Montana State University
Sacramento State
Bobcats Party Past Sac State
11/14/2009 5:56:34 PM | Football
Dane Fletcher missed a pair of games in October and November due to illness, but he celebrated his return in style on Saturday by throwing a party.
"It was definitely a party, that's the way to play," Montana State's senior defensive end laughed after leading the Bobcats to a 27-17 win over Sacramento State in Bozeman. The Bobcats sacked Sac State quarterbacks six times on the afternoon and harassed the Hornets into throwing three interceptions on a day Fletcher called "a blast."
"There's no (more fun a) time in life, for me at least, the whole defense and offense, partying to the football," the Buchanan Award candidate from Bozeman said, after registering four tackles-for-loss, 2.5 sacks, and three quarterback hurries. "The crowd was into it. Everybody was having a good time. There's no better feeling."
After allowing impressive drives by the Hornets to begin and end the first half, covering a cumulative 128 yards, the Bobcats settled in during the second half. Sacramento State gained just 108 yards in the second half, including just 11 on the ground.
The teams entered intermission tied at 14, largely due to some Hornets' deception. Sac State scored on a halfback pass with one second to play in the second quarter. That drive began with a throw-back to quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson, who threw for 269 yards, tossing 41 passes and rushing nine times out of the Hornets' 75 offensive plays.
"They ran their offense that they hadn't shown on film," Fletcher said, "which isn't like Sacramento. They kind of run the same steady-Eddie kind of stuff on offense all year, and they didn't run much of that at all. They game-planned us real well, and we adapted."
The Hornets jumped out in front on a 39-yard pass from Bethel-Thompson to Brandyn Reed with 10:53 remaining in the first quarter, but 53 seconds later Everett Gilbert caught a seven-yarder from Cody Kempt to even the score. Aaron Mason's one-yard run late in the first quarter gave MSU a lead it would hold until the last moments of the half.
The Bobcats opened the scoring early in the second half, when Gilbert turned a short pass in the right flat into a one-main episode of The Amazing Race, zig-zagging across the field before scampering in for a 46-yard score. Chris Diniz nailed a 52-yard field goal four minutes later to draw Sac State to within 21-17, but a pair of Jason Cunningham field goals in the fourth quarter helped MSU secure the win.
Gilbert's heroics spurred the Bobcats. The freshman receiver carried five times for 31 rushing yards, caught seven passes for 90 yards, and registered 84 return yards for 205 all-purpose yards. "Everett really had a fantastic day," Bobcat coach Rob Ash said. "We knew what he could do when we brought him here. He was spectacular."
Montana State finished the day with 349 yards. Cody Kempt registered another efficient outing, completing 20 of his 29 passes for 222 yards. He threw two touchdowns without an interception, but his day was marred by a fumble. Kempt also rushed for 41 yards.
The win raises Montana State's record to 7-3 on the season, 5-2 in Big Sky play. The seven regular season wins matches the team's most since the 1984 National Championship season, and the team now owns five conference wins in three of the last four seasons.
MSU closes its season next week at home against 12-time defending Big Sky Champion Montana. Sacramento State, now 4-6 on the season, 4-4 in the league, finishes with its Causeway Classic rivalry against UC Davis.
