Rocco Perciavalle, a Bobcat star from Leetsdale, Pa.
BOBCAT GAME DAY NOTEBOOK #4: Reinforcements Begin Arriving Today
9/20/2025 12:17:00 PM | Football
Chris Long, Burke Mastel return to the MSU lineup against Mercyhurst
BOZEMAN, Mont. (Sept. 20, 2025) – Reinforcements begin arriving for the Bobcats today, with the likely return of receiver Chris Long and offensive lineman Burke Mastel. Long suffered an injury during the season opener at Oregon, while Mastel's came a week earlier.
Mastel played center throughout fall camp, but the aftermath of his injury forced JT Reed to slide from guard to center, with Titan Fleischmann moving inside to guard. Cedric Jefferson entered the starting lineup at tackle. Mastel is expected to be available at guard today.
Another pair of Bobcats could make debuts today. Defensive back Tim Thomas II is dressed, so if he plays it marks his Bobcat debut. Jordan Reed is also available for the first time in 2025 after a spring injury shelved him for several months. If he sees game action it would mark his first game at receiver after moving from quarterback in the spring.
* * * * *
Some of Montana State's best defensive work in the early weeks of this season has come on third downs. The Cats hold opponents to a 29.4% success rate on third down, the 13th-best mark in the Big Sky. Mercyhurst converts at a 49% clip, which would be among the top 10 marks in the FCS if the Lakers qualified for national statistics. As a transitional FCS team, its stats don't count among national leaders this season.
* * * * *
Mercyhurst travels to Bozeman for the second straight season, becoming the first non-conference foe to visit Bobcat Stadium since 2009. That was the second straight trip for South Dakota to Bozeman, and the Coyotes' most recent before last December's semifinal showdown.
* * * * *
In 1956, Herb Agocs came to Montana State from time at the Bainbridge Naval Station, where the former Penn star coached football. In so doing he changed Bobcat football forever. He brought one Bobcat Athletics Hall of Famer form Bainbridge, lineman Charlie Jackson, and helped reinforce a recruiting pipeline to the Great Lakes States that would remain active for more than two decades.
Rocco Perciavalle may be the most accomplished Bobcat from the Keystone State. He played running back from 1956-59, starring for the National Championship team as a freshman and eventually earning Bobcat Athletics Hall of Fame honors. Kicker EJ Cochrane (2002-03) from Philadelphia is another more recent Bobcat from Pennsylvania.
#GoCatsGo
Mastel played center throughout fall camp, but the aftermath of his injury forced JT Reed to slide from guard to center, with Titan Fleischmann moving inside to guard. Cedric Jefferson entered the starting lineup at tackle. Mastel is expected to be available at guard today.
Another pair of Bobcats could make debuts today. Defensive back Tim Thomas II is dressed, so if he plays it marks his Bobcat debut. Jordan Reed is also available for the first time in 2025 after a spring injury shelved him for several months. If he sees game action it would mark his first game at receiver after moving from quarterback in the spring.
* * * * *
Some of Montana State's best defensive work in the early weeks of this season has come on third downs. The Cats hold opponents to a 29.4% success rate on third down, the 13th-best mark in the Big Sky. Mercyhurst converts at a 49% clip, which would be among the top 10 marks in the FCS if the Lakers qualified for national statistics. As a transitional FCS team, its stats don't count among national leaders this season.
* * * * *
Mercyhurst travels to Bozeman for the second straight season, becoming the first non-conference foe to visit Bobcat Stadium since 2009. That was the second straight trip for South Dakota to Bozeman, and the Coyotes' most recent before last December's semifinal showdown.
* * * * *
In 1956, Herb Agocs came to Montana State from time at the Bainbridge Naval Station, where the former Penn star coached football. In so doing he changed Bobcat football forever. He brought one Bobcat Athletics Hall of Famer form Bainbridge, lineman Charlie Jackson, and helped reinforce a recruiting pipeline to the Great Lakes States that would remain active for more than two decades.
Rocco Perciavalle may be the most accomplished Bobcat from the Keystone State. He played running back from 1956-59, starring for the National Championship team as a freshman and eventually earning Bobcat Athletics Hall of Fame honors. Kicker EJ Cochrane (2002-03) from Philadelphia is another more recent Bobcat from Pennsylvania.
#GoCatsGo
Players Mentioned
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DB
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