Michael Jefferson
Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson
BOBCAT CALENDAR: Montana State's 2006 season ended today in a hard-fought playoff loss at Appalachian State
12/2/2020 11:08:00 AM | Football
Mike Kramer led MSU onto the field for the final time at App State
Montana State football history, served up day-by-day...
December 2
SPOTLIGHT: Montana State fought through Kevin Richardson's first quarter dominance, but couldn't survive his brilliant finish. The result was a 38-17 Appalachian State win over the Bobcats in the FCS Quarterfinals.
Richardson scored two touchdowns in the game's first eight minutes, and two more in the last 12. He finished the game as Appalachian State's all-time leading scorer, and his four scores tied a Mountaineer post-season record. But in between those bursts, the Cats looked like a team that belonged.
Pretty much everything that could go wrong for the Cats did in the game's first few minutes. The Mountaineers forced a three-and-out on MSU's first possession, and the punt gave Appalachian State possession in Bobcat territory. Richardson scored eight plays later. MSU's second possession ended in a blocked punt, and Richardson capitalized on the third play. MSU slowly found its footing, though, and after Clive Lowe forced an Armanti Edwards fumble on the first play of the second quarter Aaron Mason scored on a four-yard run to halve ASU's lead. After MSU picked off a pass on the next possession, a Jeff Hastings field goal drew the Bobcats to within 14-10.
ASU took a 17-10 lead into the intermission, and extended it with an Edwards run to open the second half. But Mason scored on a four-yard run later in the period to make the score 24-17, and the Bobcat defense steadied. On the final play of the third quarter, Jack Rolovich found Mason on a 25-yard pass, and trailing by a touchdown MSU opened the fourth quarter with a first-and-10 at the Mountaineers 40.
Then disaster struck. On the first play of the final quarter, Michael Jefferson took the ball on an end-around, and heaved it downfield. The pass was hurried, though, and after Appalachian State's Corey Lynch intercepted it near the 20 he scampered all the way back to midfield. Richardson scored eight plays later, and for all intents and purposes Montana State's season was finished.
Mason rushed for 72 yards to cap his brilliant freshman season. Rolovich threw for 190 yards, 99 of them to Jefferson and 66 more to Donnell Wheaton. Tyrone Henderson - who began the early days of the season at Colorado before transferring to MSU and enjoying a Bobcat win in Boulder to open the season, led the Bobcats with 11 tackles. Bobby Daly caused two fumbles, and logged two sacks.
ON TODAY'S DATE
2006 - #1 Appalachian State 38, MSU 17 in FCS Playoffs
2002 - Dusty Daws named top long snapper in I-AA
FINIS: The Appalachian State game marked the final time Mike Kramer led the Bobcats into action. His contract was terminated a few months later, but his impact on Bobcat football remains. He finished the Bobcat segment of his coaching career with a 40-43 record, but he pushed the MSU program onto a track of success that has wound into the present day. After an 0-11 2000 season, the Cats jumped to 5-6 overall and 4-3 in 2001. That began a string of 14 straight non-losing seasons in Big Sky play, and the next year MSU finished 7-6 and won the Big Sky for the first time in 1984. Perhaps more significantly, MSU beat the Grizzlies in 2002, 2003, and 2005, to snap a 16-year losing streak in the rivalry series that Kramer referred to as "that thing."
December 2
SPOTLIGHT: Montana State fought through Kevin Richardson's first quarter dominance, but couldn't survive his brilliant finish. The result was a 38-17 Appalachian State win over the Bobcats in the FCS Quarterfinals.
Richardson scored two touchdowns in the game's first eight minutes, and two more in the last 12. He finished the game as Appalachian State's all-time leading scorer, and his four scores tied a Mountaineer post-season record. But in between those bursts, the Cats looked like a team that belonged.
Pretty much everything that could go wrong for the Cats did in the game's first few minutes. The Mountaineers forced a three-and-out on MSU's first possession, and the punt gave Appalachian State possession in Bobcat territory. Richardson scored eight plays later. MSU's second possession ended in a blocked punt, and Richardson capitalized on the third play. MSU slowly found its footing, though, and after Clive Lowe forced an Armanti Edwards fumble on the first play of the second quarter Aaron Mason scored on a four-yard run to halve ASU's lead. After MSU picked off a pass on the next possession, a Jeff Hastings field goal drew the Bobcats to within 14-10.
ASU took a 17-10 lead into the intermission, and extended it with an Edwards run to open the second half. But Mason scored on a four-yard run later in the period to make the score 24-17, and the Bobcat defense steadied. On the final play of the third quarter, Jack Rolovich found Mason on a 25-yard pass, and trailing by a touchdown MSU opened the fourth quarter with a first-and-10 at the Mountaineers 40.
Then disaster struck. On the first play of the final quarter, Michael Jefferson took the ball on an end-around, and heaved it downfield. The pass was hurried, though, and after Appalachian State's Corey Lynch intercepted it near the 20 he scampered all the way back to midfield. Richardson scored eight plays later, and for all intents and purposes Montana State's season was finished.
Mason rushed for 72 yards to cap his brilliant freshman season. Rolovich threw for 190 yards, 99 of them to Jefferson and 66 more to Donnell Wheaton. Tyrone Henderson - who began the early days of the season at Colorado before transferring to MSU and enjoying a Bobcat win in Boulder to open the season, led the Bobcats with 11 tackles. Bobby Daly caused two fumbles, and logged two sacks.
ON TODAY'S DATE
2006 - #1 Appalachian State 38, MSU 17 in FCS Playoffs
2002 - Dusty Daws named top long snapper in I-AA
FINIS: The Appalachian State game marked the final time Mike Kramer led the Bobcats into action. His contract was terminated a few months later, but his impact on Bobcat football remains. He finished the Bobcat segment of his coaching career with a 40-43 record, but he pushed the MSU program onto a track of success that has wound into the present day. After an 0-11 2000 season, the Cats jumped to 5-6 overall and 4-3 in 2001. That began a string of 14 straight non-losing seasons in Big Sky play, and the next year MSU finished 7-6 and won the Big Sky for the first time in 1984. Perhaps more significantly, MSU beat the Grizzlies in 2002, 2003, and 2005, to snap a 16-year losing streak in the rivalry series that Kramer referred to as "that thing."
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