Sept. 29, 2007
Final Stats
Bozeman, MT --- Montana State has dominated the third quarter all season, and that trend continued as they scored 17 points to come back from a 17-14 halftime deficit as the #18 Bobcats took down Idaho State 40-20 on at a soggy Bobcat Stadium.
The Bengals couldn't stop the Bobcats in the third. MSU (3-1, 2-0 Big Sky) tookt he lead for good on their first drive of the third quarter when Jack Rolovich hit a streaking Josh Lewis down the right sideline for a 46-yard touchdown to make it 21-17.
Idaho State answered with a 41-yard Branden Jones field goal to make it 21-20, but MSU pushed the lead on a strange sequence. The Bobcats completed a fourth down pass to Elliot Barnhart for a 6-yard touchdown, which followed a third down catch that bounced off three sets of hands before Dane Green snatched it off the turf for a completion. That catch allowed MSU to go for it on fourth down instead of a field goal attempt, and the resulting touchdown made it 28-20.
The Bobcats added a wobbly 29-yard field goal from Michael Sweeney and a fourth quarter safety on a sack in the end zone in the fourth quarter to make it 33-20. Demetrius Crawford, who rushed for a career-best 172 yards, capped off the scoring with a 1-yard run with 1:16 left.
The Bengals got another superb effort from Josh Barnett, who rushed for 135 yards on 21 carries. Luke Butler, making his first career start, was 13-for-23 for 125 yards and a pair of interceptions. The Bobcats did a great job in holding down the #2 receiver in the nation Eddie Thompson, who had just six catches for 53 yards.
Butler had to leave the game in the fourth quarter for a few plays after a late hit, but he did return on the next possession. Russel Hill was 3-of-4 in his stead for 19 yards.
Idaho State took the lead before the half at 17-14 when D.J. Clark picked off a Rolovich pass and took it 52-yards to the house, and that answered Kevin Retoriano's 83-yard interception return that had given the Bobcats a 14-10 lead.
The Bengals jumped out with 10 first quarter points, the first three coming on a 42-yard field goal by Branden Jones. Following that, the Bengals just got in as Clint Knickrehm squeezed in from an inch away on fourth down.
The Bobcats answered in the second quarter, driving 92 yards in 10 plays, finishing that off of a 2-yard Aaron Mason run. That made it 10-7, and that led to the pair of pick sixes before halftime.
Idaho State allowed 481 yards of offense on the day, 282 in the air. Idaho State finished with 335 overall, but a nice day rushing with 191 yards rushing.
NOTES: Barnett moved ahead of Merril Hoge on the all-time rushing list, and he now has 2,734 yards in his career ... Ryan Phipps led the Bengals with nine tackles ... Luke Butler was carted off after a second hard shot to the head, this with nine seconds left. He was taken to the hospital for a precautionary exam.
