Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson
BOBCAT CALENDAR: Travis Lulay Led An Amazing Comeback Today in 2003
10/25/2020 9:00:00 AM | Football
Trailing 17-7, Lulay and the Bobcats scored two touchdowns in 67 seconds to steal a victory
A day-by-day look at Bobcat football history...
October 25
SPOTLIGHT: Even by Travis Lulay's standards, this comeback defied logic. Montana State sandwiched two touchdowns in the last 67 seconds around a successful on-side kick to stun Northern Arizona 21-17 in Bobcat Stadium.
When NAU's Paul Ernster kicked a 30-yard field goal with 2:19 to play, the Lumberjacks led 17-7. But that was only part of the story. Montana State had gained 199 yards on the day. NAU's 467 yards and 23 first downs at that point painted an accurate picture of how the game had gone. There's no way to explain how dominated the Cats had been through the first 58 minutes of the game.
From the perspective of the Bobcat Stadium press box, the fans in Bobcat Stadium's east stands rose pretty much as one and headed for the exits. Headed isn't really a strong enough word. Streamed, maybe. Poured through. Hundreds, maybe thousands, stroed toward Kagy Boulevard and into a beautiful autumn afternoon.
In hindsight, we should have known - all of us, everyone there - that when the Redhead had the ball, there was always a chance. And Montana State's redheaded quarterback Travis Lulay was about to get his chance.
From the MSU 31, Lulay found Scott Turnquis for six yards, then found his familiar partner in crime for 10 more. Even an intentional grounding couldn't slow things down, and Lulay hit Turnquist for 14 more to the NAU 44 and then hit fellow Oregonian Brandon Roosevelt for a dozen yards. First and 10, NAU 32. Lulay dropped to pass, then dashed through an opening in the line. He found a lane and strolled into the end zone.
The remaining crowd roared. The cannon sounded. The PAT was good. And then something truly amazing happened.
The river of blue and gold stopped. Halted. Right in their tracks. Nearly in unison, folks turned back toward the stadium, but mostly stood still. And when Nate Cook's 11-yard on-side kick was piled on by a host of Bobcats, those fans departing the premises started moving. Most of them ran. By the time Lulay came under center at the Bobcat 46 with 1:07 to play, we knew. We all knew.
Lulay found Turnquist for 20 yards to the NAU 34, then hit him again for six. The buzz had bcome a giddy, roar. Lulay scrambled for 18 yards to the NAU 10, found Ryan Elliott for four yards, hit Turnquist for five more, and then plunged in from the one for the touchdown.
It was an amazing sight. The exaltation, the thrill, the feeling at that moment that anything was possible. Even midway through his sophomore season Lulay was a sensation in and around Bozeman. He beat the Grizzlies three times, the third of those gutting out a badly damaged ankle. No one forgets their first love, and for an entire generation of Bobcat fans Travis Lulay was the first love. And it was today in 2003 that Lulay wrote one of his most memorable love letters back to his adoring fans.
GAMES ON TODAY'S DATE
2008 - MSU 31, at Sac St 20
2003 - MSU 21, NAU 17
1997 - at Portland State 44, MSU 0
1986 - at UM 59, MSU 28 - First Cat-Griz game at Washington-Grizzly Stadium
1980 - NAU 27, MSU 24
1975 - MSU 20, UM 3
1969 - at Idaho 31, MSU 21
1958 - MSU 42, Omaha 0
1952 - MSU 16, Western St 12
1947 - MSU 34, Idaho St 12
1941 - UM 23, MSU 13 at Butte
1930 - at Nebraska 53, MSU 6
1924 - MSU 59, Nothern Colorado 0
1919 - Utah State 19, MSU 0
1911 - Utah State 26, MSU 0
1910 - Utah State 26, MSU 0
October 25
SPOTLIGHT: Even by Travis Lulay's standards, this comeback defied logic. Montana State sandwiched two touchdowns in the last 67 seconds around a successful on-side kick to stun Northern Arizona 21-17 in Bobcat Stadium.
When NAU's Paul Ernster kicked a 30-yard field goal with 2:19 to play, the Lumberjacks led 17-7. But that was only part of the story. Montana State had gained 199 yards on the day. NAU's 467 yards and 23 first downs at that point painted an accurate picture of how the game had gone. There's no way to explain how dominated the Cats had been through the first 58 minutes of the game.
From the perspective of the Bobcat Stadium press box, the fans in Bobcat Stadium's east stands rose pretty much as one and headed for the exits. Headed isn't really a strong enough word. Streamed, maybe. Poured through. Hundreds, maybe thousands, stroed toward Kagy Boulevard and into a beautiful autumn afternoon.
In hindsight, we should have known - all of us, everyone there - that when the Redhead had the ball, there was always a chance. And Montana State's redheaded quarterback Travis Lulay was about to get his chance.
From the MSU 31, Lulay found Scott Turnquis for six yards, then found his familiar partner in crime for 10 more. Even an intentional grounding couldn't slow things down, and Lulay hit Turnquist for 14 more to the NAU 44 and then hit fellow Oregonian Brandon Roosevelt for a dozen yards. First and 10, NAU 32. Lulay dropped to pass, then dashed through an opening in the line. He found a lane and strolled into the end zone.
The remaining crowd roared. The cannon sounded. The PAT was good. And then something truly amazing happened.
The river of blue and gold stopped. Halted. Right in their tracks. Nearly in unison, folks turned back toward the stadium, but mostly stood still. And when Nate Cook's 11-yard on-side kick was piled on by a host of Bobcats, those fans departing the premises started moving. Most of them ran. By the time Lulay came under center at the Bobcat 46 with 1:07 to play, we knew. We all knew.
Lulay found Turnquist for 20 yards to the NAU 34, then hit him again for six. The buzz had bcome a giddy, roar. Lulay scrambled for 18 yards to the NAU 10, found Ryan Elliott for four yards, hit Turnquist for five more, and then plunged in from the one for the touchdown.
It was an amazing sight. The exaltation, the thrill, the feeling at that moment that anything was possible. Even midway through his sophomore season Lulay was a sensation in and around Bozeman. He beat the Grizzlies three times, the third of those gutting out a badly damaged ankle. No one forgets their first love, and for an entire generation of Bobcat fans Travis Lulay was the first love. And it was today in 2003 that Lulay wrote one of his most memorable love letters back to his adoring fans.
GAMES ON TODAY'S DATE
2008 - MSU 31, at Sac St 20
2003 - MSU 21, NAU 17
1997 - at Portland State 44, MSU 0
1986 - at UM 59, MSU 28 - First Cat-Griz game at Washington-Grizzly Stadium
1980 - NAU 27, MSU 24
1975 - MSU 20, UM 3
1969 - at Idaho 31, MSU 21
1958 - MSU 42, Omaha 0
1952 - MSU 16, Western St 12
1947 - MSU 34, Idaho St 12
1941 - UM 23, MSU 13 at Butte
1930 - at Nebraska 53, MSU 6
1924 - MSU 59, Nothern Colorado 0
1919 - Utah State 19, MSU 0
1911 - Utah State 26, MSU 0
1910 - Utah State 26, MSU 0
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