Bobcat History Lesson: MSU Beats Eagles, Sunset in 1990
10/18/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Montana State has played six overtime games in its football history. Three of them have been against Eastern Washington. So if you begin every fall with an overtime pool, guessing with friends which game is most likely to provide Bobcat fans with free football, you could do a lot worse than to start with MSU and the Eagles.
Of the three extra period games MSU has played against Eastern Washington, the quirkiest was probably the first, a game which changed rules in the Big Sky Conference and which will forever be known as Tim Klinger’s Homer in the Gloamin’.
The Bobcats traveled to the Palouse on November 10, 1990, a three-win Bobcat team nearing the end of what would be the program’s sixth straight losing season. MSU had ran an offense that vacillated between the option and the passing game, switched quarterbacks a couple of times, and relied an a talented but erratic defense to keep games close. Eastern entered the game with the opportunity to snap a three-season streak of sub-.500 records, and also sought its second straight break-even season in the league.
The Eagles jumped out to a 10-7 lead on this overcast day, and led the Bobcats 15-7 midway through the fourth quarter. But the Cats were anything but finished. Bob Wilkinson scored from one yard out, the scored on the conversion, to tie the score at 15. After an Eastern Washington field goal, Joe Volek marched the Bobcats 85 yards in six plays for a touchdown. Volek scored on a one-yard bootleg, but the big play of the drive was a 51-yard pass to Rob Tesch that set up the score.
Eastern responded, and seemingly took control of the game with 2:39 to play by scoring on a 20-yard Mark Tenneson touchdown pass. The Eagles led 25-22. Rather than folding the tent, the Bobcats fought back. Clint Bryan set the team up with a 34-yard kick return, and after being sacked on the first play of the drive Volek moved the team to the Eastern Washington 27-yard line with one second to play.
With the sun sinking low, Tim Klinger nailed a 45-yard field goal with no time on the clock to tie the game. MSU was entering its first overtime period since 1984.
MSU won the overtime toss, and against what has become conventional wisdom, took the ball. After moving to the Eastern 19, Klinger’s 38-yard field goal was blocked. The situation looked dire.
Eastern took over at the 25, and immediately marched to the Bobcat 11, but on a game-winning field goal try, the Eagles jumped offside. Moving five yards back, Todd Graves blocked the potential winner, and the Cats had life.
Eastern took over first in the second overtime, and this time missed a 42-yard field goal. MSU’s first two plays fizzles, and lining up in field goal formation on third down holder Brian Stolz faked the field goal and threw incomplete. On fourth down, in near darkness, Klinger nailed a 38-yard field goal to win the game.
The next year, the Big Sky Conference enacted a rule that league games after November first in Stadiums with no light must start at 12 noon. A game which strained the eyesight of those watching, and which strained credulity, had also changed the league.
Of the three extra period games MSU has played against Eastern Washington, the quirkiest was probably the first, a game which changed rules in the Big Sky Conference and which will forever be known as Tim Klinger’s Homer in the Gloamin’.
The Bobcats traveled to the Palouse on November 10, 1990, a three-win Bobcat team nearing the end of what would be the program’s sixth straight losing season. MSU had ran an offense that vacillated between the option and the passing game, switched quarterbacks a couple of times, and relied an a talented but erratic defense to keep games close. Eastern entered the game with the opportunity to snap a three-season streak of sub-.500 records, and also sought its second straight break-even season in the league.
The Eagles jumped out to a 10-7 lead on this overcast day, and led the Bobcats 15-7 midway through the fourth quarter. But the Cats were anything but finished. Bob Wilkinson scored from one yard out, the scored on the conversion, to tie the score at 15. After an Eastern Washington field goal, Joe Volek marched the Bobcats 85 yards in six plays for a touchdown. Volek scored on a one-yard bootleg, but the big play of the drive was a 51-yard pass to Rob Tesch that set up the score.
Eastern responded, and seemingly took control of the game with 2:39 to play by scoring on a 20-yard Mark Tenneson touchdown pass. The Eagles led 25-22. Rather than folding the tent, the Bobcats fought back. Clint Bryan set the team up with a 34-yard kick return, and after being sacked on the first play of the drive Volek moved the team to the Eastern Washington 27-yard line with one second to play.
With the sun sinking low, Tim Klinger nailed a 45-yard field goal with no time on the clock to tie the game. MSU was entering its first overtime period since 1984.
MSU won the overtime toss, and against what has become conventional wisdom, took the ball. After moving to the Eastern 19, Klinger’s 38-yard field goal was blocked. The situation looked dire.
Eastern took over at the 25, and immediately marched to the Bobcat 11, but on a game-winning field goal try, the Eagles jumped offside. Moving five yards back, Todd Graves blocked the potential winner, and the Cats had life.
Eastern took over first in the second overtime, and this time missed a 42-yard field goal. MSU’s first two plays fizzles, and lining up in field goal formation on third down holder Brian Stolz faked the field goal and threw incomplete. On fourth down, in near darkness, Klinger nailed a 38-yard field goal to win the game.
The next year, the Big Sky Conference enacted a rule that league games after November first in Stadiums with no light must start at 12 noon. A game which strained the eyesight of those watching, and which strained credulity, had also changed the league.
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