Photo by: Kelly Gorham
Bobcats dominate Lumberjacks
10/15/2011 4:34:00 PM | Football, General, APP
Kirk leads the way with 142 yards rushing
One year after a one-sided loss at Northern Arizona, Montana State turned the tables on Saturday, with a dominating 41-24 win over the Lumberjacks.
The third-ranked Bobcats rolled up 524 total yards with 277 on the ground and 247 through the air, while holding NAU to 298 yards. Cody Kirk led the Bobcats with 142 yards rushing and a touchdown and Tray Robinson added 107 more yards and another score. In addition, DeNarius McGhee threw two touchdown passes to Elvis Akpla and another to Tanner Bleskin.
After NAU scored on its first possession, a 31-yard pass from Cary Grossart to Dejzon Walker, McGhee quickly went to work. He found Bleskin alone on a 46-yard score and Akpla on an 11-yarder to make it 14-7 after one quarter.
Akpla's second score, this time from 15 yards out, put MSU up 21-7. Matt Myers kicked a 41-yard field goal for NAU, but Kirk ran in from 1 yard out to make the halftime score 28-10.
Robinson's 1-yard run to open the third quarter made it 34-10, but NAU's Anders Battle stepped in front of a McGhee pass and returned the interception 60 yards to trim it to 34-17. Then it got interesting when Grossart found Khalil Paden on a 79-yard score to make it 34-24 early in the fourth quarter.
But Everett Gilbert's 8-yard run iced the game for the Bobcats, 41-24.
At Flagstaff in 2010, MSU had just 11 first downs and 123 total yards in a 34-7 loss. This time the Bobcats gained 29 first downs and had the ball for over 37 minutes, while going the entire game without punting.
The Lumberjacks came in with a Big Sky-best average of 449 total yards a game, but the Bobcats (6-1) held them in check while winning their sixth straight. The Bobcats maintain their hold on first place, improving to 4-0 in the league while NAU falls to 1-3 and 2-4 overall.
NAU hurt itself with 129 yards in penalties. Zach Bauman rushed for 37 yards, well below his 119-yard average. Grossart finished with 10 completions in 20 attempts for 249 yards, while Paden led all receivers with 150 yards.
McGhee connected on 18 of his 22 passes. Akpla caught six passes for 73 yards and Bleskin hauled in three passes for a team-best 76 yards.
The Bobcat defense sacked Grossart five times, led by Brad Daly's three sacks which totaled 33 yards in losses. Caleb Schreibeis led MSU with seven tackles and Na'a Moeakiola came up with MSU's lone turnover, picking off Grossart in the fourth quarter.
The third-ranked Bobcats rolled up 524 total yards with 277 on the ground and 247 through the air, while holding NAU to 298 yards. Cody Kirk led the Bobcats with 142 yards rushing and a touchdown and Tray Robinson added 107 more yards and another score. In addition, DeNarius McGhee threw two touchdown passes to Elvis Akpla and another to Tanner Bleskin.
After NAU scored on its first possession, a 31-yard pass from Cary Grossart to Dejzon Walker, McGhee quickly went to work. He found Bleskin alone on a 46-yard score and Akpla on an 11-yarder to make it 14-7 after one quarter.
Akpla's second score, this time from 15 yards out, put MSU up 21-7. Matt Myers kicked a 41-yard field goal for NAU, but Kirk ran in from 1 yard out to make the halftime score 28-10.
Robinson's 1-yard run to open the third quarter made it 34-10, but NAU's Anders Battle stepped in front of a McGhee pass and returned the interception 60 yards to trim it to 34-17. Then it got interesting when Grossart found Khalil Paden on a 79-yard score to make it 34-24 early in the fourth quarter.
But Everett Gilbert's 8-yard run iced the game for the Bobcats, 41-24.
At Flagstaff in 2010, MSU had just 11 first downs and 123 total yards in a 34-7 loss. This time the Bobcats gained 29 first downs and had the ball for over 37 minutes, while going the entire game without punting.
The Lumberjacks came in with a Big Sky-best average of 449 total yards a game, but the Bobcats (6-1) held them in check while winning their sixth straight. The Bobcats maintain their hold on first place, improving to 4-0 in the league while NAU falls to 1-3 and 2-4 overall.
NAU hurt itself with 129 yards in penalties. Zach Bauman rushed for 37 yards, well below his 119-yard average. Grossart finished with 10 completions in 20 attempts for 249 yards, while Paden led all receivers with 150 yards.
McGhee connected on 18 of his 22 passes. Akpla caught six passes for 73 yards and Bleskin hauled in three passes for a team-best 76 yards.
The Bobcat defense sacked Grossart five times, led by Brad Daly's three sacks which totaled 33 yards in losses. Caleb Schreibeis led MSU with seven tackles and Na'a Moeakiola came up with MSU's lone turnover, picking off Grossart in the fourth quarter.
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