MSU Game Notes vs. Northern Colorado
9/23/2009 6:03:08 PM | Football
Montana State opens its 2009 Big Sky Conference slate with a trip down memory lane, and the memories aren't pleasant for the Bobcats. In MSU's only visit to Greeley since 1956, Northern Colorado upended the Cats 16-13 in 2007. The win was the Bears' first Big Sky victory, triggering a celebratory scene at Nottingham Field, and was MSU's second league loss, all but knocking the Bobcats from the league title chase.
THIS WEEK'S GAME
KICKOFF: 1:35 pm MDT
SITE: Greeley, CO
STADIUM: Nottingham Field
RADIO: Bobcat Network (Jeff Lasky, Dan Davies, Tyler Wiltgen)
TELEVISION: Altitude (Blake Olson, Matt Newton)
FOR OPENERS
• Montana State has won its last two Big Sky openers, both on the road, and stands 11-12 all-time when opening Big Sky play away from Bozeman
• The Bobcats have never met Northern Colorado in a Big Sky opener, but opened Rocky Mountain Conference play at Greeley in 1952 (NC 47-0), and 1947 (MSU 32-13)
STADIUM STUFF
• The Bobcats are 0-1 at Nottingham Field, Northern Colorado's home since 1995
• Montana State is 0-1 on grass this year, and plays on the real stuff this week at NC
BIG SKY BULLET POINTS
• Montana's win at UC Davis in week two is the only game a Big Sky school has played this year in which the home team failed to win
• Bobcat punter Eric Fisher leads the Big Sky in that category at 45.3 yards per punt, while kicker Jason Cunningham's 2.0 field goals per game also leads the league
HIGHLIGHTS
• Rob Ash stands 12th in school history in victories (14), and his winning percentage of .560 is tied for fifth among Bobcat coaches with more than 10 games
• The Bobcats completed 60% of their passes last time out, the third-highest single-game rate in the Rob Ash era 71% vs. ISU, 10/4/08, and 62% vs. Dixie State, 9/15/07)
• The Bobcats average 141.5 rushing yards per game against Big Sky opponents in Rob Ash's two-plus seasons at MSU, but just 99.5 vs. NC
STREAKS
• MSU has won two straight Big Sky openers
• RG Jeff Hansen and RT Mike Person have 35 straight starts next to each other
MILESTONES
• Aaron Mason has 1,219 rushing yards in his career, 20th in MSU history
• Dane Fletcher's 37 career tackles-for-loss ranks 10th in school history and 3rd among active FCS players
SHINING
• RB Aaron Mason's 112 yards rushing vs. Dixie was his third career 100-yarder but the first since his freshman season
• DE Dane Fletcher has 3.5 tackles-for-loss this season
• K Jason Cunningham is 17-of-24 on field goals as a Bobcat, 4-for-5 this year
