BOBCAT CALENDAR: A Couple of MSU Records Fell in the Skydome Today in 2006
9/30/2020 2:00:00 PM | Football
The high point of Michael Jefferson's electric season in the Blue and Gold came in MSU's win at NAU
A look at Bobcat football history day-by-day...
September 30
SPOTLIGHT: Montana State traveled to Flagstaff today in 2006 with one big weight off its shoulders. The team's shocking 60-14 win in the Walkup Skydome two years earlier to end a 12-game losing streak in Flagstaff.
That day was one for the Bobcats to do pretty much whatever they wanted. This one was all about sensational individual efforts. Michael Jefferson caught 12 passes for 239 yards, a school single-game record. Aaron Mason rambled for 192 yards, the most ever by a Bobcat freshman on his way to setting a single-season rushing record for frosh. Quarterback Cory Carpenter threw for 300 yards, his second and final 300-yard passing game.
The game was a back-and-forth affair, with Donell Wheaton catching a 48-yard halfback pass from Isaiah Taito to open the scoring. NAU evend the scoring less than 90 seconds laster. The Bobcats scored twice in the second quarter, but NAU answered late in the half to trime MSU's lead to 22-14 at the intermission. The Bobcats went ahead 32-14 in the third quarter, but the Lumberjacks ralled to tie the score with just under seven minutes to play.
That set up possibly MSU's most important drive of the season. Carpenter found tight end Brandon Bostick for a six-yard scoring strike with 4:55 to play to give MSU the winning margin.
The Bobcat defense swarmed NAU quarterback Jason Murrietta throughout the evening, registering six sacks. That was one more than the Cats logged in the season's first five games. The win snapped a three-game losing streak, and set the Bobcats back on the course to the first at-large postseason berth in Bobcat history.
BONUS: After dropping two of its first three games, Montana State played its first game in Bozeman of the 1972 eason - and was still on the road.
Sort of.
The Cats played the 1972 season at Bozeman High's Van Winkle Stadium while waiting for completion of Reno H. Sales Stadium. The first home-away-from-home game was memorable.
After Idaho opened the scoring Pat Bolton answered with a 42-yard field goal late in the first quarter to tie the score. Then in the second quarter, the Cats blew the doors off of UI. Sam McCullum caught a 24-yard pass from Zoonie McLean just over one minute in, then McLean punched it in himself three seconds before halftime to give MSU a 17-3 lead. It also finished the scoring.
Steve Endres intercepted a pass to pace a Bobcat defense that limited the Vandals to just 256 total yards. That particular MSU team featured some of the program's all-time greatest players - Future NFL stars Sam McCullum and Bill Kollar were joined by other standouts such as Steve Kracher, Wayne Edwards, Ron Ueland, Leon Potkay, Joe Johnson, Alan Ward and Brad Daws. This win started a four-game win streak, and after a 'home' loss to Idaho State the Bobcats slammed the Grizzlies 21-3 in Missoula to clinch MSU's first Big Sky title since 1968.
GAMES ON TODAY'S DATE
2017 - #20 Weber 25, MSU 17
2006 - MSU 39, at NAU 32
2000 - at Idaho 56, MSU 7
1995 - at NAU 37, MSU 0
1989 - at Idaho State 23, MSU 21
1978 - MSU 31, Boise St 29
1972 - MSU 17, Idaho 3
1967 - MSU 21, at Fresno St 20
1961 - MSU 17, South Dakot St 12
1950 - Eastern Wa 20, MSU 6 at GF
1949 - Portland 40, MSU 0
1939 - at Idaho 7, MSU 6
1933 - at BYU 25, MSU 0
September 30
SPOTLIGHT: Montana State traveled to Flagstaff today in 2006 with one big weight off its shoulders. The team's shocking 60-14 win in the Walkup Skydome two years earlier to end a 12-game losing streak in Flagstaff.
That day was one for the Bobcats to do pretty much whatever they wanted. This one was all about sensational individual efforts. Michael Jefferson caught 12 passes for 239 yards, a school single-game record. Aaron Mason rambled for 192 yards, the most ever by a Bobcat freshman on his way to setting a single-season rushing record for frosh. Quarterback Cory Carpenter threw for 300 yards, his second and final 300-yard passing game.
The game was a back-and-forth affair, with Donell Wheaton catching a 48-yard halfback pass from Isaiah Taito to open the scoring. NAU evend the scoring less than 90 seconds laster. The Bobcats scored twice in the second quarter, but NAU answered late in the half to trime MSU's lead to 22-14 at the intermission. The Bobcats went ahead 32-14 in the third quarter, but the Lumberjacks ralled to tie the score with just under seven minutes to play.
That set up possibly MSU's most important drive of the season. Carpenter found tight end Brandon Bostick for a six-yard scoring strike with 4:55 to play to give MSU the winning margin.
The Bobcat defense swarmed NAU quarterback Jason Murrietta throughout the evening, registering six sacks. That was one more than the Cats logged in the season's first five games. The win snapped a three-game losing streak, and set the Bobcats back on the course to the first at-large postseason berth in Bobcat history.
BONUS: After dropping two of its first three games, Montana State played its first game in Bozeman of the 1972 eason - and was still on the road.
Sort of.
The Cats played the 1972 season at Bozeman High's Van Winkle Stadium while waiting for completion of Reno H. Sales Stadium. The first home-away-from-home game was memorable.
After Idaho opened the scoring Pat Bolton answered with a 42-yard field goal late in the first quarter to tie the score. Then in the second quarter, the Cats blew the doors off of UI. Sam McCullum caught a 24-yard pass from Zoonie McLean just over one minute in, then McLean punched it in himself three seconds before halftime to give MSU a 17-3 lead. It also finished the scoring.
Steve Endres intercepted a pass to pace a Bobcat defense that limited the Vandals to just 256 total yards. That particular MSU team featured some of the program's all-time greatest players - Future NFL stars Sam McCullum and Bill Kollar were joined by other standouts such as Steve Kracher, Wayne Edwards, Ron Ueland, Leon Potkay, Joe Johnson, Alan Ward and Brad Daws. This win started a four-game win streak, and after a 'home' loss to Idaho State the Bobcats slammed the Grizzlies 21-3 in Missoula to clinch MSU's first Big Sky title since 1968.
GAMES ON TODAY'S DATE
2017 - #20 Weber 25, MSU 17
2006 - MSU 39, at NAU 32
2000 - at Idaho 56, MSU 7
1995 - at NAU 37, MSU 0
1989 - at Idaho State 23, MSU 21
1978 - MSU 31, Boise St 29
1972 - MSU 17, Idaho 3
1967 - MSU 21, at Fresno St 20
1961 - MSU 17, South Dakot St 12
1950 - Eastern Wa 20, MSU 6 at GF
1949 - Portland 40, MSU 0
1939 - at Idaho 7, MSU 6
1933 - at BYU 25, MSU 0
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