Bobcat Football Sunday Notebook #4: NAU 49, MSU 41

Saturday, October 3

Flagstaff, AZ

4:05 pm MST/5:05 pm MDT

Montana State University

2-2 , 1-1

Northern Arizona

3-2 , 1-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Montana State

Northern Arizona

Dakota Prukop continued to pile up big numbers at NAU Saturday

Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson

10/5/2015 7:08:00 AM | Football

Box Score

Lumberjack offensive explosion too much for Cats to overcome

By: Bill Lamberty

The hole Montana State dug itself, in the end, was just to cavernous to dig its way out. Down four touchdowns in the fourth quarter, MSU nearly caught Northern Arizona, but fell 49-21 in the Skydome. The Bobcats gained 572 yards of total offense, including 173 on the ground and 399 passing, but trailed by four touchdowns in the fourth quarter when the comeback began. Mitch Griebel's first career touchdown, a 13-yard toss from Dakota Prukop, cut NAU's lead to 49-27. Gunnar Brekke then caught an 85-yarder from Prukop to make the score 49-33, and Justin Paige caught his second touchdown of the season – and of the game – with 1:49 left and MSU failed to recover the on-side kick, giving NAU its margin of victory.

Player of the Week Nominees
Offense – Dakota Prukop (6-2, 205, Jr, Austin, TX): Dakota Prukop matched his career-high 399 yards and rushed for 54 more, in Montana State's 49-41 loss at Northern Arizona on Saturday. Prukop threw touchdown passes of 85 and 69 yards (along with two others), and also ran one in. He has now accounted for five touchdowns in a game (throwing or running) six times in his career.

Defense – None
Special Teams – None

Statistical Rankings
NCAA Team Rankings – T1st in fewest fumbles lost (0) and fewest turnovers (1)… 2^nd in fewest turnovers lost (2)… 3^rd in passing efficiency (178.97)… 4^th in total offense (578.3)… 5^th in scoring offense (45.3), third down conversions (53.8%) and passing offense (352.3)... 7^th in passing yards per completion (15.66)… 8^th in fewest penalty yards (150) and red zone offense (95%)…… 9^th in first downs (114)… . NCAA Individual Rankings – Dakota Prukop: 1^st in points responsible for per game (25.5), 4^th in passing efficiency (180.3), 4^th in passing yards per game (337.0), 4^th in points responsible for (96), 5^th in passing TDs (13); CHAD NEWELL: 2^nd in rushing TDs (7), 4^th in scoring (10.5).

Post-Game News and Notes
Injury Report: Out – S Bryson McCabe. Questionable – LS Rocky Hogue.

Records Watch: On Montana State's career records lists, Dakota Prukop is now: 25^th in rushing (1,321), 7^th in passing yards (3,907), 5^th in total offense (5,228), and 5^th in total touchdowns by QB (47).

• Chad Newell rushed for another touchdown Saturday, giving him seven this season, 12 in his last five games dating to 2014, and 16 rushing touchdowns in his career. He has also scored at least one touchdown in seven straight games.
• Rob Ash has coached 101 games at Montana State, and his teams have scored at least 30 points in 51 of them
• Dakota Prukop threw for 399 yards Saturday for the second straight week, matching his career single-game high. It's the most a Bobcat has ever thrown for against Northern Arizona.
• Dakota Prukop's three consecutive 300-yard passing days is tied for third in MSU history with DeNarius McGhee, his immediate predecessor. The school record of six is shared by Kelly Bradley and Travis Lulay.
• Dakota Prukop has thrown a touchdown pass of over 80 yards in two straight games.
• The Cats have gained at least 500 yards in three straight games.
• Montana State was penalized as many times in the game's first five plays at NAU as during the entire Cal Poly game (one), and a week after MSU and the Mustangs combined for two penalties (one each), the Cats (8) and Northern Arizona (10) combined for 18.
• MSU's last six Division I opponents have produced a ball-carrier that gained at least 115 yards.
• The Cats have scored at least six touchdowns, and at least 40 points, in each game this season.
• MSU's defense has not recorded a takeaway in eight straight quarters, and has not forced more than two turnovers in a game in the last 13 games (3, EWU, 9/20/14).