BOBCAT HISTORY LESSON: A Night in Paradise
11/10/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
With the noted exception of hard-core early-season skiers and the state's most zealous tourism advocates, not many people call the state of Montana in November paradise. So when the Montana State football team played at Hawaii 28 years ago Saturday, it really did seem like paradise. And when the Bobcats came back from paradise with a win in their hip pockets, the entire month of December was transformed into paradise for Bobcat football fans.
MSU traveled to Hawaii fresh off wins over Montana and Northern Arizona that clinched the Bobcats' second Big Sky Championship in five years, and its sixth in a magical 13-year span. This was not a meaningless non-conference game, though, by any means. Bobcat head coach Sonny Holland and his crew knew that this game could have a significant impact of MSU's post-season fate.
The Bobcats came out of the gate as if the game did have significant meaning. MSU took the opening kickoff and marched 81 yards for a touchdown, capped by that rarest of Sonny Holland offensive weapons, the forward pass. Don Ueland caught a 52-yarder from Paul Dennehy for a 7-0 lead.
Hawaii marched methodically down the field and tied the score on its first possession, and after trading turnovers Montana State took control of the game. Tom Kostrba converted a fourth-and-one dive play into a 20-yard touchdown run to give the Bobcats a 14-7 lead, and after forcing a Rainbow Warrior punt the Bobcats marched 86 yards and scored when Keith Swenson found the end zone on a sweep play from four yards out. With Hawaii deep in Bobcat territory in the waning moments of the first half, linebacker Dave Mueller came up with a game-changing play. The senior from Great Falls Central intercepted a Hawaii pass at the Bobcat 11 to terminate a potential scoring drive. The fourth and final pick of Mueller's career marked Hawaii's last real chance to re-enter the game. Jim Anderson intercepted a pass on Hawaii's last possession to wrap things up.
Kostrba ran for 118 yards that night, and the Bobcat defense limited Hawaii to just 273 yards of total offense. It was a stunning win by Montana State, and according to then-Athletic Director Tom Parac helped vault the 'Cats not only in the Division II Playoffs, which wasn't a certainty until the sun faded into the Pacific sunset that night in Aloha Stadium, but toward the eventual national championship.
MSU traveled to Hawaii fresh off wins over Montana and Northern Arizona that clinched the Bobcats' second Big Sky Championship in five years, and its sixth in a magical 13-year span. This was not a meaningless non-conference game, though, by any means. Bobcat head coach Sonny Holland and his crew knew that this game could have a significant impact of MSU's post-season fate.
The Bobcats came out of the gate as if the game did have significant meaning. MSU took the opening kickoff and marched 81 yards for a touchdown, capped by that rarest of Sonny Holland offensive weapons, the forward pass. Don Ueland caught a 52-yarder from Paul Dennehy for a 7-0 lead.
Hawaii marched methodically down the field and tied the score on its first possession, and after trading turnovers Montana State took control of the game. Tom Kostrba converted a fourth-and-one dive play into a 20-yard touchdown run to give the Bobcats a 14-7 lead, and after forcing a Rainbow Warrior punt the Bobcats marched 86 yards and scored when Keith Swenson found the end zone on a sweep play from four yards out. With Hawaii deep in Bobcat territory in the waning moments of the first half, linebacker Dave Mueller came up with a game-changing play. The senior from Great Falls Central intercepted a Hawaii pass at the Bobcat 11 to terminate a potential scoring drive. The fourth and final pick of Mueller's career marked Hawaii's last real chance to re-enter the game. Jim Anderson intercepted a pass on Hawaii's last possession to wrap things up.
Kostrba ran for 118 yards that night, and the Bobcat defense limited Hawaii to just 273 yards of total offense. It was a stunning win by Montana State, and according to then-Athletic Director Tom Parac helped vault the 'Cats not only in the Division II Playoffs, which wasn't a certainty until the sun faded into the Pacific sunset that night in Aloha Stadium, but toward the eventual national championship.
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