Montana State University
MONMOUTH (GOLD RUSH)
Bobcats Host Monmouth in Opener
8/26/2013 6:00:00 PM | Football
MSU game notes vs. Hawks
Rob Ash understands the challenges presented his seventh Montana State football team, but he prefers to see opportunity. "We've faced some injuries and we lost a lot of outstanding players from last year, but that's always the case," says the winningest coach in Bobcat history. "I don't look at it as a problem, I look at it as opportunity for young guys or newcomers. It's fun to watch players like that develop and grow." All 11 offensive positions will be manned by a player with starting experience, and eight positions on defense.
MSU Game Notes
THIS WEEK'S GAME
KICKOFF: 7:05 pm
SITE: Bozeman, MT
STADIUM: Bobcat Stadium
RADIO: Bobcat Radio Network (Tyler Wiltgen, Dan Davies)
TELEVISION: Max Media (Chris Byers, Mike Callaghan)/Altitude outside Montana
ON THE RECORD
• By registering an 11-2 record in 2012, Montana State has now improved its record in each of Rob Ash's five full years as the program's head coach
• Montana State has won 10 games in consecutive seasons for the first time
• The Bobcats stand 21-3 in Big Sky play in the past three seasons
• MSU's 11 consecutive winning seasons is the most in program history
• Rob Ash's 50 career wins is the most in MSU history
• Only one other time in history (1966-68) has MSU won three straight conference championships, and only the 1956-58 teams posted a better three-year winning percentage
STADIUM STUFF
• MSU averages 429.9 yards and 33.5 points per game on its five-year old turf field
BIG SKY BULLET POINTS
• Weber State plays an entirely Division I schedule in 2013
HIGHLIGHTS
• The 2013 seniors enter the fall with 30 career wins and a .789 win percentage
• The Bobcats' 21 league wins since 2010 is the most in the Big Sky
STREAKS
• MSU's 29 straight weeks in the top 10 (counting last year's post-season poll and this year's preseason poll) is longer than any other string of consecutive weeks in the top 25 in school history
• DeNarius McGhee has thrown a TD pass in four straight games since his string of 33 straight ended at Sac St
MILESTONES
• DeNarius McGhee's 71 career TD passes is an MSU record, and his 8,441 passing yards is second in school history
• Rob Ash's 50 career wins is the most in MSU history, a distinction he also holds at Juniata and Drake
• DeNarius McGhee's 30 wins as starting quarterback is MSU's most ever
• Cody Kirk's 29 career rushing TDs is tied for 1st in MSU history
SHINING
• QB DeNarius McGhee was Big Sky Offensive MVP last fall, and preseason MVP this summer
• RB Cody Kirk enters his senior season within 1,400 yards of MSU's school rushing record
• WR Tanner Bleskin is 40 catches from the MSU record, 72 from the Big Sky career top 10
