Following are game notes for the Montana State football team’s fifth game of the season as provided by the MSU Sports Information Department. The Bobcats take on North Dakota Saturday in Grand Forks. Click below for a PDF of the media game notes.
THE STORYLINE
Coming off only its fourth regular season FCS loss in the last 29 tries – and its first to an FCS non-league foe in a regular season tilt since 2006 – Montana State makes its first trip to Grand Forks, N.D., since 1983, and its first visit ever to the Alerus Center, Saturday afternoon. The Bobcats face a North Dakota squad averaging 38.0 points and 445.0 yards a contest which is led by one of college football’s finest receiving corps. Greg Hardin leads the Big Sky with 138.7 receiving yards and 229.7 all-purpose yards a game.
THIS WEEK’S GAME
KICKOFF: 2:35 p.m. CT/1:35 p.m. MT
SITE: Grand Forks, ND
STADIUM: Alerus Center
RADIO: Bobcat Radio Network (Tyler Wiltgen, Dan Davies, Riley Corcoran)
TELEVISION: Max Media (Chris Byers, Mike Callaghan, Jeff Eberle)
ON THE RECORD
• Montana State handed Stephen F. Austin its first two sacks of the season Saturday, while the Lumberjacks forced MSU’s first turnovers of 2013
• Bobcat linebackers have intercepted four passes this season, with defensive backs and defensive linemen snagging one each
• Saturday’s game marks MSU’s first visit to Grand Forks since 1983
STADIUM STUFF
• MSU is third in the FCS in average attendance (19,427), second in percentage of capacity (127.8%)
• The Cats average 428.9 yards and 33.0 points per game on their six-year old turf field
• MSU has played 41 straight home games with announced crowds larger than 10,000
BIG SKY BULLET POINTS
• Montana State is tied for the Big Sky lead with nine takeaways (SUU also has nine)
HIGHLIGHTS
• MSU defensive end Brad Daly leads the FCS in sacks and is second in TFL
• Jake Bleskin threw and ran for touchdowns Saturday
• MSU receivers coach Brian Von Bergen has coached the Montana State’s top two all-time receivers by yardage
STREAKS
• Sophomore quarterback Jake Bleskin now has back-to-back 300-yard games, only the second Bobcat to accomplish that in his first two career starts
• Brad Daly has at least one sack in all four games this season, and at least one TFL in 13 straight contests dating to ‘12
MILESTONES
• Tanner Bleskin set a new Bobcat career receiving record Saturday when his 2,268 career yards jumped him past Chip Hobbs and Elvis Akpla
• Brad Daly is sixth in school history in tackles-for-loss (48.0) and tied for fifth in sacks (28.0)
• Cody Kirk’s 34 career rushing TDs is first in MSU history
SHINING
Tanner Bleskin’s 2,268 career receiving yards is an MSU record
Brad Daly has eight sacks this season, and his career total of 28 is fifth in Bobcat history
Cole Moore intercepted his second pass of 2013 and the third of his career Saturday at Stephen F. Austin
