Bobcats Get Wild Win in Sacramento

Saturday, October 2

Sacramento, CA

1:05 pm PT

Montana State University

Sacramento State

Denarius McGhee posted over 400 total offense yards for MSU at Sac State

Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson

10/2/2010 11:57:27 PM | Football

Montana State's fourth-quarter comebacks helped the Cats snag the win

By: Bill Lamberty

In a game with too many statistics to analyze and too many milestones to memorize, Montana State captured a wild 64-61 win over Sacramento State in Hornet Stadium on Saturday.

“I've been involved in high-scoring games before,” said Bobcat coach Rob Ash after his 200^th victory as a college head coach, “but not one with as much drama as this, and not one with a comeback like this. This was a crazy game.”

Montana State raced to a 37-10 halftime lead on the strength of a pair of turnovers and big scoring plays by Julius Lloyd (a 62-yard pass from Denarius McGhee) and CJ Palmer (68-yard run). That cushion disappeared quickly in a stunning third quarter. The Hornets scored on a methodical 80-yard drive to open the half, recovered an on-side kick and scored seven plays later, then forced two Bobcat three-and-outs and scored on the fourth play of the first drive and on the fifth play of the second. Four Hornet drives, four touchdowns, and just nine minutes into the second half Sacramento State had taken the lead.

“I think we came out after halftime flat,” Ash said. “We played very hard in the first half, we played very well, and I think at halftime we relaxed. That's on me as a head coach. I didn't do a good enough job preparing them for the second half. But you have to give Sacramento State credit. That's a good football team, and they took the game to us.”

The third quarter carnage was stunning. Sacramento State gained 262 yards in that period on only 22 plays, and outscored the Bobcats 35-7.

Trailing by one heading into the fourth quarter – the only quarter all season except for the end of the fourth period at Washington State after which MSU has trailed all season - Ash saw something that gave him hope. “Coach (Bo) Beck got the team together and said, 'We're only down by one, all we have to do is win the fourth quarter.' That was the right thing to say, and the team responded.”

Jason Cunningham's 40-yard field goal gave MSU a 47-45 lead, but Bryan Hilliard broke a tackle in the backfield and another at the line of scrimmage and raced 70 yards to give the Hornets the lead. A long Everett Gilbert kick return set up a 38-yard Bobcat drive, capped by a 28-yard McGhee-to-Lloyd touchdown pass. Chase Deadder then caught a 45-yarder from Jeff Fleming to give Sac State a 61-54 lead with 3:12 to play.

McGhee found Tanner Bleskin for a 28-yard completion on the second play of the ensuing drive, and two plays later CJ Palmer turned a short pass into a 32-yard gain to get MSU inside the Hornet 10. On the next play, McGhee found Lloyd for the touchdown. The teams exchanged punts to close regulation, and headed to overtime.

After moving inside the Sac State 10, Cunningham converted a field goal to give MSU a 64-61 lead. Jody Owens made a spectacular stop on a first down Hornet screen for a loss of one on the ensuing possession, then Zach Minter hurried Fleming into an errant pass on second down. On third down Michael Rider broke up a pass, and Chris Diniz missed his first kick of the season – a 43-yard field goal attempt – to give the Bobcats the win.

McGhee was spectacular for the Bobcats, throwing for 385 yards on 26-for-43 passing with four touchdowns and no interceptions. In fact, the Bobcats didn't turn the ball over all game. Julius Lloyd caught eight passes for 177 yards and three touchdowns – all career highs – and CJ Palmer (12-131) and Orenzo Davis (20-95) combined for 226 rushing yards.

Sacramento State posted equally brilliant individual efforts. Bryan Hilliard rushed for 194 yards and two touchdowns, while Fleming threw for 348 yards and five touchdown passes. Chase Deadder had 145 yards receiving.

The win gives 10^th-ranked MSU its first 4-1 start since 2007 – Ash's first season, when the team lost three of its next four. Only the 1998 (4-1) equaled or bettered that 4-1 mark over the past 30 years.

“This was a great way to get that 200^th win,” Ash said.