Bobcat Football Sunday Notebook #3: Cats 45, Cal Poly 28

Saturday, September 26

1:35 pm

Montana State University

2-1 , 1-0

CAL POLY (HOMECOMING)

1-3 , 0-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Cal Poly

Montana State

Chad Newell helped power the Bobcat offense Saturday

Photo by: Kelly Gorham

Bobcat Football Sunday Notebook #3: Cats 45, Cal Poly 28

9/28/2015 7:24:00 AM | Football

Box Score

Big-play Bobcats trump Cal Poly's ball-control option attack

By: Bill Lamberty

In a game featuring 559 combined rushing yards and the introduction of Montana State's four all-time leading rushers (Ryan Johnson, Cody Kirk, Steve Kracher and Don Hass), it was a spectacular pitch-and-catch combo that stole the headlines and carried the day. Junior quarterback Dakota Prukop threw for 399 yards and senior tight end Beau Sandland announced his arrival as a featured weapon on the MSU offense with 156 receiving yards as the Bobcats rolled in a game it led wire to wire. Cal Poly rammed its way to 356 rushing yards, but the Bobcat defense limited big plays and kept the Mustangs one-dimensional by allowing only 50 passing yards. MSU scored touchdowns on its first three possessions and never allowed the Cal Poly back-to-back scores in the game. After the third possession of the game, the Mustangs never trailed by less than 10.

Player of the Week Nominees
Offense – Dakota Prukop (6-2, 205, Jr, Austin, TX): Dakota Prukop threw for a career-high 399 yards and rushed for 36 more, leading Montana State to a 45-28 win over 20^th-ranked Cal Poly in Bozeman on Saturday. Prukop led MSU on drives culminating in four touchdowns and a field goal in its first five possessions. In fact, the Cats were stopped twice by the end of the half and once by a failed fake punt, but didn't punt or turn the ball over. He tossed an 88-yard scoring strike to Jayshawn Gates, the third-longest pass play and MSU and Bobcat Stadium history, and a 63-yarder to Beau Sandland. He passed the 300-yard passing mark for the second straight game, and logged his second 400-yard total offense day of this season.

Defense – Mac Bignell, LB (6-0, 190, So, Drummond, MT): Mac Bignell posted his second straight with double-digit tackles, logging 10 with 1.5 for a loss in MSU's win over Cal Poly. He also broke up two passes.
Special Teams – None

Statistical Rankings
NCAA Team Rankings – T1st in fewest fumbles lost (0) and fewest turnovers (1)… 4^th in total offense (590.5)… 5^th team passing efficiency (99.03) and scoring offense (46.7)… 6^th in third down conversions (.532)… 7^th in passing offense (466.3)… 9^th in passes had intercepted (1). NCAA Individual Rankings – T1^st, field goal percentage, Luke Daly (1.000) and rushing touchdowns, Chad Newell (6)… 2^nd, scoring, Chad Newell (15.0) and total offense, Dakota Prukop (416.7)… 3^rd, points responsible for per game, Dakota Prukop (22.7)… 5^th, passing efficiency, Dakota Prukop (176.5).

Post-Game News and Notes
Injury Report: Out – S Bryson McCabe, LS Rocky Hogue. Cleared to practice this week – DE Robert Wilcox, LB Wyatt Christensen, WR Manny Kalfell.

Records Watch: The Bobcats have gained at least 600 yards in the last two games, the second time in school history it has accomplished that feat. Last season, MSU gained 737 yards against UC Davis and 646 against Sacramento State in back-to-back weeks… In the last two games, MSU has averaged 660 yards and 33 first downs… Dakota Prukop has four of the top 10 single-game total offense marks in MSU history… Tim Cramsey's offenses have produced six of MSU's nine all-time 600-yard offense days, five with Dakota Prukop at quarterback.

• Chad Newell rushed for three touchdowns Saturday, and now has 11 touchdowns in his last four games dating to 2014
• Rob Ash has coached 100 games at Montana State, and his teams have scored at least 30 points in exactly half of them (50)
• Cal Poly's 50 passing yards Saturday marked only the fourth time MSU has held an opponent to that mark or lower in the last 23 seasons