Following are game notes for the Montana State football team’s home game against North Dakota on Saturday provided by the MSU Sports Information Department. Click below for a PDF of the media game notes.
THE STORYLINE
North Dakota came out of one of the most difficult three-game stretches anywhere in the FCS in spectacular fashion last weekend, scoring with 12 seconds remaining to beat Montana 40-34. North Dakota threw for 660 yards in the win, all by quarterback Braden Hanson and more than half (333) to receiving sensation Greg Hardin, a Big Sky-record effort. In fact, three UND receivers had over 100 yards receiving in the game. MSU’s weekend was quieter, as the Cats were open.
THIS WEEK’S GAME
KICKOFF: 2:05 p.m.
SITE: Bozeman
STADIUM: Bobcat Stadium
RADIO: Bobcat Radio Network (Tyler Wiltgen, Dan Davies)
TELEVISION: Max Media (Chris Byers, Mike Callaghan)
FOR OPENERS
• MSU and North Dakota last met in 1983, capping a string of 28 games over 31 seasons, but the teams have met 29 times in total (MSU leads 15-13-1)
• Rob Ash’s 45 wins at MSU is two from the school’s all-time wins record or 47
• North Dakota has won the last four meetings between the schools, with only the most recent game (21-3, 1983) decided by more than four points
STADIUM STUFF
• MSU averages 418.7 yards and 32.2 yards per game in four-plus seasons on its turf
BIG SKY BULLET POINTS
• Big Sky teams own wins over the Pac 12 (Sac State beat Colorado), Mountain West (NAU topped UNLV, Cal Poly beat Wyoming), and WAC (EWU beat Idaho) this season
• MSU leads the Big Sky in third down offense (56.2%) and defense (26.7%)
• The Bobcats lead the Big Sky in rush defense (70.9), pass efficiency defense (109.9)and total defense (300.9)
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, 2:05 p.m.
Nov. 3 — *at Sacramento St, 5:05 p.m. MT
Nov 10 — *Portland State, 1:35 p.m.|Nov 17 — *at Montana, 1:35 p.m.
HIGHLIGHTS
• Saturday’s game revives MSU’s third-longest dormant rivalry (10 games or more) against a Division I foe
• The Bobcat offense has produced six 2012 scoring drives of 84 yards or longer
STREAKS
• MSU’s 22 straight weeks in the top 10 is longer than any other string of consecutive weeks in the top 25 in school history
• Opposing players named Jordan (Glass for UCD, Tonani for EWU) scored defensive TDs in MSU’s last two games
• DeNarius McGhee has started – and completed a touchdown pass in – each of his first 32 games as a Bobcat
• Caleb Schreibeis has at least one sack in each of his first six games of 2012
• First-year place kicker Rory Perez’s streak of consecutive field goals ended at seven late vs. Eastern Washington
MILESTONES
• DeNarius McGhee‘s 61 career TD passes is an MSU record
• Cody Kirk’s 22 career rushing TDs is fifth in MSU history
SHINING
• DT Zach Minter hurried Eastern Washington’s quarterback twice
• WR Tanner Bleskin caught seven balls against EWU, giving him at least six catches in each of his six 2012 games and a league-leading 7.8 catches a game
• DE Brad Daly’s relentless play netted him a team-high seven tackles, 1.5 for a loss, against Eastern Washington
