BOBCAT FOOTBALL SUNDAY NOTEBOOK #3: Tucker Rovig Shines in Bobcat Stadium Debut

Photo by: Garrett Becker

BOBCAT FOOTBALL SUNDAY NOTEBOOK #3: Tucker Rovig Shines in Bobcat Stadium Debut

9/16/2018 7:16:00 PM | Football

Isaiah Ifanse adds gumption on the ground as MSU offense produces balanced effort

By: Bill Lamberty

A look back at Montana State's win over Wagner and ahead at Saturday's Big Sky opener at Portland State.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK NOMINATIONS
OFFENSE: Tucker Rovig, QB (6-5, 205, Fr, Meridian, ID) – Montana State's freshman quarterback led the Bobcats to a 47-24 win over Wagner on Saturday, throwing for 310 yards and rushing for 18 more. Rovig finished his second game as a Bobcat (both starts) with a 23-for-34 passing line, connecting on three touchdowns without an interception. Rovig's 310 yards was fourth-most by a Bobcat in his home debut, the most by a freshman in his first Bobcat Stadium appearance, and sixth-most by an MSU freshman in any game. Rovig's day began inauspiciously. With MSU trailing 7-0 on its first offensive possession, Rovig marched the Cats to the Wagner 20 before losing a fumble. He threw a 27-yard touchdown pass on MSU's next drive, and on the team's third drive ended with a field goal. With Montana Sate leading just 23-21 two minutes, 15 seconds before halftime, Rovig led MSU on a nine-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Kassis with just 18 seconds remaining in the second quarter. The 310-yard passing game is the first time in Bobcat history a player has thrown for that many yards in one of his first two games as a freshman season (Rovig didn't play in MSU's season-opener).

DEFENSE: none

SPECIAL TEAMS: none

FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK: Isaiah Ifanse, RB (5-10, 190, Fr, Tacoma, WA) – After carrying just eight times in Montana State's first two games, Isaiah Ifanse impacted Saturday's 47-24 win over Wagner in a significant way. The 5-10, 190 lb freshman rushed for 146 yards and a touchdown Saturday, and also gained 72 yards through the air with a touchdown catch. He joined teammate Troy Andersen as the only Bobcats in history to gain over 100 yards in the third game of their freshman season. Ifanse raced 73 yards for a second-quarter touchdown that extended MSU's lead to 23-14, and his 161 rushing yards this season is already less than 100 away from joining the all-time Bobcat Freshman Top 10. Ifanse rushed for 102 yards with his touchdown on eight carries during the crucial second quarter, when the Cats pushed their lead to 30-21, by gaining 102 yards on eight carries.

POST-GAME NEWS & NOTES
Injury Report: Out Indefinitely – LB Balue Chapman, LB Josh Hill, WR Jabarri Johnson, RB Logan Jones.

• Tucker Rovig threw for 310 yards against Wagner, which was:
    * Fourth-most by a Bobcat in his home debut (after Joe Volek-358, Cory Carpenter-337 and Kelly Sherwin-336)
    * Sixth-most passing yards in a game by a Bobcat freshman (Travis Lulay in '02, 319-Sac; DeNarius McGhee in '10, 402-ISU, 400-UNC, 385-Sac, 325-Weber)
    * The 60^th 300-yard passing game in school history, and the earliest into his career an MSU freshman has ever reached that mark
• The Bobcat defense continued its fourth-quarter excellence Saturday, shutting out Wagner in the final period. The Bobcats have allowed 10 fourth-quarter points this season, 68 over the last two seasons (4.9 per game covering 14 games), and 136 in Ty Gregorak's 25 games coordinating the MSU defense (5.4 per game).
• The Cats have surrendered just two sacks in 2018, and at 0.67 per game stands 14^th in the FCS and second in the Big Sky.
• Montana State is 2-0 all-time against teams from the Northeast Conference (Wagner, Bryant) and against teams from New York state (Wagner, Stony Brook). Montana State has allowed just 31 sacks in the last 25 games.
• Tristan Bailey stayed perfect on field goals Saturday, connecting on kicks of 39 and 27 yards, to run his string to 6-for-6. He did, however, miss a PAT.
• Bryce Sterk has six tackles-for-loss and three sacks through three games.
• The Bobcats have lost just four fumbles in the last 14 games.

STAT SNIPPETS
Portland State has either scored or allowed at least 60 points in each of its three 2018 games (giving up more than 60 to its two FBS foes, while scoring 63 on an NAIA school)… the Vikings have blocked three kicks this season… PSU has committed only two turnovers (one interception, one fumble) this season, while forcing five… MSU averages 25.1 yards per kickoff return, 21^st in the FCS, and 25.0 yards per punt return, 4^th nationally… opponents have returned only six of Jered Padmos' 21 punts… Kevin Kassis is 20^th in the FCS with 157.67 all-purpose yards per game.

FIRST LOOK: Montana State at Portland State
Game Details: Date – September 22 Kickoff – 3 pm CT/2 pm PT Special Promotions – NA Audio – Statewide on the Bobcat Radio Network and msubobcats.com Video – SWX Montana  Streaming – Pluto.TV, WatchBigSky.com

At a Glance: Portland State plays its first FCS opponent in the Big Sky opener for both teams Saturday when Montana State visits Hillsboro Stadium for a 3:05 pm MT/2:05 pm PT kickoff. Portland State broke into the win column with an exclamation point Saturday, hammering the College of Idaho 63-14. The Vikings steamrolled to 350 rushing yards, 7.6 yards a carry, on the way to 657 total yards. Nine different players accounted for PSU's nine touchdowns, including brilliant tight end Charlie Taumoepeau, whose 71-yard scoring catch gives him five touchdowns on the season and one in each of the team's three games of at least 70 yards.