Sports
Montana State’s surprise season comes to end in Fargo
Published
5 years agoon
Posted By
Outlaw PartnersBy Colter Nuanez EBS Contributor
A tumultuous season that finished with a surge, came to a screeching halt for the Montana State Bobcats at the Fargodome on the first Saturday of December.
MSU traveled to North Dakota State as one of the hottest FCS teams in the West. At the end of October, many had left the Bobcats for dead. But four straight wins, which included a goal line stand to beat the rival Grizzlies and the first playoff win at Montana State in six years, had MSU feeling optimistic entering the round of 16.
MSU President Waded Cruzado served as an honorary captain Dec. 1, walking onto the hostile field with the standard collection of leaders for the pre-game coin toss. The Bobcats won the flip and elected to take the ball first, playing in one of the most fearsome venues in the Football Championship Subdivision.
Montana State quarterback Troy Andersen lofted a deep pass on the first play of the game that landed right in captain Kevin Kassis’ breadbasket. The junior sprinted nearly to the end zone, diving for the pylon before being ruled down at the North Dakota State 4-yard line.
MSU settled for a 24-yard field goal from Tristan Bailey. The rest of the game belonged to North Dakota State, a dynasty unrivaled in the history of college football.
The Bison are heavyweights the caliber of Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, Muhammad Ali or Mike Tyson. North Dakota State boxed the Bobcats into a corner with a 39-yard kickoff return to spark a scoring drive on its first possession. And the hosts threw haymaker after haymaker the rest of the first half, battering and bludgeoning the hard-nosed Bobcats with startling physicality, sound execution, relentless effort and a power running attack that was as advertised.
By the time the first half dust settled, the only semblance of a stop earned by the Bobcat defense came after a bobbled snap led to a blocked punt, which gave the Bison possession at the MSU 14. MSU held the Bison to a field goal, hardly any consolation for the drubbing Montana State found itself on the wrong of in the second round of the FCS playoffs.
The defending national champion Bison rushed for 243 yards on just 21 carries, Lance Dunn scored four rushing touchdowns and NDSU rolled to a 38-3 advantage at halftime on the way to a thorough and convincing 52-10 victory over the Bobcats.
NDSU, winners of six of the last seven FCS national titles, won at the Fargodome for the 22nd time in 23 playoff games at the raucous venue. North Dakota State has now won 109 of 117 games dating back to the beginning of the 2011 season.
“It starts at the line of scrimmage and you can tell how dominant they were on the offensive side of the ball on the offensive line,” Choate said. “I really liked their running backs and [quarterback] Easton Stick, what can you say about him? The ultimate winner at this level.
“You know what I take away from that? I have to go recruiting tomorrow,” he added. “That’s what I take away from that.”
NDSU will host No. 8 Colgate on Dec. 8. The Raiders (10-1) used a 14-point third quarter to emerge with a 23-20 win over James Madison in the second round Dec. 1.
Montana State quarterback Troy Andersen ended his outstanding sophomore season with 1,412 rushing yards, the most ever by a quarterback in the Big Sky Conference. He scored MSU’s lone touchdown on Saturday, a 51-yard burst on a fourth down try.
The touchdown was his 21st of the season, breaking Don Hass’ school record that had stood since 1966. Andersen finished with nine 100-yard rushing games this season, breaking Matt Engelking’s school record set in 1995.
Montana State’s record of 8-5 included four straight wins to enter their final contest as one of the hottest teams in the country. A team picked to finish eighth in the Big Sky Conference instead reached the round of 16 in the FCS playoffs for the first time since MSU lost to Sam Houston State in the quarterfinals of the 2012 playoffs.
“We were picked to finish eighth by the media, the coaches, everybody, and one thing we hang our hats on in this program is the courage to live our lives as we see ourselves, not as others see us and don’t let somebody else define you,” Choate said. “We are going to learn from this, lick our wounds and get better.
“The thing I love about this team and these young men is that’s how they look at it. They have bought into that and they believe it,” he added. “We had an opportunity to play extra football this year and nobody else thought we would. I’m proud of what these guys accomplished.”
The finish marks Montana State’s first winning record since 2014 and first under Choate.
Montana State captains, nose tackle Tucker Yates, defensive tackle Zach Wright, and center Alex Neale, along with classmates inside linebacker Grant Collins, defensive end Tyrone Fa’anono and tight ends Connor Sullivan, Curtis Amos and Wilson Brott, each played the final game of their Bobcat careers in Fargo. Injured wide receivers John D’Agostino and Jabarri Johnson, along with early graduating offensive lineman Colin Hammock, will also move on from the football program.
Junior safety Brayden Konkol finished the game with a game-high 10 tackles for Montana State. Collins notched eight stops and Hill made five tackles and the interception in his first game back since the end of the 2017 season.
Montana State opens its 2019 season at Texas Tech on Aug. 31.
The Outlaw Partners is a creative marketing, media and events company based in Big Sky, Montana.
Upcoming Events
march, 2024
Event Type :
All
All
Arts
Education
Music
Other
Sports
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before 9/10/2024:
more
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before
9/10/2024: Kindergarten
enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year can be completed by following the
registration process now.
Children
born on or after September 11, 2019: 4K enrollment is now open for
families that have a 4-year-old they would like to enroll in our program for
the 2023-2024 school year. Please complete the 4K Interest Form to
express your interest. Completing this form does not guarantee enrollment into
the 4K program. Enrollment is capped at twenty 4-year-olds currently
residing within Big Sky School District boundary full time and will be
determined by birth date in calendar order of those born on or after September
11, 2018. Interest form closes on May 30th.
Enrollment now is critical for fall preparations. Thank you!
Time
February 26 (Monday) - April 21 (Sunday)
Event Details
My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy
more
Event Details
My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy that tells the story of Toby and Melinda, two lonely people whose lives are forever changed the night they encounter a starving coyote at their apartment building. Over time they grow to expect him, leaving ritual offerings to entice the coyote every night. Toby and Melinda forge a connection over this visitor and share curiosity and concern about his presence in the city. The coyote expands their world–until, one night, their world is shattered. Their lives are pushed suddenly into uncharted territory, sending them on a surreal odyssey that changes their city–and the world–forever.
Directed by LX Miller. Starring Max Schneider and Denise Hergett
Verge Theater is continuing their mission to provide accessible theater to our community. Tickets for My Barking Dog are Pay What You Wish with a suggested price of $35. Audience members are offered the opportunity to select the price point that is comfortable for them when purchasing tickets.
My Barking Dog runs March 15-17, 22-24, 28-30
Performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays begin at 7:00 p.m., with Sunday matinees offered at 3:00 p.m.
Suitable for ages 16 . No animals are harmed in the staging of this production.
Tickets are available online at www.vergetheater.com
Time
15 (Friday) 7:00 pm - 30 (Saturday) 8:30 pm
Location
Verge Theater
Event Details
Area parents are encouraged to bring their young children to Symphony Storytime with a Bassoon which will be presented at the Bozeman Public Library’s Community Room during
more
Event Details
Area parents are encouraged to bring their young children to Symphony Storytime with a Bassoon which will be presented at the Bozeman Public Library’s Community Room during their regular Toddler and Preschool Storytime on Wednesday, March 20, at 10:15 a.m. The free program, presented by the Bozeman Symphony is especially for children ages 3 to 5. Children will be able to listen to Montana Shakespeare in the Parks actor Emma Rather, who will be joined by Bozeman Symphony Bassoonist Sam Macken. The goal of the program is to encourage a love of music, literacy, and discovery. Additional programs are scheduled at the Library on April 10 and June 12. For more information, visit www.bozemansymphony.org or call 406-585-9774.
Time
(Wednesday) 10:15 am - 10:45 am
Location
Bozeman Public Library
626 E. Main St, Bozeman, MT