Bobcats Unveil New Script vs. ISU Saturday
9/29/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
No Travis Lulay? No Mike Jefferson?
No worries.
No late-game heroics? No heart-stopping finishes?
No problem.
Montana State showed it didn't need props from thrillers past, overcoming a 10-point first half deficit in a 40-20 win that passes for a blowout in this series. Five straight games between these ancient rivals had been decided by seven points or less, and in fact Saturday's contest was much less lopsided than the final score. MSU added nine points in the last five minutes of the game to pad a score that was just 28-20 in the last minute of the third quarter.
The Bobcats didn't need Travis Lulay's magic in this one - although a couple of tough catches by his younger brother, Tyler, didn't hurt. They didn't need Mike Jefferson's wizardry - although Josh Lewis' 117 yards after missing last week with a hamstring injury was fantastic news for the Bobcat offense.
Befitting a team that underwent the trauma of a coaching change in June, MSU used a new storyline to get to a familiar ending of a dramatic conference win over the out-of-state opponent it has faced more than any other. The Bobcats used Jack Rolovich's strong arm, and after a wobbly start his stabilizing presence in the second half. They used the explosiveness of Demetrius Crawford, who exploded for 137 yards after halftime to finish with 173 yards. That keyed MSU to 199 rushing yards, the most for MSU against the Bengals since 2001.
But mostly, the Bobcats used their tenacious, swarming defense. Notice the change of adjectives from the last few years, when suffocating was the descriptor of choice. The man most responsible for building the most dominant defense in Big Sky history, former MSU defensive coordinator Rob Christoff, watched from his new post as Bengals' linebackers coach. The new Bobcat defensive coordinator, Jamie Marshall, uses a different formula, focusing on playing fast and taking the ball away.
That strategy - as much attitude as aptitude, MSU head coach Rob Ash says - was on display Saturday. After allowing the Bengals several drives against three- and four-man rushes early, Marshall's Bobcats riddled Bengal quarterbacks in the second half.
Most importantly, the Bobcat defense found paint, scoring on an 83-yard interception return by Kevin Retoriano and a safety by blitzing linebacker Chase Gazzerro, who tackled ISU quarterback Luke Butler in the end zone. That marks the third straight game Montana State's defense has lit the scoreboard.
Rob Ash calls such plays game-changers, and correctly so. But for Montana State, they are more. They are program-changers. Those defensive scores have put a new stamp on the program. They have given the Bobcats a new identity.
And on a soggy Saturday in Bobcat Stadium, they changed the script of recent MSU-ISU classics, giving the Bobcats a new and enjoyable chapter.
No worries.
No late-game heroics? No heart-stopping finishes?
No problem.
Montana State showed it didn't need props from thrillers past, overcoming a 10-point first half deficit in a 40-20 win that passes for a blowout in this series. Five straight games between these ancient rivals had been decided by seven points or less, and in fact Saturday's contest was much less lopsided than the final score. MSU added nine points in the last five minutes of the game to pad a score that was just 28-20 in the last minute of the third quarter.
The Bobcats didn't need Travis Lulay's magic in this one - although a couple of tough catches by his younger brother, Tyler, didn't hurt. They didn't need Mike Jefferson's wizardry - although Josh Lewis' 117 yards after missing last week with a hamstring injury was fantastic news for the Bobcat offense.
Befitting a team that underwent the trauma of a coaching change in June, MSU used a new storyline to get to a familiar ending of a dramatic conference win over the out-of-state opponent it has faced more than any other. The Bobcats used Jack Rolovich's strong arm, and after a wobbly start his stabilizing presence in the second half. They used the explosiveness of Demetrius Crawford, who exploded for 137 yards after halftime to finish with 173 yards. That keyed MSU to 199 rushing yards, the most for MSU against the Bengals since 2001.
But mostly, the Bobcats used their tenacious, swarming defense. Notice the change of adjectives from the last few years, when suffocating was the descriptor of choice. The man most responsible for building the most dominant defense in Big Sky history, former MSU defensive coordinator Rob Christoff, watched from his new post as Bengals' linebackers coach. The new Bobcat defensive coordinator, Jamie Marshall, uses a different formula, focusing on playing fast and taking the ball away.
That strategy - as much attitude as aptitude, MSU head coach Rob Ash says - was on display Saturday. After allowing the Bengals several drives against three- and four-man rushes early, Marshall's Bobcats riddled Bengal quarterbacks in the second half.
Most importantly, the Bobcat defense found paint, scoring on an 83-yard interception return by Kevin Retoriano and a safety by blitzing linebacker Chase Gazzerro, who tackled ISU quarterback Luke Butler in the end zone. That marks the third straight game Montana State's defense has lit the scoreboard.
Rob Ash calls such plays game-changers, and correctly so. But for Montana State, they are more. They are program-changers. Those defensive scores have put a new stamp on the program. They have given the Bobcats a new identity.
And on a soggy Saturday in Bobcat Stadium, they changed the script of recent MSU-ISU classics, giving the Bobcats a new and enjoyable chapter.
Wednesday, August 19
Wednesday, June 10
Monday, March 23
Friday, March 13
