Oct. 2, 2004
Final Stats
Pocatello, ID --- Idaho State University allowed two second-half touchdowns to Montana State, and couldn't force a late comeback, falling 17-13. The loss drops them to 1-4 on the season and 0-2 in the Big Sky.
The Bengals were able to pick up some momentum from the beginning of the game, getting a boost from true freshman running back Josh Barnett's 94 yards in the first half. It was his first career start and first career collegiate action. Barnett finished with 99 yards on the game after collecting just five net yards in the second half.
After falling behind 3-0 on a 36-yard field goal from MSU kicker EJ Cochrane halfway through the first quarter, ISU bounced back early in the second quarter with a 36-yard field goal of their own to knot the game up at three.
On ISU's next possession, Mark Hetherington connected with Akilah Lacey for a 58-yard touchdown pass to give ISU a 10-3 lead heading into the half.
Montana State came out of the gates strong in the second half, tying the game up at 10-10 after Travis Lulay rushed for a four-yard touchdown with 5:15 to go in the third quarter.
The Bengals came back on the next possession and marched up the field for 79 yards on 15 plays, but, after Sale' Key dropped a pass in the front corner of the end zone, ISU had to settle for a 20-yard field goal. The score gave the Bengals a 13-10 lead.
The fourth quarter started out well, with lineman Michael Hodges intercepting a Lulay pass at Montana State's 19-yard line. But the Bengals were unable to move the ball in the following three downs, settling for a 29-yard field goal attempt by Jared Johnson. The kick was wide right, and swung the momentum back in the Bobcats favor. It was his second miss of the day, as he missed in the first quarter from 49 yards.
Lulay came back to atone for his interception on the following possession, hitting receiver Rick Gatewood for 16 yards before finding Eddie Sullivan deep for a 55-yard touchdown pass. The score gave Montana State a 17-13 lead, a lead that would hold for the remainder of the game as ISU was unable to find the end zone in the remaining 12:00 minutes.
"It's a team effort, a team loss," Coach Larry Lewis said. "We need to stay together, practice hard like we did this week, play with emotion like we did this week and continue to do better. And really that's where it's at."
Mark Hetherington once again had a big passing day, totaling 348 yards and one touchdown. It was the eighth time in his 13 career starts that he's topped the 300-yard mark.
The receiving corps had an impressive day, with five receivers totaling at least 50 yards. Shedrack Okoebor led the way with 83 yards on five catches, and Akilah Lacey added 80 yards and a touchdown. The Bengals collected 462 total yards to the Bobcats 326.
ISU will meet up with the University of Montana next week in Missoula, Mont., looking for their first Big Sky win of the season. That game will kick off at 1:05 pm, and is serving as Homecoming for the Griz.
