Clive Lowe
Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson
BOBCAT CALENDAR: After receiving new life, Montana State upended Furman for the school's first playoff win since 1984 today in 2006
11/25/2020 10:44:00 AM | Football
MSU's defense dominated the Paladins
A day-by-day look at Bobcat football history...
November 25
SPOTLIGHT: Sometimes the greatest gifts are unexpected. Montana State's home playoff win over Furman in 2006 was a completely unexpected gift, and it was an absolute thrill.
The Bobcats finished the 2006 regular season with a stinging 13-7 loss in Missoula against a very good Grizzly team. Without question, the 7-4 Bobcats had a playoff resume nearly impossible to evaluate, with a win over Colorado and losses to Division II Chadron State and transitioning UC Davis.MSU's only other Big Sky loss was Eastern Washington. There was little thought, after the loss in Missoula, that the Cats would advance.
But strange things happen, bubble teams lose, and the Bobcats were undeniably a talented team that had established a degree of national prominence. With campus nearly emptied out due to Thanksgiving break, the playoff game was greeted with a flurry of activity and a frenzy of excitement.
Furman brought a strong team with a long string of playoff success to Bobcat Stadium on the overcast afternoon. But the Bobcats brought a spirit of rebirth, and Furman ran headlong into it right away. Two incomplete passes sandwiched a tackle-for-loss by Epi King and Tyrone Henderson, and the Paladins punted to MSU. On the third play of MSU's first drive, Jack Rolovich found Donnell Wheaton in a 51-yard touchdown pass, and before the clock had even struck noon Bobcat Stadium was rocking and rolling. The crowd of just under 10,000 was really whooping it up.
The team exchanged punts twice, but on the last play of the first quarter Clive Lowe forced a Furman fumble, and MSU recovered at the Paladin 41. Jeff Hastings turned that turnover into a field goal, and the Cats led 10-0.
And then all hell broke loose. Jesse Anderson blocked a Furman punt and recovered it for a touchdown. On the ensuing kickoff Brian Williams forced a fumble, Kory Austin recovered it, and on the first play Rolovich hit Michael Jefferson on a 25-yard touchdown pass. Montana State led 24-0, and the game was never close again.Several Bobcats had good days on offense, including Rolovich (272 yards passing), Wheaton (88 yards receiving), and Isaiah Taito (69 rushing yards).
But this day belonged to Montana State's defense. The Cats held Furman to 273 total yards and 17 first downs. King played brilliantly, logging 10 tackles, three for a loss, with a sack. Andre Fuller intercepted a pass and broke up two others. Lowe's five tackles included one sack and another TFL on a run play. Furman averaged only 3.8 yards per play and didn't score until the third quarter was nearly gone.
BOBCAT GAMES ON TODAY'S DATE
2006 - MSU 31, Furman 13
1926 - at College of Idaho 7, MSU 0
November 25
SPOTLIGHT: Sometimes the greatest gifts are unexpected. Montana State's home playoff win over Furman in 2006 was a completely unexpected gift, and it was an absolute thrill.
The Bobcats finished the 2006 regular season with a stinging 13-7 loss in Missoula against a very good Grizzly team. Without question, the 7-4 Bobcats had a playoff resume nearly impossible to evaluate, with a win over Colorado and losses to Division II Chadron State and transitioning UC Davis.MSU's only other Big Sky loss was Eastern Washington. There was little thought, after the loss in Missoula, that the Cats would advance.
But strange things happen, bubble teams lose, and the Bobcats were undeniably a talented team that had established a degree of national prominence. With campus nearly emptied out due to Thanksgiving break, the playoff game was greeted with a flurry of activity and a frenzy of excitement.
Furman brought a strong team with a long string of playoff success to Bobcat Stadium on the overcast afternoon. But the Bobcats brought a spirit of rebirth, and Furman ran headlong into it right away. Two incomplete passes sandwiched a tackle-for-loss by Epi King and Tyrone Henderson, and the Paladins punted to MSU. On the third play of MSU's first drive, Jack Rolovich found Donnell Wheaton in a 51-yard touchdown pass, and before the clock had even struck noon Bobcat Stadium was rocking and rolling. The crowd of just under 10,000 was really whooping it up.
The team exchanged punts twice, but on the last play of the first quarter Clive Lowe forced a Furman fumble, and MSU recovered at the Paladin 41. Jeff Hastings turned that turnover into a field goal, and the Cats led 10-0.
And then all hell broke loose. Jesse Anderson blocked a Furman punt and recovered it for a touchdown. On the ensuing kickoff Brian Williams forced a fumble, Kory Austin recovered it, and on the first play Rolovich hit Michael Jefferson on a 25-yard touchdown pass. Montana State led 24-0, and the game was never close again.Several Bobcats had good days on offense, including Rolovich (272 yards passing), Wheaton (88 yards receiving), and Isaiah Taito (69 rushing yards).
But this day belonged to Montana State's defense. The Cats held Furman to 273 total yards and 17 first downs. King played brilliantly, logging 10 tackles, three for a loss, with a sack. Andre Fuller intercepted a pass and broke up two others. Lowe's five tackles included one sack and another TFL on a run play. Furman averaged only 3.8 yards per play and didn't score until the third quarter was nearly gone.
BOBCAT GAMES ON TODAY'S DATE
2006 - MSU 31, Furman 13
1926 - at College of Idaho 7, MSU 0
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