Late SMU Drive Dooms Bobcats

Saturday, September 7

Dallas, TX

7 pm CT/6 pm MT

Montana State University

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at SMU

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1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Montana State

SMU

Jon Ellis scores for MSU in the second quarter of Saturday's loss at SMU

Photo by: Kelly Gorham

9/7/2013 10:10:00 PM | Football

Box Score

MSU battles through heat, long travel day, but comes up just short

By: Bill Lamberty

Gail Gilbert's four-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Joseph with 12 seconds remaining propelled SMU to a 31-30 come-from-behind win over Montana State in steamy Dallas on Saturday.The Mustangs, out-played except for the game's first five and last five minutes, marched 81 yards in three-and-a-half minutes for the game-winning drive.

The SMU comeback spoiled a marvelous effort by the Bobcats, who arrived in Dallas just 16 hours before kickoff after a Friday full of travel problems.

"It was a tough weekend the way it all worked out," MSU coach Rob Ash said after the game. "It had a chance to be great. But I'm really proud of how my guys handled it, not just how they played but how they handled the whole weekend."

MSU led 21-5 at one point and 30-19 in the second half before the Mustangs comeback. Montana State led 30-22 before two fourth-quarter scores by SMU. Chase Hover connected on three field goals, one of which preceded the game-winning drive, and provided much of the Mustangs' offense on the night. The Mustangs also scored on a safety and a punt return.

Bobcat running back Cody Kirk rushed for 107 yards and two touchdowns. His got the Bobcats on the board at the end of the first quarter, and his second on the first drive after halftime gave MSU a much-needed boost after SMU scored 14 points in the final 5:12 of the first half.

"I was very, very happy with how the team came out after halftime," Ash said. "After the punt return I'm sure the word everyone used was momentum. But we came out and took the ball all the way down and scored, and we looked like the team with momentum."

The game's first half was a study in stark contrasts. SMU ran 14 of the game's first 15 plays, controlling the ball and the clock. Twelve of those plays began in Bobcat territory. But MSU's defense forced a punt on the Mustangs' first drive and a fumble (by Alex Singleton on the SMU three) on the second, and MSU trailed only 2-0 after an opening five minutes in which its offense managed just two net yards.

While MSU's defense held steady, the offense righted the ship. DeNarius McGhee marched the Cats 65 yards for a touchdown on the third drive, capped by Cody Kirk's one-yard run, and Tanner Roderick's toss to Tiai Salanoa gave MSU an 8-2 lead. After an SMU field goal, the Cats marched 67 yards for another touchdown. McGhee's 13-yard scoring strike – his first of the season – to Jon Ellis gave MSU a 15-5 lead.

With 12:10 to play in the second quarter, MSU's defense posted its first three-and-out of the evening. MSU took over at its own 49 and eight plays later Shawn Johnson dashed in from two yards out to give the Bobcats an eye-opening 22-5 lead.

The Mustangs, though, responded. Garrett Gilbert led the team on a 76-yard scoring drive, with K.C. Nlemchi's two-yard run giving SMU its first touchdown of the game. MSU took control of the ball with 2:04 to play at its own 13, and in spite of gaining a first down and running five offensive plays its attempt to run out the clock fell disastrously short. Rory Perez's 35-yard punt with 14 seconds left was fielded by Taylor at SMU's 45-yard line, and the speedster scored nearly untouched to slash MSU's once-imposing lead to 22-19.

The statistical pendulum that swung both ways in the first half settled in the middle at the intermission. Each team had 12 first downs in the first half, and SMU out-gained the Cats 214 yards (on 42 plays) to 198 yards (on 34 Bobcat plays). Turnovers (SMU's fumble was the only one of the half) and penalties (nine for SMU, four for the Bobcats) tipped toward the visitors.

SMU finished with 461 total yards, the 81 on the game's final drive giving it the final advantage over MSU's 378 yards. Gilbert finished 35-for-48 with 317 yards and a touchdown, while DeNarius McGhee was 17-for-27 with 218 yards. Kirk was the game's leading rusher with 107.

Montana State hosts NCAA Division II Colorado Mesa on Saturday at 1 pm, while SMU is idle before playing Texas A&M in two weeks.