Following are game notes for the Montana State football team’s playoff game against Stony Brook in Bozeman Saturday provided by the MSU Sports Information Department. Click below for a PDF of the media game notes.
THE STORYLINE
Montana State hosts an FCS Playoff game in Bobcat Stadium for the third straight season Saturday, when dynamic, physical Stony Brook arrives for a second round game. The 10-2 Seawolves rank 13th nationally in total offense and 5th in total defense. Running back tandem Miguel Maysonet (156.8 yards a game, 2nd in FCS) and Marcus Coker (80.2) join quarterback Kyle Essington, the nation’s pass efficiency leader, on an effective offense. The Cats counter with the nation’s 7th-ranked rush defense, which has allowed 463 rushing yards in the last two games. DeNarius McGhee continues to trigger a diverse MSU offense which averages 180.8 yards a game on the ground and 252.1 yards through the air.
THIS WEEK’S GAME
KICKOFF: 5 pm
SITE: Bozeman, MT
STADIUM: Bobcat Stadium
RADIO: Bobcat Radio Network (Tyler Wiltgen, Dan Davies)
TELEVISION: ESPN3 (Peter Young, Cory Chavous)
FOR OPENERS
• DE Caleb Schreibeis leads the FCS in forced fumbles (7), and is fourth in sacks (14)
• Montana State’s three straight nine-win seasons and back-to-back campaigns are firsts for the Bobcat program
STADIUM STUFF
• MSU averages 432.7 yards and 34.1 points per game on its five-year old turf field
PLAYOFF BULLET POINTS
• Montana State’s only previous meeting against a school from the Big South Conference came in 2003, a 38-3 home win over Gardner-Webb
• The Big Sky has never met a Big South team in the Playoffs, but earlier this season Montana topped Big Sky member Liberty 34-14 in Missoula
• The Bobcats stand 8-5 all-time in NCAA Playoff games
2012 MSU SCHEDULE
Aug 30 Chadron State, W, 33-6
Sept 8 at Drake, W, 34-24
Sept 15 Stephen F. Austin, W, 43-35
Sept 22 *Northern Colorado , W, 41-16
Sept 29 *at Southern Utah, W, 24-17
Oct 6 *at UC Davis, W, 48-41
Oct 13 *Eastern Wash., L, 24-27
Oct 27 *North Dakota, W, 55-10
Nov. 3 *at Sacramento St, W, 20-17
Nov 10 *Portland State, W, 65-30
Nov 17 *at Montana, W, 16-7
Dec 1 $Stony Brook, 5 p.m.
HIGHLIGHTS
• The 36 wins by this year’s seniors is the most by any group over four seasons in school history
• The Bobcats’ 21 league wins since 2010 is the most in the Big Sky
STREAKS
• MSU’s 26 straight weeks in the top 10 is longer than any other string of consecutive weeks in the top 25 in school history
• Cody Kirk has rushed for at least 100 yards in three straight games
• Caleb Schreibeis has at least one sack in each of his first nine games of 2012, and has forced at least one fumble in three straight games
MILESTONES
• DeNarius McGhee‘s 69 career TD passes is an MSU record, and his 8,441 passing yards is second in school history
• Rob Ash’s 49 career wins is the most in MSU history
• DeNarius McGhee’s 29 wins as starting quarterback is the MSU’s most ever
• Cody Kirk’s 29 career rushing TDs is tied for 1st in MSU history
SHINING
• LB Jody Owens earned Big Sky Defensive MVP honors, MSU’s fourth such selection in the last 10 years
• QB DeNarius McGhee earned Big Sky Offensive MVP honors as a junior, his second such award
• DE Caleb Schreibeis has forced an FCS-leading seven fumbles
