Following are game notes for the Montana State football team’s game at UC Davis on Saturday provided by the MSU Sports Information Department. Click below for a PDF of the media game notes.

 Cats-UC Davis Media Notes

THE STORYLINE

For the second straight week, Montana State renews a series against a new Big Sky member in the first Bobcat visit to that school’s stadium. Last week’s visit to Eccles Coliseum produced an MSU win over Southern Utah. This week, the Cats head to Aggie Stadium for its first road trip to UC Davis. MSU and the Aggies have split two previous games. UC Davis jumped out to a 31-0 lead in whipping Weber State 37-13 last weekend, with Dalton Turay scoring three touchdowns. Quarterback Randy Wright (188.8 passing yards per game) and linebacker Byron Gruendl (39 tackles, two interceptions) lead the Aggies. Montana State jumped ahead of the Thunderbirds, holding off a fourth quarter rally and preserving the win with a late touchdown drive and a game-ending interception by Steven Bethley in the end zone. This week’s matchup pits the Aggies’ solid defense (third in the Big Sky in scoring defense and pass defense) against a balanced Bobcat team (second in the league in scoring offense and scoring defense).

FOR OPENERS

•  MSU played most of the second half vs. SUU without its leading rusher (Cody Kirk), receiver (Tanner Bleskin), and the left side of its O-line (Matthew Devereux, John Weidenaar)

•  Rob Ash’s 44 wins at MSU moves him to within three of the school’s all-time wins record (47, Sonny Holland), which would put him on top of the wins list at three different schools

•  UC Davis defensive line coach Will Kofe began his college career at MSU (2000)

STADIUM STUFF

•  MSU visits two stadiums for the first time in 2012 – last week at SUU, this week at UCD

BIG SKY BULLET POINTS

•  So far in 2012, Big Sky teams have wins over the Pac 12 (Sac State beat Colorado), Mountain West (NAU topped UNLV, Cal Poly beat Wyoming), and WAC (EWU beat Idaho)

•  MSU leads the Big Sky in third down offense (56.8%) and defense (26.7%)

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, 5:15 pm MT

Oct 13 —  *Eastern Wash., 1:35 pm

Oct 27 — *North Dakota, 2:05 pm

Nov. 3 —  *at Sacramento St, 5:05 pm MT

Nov 10 — *Portland State, 1:35 pm

Nov 17 — *at Montana, 1:35 pm

HIGHLIGHTS

•  Montana State’s 5-0 start is its best since winning its first eight games of 1978

•  The Bobcat offense has produced six scoring drives of 84 yards or longer

STREAKS

•  Saturday’s win gives the Cats win streaks of at least five games in back-to-back years for the first time since 1978-79

•  DeNarius McGhee has started – and completed a touchdown pass in – each of his first 30 games as a Bobcat

•  Tray Robinson has a touchdown catch in three straight games

•  Caleb Schreibeis has at least one sack in each of MSU’s first four games of 2012

•  First-year place kicker Rory Perez has hit all four of his field goal tries

MILESTONES

•  DeNarius McGhee‘s 58 career TD passes is tied for 2nd in MSU history, two from Kelly Bradley’s career mark of 60

•  Cody Kirk’s 22 career rushing TDs is fifth in MSU history

SHINING

•  WR Brian Flotkoetter caught three passes during his first career start at Southern Utah, including his first career touchdown pass

•  DE Caleb Schreibeis logged a sack in his fifth straight game last week, giving him 5.5 on the season and 19 in his career, while also forcing a fumble

•  RB Tray Robinson has 12 catches in the last three games, and has a TD catch in four of MSU’s five games

ROOT SPORTS

DIRECTV customers may locate the Big Sky Game of the Week on ROOT SPORTS Channel 687 in the Northwest region and Channel 683 in the Rocky Mountain region. The game is also available in the outer market on Audience Network Channel 239-1. On Dish Network, games air on Channel 426 in the Northwest Region and Channel 414 in the Rocky Mountain Region. ROOT SPORTS is available on cable throughout Montana, Idaho, Colorado, Utah, Oregon, Washington Wyoming, New Mexico, and parts of Nevada, South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas.