BOBCAT CALENDAR: One Pick-Six is Nice so the Bobcat Defense did it Twice Today in 2007
9/22/2020 2:00:00 PM | Football
MSU handed Rob Ash his first Big Sky victory in Stewart Stadium
A day-by-day look at Bobcat football history...
September 22
SPOTLIGHT: When a conference series is lopsided, the games through that stretch can be largely uninteresting. But that has never really been the case with the Montana State-Weber State battles that reach back to 1963, when the two were among the Big Sky's founding members. Between 2001 and 2014, for instance, the Bobcats won 13 of the 14 games between the two. Only five of them, though were decided by more than a two touchdowns, and three of them were in doubt until the game's final play.
One of the games that was close throughout but didn't necessarily look like it, though, was the MSU's 21-5 win in Ogden that launched the Big Sky season for each team. The Bobcats scored a first-quarter touchdown on Chase Gazzerro's 26-yard interception return, the added another late in the first half on a 29-yard scoring strike from Jack Rolovich to Jamelle Banks. Weber State got on the board 50 seconds before the intermission with a 20-yard Mike Snoy field goal. A pick-six by Michael Beach late in the third quarter finished MSU's scoring, and the Wildcats added a safety in the fourth quarter.
One of the interesting facts of life in the FCS is the immediate availability of transfers from the Football Bowl Division. Nearly every FCS school benefits from this rule, and many players do as well, escaping from a program for a clearer opportunity. Such was the case in 2007 with Weber State's Jimmy Barnes.
A Californian, Barnes and his impressive arm traveled to SEC country for his first taste of college football, joining the 2005 Alabama Crimson Tide. He redshirted that year, and in 2006 saw action in a reserve role. But a better opportunity in the Big Sky beckoned, and in June, 2007, Barnes transferred to Weber State. An SEC transfer will always create buzz in Big Sky country, and Barnes' arrival certainly did so. But he didn't give his chance much of a chance on this day. Either one of MSU's two touchdowns off interceptions would have been enough points for the Bobcats. The Wildcats actually out-gained MSU 340-to-283, and gained 209 yards through the air to Montana State's 141.
As it turns out, the Wildcats had a star quarterback on the roster, freshman Cameron Higgins, and he nearly led WSU to victory that day. In the third quarter, with MSU leading just 14-3, Higgins drove his team to inside the Bobcat 35 on the first two Wildcat drives of the second half (one was set up by a long kick return), and both ended in punts. Doubling down on Barnes' pedigree, Ron McBride re-inserted his starting quarterback into the game late in the third quarter. His first pass of that drive was intercepted by Beach, who dashed into the end zone, and the game was essentially over at that point.
Demetrius Crawford led the MSU offense with 95 rushing yards to help get a significant win early in Ash's Bobcat career. It was foreshadowing for an amazing stretch of dramatic wins over the Wildcats. Weber won in Bobcat Stadium in 2008, but the 2009 MSU-WSU game was an all-time classic, and several of the ensuing contests were close, competitive affairs.
Higgins finished his career with the school record in passing yards and the Big Sky record in touchdown passes. He was one of the finest quarterbacks in Big Sky history. But on this day, with Higgins' career just beginning to hit the uptick, an SEC quarterback had no answer for Montana State's defense.
GAMES ON TODAY'S DATE
2018 - MSU 43, at Portland State 23
2012 - MSU 41, Northern Colorado 16 (Homecoming)
2007 - MSU 21, at Weber State 5
2001 - Cal Poly 34, MSU 6
1990 - Nevada 20, MSU 14
1984 - MSU 34, at Idaho 28
1980 - MSU 31, at Idaho St 14
1973 - at Boise State 27, MSU 17
1962 - MSU 37, North Dakota State 2 at GF
1956 - MSU 33, at North Dakota 13
1951 - at Eastern Washington 19, MSU 13
1939 - MSU 14, at Portland 6
1934 - BYU 20, MSU 6 at Great Falls
September 22
SPOTLIGHT: When a conference series is lopsided, the games through that stretch can be largely uninteresting. But that has never really been the case with the Montana State-Weber State battles that reach back to 1963, when the two were among the Big Sky's founding members. Between 2001 and 2014, for instance, the Bobcats won 13 of the 14 games between the two. Only five of them, though were decided by more than a two touchdowns, and three of them were in doubt until the game's final play.
One of the games that was close throughout but didn't necessarily look like it, though, was the MSU's 21-5 win in Ogden that launched the Big Sky season for each team. The Bobcats scored a first-quarter touchdown on Chase Gazzerro's 26-yard interception return, the added another late in the first half on a 29-yard scoring strike from Jack Rolovich to Jamelle Banks. Weber State got on the board 50 seconds before the intermission with a 20-yard Mike Snoy field goal. A pick-six by Michael Beach late in the third quarter finished MSU's scoring, and the Wildcats added a safety in the fourth quarter.
One of the interesting facts of life in the FCS is the immediate availability of transfers from the Football Bowl Division. Nearly every FCS school benefits from this rule, and many players do as well, escaping from a program for a clearer opportunity. Such was the case in 2007 with Weber State's Jimmy Barnes.
A Californian, Barnes and his impressive arm traveled to SEC country for his first taste of college football, joining the 2005 Alabama Crimson Tide. He redshirted that year, and in 2006 saw action in a reserve role. But a better opportunity in the Big Sky beckoned, and in June, 2007, Barnes transferred to Weber State. An SEC transfer will always create buzz in Big Sky country, and Barnes' arrival certainly did so. But he didn't give his chance much of a chance on this day. Either one of MSU's two touchdowns off interceptions would have been enough points for the Bobcats. The Wildcats actually out-gained MSU 340-to-283, and gained 209 yards through the air to Montana State's 141.
As it turns out, the Wildcats had a star quarterback on the roster, freshman Cameron Higgins, and he nearly led WSU to victory that day. In the third quarter, with MSU leading just 14-3, Higgins drove his team to inside the Bobcat 35 on the first two Wildcat drives of the second half (one was set up by a long kick return), and both ended in punts. Doubling down on Barnes' pedigree, Ron McBride re-inserted his starting quarterback into the game late in the third quarter. His first pass of that drive was intercepted by Beach, who dashed into the end zone, and the game was essentially over at that point.
Demetrius Crawford led the MSU offense with 95 rushing yards to help get a significant win early in Ash's Bobcat career. It was foreshadowing for an amazing stretch of dramatic wins over the Wildcats. Weber won in Bobcat Stadium in 2008, but the 2009 MSU-WSU game was an all-time classic, and several of the ensuing contests were close, competitive affairs.
Higgins finished his career with the school record in passing yards and the Big Sky record in touchdown passes. He was one of the finest quarterbacks in Big Sky history. But on this day, with Higgins' career just beginning to hit the uptick, an SEC quarterback had no answer for Montana State's defense.
GAMES ON TODAY'S DATE
2018 - MSU 43, at Portland State 23
2012 - MSU 41, Northern Colorado 16 (Homecoming)
2007 - MSU 21, at Weber State 5
2001 - Cal Poly 34, MSU 6
1990 - Nevada 20, MSU 14
1984 - MSU 34, at Idaho 28
1980 - MSU 31, at Idaho St 14
1973 - at Boise State 27, MSU 17
1962 - MSU 37, North Dakota State 2 at GF
1956 - MSU 33, at North Dakota 13
1951 - at Eastern Washington 19, MSU 13
1939 - MSU 14, at Portland 6
1934 - BYU 20, MSU 6 at Great Falls
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