Cats sink Griz, 20-27
11/22/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
It happened again.
For the second year in a row, the Big Sky automatic bid came down to the Griz/Cat game, and for the second year in a row, the Bobcats salvaged their season with a win over the Griz. Montana State clinched a playoff berth with the 27-20 win, dropping the Grizzlies to 9-3 (5-2 Big Sky) for the season.
The Bobcats started out with a bang when Corey Smith took the opening kickoff back 90 yards for a touchdown. Nate Cook missed the point after, giving Montana State an 6-0 lead just 12 seconds into the game.
The Griz had a scare on the ensuing kickoff when Jefferson Heidelberger fumbled a Levander Segars lateral. Colt Palmer fell on the ball to recover for the Griz at the UM 27. The Griz offense drove to the MSU 24 on heavy doses of Justin Green and Lex Hilliard rushes before the Bobcats held up the Montana drive. Chris Snyder was unable to connect on a 41-yard field goal attempt.
MSU went 3 and out on their next possession and were forced to punt. Segars took the return into Bobcat territory, but the play was called back to the Griz 34 on a questionable fair catch violation penalty. The Griz started up another drive into Cat territory, including a pair of third down plays with Craig Ochs lined up at the slot receiver spot. On the first such play on third and 2, Justin Green took the handoff from Heidelberger and rumbled for an apparent first down. That run was negated by a holding penalty, giving the Griz another third and 2. The Griz again came out with Ochs at the slot, and Heidelberger scrambled for the 1st down near the end of the first quarter. The Griz were threatening, but back-to-back Bo Clark sacks of Ochs to stall the drive. Snyder nailed a 37-yard field goal to put the Griz on the board, 3-6.
The Cats again went 3 and out, punting to Levander Segars. Segars returned the punt to the Griz 45, and Lex Hilliard brought the Grizzlies to the goal line on back-to-back runs. Justin Green then punched it in on a 1-yard touchdown run, giving the Griz a 10-6 lead with 9:51 remaining in the half.
MSU was again forced to punt, but on the next Grizzly drive Kenneth Qualls picked off an Ochs pass and took it 54 yards for the score. Qualls was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct when he dove into the endzone, forcing the Cats to kick off from their own 20. Segars returned the kickoff to the 50, but the Cats were able to dodge a bullet when Joey Thomas picked off an Ochs pass at the MSU 22 to close out the first half.
Montana State took a 13-10 lead into the locker room and came out fired up. The MSU defense forced a Grizzly 3 and out, and following a Griz punt, the Bobcats put together their first real offensive drive, going 75 yards punctuated by a 1-yard Bruce Molock touchdown run on fourth down to give the Cats a 10-point lead.
The Griz came out on their next possession a little out of sync, winding up in a 3rd and long. Ochs threw a low ball to Heidelberger, who made a tremendous run after the catch, taking it inside the Cat 10. A downfield holding penalty brought much of the gain back, but still left the Griz with a first down. Ochs was hurt on the play, bringing Jeff Disney in at quarterback for the first time since he went down early in the season. The drive stalled at midfield and following the Griz punt, the Bobcats put together another scoring drive, capped by a 1-yard Travis Lulay sneak for the touchdown to give the Cats a 27-10 lead with 12:29 remaining in the game.
The Griz came out with the Kyle Samson-led option attack, gaining some yardage before Ochs came back in on a 3rd and 10. Ochs scrambled 8 yards to set up a 4th and 2. On 4th down Ochs found Hancock for a pass to the Bobcat 35 for a fresh set of downs. The Griz were able to set up a 32-yard Snyder to narrow the lead to 27-13.
The Griz defense shut down the Bobcats, forcing a punt that gave the Griz the ball at the UM 46. The Griz passing attack was able to punch it in for a touchdown, a 6-yard Ochs-to-Dane Oliver strike, while only taking 1:11 off the clock.
Trailing 20-27 with 4:30 remaining, the Griz tried an onside kick. The Cats recovered at their own 45, but couldn't get anything going, going 3 and out and punting to the Griz 12. The Bobcats gave the Grizzlies some help in the form of penalties, including a defensive holding flag that negated a 4th down Qualls interception. The Griz crossed midfield, but then the Bobcat defense stepped up the pressure, forcing an incompletion, an Ochs run for a loss, and a sack to get the Griz 4th and long from their own 38. Ochs' desperation throw fell incomplete, and the Cats took over and ran out the clock to preserve the 27-20 upset.
The Bobcats earned the Conference automatic bid to the I-AA playoffs, and the Griz will likely earn an at-large entry when the NCAA announces the field Sunday.
Griz Stats
Passing - Craig Ochs 14-23 151 yards 1 td and 2 interceptions
Rushing - Lex Hilliard 13 carries, 95 yards
Justin Green 24 carries, 87 yards 1 td
Receiving - Jefferson Heidelberger 6 catches, 92 yards
Defense - Dave DeCoite 7 tackles, Tim Bush 5 tackles
Bobcat Stats
Passing - Travis Lulay 7-13 64 yards
Rushing - Bruce Molock 25 carries, 106 yards, 1 td
Receiving - Demetrius Williams 2 catches, 24 yards
Defense - Kane Ione 14 tackles, Roger Cooper 12 tackles, Beau Clark 9 tackles, 2 sacks
For the second year in a row, the Big Sky automatic bid came down to the Griz/Cat game, and for the second year in a row, the Bobcats salvaged their season with a win over the Griz. Montana State clinched a playoff berth with the 27-20 win, dropping the Grizzlies to 9-3 (5-2 Big Sky) for the season.
The Bobcats started out with a bang when Corey Smith took the opening kickoff back 90 yards for a touchdown. Nate Cook missed the point after, giving Montana State an 6-0 lead just 12 seconds into the game.
The Griz had a scare on the ensuing kickoff when Jefferson Heidelberger fumbled a Levander Segars lateral. Colt Palmer fell on the ball to recover for the Griz at the UM 27. The Griz offense drove to the MSU 24 on heavy doses of Justin Green and Lex Hilliard rushes before the Bobcats held up the Montana drive. Chris Snyder was unable to connect on a 41-yard field goal attempt.
MSU went 3 and out on their next possession and were forced to punt. Segars took the return into Bobcat territory, but the play was called back to the Griz 34 on a questionable fair catch violation penalty. The Griz started up another drive into Cat territory, including a pair of third down plays with Craig Ochs lined up at the slot receiver spot. On the first such play on third and 2, Justin Green took the handoff from Heidelberger and rumbled for an apparent first down. That run was negated by a holding penalty, giving the Griz another third and 2. The Griz again came out with Ochs at the slot, and Heidelberger scrambled for the 1st down near the end of the first quarter. The Griz were threatening, but back-to-back Bo Clark sacks of Ochs to stall the drive. Snyder nailed a 37-yard field goal to put the Griz on the board, 3-6.
The Cats again went 3 and out, punting to Levander Segars. Segars returned the punt to the Griz 45, and Lex Hilliard brought the Grizzlies to the goal line on back-to-back runs. Justin Green then punched it in on a 1-yard touchdown run, giving the Griz a 10-6 lead with 9:51 remaining in the half.
MSU was again forced to punt, but on the next Grizzly drive Kenneth Qualls picked off an Ochs pass and took it 54 yards for the score. Qualls was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct when he dove into the endzone, forcing the Cats to kick off from their own 20. Segars returned the kickoff to the 50, but the Cats were able to dodge a bullet when Joey Thomas picked off an Ochs pass at the MSU 22 to close out the first half.
Montana State took a 13-10 lead into the locker room and came out fired up. The MSU defense forced a Grizzly 3 and out, and following a Griz punt, the Bobcats put together their first real offensive drive, going 75 yards punctuated by a 1-yard Bruce Molock touchdown run on fourth down to give the Cats a 10-point lead.
The Griz came out on their next possession a little out of sync, winding up in a 3rd and long. Ochs threw a low ball to Heidelberger, who made a tremendous run after the catch, taking it inside the Cat 10. A downfield holding penalty brought much of the gain back, but still left the Griz with a first down. Ochs was hurt on the play, bringing Jeff Disney in at quarterback for the first time since he went down early in the season. The drive stalled at midfield and following the Griz punt, the Bobcats put together another scoring drive, capped by a 1-yard Travis Lulay sneak for the touchdown to give the Cats a 27-10 lead with 12:29 remaining in the game.
The Griz came out with the Kyle Samson-led option attack, gaining some yardage before Ochs came back in on a 3rd and 10. Ochs scrambled 8 yards to set up a 4th and 2. On 4th down Ochs found Hancock for a pass to the Bobcat 35 for a fresh set of downs. The Griz were able to set up a 32-yard Snyder to narrow the lead to 27-13.
The Griz defense shut down the Bobcats, forcing a punt that gave the Griz the ball at the UM 46. The Griz passing attack was able to punch it in for a touchdown, a 6-yard Ochs-to-Dane Oliver strike, while only taking 1:11 off the clock.
Trailing 20-27 with 4:30 remaining, the Griz tried an onside kick. The Cats recovered at their own 45, but couldn't get anything going, going 3 and out and punting to the Griz 12. The Bobcats gave the Grizzlies some help in the form of penalties, including a defensive holding flag that negated a 4th down Qualls interception. The Griz crossed midfield, but then the Bobcat defense stepped up the pressure, forcing an incompletion, an Ochs run for a loss, and a sack to get the Griz 4th and long from their own 38. Ochs' desperation throw fell incomplete, and the Cats took over and ran out the clock to preserve the 27-20 upset.
The Bobcats earned the Conference automatic bid to the I-AA playoffs, and the Griz will likely earn an at-large entry when the NCAA announces the field Sunday.
Griz Stats
Passing - Craig Ochs 14-23 151 yards 1 td and 2 interceptions
Rushing - Lex Hilliard 13 carries, 95 yards
Justin Green 24 carries, 87 yards 1 td
Receiving - Jefferson Heidelberger 6 catches, 92 yards
Defense - Dave DeCoite 7 tackles, Tim Bush 5 tackles
Bobcat Stats
Passing - Travis Lulay 7-13 64 yards
Rushing - Bruce Molock 25 carries, 106 yards, 1 td
Receiving - Demetrius Williams 2 catches, 24 yards
Defense - Kane Ione 14 tackles, Roger Cooper 12 tackles, Beau Clark 9 tackles, 2 sacks
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