Eddie Sullivan
Photo by: Tina Haines
BOBCAT CALENDAR: Bobcats Break Through in a Big Way at NAU in 2004
10/30/2020 9:00:00 AM | Football
Travis Lulay and Eddie Sullivan lead an MSU offensive onslaught
A day-by-day look at Bobcat football history...
October 30
SPOTLIGHT: Mike Kramer always said that when Montana State's long losing streak at Northern Arizona's Walkup Skydome ended it wouldn't be by a miracle finish, or in a nail-biter. It would be a breakthrough that left no doubt.
That breakthrough happened today in 2004. And Kramer was right, it was spectacular.
On the game's first play from scrimmage Travis Lulay connected with Blake Wolf on a 37-yard pass and four plays later Lulay found Rick Gatewood for an eight-yard score. On MSU's 17th play, Lulay snuck in from one-yard out, and the Cats led 13-0. On MSU's 19th play, Lulay hooked up with Eddie Sullivan on a 41-yard pass, and MSU's 23rd offensive snap resulted in a 26-yard field goal. Thirteen minutes and seven seconds into the game, in a building that had served as Montana State's house of horrors, the Bobcats led 22-0.
Some context is needed. Northern Arizona's Walkup Skydome opened in 1977 when the Lumberjacks beat UM 25-24. NAU also beat MSU 28-7 and averaged more than 13,000 fans at its home games that season, but its decidedly up-and-down history may have been sealed before the team played its first game, when legendary SID Wylie Smith is reputed to have looked around the completed building for the first time and asked athletic administrators, "Where's the press box?"
In 1979, the Bobcats won a 10-7 thriller on its way to a Big Sky title on a 53-yard Jeff Muri field goal late in the first half. That completed the scoring for the night, and it completed MSU's success in the Skydome for a quarter century. The Cats lost 20-14 in 1981, 33-16 in 1983, 27-24 in 1985, 54-21 in 1987, 35-31 in 1989, 27-16 in 1991, 28-20 in 1993, 37-0 in 1995, 14-13 in 1997, 49-20 in 1999, 32-9 in 2000, and 20-17 in 2002. Twelve trips, 12 straight losses. MSU won two of its three games in Lumberjack Stadium, but at kickoff in 2004 was 1-13 in the Walkup Skydome.
MSU's onslaught didn't end when the first quarter did. Cochrane kicked a field goal early in the second quarter, the Justin Domineck scored from one yard with 7:59 to play in the half to give the Cats a 32-0 lead,
Is it halftime yet? Not even close.
After a fourth-down stop, Lulay hit Gatewood on a 47-yard touchdown pass less than 90 seconds after Domineck's run to push the lead to 39-0, then Domineck scored on a 15-yard run with 4:37 left, and in the seconds before halftime Brandon Eggart scooped up a fumble and dashed 40 yards to glory.
Halftime score: Montana State 53, Northern Arizona 0.
A lot of ghosts were exorcised that night 16 years ago. MSU rolled up 23 first downs, rushed for 162, threw for 379, and the 541 total yards were the most by a Mike Kramer-coached Bobcat team to that point (although the team would eclipse that total in the next two straight games). The team's 60 points was the most by the Bobcats under Mike Kramer, the 53 points at halftime remains fourth in school history, and the 31 second-quarter points is the most ever scored by the Blue and Gold in that period.
The individual numbers were pretty glitzy, as well. Domineck rushed for 90 yards, Lulay threw for 366 (his seventh-best total), and Sullivan caught six passes for 139 yards.The MSU defense registered 11 tackles for loss, picked off two passes, and forced and recovered two fumbles. Jonathan Molock's two sacks with a forced fumble stand out, but no play was more celebrated than Eggart's scoop-and-score.
Mike Kramer ended a lot of misery for Bobcat fans during his seven seasons as MSU's head coach. He beat the Grizzlies in Missoula, he beat them in Bozeman twice, he won the league three times, he first led the team to playoff appearances then, finally, to a playoff win for the first time since he was on the Montana State sidelines as an assistant in 1984. He restored Bobcat football to its championship ways.
But on this magical night not too far from the southern rim of the Grand Canyon, Montana State's win in the Walkup Skydome seemed as big as any other item and the Cats would check off the list.
BONUS: Montana State's only win against Gonzaga came today in 1920.
Wait, what?
Yep, the Zags competed in football from 1887-1941, never reopening after World War II. Most Catholic schools tapped into Notre Dame's football tradition, and Gonzaga was no exception. It's first-year head coach in 1920 was Gus Dorais, who along with end Knute Rockne helped popularize the forward pass in 1913, and he was beginning his full-time head coaching career after moonlighting as a professional player in the previous five years while also coaching at Dubuque (now Loras) College. Dorais led a bigger team to Bozeman, and on a muddy (temporary) Gartton Field with an east wind whipping Scottie MacDonald drop-kicked kicked a 25-yard fourth quarter field goal for the victory. MacDonald was also lauded for his brilliant punting, booting "the ball from 40 to 60 yards on each ry, and his performance will place him in the football history of Montana State college as one of the greatest kickers ever to wear a Blue and Gold jersey," according to the Weekly Exponent.
GAMES ON TODAY'S DATE
2010 - MSU 26, at Idaho State 23 OT
2004 - MSU 60, at NAU 14
1999 - at NAU 49, MSU 20
1993 - MSU 42, at Boise St 21
1982 - at UM 45, MSU 14
1976 - MSU 21, at UM 12
1971 - at Boise St 52, MSU 24
1965 - North Dakota 21, MSU 12
1948 - at Idaho St 20, MSU 14
1937 - UM 19, MSU 0 at Butte
1926 - MSU 9, No Colo 6
1925 - Wyoming 7, MSU 0 HC
1920 - MSU 3, Gonzaga 0
1909 - at Montana Tech 6, MSU 0
FINIS: Montana State's most recent game on October 30 was a thriller. After MSU held Idaho State to a field goal in the first possession of overtime, a DeNarius McGhee scramble on the Bobcats' first play saw him tip-toe down the home sideline (there are those in Pocatello that still swear he stepped out of bounds, and those in Bozeman who respond with a laundry list of grievances the Blue and Gold has suffered in Holt Arena) and into the end zone for the game-ending, game-winning score. The Bobcats won 23-20, and it was another data point in McGhee's arrival as a league-changing presence.
October 30
SPOTLIGHT: Mike Kramer always said that when Montana State's long losing streak at Northern Arizona's Walkup Skydome ended it wouldn't be by a miracle finish, or in a nail-biter. It would be a breakthrough that left no doubt.
That breakthrough happened today in 2004. And Kramer was right, it was spectacular.
On the game's first play from scrimmage Travis Lulay connected with Blake Wolf on a 37-yard pass and four plays later Lulay found Rick Gatewood for an eight-yard score. On MSU's 17th play, Lulay snuck in from one-yard out, and the Cats led 13-0. On MSU's 19th play, Lulay hooked up with Eddie Sullivan on a 41-yard pass, and MSU's 23rd offensive snap resulted in a 26-yard field goal. Thirteen minutes and seven seconds into the game, in a building that had served as Montana State's house of horrors, the Bobcats led 22-0.
Some context is needed. Northern Arizona's Walkup Skydome opened in 1977 when the Lumberjacks beat UM 25-24. NAU also beat MSU 28-7 and averaged more than 13,000 fans at its home games that season, but its decidedly up-and-down history may have been sealed before the team played its first game, when legendary SID Wylie Smith is reputed to have looked around the completed building for the first time and asked athletic administrators, "Where's the press box?"
In 1979, the Bobcats won a 10-7 thriller on its way to a Big Sky title on a 53-yard Jeff Muri field goal late in the first half. That completed the scoring for the night, and it completed MSU's success in the Skydome for a quarter century. The Cats lost 20-14 in 1981, 33-16 in 1983, 27-24 in 1985, 54-21 in 1987, 35-31 in 1989, 27-16 in 1991, 28-20 in 1993, 37-0 in 1995, 14-13 in 1997, 49-20 in 1999, 32-9 in 2000, and 20-17 in 2002. Twelve trips, 12 straight losses. MSU won two of its three games in Lumberjack Stadium, but at kickoff in 2004 was 1-13 in the Walkup Skydome.
MSU's onslaught didn't end when the first quarter did. Cochrane kicked a field goal early in the second quarter, the Justin Domineck scored from one yard with 7:59 to play in the half to give the Cats a 32-0 lead,
Is it halftime yet? Not even close.
After a fourth-down stop, Lulay hit Gatewood on a 47-yard touchdown pass less than 90 seconds after Domineck's run to push the lead to 39-0, then Domineck scored on a 15-yard run with 4:37 left, and in the seconds before halftime Brandon Eggart scooped up a fumble and dashed 40 yards to glory.
Halftime score: Montana State 53, Northern Arizona 0.
A lot of ghosts were exorcised that night 16 years ago. MSU rolled up 23 first downs, rushed for 162, threw for 379, and the 541 total yards were the most by a Mike Kramer-coached Bobcat team to that point (although the team would eclipse that total in the next two straight games). The team's 60 points was the most by the Bobcats under Mike Kramer, the 53 points at halftime remains fourth in school history, and the 31 second-quarter points is the most ever scored by the Blue and Gold in that period.
The individual numbers were pretty glitzy, as well. Domineck rushed for 90 yards, Lulay threw for 366 (his seventh-best total), and Sullivan caught six passes for 139 yards.The MSU defense registered 11 tackles for loss, picked off two passes, and forced and recovered two fumbles. Jonathan Molock's two sacks with a forced fumble stand out, but no play was more celebrated than Eggart's scoop-and-score.
Mike Kramer ended a lot of misery for Bobcat fans during his seven seasons as MSU's head coach. He beat the Grizzlies in Missoula, he beat them in Bozeman twice, he won the league three times, he first led the team to playoff appearances then, finally, to a playoff win for the first time since he was on the Montana State sidelines as an assistant in 1984. He restored Bobcat football to its championship ways.
But on this magical night not too far from the southern rim of the Grand Canyon, Montana State's win in the Walkup Skydome seemed as big as any other item and the Cats would check off the list.
BONUS: Montana State's only win against Gonzaga came today in 1920.
Wait, what?
Yep, the Zags competed in football from 1887-1941, never reopening after World War II. Most Catholic schools tapped into Notre Dame's football tradition, and Gonzaga was no exception. It's first-year head coach in 1920 was Gus Dorais, who along with end Knute Rockne helped popularize the forward pass in 1913, and he was beginning his full-time head coaching career after moonlighting as a professional player in the previous five years while also coaching at Dubuque (now Loras) College. Dorais led a bigger team to Bozeman, and on a muddy (temporary) Gartton Field with an east wind whipping Scottie MacDonald drop-kicked kicked a 25-yard fourth quarter field goal for the victory. MacDonald was also lauded for his brilliant punting, booting "the ball from 40 to 60 yards on each ry, and his performance will place him in the football history of Montana State college as one of the greatest kickers ever to wear a Blue and Gold jersey," according to the Weekly Exponent.
GAMES ON TODAY'S DATE
2010 - MSU 26, at Idaho State 23 OT
2004 - MSU 60, at NAU 14
1999 - at NAU 49, MSU 20
1993 - MSU 42, at Boise St 21
1982 - at UM 45, MSU 14
1976 - MSU 21, at UM 12
1971 - at Boise St 52, MSU 24
1965 - North Dakota 21, MSU 12
1948 - at Idaho St 20, MSU 14
1937 - UM 19, MSU 0 at Butte
1926 - MSU 9, No Colo 6
1925 - Wyoming 7, MSU 0 HC
1920 - MSU 3, Gonzaga 0
1909 - at Montana Tech 6, MSU 0
FINIS: Montana State's most recent game on October 30 was a thriller. After MSU held Idaho State to a field goal in the first possession of overtime, a DeNarius McGhee scramble on the Bobcats' first play saw him tip-toe down the home sideline (there are those in Pocatello that still swear he stepped out of bounds, and those in Bozeman who respond with a laundry list of grievances the Blue and Gold has suffered in Holt Arena) and into the end zone for the game-ending, game-winning score. The Bobcats won 23-20, and it was another data point in McGhee's arrival as a league-changing presence.
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