Josh Hill
Photo by: David Cook
BOBCAT SUNDAY NOTEBOOK #6: Josh Hill's Prolific Tackling Day Leads Cats
10/15/2017 1:20:00 PM | Football
Two young Bobcats log snaps in all three phases
Bobcat Football Sunday Notebook
October 15, 2017 – Eastern Washington 31, Montana State 19 in Cheney
A loss is a loss is a loss, and no one holds to that philosophy more stridently than Jeff Choate. But Montana State's second-year head coach also knows progress when he sees it, and there was much to applaud in his team's effort during Eastern Washington's 31-19 win against the Bobcats at Roos Field on Saturday. "I think it shows they are resilient," Choate said Sunday of his team. "I think it shows they are tough. I think it shows they care about each other and that they want to succeed." The Cats held Eastern's potent offensive attack to 36 yards (451) and five points below its season average, and limited spectacular quarterback Gage Gubrud to 140 yards below his league-leading average of 364.7 yards a game before Saturday. The Bobcats also took the ball away from the Eagles nearly as many times (three) as they had the season's first five opponents combined (four). In the end, though, the reigning Big Sky Champions got one more takeaway and made enough plays to hold off the upset-minded Bobcats. Chris Murray rushed for 88 yards and threw for 135 to lead the Cats, while Josh Hill logged a personal best 17 tackles.
Player of the Week Nominees
Offense – none
Defense – LB Josh Hill (5-11, 215, So, Kalispell, MT) – After missing three games with a leg injury Josh Hill returned like a man possessed Saturday, logging 17 tackles, 0.5 for a loss, in Montana State's upset bid against Eastern Washington. His tackle total was the highest by a Bobcat since Alex Singleton recorded 17 against Portland State in 2014 (Singleton had 19 against Southern Utah the season before, the last time a Bobcat had more than 17 in a game).
Special Teams – none
Freshman of the Week – none
Offensive Lineman of the Week – none
Post-Game News and Notes
Injury Report: Likely Out for Season – LB Lukas McCarthy. Indefinitely – CB Tyrel Thomas, S JoJo Henderson (other determinations will be available Monday)
• Mac Bignell logged a tackle-for-loss in his 11th consecutive game, and his 44.0 career TFLs is now 10th in school history.
• Montana State held Eastern Washington's spectacular quarterback Gage Gubrud to 224 passing yards Saturday, Gubrud's fewest in the last four game.
• Two Bobcats pulled triple-duty Saturday, logging snaps on offense and defense and kick teams – true freshman Troy Andersen (running back and linebacker) and sophomore Kevin Kassis (receiver, cornerback), but Kassis' effort stands out as he carried on a rush (for 0 yards), threw a pass (0-for-1), caught two passes for 40 yards, and lined up as a punt and kickoff returner without stats.
• Chris Murray's eight career 100-yard rushing games is ninth-most in Bobcat history and the most among Bobcat quarterbacks (Dakota Prukop had seven).
• Against five FCS opponents this season, four of them nationally-ranked at the time of the game, Montana State averages 426.8 yards and 28 points a game, and rushes for 271.2 yards an outing.
• After turning the ball over four times in the first five games without losing a fumble Montana State lost three fumbles and threw an interception at Eastern Washington on Saturday, and MSU's eight turnovers lost is now tied for 3rd in the Big Sky.
• Montana State converted its first six fourth down attempts of the season into first downs, and is now 11-for-15 on the season, 2nd in the Big Sky and 11th in the FCS.
• Mitchell Herbert now has 1,599 career receiving yards, 10th on the school's all-time list.
• Chris Murray's 1,491 career rushing yards is currently 20th in Bobcat history.
• In 10 of his 17 games as a Bobcat, sophomore quarterback Chris Murray has Montana State's long run from scrimmage, and he has led the Bobcats in rushing 10 times.
• Troy Andersen's 293 rushing yards is now 8th all-time among Bobcat freshmen
Record Book Goodbyes
A handful of all-time Bobcat greats fall of record lists this week – Bobby Daly and Jody Owens are supplanted on the career tackles-for-loss list, Joe Bignell – Mac's father – was knocked off the career receiving yards list, and Kirk Copeland comes off the career top 20 rushing yards list.
Stat Snippets
Northern Colorado's Marshaun Cameron is one of 17 players in the FCS – the only one in the Big Sky – to block at least two kicks this season… while the Cats have excelled at containing explosive plays in opponent passing attacks, allowing a tick under 10 yards per catch, the Bears' average completion goes for 14.4 yards, 19th in the FCS… Northern Colorado's ability to sack opposing quarterbacks – its 2.4 per game is 5th in the Big Sky – could be challenged Saturday by Montana State's elusive Chris Murray, whose 0.83 sacks per game is 11th in the FCS, and by a Bobcat offense which has thrown the second-fewest passes in the Big Sky.
First Look: Montana State at Northern Colorado
Game Details: Date – Saturday, October 21 Kickoff – 12:30 pm MT Special Promotion – none Audio – Statewide on the Bobcat Radio Network, and msubobcats.com Video – ROOT Sports/DirecTV Audience Network Streaming – none
At A Glance: Montana State visits a well-rested Northern Colorado team, fresh off a bye week, on Saturday at 12:30 pm in the first meeting between these teams since 2013. The Bears feature talented running back Trae Riek, who has been brilliant in his career when healthy. Riek averages 4.1 yards a carry and 70.8 yards a game, while quarterback Jacob Knipp throws for 270.4 yards a game with nine touchdown passes and four picks. Alex Wesley (27 catches, 466 yards, three touchdowns) and Hakeem Deggs (23-214-1) combine to catch nearly half the team's 103 completions. Linebackers Luke Nelson (45) and Henry Stelzner (44) lead the team in tackles. Opportunism stands as a positive trait for this Northern Colorado team, which is 4th in the Big Sky in turnover margin, 1st in fumbles recovered and 7th in passes intercepted.
October 15, 2017 – Eastern Washington 31, Montana State 19 in Cheney
A loss is a loss is a loss, and no one holds to that philosophy more stridently than Jeff Choate. But Montana State's second-year head coach also knows progress when he sees it, and there was much to applaud in his team's effort during Eastern Washington's 31-19 win against the Bobcats at Roos Field on Saturday. "I think it shows they are resilient," Choate said Sunday of his team. "I think it shows they are tough. I think it shows they care about each other and that they want to succeed." The Cats held Eastern's potent offensive attack to 36 yards (451) and five points below its season average, and limited spectacular quarterback Gage Gubrud to 140 yards below his league-leading average of 364.7 yards a game before Saturday. The Bobcats also took the ball away from the Eagles nearly as many times (three) as they had the season's first five opponents combined (four). In the end, though, the reigning Big Sky Champions got one more takeaway and made enough plays to hold off the upset-minded Bobcats. Chris Murray rushed for 88 yards and threw for 135 to lead the Cats, while Josh Hill logged a personal best 17 tackles.
Player of the Week Nominees
Offense – none
Defense – LB Josh Hill (5-11, 215, So, Kalispell, MT) – After missing three games with a leg injury Josh Hill returned like a man possessed Saturday, logging 17 tackles, 0.5 for a loss, in Montana State's upset bid against Eastern Washington. His tackle total was the highest by a Bobcat since Alex Singleton recorded 17 against Portland State in 2014 (Singleton had 19 against Southern Utah the season before, the last time a Bobcat had more than 17 in a game).
Special Teams – none
Freshman of the Week – none
Offensive Lineman of the Week – none
Post-Game News and Notes
Injury Report: Likely Out for Season – LB Lukas McCarthy. Indefinitely – CB Tyrel Thomas, S JoJo Henderson (other determinations will be available Monday)
• Mac Bignell logged a tackle-for-loss in his 11th consecutive game, and his 44.0 career TFLs is now 10th in school history.
• Montana State held Eastern Washington's spectacular quarterback Gage Gubrud to 224 passing yards Saturday, Gubrud's fewest in the last four game.
• Two Bobcats pulled triple-duty Saturday, logging snaps on offense and defense and kick teams – true freshman Troy Andersen (running back and linebacker) and sophomore Kevin Kassis (receiver, cornerback), but Kassis' effort stands out as he carried on a rush (for 0 yards), threw a pass (0-for-1), caught two passes for 40 yards, and lined up as a punt and kickoff returner without stats.
• Chris Murray's eight career 100-yard rushing games is ninth-most in Bobcat history and the most among Bobcat quarterbacks (Dakota Prukop had seven).
• Against five FCS opponents this season, four of them nationally-ranked at the time of the game, Montana State averages 426.8 yards and 28 points a game, and rushes for 271.2 yards an outing.
• After turning the ball over four times in the first five games without losing a fumble Montana State lost three fumbles and threw an interception at Eastern Washington on Saturday, and MSU's eight turnovers lost is now tied for 3rd in the Big Sky.
• Montana State converted its first six fourth down attempts of the season into first downs, and is now 11-for-15 on the season, 2nd in the Big Sky and 11th in the FCS.
• Mitchell Herbert now has 1,599 career receiving yards, 10th on the school's all-time list.
• Chris Murray's 1,491 career rushing yards is currently 20th in Bobcat history.
• In 10 of his 17 games as a Bobcat, sophomore quarterback Chris Murray has Montana State's long run from scrimmage, and he has led the Bobcats in rushing 10 times.
• Troy Andersen's 293 rushing yards is now 8th all-time among Bobcat freshmen
Record Book Goodbyes
A handful of all-time Bobcat greats fall of record lists this week – Bobby Daly and Jody Owens are supplanted on the career tackles-for-loss list, Joe Bignell – Mac's father – was knocked off the career receiving yards list, and Kirk Copeland comes off the career top 20 rushing yards list.
Stat Snippets
Northern Colorado's Marshaun Cameron is one of 17 players in the FCS – the only one in the Big Sky – to block at least two kicks this season… while the Cats have excelled at containing explosive plays in opponent passing attacks, allowing a tick under 10 yards per catch, the Bears' average completion goes for 14.4 yards, 19th in the FCS… Northern Colorado's ability to sack opposing quarterbacks – its 2.4 per game is 5th in the Big Sky – could be challenged Saturday by Montana State's elusive Chris Murray, whose 0.83 sacks per game is 11th in the FCS, and by a Bobcat offense which has thrown the second-fewest passes in the Big Sky.
First Look: Montana State at Northern Colorado
Game Details: Date – Saturday, October 21 Kickoff – 12:30 pm MT Special Promotion – none Audio – Statewide on the Bobcat Radio Network, and msubobcats.com Video – ROOT Sports/DirecTV Audience Network Streaming – none
At A Glance: Montana State visits a well-rested Northern Colorado team, fresh off a bye week, on Saturday at 12:30 pm in the first meeting between these teams since 2013. The Bears feature talented running back Trae Riek, who has been brilliant in his career when healthy. Riek averages 4.1 yards a carry and 70.8 yards a game, while quarterback Jacob Knipp throws for 270.4 yards a game with nine touchdown passes and four picks. Alex Wesley (27 catches, 466 yards, three touchdowns) and Hakeem Deggs (23-214-1) combine to catch nearly half the team's 103 completions. Linebackers Luke Nelson (45) and Henry Stelzner (44) lead the team in tackles. Opportunism stands as a positive trait for this Northern Colorado team, which is 4th in the Big Sky in turnover margin, 1st in fumbles recovered and 7th in passes intercepted.
Players Mentioned
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