Travis Lulay
HISTORY LESSON: Welcome Home, Travis Lulay!
9/21/2019 9:04:00 AM | Football
Travis Lulay and Zach Wolf return to Bobcat Stadium today, with Lulay serving as honorary captain
Here's a look at Montana State's series with Norfolk State – and since no such thing exists, we'll wander down memory lane with today's honorary captain, Bobcat legend Travis Lulay. The Bobcat legend serves as MSU's honorary captain today, as he and his former MSU roommate Zach Wolf, the team's starting center in 2003-04, return to campus this weekend.
All-Time Series: Montana State has never faced Norfolk State.
In Bozeman: The Bobcats have never hosted – or faced – a team from the state of Virginia, or the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
At Opponent: Norfolk State's only previous visit to the west was a neutral site game against Morgan State in San Diego during the 2001 season. The Spartans' previous western-most opponent was Ohio.
Streaks and Stuff
Montana State carries a modest five-game home win streak into today's game. The Cats beat 12th-ranked Southeast Missouri in this year's Gold Rush game, and closed last season with wins against Idaho, Cal Poly, Northern Colorado, and Incarnate Word in the FCS Playoffs.
Here's a Good Story
We all know generally what Travis Lulay did during his career at Montana State. He earned First Team Academic All-America honors as a senior, earned First Team All-Big Sky honors and Honorable Mention All-America honors once, was Second Team All-Big Sky twice, and was Big Sky Co-Newcomer of the Year. He finished his career 11th in Division I-AA career passing, 7th in total offense, and was one of seven players in college football history to that point with 10,000 career passing yards and 1,000 career yards rushing. He remains one of four Bobcat quarterbacks to beat the Grizzlies three times. But his career as a Bobcat legend began with a rumor.
"I remember Kramer saying to me (early in the season), 'You have no idea how close you are to being my starting quarterback.'" That wasn't so much an off-hand comment by MSU head coach Mike Kramer to his freshman quarterback, as it seemed to Lulay in September of 2002, but foreshadowing. Six weeks into the season Montana State lost its Homecoming game to Division II Central Washington, and Kramer was ready for a change. "I found out from Mataio Toilolo," Lulay said, still incredulous that the strong, nearly-silent offensive guard so much as conversed with him. "Mataio hardly said two words to me in my entire time here, but he told me I was going to start at quarterback, and I remember I hardly believed him," Lulay recalled. "I was sitting down, breakfast time, early morning classes, and he said, 'No really, Coach put in quarterback draw for you and you're going to be the guy.'" The Cats lost that week, but Lulay commanded the offense and moved the team, and the rest is history. Lulay led the team to a memorable, brilliant win at Montana to close the regular season and snag for MSU a share of the Big Sky Championship. Montana State won a share of three league titles during Lulay's time, boosted the Cats into the I-AA Playoffs twice, re-wrote the school's record book, and left an indelible legacy at Montana State. He was beloved in his time on campus, and will forever be a Bobcat legend.
Memory
"We're lamenting," Travis Lulay said of sharing a phone call with former MSU roommate and teammate and long-time friend Zach Wolf during the waning moments of the 2018 Cat-Griz game. "What a comeback, it's not going to finish the way we hoped. (Wolf) was about 30 seconds ahead (in the broadcast), and so when I saw the ball out, I just yelled, 'The ball's out! We got it!' And I couldn't believe he didn't tell me.'"
All-Time Series: Montana State has never faced Norfolk State.
In Bozeman: The Bobcats have never hosted – or faced – a team from the state of Virginia, or the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
At Opponent: Norfolk State's only previous visit to the west was a neutral site game against Morgan State in San Diego during the 2001 season. The Spartans' previous western-most opponent was Ohio.
Streaks and Stuff
Montana State carries a modest five-game home win streak into today's game. The Cats beat 12th-ranked Southeast Missouri in this year's Gold Rush game, and closed last season with wins against Idaho, Cal Poly, Northern Colorado, and Incarnate Word in the FCS Playoffs.
Here's a Good Story
We all know generally what Travis Lulay did during his career at Montana State. He earned First Team Academic All-America honors as a senior, earned First Team All-Big Sky honors and Honorable Mention All-America honors once, was Second Team All-Big Sky twice, and was Big Sky Co-Newcomer of the Year. He finished his career 11th in Division I-AA career passing, 7th in total offense, and was one of seven players in college football history to that point with 10,000 career passing yards and 1,000 career yards rushing. He remains one of four Bobcat quarterbacks to beat the Grizzlies three times. But his career as a Bobcat legend began with a rumor.
"I remember Kramer saying to me (early in the season), 'You have no idea how close you are to being my starting quarterback.'" That wasn't so much an off-hand comment by MSU head coach Mike Kramer to his freshman quarterback, as it seemed to Lulay in September of 2002, but foreshadowing. Six weeks into the season Montana State lost its Homecoming game to Division II Central Washington, and Kramer was ready for a change. "I found out from Mataio Toilolo," Lulay said, still incredulous that the strong, nearly-silent offensive guard so much as conversed with him. "Mataio hardly said two words to me in my entire time here, but he told me I was going to start at quarterback, and I remember I hardly believed him," Lulay recalled. "I was sitting down, breakfast time, early morning classes, and he said, 'No really, Coach put in quarterback draw for you and you're going to be the guy.'" The Cats lost that week, but Lulay commanded the offense and moved the team, and the rest is history. Lulay led the team to a memorable, brilliant win at Montana to close the regular season and snag for MSU a share of the Big Sky Championship. Montana State won a share of three league titles during Lulay's time, boosted the Cats into the I-AA Playoffs twice, re-wrote the school's record book, and left an indelible legacy at Montana State. He was beloved in his time on campus, and will forever be a Bobcat legend.
Memory
"We're lamenting," Travis Lulay said of sharing a phone call with former MSU roommate and teammate and long-time friend Zach Wolf during the waning moments of the 2018 Cat-Griz game. "What a comeback, it's not going to finish the way we hoped. (Wolf) was about 30 seconds ahead (in the broadcast), and so when I saw the ball out, I just yelled, 'The ball's out! We got it!' And I couldn't believe he didn't tell me.'"
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