Rob Ash leads the nation's top-ranked team, but knows polls won't matter Saturday
Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson
Bobcat Gridders Rise to No. One
11/15/2011 8:42:00 AM | Football
MSU ascends to top of Fathead.com Sports Network, FCS Coaches polls
Sonny Holland remembers when his Bobcat football team rose to the no. one spot in the NCAA Division II national poll as a trip to paradise.
Literally.
“We woke up in Hawai'i after beating Hawai'i as the no. one-ranked team,” Holland of MSU's visit to the Islands at the end of the 1976 regular season. “The NCAA (committee) wanted to see how we did against Hawai'i because Grambling had played them earlier. We beat them pretty good, and they ranked us no. one heading into the playoffs.
“And we still had three days left in Hawai'i before flying back,” Holland said with a laugh. Montana State's 28-7 win over the Rainbow Warriors vaulted MSU to the no. one ranking and a berth in the NCAA Playoffs.
Holland, still Montana State's career wins leader nearly a quarter-century after retiring from the Bobcat football program, got to relive that moment Monday when the Bobcats rose to the top spot in the national polls. It's Montana State's first time in the top spot since winning the 1984 National Championship, and the first time during the regular season since spending three weeks in the catbird's seat in 1978 under Sonny Lubick.
Montana State head coach Rob Ash, was pleased with the results of the poll after last week's top-ranked team, North Dakota State, fell at home to Youngstown State.
“This is a tremendous honor for the Montana State Football program, our loyal and passionate fans, and our incredibly supportive administration,” Ash said. “But this ranking only happened because our group of players and coaches made a promise almost a year ago to try to be the best in the nation, and everyone in this program has worked diligently for literally months to reach that goal.”
While the Bobcats have faced Montana three times with the Grizzlies holding the top spot in the polls, MSU has not entered a Cat-Griz game holding onto the no. one position. The Bobcats spent three weeks as the top-ranked team in 1978 before falling at home to Northern Arizona. After reaching the top spot in 1976, Holland's men rode the wave to the NCAA Division II National Championship.
While Ash is pleased with his program's standing in the polls, he knows the important part of the process begins in two weekends with the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs. “We know the tournament will eventually settle the issue on the field, but we are thrilled and excited to be recognized right now, this week, as the no. one team in the country.”
Literally.
“We woke up in Hawai'i after beating Hawai'i as the no. one-ranked team,” Holland of MSU's visit to the Islands at the end of the 1976 regular season. “The NCAA (committee) wanted to see how we did against Hawai'i because Grambling had played them earlier. We beat them pretty good, and they ranked us no. one heading into the playoffs.
“And we still had three days left in Hawai'i before flying back,” Holland said with a laugh. Montana State's 28-7 win over the Rainbow Warriors vaulted MSU to the no. one ranking and a berth in the NCAA Playoffs.
Holland, still Montana State's career wins leader nearly a quarter-century after retiring from the Bobcat football program, got to relive that moment Monday when the Bobcats rose to the top spot in the national polls. It's Montana State's first time in the top spot since winning the 1984 National Championship, and the first time during the regular season since spending three weeks in the catbird's seat in 1978 under Sonny Lubick.
Montana State head coach Rob Ash, was pleased with the results of the poll after last week's top-ranked team, North Dakota State, fell at home to Youngstown State.
“This is a tremendous honor for the Montana State Football program, our loyal and passionate fans, and our incredibly supportive administration,” Ash said. “But this ranking only happened because our group of players and coaches made a promise almost a year ago to try to be the best in the nation, and everyone in this program has worked diligently for literally months to reach that goal.”
While the Bobcats have faced Montana three times with the Grizzlies holding the top spot in the polls, MSU has not entered a Cat-Griz game holding onto the no. one position. The Bobcats spent three weeks as the top-ranked team in 1978 before falling at home to Northern Arizona. After reaching the top spot in 1976, Holland's men rode the wave to the NCAA Division II National Championship.
While Ash is pleased with his program's standing in the polls, he knows the important part of the process begins in two weekends with the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision Playoffs. “We know the tournament will eventually settle the issue on the field, but we are thrilled and excited to be recognized right now, this week, as the no. one team in the country.”
Thursday, July 31
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Wednesday, May 03
