Mitchell Herbert about to score his 17th career touchdown
Photo by: Kelly Gorham
Record Chase Not a Concern During Bobcats' Bye Week
9/14/2017 8:38:00 AM | Football
Several MSU players are enjoying record pursuits
Mitchell Herbert gives the answer most high-level athletes recite when asked about the records he's chasing during his senior season as a Montana State receiver.
"I'm honestly not a huge records guys," the Eugene, Oregon, product says. Herbert has 17 career touchdown catches, four from the Bobcat record. "I focus on doing what I can to help the team win. At the end of the day if records come with it, so be it. But I'm more focused on getting a win."
But there's a caveat. Let's say a couple of years down the road Herbert's younger brother Justin is zeroing on some all-time passing records at Oregon, where he is the Ducks' starting quarterback. "That's different," Herbert says with a smile. "That's family. I'll definitely be paying attention and rooting him on."
And so it is for Mac Bignell, whose late strip of South Dakota State's Brady Mengarelli with just under two minutes remaining and the Cats trailing by four points on Saturday nearly provided one of the thrilling moments in recent Bobcat football history. Instead of squirting toward Bignell or another player in yellow, though, the ball returned into Mengarelli's hands. That was Bignell's ninth career forced fumble at MSU, breaking the school record.
"I don't really" pay attention to records, Bignell said. But that wasn't always the case. Mac's father Joe, one of Montana State's all-time greats, has featured prominently on Bobcat record lists since his career ended in 1984. "When I was younger I was a big records guy," Mac Bignell admitted. "We'd get the (MSU) media guides every year, and I'd look to see where my dad was. I think my dad still has one or two." (Joe Bignell's 1,149 yards and 88 catches in 1984 remains the MSU single-season standards in those categories.)
Another Bobcat on a record-breaking arc, sophomore quarterback Chris Murray posted only the fifth 300-yard passing/100-yard rushing game ever by a Bobcat against South Dakota State. And while he has posted eye-popping numbers in his brief Bobcat career, nearing the career lists in rushing yards and total touchdowns after just seven starts, Murray said it's never on his radar. "I don't go into games thinking, 'I want to break this record.' It's just go out there and play and get the W, that's all that matters. If you stay within the system that takes care of itself."
That isn't to say Murray ignores his accomplishments. "Obviously you acknowledge it and you're proud of it," he said, "but you can't dwell on it. You have to find a way to get better."
The man calling the plays that Murray executes, offensive coordinator Brian Armstrong, said that during his time as the head coach at Rocky Mountain College in Billings he was regularly apprised of stats and records of note. "Bill Bighaus was our writer for the (Billings) Gazette," Armstrong said, "and he always kept us updated on what the team needed for this record, or what that player needs for that record. I find (records) interesting, but I don't get too wrapped up in it."
One man in the Bobcat program that appreciates records in real-time is defensive coordinator Ty Gregorak. "It's pretty freaking sweet," Gregorak said of Bignell's newly-minted forced fumbles record. I told him to keep building on it and make sure the next Mac Bignell that comes along in a few years has a hard time reaching it."
What made Saturday's play more memorable for Gregorak is that "we had just talked about that on the sideline" before Bignell's play on the ball knocked it loose. "We call it CPR – club, punch, rip – and Mac has a pretty good knack for it."
Bignell is also honing in Montana State's top 10 list for career tackles-for-loss. His total of 39 is four from 10th place, but his rate of two per game through two 2017 contests has him on a pace that could challenge the top of the single-season list. His father's 1984 teammate, Mark Fellows, set the mark for all Bobcats to aim at with 30 during that national championship season. Bignell says for now, the record means nothing to him. "It's something I'll look at after the season and be really proud of, but at this moment I'm just focused on going day-to-day and keep getting better and keep adding onto it."
Herbert may pay no attention to the Bobcat record book, he has a strong working knowledge of Oregon's. "Last year I was at a game, Oregon vs. Arizona State, and I think (Justin) tied the all-time individual game passing record , 489 yards or something like that." That number is accurate, and in that same game Justin Herbert's 512 yards or total offense set the Ducks' all-time mark.
And while Herbert says he's "not sure if (Justin) knows" about Mitch's record pursuits, the older of three Herbert brothers is all about Justin's benchmarks. "I was rooting him on (against Arizona State). That was pretty special."
"I'm honestly not a huge records guys," the Eugene, Oregon, product says. Herbert has 17 career touchdown catches, four from the Bobcat record. "I focus on doing what I can to help the team win. At the end of the day if records come with it, so be it. But I'm more focused on getting a win."
But there's a caveat. Let's say a couple of years down the road Herbert's younger brother Justin is zeroing on some all-time passing records at Oregon, where he is the Ducks' starting quarterback. "That's different," Herbert says with a smile. "That's family. I'll definitely be paying attention and rooting him on."
And so it is for Mac Bignell, whose late strip of South Dakota State's Brady Mengarelli with just under two minutes remaining and the Cats trailing by four points on Saturday nearly provided one of the thrilling moments in recent Bobcat football history. Instead of squirting toward Bignell or another player in yellow, though, the ball returned into Mengarelli's hands. That was Bignell's ninth career forced fumble at MSU, breaking the school record.
"I don't really" pay attention to records, Bignell said. But that wasn't always the case. Mac's father Joe, one of Montana State's all-time greats, has featured prominently on Bobcat record lists since his career ended in 1984. "When I was younger I was a big records guy," Mac Bignell admitted. "We'd get the (MSU) media guides every year, and I'd look to see where my dad was. I think my dad still has one or two." (Joe Bignell's 1,149 yards and 88 catches in 1984 remains the MSU single-season standards in those categories.)
Another Bobcat on a record-breaking arc, sophomore quarterback Chris Murray posted only the fifth 300-yard passing/100-yard rushing game ever by a Bobcat against South Dakota State. And while he has posted eye-popping numbers in his brief Bobcat career, nearing the career lists in rushing yards and total touchdowns after just seven starts, Murray said it's never on his radar. "I don't go into games thinking, 'I want to break this record.' It's just go out there and play and get the W, that's all that matters. If you stay within the system that takes care of itself."
That isn't to say Murray ignores his accomplishments. "Obviously you acknowledge it and you're proud of it," he said, "but you can't dwell on it. You have to find a way to get better."
The man calling the plays that Murray executes, offensive coordinator Brian Armstrong, said that during his time as the head coach at Rocky Mountain College in Billings he was regularly apprised of stats and records of note. "Bill Bighaus was our writer for the (Billings) Gazette," Armstrong said, "and he always kept us updated on what the team needed for this record, or what that player needs for that record. I find (records) interesting, but I don't get too wrapped up in it."
One man in the Bobcat program that appreciates records in real-time is defensive coordinator Ty Gregorak. "It's pretty freaking sweet," Gregorak said of Bignell's newly-minted forced fumbles record. I told him to keep building on it and make sure the next Mac Bignell that comes along in a few years has a hard time reaching it."
What made Saturday's play more memorable for Gregorak is that "we had just talked about that on the sideline" before Bignell's play on the ball knocked it loose. "We call it CPR – club, punch, rip – and Mac has a pretty good knack for it."
Bignell is also honing in Montana State's top 10 list for career tackles-for-loss. His total of 39 is four from 10th place, but his rate of two per game through two 2017 contests has him on a pace that could challenge the top of the single-season list. His father's 1984 teammate, Mark Fellows, set the mark for all Bobcats to aim at with 30 during that national championship season. Bignell says for now, the record means nothing to him. "It's something I'll look at after the season and be really proud of, but at this moment I'm just focused on going day-to-day and keep getting better and keep adding onto it."
Herbert may pay no attention to the Bobcat record book, he has a strong working knowledge of Oregon's. "Last year I was at a game, Oregon vs. Arizona State, and I think (Justin) tied the all-time individual game passing record , 489 yards or something like that." That number is accurate, and in that same game Justin Herbert's 512 yards or total offense set the Ducks' all-time mark.
And while Herbert says he's "not sure if (Justin) knows" about Mitch's record pursuits, the older of three Herbert brothers is all about Justin's benchmarks. "I was rooting him on (against Arizona State). That was pretty special."
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