BOBCAT CALENDAR: Travis Lulay's Career as MSU's Quarterback Began Today in 2002
10/7/2020 9:00:00 AM | Football
An early-morning conversation led to one of the greatest careers in Big Sky football history
A day-by-day look at Bobcat football history...
October 7
SPOTLIGHT: From the time Montana State's football team landed in Bozeman late on December 15, 1984 after winning that season's national championship until the morning of October 7, 2002, the Bobcats won 68 football games and lost 124.
From October 7, 2002, until today, the Bobcat football team is 131-84.
On that day, 18 years ago today, Mike Kramer and his offensive coordinator Don Bailey made a decision that has rippled through the program ever since. They told freshman Travis Lulay that he would be the team's starting quarterback the following Saturday when the Cats traveled to Idaho State. Or rather, they eventually got around to telling him.
Lulay said heard about his promotion from offensive lineman Mataio Toilolo - who "hardly said two words to me," Lulay laughed - at breakfast that morning, and it was confirmed by the coaching staff at lunch.
Neither the redheaded stranger nor Bobcat faithful had any idea what was to come. Lulay lost that week in Holt Arena, but it was a nail-biter and some officials' calls went against the Cats that could have changed the game. Lulay, though, was spectacular. He threw for 262 yards, and ISU had to score two field goals and a touchdown in the fourth quarter to win 18-14.
MSU pounded Weber State 44-10 at home the next week, and after losing at NAU won in miraculous fashion at Sacramento State before beating Eastern Washington and Portland State at home in similarly dramatic fashion. Every Bobcat fan knows what came next.
The Cats beat the Grizzlies in Missoula to end a long losing streak in that series, and just for fun came back the next year and did it again. MSU lost some heartbreakers and some head-scratchers in 2003, but when push came to shove MSU beat the Grizzlies again, and won the Big Sky for a second straight year.
Lulay led the Bobcats to shares of three Big Sky titles, two I-AA Playoff appearances, beat the Grizzlies three times, and became the school's all-time passing leader. He finished 11th in Division I-AA in career passing yards, 7th in total offense, and was one of seven players in college football history at any level to that point with 10,000 career passing yards and 1,000 career rushing yards. Even now, Lulay is one of only four Bobcat quarterbacks to beat the Grizzlies three times. His record as Montana State's starting quarterback was 25-18, but it would be impossible to quantify what he meant to the program. Mike Kramer and his staff had built up the program's talent base by the time Lulay arrived, and part of that process was developing a great core inherited from Cliff Hysell and his staff, but Lulay ignited a spark that turned into a fire. He brought fans to Bobcat Stadium, he brought eyes to television broadcasts and ears to the radio, and he cast a shadow over the entire Big Sky Conference. He was First Team Academic All-America quarterback, a distinction that included all of Division I, and it's no exaggeration to say that the success of those teams from 2002-05 are a solid part of the foundation upon which MSU football is built. He made it cool to cheer for the Bobcats again.
And it all started at a quiet early-morning breakfast in 2002.
BONUS: One of Montana State's finest moments of the 1990s occured 25 years ago today, when the Bobcats beat #24 Idaho 16-13 in the Vandals' final game in Bozeman as a Big Sky rival... until 2018.
On a cold, rainy day in Reno H. Sales Stadium the Bobcats surrendered a quick touchdown. Dave Longoria plunged in from one yard out less than four minutes into the game, and after MSU's Geoff Groshelle and UI's Ryan Woolverton swapped field goals the game stood 10-3. With two-and-a-half minutes remaining in the first half, Bobcat quarterback Jeff Tuss crossed the goal line from one yard out. The MSU defense forced a fumble just before the half, but Geoff Groshell's missed field goal sent the teams to the locker rooms tied at 10.
The Cats tilted the game in their favor on the first drive of the second half. Matt Engelking carried six times for 35 yards on that drive, Chad Mayer caught a pass for nine yards, and Tuss scored from two yards out to give MSU a 16-10 lead.
That would be the day's last touchdown. Early in the fourth quarter the Vandals marched deep into Bobcat territory, but on third-and-four from th MSU nine Devlan Geddes sacked Idaho quarterback Eric Hisaw and the Vandals settled for a field goal.
Next, chaos ensued. Idaho recovered an on-side kick with 2:07 to play. After a pair of incomplete passes Hisaw threw to David Griffin for eight yards, but on fourth and short Vandals running back Lavoni Kidd was tackled behind the line and Montana State took over with 1:40 to play. Matt Engelking's 16-yard gain sent the Bobcats into victory formation, and MSU had its victory.
One week later, MSU upended 13th-ranked Idaho State in Pocatello. Taken together, those wins gave Cliff Hysell's Bobcats a 5-7 record against ranked opponents. That was quite an accomplishment given where the program stood when Hysell took it over. From that point forward, though, the Cats won only four of 14 games against nationally-ranked I-AA opponents.
GAMES ON TODAY'S DATE
2017 - MSU 30, Portland State 22
2006 - MSU 14, Portland State 0 HC
2002 - Travis Lulay was named Montana State's starting quarterback.
2000 - Eastern Washington 20, MSU 14 HC
1995 - MSU 16, Idaho 13
1989 - at Nevada 27, MSU 23
1978 - MSU 21, at Weber State 14
1977 - MSU 27, Weber State 24 HC
1972 - MSU 23, Northern Arizona 9
1967 - MSU 41, at Idaho 14
1961 - at Arkansas State 9, MSU 6
1950 - at Utah State 34, MSU 6
1933 - Utah State 40, MSU 0
1922 - MSU 26, Carroll 3
October 7
SPOTLIGHT: From the time Montana State's football team landed in Bozeman late on December 15, 1984 after winning that season's national championship until the morning of October 7, 2002, the Bobcats won 68 football games and lost 124.
From October 7, 2002, until today, the Bobcat football team is 131-84.
On that day, 18 years ago today, Mike Kramer and his offensive coordinator Don Bailey made a decision that has rippled through the program ever since. They told freshman Travis Lulay that he would be the team's starting quarterback the following Saturday when the Cats traveled to Idaho State. Or rather, they eventually got around to telling him.
Lulay said heard about his promotion from offensive lineman Mataio Toilolo - who "hardly said two words to me," Lulay laughed - at breakfast that morning, and it was confirmed by the coaching staff at lunch.
Neither the redheaded stranger nor Bobcat faithful had any idea what was to come. Lulay lost that week in Holt Arena, but it was a nail-biter and some officials' calls went against the Cats that could have changed the game. Lulay, though, was spectacular. He threw for 262 yards, and ISU had to score two field goals and a touchdown in the fourth quarter to win 18-14.
MSU pounded Weber State 44-10 at home the next week, and after losing at NAU won in miraculous fashion at Sacramento State before beating Eastern Washington and Portland State at home in similarly dramatic fashion. Every Bobcat fan knows what came next.
The Cats beat the Grizzlies in Missoula to end a long losing streak in that series, and just for fun came back the next year and did it again. MSU lost some heartbreakers and some head-scratchers in 2003, but when push came to shove MSU beat the Grizzlies again, and won the Big Sky for a second straight year.
Lulay led the Bobcats to shares of three Big Sky titles, two I-AA Playoff appearances, beat the Grizzlies three times, and became the school's all-time passing leader. He finished 11th in Division I-AA in career passing yards, 7th in total offense, and was one of seven players in college football history at any level to that point with 10,000 career passing yards and 1,000 career rushing yards. Even now, Lulay is one of only four Bobcat quarterbacks to beat the Grizzlies three times. His record as Montana State's starting quarterback was 25-18, but it would be impossible to quantify what he meant to the program. Mike Kramer and his staff had built up the program's talent base by the time Lulay arrived, and part of that process was developing a great core inherited from Cliff Hysell and his staff, but Lulay ignited a spark that turned into a fire. He brought fans to Bobcat Stadium, he brought eyes to television broadcasts and ears to the radio, and he cast a shadow over the entire Big Sky Conference. He was First Team Academic All-America quarterback, a distinction that included all of Division I, and it's no exaggeration to say that the success of those teams from 2002-05 are a solid part of the foundation upon which MSU football is built. He made it cool to cheer for the Bobcats again.
And it all started at a quiet early-morning breakfast in 2002.
BONUS: One of Montana State's finest moments of the 1990s occured 25 years ago today, when the Bobcats beat #24 Idaho 16-13 in the Vandals' final game in Bozeman as a Big Sky rival... until 2018.
On a cold, rainy day in Reno H. Sales Stadium the Bobcats surrendered a quick touchdown. Dave Longoria plunged in from one yard out less than four minutes into the game, and after MSU's Geoff Groshelle and UI's Ryan Woolverton swapped field goals the game stood 10-3. With two-and-a-half minutes remaining in the first half, Bobcat quarterback Jeff Tuss crossed the goal line from one yard out. The MSU defense forced a fumble just before the half, but Geoff Groshell's missed field goal sent the teams to the locker rooms tied at 10.
The Cats tilted the game in their favor on the first drive of the second half. Matt Engelking carried six times for 35 yards on that drive, Chad Mayer caught a pass for nine yards, and Tuss scored from two yards out to give MSU a 16-10 lead.
That would be the day's last touchdown. Early in the fourth quarter the Vandals marched deep into Bobcat territory, but on third-and-four from th MSU nine Devlan Geddes sacked Idaho quarterback Eric Hisaw and the Vandals settled for a field goal.
Next, chaos ensued. Idaho recovered an on-side kick with 2:07 to play. After a pair of incomplete passes Hisaw threw to David Griffin for eight yards, but on fourth and short Vandals running back Lavoni Kidd was tackled behind the line and Montana State took over with 1:40 to play. Matt Engelking's 16-yard gain sent the Bobcats into victory formation, and MSU had its victory.
One week later, MSU upended 13th-ranked Idaho State in Pocatello. Taken together, those wins gave Cliff Hysell's Bobcats a 5-7 record against ranked opponents. That was quite an accomplishment given where the program stood when Hysell took it over. From that point forward, though, the Cats won only four of 14 games against nationally-ranked I-AA opponents.
GAMES ON TODAY'S DATE
2017 - MSU 30, Portland State 22
2006 - MSU 14, Portland State 0 HC
2002 - Travis Lulay was named Montana State's starting quarterback.
2000 - Eastern Washington 20, MSU 14 HC
1995 - MSU 16, Idaho 13
1989 - at Nevada 27, MSU 23
1978 - MSU 21, at Weber State 14
1977 - MSU 27, Weber State 24 HC
1972 - MSU 23, Northern Arizona 9
1967 - MSU 41, at Idaho 14
1961 - at Arkansas State 9, MSU 6
1950 - at Utah State 34, MSU 6
1933 - Utah State 40, MSU 0
1922 - MSU 26, Carroll 3
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