Bobcat Football Sunday Notebook #9: SUU 34, MSU 23

Saturday, November 7

1:40 pm

Montana State University

SOUTHERN UTAH

Photo by: Kelly Gorham

11/9/2015 6:50:00 AM | Football

Box Score

Thunderbirds Limit MSU Offense to Season-Low Scoring Total

By: Bill Lamberty

Southern Utah scored 21 straight points around the second half's mid-point and cruised to a 34-23 win over Montana State in Bobcat Stadium on Saturday. Three MSU turnovers and a dozen penalties against the home team – SUU was whistled for only five – boosted the Thunderbirds into sole possession of first place in the Big Sky with the win. Montana State's 23 points was its season low. The loss left the Bobcats below .500 in November for the first time since 2002, when 3-5 MSU beat Sacramento State 31-30 on the second day of that month to start a four-game winning streak that would end in a Big Sky Championship.
For the second time this season Montana State visits a largely unfamiliar Big Sky stadium when the Cats play at Idaho State on Saturday at 2:35 pm. The Bobcats haven't battled the Bengals in Holt Arena since DeNarius McGhee led MSU to a 23-20 overtime win in 2010. That was the season before Mike Kramer took control of the Idaho State program.

Player of the Week Nominees
Offense – none
Defense – none
Special Teams – none
Freshman of the Week – none

Post-Game News and Notes
Injury Report: Out – DE Devin Jeffries, DT Joe Naotala. Doubtful – DT Tucker Yates. Questionable/Possible – CB Tre'von Strong, OG JP Flynn, OG Kyle Godecke, RB/RS Logan Jones. Probable – CB Bryson Keeton.

Records Watch: On Montana State's career records lists, Dakota Prukop is now: 14^th in rushing (1,684), 5^th in passing yards (5,008), 5^th in total offense (6,712), 5^th in total touchdowns by QB (58), and 6^th in rushing TDs (22). Chad Newell is now 9^th in rushing TDs (20).

• Montana State's game against Idaho State, led by former Bobcat head coach Mike Kramer, on Saturday marks MSU's 13^th all-time matchup against a former head coach – the Cats are 2-0 vs. Kramer, 0-2 vs. Sonny Lubick, 3-5 vs. Jim Sweeney.
• Idaho State coach Mike Kramer is 5-3 all-time against the Bobcats (5-1 while coaching at Eastern Washington, 0-2 at ISU), but has never faced Montana State in his current home venue, Holt Arena
• Senior defensive tackle Taylor Sheridan blocked two kicks Saturday, becoming the first Bobcat to accomplish that in a single game since Dane Fletcher (2 vs. NAU in 2008)
• Dakota Prukop became the fifth Bobcat to pass the 5,000-yard career passing mark in a Bobcat uniform on Saturday
• A John Weidenaar start at Idaho State on Saturday would tie Jon Montoya and Brent Swaggert – both of whom played for Mike Kramer at MSU – for the longest consecutive starts streak in Bobcat history
• Montana State has lost only two fumbles in nine games this season, both at North Dakota
• Eight of Montana State's last 30 opponents have scored at least 40 points, something only seven of its previous 75 foes had accomplished.
• When MSU shut Southern Utah out in the first quarter Saturday it marked the second time this season the Cats had held a Division I opponent scoreless in the first quarter, and snapped a string of five straight periods overall allowing opponent points and eight straight against league foes
• Rob Ash has coached 106 games at Montana State, and his teams have scored at least 30 points in 56 of them
• MSU's 23 points against Southern Utah Saturday snapped a nine-game streak of scoring at least 35 points

First Look: Montana State at Idaho State
Game Details: Date – Saturday, November 14 Kickoff – 2:35 pm Audio – Statewide on the Bobcat Radio Network and msubobcats.com Video – Statewide on Cowles Media-Montana stations (ABC/Fox affiliates around the state, NBC in Billings)

At A Glance: Saturday's game seems to feature a pair of interesting matchups. Montana State pits the second-rated passing offense in the Big Sky (300.0 yards a game) against Idaho State's third-ranked passing defense (176.4), while Idaho State's 13^th-ranked scoring defense (41.2) tries to slow MSU's league-leading scoring offense (42.4).