Mitch Griebel caught five passes at Montana Saturday
Photo by: Kelly Gorham
Bobcat Football Sunday Notebook #12
11/24/2014 6:22:00 AM | Football
Cats look to 'get bad taste out of mouth'
Montana State coach Rob Ash acknowledged that entry into the FCS Playoffs gave his Bobcats a chance to "get a bad taste out of our mouth" after Saturday's regular-season ending loss at Montana, but there was very little looking back on Sunday.
"I'm just thankful," said sophomore running back Chad Newell. "This is a good opportunity to seize some of our goals."
The Bobcats run headlong into a physical football team led by All-America running back Zach Zenner, who has rushed for 1,600 yards. In the absence of Shawn Johnson, Newell has carried considerably more of the offensive load for MSU. He has gained 177 yards rushing with a pair of touchdowns in the last two games. The availability of Johnson and quarterback Dakota Prukop remain up in the air heading into the Playoffs.
Below is a look ahead to MSU's matchup Saturday with South Dakota State...
INJURY REPORT
OUT - SEASON: WR David Dash, CB Jaylen Price, LB Blake Braun, DE Robert Wilcox, WR Brandon Davis, WR Manny Kalfell, WR Brian Flotkoetter, LB Wyatt Christensen, LB Michael Foster, DB James Nelson.
QUESTIONABLE: RB Shawn Johnson, QB Dakota Prukop, FS Eryon Barnett.
TEAM STATS REPORT
BIG SKY LEADERS: 4th in scoring (38.0), 2nd in rushing offense (248.3), 3rd in total offense (488.4), 2nd in pass efficiency (158.1), 1st in net punting (40.7), 3rd in kickoff returns (23.8), 2nd in kickoff coverage (42.2), 3rd in third down conversions (45.7%), 2nd in fourth down conversions (68.2%),
FCS LEADERS: 3rd in completion percentage (.671), 9th in kickoff returns (23.79), 1st in net punting (40.68), 7th in rushing offense (248.3), 4th in team passing efficiency (158.07).
MEDIA INFORMATION
Normal media procedures this week.
BOBCAT NOTES
• Montana State's selection for the NCAA Division I FCS Playoffs on Sunday marked the fourth time in five seasons the Cats have moved into the playoffs, and the ninth time overall. MSU is 9-6 in the NCAA Playoffs, 6-6 in the Division I-AA/FCS era.
• The 2014 season marks only the second in school history that the Bobcats advanced to the playoffs without winning at least a share of the Big Sky championship. The previous season was 2006, when MSU topped Furman at home in the first round before falling at Appalachian State.
• Montana State faces a Missouri Valley Football Conference foe in the FCS Playoffs for the first time since 2010, when NDSU beat the Bobcats in Bozeman. Northern Iowa ended MSU's 2003 season with a first round playoff victory over the Cats in Cedar Falls, while the Bobcats won a Division II semifinal game at North Dakota State in 1976.
• Montana State has now scored 456 points in 2014, the most in one season in Bobcat history. The average of 38.0 per game currently clears the existing record of 35.8 per game in 1966. That is the only spot in the top five not presently occupied by a team from the Rob Ash era.
• Saturday's game marks the third straight post-season contest MSU has played at home, following the win over Stony Brook and loss to Sam Houston State in the 2012 playoffs.
• MSU has faced four of this year's 23 other playoff teams in the post-season, and in all has faced eight of its 23 possible opponents previously.
• Montana State's seven turnovers at Montana Saturday marked the most by a Bobcat team since its seven at Portland State in 1997.
• MSU's last contest against South Dakota State was a 27-24 home win over the Jackrabbits in 2004, when Travis Lulay threw for 411 yards, Blake Wolf caught 11 passes for 137 yards, and EJ Cochrane nailed a game-winning field goal with two seconds to play.
"I'm just thankful," said sophomore running back Chad Newell. "This is a good opportunity to seize some of our goals."
The Bobcats run headlong into a physical football team led by All-America running back Zach Zenner, who has rushed for 1,600 yards. In the absence of Shawn Johnson, Newell has carried considerably more of the offensive load for MSU. He has gained 177 yards rushing with a pair of touchdowns in the last two games. The availability of Johnson and quarterback Dakota Prukop remain up in the air heading into the Playoffs.
Below is a look ahead to MSU's matchup Saturday with South Dakota State...
INJURY REPORT
OUT - SEASON: WR David Dash, CB Jaylen Price, LB Blake Braun, DE Robert Wilcox, WR Brandon Davis, WR Manny Kalfell, WR Brian Flotkoetter, LB Wyatt Christensen, LB Michael Foster, DB James Nelson.
QUESTIONABLE: RB Shawn Johnson, QB Dakota Prukop, FS Eryon Barnett.
TEAM STATS REPORT
BIG SKY LEADERS: 4th in scoring (38.0), 2nd in rushing offense (248.3), 3rd in total offense (488.4), 2nd in pass efficiency (158.1), 1st in net punting (40.7), 3rd in kickoff returns (23.8), 2nd in kickoff coverage (42.2), 3rd in third down conversions (45.7%), 2nd in fourth down conversions (68.2%),
FCS LEADERS: 3rd in completion percentage (.671), 9th in kickoff returns (23.79), 1st in net punting (40.68), 7th in rushing offense (248.3), 4th in team passing efficiency (158.07).
MEDIA INFORMATION
Normal media procedures this week.
BOBCAT NOTES
• Montana State's selection for the NCAA Division I FCS Playoffs on Sunday marked the fourth time in five seasons the Cats have moved into the playoffs, and the ninth time overall. MSU is 9-6 in the NCAA Playoffs, 6-6 in the Division I-AA/FCS era.
• The 2014 season marks only the second in school history that the Bobcats advanced to the playoffs without winning at least a share of the Big Sky championship. The previous season was 2006, when MSU topped Furman at home in the first round before falling at Appalachian State.
• Montana State faces a Missouri Valley Football Conference foe in the FCS Playoffs for the first time since 2010, when NDSU beat the Bobcats in Bozeman. Northern Iowa ended MSU's 2003 season with a first round playoff victory over the Cats in Cedar Falls, while the Bobcats won a Division II semifinal game at North Dakota State in 1976.
• Montana State has now scored 456 points in 2014, the most in one season in Bobcat history. The average of 38.0 per game currently clears the existing record of 35.8 per game in 1966. That is the only spot in the top five not presently occupied by a team from the Rob Ash era.
• Saturday's game marks the third straight post-season contest MSU has played at home, following the win over Stony Brook and loss to Sam Houston State in the 2012 playoffs.
• MSU has faced four of this year's 23 other playoff teams in the post-season, and in all has faced eight of its 23 possible opponents previously.
• Montana State's seven turnovers at Montana Saturday marked the most by a Bobcat team since its seven at Portland State in 1997.
• MSU's last contest against South Dakota State was a 27-24 home win over the Jackrabbits in 2004, when Travis Lulay threw for 411 yards, Blake Wolf caught 11 passes for 137 yards, and EJ Cochrane nailed a game-winning field goal with two seconds to play.
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Wednesday, May 03
Wednesday, May 03
