Following are game notes for the Montana State-Northern Colorado game Saturday in Bozeman provided by the MSU Sports Information Department. Click below for a PDF of the MSU-NC media game notes.

MSU-NC notes

THE STORYLINE

No date on any college football team’s calendar arrives with as much anticipation than the beginning of conference play, and that moment is here in the Big Sky Conference. Montana State opens play in the new-look Big Sky with one of its most familiar opponents, Northern Colorado. MSU and the Bears have knocked heads on the gridiron since 1923. The series stands 17-10-1 in MSU’s favor, with the Bobcats winning the first four and last four and NC winning half the 20 games in between.

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

• In a game of 2012 firsts Saturday, MSU registered a win in its first day game of the season, Rory Perez nailed the team’s first field goal of the year, and the defense took the ball away from the opposition (two interceptions and a fumble) for the first time

• Rob Ash’s 42 wins at Montana State moves him to within five of the Bobcats’ all-time wins record of 47 by Sonny Holland, which would give him the distinction of topping the all-time wins list at three different schools

STADIUM STUFF

• MSU averages 418.7 yards and 32.2 yards per game in four-plus seasons on its turf

• Six of Montana State’s last nine home games have drawn crowds of at least 17,000

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 (56.6%) and defense (23.3%)

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, 2:05 pm

Sept 29 — *at Southern Utah, 1:35 pm

Oct 6 —  *at UC Davis, 5:05 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 3-0 start is its best since winning its first eight games of 1978

• Rory Perez’s crucial 45-yard field goal Saturday marked his first as a Bobcat and MSU’s first of 2012

• Saturday’s win marked MSU’s fourth in the last two-plus seasons when allowing at least 35 points

STREAKS

• DeNarius McGhee has started – and completed a touchdown pass in – each of his first 28 games as a Bobcat

• Montana State’s 10 consecutive winning seasons is the most in school history, and back-to-back campaigns of at least nine victories is also a program high-water mark

MILESTONES

• DeNarius McGhee‘s 54 career TD passes is 4th in Bobcat history

• Jake Olson caught his first pass as a Bobcat Saturday, and Rory Perez converted his first field goal attempt

SHINING

• WR Tanner Bleskin posted career bests in catches (10) and yards (180) vs. SFA to earn Big Sky POTW honors

• DE Caleb Schreibeis logged a game-clinching sack, giving him 2.5 on the season and 16 in his career, vs. SFA

• RB Cody Kirk’s rushed for over 100 yards for the seventh time in his career