Isaiah Ifanse
Photo by: Garrett Becker
BOBCAT SUNDAY NOTEBOOK #8: Cats Hold Fourth Straight Foe Under 10 Points
10/24/2021 7:03:00 PM | Football
MSU's defense remains among the best in the FCS
Below is a look back at Montana State's 27-9 win against Idaho State on October 23, and a glimpse ahead at both the highly anticipated bye week.
NOTES
•The Bobcats captured their seventh straight win overall, and the seventh against Idaho State in Bobcat Stadium, with Saturday's 27-9 victory against the Bengals.
•Montana State has held 13 consecutive regular season opponents to less than 20 points, four straight under 10, and in 2021 stands second in the FCS with 10.4 points allowed per game.
•Idaho State's 23 first downs was the most by any Bobcat opponent in 2021, snapping a string of eight straight regular season games and nine straight home games holding the foe to less than 20 first downs.
•Isaiah Ifanse's 165 rushing yards vs. Idaho State give him five 100-yard rushing games this season and 13 in his career, and his 113.8 rushing yards per game this season is fifth in the FCS. As a team, MSU's 219.9 rushing yards per game is 12th in the FCS.
•Montana State stands 30th in the FCS in rushing defense (121.4), 3rd in passing yards allowed (154.6), 11h in total defense (276.0), and 2nd in scoring defense (10.4).
STAT SNIPPETS
Even after losing a fumble on Saturday, Montana State leads the FCS with only three turnovers lost in 2021.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK NOMINATIONS
OFFENSE: Isaiah Ifanse, RB (6-3, 240, Sr, Beaverton, Oregon)
Junior running back Isaiah Ifanse rushed for 165 yards and one touchdown on 17 carries against Idaho State, leading the Bobcats to a 27-9 victory in Bobcat Stadium. Ifanse fueled the Bobcat offense Saturday, gaining 57 yards during a second quarter in which the Cats turned a 3-0 deficit into a 10-3 halftime lead, then gained 90 in a third quarter which set the team up for the decisive fourth quarter. Ifanse's 165 yards raise his season total to 907 and his per game average to 113.4, best in the Big Sky and fifth in the FCS. He has rushed for 2,745 in his Bobcat career, sixth in school history and 74 from Delmar Jones' 2,819 mark in fifth. His 9.7 yards per carry was the 11th-best yards-per-rush average in a game by a Bobcat.
DEFENSE: Troy Andersen, LB (6-4, 240, Sr, Dillon, Montana)
Facing Idaho State without one starter each on the defensive line, at linebacker, and in the secondary, Troy Andersen notched a career high 16 tackles, one for a loss, with two pass breakups in Montana State's 27-9 win against Idaho State in Bozeman Saturday. Andersen's effort helped the Bobcats limit Idaho State to just three field goals and 324 total yards. MSU has limited all eight 2021 opponents to less than 21 yards, and the last four to less than 10. Andersen has been in on a tackle behind the line of scrimmage in seven straight games.
NOTES
•The Bobcats captured their seventh straight win overall, and the seventh against Idaho State in Bobcat Stadium, with Saturday's 27-9 victory against the Bengals.
•Montana State has held 13 consecutive regular season opponents to less than 20 points, four straight under 10, and in 2021 stands second in the FCS with 10.4 points allowed per game.
•Idaho State's 23 first downs was the most by any Bobcat opponent in 2021, snapping a string of eight straight regular season games and nine straight home games holding the foe to less than 20 first downs.
•Isaiah Ifanse's 165 rushing yards vs. Idaho State give him five 100-yard rushing games this season and 13 in his career, and his 113.8 rushing yards per game this season is fifth in the FCS. As a team, MSU's 219.9 rushing yards per game is 12th in the FCS.
•Montana State stands 30th in the FCS in rushing defense (121.4), 3rd in passing yards allowed (154.6), 11h in total defense (276.0), and 2nd in scoring defense (10.4).
STAT SNIPPETS
Even after losing a fumble on Saturday, Montana State leads the FCS with only three turnovers lost in 2021.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK NOMINATIONS
OFFENSE: Isaiah Ifanse, RB (6-3, 240, Sr, Beaverton, Oregon)
Junior running back Isaiah Ifanse rushed for 165 yards and one touchdown on 17 carries against Idaho State, leading the Bobcats to a 27-9 victory in Bobcat Stadium. Ifanse fueled the Bobcat offense Saturday, gaining 57 yards during a second quarter in which the Cats turned a 3-0 deficit into a 10-3 halftime lead, then gained 90 in a third quarter which set the team up for the decisive fourth quarter. Ifanse's 165 yards raise his season total to 907 and his per game average to 113.4, best in the Big Sky and fifth in the FCS. He has rushed for 2,745 in his Bobcat career, sixth in school history and 74 from Delmar Jones' 2,819 mark in fifth. His 9.7 yards per carry was the 11th-best yards-per-rush average in a game by a Bobcat.
DEFENSE: Troy Andersen, LB (6-4, 240, Sr, Dillon, Montana)
Facing Idaho State without one starter each on the defensive line, at linebacker, and in the secondary, Troy Andersen notched a career high 16 tackles, one for a loss, with two pass breakups in Montana State's 27-9 win against Idaho State in Bozeman Saturday. Andersen's effort helped the Bobcats limit Idaho State to just three field goals and 324 total yards. MSU has limited all eight 2021 opponents to less than 21 yards, and the last four to less than 10. Andersen has been in on a tackle behind the line of scrimmage in seven straight games.
Players Mentioned
LB
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RB
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