'Cats Face Tough Test at Cal Poly
9/16/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
THE STORYLINE
Montana State returns to action this week with its most difficult test of the young season, travelling to the central California coast to face nationally-ranked Cal Poly on Saturday at 7 pm MST. The ‘Cats have played a Division I-A opponent and a nationally-ranked I-AA squad thus far, but Cal Poly is likely MSU’s toughest opponent to date. The Mustangs waxed I-A UTEP in its season opener, then beat Sacramento State 31-17 last week. Cal Poly is led by third-year head coach Rich Ellerson and a tenacious defense, and have won four straight against the Bobcats.
GAME FACTS
KICKOFF 6:05 pm PST
SITE San Luis Obispo, CA
STADIUM Mustang Stadium
RADIO/TV State Farm Bobcat Network -- Kris Atteberry, Dan Davies
HIGHLIGHTS
l Corey Smith was the Football Gazette and Sports Network I-AA Special Teams Player of the Week for his 2-TD return performance against Gardner-Webb
STREAKS
l Cal Poly is MSU’s fifth straight I-AA opponent, dating back to last November, that is ranked in the top 25
l Montana State has lost four straight to Cal Poly
l The Bobcats have lost 12 straight non-conference road games, dating to a 13-10 win at Cal Poly in 1995
l Brent Swaggert has started 37 straight games at left tackle
MILESTONES
l Travis Lulay is 10th on MSU’s career passing list with 2,459 yards
l Adam Cordeiro is now tied for second in school history with seven career fumble recoveries
SHINING
l CB JOEY THOMAS has broken up four passes in MSU’s first two games, and will play in next January’s Senior Bowl
l DE CLIVE LOWE has 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and interception, and a pass breakup in the first two career games
l BLAKE WOLF and JASON GOODMAN, Bobcat tight ends, helped pave the way for 228 rushing yards vs. Gardner-Webb
ABOUT THE ‘CATS...
MSU in ‘03 1-1
Conf./Record Big Sky/0-0
Home/Road 1-0/0-1
Grass/Turf 1-1/0-0
Day/Night 1-1/0-0
HEAD COACH Mike Kramer
Alma Mater Idaho/’76
Overall/Years 50-56/9th
At MSU/Years 13-24/3rd
vs CP 1-3
Home/Road 1-2/0-1
SERIES CP 6-4
At MSU 2-3
At CP 2-3
Current Streak CP 4
ABOUT CAL POLY ...
CP in ‘03 2-0
Conf./Record Independent/NA
Home/Road 1-0/1-0
Grass/Turf 1-0/1-0
Day/Night 0-0/2-0
HEAD COACH Rich Ellerson
Alma Mater Hawaii/’76
Overall/Years 15-20/4th
At School/Years 11-13/3rd
vs MSU 2-0
Home/Road 0-0/2-0
ABOUT CP The Mustangs
Colors Forest gree, gold
Location San Luis Obispo, CA
Enrollment 18,000
Stadium Mustang Stadium
OPPONENT ‘03 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
S6 at UTEP W 34-13
S13 Sac State W 31-17
S20 MSU 6 pm
S27 at NAU 6:05 pm
O4 at Montana 12:05 pm
O11 at Akron 3 pm
O18 Saint Mary’s 6 pm
N1 Southern Utah 4 pm
N8 UC Davis 1 pm
N15 Idaho State 1 pm
N22 Humboldt State 1 pm
BOBCAT 2002 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 7 pm Mustangs whipped ‘Cats 34-6 in ‘01
S27 Northern Colo. 1:05 pm Another former Rocky Mountain Conf. rival
O4 at Saint Mary’s 2 pm ‘Cats won opener vs. Gaels last year
O11 *Idaho State 1:35 pm Cat fight features Big Sky contenders
O18 *at Weber State 1:35 pm Kramer faces his former assistant
O25 *NAU 1:05 pm NAU has won four straight, 11 of 12 vs. MSU
N1 *Sac State 12:05 pm Bobcats won thriller in ‘02
N8 *at East. Wash. 3:05 pm Kramer faces his former school
N15 *at Portland State 7:05 pm MSU hasn’t won in Portland since ‘74
N22 *Montana 12:05 pm Bobcats face perennial I-AA title contender
NOTING THE ‘CATS
What to Watch
F Bouncing Back... At the still-tender age of 19, Travis Lulay is already a college football veteran. He has started MSU’s last nine games, and has already been through a lot. In his first start, he faced eventual league tri-champion Idaho State on the road. He lost two of his first three starts, then rallied the team to four straight wins, capped by the stunning win over Montana in Missoula. In this year’s opener he threw four interceptions, one less than last year’s season total. His ability to bounce back will be crucial to MSU’s fortunes.
F Growing Pains... Mike Kramer spent a lot of the week before the season opener worrying about the state of his kicking game, in particular the way his young players would perform on special teams. The concern proved well-founded. MSU gave up a blocked punt for a touchdown and six major penalties on the punt and kickoff teams.
F An Elite Bunch... Counting the overlap from last season, Montana State is in an extremely difficult stretch of schedule. Going back to last season, this weekend’s game will be Montana State’s fourth in a row against either a nationally-ranked Division I-AA opponent or a Division I-A squad.
Out of the Gates
Montana State is looking for its second straight start of 2-1 or better for the second straight year. In face, except for the 2000 and 2001 seasons, the Bobcats have begun every season since 1991 with at least two wins in the first three games.
Going Home
The most-represented state on Montana State’s current football roster is California, providing a homecoming weekend for several Bobcat players. MSU has 31 players from California, including three starters on defense, two on offense, and the punter/kicker. Of the remainder of the squad, 29 hail from Montana, 12 from Washington, five each from Oregon and Florida, two from Minnesota, and one each from Georgia, Idaho, and South Dakota.
In Cali
The Bobcats play three teams from California this year -- Cal Poly, Saint Mary’s, and Big Sky rival Sacramento State -- making this the 10th straight year the ‘Cats have played a team from California, and the fifth straight year the Bobcats have played at least one non-conference opponent from the Golden State.
In Cali, Part II
The Bobcats have a long history against California schools, with a decent amount of good fortune. The Bobcats are 34-33 against schools from California (16-11 against Fresno State, the team’s most significant non-conference rival from California), 15-18 in games played in California.
I-A Hangover
Mike Kramer is now 2-3 in games following losses to Division I-A squads.
Year I-A Opp The Next Week
2000 Idaho EWU, L, 14-30
2001 UAB Web, W, 32-17
2001 Wash St NAU, L, 28-35
2002 Wash St CWU, L, 16-31
2003 Wyoming G-W, W, 38-3
Bye Week Blues
The Bobcats have enjoyed 20 in-season open weeks since World War II, and have won exactly half of the games played following an open week. The Bobcats are 0-2 after byes under Mike Kramer, though, and have lost five of their last seven games played after a bye.
Bye-Bye
MSU has played Cal Poly after a bye week once in school history. That game resulted in a 35-18 home win in 1959.
Roster Stability
After facing tumult during spring ball, fall camp, and the first three weeks of the season in terms of roster fluctuations, the Bobcats could finally benefit from some stability. A pair of starters in the offensive line, right guard Jeff Bolton and center Joaquin Echauri, are scheduled to return from injuries this week. That leaves the Bobcats completely healthy at the varsity level, except a pair of players (Cody Samuelson and Rory Canfield) who will miss the season with shoulder injuries. Additionally, a pair of varsity players return from season-opening two-game suspensions this week. Receivers Mike Williams and Kellen Alley are both expected to see action right away as the ‘Cats look to build depth at receiver.
D’ing Up
Montana State has led the Big Sky Conference in total defense for the past two seasons, and it appears the Bobcats may be even better in 2003. In its first two games -- against a I-A opponent and a nationally-ranked I-AA foe -- MSU has allowed just 262 yards a game, the fewest yards in the Big Sky. The Bobcats are second in the league in scoring defense at 12.0 points a game, and have allowed just 62.5 yards a game on the ground. The ‘Cats allowed just 313.6 yards per game last season, leading the Big Sky in pass defense (200.7), and finishing third in rush defense (112.9) and scoring defense (21.8)
D’ing Up, Part II
Montana State is the only team in Montana’s last 139 games, dating back to a Grizzly loss to Weber State in ‘92, to hold UM to just seven points.
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 10 games as MSU’s starter, Lulay is already 10th in school history in passing yards, ninth in touchdown passes, and 10th in completions. He is the first true freshman to lead the ‘Cats to a win in over Montana since Dave Alt in 1956.
In Lulay’s Way
Wyoming’s defense did something no opponent had previously done to MSU quarterback Travis Lulay in the Cowboys’ 21-10 win in the season opener. UW picked off four Lulay passes, the only team to intercept Lulay more than once. Lulay threw only three picks last year.
The Silver Lining
In spite of the four interceptions, Travis Lulay had a productive day in rainy Laramie last Saturday. He was only 18-for-40, but threw for 223 yards and spread the ball around to six different receivers.
The 100-Yard Club
Bruce Molock became the 39th Bobcat to rush for 100 yards in a game since such statistics became available in 1964 by getting 120 last time out.
Century Back-to-Back
David Mayfield rushed for 101 yards against Wyoming, and Bruce Molock gained 120 against Gardner-Webb. That gives the Bobcats different back-to-back 100-yarders for the first time since 1993.
The Home Fires
The ‘Cats are 17-14 in Bobcat Stadium in its current configuration, 9-10 in Big Sky games, and 1-2 against Division II foes.
MSU When Leading After...
1st Quarter 1-0
2nd Quarter 1-0
3rd Quarter 1-0
MSU WhenTrailing After...
1st Quarter 0-1
2nd Quarter 0-1
3rd Quarter 0-1
SCOPING THE ‘CATS--OFFENSE
QUARTERBACK
Travis Lulay, fr, Aumsville, OR
(GW) Rebounded with an efficient 172-yard effort... completed half his passes (10-for-20) for the 8th time in his 10 career starts). (UW) Threw for 223 yards in the opener at Wyoming, but was picked off four times. (Career) Big Sky co-newcomer of the year... started the last eight games of ‘02, completing 58% of his passes and throwing for 2,064 yards... already 10th on the MSU career passing yardage list... threw for 14 TDs and only five interceptions last year.
A-C-I Pct Yds TD Rating
/03 39-18-4 .464 223 1 80.08
RUNNING BACK
David Mayfield, so, LaHabra, CA
(GW) Carried 18 times for 67 yards... didn’t have a rush for a loss. (UW) Posted his first career 100-yard game in his first start as MSU’s featured back... his 26 carries was a career high. (Career) Started a pair of games as a true freshman when Ryan Johnson was injured, including the come-from-behind win against Portland State.
# Yds TD YPC YPG Rec Yds TD
‘03 44 168 2 3.8 84.0 6 31 0
Bruce Molock, sr, Lancaster, CA
(GW) Logged his first 100-yard game as a Bobcat, getting 120 on 14 carries. (UW) Fumbled in his only carry. (Career) Transferred to MSU from Cal State Northridge, where he was a starter in 2001.
# Yds TD YPC YPG Rec Yds TD
‘03 15 122 0 8.1 61.0 0 0 0
Jimmy Beal, fr, Montclair, CA
Missed the Wyoming game (hamstring).
# Yds TD YPC YPG Rec Yds TD
‘03 Has not played
WIDE RECEIVER
Brandon Roosevelt, fr, Wilsonville, OR
(GW) Two catches, six yards. (UW) Caught six passes in his Bobcat debut at Wyoming.
Rec Yds TD
‘03 6 56 0
Scott Turnquist, sr, Billings
Has caught a TD pass in two straight, and at least one pass in eight straight... is 250 yards from joining MSU’s receiving top 10. (GW) Caught three passes for 62 yards... caught a 46-yard TD pass. (UW) Caught three passes for 31 yards and a TD. (Career) Had two 100-yard receiving days in MSU’s last three games of ‘02, three during the season.
Rec Yds TD
‘03 6 93 2
Corey Smith, sr, Federal Way, WA
Earned Sports Network, Football Gazette, and Big Sky Player of the Week honors for his performance against Gardner-Webb, in which he returned a punt and kick for a TD and had 267 all-purpose yards... leads the Big Sky and is fourth nationally in punt returns. (GW) Returned a punt 49 yards for a TD, and a kick 100 yards for a TD... returned five punts for 104 yards, and two kicks for 127 yards... also caught a 36-yard pass. (UW) Caught two passes for 45 yards (Career) Led the Big Sky and was eighth in Division I-AA in punt return average last year... has been a part-time starter for three seasons.
Rec Yds TD Pt Ret KO Ret
‘03 3 81 0 8-158-1 2-127-1
Eddie Sullivan, jr, Carlsbad,CA
(GW) Caught two passes for 70 yards, including a spectacular 57-yarder. (UW) Caught one pass for 37 yards..
Rec Yds TD
‘03 6 56 0
OFFENSIVE LINE
Brent Swaggert,jr,Buffalo,MN
1st Team All-Big Sky in ‘02... Preseason All-America by the Sports Network and Don Hansen’s Football Gazette this season... has started all of his 37 games at MSU at left tackle... has been a lead blocker in 18 100-yard games during his career.
Mataio Toilolo, sr,Cerritos,CA
Has started both MSU’s games this year... Preseason All-America this year... 1st Team All-Big Sky... started 12 of MSU’s 13 games last year... plays guard and center.
Lawrence Figueroa, jr, Bakersfield, CA
Has not yet played (knee).
Joaquin Echauri, jr, Napa, CA
Started the opener, but missed the Gardner-Webb game (hamstring)
Joe Hirst, fr, Spokane, WA
Hast started both MSU’s games this year... has blocked for two 100-yard rushers.
Dusty Daws, jr, Bozeman
Made his first career start against Gardner-Webb, as MSU allowed only two sacks and rushed for 228 yards... MSU’s long snapper.
SCOPING THE ‘CATS--DEFENSE
DEFENSIVE LINE
Adam Cordeiro, DT, Boulder
Seventh in MSU history with 22 career sacks. (GW) Recovered his seventh career fumble... had four assisted tackles. (UW) Recovered his sixth career fumble... two solo tackles. (Career) A 2001 and 2002 Honorable Mention All-America and All-Big Sky player last year.
UT AT TL Sk FR FF
‘03 2 0 0 0 1 0
Jon Montoya, DE, Brandon, SD
Preseason All-America... his 23 career sacks is 6th in MSU history. (GW) Had five tackles, including his 27th career sack. (UW) No stats. (Career) Had three sacks vs. NAU, one each vs. SMC, ASC and CWU... the 10th-rated DE in I-AA before the season by The Sports Network.
UT AT TL Sk FR FF
‘03 0 0 0 0 0 0
Clive Lowe, DE, Coral Springs, FL
Started the first two games of his career at MSU. (GW) Picked off a pass... two tackles, including 1.5 for a loss and half a sack... broke up one pass. (UW) Three tackles, including one sack... forced a fumble.
UT AT TL Sk FR FF
‘03 2 1 1 1 1 0
Ray Sebestyen, DE, San Diego
(GW) Had eight tackles, including 1.5 sacks... forced a fumble and broke up a pass. (UW) Four tackles, half a sack. (Career) Was 2nd Team All-Big Sky as a soph. last year... had 1.5 sacks last season.
UT AT TL Sk FR FF
‘03 3 1 1 0.5 1 0
Beau Clark, DT, Belgrade
(GW) One assisted tackle. (UW) DNP, knee. (Career) Led all Big Sky interior linemen with 5.5 sacks last year... will miss the opener (knee).
UT AT TL Sk FR FF
‘03 0 1 0 0 0 0
DeShawn Gibbs, DT
(GW) One solo tackle, and it was for a loss. (UW) No stats.
UT AT TL Sk FR FF
‘03 2 0 1 0 0 0
Brant Birkeland, DT, Helena
(GW) No stats. (UW) No stats.
UT AT TL Sk FR FF
‘03 0 0 0 0 0 0
LINEBACKER
Roger Cooper, jr, P. Orchard, WA
A preseason All-America. (GW) Six tackles, including one for a loss... recovered a fumble. (UW) Eight tackles. (Career) 1st Team All-Big Sky last year... had 1.5 sacks, 2 picks, and 6 pass breakups in last three games of ‘02.
UT AT TL Sk Int PB FR
‘03 8 0 0 0 0 0 0
Nick Marudas, so., Bozeman
(GW) 10 tackles, including one sack. (UW) His 10 tackles led the team and was a career high.Started the season opener... his 10 tackles vs. Wyoming was a career high.
UT AT TL Sk FR FF
‘03 8 2 1 1 0 0
Mac Mollohan, so, Kalispell
(GW) One assisted tackle. (UW) One solo tackle.
UT AT TL Sk FR FF PB
‘03 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
SECONDARY
Kane Ioane, sr, Billings
Preseason All-America, and ranked as the top safety in I-AA by The Sports Network... on the Buck Buchanan Watch list. (GW) 13 tackles, 1 sack. (UW) Five solo tackles. (Career) Returning 2nd Team All-America... led the Big Sky in tackles last year.
UT AT TL Int PB FF FR
‘03 15 3 1 0 0 1 0
Joey Thomas, sr, Seattle
(GW) Three tackles and three pass breakups. (UW) Six tackles, one pass breakup, one sack. (Career) Two-time Honorable Mention All-America.
UT AT TL Int PB BK
‘03 8 1 1 0 4 0
Jay Hackett, sr, San Diego
(GW) Broke up two passes and had four tackles. (UW) Three tackles in the season opener. (Career) A part-time starter for past three seasons... his 50 tackles led MSU corners last year.
UT AT Int PB
‘03 5 2 0 2
Kahiam Hunter, jr, Torrance, CA
(GW) Four tackles. (UW) One tackle. (Career) Second on the team with 93 tackles last season.
UT AT Int PB
‘03 6 1 0 0
KRAMER’S QUOTES
On the open week: “The open week came at the perfect time for us. It allowed us to recover from some injuries that have plagued us since the preseason, especially in the offensive line. We’re now as healthy as we can possibly be. The only players who will be unavailable to us are Cody Samuelson, whose shoulder may need more surgery, Rory Canfield, whose shoulder is doing well, Adam DeCock, whose knee is making progress, and Troy O’Connor. We are now two-deep in the offensive line, which is a trait of successful programs. We have a full complement of healthy scout players. We are in excellent, excellent health. I’m really excited about Jeff Bolton. He’s knocking people around, knocking people off the ball, and it appears that even we don’t know the full range of possibilities for Jeff. He could really blossom into an excellent player. Jimmy Beal has looked good, too, and I’m interested to see how he performs in a game. This week also marks the return of Mike Williams and Kellen Alley from suspension. Mike will play right away at the slot, and he gives us an element of speed at that position. We’ll work Kellen in and see where he fits at this point, but he’ll be a good player for the Bobcats at some point.”
On Cal Poly: “Cal Poly’s win over UTEP was stunning. It was eye-popping. Cal Poly beat a Division I-A team, and that always gets your attention, but the way they beat them, wow. Cal Poly dominated them from beginning to end. They led 34-6 until UTEP scored late in the game. Cal Poly moved the ball, their defense was dominant, they played well in the kicking game. This is a very good Cal Poly team. They play the flex defense, which has bedeviled us since I’ve been here, and they run the option on offense. We didn’t really spend time with the team in the off week working on Cal Poly stuff, but our coaches spent a considerable amount of time looking for answers. It will be an interesting regional matchup and a fun opportunity for a lot of our players to play close to home”
Current Montana State Two-Deep (with pro-nuns-ee-AY-shuns)
Offense
LEFT TACKLE 60 Brent Swaggert 6-4 293 Sr*
76 Dusty Daws 6-5 228 Jr*
LEFT GUARD 65 Mataio Toilolo(muh-TAY-oh Toe-ee-LOW-low) 6-1 290 Sr*
72 Garin Brewton 6-5 293 Fr*
CENTER 50 Zach Wolf 6-2 275 So
74 Lawrence Figueroa 6-1 285 Jr+
RIGHT GUARD 64 Jeff Bolton 6-4 331 So
67 Joaquin Echauri (walk-EEN uh-CHAR-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 35 David Mayfield 6-1 190 So
31 Bruce Molock 5-11 205 Sr+*
27 Jimmy Beal 5-7 162 Fr*
X RECEIVER 6 Brandon Roosevelt 5-11 175 Fr*
83 Demetrius Williams 6-2 185 Jr+
SLOT RECEIVER 86 Scott Turnquist 6-0 202 Sr*
29 Mike Williams 5-9 185 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
96 Sean Kelley 6-2 220 Fr
Defense
ANCHOR END 95 Jon Montoya 6-2 258 Sr*
90 Ryan Cogley 6-3 211 Fr*
NOSE 98 Beau Clark 6-1 262 Jr*
71 DeShawn Gibbs 6-3 240 Jr+
TACKLE 58 Ray Sebestyen 6-2 253 Jr*
40 Chad Gluhm (gloom) 6-0 232 Jr*
57 Brant Birkeland 6-1 265 Fr*
RUSH END 92 Adam Cordeiro (core-DARE-oh) 6-1 258 Sr*
42 Clive Lowe 6-3 226 Fr*
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 6-0 210 Sr+
23 Jason Gathing (like gather) 6-0 195 Jr+
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
Montana State returns to action this week with its most difficult test of the young season, travelling to the central California coast to face nationally-ranked Cal Poly on Saturday at 7 pm MST. The ‘Cats have played a Division I-A opponent and a nationally-ranked I-AA squad thus far, but Cal Poly is likely MSU’s toughest opponent to date. The Mustangs waxed I-A UTEP in its season opener, then beat Sacramento State 31-17 last week. Cal Poly is led by third-year head coach Rich Ellerson and a tenacious defense, and have won four straight against the Bobcats.
GAME FACTS
KICKOFF 6:05 pm PST
SITE San Luis Obispo, CA
STADIUM Mustang Stadium
RADIO/TV State Farm Bobcat Network -- Kris Atteberry, Dan Davies
HIGHLIGHTS
l Corey Smith was the Football Gazette and Sports Network I-AA Special Teams Player of the Week for his 2-TD return performance against Gardner-Webb
STREAKS
l Cal Poly is MSU’s fifth straight I-AA opponent, dating back to last November, that is ranked in the top 25
l Montana State has lost four straight to Cal Poly
l The Bobcats have lost 12 straight non-conference road games, dating to a 13-10 win at Cal Poly in 1995
l Brent Swaggert has started 37 straight games at left tackle
MILESTONES
l Travis Lulay is 10th on MSU’s career passing list with 2,459 yards
l Adam Cordeiro is now tied for second in school history with seven career fumble recoveries
SHINING
l CB JOEY THOMAS has broken up four passes in MSU’s first two games, and will play in next January’s Senior Bowl
l DE CLIVE LOWE has 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and interception, and a pass breakup in the first two career games
l BLAKE WOLF and JASON GOODMAN, Bobcat tight ends, helped pave the way for 228 rushing yards vs. Gardner-Webb
ABOUT THE ‘CATS...
MSU in ‘03 1-1
Conf./Record Big Sky/0-0
Home/Road 1-0/0-1
Grass/Turf 1-1/0-0
Day/Night 1-1/0-0
HEAD COACH Mike Kramer
Alma Mater Idaho/’76
Overall/Years 50-56/9th
At MSU/Years 13-24/3rd
vs CP 1-3
Home/Road 1-2/0-1
SERIES CP 6-4
At MSU 2-3
At CP 2-3
Current Streak CP 4
ABOUT CAL POLY ...
CP in ‘03 2-0
Conf./Record Independent/NA
Home/Road 1-0/1-0
Grass/Turf 1-0/1-0
Day/Night 0-0/2-0
HEAD COACH Rich Ellerson
Alma Mater Hawaii/’76
Overall/Years 15-20/4th
At School/Years 11-13/3rd
vs MSU 2-0
Home/Road 0-0/2-0
ABOUT CP The Mustangs
Colors Forest gree, gold
Location San Luis Obispo, CA
Enrollment 18,000
Stadium Mustang Stadium
OPPONENT ‘03 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
S6 at UTEP W 34-13
S13 Sac State W 31-17
S20 MSU 6 pm
S27 at NAU 6:05 pm
O4 at Montana 12:05 pm
O11 at Akron 3 pm
O18 Saint Mary’s 6 pm
N1 Southern Utah 4 pm
N8 UC Davis 1 pm
N15 Idaho State 1 pm
N22 Humboldt State 1 pm
BOBCAT 2002 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 7 pm Mustangs whipped ‘Cats 34-6 in ‘01
S27 Northern Colo. 1:05 pm Another former Rocky Mountain Conf. rival
O4 at Saint Mary’s 2 pm ‘Cats won opener vs. Gaels last year
O11 *Idaho State 1:35 pm Cat fight features Big Sky contenders
O18 *at Weber State 1:35 pm Kramer faces his former assistant
O25 *NAU 1:05 pm NAU has won four straight, 11 of 12 vs. MSU
N1 *Sac State 12:05 pm Bobcats won thriller in ‘02
N8 *at East. Wash. 3:05 pm Kramer faces his former school
N15 *at Portland State 7:05 pm MSU hasn’t won in Portland since ‘74
N22 *Montana 12:05 pm Bobcats face perennial I-AA title contender
NOTING THE ‘CATS
What to Watch
F Bouncing Back... At the still-tender age of 19, Travis Lulay is already a college football veteran. He has started MSU’s last nine games, and has already been through a lot. In his first start, he faced eventual league tri-champion Idaho State on the road. He lost two of his first three starts, then rallied the team to four straight wins, capped by the stunning win over Montana in Missoula. In this year’s opener he threw four interceptions, one less than last year’s season total. His ability to bounce back will be crucial to MSU’s fortunes.
F Growing Pains... Mike Kramer spent a lot of the week before the season opener worrying about the state of his kicking game, in particular the way his young players would perform on special teams. The concern proved well-founded. MSU gave up a blocked punt for a touchdown and six major penalties on the punt and kickoff teams.
F An Elite Bunch... Counting the overlap from last season, Montana State is in an extremely difficult stretch of schedule. Going back to last season, this weekend’s game will be Montana State’s fourth in a row against either a nationally-ranked Division I-AA opponent or a Division I-A squad.
Out of the Gates
Montana State is looking for its second straight start of 2-1 or better for the second straight year. In face, except for the 2000 and 2001 seasons, the Bobcats have begun every season since 1991 with at least two wins in the first three games.
Going Home
The most-represented state on Montana State’s current football roster is California, providing a homecoming weekend for several Bobcat players. MSU has 31 players from California, including three starters on defense, two on offense, and the punter/kicker. Of the remainder of the squad, 29 hail from Montana, 12 from Washington, five each from Oregon and Florida, two from Minnesota, and one each from Georgia, Idaho, and South Dakota.
In Cali
The Bobcats play three teams from California this year -- Cal Poly, Saint Mary’s, and Big Sky rival Sacramento State -- making this the 10th straight year the ‘Cats have played a team from California, and the fifth straight year the Bobcats have played at least one non-conference opponent from the Golden State.
In Cali, Part II
The Bobcats have a long history against California schools, with a decent amount of good fortune. The Bobcats are 34-33 against schools from California (16-11 against Fresno State, the team’s most significant non-conference rival from California), 15-18 in games played in California.
I-A Hangover
Mike Kramer is now 2-3 in games following losses to Division I-A squads.
Year I-A Opp The Next Week
2000 Idaho EWU, L, 14-30
2001 UAB Web, W, 32-17
2001 Wash St NAU, L, 28-35
2002 Wash St CWU, L, 16-31
2003 Wyoming G-W, W, 38-3
Bye Week Blues
The Bobcats have enjoyed 20 in-season open weeks since World War II, and have won exactly half of the games played following an open week. The Bobcats are 0-2 after byes under Mike Kramer, though, and have lost five of their last seven games played after a bye.
Bye-Bye
MSU has played Cal Poly after a bye week once in school history. That game resulted in a 35-18 home win in 1959.
Roster Stability
After facing tumult during spring ball, fall camp, and the first three weeks of the season in terms of roster fluctuations, the Bobcats could finally benefit from some stability. A pair of starters in the offensive line, right guard Jeff Bolton and center Joaquin Echauri, are scheduled to return from injuries this week. That leaves the Bobcats completely healthy at the varsity level, except a pair of players (Cody Samuelson and Rory Canfield) who will miss the season with shoulder injuries. Additionally, a pair of varsity players return from season-opening two-game suspensions this week. Receivers Mike Williams and Kellen Alley are both expected to see action right away as the ‘Cats look to build depth at receiver.
D’ing Up
Montana State has led the Big Sky Conference in total defense for the past two seasons, and it appears the Bobcats may be even better in 2003. In its first two games -- against a I-A opponent and a nationally-ranked I-AA foe -- MSU has allowed just 262 yards a game, the fewest yards in the Big Sky. The Bobcats are second in the league in scoring defense at 12.0 points a game, and have allowed just 62.5 yards a game on the ground. The ‘Cats allowed just 313.6 yards per game last season, leading the Big Sky in pass defense (200.7), and finishing third in rush defense (112.9) and scoring defense (21.8)
D’ing Up, Part II
Montana State is the only team in Montana’s last 139 games, dating back to a Grizzly loss to Weber State in ‘92, to hold UM to just seven points.
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 10 games as MSU’s starter, Lulay is already 10th in school history in passing yards, ninth in touchdown passes, and 10th in completions. He is the first true freshman to lead the ‘Cats to a win in over Montana since Dave Alt in 1956.
In Lulay’s Way
Wyoming’s defense did something no opponent had previously done to MSU quarterback Travis Lulay in the Cowboys’ 21-10 win in the season opener. UW picked off four Lulay passes, the only team to intercept Lulay more than once. Lulay threw only three picks last year.
The Silver Lining
In spite of the four interceptions, Travis Lulay had a productive day in rainy Laramie last Saturday. He was only 18-for-40, but threw for 223 yards and spread the ball around to six different receivers.
The 100-Yard Club
Bruce Molock became the 39th Bobcat to rush for 100 yards in a game since such statistics became available in 1964 by getting 120 last time out.
Century Back-to-Back
David Mayfield rushed for 101 yards against Wyoming, and Bruce Molock gained 120 against Gardner-Webb. That gives the Bobcats different back-to-back 100-yarders for the first time since 1993.
The Home Fires
The ‘Cats are 17-14 in Bobcat Stadium in its current configuration, 9-10 in Big Sky games, and 1-2 against Division II foes.
MSU When Leading After...
1st Quarter 1-0
2nd Quarter 1-0
3rd Quarter 1-0
MSU WhenTrailing After...
1st Quarter 0-1
2nd Quarter 0-1
3rd Quarter 0-1
SCOPING THE ‘CATS--OFFENSE
QUARTERBACK
Travis Lulay, fr, Aumsville, OR
(GW) Rebounded with an efficient 172-yard effort... completed half his passes (10-for-20) for the 8th time in his 10 career starts). (UW) Threw for 223 yards in the opener at Wyoming, but was picked off four times. (Career) Big Sky co-newcomer of the year... started the last eight games of ‘02, completing 58% of his passes and throwing for 2,064 yards... already 10th on the MSU career passing yardage list... threw for 14 TDs and only five interceptions last year.
A-C-I Pct Yds TD Rating
/03 39-18-4 .464 223 1 80.08
RUNNING BACK
David Mayfield, so, LaHabra, CA
(GW) Carried 18 times for 67 yards... didn’t have a rush for a loss. (UW) Posted his first career 100-yard game in his first start as MSU’s featured back... his 26 carries was a career high. (Career) Started a pair of games as a true freshman when Ryan Johnson was injured, including the come-from-behind win against Portland State.
# Yds TD YPC YPG Rec Yds TD
‘03 44 168 2 3.8 84.0 6 31 0
Bruce Molock, sr, Lancaster, CA
(GW) Logged his first 100-yard game as a Bobcat, getting 120 on 14 carries. (UW) Fumbled in his only carry. (Career) Transferred to MSU from Cal State Northridge, where he was a starter in 2001.
# Yds TD YPC YPG Rec Yds TD
‘03 15 122 0 8.1 61.0 0 0 0
Jimmy Beal, fr, Montclair, CA
Missed the Wyoming game (hamstring).
# Yds TD YPC YPG Rec Yds TD
‘03 Has not played
WIDE RECEIVER
Brandon Roosevelt, fr, Wilsonville, OR
(GW) Two catches, six yards. (UW) Caught six passes in his Bobcat debut at Wyoming.
Rec Yds TD
‘03 6 56 0
Scott Turnquist, sr, Billings
Has caught a TD pass in two straight, and at least one pass in eight straight... is 250 yards from joining MSU’s receiving top 10. (GW) Caught three passes for 62 yards... caught a 46-yard TD pass. (UW) Caught three passes for 31 yards and a TD. (Career) Had two 100-yard receiving days in MSU’s last three games of ‘02, three during the season.
Rec Yds TD
‘03 6 93 2
Corey Smith, sr, Federal Way, WA
Earned Sports Network, Football Gazette, and Big Sky Player of the Week honors for his performance against Gardner-Webb, in which he returned a punt and kick for a TD and had 267 all-purpose yards... leads the Big Sky and is fourth nationally in punt returns. (GW) Returned a punt 49 yards for a TD, and a kick 100 yards for a TD... returned five punts for 104 yards, and two kicks for 127 yards... also caught a 36-yard pass. (UW) Caught two passes for 45 yards (Career) Led the Big Sky and was eighth in Division I-AA in punt return average last year... has been a part-time starter for three seasons.
Rec Yds TD Pt Ret KO Ret
‘03 3 81 0 8-158-1 2-127-1
Eddie Sullivan, jr, Carlsbad,CA
(GW) Caught two passes for 70 yards, including a spectacular 57-yarder. (UW) Caught one pass for 37 yards..
Rec Yds TD
‘03 6 56 0
OFFENSIVE LINE
Brent Swaggert,jr,Buffalo,MN
1st Team All-Big Sky in ‘02... Preseason All-America by the Sports Network and Don Hansen’s Football Gazette this season... has started all of his 37 games at MSU at left tackle... has been a lead blocker in 18 100-yard games during his career.
Mataio Toilolo, sr,Cerritos,CA
Has started both MSU’s games this year... Preseason All-America this year... 1st Team All-Big Sky... started 12 of MSU’s 13 games last year... plays guard and center.
Lawrence Figueroa, jr, Bakersfield, CA
Has not yet played (knee).
Joaquin Echauri, jr, Napa, CA
Started the opener, but missed the Gardner-Webb game (hamstring)
Joe Hirst, fr, Spokane, WA
Hast started both MSU’s games this year... has blocked for two 100-yard rushers.
Dusty Daws, jr, Bozeman
Made his first career start against Gardner-Webb, as MSU allowed only two sacks and rushed for 228 yards... MSU’s long snapper.
SCOPING THE ‘CATS--DEFENSE
DEFENSIVE LINE
Adam Cordeiro, DT, Boulder
Seventh in MSU history with 22 career sacks. (GW) Recovered his seventh career fumble... had four assisted tackles. (UW) Recovered his sixth career fumble... two solo tackles. (Career) A 2001 and 2002 Honorable Mention All-America and All-Big Sky player last year.
UT AT TL Sk FR FF
‘03 2 0 0 0 1 0
Jon Montoya, DE, Brandon, SD
Preseason All-America... his 23 career sacks is 6th in MSU history. (GW) Had five tackles, including his 27th career sack. (UW) No stats. (Career) Had three sacks vs. NAU, one each vs. SMC, ASC and CWU... the 10th-rated DE in I-AA before the season by The Sports Network.
UT AT TL Sk FR FF
‘03 0 0 0 0 0 0
Clive Lowe, DE, Coral Springs, FL
Started the first two games of his career at MSU. (GW) Picked off a pass... two tackles, including 1.5 for a loss and half a sack... broke up one pass. (UW) Three tackles, including one sack... forced a fumble.
UT AT TL Sk FR FF
‘03 2 1 1 1 1 0
Ray Sebestyen, DE, San Diego
(GW) Had eight tackles, including 1.5 sacks... forced a fumble and broke up a pass. (UW) Four tackles, half a sack. (Career) Was 2nd Team All-Big Sky as a soph. last year... had 1.5 sacks last season.
UT AT TL Sk FR FF
‘03 3 1 1 0.5 1 0
Beau Clark, DT, Belgrade
(GW) One assisted tackle. (UW) DNP, knee. (Career) Led all Big Sky interior linemen with 5.5 sacks last year... will miss the opener (knee).
UT AT TL Sk FR FF
‘03 0 1 0 0 0 0
DeShawn Gibbs, DT
(GW) One solo tackle, and it was for a loss. (UW) No stats.
UT AT TL Sk FR FF
‘03 2 0 1 0 0 0
Brant Birkeland, DT, Helena
(GW) No stats. (UW) No stats.
UT AT TL Sk FR FF
‘03 0 0 0 0 0 0
LINEBACKER
Roger Cooper, jr, P. Orchard, WA
A preseason All-America. (GW) Six tackles, including one for a loss... recovered a fumble. (UW) Eight tackles. (Career) 1st Team All-Big Sky last year... had 1.5 sacks, 2 picks, and 6 pass breakups in last three games of ‘02.
UT AT TL Sk Int PB FR
‘03 8 0 0 0 0 0 0
Nick Marudas, so., Bozeman
(GW) 10 tackles, including one sack. (UW) His 10 tackles led the team and was a career high.Started the season opener... his 10 tackles vs. Wyoming was a career high.
UT AT TL Sk FR FF
‘03 8 2 1 1 0 0
Mac Mollohan, so, Kalispell
(GW) One assisted tackle. (UW) One solo tackle.
UT AT TL Sk FR FF PB
‘03 1 0 0 0 0 0 0
SECONDARY
Kane Ioane, sr, Billings
Preseason All-America, and ranked as the top safety in I-AA by The Sports Network... on the Buck Buchanan Watch list. (GW) 13 tackles, 1 sack. (UW) Five solo tackles. (Career) Returning 2nd Team All-America... led the Big Sky in tackles last year.
UT AT TL Int PB FF FR
‘03 15 3 1 0 0 1 0
Joey Thomas, sr, Seattle
(GW) Three tackles and three pass breakups. (UW) Six tackles, one pass breakup, one sack. (Career) Two-time Honorable Mention All-America.
UT AT TL Int PB BK
‘03 8 1 1 0 4 0
Jay Hackett, sr, San Diego
(GW) Broke up two passes and had four tackles. (UW) Three tackles in the season opener. (Career) A part-time starter for past three seasons... his 50 tackles led MSU corners last year.
UT AT Int PB
‘03 5 2 0 2
Kahiam Hunter, jr, Torrance, CA
(GW) Four tackles. (UW) One tackle. (Career) Second on the team with 93 tackles last season.
UT AT Int PB
‘03 6 1 0 0
KRAMER’S QUOTES
On the open week: “The open week came at the perfect time for us. It allowed us to recover from some injuries that have plagued us since the preseason, especially in the offensive line. We’re now as healthy as we can possibly be. The only players who will be unavailable to us are Cody Samuelson, whose shoulder may need more surgery, Rory Canfield, whose shoulder is doing well, Adam DeCock, whose knee is making progress, and Troy O’Connor. We are now two-deep in the offensive line, which is a trait of successful programs. We have a full complement of healthy scout players. We are in excellent, excellent health. I’m really excited about Jeff Bolton. He’s knocking people around, knocking people off the ball, and it appears that even we don’t know the full range of possibilities for Jeff. He could really blossom into an excellent player. Jimmy Beal has looked good, too, and I’m interested to see how he performs in a game. This week also marks the return of Mike Williams and Kellen Alley from suspension. Mike will play right away at the slot, and he gives us an element of speed at that position. We’ll work Kellen in and see where he fits at this point, but he’ll be a good player for the Bobcats at some point.”
On Cal Poly: “Cal Poly’s win over UTEP was stunning. It was eye-popping. Cal Poly beat a Division I-A team, and that always gets your attention, but the way they beat them, wow. Cal Poly dominated them from beginning to end. They led 34-6 until UTEP scored late in the game. Cal Poly moved the ball, their defense was dominant, they played well in the kicking game. This is a very good Cal Poly team. They play the flex defense, which has bedeviled us since I’ve been here, and they run the option on offense. We didn’t really spend time with the team in the off week working on Cal Poly stuff, but our coaches spent a considerable amount of time looking for answers. It will be an interesting regional matchup and a fun opportunity for a lot of our players to play close to home”
Current Montana State Two-Deep (with pro-nuns-ee-AY-shuns)
Offense
LEFT TACKLE 60 Brent Swaggert 6-4 293 Sr*
76 Dusty Daws 6-5 228 Jr*
LEFT GUARD 65 Mataio Toilolo(muh-TAY-oh Toe-ee-LOW-low) 6-1 290 Sr*
72 Garin Brewton 6-5 293 Fr*
CENTER 50 Zach Wolf 6-2 275 So
74 Lawrence Figueroa 6-1 285 Jr+
RIGHT GUARD 64 Jeff Bolton 6-4 331 So
67 Joaquin Echauri (walk-EEN uh-CHAR-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 35 David Mayfield 6-1 190 So
31 Bruce Molock 5-11 205 Sr+*
27 Jimmy Beal 5-7 162 Fr*
X RECEIVER 6 Brandon Roosevelt 5-11 175 Fr*
83 Demetrius Williams 6-2 185 Jr+
SLOT RECEIVER 86 Scott Turnquist 6-0 202 Sr*
29 Mike Williams 5-9 185 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
96 Sean Kelley 6-2 220 Fr
Defense
ANCHOR END 95 Jon Montoya 6-2 258 Sr*
90 Ryan Cogley 6-3 211 Fr*
NOSE 98 Beau Clark 6-1 262 Jr*
71 DeShawn Gibbs 6-3 240 Jr+
TACKLE 58 Ray Sebestyen 6-2 253 Jr*
40 Chad Gluhm (gloom) 6-0 232 Jr*
57 Brant Birkeland 6-1 265 Fr*
RUSH END 92 Adam Cordeiro (core-DARE-oh) 6-1 258 Sr*
42 Clive Lowe 6-3 226 Fr*
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 6-0 210 Sr+
23 Jason Gathing (like gather) 6-0 195 Jr+
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
Wednesday, June 10
Friday, March 27
Monday, March 23
Friday, March 13
