Troy Andersen
Photo by: Garrett Becker
BOBCAT FOOTBALL SUNDAY NOTEBOOK #14: 2018 Finale
12/2/2018 6:06:00 PM | Football
Troy Andersen and Isaiah Ifanse finish historic seasons, and the Cats carry many positives forward
A look back at Montana State's first post-season since 2014, and a 2018 season with many positive storylines...
POST-SEASON NOTEBOOK
• Montana State fell 52-10 to North Dakota State in Fargo Saturday, the largest post-season deficit in Bobcat history and the most points MSU has surrendered in the post-season. It also became the first time MSU has visited the same city twice in the post-season (MSU's 1976 Division II game in Fargo was at Dacotah Field), and NDSU became MSU's most-common post-season opponent (three).
• Montana State is now 11-9-2 in the post-season, with a 10-8 record in the NCAA Playoffs and a 7-8 mark in the FCS/I-AA Playoffs.
• MSU's win Saturday was the Bobcats' first at home since 2012, when the Cats beat Stony Brook, and snapped a two-game playoff losing streak. The Bobcats have now won at least one playoff game in five different seasons.
• Isaiah Ifanse's 139 rushing yards vs. UIW set a single-game post-season record for the Bobcats, and Troy Andersen's 129 against North Dakota State is MSU's second-highest post-season rushing total. Andersen's 213 yards in the 2018 post-season is second by a Bobcat in a single year, after Tom Kostrba's 296 (three games, 1976).
• Kevin Kassis (11 catches in the last two games) trails only Joe Bignell (20 in 1984, three games) and 14 by Elvis Akpla (two games, 2011) by a Bobcat in a single post-season.
• Jeff Choate is the eighth coach to lead the Cats into the post-season (joining Rob Ash, Mike Kramer, Dave Arnold, Sonny Holland, Jim Sweeney, Tony Storti and Clyde Carpenter), and joins Ash, Kramer, Arnold, Holland and Sweeney as MSU coaches to record post-season victories.
• Troy Andersen is the sixth quarterback to lead MSU into the post-season as a sophomore (Dennis Erickson-1966, Paul Dennehy-1976, Kelly Bradley-1984, Travis Lulay-2003, DeNarius McGhee-2011). He joined Foy McClung (sr., 1964), Dennis Erickson (so., 1966), Paul Dennehy (so., 1976), and Kelly Bradley (so., 1984) as first-year full-time starting quarterbacks to lead the Cats to post-season wins.
• Montana State remains the only school in college football to win National Championships at three levels of competition – NAIA (1956), NCAA Division II (1976), and NCAA Division I-AA (1984).
POST-GAME NEWS & NOTES
• Montana State finishes 2018 with an 8-5 record, the third time in school history posting that record (2006, 2014). The Bobcats reached eight wins for the first time since 2014 and fourth in the last decade, but for only the sixth since the 1984 National Championship and 15th time in program history.
• Troy Andersen's 129 rushing yards against North Dakota State is the most surrendered by the Bison since Khalid Abdullah of James Madison rushed for 180 in the 2016 FCS National Championship game. Three others gained over 100 yards against the Bison this season - South Dakota's Austin Simmons (115 yards), Illinois State's James Robinson (128) and South Dakota State's Isaac Wallace (110).
• Montana State's 177 rushing yards Saturday was the most against North Dakota State this season.
• Troy Andersen's 71-yard pass to Kevin Kassis is the longest play the Bison have allowed thus far in 2018.
• The Bobcats averaged 5.0 yards per play at NDSU Saturday, fourth-best against the Bison this season – South Dakota State and Illinois State both registered 6.4 yards per play, while Northern Iowa gained 5.8.
• By beating 24th-ranked Incarnate Word, the Bobcats snapped a seven-game losing streak against nationally-ranked opponents that dated to a 49-21 win at No. 17 North Dakota on September 23, 2017. The loss to No. 1 North Dakota State drops MSU's all-time record against top-ranked teams to 1-9. MSU's only win against a No. 1 team was a 40-35 victory over Idaho in 1993 at Reno H. Sales Stadium. Four of the team's last five meetings with #1 have come in the FCS Playoffs.
• Troy Andersen's touchdown Saturday raised his MSU single-season scoring record to 128 points. It was his 21st touchdown this season, giving him sole possession of the school record in that category.
• Troy Andersen raised his season rushing total to 1,412, third-best in school history, and his career total of 1,927 is now 12th on the school's career rushing list. His 108.6 yards-per-game average this season is eighth-best in MSU history, and his ninth 100-yard rushing game sets a school record.
• Isaiah Ifanse became the first freshman in Bobcat history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season Saturday, gaining 43 yards to boost his total to 1,025 yards.
• Isaiah Ifanse and Troy Andersen both rushed for over 1,000 yards this season, only the second time that has happened in Bobcat history. Don Ueland (1,086 yards) and Tom Kostrba (1,379 yards) turned the trick in 1976 (totals include playoffs).
• Montana State's 3,014 yards rushing as a team this season is third in school history, and its 5.5 yards per rush this year is the program's second-best mark ever.
• Montana State finishes 2018 +10 in turnover margin, and the its +0.83 turnover margin is 10th in the FCS. The Cats logged at least one takeaway in the last 10 games.
• Josh Hill intercepted a pass at North Dakota State, his first game of 2018, the third of his career and the fifth NDSU's Easton Stick has thrown this season.
• The Cats have surrendered just 11 sacks in 2018 (two at NDSU).
• The Bobcats have lost just seven fumbles in the last 24 games, and the team's four fumbles lost this season is 10th in the FCS and leads the Big Sky.
STAT SNIPPETS
Montana State led the Big Sky in fewest fumbles lost (four), fewest sacks allowed (0.85), and fewest tackles-for-loss allowed (4.08) per game… after not recovering an opponent fumble in the season's first seven games the Bobcats finished 17th in the FCS (for now) by getting 11… MSU's +0.77 turnover margin is 13th in the FCS… Troy Andersen currently stands second nationally with 21 total TDs and rushing TDs, third with 9.8 points per game, and fifth with 1,412 rushing yards... Jered Padmos' 42.1 yards per punt is 20th nationally, and Montana State is 15th in net punting (38.01).
POST-SEASON NOTEBOOK
• Montana State fell 52-10 to North Dakota State in Fargo Saturday, the largest post-season deficit in Bobcat history and the most points MSU has surrendered in the post-season. It also became the first time MSU has visited the same city twice in the post-season (MSU's 1976 Division II game in Fargo was at Dacotah Field), and NDSU became MSU's most-common post-season opponent (three).
• Montana State is now 11-9-2 in the post-season, with a 10-8 record in the NCAA Playoffs and a 7-8 mark in the FCS/I-AA Playoffs.
• MSU's win Saturday was the Bobcats' first at home since 2012, when the Cats beat Stony Brook, and snapped a two-game playoff losing streak. The Bobcats have now won at least one playoff game in five different seasons.
• Isaiah Ifanse's 139 rushing yards vs. UIW set a single-game post-season record for the Bobcats, and Troy Andersen's 129 against North Dakota State is MSU's second-highest post-season rushing total. Andersen's 213 yards in the 2018 post-season is second by a Bobcat in a single year, after Tom Kostrba's 296 (three games, 1976).
• Kevin Kassis (11 catches in the last two games) trails only Joe Bignell (20 in 1984, three games) and 14 by Elvis Akpla (two games, 2011) by a Bobcat in a single post-season.
• Jeff Choate is the eighth coach to lead the Cats into the post-season (joining Rob Ash, Mike Kramer, Dave Arnold, Sonny Holland, Jim Sweeney, Tony Storti and Clyde Carpenter), and joins Ash, Kramer, Arnold, Holland and Sweeney as MSU coaches to record post-season victories.
• Troy Andersen is the sixth quarterback to lead MSU into the post-season as a sophomore (Dennis Erickson-1966, Paul Dennehy-1976, Kelly Bradley-1984, Travis Lulay-2003, DeNarius McGhee-2011). He joined Foy McClung (sr., 1964), Dennis Erickson (so., 1966), Paul Dennehy (so., 1976), and Kelly Bradley (so., 1984) as first-year full-time starting quarterbacks to lead the Cats to post-season wins.
• Montana State remains the only school in college football to win National Championships at three levels of competition – NAIA (1956), NCAA Division II (1976), and NCAA Division I-AA (1984).
POST-GAME NEWS & NOTES
• Montana State finishes 2018 with an 8-5 record, the third time in school history posting that record (2006, 2014). The Bobcats reached eight wins for the first time since 2014 and fourth in the last decade, but for only the sixth since the 1984 National Championship and 15th time in program history.
• Troy Andersen's 129 rushing yards against North Dakota State is the most surrendered by the Bison since Khalid Abdullah of James Madison rushed for 180 in the 2016 FCS National Championship game. Three others gained over 100 yards against the Bison this season - South Dakota's Austin Simmons (115 yards), Illinois State's James Robinson (128) and South Dakota State's Isaac Wallace (110).
• Montana State's 177 rushing yards Saturday was the most against North Dakota State this season.
• Troy Andersen's 71-yard pass to Kevin Kassis is the longest play the Bison have allowed thus far in 2018.
• The Bobcats averaged 5.0 yards per play at NDSU Saturday, fourth-best against the Bison this season – South Dakota State and Illinois State both registered 6.4 yards per play, while Northern Iowa gained 5.8.
• By beating 24th-ranked Incarnate Word, the Bobcats snapped a seven-game losing streak against nationally-ranked opponents that dated to a 49-21 win at No. 17 North Dakota on September 23, 2017. The loss to No. 1 North Dakota State drops MSU's all-time record against top-ranked teams to 1-9. MSU's only win against a No. 1 team was a 40-35 victory over Idaho in 1993 at Reno H. Sales Stadium. Four of the team's last five meetings with #1 have come in the FCS Playoffs.
• Troy Andersen's touchdown Saturday raised his MSU single-season scoring record to 128 points. It was his 21st touchdown this season, giving him sole possession of the school record in that category.
• Troy Andersen raised his season rushing total to 1,412, third-best in school history, and his career total of 1,927 is now 12th on the school's career rushing list. His 108.6 yards-per-game average this season is eighth-best in MSU history, and his ninth 100-yard rushing game sets a school record.
• Isaiah Ifanse became the first freshman in Bobcat history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season Saturday, gaining 43 yards to boost his total to 1,025 yards.
• Isaiah Ifanse and Troy Andersen both rushed for over 1,000 yards this season, only the second time that has happened in Bobcat history. Don Ueland (1,086 yards) and Tom Kostrba (1,379 yards) turned the trick in 1976 (totals include playoffs).
• Montana State's 3,014 yards rushing as a team this season is third in school history, and its 5.5 yards per rush this year is the program's second-best mark ever.
• Montana State finishes 2018 +10 in turnover margin, and the its +0.83 turnover margin is 10th in the FCS. The Cats logged at least one takeaway in the last 10 games.
• Josh Hill intercepted a pass at North Dakota State, his first game of 2018, the third of his career and the fifth NDSU's Easton Stick has thrown this season.
• The Cats have surrendered just 11 sacks in 2018 (two at NDSU).
• The Bobcats have lost just seven fumbles in the last 24 games, and the team's four fumbles lost this season is 10th in the FCS and leads the Big Sky.
STAT SNIPPETS
Montana State led the Big Sky in fewest fumbles lost (four), fewest sacks allowed (0.85), and fewest tackles-for-loss allowed (4.08) per game… after not recovering an opponent fumble in the season's first seven games the Bobcats finished 17th in the FCS (for now) by getting 11… MSU's +0.77 turnover margin is 13th in the FCS… Troy Andersen currently stands second nationally with 21 total TDs and rushing TDs, third with 9.8 points per game, and fifth with 1,412 rushing yards... Jered Padmos' 42.1 yards per punt is 20th nationally, and Montana State is 15th in net punting (38.01).
Players Mentioned
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