Bobcats Drop Thriller in Spokane
11/8/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
In the end, the Bobcats didn’t have quite enough magic.
Eastern Washington answered Montana State’s furious second half comeback with one of its own, scoring two touchdowns in the final 2:19 after the ‘Cats had taken the lead one minute earlier. The Eagles won 34-25, dropping MSU to 5-5 overall and 3-2 in the Big Sky. MSU still controls its own destiny for a Big Sky title. MSU would need to win the Big Sky’s automatic berth to qualify for the NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs for the second straight season.
On a chilly Saturday at Spokane’s Joe Albi Stadium, turnovers were easily the difference in the game. “You can’t turn the ball over five times against a good football team on the road and win the game,” said MSU coach Mike Kramer. “We dug ourselves a mighty deep hole and clawed our way out to take the lead, but you can’t give up field position on the kickoff like we did.”
With 6:53 to play in the third quarter, Bruce Molock capped a 65-yard, nine-play drive with a two-yard run to pull MSU to within 20-16. On MSU’s next drive, Lulay scored on a one-yard on fourth down to give MSU a 23-20 lead. Ryan Phillips returned Nate Cook’s squib kick 28 yards to the Eastern 48, setting up the game-winning scoring drive.
On a third-and-10, with MSU leading 23-20, Eastern quarterback Erik Meyer raced 36 yards on a quarterback draw to set up a short Eric Kimble touchdown to give EWU the lead. On MSU’s next possession, Javid Shoemaker intercepted a Travis Lulay pass and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown. Eastern took a safety for the final margin.
“It was a see-saw,” Kramer said. “The quarterback draw was a nice call by them. We ran a twist on that play, and the defensive line was not trying to stay in their lanes, they were getting to new lanes.”
Lulay, who threw for 319 yards, pinpointed the first half turnovers as the game’s key moment. “We had our opportunities,” he said. “We blew a couple of opportunities in the first half. Even as poorly as we played in the first half, we still had a chance.”
Montana State moved the ball seemingly at will in the first quarter, but scored only on a 22-yard Nate Cook field goal with four-and-a-half minutes to play in the first quarter. The Bobcats moved the ball to the Eastern 31 on their first possession before punting. Cook got the Bobcats on the boards on MSU’s next possession, but MSU then fumbled on three straight possessions, once by Bruce Molock, once by Lulay, and once by Ryan Elliott after a first-down reception.
“There’s nothing worse you can do,” Kramer said, “than fumble at the one-yard line going in. That’s devastating.”
The fumbles stole MSU’s offensive momentum. The Bobcats gained 138 yards to the point of the first fumble, but finished the first half with 196 total yards. After the third fumble, the Bobcats punted twice before EJ Cochrane missed a long field goal to end the first half.
Not long after Eastern’s defense kicked into gear, the Eagle offense got untracked. The two sides collaborated on the team’s first score. When Eastern recovered a Travis Lulay fumble, the Eagles kicked a field goal in spite of moving backwards five yards on the possession. The Eagles moved 62 yards before a fumble on their next possession, but scored on an 11-yard pass from Meyer to Kimble on Eastern’s last possession of the first half.
Turnovers ended up as the game’s major factor. MSU’s first fumble was on a handoff exchange between Lulay and Molock inside the Eastern five, at a point of the game when it appeared the Bobcats were taking charge. On the next possession, Ryan Elliott couldn’t finish a pass reception before the ball was stripped, and this again was inside Eastern territory, at the 38. The third first-half turnover came in Bobcat territory, and set up Eastern’s first field goal.
Montana State’s average starting field position in the first quarter was the Eastern 43, while the Eagles started three first-half possessions inside their own five.
Eastern Washington answered Montana State’s furious second half comeback with one of its own, scoring two touchdowns in the final 2:19 after the ‘Cats had taken the lead one minute earlier. The Eagles won 34-25, dropping MSU to 5-5 overall and 3-2 in the Big Sky. MSU still controls its own destiny for a Big Sky title. MSU would need to win the Big Sky’s automatic berth to qualify for the NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs for the second straight season.
On a chilly Saturday at Spokane’s Joe Albi Stadium, turnovers were easily the difference in the game. “You can’t turn the ball over five times against a good football team on the road and win the game,” said MSU coach Mike Kramer. “We dug ourselves a mighty deep hole and clawed our way out to take the lead, but you can’t give up field position on the kickoff like we did.”
With 6:53 to play in the third quarter, Bruce Molock capped a 65-yard, nine-play drive with a two-yard run to pull MSU to within 20-16. On MSU’s next drive, Lulay scored on a one-yard on fourth down to give MSU a 23-20 lead. Ryan Phillips returned Nate Cook’s squib kick 28 yards to the Eastern 48, setting up the game-winning scoring drive.
On a third-and-10, with MSU leading 23-20, Eastern quarterback Erik Meyer raced 36 yards on a quarterback draw to set up a short Eric Kimble touchdown to give EWU the lead. On MSU’s next possession, Javid Shoemaker intercepted a Travis Lulay pass and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown. Eastern took a safety for the final margin.
“It was a see-saw,” Kramer said. “The quarterback draw was a nice call by them. We ran a twist on that play, and the defensive line was not trying to stay in their lanes, they were getting to new lanes.”
Lulay, who threw for 319 yards, pinpointed the first half turnovers as the game’s key moment. “We had our opportunities,” he said. “We blew a couple of opportunities in the first half. Even as poorly as we played in the first half, we still had a chance.”
Montana State moved the ball seemingly at will in the first quarter, but scored only on a 22-yard Nate Cook field goal with four-and-a-half minutes to play in the first quarter. The Bobcats moved the ball to the Eastern 31 on their first possession before punting. Cook got the Bobcats on the boards on MSU’s next possession, but MSU then fumbled on three straight possessions, once by Bruce Molock, once by Lulay, and once by Ryan Elliott after a first-down reception.
“There’s nothing worse you can do,” Kramer said, “than fumble at the one-yard line going in. That’s devastating.”
The fumbles stole MSU’s offensive momentum. The Bobcats gained 138 yards to the point of the first fumble, but finished the first half with 196 total yards. After the third fumble, the Bobcats punted twice before EJ Cochrane missed a long field goal to end the first half.
Not long after Eastern’s defense kicked into gear, the Eagle offense got untracked. The two sides collaborated on the team’s first score. When Eastern recovered a Travis Lulay fumble, the Eagles kicked a field goal in spite of moving backwards five yards on the possession. The Eagles moved 62 yards before a fumble on their next possession, but scored on an 11-yard pass from Meyer to Kimble on Eastern’s last possession of the first half.
Turnovers ended up as the game’s major factor. MSU’s first fumble was on a handoff exchange between Lulay and Molock inside the Eastern five, at a point of the game when it appeared the Bobcats were taking charge. On the next possession, Ryan Elliott couldn’t finish a pass reception before the ball was stripped, and this again was inside Eastern territory, at the 38. The third first-half turnover came in Bobcat territory, and set up Eastern’s first field goal.
Montana State’s average starting field position in the first quarter was the Eastern 43, while the Eagles started three first-half possessions inside their own five.
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