Montana State University
Fort Lewis
Bobcats Host Fort Lewis to Kick Off 2010 Season
9/4/2010 9:24:28 AM | Football
MSU welcomes back 16 starters
The 2010 season will be the first in MSU history that the Bobcats have played all 11 games on artificial turf
THE STORYLINE
As much familiarity as Montana State's 2010 football season brings - a fourth-year coaching staff, 18 returning starters - the uncertainty of any new season looms as the Bobcats prepare to host Fort Lewis College to open the school's 106th season of intercollegiate football. The optimism surrounding MSU's season revolves around talented lines on both sides of the ball and a deep group of corners and receivers. FOR OPENERS ? Montana State looks for its ninth consecutive winning season as 2010 opens, which would match the longest such streak in school history (1956-64)
? The Bobcats are 23-4 when positive or even in turnover margin since the beginning of 2006, but just 5-15 when finishing a game negative in turnovers.
? Rob Ash is 1-2 in season openers at Montana State, 1-0 when opening the season at home (a 59-3 win over Adams State in 2008)
STADIUM STUFF ? Two of MSU's last three home openers came against Rocky Mountain Conference foes
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HIGHLIGHTS
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Rob Ash joins Mike Kramer (twice), Sonny Holland (three) and Tony Storti as MSU coaches with consecutive seven-win seasons?
Rob Ash has never faced Fort LewisSTREAKS
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Montana State owns eight consecutive winning seasons, one away from the best string in school history (1956-64)?
Bobcat assistant Kane Ioane begins his 11th consecutive season in the MSU program on Saturday?
RT Mike Person starts his 24th straight game on MSU's first offensive snap of the season openerMILESTONES
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Everett Gilbert's 525 receiving yards and 1,077 all-purpose yards in 2009 were the most ever by a Bobcat freshman?
CJ Palmer's 12 career rushing is five from MSU's career top 10SHINING
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OT Mike Person enters his senior season as a team captain and preseason All-Big Sky and All-America selection, having started 23 consecutive games.?
DT Dan Ogden owns 20.5 career tackles-for-loss and 10 sacks, standing as one of the most productive Bobcat interior linemen this century?
K Jason Cunningham is 27-for-37 in his career on field goalsRookies in the Backfield
The last time a freshman quarterback took the first snap of a season for the Cats was 1987, when Rob Stoltz started a game before attending an MSU class. Stoltz carried on his third play, but MSU lost 51-15 at Long Beach State in Earle Solomonson's Bobcat coaching debut.
Rookies: Redux
You don't have to go quite as far back to find MSU's first freshman running back: Dawson Williams carried on the first play of the 1992 season, Cliff Hysell's first as Bobcat head coach.
300 Games
Mark Iddins and Cody Kempt each threw for 300 yards in a game in 20). . The only other such season in MSU history was 2006 (Jack Rolovich and Cory Carpenter each had two 300-yard days.)
Topic: Turnovers
TO Margin TO Margin TO Margin
in BSC Wins in BSC Losses Overall in BSC gms
2009
2008
2007
+6 -5 +1 +5 -9 -4The Cats are 4-12 under Rob Ash when turning the ball over more than their foe.
More of the Turnover Tale
Montana State's record when...
Positive in Even in Negative in
TO Margin TO Margin TO Margin
2009
2008
2007
2006
2002-05
11-5 11-6 7-11 5-1 3-1 0-3 5-0 1-1 0-4 4-0 0-0 3-5Turnover of a Different Sort
Jason McEndoo has begun each of his eight seasons as Bobcat O-line coach with a different lineup than that with which he finished spring drills. This year's lineup change comes because Leo Davis and Conrad Burbank missed spring drills. Still, McEndoo has presided over some impressive iron man streaks. Brent Swaggert, Peder Jensen and Jeff Hansen each started at least 40 games for the Bobcats. Mike Person could also reach that level.
Sixty-Yard Dash
Everett Gilbert's catches of 60 and 49 yards were MSU's two longest scrimmage plays of '09.
The Rush on Rushing
A late-season surge moved MSU into second in the Big Sky in rushing in '08:
Date Opponent Rushes Yds
Some Fresh Offense
Montana State's offense takes a youthful turn this season, when three freshmen (QB Denarius McGhee, RB Cody Kirk, WR Tanner Bleskin) and a sophomore (WR Elvis Gilbert) start. In spite of returning eight starters from 2009, the Bobcats start only three seniors - OT Mike Person, TE Kyle Begger, and WR Julius Lloyd. A freshman receiver has led the Bobcats in receiving yards the past two seasons (DeSean Thomas in 2008, Gilbert in '09).
10/17 South Dakota 36 143
10/24 Eastern Washington 41 192
10/31 Idaho State 42 236
11/7 Portland State 47 185
11/14 Sacramento State 35 127
4-0 1-1 2-3 +3 -6 -3Scoopin' and Scoring
MSU is 13-0 during Rob Ash's tenure when the defense scores (including special teams safeties), 6-13 when it does not.
2009
ISU
NC
2008
NAU
NC
SAC
2007
ISU
Chase Gazzerro safety MSU 40-20
WEB
Mike Beach 12 int ret MSU 21-5
DIX
Dan Ogden 62 int ret MSU 61-7
Team safety MSU 61-7 Chase Gazzerro 26 int ret MSU 21-5 Kevin Retoriano 83 int ret MSU 40-20PSU Mike Beach 72 int ret MSU 50-36ASC Jeff Brown 10 fumble ret MSU 59-3ISU J. Anderson blk punt safety MSU 33-21 Retoriano rec'd Green's punt blk MSU 31-20 Retoriano 64 int return MSU 20-7 Fletcher blocks quick kick for S MSU 25-23 PSU Retoriano 17 int return MSU 49-32 Daly blocks punt for safety MSU 27-5 Jones ret. fumble for TD MSU 41-10Talkin' Turnovers
After failing to register a takeway at Eastern Washington, MSU had seven in the three games prior to Cat-Griz.
The Rush to Judgment
Montana State leads the BSC in rush defense with 82.8 yards a game allowed, 60.6 against conference opponents.
More Rushing Remarks
In 2008 and '09, MSU has allowed its three FBS opponents to rush for 167.7 yards per game, but has held FCS foes to 47.9 yards (719 total) in 15 games and its two non-DI foes 40.0 yards a game.
Plenty of Picks
MSU's 36 interceptions in Jamie Marshall's first two years as defensive coordinator is fourth-highest two-year total since 1982, when defensive stats begin at MSU:
Ints Years
1. 39 1992 & '93
1. 39 1984 & '85
1. 39 1981 & '82
4. 36 2007 & '08
4. 36 1991 & '92
Picking in Pairs... and More
The Bobcat defense owns multiple interceptions in 14 of the 43 games Jamie Marshall has served the team's defensive coordinator.
2009:
2008:
2007:
2 at Northern Colorado, 2 vs. Southern Utah, 2 vs. Idaho State, 3 at Weber State, 3 vs. Dixie State 3 vs. Portland State, 2 at Northern Arizona, 4 vs. NC, 2 at Sac State, 2 vs. Adams State, 5 at Portland State 3 vs. Sac St, 2 at PSU, 2 vs. ISU, 3 at Weber State, 2 at NC, 2 vs. DixieDouble the Fun
A look at Bobcat players since 1958 with multiple interception returns for TDs...
3 - Kevin Retoriano: PSU '08, NC '08, ISU '07
2 - Michael Beach: Weber '07, Weber '06
2 - Kane Ioane: St. Mary's '03, UAB '01
2 - Omar Turner: EWU '96, CSU '95
2 - Rob Pouliot: BSU '88, E. Ore. '85
2 - Randy Hickel: Weber '73, UM '73
Opening
Idaho State was the only Bobcat opponent in 2009 to score on its first drive of the game. The Bengals marched 82 yards in 7:35 to grab a 7-0 lead, and held a 10-3 lead late in the second quarter before MSU exploded for 17 points in the last 4:07.
MSU When Leading After...
1st Quarter:
MSU When Trailing After...
1st Quarter:
1-1 2nd Quarter: 1-3 3rd Quarter: 1-1 6-1 2nd Quarter: 5-0 3rd Quarter: 6-2 PSU Ripley rec. blkd punt for TD MSU 28-10
