Bobcat FB Sunday Notebook
10/1/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
INJURY REPORT: MSU lost a starter for the sixth time this season on Saturday, as FS Marcosus LeBlanc (shoulder) was knocked out of the NAU game. He is out indefinitely. RB Evin Groves (knee) and DE Paul Bartsch (shoulder) remain out. DE Aaron Papich (knee), SS Ryan Force (shoulder), and WR Josh Lewis (knee) are questionable entering the week.
MIKE KRAMER’S TENTATIVE MEDIA AND APPEARANCE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK
Monday: 7:15 am – Mike Kramer, KJJR Radio, Kalispell (via phone)
12 noon – Billings Quarterback Club
6 pm – Mike Kramer, Bobcat Quarterback Club, Bozeman
Tuesday: 10 am – Coaches Corner, Holiday Inn
12 noon – Papa John’s Media Lunch
12:35 pm – Sports Nuts, 1090 KBOZ-AM Bozeman
7 pm – Mike Kramer, Bobcat Quarterback Club, Great Falls
Wednesday: 12 noon – Mike Kramer, Bobcat Quarterback Club, Helena
6 pm – Cat Chat, Mike Kramer, hosted by Kris Atteberry, Old Chicago (100.7 KXLB-FM)
Thursday: 12 noon – Mike Kramer at Butte Quarterback Club
Practice is 3:30 pm Tuesday through Thursday, 3 pm in Bobcat Stadium on Friday
TEAM NOTES
• MSU’s current three-game home losing streak is its longest since losing 10 straight at home in 1999-2001; that streak also included home losses in three consecutive weeks, which opened the 2000 season
• Montana State has won its first two road games of a season for the first time since 1978
• The Bobcats’ win at NAU snapped a three-game losing streak on artificial turf
• The victory Saturday gives MSU its first back-to-back wins in Flagstaff since 1973 and ’75, and its first four-game winning streak against NAU since 1972-76
• Montana State finished Saturday +1 in turnovers, the same rate as the Colorado game, and is now -6 on the season
• Four Bobcat players entered the season with double-digit consecutive starts streaks intact – Ryan Force at 22, Epikopo King, Aaron Papich and Joe Hirst at 11 each – but only Hirst’s survives intact, now at 16; each of the others have missed games with injuries
• Hirst is also the only player from MSU’s preseason schedule poster currently playing, as Evin Groves and Ryan Force are injured, and Grant Elliott retired prior to the season with chronic injuries
• MSU scored the game’s first points on the sixth offensive possession by either team on Saturday, but after that no more than three possessions passed without a score
• Montana State grabbed its first first-quarter lead of the season on Saturday when Donell Wheaton scored on a 48-yard pass from Isaiah Taito
• MSU opponents convert third downs at a rate of 48% on the season, but after surrendering 133 yards on third downs to Eastern Washington MSU allowed just 49 third-down yards to Northern Arizona
• After scoring five touchdowns in the team’s first four games combined, MSU scored five against Northern Arizona on Saturday
INDIVIDUAL NOTES/PLAYER OF THE WEEK NOMINEES
OFFENSE: WR Michael Jefferson (6-2, 205, Sr)
Michael Jefferson registered a school-record 239 receiving yards on Saturday, leading MSU to a 39-32 win over NAU in Flagstaff. Jefferson’s 239 yards included four catches of 20 yards or more, and his 12 catches is sixth in MSU history. Jefferson caught at least one pass for 10 yards or more on each of MSU’s six scoring drives. He also carried two times for six yards. The senior transfer from Arizona caught a 24-yarder that spurred MSU’s game-winning touchdown drive, and his 239 yards more than doubled his season total – he had 205 yards in the first four games.
OTHER NOTES: Cory Carpenter threw for 300 yards on Saturday, the second 300-yard day in his five 2006 starts… Carpenter also completed 18 of his 32 pass attempts, his fifth straight game over 50%... after throwing five interceptions in the Chadron State and UC Davis games, Carpenter has thrown only one pick in the last two games… after a two-game 38-for-69 stretch with five interceptions against Chadron State and UC Davis, Cory Carpenter is 37-for-55 with one interception in the last two … Aaron Mason’s 192 rushing yards on Saturday was the most in school history for a freshman… Brandon Bostick caught two balls on Saturday, one for a spectacular one-handed touchdown in the back of the end zone for the game-clinching score, and the other on a broken two-point conversion that occurred because of a bad snap… the touchdown pass from Isaiah Taito to Donell Wheaton was the first halfback pass during the Mike Kramer era of Bobcat football
DEFENSE: LB Epikopo King (6-0, 212, Jr)
Making his first healthy appearance in the four weeks (he missed last week with a shoulder injury), Epikopo King registered a game-high 11 tackles (six solos) in Saturday’s win over NAU. King registered 1.5 tackles for loss, and a half-sack.
OTHER NOTES: Clive Lowe had a half-sack Saturday, but it was perhaps the biggest play of the game, resulting in an eight-yard loss for NAU on the Lumberjacks’ penultimate offensive play… Kory Austin broke up three passes against NAU, and has at least one in all five games… Andre Fuller and Austin, MSU’s starting corners, combined for nine total tackles Saturday.
SPECIAL TEAMS: K Jeff Hastings (5-9, 177, Sr)
Jeff Hastings’ perfect 2006 continued on Saturday, as the senior kicker hit his only field goal attempt and converted all four of his extra point tries. Hastings has converted eight straight field goals, a school record, and has made his last 16 tries inside 40 yards.
OTHER NOTES: MSU had a pair of kick teams penalties Saturday, including an offsides on the opening kickoff… Brandon Bostick’s two-point conversion catch was MSU’s second of the season
MIKE KRAMER’S TENTATIVE MEDIA AND APPEARANCE SCHEDULE THIS WEEK
Monday: 7:15 am – Mike Kramer, KJJR Radio, Kalispell (via phone)
12 noon – Billings Quarterback Club
6 pm – Mike Kramer, Bobcat Quarterback Club, Bozeman
Tuesday: 10 am – Coaches Corner, Holiday Inn
12 noon – Papa John’s Media Lunch
12:35 pm – Sports Nuts, 1090 KBOZ-AM Bozeman
7 pm – Mike Kramer, Bobcat Quarterback Club, Great Falls
Wednesday: 12 noon – Mike Kramer, Bobcat Quarterback Club, Helena
6 pm – Cat Chat, Mike Kramer, hosted by Kris Atteberry, Old Chicago (100.7 KXLB-FM)
Thursday: 12 noon – Mike Kramer at Butte Quarterback Club
Practice is 3:30 pm Tuesday through Thursday, 3 pm in Bobcat Stadium on Friday
TEAM NOTES
• MSU’s current three-game home losing streak is its longest since losing 10 straight at home in 1999-2001; that streak also included home losses in three consecutive weeks, which opened the 2000 season
• Montana State has won its first two road games of a season for the first time since 1978
• The Bobcats’ win at NAU snapped a three-game losing streak on artificial turf
• The victory Saturday gives MSU its first back-to-back wins in Flagstaff since 1973 and ’75, and its first four-game winning streak against NAU since 1972-76
• Montana State finished Saturday +1 in turnovers, the same rate as the Colorado game, and is now -6 on the season
• Four Bobcat players entered the season with double-digit consecutive starts streaks intact – Ryan Force at 22, Epikopo King, Aaron Papich and Joe Hirst at 11 each – but only Hirst’s survives intact, now at 16; each of the others have missed games with injuries
• Hirst is also the only player from MSU’s preseason schedule poster currently playing, as Evin Groves and Ryan Force are injured, and Grant Elliott retired prior to the season with chronic injuries
• MSU scored the game’s first points on the sixth offensive possession by either team on Saturday, but after that no more than three possessions passed without a score
• Montana State grabbed its first first-quarter lead of the season on Saturday when Donell Wheaton scored on a 48-yard pass from Isaiah Taito
• MSU opponents convert third downs at a rate of 48% on the season, but after surrendering 133 yards on third downs to Eastern Washington MSU allowed just 49 third-down yards to Northern Arizona
• After scoring five touchdowns in the team’s first four games combined, MSU scored five against Northern Arizona on Saturday
INDIVIDUAL NOTES/PLAYER OF THE WEEK NOMINEES
OFFENSE: WR Michael Jefferson (6-2, 205, Sr)
Michael Jefferson registered a school-record 239 receiving yards on Saturday, leading MSU to a 39-32 win over NAU in Flagstaff. Jefferson’s 239 yards included four catches of 20 yards or more, and his 12 catches is sixth in MSU history. Jefferson caught at least one pass for 10 yards or more on each of MSU’s six scoring drives. He also carried two times for six yards. The senior transfer from Arizona caught a 24-yarder that spurred MSU’s game-winning touchdown drive, and his 239 yards more than doubled his season total – he had 205 yards in the first four games.
OTHER NOTES: Cory Carpenter threw for 300 yards on Saturday, the second 300-yard day in his five 2006 starts… Carpenter also completed 18 of his 32 pass attempts, his fifth straight game over 50%... after throwing five interceptions in the Chadron State and UC Davis games, Carpenter has thrown only one pick in the last two games… after a two-game 38-for-69 stretch with five interceptions against Chadron State and UC Davis, Cory Carpenter is 37-for-55 with one interception in the last two … Aaron Mason’s 192 rushing yards on Saturday was the most in school history for a freshman… Brandon Bostick caught two balls on Saturday, one for a spectacular one-handed touchdown in the back of the end zone for the game-clinching score, and the other on a broken two-point conversion that occurred because of a bad snap… the touchdown pass from Isaiah Taito to Donell Wheaton was the first halfback pass during the Mike Kramer era of Bobcat football
DEFENSE: LB Epikopo King (6-0, 212, Jr)
Making his first healthy appearance in the four weeks (he missed last week with a shoulder injury), Epikopo King registered a game-high 11 tackles (six solos) in Saturday’s win over NAU. King registered 1.5 tackles for loss, and a half-sack.
OTHER NOTES: Clive Lowe had a half-sack Saturday, but it was perhaps the biggest play of the game, resulting in an eight-yard loss for NAU on the Lumberjacks’ penultimate offensive play… Kory Austin broke up three passes against NAU, and has at least one in all five games… Andre Fuller and Austin, MSU’s starting corners, combined for nine total tackles Saturday.
SPECIAL TEAMS: K Jeff Hastings (5-9, 177, Sr)
Jeff Hastings’ perfect 2006 continued on Saturday, as the senior kicker hit his only field goal attempt and converted all four of his extra point tries. Hastings has converted eight straight field goals, a school record, and has made his last 16 tries inside 40 yards.
OTHER NOTES: MSU had a pair of kick teams penalties Saturday, including an offsides on the opening kickoff… Brandon Bostick’s two-point conversion catch was MSU’s second of the season
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