Callahan O'Reilly
Photo by: Garrett Becker
BOBCAT FOOTBALL SUNDAY NOTEBOOK #6: Cats Score First OT Win Since 2010
10/6/2019 1:39:00 PM | Football
Montana State extends winning streak to five games
A quick look back at Montana State's 34-28 overtime win at Cal Poly and Saturday, with a glance at next week's Homecoming game against Sacramento State...
PLAYER OF THE WEEK NOMINATIONS
OFFENSE: Travis Jonsen, WR (6-4, 211, Sr, Fullerton, CA)
Montana State coach Jeff Choate has said many times of senior all-purpose player Travis Jonsen, "He wants the ball in his hands." On Saturday, during the most crucial moments of his team's 34-28 overtime win against Cal Poly, Jonsen got it. After the Mustangs missed a field goal on the first possession of overtime, Jonsen carried three times for 25 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown. Jonsen rushed for 85 yards on 11 carries with two touchdowns in the game, including eight carries for 67 yards after halftime. Jonsen also caught three passes for 70 yards, including a 51-yarder in the third quarter that set up his own touchdown run on the next play of a two-play, 64-yard drive. That score gave the Bobcats a 28-7 lead. Jonsen's 155 all-purpose yards, a game high for both teams, proved to be the difference in a Bobcat road win which was the team's first at Cal Poly since 1995.
DEFENSE: Callahan O'Reilly, LBS (6-2, 228, So, Bozeman, MT)
Sophomore linebacker Callahan O'Reilly posted a team-high 16 tackles (seven solo) to lead all players in Montana State's 34-28 overtime victory over Cal Poly Saturday night. The tackle total was his career high, and he also logged his first career sack.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Jahque Alleyne, RS (6-1, 187, Sr, Virginia Beach, VA)
Playing only in the second half, Jahque Alleyne registered one of the game's biggest plays. His 38-yard punt return, to the Mustangs' 40-yard line after Cal Poly's second possession of the second half, set up a Bobcat touchdown drive that gave MSU a 21-7 lead. He returned three punts for 41 yards, and also set up a crucial MSU scoring drive with a long punt return last week against Northern Arizona.
OFFENSIVE LINEMAN: Mitch Brott, OT (6-6, 300, Sr, Billings, Montana)
Montana State's offensive line, led by senior tackle Mitch Brott, allowed no opponent sacks for the fourth straight game – MSU has allowed just two in 2019 – and paved the way for 213 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
POST-GAME NEWS & NOTES
• When Bryce Sterk and Amandre Williams stopped Cal Poly's Duy Tran-Sampson for a one-yard loss on the Mustangs' sixth offensive play Saturday it marked the first time in 2019 that CP's starting fullback had been stopped for a loss on his 75th carry of the season. Out of 101 carries for Tran-Sampson this season, it is the only time he's been tackled behind the line of scrimmage.
• Montana State owns a modest six-game home winning streak, matching its longest since the 2012-13 seasons, and the team's five-game overall win streak is MSU's first of that length since 2013.
• The Bobcats' overtime win Saturday was its first since a 26-23 victory at Idaho State in 2010, marked the program's fourth straight extra time win, and raised MSU's record to 8-2 all-time in overtime games.
• Travis Jonsen has scored two touchdowns in each of the last two games.
• Montana State has forced at least one turnover in 17 consecutive games.
• Montana State's win Saturday snapped a four-game Cal Poly win streak in the series in games played in San Luis Obispo, and was MSU's first win there since 1995.
• For the fourth straight game, Bobcat pass protection held up without allowing a sack.
• Montana State rushed for 340 yards on Saturday, and in the last two games has gained 789 yards on the ground (110 carries) without the services of starting running back Isaiah Ifanse. The Bobcats rushed for 244 yards after halftime vs. NAU, 153 yards in the fourth quarter, throwing 11 passes in the second half, one in the fourth quarter.
• Montana State has run 94 plays in the fourth quarter against FCS opponents this season, with 73 of them running plays.
• After a game in which Bryce Sterk didn't register a sack, he still leads the FCS with 1.70 per contest.
• Montana State was flagged for just seven penalties in the team's first two games, but has been whistled 18 times in the last two games (the dozen flags at Western Illinois was the high mark for a Bobcat game coached by Jeff Choate).
• After surrendering just one sack in each of the team's first two games, Montana State has allowed none in the last three. MSU's 0.4 sacks allowed per game leads the Big Sky and is 5th in the FCS. MSU allowed a Big Sky-low 11 sacks (in 13 games) a season ago.
• After fumbling three times against NAU, the Cats didn't fumble on Saturday at Cal Poly. MSU has lost just 10 fumbles in the last 31 games.
• Montana State has scored at least 34 points in three straight games for the first time since the first eight games of 2015, although the Cats stood just 4-4 at that point (then lost two of their last three).
• Montana State has allowed 42 fourth-quarter points this season, 21 of them Saturday at Cal Poly.
• The Cats average 35.0 points a game, 24th in the FCS and 5th in the Big Sky. Montana State has out-scored its opponents 130-62 after halftime.
STAT SNIPPETS
The Bobcats are again in for a clash of contrasting styles Saturday. MSU runs the balls on 63.3% of its offensive plays, while Sacramento State throws on 56% of its plays from scrimmage… the Hornets stand 13th in the FCS with 303.8 passing yards per contest, and the team's 464.0 total yards per game is 15th… the Hornets lead the Big Sky with 9.4 tackles-for-loss per game, 3rd in the FCS, while MSU is just behind at 8.2 per game (2nd in the Big Sky, 11th in the FCS)… Sac State running back Elijah Dotson has scored two rushing touchdowns while catching three scoring strikes.
FIRST LOOK: Montana State vs. Sacramento State
Game Details: Date – October 12 Site – Bobcat Stadium Kickoff – 2 pm Special Promotions – Homecoming Record – 2-2 overall, 1-0 in the Big Sky Audio – Statewide on the Bobcat Radio Network and msubobcats.com (Jason Alvine, Zach Mackey, Dan Davies) Video– Fox stations across Montana, SWX in Billings Streaming – Pluto.tv channel 538
PLAYER OF THE WEEK NOMINATIONS
OFFENSE: Travis Jonsen, WR (6-4, 211, Sr, Fullerton, CA)
Montana State coach Jeff Choate has said many times of senior all-purpose player Travis Jonsen, "He wants the ball in his hands." On Saturday, during the most crucial moments of his team's 34-28 overtime win against Cal Poly, Jonsen got it. After the Mustangs missed a field goal on the first possession of overtime, Jonsen carried three times for 25 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown. Jonsen rushed for 85 yards on 11 carries with two touchdowns in the game, including eight carries for 67 yards after halftime. Jonsen also caught three passes for 70 yards, including a 51-yarder in the third quarter that set up his own touchdown run on the next play of a two-play, 64-yard drive. That score gave the Bobcats a 28-7 lead. Jonsen's 155 all-purpose yards, a game high for both teams, proved to be the difference in a Bobcat road win which was the team's first at Cal Poly since 1995.
DEFENSE: Callahan O'Reilly, LBS (6-2, 228, So, Bozeman, MT)
Sophomore linebacker Callahan O'Reilly posted a team-high 16 tackles (seven solo) to lead all players in Montana State's 34-28 overtime victory over Cal Poly Saturday night. The tackle total was his career high, and he also logged his first career sack.
SPECIAL TEAMS: Jahque Alleyne, RS (6-1, 187, Sr, Virginia Beach, VA)
Playing only in the second half, Jahque Alleyne registered one of the game's biggest plays. His 38-yard punt return, to the Mustangs' 40-yard line after Cal Poly's second possession of the second half, set up a Bobcat touchdown drive that gave MSU a 21-7 lead. He returned three punts for 41 yards, and also set up a crucial MSU scoring drive with a long punt return last week against Northern Arizona.
OFFENSIVE LINEMAN: Mitch Brott, OT (6-6, 300, Sr, Billings, Montana)
Montana State's offensive line, led by senior tackle Mitch Brott, allowed no opponent sacks for the fourth straight game – MSU has allowed just two in 2019 – and paved the way for 213 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
POST-GAME NEWS & NOTES
• When Bryce Sterk and Amandre Williams stopped Cal Poly's Duy Tran-Sampson for a one-yard loss on the Mustangs' sixth offensive play Saturday it marked the first time in 2019 that CP's starting fullback had been stopped for a loss on his 75th carry of the season. Out of 101 carries for Tran-Sampson this season, it is the only time he's been tackled behind the line of scrimmage.
• Montana State owns a modest six-game home winning streak, matching its longest since the 2012-13 seasons, and the team's five-game overall win streak is MSU's first of that length since 2013.
• The Bobcats' overtime win Saturday was its first since a 26-23 victory at Idaho State in 2010, marked the program's fourth straight extra time win, and raised MSU's record to 8-2 all-time in overtime games.
• Travis Jonsen has scored two touchdowns in each of the last two games.
• Montana State has forced at least one turnover in 17 consecutive games.
• Montana State's win Saturday snapped a four-game Cal Poly win streak in the series in games played in San Luis Obispo, and was MSU's first win there since 1995.
• For the fourth straight game, Bobcat pass protection held up without allowing a sack.
• Montana State rushed for 340 yards on Saturday, and in the last two games has gained 789 yards on the ground (110 carries) without the services of starting running back Isaiah Ifanse. The Bobcats rushed for 244 yards after halftime vs. NAU, 153 yards in the fourth quarter, throwing 11 passes in the second half, one in the fourth quarter.
• Montana State has run 94 plays in the fourth quarter against FCS opponents this season, with 73 of them running plays.
• After a game in which Bryce Sterk didn't register a sack, he still leads the FCS with 1.70 per contest.
• Montana State was flagged for just seven penalties in the team's first two games, but has been whistled 18 times in the last two games (the dozen flags at Western Illinois was the high mark for a Bobcat game coached by Jeff Choate).
• After surrendering just one sack in each of the team's first two games, Montana State has allowed none in the last three. MSU's 0.4 sacks allowed per game leads the Big Sky and is 5th in the FCS. MSU allowed a Big Sky-low 11 sacks (in 13 games) a season ago.
• After fumbling three times against NAU, the Cats didn't fumble on Saturday at Cal Poly. MSU has lost just 10 fumbles in the last 31 games.
• Montana State has scored at least 34 points in three straight games for the first time since the first eight games of 2015, although the Cats stood just 4-4 at that point (then lost two of their last three).
• Montana State has allowed 42 fourth-quarter points this season, 21 of them Saturday at Cal Poly.
• The Cats average 35.0 points a game, 24th in the FCS and 5th in the Big Sky. Montana State has out-scored its opponents 130-62 after halftime.
STAT SNIPPETS
The Bobcats are again in for a clash of contrasting styles Saturday. MSU runs the balls on 63.3% of its offensive plays, while Sacramento State throws on 56% of its plays from scrimmage… the Hornets stand 13th in the FCS with 303.8 passing yards per contest, and the team's 464.0 total yards per game is 15th… the Hornets lead the Big Sky with 9.4 tackles-for-loss per game, 3rd in the FCS, while MSU is just behind at 8.2 per game (2nd in the Big Sky, 11th in the FCS)… Sac State running back Elijah Dotson has scored two rushing touchdowns while catching three scoring strikes.
FIRST LOOK: Montana State vs. Sacramento State
Game Details: Date – October 12 Site – Bobcat Stadium Kickoff – 2 pm Special Promotions – Homecoming Record – 2-2 overall, 1-0 in the Big Sky Audio – Statewide on the Bobcat Radio Network and msubobcats.com (Jason Alvine, Zach Mackey, Dan Davies) Video– Fox stations across Montana, SWX in Billings Streaming – Pluto.tv channel 538
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