Bobcat kicker Gabe Peppenger
Photo by: Kelly Gorham
BOBCAT FOOTBALL SUNDAY NOTEBOOK #7: Cats Cap Comeback with Walkoff Winner
10/22/2017 11:59:00 AM | Football
MSU won in dramatic fashion at UNC, and likely won't be invited back for Homecoming
Bobcat Football Sunday Notebook
October 22, 2017 – Montana State 27, Northern Colorado 24 in Greeley
Montana State won in walk-off fashion for the first time since 2010 on Saturday, beating Northern Colorado 27-24 on a 27-yard Gabe Peppenger field goal as time expired. The Bobcats out-scored UNC 20-3 in the second half, limiting the bears to 78 yards and four first downs after halftime. Sophomore quarterback Chris Murray led Montana State's comeback by rushing for 67 yards and throwing for 139 in the fourth quarter. Senior receiver Mitchell Herbert was on the business end of five completions in the decisive final period, gaining 87 of those yards. In a cross-wind gusting up to 30 miles an hour, Peppenger calmly nailed both of his field goal attempts and all three of his extra points to account for one-third of MSU's points. Before Saturday, Bobcat kickers had accounted for just 22 of the team's 142 points (15%). The win makes MSU 2-0 all-time as Northern Colorado's Homecoming guest, 1-1 in Homecoming games this season (MSU dropped its own to Weber State).
Player of the Week Nominees
Offense – QB Chris Murray (6-2, 185, So, Inglewood, CA) – Montana State's sensational sophomore quarterback checked another first off his list Saturday, leading his team a fourth-quarter comeback for the first time as the Bobcats beat Northern Colorado 27-24 in Greeley. He finished the day with 26 rushes for 150 yards and one touchdown, while throwing for 222 yards and one touchdown on 20-for-35 passing (two interceptions). Murray engineered 73-yard, 13-play game-winning drive that culminated in Gabe Peppenger's field goal as time expired. That drive capped a marvelous fourth quarter by Murray, in which he carried the ball nine times for 67 yards, turning five of those carries into first downs and another into a touchdown. He was 7-for-13 passing for 139 yards in in the fourth quarter, converting three third downs into first downs. On the game's final drive, Murray faced three third downs, converting two with passes (one on a third-and-15) and another with his legs. Murray's 150 rushing yards give him nine career 100-yard games out of his 18 career contests, and moves him into 16th in school history with 1,641 career yards.
Defense – none
Special Teams – K Gabe Peppenger (6-0, 205, So, Missoula, MT) – Gabe Peppenger scored nine of Montana State's 27 points and sealed the Bobcats' first true regulation time walk-off win since 2005 with a 27-yard field goal. Peppenger was perfect on the day, connecting on both of his field goals and all three PATs on a day when cross-winds gusted up to 30 miles per hour. The sophomore from Missoula has helped guide the Bobcat kicking game out of choppy waters by connecting on three straight field goals after MSU began the year 1-for-5 in that category.
Freshman of the Week – none
Offensive Lineman of the Week – none
Post-Game News and Notes
Injury Report: Unlikely to return this season – LB Lukas McCarthy, DE Grant Collins, OG Caleb Gillis. Indefinitely –S JoJo Henderson (other determinations will be available Monday)
• Gabe Peppenger's field goal as time expired gave Montana State its first walk-off win since DeNarius McGhee ended an overtime win at Idaho State in 2010 with a 25-yard touchdown scamper, and its first regulation walk-off since Jeff Hastings'39-yard field goal beat Weber State in Ogden 27-24 in 2005.
• Mac Bignell logged a tackle-for-loss (a half-tackle, specifically) in his 12th consecutive game, and his 44.5 career TFLs is now 10th in school history.
• Chris Murray rushed for 150 yards at UNC Saturday to boost his career total to 1,641, 16th in Bobcat history and 122 yards from Dakota Prukop's school rushing record for quarterbacks (1,763).
• Chris Murray's nine career 100-yard rushing games is tied with Demetrius Crawford for 8th-most in Bobcat history and the most among Bobcat quarterbacks (Dakota Prukop had seven).
• Against six FCS opponents this season, four of them nationally-ranked at the time of the game, Montana State averages 442.2 yards and 28.2 points a game, and rushes for 275.5 yards an outing.
• After turning the ball over four times in the first five games the Bobcats have given the ball away six times in the last two, and MSU's 10 turnovers lost is now tied for 6th in the Big Sky.
• Montana State converted its first six fourth down attempts of the season into first downs, and is now 14-for-18 on the season, 1st in the Big Sky and 5th in the FCS (77.8%).
• Mitchell Herbert caught six passes for 105 yards and a touchdown at Northern Colorado, propelling him to 9th in school history with 1,704 career receiving yards, tied for 2nd with 18 career touchdown receptions, and tied for 7th with five career 100-yard receiving games. He was the go-to receiver when the Bobcats needed him the most Saturday, catching five of Murray's seven completions in the fourth quarter.
• In engineering his first fourth quarter come-from-behind win, Chris Murray compiled 206 total yards in the fourth quarter to lead the Bobcats on three scoring marches out of four possessions.
• In 10 of his 18 games as a Bobcat, sophomore Chris Murray has Montana State's long run from scrimmage, and he has led the Bobcats in rushing 11 times.
• Troy Andersen's 368 rushing yards is now 6th all-time among Bobcat freshmen. He is chasing the guy handing off to him, Chris Murray, who dashed for 860 yards a year ago.
• While Montana State's offense scored 17 fourth-quarter points at UNC, the Bobcat defense limited the home team to just three (set up entirely by a long kickoff return and penalty) points with 78 total yards and four first downs in the second half.
• Northern Colorado's 48 rushing yards is the lowest opponent total since Weber State gained 29 on the ground in2014.
• Montana State's 519 total yards was the most by a Jeff Choate-coached Bobcat team, and the third 500-yard total offense day since Choate took over the Bobcat program.
• The Bobcats have now won two road games in a season for the first time since 2014.
• Montana State has now played Northern Colorado as the Bears' Homecoming opponent twice in history – a 49-12 win in 1923 which was the first meeting between the two, and the 27-24 win yesterday.
• The last time before Saturday's win that the Cats rushed for 20 first downs was against Eastern Washington in a 2015 loss.
Stat Snippets
After converting 10 of their 19 third downs on Saturday Montana State is now 2nd in the Big Sky in that category (.451). and the Cats face an Idaho State squad that stands 8th in the Big Sky (.450) in third down conversion defense… Idaho State's 190 first downs this season leads the Big Sky and is 3rd-most in the FCS… Idaho State leads the Big Sky in passing efficiency, while the Bobcats enter this week's game 4th in team passing efficiency defense… the Bengals are 11th in passing yards allowed per game in the Big Sky (277.5), but MSU is 12th in passing yards per game (146.9)… on the flip side, ISU allows 217.3 rushing yards a game (11th in the league) while the Bobcats gain 252.6 yards a game on the ground (1st in the Big Sky, 7th in the FCS).
First Look: Montana State at Idaho State
Game Details: Date – Saturday, October 28 Kickoff – 1:30 pm MT Special Promotion – Cap on Cancer Audio – Statewide on the Bobcat Radio Network, and msubobcats.com Video – ROOT Sports/DirecTV Audience Network Streaming – none
At A Glance: Montana State enters Saturday's game riding a high after earning a come-from-behind league road win at Northern Colorado, but the Bengals carry some strong momentum into this week's game, as well. Idaho State whipped Portland State 59-30 on Saturday, rolling up an eye-popping 691 yards of total offense with 34 first downs. James Madison (160 yards) and Ty Flanagan (108 yards, four touchdowns) powered Idaho State's ground game, while quarterback Tanner Gueller threw for 327 yards on only 14 completions (23 attempts). He tossed scoring strikes to three different players, including his brother Mitch, who had 195 yards on four catches. The Bengals average 34 points and 472 yards a game, but the team's true headliner plays on the other side of the line of scrimmage. Linebacker Mario Jenkins, healthy as a senior Buck Buchanan Award candidate, has 87 tackles, 1.5 for a loss, with a pass breakup and two forced fumbles. Bengals head coach Rob Phenicie is in his first season in that role, but was an assistant at ISU the previous two seasons, and for seven at Montana.
October 22, 2017 – Montana State 27, Northern Colorado 24 in Greeley
Montana State won in walk-off fashion for the first time since 2010 on Saturday, beating Northern Colorado 27-24 on a 27-yard Gabe Peppenger field goal as time expired. The Bobcats out-scored UNC 20-3 in the second half, limiting the bears to 78 yards and four first downs after halftime. Sophomore quarterback Chris Murray led Montana State's comeback by rushing for 67 yards and throwing for 139 in the fourth quarter. Senior receiver Mitchell Herbert was on the business end of five completions in the decisive final period, gaining 87 of those yards. In a cross-wind gusting up to 30 miles an hour, Peppenger calmly nailed both of his field goal attempts and all three of his extra points to account for one-third of MSU's points. Before Saturday, Bobcat kickers had accounted for just 22 of the team's 142 points (15%). The win makes MSU 2-0 all-time as Northern Colorado's Homecoming guest, 1-1 in Homecoming games this season (MSU dropped its own to Weber State).
Player of the Week Nominees
Offense – QB Chris Murray (6-2, 185, So, Inglewood, CA) – Montana State's sensational sophomore quarterback checked another first off his list Saturday, leading his team a fourth-quarter comeback for the first time as the Bobcats beat Northern Colorado 27-24 in Greeley. He finished the day with 26 rushes for 150 yards and one touchdown, while throwing for 222 yards and one touchdown on 20-for-35 passing (two interceptions). Murray engineered 73-yard, 13-play game-winning drive that culminated in Gabe Peppenger's field goal as time expired. That drive capped a marvelous fourth quarter by Murray, in which he carried the ball nine times for 67 yards, turning five of those carries into first downs and another into a touchdown. He was 7-for-13 passing for 139 yards in in the fourth quarter, converting three third downs into first downs. On the game's final drive, Murray faced three third downs, converting two with passes (one on a third-and-15) and another with his legs. Murray's 150 rushing yards give him nine career 100-yard games out of his 18 career contests, and moves him into 16th in school history with 1,641 career yards.
Defense – none
Special Teams – K Gabe Peppenger (6-0, 205, So, Missoula, MT) – Gabe Peppenger scored nine of Montana State's 27 points and sealed the Bobcats' first true regulation time walk-off win since 2005 with a 27-yard field goal. Peppenger was perfect on the day, connecting on both of his field goals and all three PATs on a day when cross-winds gusted up to 30 miles per hour. The sophomore from Missoula has helped guide the Bobcat kicking game out of choppy waters by connecting on three straight field goals after MSU began the year 1-for-5 in that category.
Freshman of the Week – none
Offensive Lineman of the Week – none
Post-Game News and Notes
Injury Report: Unlikely to return this season – LB Lukas McCarthy, DE Grant Collins, OG Caleb Gillis. Indefinitely –S JoJo Henderson (other determinations will be available Monday)
• Gabe Peppenger's field goal as time expired gave Montana State its first walk-off win since DeNarius McGhee ended an overtime win at Idaho State in 2010 with a 25-yard touchdown scamper, and its first regulation walk-off since Jeff Hastings'39-yard field goal beat Weber State in Ogden 27-24 in 2005.
• Mac Bignell logged a tackle-for-loss (a half-tackle, specifically) in his 12th consecutive game, and his 44.5 career TFLs is now 10th in school history.
• Chris Murray rushed for 150 yards at UNC Saturday to boost his career total to 1,641, 16th in Bobcat history and 122 yards from Dakota Prukop's school rushing record for quarterbacks (1,763).
• Chris Murray's nine career 100-yard rushing games is tied with Demetrius Crawford for 8th-most in Bobcat history and the most among Bobcat quarterbacks (Dakota Prukop had seven).
• Against six FCS opponents this season, four of them nationally-ranked at the time of the game, Montana State averages 442.2 yards and 28.2 points a game, and rushes for 275.5 yards an outing.
• After turning the ball over four times in the first five games the Bobcats have given the ball away six times in the last two, and MSU's 10 turnovers lost is now tied for 6th in the Big Sky.
• Montana State converted its first six fourth down attempts of the season into first downs, and is now 14-for-18 on the season, 1st in the Big Sky and 5th in the FCS (77.8%).
• Mitchell Herbert caught six passes for 105 yards and a touchdown at Northern Colorado, propelling him to 9th in school history with 1,704 career receiving yards, tied for 2nd with 18 career touchdown receptions, and tied for 7th with five career 100-yard receiving games. He was the go-to receiver when the Bobcats needed him the most Saturday, catching five of Murray's seven completions in the fourth quarter.
• In engineering his first fourth quarter come-from-behind win, Chris Murray compiled 206 total yards in the fourth quarter to lead the Bobcats on three scoring marches out of four possessions.
• In 10 of his 18 games as a Bobcat, sophomore Chris Murray has Montana State's long run from scrimmage, and he has led the Bobcats in rushing 11 times.
• Troy Andersen's 368 rushing yards is now 6th all-time among Bobcat freshmen. He is chasing the guy handing off to him, Chris Murray, who dashed for 860 yards a year ago.
• While Montana State's offense scored 17 fourth-quarter points at UNC, the Bobcat defense limited the home team to just three (set up entirely by a long kickoff return and penalty) points with 78 total yards and four first downs in the second half.
• Northern Colorado's 48 rushing yards is the lowest opponent total since Weber State gained 29 on the ground in2014.
• Montana State's 519 total yards was the most by a Jeff Choate-coached Bobcat team, and the third 500-yard total offense day since Choate took over the Bobcat program.
• The Bobcats have now won two road games in a season for the first time since 2014.
• Montana State has now played Northern Colorado as the Bears' Homecoming opponent twice in history – a 49-12 win in 1923 which was the first meeting between the two, and the 27-24 win yesterday.
• The last time before Saturday's win that the Cats rushed for 20 first downs was against Eastern Washington in a 2015 loss.
Stat Snippets
After converting 10 of their 19 third downs on Saturday Montana State is now 2nd in the Big Sky in that category (.451). and the Cats face an Idaho State squad that stands 8th in the Big Sky (.450) in third down conversion defense… Idaho State's 190 first downs this season leads the Big Sky and is 3rd-most in the FCS… Idaho State leads the Big Sky in passing efficiency, while the Bobcats enter this week's game 4th in team passing efficiency defense… the Bengals are 11th in passing yards allowed per game in the Big Sky (277.5), but MSU is 12th in passing yards per game (146.9)… on the flip side, ISU allows 217.3 rushing yards a game (11th in the league) while the Bobcats gain 252.6 yards a game on the ground (1st in the Big Sky, 7th in the FCS).
First Look: Montana State at Idaho State
Game Details: Date – Saturday, October 28 Kickoff – 1:30 pm MT Special Promotion – Cap on Cancer Audio – Statewide on the Bobcat Radio Network, and msubobcats.com Video – ROOT Sports/DirecTV Audience Network Streaming – none
At A Glance: Montana State enters Saturday's game riding a high after earning a come-from-behind league road win at Northern Colorado, but the Bengals carry some strong momentum into this week's game, as well. Idaho State whipped Portland State 59-30 on Saturday, rolling up an eye-popping 691 yards of total offense with 34 first downs. James Madison (160 yards) and Ty Flanagan (108 yards, four touchdowns) powered Idaho State's ground game, while quarterback Tanner Gueller threw for 327 yards on only 14 completions (23 attempts). He tossed scoring strikes to three different players, including his brother Mitch, who had 195 yards on four catches. The Bengals average 34 points and 472 yards a game, but the team's true headliner plays on the other side of the line of scrimmage. Linebacker Mario Jenkins, healthy as a senior Buck Buchanan Award candidate, has 87 tackles, 1.5 for a loss, with a pass breakup and two forced fumbles. Bengals head coach Rob Phenicie is in his first season in that role, but was an assistant at ISU the previous two seasons, and for seven at Montana.
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