
20 Ryan Force 6-1 196 Fr*
STRONG SAFETY 10 Kane Ioane (eye-OWN) 5-11 203 Sr
26 Demond Goins (go-ins) 5-10 186 So*
RIGHT CORNER 7 Jay Hackett 6-0 178 Sr*
22 Kahiam Hunter (like I am) 5-10 170 Jr
PLACE KICKER 19 Nate Cook
PUNTS 14 Travis Lulay
LONG SNAPS 96 Dusty Daws
PUNT/KICK RETURNS 84 Corey Smith
HOLDER 86 Scott Turnquist
*-indicates player has used redshirt year, +-indicates player is a transfer
Montana State ended the season the way it began, with their eyes on I-AA Football’s ultimate prize. A trip to the playoffs was not certain, though, until Travis Lulay’s punt died at near the MSU one-yard line as time expired that the ‘Cats were in. Montana State’s second straight win over the Grizzlies -- the first in Bozeman since 1985 -- clinched the school’s second straight Big Sky title, and the Bobcats visit Northern Iowa for a first-round playoff game. The Panthers finished the year 9-2, and finished the year with a home win over Southern Illinois to clinch the Gateway title.
GAME FACTS
KICKOFF: 4:05 pm MST
SITE: Cedar Falls, IA
STADIUM: UNI-Dome
PRESS BOX PHONE: NA
RADIO: State Farm Bobcat Network (Kris Atteberry, Dan Davies)
TELEVISION: TBA
HIGHLIGHTS
l Montana State beat Montana Saturday to win its second straight Big Sky Championship
STREAKS
l Montana State has now beaten the Grizzlies two straight years l Senior captains Brent Swaggert (OT) and Jon Montoya (DE) have each started a school-record 47 straight games l Kane Ioane has led the ‘Cats in tackles in six straight games l Bruce Molock has scored at least one touchdown in five straight
MILESTONES
l Sophomore QB Travis Lulay is now third in school history in completions and passing yards l Montana State has qualified for the I-AA Playoffs in back-to-back years for the first time in school history
SHINING
l DT BEAU CLARK had nine tackles, including two sacks and another tackle-for-loss, in MSU’s win over the Grizzlies l RS COREY SMITH, who owns the Big Sky’s career (five) and season (four) records for touchdown punt returns, brought a kick to the house Saturday. Smith was named Big Sky and The Sports Network I-AA Special Teams Player of the Week
ABOUT THE ‘CATS...
MSU in ‘03 7-5
Conf./Record Big Sky/5-2, T1st
Home/Road 4-2/3-3
Grass/Turf 6-4/1-1
Day/Night 6-4/1-1
HEAD COACH Mike Kramer
Alma Mater Idaho/’76
Overall/Years 56-60/10th
At MSU/Years 19-28/4th
vs UNI 0-1
Home/Road 0-0/0-1
SERIES UM 64-33-5
At MSU UM 20-16-3
At UM UM 26-14-1
At Neutral UM 18-3-1
Current Streak MSU 1W
ABOUT NORTHERN IOWA ...
NIU in ‘03 9-2
Conf./Record Gateway/5-1
Home/Road 5-0/4-2
Grass/Turf 3-1/6-1
Day/Night 7-1/2-1
HEAD COACH Mark Farley
Alma Mater Northern Iowa/’87
Overall/Years 25-9/3rd
At School/Years 25-9/3rd
vs MSU 0-0
Home/Road/Neu 0-0/0-0
ABOUT NIU The Panthers
Spirit Colors Purple, old gold
Location Cedar Falls, IA
Enrollment 13,000
Stadium UNI-Dome
OPPONENT ‘03 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
A30 at Iowa State L 10-17
S6 Northern Mich. W 62-0
S18 at Stephen F Austin W 38-24
S27 Northwestern State W 43-10
O4 at Illinois State W 16-7
O11 Indiana State W 22-14
O18 at SW Missouri W 26-20
O25 at Western Ill. W 38-30
N1 Youngstown St W 47-9
N8 at #9 W. Kentucky L 3-24
N15 #2 Southern Ill. W 43-40
NOTING THE ‘CATS
What to Watch
F The X Factor... Special teams have been pivotal in Bobcat games this year...
Date Opponent Play(s)
8/30 Wyoming Cowboys block MSU punt for TD
9/6 G-Webb Corey Smith returns punt, KO for TD
9/20 Cal Poly Darrell Johnson returns punt for TD
9/27 UNC Bears convert 4th down from punt
10/4 SMC Two 2-pointers, two fake punts
10/11 ISU Corey Smith fumbles punt at MSU 13
10/18 WSU ‘Cats convert fumbled punt into TD
11/1 Sac St Corey Smith returns 2 punts for TDs
11/8 EWU Ryan Phillips’ 28-yd KR sets up TD
11/15 PSU Corey Smith returns 4th punt for TD
11/22 Montana Corey Smith 90-yard TD kick ret.
F Tourney Talk... The ‘Cats are in the post-season for the second straight year, an MSU first.
F Good on Good... Saturday’s game will pit Northern Iowa’s explosive, balanced offense against the Big Sky’s top defense. The Panthers average 31.6 points and 409 yards agame, and have turned the ball over only 14 times this season. The Bobcat defense surrenders only 282.1 yards and 15.0 points a game this year, two of the better figures in Big Sky Conference history. Pinning ‘Em Since Travis Lulay became MSU’s punter, he has used a rugby-like roll punt to average 36.5 yards a punt, and has pinned the opponent inside the 20 11 times.
The Games They Remember
Mike Kramer’s teams have shown the ability to finish strong. Between 1990 and ‘99, the Bobcats were 6-20 in the month of November without a single winning month. Mike Kramer’s teams are 8-7 in November, and last year’s 4-1 ride to the Big Sky title was the school’s first winning November since 1984.
Catching On
Scott Turnquist caught 14 passes for the Bobcats vs. NAU, the second-most receptions in one game in MSU history.
Whitewashin’
Montana State’s shutout of Saint Mary’s was the Cats’ first since blanking Sacramento State in 2001. It was MSU’s first road shutout since beating Weber State 48-0 in 1984, 213 games ago.
Paydirt
Bruce Molock has scored eight TDs in the last four games, and his 11 TD runs this year is fifth in MSU history. Playing Quarters The Bobcats have held the opponent scoreless in 26 of the team’s 48 quarters. The loss at Eastern marked the only time this season a team has scored points in each of the four quarters against the Bobcats.
Third’s a Charm
MSU has surrendered only 10 third-quarter points this year -- an Eastern Washington TD, and a field goal by Weber State.
Half is Good
The Bobcat defense has held opposing quarterbacks to 44% passing in the last seven games. Portland State was 9-for-28 two weeks ago.
Stingy
Montana State’s league-leading defense has allowed only one opponent -- Northern Arizona -- to gain more than 400 total yards. Portland State gained just 112 yards, MSU’s best defensive day since holding Mesa State to 49 yards in ‘92.
Pickin’...
Bobcat defensive end Clive Lowe, a redshirt freshman, has intercepted two passes this season. Both came as a result of dropping into coverage in MSU’s zone blitz scheme. Lowe was tied for the team lead until Joey Thomas’ pick on Saturday.
...and Breakin’
Bobcat cornerback Joey Thomas broke up four NAU passes and two against Sac State. He now has 10 this season. As a team, the Bobcats have 29 pass breakups in the last five weeks.
Seeing Red
Since scoring on eight straight red zone opportunities, the Bobcats have struggled in the last four games. MSU is 15-for-21 in that stretch.
Turning it Over
MSU was -6 in turnovers before going +2 against both Portland State and Montana. MSU is 4-1 with a positive TO margin.
D’ing Up
Here is how Montana State’s defense stacks up against the rest of the nation, and against history...
* 1st in the Big Sky and 8th in I-AA in total defense, 282.2
* 2nd in the Big Sky and 14th nationally in rushing defense, 107.4
* 1st in the Big Sky and 22nd in I-AA in pass defense, 166.8
* 1st in the Big Sky and 7th nationally in scoring defense, 15.0
* MSU’s total defense average of 282.2 would be in the top 10 in the Big Sky since 1981
Three is All You Get
The Bobcat defense has forced opposing offenses into three-and-out situations on nearly one-third (28.4%) of their possessions (43-of-151).
Hip! Hip! Lulay!!
With each game, Bobcat quarterback Travis Lulay establishes himself not only as one of the top quarterbacks in Division I-AA, but as one of the premiere signal callers in school history. After just 20 games as MSU’s starter, Lulay is already 3rd in school history in passing yards, 5th in touchdown passes, and 3rd in completions. He was the first true freshman to lead the ‘Cats to a win in over Montana since Dave Alt in ‘56, and is 2-0 vs. UM.
One-Two-Three, Cha-Cha-Cha
The Bobcat offense bogged down a little in the Grizzly game, but has still done a good job moving the sticks recently. After being forced into three-and-out possessions 14 times in 42 drives in the season’s first three games, MSU had only 16 three-and-outs in the next seven games (87 possessions).
Bouncing Back
Travis Lulay threw four interceptions in the season opener at Wyoming, but has been intercepted only six times in the 11 games since. In MSU’s first two games, Lulay was 28-for-59 with four interceptions and two touchdowns. Since, he is 168-for-282 (6 INTs, 8 TDs).
The 100-Yard Clubs
Bruce Molock became MSU’s 39th 100 yard rusher (stats available since ‘64) by getting 120 against Gardner-Webb, and is one of 13 players to rush for 100 yards or more at least four times in a season.
Stiffening Up
The Bobcat defense has allowed opponents only four scores after the team’s 18 offensive turnovers (an interception vs. EWU, was returned for a TD).
The Home Fires
The ‘Cats are 20-16 in Bobcat Stadium in its current configuration, 11-11 in Big Sky games, and 1-2 against Division II foes.
MSU When Leading After...
1st Quarter 5-0
2nd Quarter 6-1
3rd Quarter 6-1
MSU WhenTrailing After...
1st Quarter 1-3
2nd Quarter 1-4
3rd Quarter 1-4
By the Numbers
2
Number of punts returned for TDs by the spectacular Corey Smith against Sacramento State
4
Punts returned for touchdowns this year by Corey Smith, a Big Sky Conference record (one away from the I-AA mark)
5
Punts returned for TDs by Corey Smith in his career, also a Big Sky record, and two away from the I-AA mark
73
Yards opponents have returned Travis Lulay’s 31 punts this season
KRAMER’S QUOTES
On beating the Grizzlies: “I think the day boiled down to the fact that we had a group of 13 seniors that just would not lose, and every important moment in the game had fingerprints from that senior class all over it -- Corey Smith’s return, Joey Thomas and Kenneth Qualls intercepting passes, Bruce Molock getting the running game going behind Brent Swaggert and Mataio Toilolo. We had players of all classes step up, but those seniors came up huge. I thought Travis Lulay managed the game very efficiently, and Bruce Molock really ran well in the second half behind a seasoned, veteran, talented offensive line. But the bottom line of the whole affair was turnovers. The two turnovers our defense forced -- working with Corey’s kickoff return -- gave us the steam we needed to get a truly monumental win.”
On the Playoffs: “I’m proud that the Big Sky got three teams in the playoffs, and I think it is deserving of three teams in the playoffs. Northern Arizona will represent the Big Sky very well at McNeese State, and I know Montana and Montana State will represent the league well. It’s an exciting opportunity for us. We began the year talking about competing after Thanksgiving for a National Championship, the team bought in, our seniors led the way, and here we are.”
On Northern Iowa: “Northern Iowa is an outstanding team, and a tremendous program year after year. They are a very fast team, built for turf and built for a dome. Their statistics are balanced between the run and the pass, but they really like to run the ball. They have two outstanding running backs and a very solid, efficient quarterback. Defensively they are very mutliple. They play a lot of man defense. They remind me a lot of Northern Arizona. Their stadium gets very loud. I’ve coached there as an assistant and as a head coach (all while at Eastern Washington) and it’s an awesome atmosphere. This is a great opportunity for us, and it will be a tremendous experience.”
Current Montana State Two-Deep (with pro-nuns-ee-AY-shuns) Offense
LEFT TACKLE 60 Brent Swaggert 6-4 293 Sr*
76 Dusty Daws 6-5 248 Jr*
LEFT GUARD 65 Mataio Toilolo(muh-TAY-o toy-LO-lo) 6-5 286 Sr*
67 Joaquin Echauri (uh-CHAHR-ee) 6-4 285 Jr+
CENTER 50 Zach Wolf 6-2 275 So
57 Brant Birkeland 6-1 265 Fr*
RIGHT GUARD 64 Jeff Bolton 6-4 331 So
67 Joaquin Echauri (uh-CHAHR-ee) 6-4 285 Jr+
RIGHT TACKLE 73 Joe Hirst 6-6 271 Fr*
70 Chris Haynes 6-3 255 Jr+
QUARTERBACK 14 Travis Lulay (LOO-lay) 6-2 205 So
12 Brent Owens 5-10 183 Fr*
RUNNING BACK 31 Bruce Molock (MOE-lock) 5-11 205 Sr+*
35 David Mayfield 6-1 190 So
X RECEIVER 83 Demetrius Williams 6-2 185 Jr+
6 Brandon Roosevelt 5-11 175 Fr*
SLOT RECEIVER 86 Scott Turnquist 6-0 202 Sr*
82 Matt McCullough 5-11 161 So*
Z RECEIVER 84 Corey Smith 5-10 168 Sr*
5 Eddie Sullivan 6-0 200 Jr+
TIGHT END 85 Blake Wolf 6-2 240 Jr*
88 Jason Goodman 6-4 235 Fr
99 Nick Barbero 6-2 221 Fr*
FULLBACK 4 Ryan Elliott 6-0 224 Sr*
Defense
ANCHOR END 95 Jon Montoya 6-2 258 Sr*
90 Ryan Cogley (rhymes with frog-lee) 6-3 211 Fr*
NOSE 92 Adam Cordeiro (core-DARE-oh) 6-1 258 Sr*
98 Beau Clark 6-1 262 Jr*
71 DeShawn Gibbs 6-3 240 Jr+
TACKLE 58 Ray Sebestyen (like Sebastian) 6-2 253 Jr*
57 Brant Birkeland 6-1 265 Fr*
RUSH END 42 Clive Lowe (like low) 6-3 226 Fr*
40 Chad Gluhm (like gloom) 6-2 240 Jr*
SAM LINEBACKER 43 Nick Marudas (muh-ROOD-us) 6-1 222 So*
36 Clayton Curley 6-2 195 So+
MIKE LINEBACKER 91 Roger Cooper 6-3 224 So*
39 Brandon Eggart 6-0 213 Jr*
WILL LINEBACKER 33 Mac Mollohan 6-0 205 So
47 Jonathan Molock (MOE-lock) 6-0 210 Sr+
LEFT CORNER 2 Joey Thomas 6-2 188 Sr 3 DeAngelo Wall 5-10 167 Fr*
FREE SAFETY 24 Kenneth Qualls 5-10 183 Sr+
20 Ryan Force 6-1 196 Fr*
STRONG SAFETY 10 Kane Ioane (eye-OWN) 5-11 203 Sr
26 Demond Goins (go-ins) 5-10 186 So*
RIGHT CORNER 7 Jay Hackett 6-0 178 Sr*
22 Kahiam Hunter (like I am) 5-10 170 Jr
PLACE KICKER 19 Nate Cook
PUNTS 14 Travis Lulay
LONG SNAPS 96 Dusty Daws
PUNT/KICK RETURNS 84 Corey Smith
HOLDER 86 Scott Turnquist
*-indicates player has used redshirt year, +-indicates player is a transfer
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2025 Code of a Champion
Monday, March 23
Spring Football Preview Press Conference
Friday, March 13
