MSU vs. EWU Game Notes
11/3/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
THE STORYLINE
Fresh off a 56-7 win over Sacramento State, the Bobcats begin a two-game road trip against explosive Eastern Washington in Spokane on Saturday. The game will be televised nationally on The Football Network, and around Montana by Omega TV Productions on Bresnan Cable systems. The game matches a pair of 5-4 teams. The Bobcats are 3-1 in league play, tied with Montana for the conference lead, while Eastern is 2-3. Corey Smith earned The Sports Network I-AA Co-Special Teams Player of the Week honors, and Bruce Molock was Big Sky offensive POW.
GAME FACTS
KICKOFF: 12:37 pm PST/1:37 pm MST
SITE: Spokane, WA
STADIUM: Joe Albi Stadium
PRESS BOX PHONE: TBA
RADIO: State Farm Bobcat Network (Kris Atteberry, Dan Davies)
TELEVISION: The Football Network and Omega Productions (Barry Tompkins, Bob Toledo)
HIGHLIGHTS
l MSU gained a season-high 497 yards against Sac State
l Saturday’s game will be MSU’s first on turf this season
STREAKS
l The Bobcats are riding a three-game winning streak for the first time this season
l Senior captains Brent Swaggert (OT) and Jon Montoya (DE) have each started 44 straight games
l MSU has won three straight Big Sky road games
MILESTONES
l Corey Smith has four career punt returns for touchdowns, a Big Sky Conference record
l Travis Lulay is now fourth in MSU history in passing yards (3,689)
SHINING
l QB TRAVIS LULAY has completed at least 70% of his passes in three straight games
l RB BRUCE MOLOCK gained 201 yards rushing last week
l RS COREY SMITH is the only player in MSU history to return two punts, as well as a punt and a kickoff, for touchdowns
ABOUT THE ‘CATS...
MSU in ‘03 5-4
Conf./Record Big Sky/3-1
Home/Road 3-2/2-2
Grass/Turf 5-4/0-0
Day/Night 5-3/0-1
HEAD COACH Mike Kramer
Alma Mater Idaho/’76
Overall/Years 54-59/9th
At MSU/Years 17-27/3rd
vs EWU 7-1
Home/Road 4-0/3-1
SERIES MSU 6-5
At MSU 3-1
At EWU 3-4
Current Streak MSU 2W
ABOUT EASTERN WASH. ...
EWU in ‘03 5-4
Conf./Record Big Sky/2-3
Home/Road 3-1/2-3
Grass/Turf 4-2/1-2
Day/Night 2-1/3-3
HEAD COACH Paul Wulff
Alma Mater Washington St/’90
Overall/Years 24-18/4th
At School/Years same
vs MSU 1-2
Home/Road/Neu 0-0/1-1/0-1
ABOUT EWU The Eagles
Colors Red, white
Location Cheney, WA
Enrollment 9,178
Stadium Woodward/Joe Albi
OPPONENT ‘03 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
A30 at San Diego St L 9-19
S6 at Idaho W 8-5
S13 Central Wash. W 48-29
S20 Southern Utah W 49-21
S27 Weber State L 23-35
O4 at Idaho State L 52-55ot
O11 Portland State W 42-16
O18 at NAU L 31-54
O25 at Sac State W 38-21
N8 MSU
N15 at Montana
BOBCAT 2003 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
A30 at Wyoming L 10-21 Bobcats lose third opener in four years
S6 Gardner-Webb W 38-3 MSU beats a ranked I-AA foe
S20 at Cal Poly L 21-24 ‘Cats hold explosive Cal Poly to 221 yards
S27 Northern Colo. L 10-14 Bobcats fall late to old league rival
O4 at Saint Mary’s W 40-0 MSU logs first road whitewash since ‘84
O11 *Idaho State L 17-23 Bobcats lose second straight HC tilt
O18 *at Weber State W 26-3 MSU wins Cat fight for second striaght year
O25 *NAU W 21-17 ‘Cats top Jacks for first time since ‘98
N1 *Sac State W 56-7 Season-high totals in points, yards
N8 *at East. Wash. 1:40 pm Kramer faces his former school
N15 *at Portland St 7:05 pm MSU hasn’t won in Portland since ‘74
N22 *Montana 12:05 pm Bobcats face perennial I-AA title contender
What to Watch
F The X Factor... In eight of Montana State’s nine games this year, special teams proved a turning point for the winning team...
Date Winner Play(s)
8/30 Wyoming Cowboys block MSU punt for TD
9/6 MSU 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
F Warriors... A pair of offensive line starters have proven to be warriors for the Bobcats. Tackle Brent Swaggert has started every game in his career, at both guard and tackle. Guard Mataio Toilolo played last weekend less than three weeks after arthroscopic knee surgery, prompting several teammates to refer to him as the toughest player they have seen.
F Travis the Terrific... Travis Lulay has completed 70% of his passes in each of the last three games, and has led the Bobcats to four fourth-quarter comebacks in his 17 career starts.
Pinning ‘Em
Mike Kramer has taken his punt team down an unconventional road in the last four games, but it has paid dividends. Travis Lulay has become MSU’s punter, and using a rugby-like roll punt has averaged 39.0 yards on 21 punts, pinning the opponent inside the 20 eight times.
Finishing Strong
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 6-6 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. The Bobcats have held the opponent scoreless in 22 of the team’s 36 quarters of football.
C-Note
A Montana State back has gained over 100 yards in four of MSU’s nine games this year. Bruce Molock has been that man thrice. He now has five career 100-yard games, including two at Northridge.
Combo Backs
David Mayfield rushed for 101 yards against Wyoming, and Bruce Molock gained 120 against Gardner-Webb. That gave the Bobcats different back-to-back 100-yarders for the first time since 1993.
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 is tied for the team lead in interceptions.
...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 15 pass breakups in the last two weeks.
Seeing Red
Since scoring on eight straight red zone opportunities, the Bobcats have struggled in the last three games. MSU is 9-for-14 in that stretch, but bounced back with a 5-for-6 effort against Sacramento State. The ‘Cats have converted 17 of their last 22 red zone chances, and are 18-for-23 on the season. MSU is 9-for-9 in goal-to-go situations this year.
Turning it Over
MSU is -2 in turnovers in the last two games, but have won both outings. The -2 margin against NAU marked the first time the Bobcats have won with a -2 turnover margin this year.
Bending, but Not Breaking
After allowing the opponent to surpass 300 yards of total offense in back-to-back games, MSU limited Sac St to 239 yards.
NOTING THE ‘CATS
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 13th in I-AA in total defense, 281.4
* 3rd in the Big Sky and 26th nationally in rushing defense, 118.4
* 1st in the Big Sky and 22nd in I-AA in pass defense, 163.0
* 1st in the Big Sky and 3rd nationally in scoring defense, 12.4
* MSU’s total defense average of 281.4 would be the fifth-best total 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 (32.5%) of their possessions (37-of-114).
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 17 games as MSU’s starter, Lulay is already 4th in school history in passing yards, 5th in touchdown passes, and 4th in completions. He was the first true freshman to lead the ‘Cats to a win in over Montana since Dave Alt in 1956.
One-Two-Three, Cha-Cha-Cha
The Bobcat offense has done a good job moving the sticks in recent weeks. After being forced into three-and-out possessions 14 times in 42 drives in the season’s first three games, MSU has only 15 three-and-outs in the last four games (72 possessions).
Bouncing Back
Travis Lulay threw four interceptions in the season opener at Wyoming, but has been intercepted only four times in the seven games since. In MSU’s first two games, Lulay was 28-for-59 with four interceptions and two touchdowns. Since, he is 121-for-200 (4 INTs, 7 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 at Saint Mary’s became the 19th player to rush for 100 yards or more at least twice in a season.
Stiffening Up
The Bobcat defense has allowed opponents only two scores after the team’s 14 offensive turnovers.
The Home Fires
The ‘Cats are 19-16 in Bobcat Stadium in its current configuration, 10-11 in Big Sky games, and 1-2 against Division II foes.
MSU When Leading After...
1st Quarter 4-0
2nd Quarter 4-1
3rd Quarter 4-1
MSU WhenTrailing After...
1st Quarter 1-3
2nd Quarter 1-3
3rd Quarter 1-3
KRAMER’S QUOTES
On MSU’s win over Sac State: “Consummate. Considerable. It was a solid win all the way around. We played with good speed on defense and offense, and with great speed in the kicking game. Bruce Molock, except for the fumbles, ran the ball well and finished runs. Travis Lulay operated the offensive efficiently. Defensively, we played extremely well, more like the Bobcat defense we have all become used to.”
On the Eastern Washington game: “This game boils down to execution and conviction, which team has the most faith in each other and its coaches. Eastern is a a very young team, a very solid team, a very competitive team that is committed to finish November with a roar. This is a young team with designs on greatness for years to come, and a very severe challenge to us.”
On the Bobcats: “By now this team has been together long enough that we know what our range is. We don’t do less coaching, but we do more refinement than we do introduction. As a veteran team, as an experienced team, as a savvy team, we want to give our guys the tips that enable them to take advantage of the opportunities the other teams give to them. That’s really what happens to us in November. Our pad level is pretty good. Our emotional level is excellent, our ability to focus and pay attention is very sound, and most importantly our coaching staff understands the range of their players and knows what we can and should not try. It’s such a given that our defense will play so excellent that a lot of team looks to the offense to see whether we’ll play great or whether we’ll stagger a littl bit out of the blocks. For the remainder of the season, how we play early offensively will always lay down the tone of the game. As we get more and more healthy in the offensive front the run is going to come back to us and stay with us. In November, your ability to run the ball determines your success for any team I have ever coached. Our ability to knock people off the ball and present the challenge should enable Travis to have a good month throwing.”
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+*
27 Jimmy Beal................................................ 5-7 162 Fr*
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
Fresh off a 56-7 win over Sacramento State, the Bobcats begin a two-game road trip against explosive Eastern Washington in Spokane on Saturday. The game will be televised nationally on The Football Network, and around Montana by Omega TV Productions on Bresnan Cable systems. The game matches a pair of 5-4 teams. The Bobcats are 3-1 in league play, tied with Montana for the conference lead, while Eastern is 2-3. Corey Smith earned The Sports Network I-AA Co-Special Teams Player of the Week honors, and Bruce Molock was Big Sky offensive POW.
GAME FACTS
KICKOFF: 12:37 pm PST/1:37 pm MST
SITE: Spokane, WA
STADIUM: Joe Albi Stadium
PRESS BOX PHONE: TBA
RADIO: State Farm Bobcat Network (Kris Atteberry, Dan Davies)
TELEVISION: The Football Network and Omega Productions (Barry Tompkins, Bob Toledo)
HIGHLIGHTS
l MSU gained a season-high 497 yards against Sac State
l Saturday’s game will be MSU’s first on turf this season
STREAKS
l The Bobcats are riding a three-game winning streak for the first time this season
l Senior captains Brent Swaggert (OT) and Jon Montoya (DE) have each started 44 straight games
l MSU has won three straight Big Sky road games
MILESTONES
l Corey Smith has four career punt returns for touchdowns, a Big Sky Conference record
l Travis Lulay is now fourth in MSU history in passing yards (3,689)
SHINING
l QB TRAVIS LULAY has completed at least 70% of his passes in three straight games
l RB BRUCE MOLOCK gained 201 yards rushing last week
l RS COREY SMITH is the only player in MSU history to return two punts, as well as a punt and a kickoff, for touchdowns
ABOUT THE ‘CATS...
MSU in ‘03 5-4
Conf./Record Big Sky/3-1
Home/Road 3-2/2-2
Grass/Turf 5-4/0-0
Day/Night 5-3/0-1
HEAD COACH Mike Kramer
Alma Mater Idaho/’76
Overall/Years 54-59/9th
At MSU/Years 17-27/3rd
vs EWU 7-1
Home/Road 4-0/3-1
SERIES MSU 6-5
At MSU 3-1
At EWU 3-4
Current Streak MSU 2W
ABOUT EASTERN WASH. ...
EWU in ‘03 5-4
Conf./Record Big Sky/2-3
Home/Road 3-1/2-3
Grass/Turf 4-2/1-2
Day/Night 2-1/3-3
HEAD COACH Paul Wulff
Alma Mater Washington St/’90
Overall/Years 24-18/4th
At School/Years same
vs MSU 1-2
Home/Road/Neu 0-0/1-1/0-1
ABOUT EWU The Eagles
Colors Red, white
Location Cheney, WA
Enrollment 9,178
Stadium Woodward/Joe Albi
OPPONENT ‘03 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
A30 at San Diego St L 9-19
S6 at Idaho W 8-5
S13 Central Wash. W 48-29
S20 Southern Utah W 49-21
S27 Weber State L 23-35
O4 at Idaho State L 52-55ot
O11 Portland State W 42-16
O18 at NAU L 31-54
O25 at Sac State W 38-21
N8 MSU
N15 at Montana
BOBCAT 2003 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
A30 at Wyoming L 10-21 Bobcats lose third opener in four years
S6 Gardner-Webb W 38-3 MSU beats a ranked I-AA foe
S20 at Cal Poly L 21-24 ‘Cats hold explosive Cal Poly to 221 yards
S27 Northern Colo. L 10-14 Bobcats fall late to old league rival
O4 at Saint Mary’s W 40-0 MSU logs first road whitewash since ‘84
O11 *Idaho State L 17-23 Bobcats lose second straight HC tilt
O18 *at Weber State W 26-3 MSU wins Cat fight for second striaght year
O25 *NAU W 21-17 ‘Cats top Jacks for first time since ‘98
N1 *Sac State W 56-7 Season-high totals in points, yards
N8 *at East. Wash. 1:40 pm Kramer faces his former school
N15 *at Portland St 7:05 pm MSU hasn’t won in Portland since ‘74
N22 *Montana 12:05 pm Bobcats face perennial I-AA title contender
What to Watch
F The X Factor... In eight of Montana State’s nine games this year, special teams proved a turning point for the winning team...
Date Winner Play(s)
8/30 Wyoming Cowboys block MSU punt for TD
9/6 MSU 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
F Warriors... A pair of offensive line starters have proven to be warriors for the Bobcats. Tackle Brent Swaggert has started every game in his career, at both guard and tackle. Guard Mataio Toilolo played last weekend less than three weeks after arthroscopic knee surgery, prompting several teammates to refer to him as the toughest player they have seen.
F Travis the Terrific... Travis Lulay has completed 70% of his passes in each of the last three games, and has led the Bobcats to four fourth-quarter comebacks in his 17 career starts.
Pinning ‘Em
Mike Kramer has taken his punt team down an unconventional road in the last four games, but it has paid dividends. Travis Lulay has become MSU’s punter, and using a rugby-like roll punt has averaged 39.0 yards on 21 punts, pinning the opponent inside the 20 eight times.
Finishing Strong
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 6-6 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. The Bobcats have held the opponent scoreless in 22 of the team’s 36 quarters of football.
C-Note
A Montana State back has gained over 100 yards in four of MSU’s nine games this year. Bruce Molock has been that man thrice. He now has five career 100-yard games, including two at Northridge.
Combo Backs
David Mayfield rushed for 101 yards against Wyoming, and Bruce Molock gained 120 against Gardner-Webb. That gave the Bobcats different back-to-back 100-yarders for the first time since 1993.
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 is tied for the team lead in interceptions.
...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 15 pass breakups in the last two weeks.
Seeing Red
Since scoring on eight straight red zone opportunities, the Bobcats have struggled in the last three games. MSU is 9-for-14 in that stretch, but bounced back with a 5-for-6 effort against Sacramento State. The ‘Cats have converted 17 of their last 22 red zone chances, and are 18-for-23 on the season. MSU is 9-for-9 in goal-to-go situations this year.
Turning it Over
MSU is -2 in turnovers in the last two games, but have won both outings. The -2 margin against NAU marked the first time the Bobcats have won with a -2 turnover margin this year.
Bending, but Not Breaking
After allowing the opponent to surpass 300 yards of total offense in back-to-back games, MSU limited Sac St to 239 yards.
NOTING THE ‘CATS
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 13th in I-AA in total defense, 281.4
* 3rd in the Big Sky and 26th nationally in rushing defense, 118.4
* 1st in the Big Sky and 22nd in I-AA in pass defense, 163.0
* 1st in the Big Sky and 3rd nationally in scoring defense, 12.4
* MSU’s total defense average of 281.4 would be the fifth-best total 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 (32.5%) of their possessions (37-of-114).
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 17 games as MSU’s starter, Lulay is already 4th in school history in passing yards, 5th in touchdown passes, and 4th in completions. He was the first true freshman to lead the ‘Cats to a win in over Montana since Dave Alt in 1956.
One-Two-Three, Cha-Cha-Cha
The Bobcat offense has done a good job moving the sticks in recent weeks. After being forced into three-and-out possessions 14 times in 42 drives in the season’s first three games, MSU has only 15 three-and-outs in the last four games (72 possessions).
Bouncing Back
Travis Lulay threw four interceptions in the season opener at Wyoming, but has been intercepted only four times in the seven games since. In MSU’s first two games, Lulay was 28-for-59 with four interceptions and two touchdowns. Since, he is 121-for-200 (4 INTs, 7 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 at Saint Mary’s became the 19th player to rush for 100 yards or more at least twice in a season.
Stiffening Up
The Bobcat defense has allowed opponents only two scores after the team’s 14 offensive turnovers.
The Home Fires
The ‘Cats are 19-16 in Bobcat Stadium in its current configuration, 10-11 in Big Sky games, and 1-2 against Division II foes.
MSU When Leading After...
1st Quarter 4-0
2nd Quarter 4-1
3rd Quarter 4-1
MSU WhenTrailing After...
1st Quarter 1-3
2nd Quarter 1-3
3rd Quarter 1-3
KRAMER’S QUOTES
On MSU’s win over Sac State: “Consummate. Considerable. It was a solid win all the way around. We played with good speed on defense and offense, and with great speed in the kicking game. Bruce Molock, except for the fumbles, ran the ball well and finished runs. Travis Lulay operated the offensive efficiently. Defensively, we played extremely well, more like the Bobcat defense we have all become used to.”
On the Eastern Washington game: “This game boils down to execution and conviction, which team has the most faith in each other and its coaches. Eastern is a a very young team, a very solid team, a very competitive team that is committed to finish November with a roar. This is a young team with designs on greatness for years to come, and a very severe challenge to us.”
On the Bobcats: “By now this team has been together long enough that we know what our range is. We don’t do less coaching, but we do more refinement than we do introduction. As a veteran team, as an experienced team, as a savvy team, we want to give our guys the tips that enable them to take advantage of the opportunities the other teams give to them. That’s really what happens to us in November. Our pad level is pretty good. Our emotional level is excellent, our ability to focus and pay attention is very sound, and most importantly our coaching staff understands the range of their players and knows what we can and should not try. It’s such a given that our defense will play so excellent that a lot of team looks to the offense to see whether we’ll play great or whether we’ll stagger a littl bit out of the blocks. For the remainder of the season, how we play early offensively will always lay down the tone of the game. As we get more and more healthy in the offensive front the run is going to come back to us and stay with us. In November, your ability to run the ball determines your success for any team I have ever coached. Our ability to knock people off the ball and present the challenge should enable Travis to have a good month throwing.”
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+*
27 Jimmy Beal................................................ 5-7 162 Fr*
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
Wednesday, June 10
Friday, March 27
Monday, March 23
Friday, March 13
