Montana State 10, Montana 7
11/23/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) - The Montana State football players won't be fitted for glass slippers any time soon, despite the storybook ending to their regular season.
The Bobcats were 2-3 after a homecoming loss to Division II Central Washington, but have won five of their last seven games behind freshman quarterback Travis Lulay. Now, they advance to the playoffs for the first time since they won the 1984 national championship.
"I'm not going to make an apology that we're a Cinderella team and don't deserve to be here," Kramer said Saturday after his Bobcats stunned Montana 10-7 to claim a share of the Big Sky Conference title. With it came the league's automatic berth in the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs.
"I think we've shown in the last couple weeks that regardless of what's going on within the league or within the game, we are a very good team that's playing very, very well and believes strongly in itself."
Lulay passed for 154 yards, including a 53-yard touchdown throw to Junior Adams, as Montana State ended its 16-game losing streak to fourth-ranked and defending I-AA champion Montana.
Montana State (7-5, 5-2 Big Sky) takes a four-game winning streak into the playoffs. Montana (10-2, 5-2) also was expected to advance, despite losing two weekends in a row after tying the I-AA record with 24 consecutive victories. The other team sharing the league title is Idaho State.
The Bobcat defense shut down Montana's running game and the swirling wind and snow hurt Montana quarterback John Edwards, who completed just 8-of-32 passes for 106 yards.
"The stuff we wanted to do, the conditions made a little bit of trouble," Edwards said. "You need to be pin-point. When the ball's moving 5 feet when you throw it, it's tough on the wideouts ... to catch the ball."
Kramer said the conditions and the Bobcat defense led to what many called the worst game of Edwards' college career.
"What we try to do is present ourselves as a defense that can challenge every pass and every throw," Kramer said. "And at one time when John Edwards was 1-for-19, I felt like, 'I guess we know what we're talking about.'"
Montana State took a 3-0 lead on a 27-yard field goal by Nate Cook with 1:23 left in the first quarter. The drive began with Roger Cooper's interception of Edwards.
Both teams missed a field goal in the second quarter. MSU's Joey Thomas blocked a 39-yard field goal attempt by Chris Snyder with 6:22 to play and Cook was short on a 43-yard attempt with 3:41 on the clock.
The Bobcats stretched the lead to 10-0 with 10:10 left in the third on Lulay's long pass to Adams, who had eight catches for 117 yards.
"We emptied the backfield and ran a slant," Kramer said. "The way the Grizzlies made a defensive adjustment, it left Junior wide open down the middle. As soon as we saw them align, Travis, to his credit, knew exactly where to throw the ball.
"It turned out to be THE key play of the game," Kramer said.
Montana had another shot at a field goal, a 42-yarder with 4:15 left in the third quarter, but a bad snap led to an incomplete pass from holder Dane Oliver to Andy Thompson.
Montana's only score was set up when Ryan Johnson fumbled and Tim Bush recovered at the MSU 32.
"He hit his helmet right on the ball," said Johnson, whose fumble in the 2001 Cat-Griz game shifted the momentum to the Grizzlies.
Montana running back David Gober scored five plays later on a 1-yard dive with 13:51 remaining.
"Seven points is an embarrassment," Edwards said. "I'm physically sick about it."
Montana had one final chance, after Kevin Edwards intercepted Lulay with 4:30 remaining, but the Grizzlies couldn't get past midfield and had to punt with 2:15 remaining.
"It was the last chance for me and the rest of the seniors," Johnson said. "It was elation when time ran off of the clock. Everybody was hugging each other, crying. A lot of emotions coming out."
The Grizzlies were emotional, too.
"I walked through our lockerroom and they're just devastated," said Montana coach Joe Glenn. "There's nothing you can say as a coach, as a parent, as a friend. It's a big game and we lost it."
Johnson, Montana State's career-leading rusher who sat out last weekend with a knee injury, ran 39 times for 132 yards. Montana State also saw the return of Adams, Thomas and Kahaim Hunter.
"My gut feeling is that we're a better team than the Grizzlies because they're wounded," Kramer said.
John Edwards battled a left shoulder injury all week, and four starters are out with season-ending injuries. Still, he lamented the end of the winning streak.
"It's by far the most devastating loss I've ever had, including the (2000) national championship," Edwards said. "I feel bad for all those people who started (the streak) and continued it thorugh the middle, and I couldn't deliver."
The Bobcats were 2-3 after a homecoming loss to Division II Central Washington, but have won five of their last seven games behind freshman quarterback Travis Lulay. Now, they advance to the playoffs for the first time since they won the 1984 national championship.
"I'm not going to make an apology that we're a Cinderella team and don't deserve to be here," Kramer said Saturday after his Bobcats stunned Montana 10-7 to claim a share of the Big Sky Conference title. With it came the league's automatic berth in the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs.
"I think we've shown in the last couple weeks that regardless of what's going on within the league or within the game, we are a very good team that's playing very, very well and believes strongly in itself."
Lulay passed for 154 yards, including a 53-yard touchdown throw to Junior Adams, as Montana State ended its 16-game losing streak to fourth-ranked and defending I-AA champion Montana.
Montana State (7-5, 5-2 Big Sky) takes a four-game winning streak into the playoffs. Montana (10-2, 5-2) also was expected to advance, despite losing two weekends in a row after tying the I-AA record with 24 consecutive victories. The other team sharing the league title is Idaho State.
The Bobcat defense shut down Montana's running game and the swirling wind and snow hurt Montana quarterback John Edwards, who completed just 8-of-32 passes for 106 yards.
"The stuff we wanted to do, the conditions made a little bit of trouble," Edwards said. "You need to be pin-point. When the ball's moving 5 feet when you throw it, it's tough on the wideouts ... to catch the ball."
Kramer said the conditions and the Bobcat defense led to what many called the worst game of Edwards' college career.
"What we try to do is present ourselves as a defense that can challenge every pass and every throw," Kramer said. "And at one time when John Edwards was 1-for-19, I felt like, 'I guess we know what we're talking about.'"
Montana State took a 3-0 lead on a 27-yard field goal by Nate Cook with 1:23 left in the first quarter. The drive began with Roger Cooper's interception of Edwards.
Both teams missed a field goal in the second quarter. MSU's Joey Thomas blocked a 39-yard field goal attempt by Chris Snyder with 6:22 to play and Cook was short on a 43-yard attempt with 3:41 on the clock.
The Bobcats stretched the lead to 10-0 with 10:10 left in the third on Lulay's long pass to Adams, who had eight catches for 117 yards.
"We emptied the backfield and ran a slant," Kramer said. "The way the Grizzlies made a defensive adjustment, it left Junior wide open down the middle. As soon as we saw them align, Travis, to his credit, knew exactly where to throw the ball.
"It turned out to be THE key play of the game," Kramer said.
Montana had another shot at a field goal, a 42-yarder with 4:15 left in the third quarter, but a bad snap led to an incomplete pass from holder Dane Oliver to Andy Thompson.
Montana's only score was set up when Ryan Johnson fumbled and Tim Bush recovered at the MSU 32.
"He hit his helmet right on the ball," said Johnson, whose fumble in the 2001 Cat-Griz game shifted the momentum to the Grizzlies.
Montana running back David Gober scored five plays later on a 1-yard dive with 13:51 remaining.
"Seven points is an embarrassment," Edwards said. "I'm physically sick about it."
Montana had one final chance, after Kevin Edwards intercepted Lulay with 4:30 remaining, but the Grizzlies couldn't get past midfield and had to punt with 2:15 remaining.
"It was the last chance for me and the rest of the seniors," Johnson said. "It was elation when time ran off of the clock. Everybody was hugging each other, crying. A lot of emotions coming out."
The Grizzlies were emotional, too.
"I walked through our lockerroom and they're just devastated," said Montana coach Joe Glenn. "There's nothing you can say as a coach, as a parent, as a friend. It's a big game and we lost it."
Johnson, Montana State's career-leading rusher who sat out last weekend with a knee injury, ran 39 times for 132 yards. Montana State also saw the return of Adams, Thomas and Kahaim Hunter.
"My gut feeling is that we're a better team than the Grizzlies because they're wounded," Kramer said.
John Edwards battled a left shoulder injury all week, and four starters are out with season-ending injuries. Still, he lamented the end of the winning streak.
"It's by far the most devastating loss I've ever had, including the (2000) national championship," Edwards said. "I feel bad for all those people who started (the streak) and continued it thorugh the middle, and I couldn't deliver."
NCAAF FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
MONTANA ST 3 0 7 0 10
MONTANA 0 0 0 7 7 FINAL
MONTANA ST-FG, N Cook 27 YD 13:37 1st Qtr
MONTANA ST-TD, J Adams 53 YD PASS FROM T Lulay (N Cook KICK)
4:50 3rd Qtr
MONTANA-TD, D Gober 1 YD RUN (C Snyder KICK) 1:09 4th Qtr
MONTANA ST MONTANA
First downs 17 14
Rushed-yards 52-157 26-93
Passing yards 154 106
Sacked-yards lost 1-5 2-11
Return yards 6 18
Passes 14-25-1 8-33-1
Punts 5-32.8 5-48
Fumbles-lost 3-1 1-1
Penalties-yards 8-88 4-35
Time of possession 39:52 20:08
Individual Statistics
RUSHING: MONTANA ST-Ryan Johnson 39-132, Travis Lulay 12-25, David
Mayfeild 1-0. MONTANA-J.R. Waller 6-31, David Gober 11-24, Trey Young
1-18, John Edwards 7-10, Tate Hancock 1-10.
PASSING: MONTANA ST-Travis Lulay 14-25-154- 1. MONTANA-John Edwards
8-32-106- 1. Dane Oliver 0-1-0- 0.
RECEIVING: MONTANA ST-Junior Adams 8-117, Corey Smith 1-29, Scott
Turnquist 2-4, Ryan Johnson 2-2, Colby Drube 1-2. MONTANA-Tate Hancock
2-46, Levander Segars 2-24, Dane Oliver 1-19, Rory Zikmund 2-13, J.R.
Waller 1-4.
Att: 19,879
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