Photo by: Adrian Sanchez-Gonzalez
BOBCAT SUNDAY NOTEBOOK #9: Cats Head to NAU for Road Finale
11/5/2017 7:46:00 PM | Football
Montana State faces a Lumberjack team coming off its first league loss
November 5, 2017 – Kennesaw State 16, Montana State 14 in Bozeman
A Kennesaw State field goal with 1:55 to play and an interception thrown 39 seconds later spelled doom for Montana State on Saturday, as the Cats dropped a 16-14 decision Saturday in Bobcat Stadium. KSU quarterback Chandler Burks carried 34 times for 149 yards and his team's only touchdown, while fullback Jake McKenzie added 116 yards. After Justin Thompson's third field goal gave the Owls a 16-14 lead with just under two minutes remaining, the Cats moved into KSU territory. But, Taylor Henkle intercepted a Chris Murray pass to seal the win. Murray rushed for 92 yards, throwing for 110. Brayden Konkol and Bryson McCabe logged a dozen tackles each for the Bobcats.
Player of the Week Nominees
Offense – none
Defense – NT Tucker Yates (6-1, 215, Sr, Drummond, MT) – Montana State's junior nose tackle recorded nine total tackles, including seven assists, in Montana State's 16-14 loss to #25 Kennesaw State on Saturday. The Cats held KSU to 14 points below its season scoring average, and Yates' role defending the Olws' triple option in the middle of the line was crucial. The Bobcats allowed Kennesaw State, the nation's top rushing team, just a single touchdown, on the game's first drive.
Special Teams – P Jered Padmos (6-1, 190, Sa, Boulder, MT) – Sophomore punter Jered Padmos continued to help the Bobcats manipulate field position Saturday, dropping punts inside the Kennesaw State 20-yard line three times and inside the five twice. He nailed a long punt of 53 yards, and on the season averages 42.4 yards a kick. Five of his 28 punts this season have traveled at least 50 yards, and he has deposited 10 inside the opponent 20-yard line.
Freshman of the Week – none
Offensive Lineman of the Week – none
Post-Game News and Notes
Injury Report: Out for the season – DE Grant Collins, LB Balue Chapman. Indefinitely –S JoJo Henderson, OG Caleb Gillis (other determinations will be available Monday)
• Montana State's most recent November non-conference game was 20 years ago nearly to the day – November 8, 1997 – from Saturday's loss to Kennesaw State. The Cats fell 20-19 to Cal Poly, who won that game on a walkoff field goal.
• Montana State has allowed just 41 points in the fourth quarter this season, 13 in the last four games.
• Chris Murray rushed for 92 yards Saturday to boost his career total to 1,800, 11th in Bobcat history and the most ever by a Bobcat quarterback. Murray's 940 yards this season is 236 yards from boosting him into the MSU single-season rushing top 10. No Bobcat quarterback has rushed for 1,000 yards in a season.
• Chris Murray's 18 career rushing touchdowns is two from joining Montana State's career top 10 list.
• Against eight FCS opponents this season, five of them nationally-ranked at the time of the game, Montana State averages 418.5 yards and 26.4 points a game, and rushes for 250.9yards an outing.
• After turning the ball over six times in the previous two games, Montana State has thrown just one interception each in the last two outings.
• Montana State has forced multiple turnovers twice this season, three at Eastern Washington and two against ISU.
• Montana State failed to convert its only fourth down attempt Saturday, and is now 15-for-20 on the season, 1st in the Big Sky and 4th in the FCS (75.0%).
• Mitchell Herbert caught two passes for 48 yards and a touchdown against Kennesaw State, propelling him to 7th in school history with 1,775 career receiving yards, 2nd with 20 career touchdown receptions.
• In 11 of his 20 games as a Bobcat, sophomore Chris Murray has Montana State's long run from scrimmage, and he has led the Bobcats in rushing 12 times.
• Troy Andersen's 444 rushing yards is now 4th all-time among Bobcat freshmen, and he is 13th in FCS and 1st in the Big Sky in rushing among freshmen.
Stat Snippets
While Northern Arizona enters this week's game 2nd in the Big Sky with 25.7 points allowed per game, the Bobcats average 23.4 points per outing, 11th in the Big Sky… NAU leads the Big Sky in passing efficiency defense, while the Bobcats stand 12th in the Big Sky in passing efficiency offense… NAU receiver Elijah Marks is among the top 10 receivers in the FCS in catches and receiving yards per game… Lumberjacks quarterback Case Cookus is 10th nationally with 297.2 passing yards per game in spite of missing more than three-quarters of last week's game.
First Look: Montana State vs. Northern Arizona
Game Details: Date – Saturday, November 11 Kickoff – 5 pm MT Special Promotion – none Audio – Statewide on the Bobcat Radio Network, and msubobcats.com Video – Eleven Sports Streaming – PlutoTV.com
At A Glance: Montana State makes its final road trip of the season this weekend when the Bobcats face Northern Arizona in Flagstaff at 5 pm on Saturday. The Cats enter an emotionally-charged environment, facing a Lumberjacks team celebrating Senior Night, honoring the storied career of legendary head coach Jerome Souers, whose final scheduled home game is Saturday, and playing NAU after its first league loss. That came in Missoula last week, a 17-15 decision during which NAU's sensational quarterback Case Cookus was ejected for targeting. The bizarre circumstance of an offensive player's ejection for that foul resonates with Bobcat fans after MSU senior running back Nick LaSane suffered the same fate at Northern Colorado on a play that should have been whistled dead (according to the review process) before the foul occurred. Cookus' 297.2 passing yards per game is 10th in the nation, even after being deprived more than three-quarters of a game and the Lumberjacks average 33 points a game this season.
Cat-Griz Media Procedures
Head Coach Jeff Choate and Montana State captains Mitch Herbert, Dylan Mahoney, Mac Bignell and Bryson McCabe will be Montana State's only representatives available to the media the week of this year's Cat-Griz game. Choate, offensive and defensive players will be available at the normal times.
A Kennesaw State field goal with 1:55 to play and an interception thrown 39 seconds later spelled doom for Montana State on Saturday, as the Cats dropped a 16-14 decision Saturday in Bobcat Stadium. KSU quarterback Chandler Burks carried 34 times for 149 yards and his team's only touchdown, while fullback Jake McKenzie added 116 yards. After Justin Thompson's third field goal gave the Owls a 16-14 lead with just under two minutes remaining, the Cats moved into KSU territory. But, Taylor Henkle intercepted a Chris Murray pass to seal the win. Murray rushed for 92 yards, throwing for 110. Brayden Konkol and Bryson McCabe logged a dozen tackles each for the Bobcats.
Player of the Week Nominees
Offense – none
Defense – NT Tucker Yates (6-1, 215, Sr, Drummond, MT) – Montana State's junior nose tackle recorded nine total tackles, including seven assists, in Montana State's 16-14 loss to #25 Kennesaw State on Saturday. The Cats held KSU to 14 points below its season scoring average, and Yates' role defending the Olws' triple option in the middle of the line was crucial. The Bobcats allowed Kennesaw State, the nation's top rushing team, just a single touchdown, on the game's first drive.
Special Teams – P Jered Padmos (6-1, 190, Sa, Boulder, MT) – Sophomore punter Jered Padmos continued to help the Bobcats manipulate field position Saturday, dropping punts inside the Kennesaw State 20-yard line three times and inside the five twice. He nailed a long punt of 53 yards, and on the season averages 42.4 yards a kick. Five of his 28 punts this season have traveled at least 50 yards, and he has deposited 10 inside the opponent 20-yard line.
Freshman of the Week – none
Offensive Lineman of the Week – none
Post-Game News and Notes
Injury Report: Out for the season – DE Grant Collins, LB Balue Chapman. Indefinitely –S JoJo Henderson, OG Caleb Gillis (other determinations will be available Monday)
• Montana State's most recent November non-conference game was 20 years ago nearly to the day – November 8, 1997 – from Saturday's loss to Kennesaw State. The Cats fell 20-19 to Cal Poly, who won that game on a walkoff field goal.
• Montana State has allowed just 41 points in the fourth quarter this season, 13 in the last four games.
• Chris Murray rushed for 92 yards Saturday to boost his career total to 1,800, 11th in Bobcat history and the most ever by a Bobcat quarterback. Murray's 940 yards this season is 236 yards from boosting him into the MSU single-season rushing top 10. No Bobcat quarterback has rushed for 1,000 yards in a season.
• Chris Murray's 18 career rushing touchdowns is two from joining Montana State's career top 10 list.
• Against eight FCS opponents this season, five of them nationally-ranked at the time of the game, Montana State averages 418.5 yards and 26.4 points a game, and rushes for 250.9yards an outing.
• After turning the ball over six times in the previous two games, Montana State has thrown just one interception each in the last two outings.
• Montana State has forced multiple turnovers twice this season, three at Eastern Washington and two against ISU.
• Montana State failed to convert its only fourth down attempt Saturday, and is now 15-for-20 on the season, 1st in the Big Sky and 4th in the FCS (75.0%).
• Mitchell Herbert caught two passes for 48 yards and a touchdown against Kennesaw State, propelling him to 7th in school history with 1,775 career receiving yards, 2nd with 20 career touchdown receptions.
• In 11 of his 20 games as a Bobcat, sophomore Chris Murray has Montana State's long run from scrimmage, and he has led the Bobcats in rushing 12 times.
• Troy Andersen's 444 rushing yards is now 4th all-time among Bobcat freshmen, and he is 13th in FCS and 1st in the Big Sky in rushing among freshmen.
Stat Snippets
While Northern Arizona enters this week's game 2nd in the Big Sky with 25.7 points allowed per game, the Bobcats average 23.4 points per outing, 11th in the Big Sky… NAU leads the Big Sky in passing efficiency defense, while the Bobcats stand 12th in the Big Sky in passing efficiency offense… NAU receiver Elijah Marks is among the top 10 receivers in the FCS in catches and receiving yards per game… Lumberjacks quarterback Case Cookus is 10th nationally with 297.2 passing yards per game in spite of missing more than three-quarters of last week's game.
First Look: Montana State vs. Northern Arizona
Game Details: Date – Saturday, November 11 Kickoff – 5 pm MT Special Promotion – none Audio – Statewide on the Bobcat Radio Network, and msubobcats.com Video – Eleven Sports Streaming – PlutoTV.com
At A Glance: Montana State makes its final road trip of the season this weekend when the Bobcats face Northern Arizona in Flagstaff at 5 pm on Saturday. The Cats enter an emotionally-charged environment, facing a Lumberjacks team celebrating Senior Night, honoring the storied career of legendary head coach Jerome Souers, whose final scheduled home game is Saturday, and playing NAU after its first league loss. That came in Missoula last week, a 17-15 decision during which NAU's sensational quarterback Case Cookus was ejected for targeting. The bizarre circumstance of an offensive player's ejection for that foul resonates with Bobcat fans after MSU senior running back Nick LaSane suffered the same fate at Northern Colorado on a play that should have been whistled dead (according to the review process) before the foul occurred. Cookus' 297.2 passing yards per game is 10th in the nation, even after being deprived more than three-quarters of a game and the Lumberjacks average 33 points a game this season.
Cat-Griz Media Procedures
Head Coach Jeff Choate and Montana State captains Mitch Herbert, Dylan Mahoney, Mac Bignell and Bryson McCabe will be Montana State's only representatives available to the media the week of this year's Cat-Griz game. Choate, offensive and defensive players will be available at the normal times.
Players Mentioned
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DT
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