Orenzo Davis
Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson
BOBCAT CALENDAR: DeNarius McGhee's First Career 400-Yard Passing Game Cemented MSU as a Big Sky Contender Today in 2010
10/23/2020 9:00:00 AM | Football
Montana State won a roller coaster game against Northern Colorado in Bozeman
A day-by-day look at Bobcat football history...
October 23
SPOTLIGHT: There are a number of different ways to look at Montana State's 37-35 home win over Northern Colorado today in 2010.
Importantly, it was a nice bounce-back win after NAU handed the Cats their first league loss seven days earlier, 34-7 in Flagstaff. It was also a game the Bobcats dominated, out-gaining the Bears by 11 first downs and 102 yards. Yet it was a game that a vastly inferior opponent led in the fourth quarter and was a late stop away from having the opportunity to win. MSU showed resilience in overcoming a 14-3 deficit, and a lack of killer instinct in letting a 27-14 lead evaporate.
But as head coach Rob Ash told his charges after the game, a team never needs to apologize for a win. And as he also reminded them, their goals remained in reach.
After UNC built its lead in the second quarter, freshman quarterback DeNarius McGhee and senior receiver Jumpin' Julius Lloyd took over. Lloyd caught a 14-yard touchdown pass with 8:07 to play in the half, and a 22-yarder just 105 seconds before the intermission. The scoring run continued on the other side of halftime, when Jason Cunningham nailed a 24-yard field goal, and Kyle Begger caught a 19-yard pass from McGhee. At that point, the Cats led 27-14.
The Bears clawed back with two third quarter touchdowns, though, and led 28-7 entering the final quarter. But after Cunningham hit another short field goal, McGhee and running back Orenzo Davis connected on a 77-yard touchdown pass that gave MSU a 37-28 lead with 6:03 to play.
Still, the Bears weren't finished. Dylan Orms found Chris Morris on a 10-yard touchdown pass with 3:10 to play, and the extra point made the score 37-35. When Shane Robison recovered the ensuing on-side kick, the Cats had 3:10 to salt away. That's exactly what they did. Orenzo Davis gained nine yards, picked up a first down with a one-yard gain, lost five yards to the 50, then exploded through the line for a 38-yard run that effectively ended the game.
DeNarius McGhee threw for 400 yards on 21-for-33 passing (four touchdowns, one interception), while four different receivers had at least 40 yards. Orenzo Davis ran for 107.
It wasn't necessarily an exhilarating or invigorating win, but it lifted MSU's record to 6-2 overall and 4-1 in Big Sky play, and the Bobcats followed the UNC win with an overtime victory at Idaho State and a home win against Weber State. On the warm, windy day the MSU beat Northern Colorado no one in Bobcat Nation could have envisioned the occurence in frigid Washington-Grizzly Stadium 28 days later. But make no mistake about it - by winning that game in October, Montana State helped set itself up for big, big days to come.
BONUS: The Bobcats opened an 16-day stretch that may not have mathematically clinched the team its sixth Big Sky Conference title - most in the league until Idaho caught up in 1989 - but certainly paved the way today in 1976. The Bobcats handed Idaho its only league loss, whipping the Vandals 29-12 in Reno H. Sales Stadium. Tom Kostrba rambled for 114 yards for the Bobcats, while Tim Nixon logged 13 tackles.
GAMES ON TODAY'S DATE
2010 - MSU 37, Northern Colorado 35
2004 - MSU 27, South Dakota State 24
1999 - Cal State Northridge 24, at MSU 21
1993 - MSU 40, Idaho 35
1982 - at Idaho 36, MSU 20
1976 - MSU 29, Idaho 12
1971 - at Idaho State 38, MSU 36
1965 - North Dakota State 14, MSU 7 HC
1954 - MSU 27, Western State 6
1948 - at Portland 7, MSU 0
1926 - UM 27, MSU 0 at Butte
1925 - MSU 30, Carroll 0
1920 - MSU 0, Utah State 0
1915 - MSU 6, at Montana Tech 6
1908 - MSU 30, Fort Shaw Indians 0
FINIS: Any stray Bobcat fans who hadn't made up their minds about MSU's freshman quarterback by now certainly lost all inhibitions on this day. McGhee threw for 400 yards against UNC, the first 400-yard game by a Bobcat since Travis Lulay in 2004. He did threw for 402 a week later at Idaho State to match Lulay's back-to-back 400-yard games six years earlier. A month later he became the first Bobcat freshman to lead MSU to a win in Missoula since... well, yeah, Lulay in 2002.
October 23
SPOTLIGHT: There are a number of different ways to look at Montana State's 37-35 home win over Northern Colorado today in 2010.
Importantly, it was a nice bounce-back win after NAU handed the Cats their first league loss seven days earlier, 34-7 in Flagstaff. It was also a game the Bobcats dominated, out-gaining the Bears by 11 first downs and 102 yards. Yet it was a game that a vastly inferior opponent led in the fourth quarter and was a late stop away from having the opportunity to win. MSU showed resilience in overcoming a 14-3 deficit, and a lack of killer instinct in letting a 27-14 lead evaporate.
But as head coach Rob Ash told his charges after the game, a team never needs to apologize for a win. And as he also reminded them, their goals remained in reach.
After UNC built its lead in the second quarter, freshman quarterback DeNarius McGhee and senior receiver Jumpin' Julius Lloyd took over. Lloyd caught a 14-yard touchdown pass with 8:07 to play in the half, and a 22-yarder just 105 seconds before the intermission. The scoring run continued on the other side of halftime, when Jason Cunningham nailed a 24-yard field goal, and Kyle Begger caught a 19-yard pass from McGhee. At that point, the Cats led 27-14.
The Bears clawed back with two third quarter touchdowns, though, and led 28-7 entering the final quarter. But after Cunningham hit another short field goal, McGhee and running back Orenzo Davis connected on a 77-yard touchdown pass that gave MSU a 37-28 lead with 6:03 to play.
Still, the Bears weren't finished. Dylan Orms found Chris Morris on a 10-yard touchdown pass with 3:10 to play, and the extra point made the score 37-35. When Shane Robison recovered the ensuing on-side kick, the Cats had 3:10 to salt away. That's exactly what they did. Orenzo Davis gained nine yards, picked up a first down with a one-yard gain, lost five yards to the 50, then exploded through the line for a 38-yard run that effectively ended the game.
DeNarius McGhee threw for 400 yards on 21-for-33 passing (four touchdowns, one interception), while four different receivers had at least 40 yards. Orenzo Davis ran for 107.
It wasn't necessarily an exhilarating or invigorating win, but it lifted MSU's record to 6-2 overall and 4-1 in Big Sky play, and the Bobcats followed the UNC win with an overtime victory at Idaho State and a home win against Weber State. On the warm, windy day the MSU beat Northern Colorado no one in Bobcat Nation could have envisioned the occurence in frigid Washington-Grizzly Stadium 28 days later. But make no mistake about it - by winning that game in October, Montana State helped set itself up for big, big days to come.
BONUS: The Bobcats opened an 16-day stretch that may not have mathematically clinched the team its sixth Big Sky Conference title - most in the league until Idaho caught up in 1989 - but certainly paved the way today in 1976. The Bobcats handed Idaho its only league loss, whipping the Vandals 29-12 in Reno H. Sales Stadium. Tom Kostrba rambled for 114 yards for the Bobcats, while Tim Nixon logged 13 tackles.
GAMES ON TODAY'S DATE
2010 - MSU 37, Northern Colorado 35
2004 - MSU 27, South Dakota State 24
1999 - Cal State Northridge 24, at MSU 21
1993 - MSU 40, Idaho 35
1982 - at Idaho 36, MSU 20
1976 - MSU 29, Idaho 12
1971 - at Idaho State 38, MSU 36
1965 - North Dakota State 14, MSU 7 HC
1954 - MSU 27, Western State 6
1948 - at Portland 7, MSU 0
1926 - UM 27, MSU 0 at Butte
1925 - MSU 30, Carroll 0
1920 - MSU 0, Utah State 0
1915 - MSU 6, at Montana Tech 6
1908 - MSU 30, Fort Shaw Indians 0
FINIS: Any stray Bobcat fans who hadn't made up their minds about MSU's freshman quarterback by now certainly lost all inhibitions on this day. McGhee threw for 400 yards against UNC, the first 400-yard game by a Bobcat since Travis Lulay in 2004. He did threw for 402 a week later at Idaho State to match Lulay's back-to-back 400-yard games six years earlier. A month later he became the first Bobcat freshman to lead MSU to a win in Missoula since... well, yeah, Lulay in 2002.
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