Eryon Barnett's amazing interception
Photo by: Kelly Gorham
BOBCAT CALENDAR: Bobcat Saw a Familiar Face on the Visiting Sideline Today in 2014
11/15/2020 9:00:00 AM | Football
MSU's offensive prowess was on full display on a frigid afternoon
A day-by-day look at Bobcat football history...
November 15
SPOTLIGHT: It was a big football game and sort of a surreal day in Bobcat Stadium with a guest who was as familiar as anyone in the host role.
Former Bobcat coach Mike Kramer led his Idaho State team into Bobcat Stadium today in 2014. The same Mike Kramer that helped revive Bobcat football more than a decade earlier was in the process of doing the same at Idaho State. It had been 10 years since ISU posted a winning record, but in his fourth year leading the Bengals Kramer's squad entered Bobcat Stadium 7-3 overall and fresh off a 30-28 win over 21st-ranked Cal Poly. Montana State woke up on that frigid day 7-3, 5-1 in the league. It shaped up as a winner-in showdown for an FCS Playoff berth.
The temperature was seven degrees above at kickoff, the second-coldest on record (behind the six degrees at kickoff for the 2003 Cat-Griz game), but it didn't take long for the teams to warm up. Idaho State marched 75 yards in nine plays to take a 7-0 lead on Justin Arias' 10-yard pass to Madison Mangum. The Cats answered when Anthony Knight scored on a two-yard run set up by a 36-yard pass from Jake Bleskin (starting at quarterback for Dakota Prukop) to Jayshawn Gates.
Idaho State scored on its next drive, and MSU answered with a field goal. It was that kind of day. The Bengals scored two more touchdowns before halftime, and ISU closed the half with a 19-yard field goal to take a 30-23 lead into the intermission. To that point, ISU had compiled 352 yards and 17 first downs, while the Cats rolled up 268 yards and 15 first downs.
When the second half opened, the breakneck offensive pace slowed a little. Midway through the third quarter, Chad Newell - who exalted in playing on cold, snowy days - scored on a 16-yard touchdown run, and at the end of the quarter Gunnar Brekke took a Bleskin pass 24 yards for a touchdown, and the Bobcat led 37-30.
Idaho State opened the fourth quarter with a 29-yard Zak Johnson field goal to trim MSU's lead, but the Cats answered when Knight scored on a six-yard run to give MSU a 44-33 lead with 9:14 to play.
Back came the Bengals. Mangum caught a 16-yarder, then KW Williams took a 48-yard pass to the MSU four, and Daniel McSurdy scored from four yards out. Don Bailey's offense was keeping ISU in the game, and then former Bobcat Roger Cooper's defense and Kramer's special teams gave the Bengals a chance to win.The defense forced a three-and-out, and after a Bengals punt Montana State had a chance to extend its lead when the Bengals blocked a Luke Daly field goal attempt and gave the visitors one last chance.
With 5:35 left, the Bengals took over at their own 16 and began to move. McSurdy rushed for a first down, Arias converted a fourth-and-six with a seven-yard scramble, and all the while the clock ticked. Arias found Josh Cook for a 14-yard gain, and when McSurdy rumbled for a first down at the Bobcat 33 with seven seconds remaining the Bengals clocked the ball and the Cats called a time out.
One play remained, with a season-changing win hanging in the balance.
Arias moved around, then heaved the ball toward Broc Malcom in the northeast corner of the field. MSU cornerback Bryson Keeton competed for the ball, knocked it away, and while ISU protested the no-call the Bobcats celebrated a tooth-and-nail 44-39 victory.
The numbers produced that bone-chilling day remain eye-popping. The Bobcats gained 32 first downws on 568 yards, averaging 6.7 yards per play. Idaho State's 29 first downs came on 588 total yards, and the Bengals averaged 8.6 yards per offensive snap. The individual numbers were equally impressive. Chad Newell rushed for 110 yards for the Cats, Tiai Salanoa joined Mitch Herbert and Gunnar Brekke with five catches each, but the big news was Jake Bleskin's performance. Pressed into action, the Great Falls product responded. He threw for 301 yards on 25-for-35 passing, securing the win that sealed for MSU a playoff berth (the Cats lost in Missoula seven days later). Defensively, Na'a Moeakiola's 10 tackles led MSU, while Alex Singleton added nine, but safety Eryon Barnett made one of the day's biggest plays. He made a juggling, acrobatic interception that came right after an ISU takeaway and thwarted a drive that could have given the Bengals a 14-point lead coming out of halftime.
While the Bobcats notched another playoff appearance in 2014, losing at home to South Dakota State, the Bengals completed their resurgence a week later by beating rival Weber State. Idaho State's 8-4 record included two losses to FBS opponents but two wins over lower-division foes (Chadron State, Simon Fraser). ISU finished 6-2 in the Big Sky, with the upset against Cal Poly and losses to nationally-ranked MSU and EWU, but six Division I wins wasn't quite enough to convince the playoff committee that the Bengals were deserving even though that team clearly possessed top 25-caliber talent.
Idaho State fell to 2-9 in each of the next two season, and Kramer's coaching career ended with his retirement after the 2016 season. MSU followed its 2014 campaign with a 5-6 record in 2015, the first losing season at MSU since Kramer's second team posted the same record in 2001. That ended Rob Ash's time at MSU. Given all that, it's easy to make the case that that 44-39 Bobcat win on a bitter cold day in 2014 was a really important win in the history of both programs.
GAMES ON TODAY'S DATE
2014 - MSU 44, Idaho State 39
2008 - MSU 49, Portland St 32
2003 - MSU 25, at Portland St 14
1997 - MSU 30, at Sac St 6
1986 - at EWU 27, MSU 14
1980 - at Fresno St 21, MSU 14
1958 - MSU 20, at UM 6
1947 - at Nevada 55, MSU 0
1919 - MSU 6, UM 6
1913 - at UM 20, MSU 0
1909 - MSU 0, at Utah State 0
FINIS: Browsing MSU's game-by-game scores from the first half of the decade just past, it's easy to become numb to MSU's scoring explosion of that era. But consider these numbers - from the beginning of 2010 until the close of 2015, Montana State scored 2,523 points. Those six seasons stand as the top six in MSU history in total points, and only the historic 1966 campaign barges in (at third) on the single season scoring average list. But here's the kicker - over those six seasons the Bobcats averaged 34.1 points over 74 games, and that would stand as the fourth-best single season in school history. That figure - compiled over six seasons - would have led the Big Sky in 23 of the league's 57 seasons.
November 15
SPOTLIGHT: It was a big football game and sort of a surreal day in Bobcat Stadium with a guest who was as familiar as anyone in the host role.
Former Bobcat coach Mike Kramer led his Idaho State team into Bobcat Stadium today in 2014. The same Mike Kramer that helped revive Bobcat football more than a decade earlier was in the process of doing the same at Idaho State. It had been 10 years since ISU posted a winning record, but in his fourth year leading the Bengals Kramer's squad entered Bobcat Stadium 7-3 overall and fresh off a 30-28 win over 21st-ranked Cal Poly. Montana State woke up on that frigid day 7-3, 5-1 in the league. It shaped up as a winner-in showdown for an FCS Playoff berth.
The temperature was seven degrees above at kickoff, the second-coldest on record (behind the six degrees at kickoff for the 2003 Cat-Griz game), but it didn't take long for the teams to warm up. Idaho State marched 75 yards in nine plays to take a 7-0 lead on Justin Arias' 10-yard pass to Madison Mangum. The Cats answered when Anthony Knight scored on a two-yard run set up by a 36-yard pass from Jake Bleskin (starting at quarterback for Dakota Prukop) to Jayshawn Gates.
Idaho State scored on its next drive, and MSU answered with a field goal. It was that kind of day. The Bengals scored two more touchdowns before halftime, and ISU closed the half with a 19-yard field goal to take a 30-23 lead into the intermission. To that point, ISU had compiled 352 yards and 17 first downs, while the Cats rolled up 268 yards and 15 first downs.
When the second half opened, the breakneck offensive pace slowed a little. Midway through the third quarter, Chad Newell - who exalted in playing on cold, snowy days - scored on a 16-yard touchdown run, and at the end of the quarter Gunnar Brekke took a Bleskin pass 24 yards for a touchdown, and the Bobcat led 37-30.
Idaho State opened the fourth quarter with a 29-yard Zak Johnson field goal to trim MSU's lead, but the Cats answered when Knight scored on a six-yard run to give MSU a 44-33 lead with 9:14 to play.
Back came the Bengals. Mangum caught a 16-yarder, then KW Williams took a 48-yard pass to the MSU four, and Daniel McSurdy scored from four yards out. Don Bailey's offense was keeping ISU in the game, and then former Bobcat Roger Cooper's defense and Kramer's special teams gave the Bengals a chance to win.The defense forced a three-and-out, and after a Bengals punt Montana State had a chance to extend its lead when the Bengals blocked a Luke Daly field goal attempt and gave the visitors one last chance.
With 5:35 left, the Bengals took over at their own 16 and began to move. McSurdy rushed for a first down, Arias converted a fourth-and-six with a seven-yard scramble, and all the while the clock ticked. Arias found Josh Cook for a 14-yard gain, and when McSurdy rumbled for a first down at the Bobcat 33 with seven seconds remaining the Bengals clocked the ball and the Cats called a time out.
One play remained, with a season-changing win hanging in the balance.
Arias moved around, then heaved the ball toward Broc Malcom in the northeast corner of the field. MSU cornerback Bryson Keeton competed for the ball, knocked it away, and while ISU protested the no-call the Bobcats celebrated a tooth-and-nail 44-39 victory.
The numbers produced that bone-chilling day remain eye-popping. The Bobcats gained 32 first downws on 568 yards, averaging 6.7 yards per play. Idaho State's 29 first downs came on 588 total yards, and the Bengals averaged 8.6 yards per offensive snap. The individual numbers were equally impressive. Chad Newell rushed for 110 yards for the Cats, Tiai Salanoa joined Mitch Herbert and Gunnar Brekke with five catches each, but the big news was Jake Bleskin's performance. Pressed into action, the Great Falls product responded. He threw for 301 yards on 25-for-35 passing, securing the win that sealed for MSU a playoff berth (the Cats lost in Missoula seven days later). Defensively, Na'a Moeakiola's 10 tackles led MSU, while Alex Singleton added nine, but safety Eryon Barnett made one of the day's biggest plays. He made a juggling, acrobatic interception that came right after an ISU takeaway and thwarted a drive that could have given the Bengals a 14-point lead coming out of halftime.
While the Bobcats notched another playoff appearance in 2014, losing at home to South Dakota State, the Bengals completed their resurgence a week later by beating rival Weber State. Idaho State's 8-4 record included two losses to FBS opponents but two wins over lower-division foes (Chadron State, Simon Fraser). ISU finished 6-2 in the Big Sky, with the upset against Cal Poly and losses to nationally-ranked MSU and EWU, but six Division I wins wasn't quite enough to convince the playoff committee that the Bengals were deserving even though that team clearly possessed top 25-caliber talent.
Idaho State fell to 2-9 in each of the next two season, and Kramer's coaching career ended with his retirement after the 2016 season. MSU followed its 2014 campaign with a 5-6 record in 2015, the first losing season at MSU since Kramer's second team posted the same record in 2001. That ended Rob Ash's time at MSU. Given all that, it's easy to make the case that that 44-39 Bobcat win on a bitter cold day in 2014 was a really important win in the history of both programs.
GAMES ON TODAY'S DATE
2014 - MSU 44, Idaho State 39
2008 - MSU 49, Portland St 32
2003 - MSU 25, at Portland St 14
1997 - MSU 30, at Sac St 6
1986 - at EWU 27, MSU 14
1980 - at Fresno St 21, MSU 14
1958 - MSU 20, at UM 6
1947 - at Nevada 55, MSU 0
1919 - MSU 6, UM 6
1913 - at UM 20, MSU 0
1909 - MSU 0, at Utah State 0
FINIS: Browsing MSU's game-by-game scores from the first half of the decade just past, it's easy to become numb to MSU's scoring explosion of that era. But consider these numbers - from the beginning of 2010 until the close of 2015, Montana State scored 2,523 points. Those six seasons stand as the top six in MSU history in total points, and only the historic 1966 campaign barges in (at third) on the single season scoring average list. But here's the kicker - over those six seasons the Bobcats averaged 34.1 points over 74 games, and that would stand as the fourth-best single season in school history. That figure - compiled over six seasons - would have led the Big Sky in 23 of the league's 57 seasons.
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