Saturday, September 24
2 pm
Montana State University
2-2 , 0-1
15
vs
17
North Dakota
2-2 , 1-0
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
F
North Dakota
0
7
3
7
17
Montana State
3
3
3
6
15
Chad Newell rushed for 100 yards against North Dakota
Photo by: Kelly Gorham
Bobcats Drop Homecoming Contest to North Dakota
9/24/2016 8:34:00 PM | Football
Mistakes undo staunch defensive effort
Turnovers boosted Montana State to wins on the last two weekends. They cost the Bobcats one on Saturday.
After taking the ball away five time each in back-to-back wins the last two games, MSU turned the ball over five times in North Dakota's 17-15 win in Bobcat Stadium Saturday. "That's the entire difference in the game," MSU head coach Jeff Choate said. "The last two weeks we were plus-five in turnovers. Today we turned it over five times and only got one. You cannot win a game like that."
In a ball-control game featuring only 28 total possessions, turnovers and mistakes plagued the Bobcats throughout the afternoon. Two of Montana State's six first-half possessions ended in turnovers, the second of which – a fumble – set up the Fighting Hawks' first score, Brady Oliveira's two-yard run. That gave UND a 7-6 halftime lead.
The first drive of the day ended, ironically, in UND's only turnover. That fumble put MSU in business at the UND 35, and the Cats moved inside the Fighting Hawks 10-yard line. But North Dakota's defense rose up and held the Cats at bay. Gabe Peppenger's 26-yard field goal opened the scoring, and MSU's next possession also ended in a Peppenger field goal, this one from 24 yards.
"I really thought it was important that we weren't able to score touchdowns on either of those first two possessions," Choate said.
The second half opened with a third Bobcat field goal, a 44-yarder from Peppenger, and the Cats led 9-7. But another fumble on the next possession set up a UND field goal, and the Fighting Hawks would never relinquish that lead. A promising Bobcat drive early in the fourth quarter ended in an interception, but the next two resulted in punts.
With just 2:38 to play, UND took over at its own 40. On the first play, Oliveira busted a 60-yard run for a touchdown. That boosted North Dakota's lead to 17-9, but didn't deflate the Cats.
"I was thinking, if they're going to score, do it in a hurry," Choate said, which gave MSU the ball and a chance to tie. And the team almost did. Facing a third-and-eight from the MSU 42, quarterback Tyler Bruggman found Kevin Kassis down the visitors' sideline and he slipped away from the defense and scampered to the UND three-yard line. Chad Newell scored his 23rd career rushing touchdown to draw MSU within 17-15.
A pass interference on the two-point conversion set the Cats up inside the UND two, but Newell was stopped on the second try. But the fireworks weren't over. MSU recovered the on-side kick, and after an unsportsmanlike conduct foul began at its own nine-yard line. The drive went nowhere, though, and North Dakota had sealed its win.
Newell finished with 100 rushing yards, his second 100-yarder in as many games this season. Bruggman threw for 259 yards, and freshman Kevin Kassis caught 90 yards worth of passes. Oliveira gained 171 yards rushing for the Fighting Hawks. MSU out-gained North Dakota375 yards to 348, but the teams each compiled 17 first downs.
"The stats were pretty even," Choate said. "The turnovers were the difference."
Each team is now 2-2 on the season after the Big Sky opener for both. MSU visits Sacramento State next Saturday for a 7 pm MT kickoff.
After taking the ball away five time each in back-to-back wins the last two games, MSU turned the ball over five times in North Dakota's 17-15 win in Bobcat Stadium Saturday. "That's the entire difference in the game," MSU head coach Jeff Choate said. "The last two weeks we were plus-five in turnovers. Today we turned it over five times and only got one. You cannot win a game like that."
In a ball-control game featuring only 28 total possessions, turnovers and mistakes plagued the Bobcats throughout the afternoon. Two of Montana State's six first-half possessions ended in turnovers, the second of which – a fumble – set up the Fighting Hawks' first score, Brady Oliveira's two-yard run. That gave UND a 7-6 halftime lead.
The first drive of the day ended, ironically, in UND's only turnover. That fumble put MSU in business at the UND 35, and the Cats moved inside the Fighting Hawks 10-yard line. But North Dakota's defense rose up and held the Cats at bay. Gabe Peppenger's 26-yard field goal opened the scoring, and MSU's next possession also ended in a Peppenger field goal, this one from 24 yards.
"I really thought it was important that we weren't able to score touchdowns on either of those first two possessions," Choate said.
The second half opened with a third Bobcat field goal, a 44-yarder from Peppenger, and the Cats led 9-7. But another fumble on the next possession set up a UND field goal, and the Fighting Hawks would never relinquish that lead. A promising Bobcat drive early in the fourth quarter ended in an interception, but the next two resulted in punts.
With just 2:38 to play, UND took over at its own 40. On the first play, Oliveira busted a 60-yard run for a touchdown. That boosted North Dakota's lead to 17-9, but didn't deflate the Cats.
"I was thinking, if they're going to score, do it in a hurry," Choate said, which gave MSU the ball and a chance to tie. And the team almost did. Facing a third-and-eight from the MSU 42, quarterback Tyler Bruggman found Kevin Kassis down the visitors' sideline and he slipped away from the defense and scampered to the UND three-yard line. Chad Newell scored his 23rd career rushing touchdown to draw MSU within 17-15.
A pass interference on the two-point conversion set the Cats up inside the UND two, but Newell was stopped on the second try. But the fireworks weren't over. MSU recovered the on-side kick, and after an unsportsmanlike conduct foul began at its own nine-yard line. The drive went nowhere, though, and North Dakota had sealed its win.
Newell finished with 100 rushing yards, his second 100-yarder in as many games this season. Bruggman threw for 259 yards, and freshman Kevin Kassis caught 90 yards worth of passes. Oliveira gained 171 yards rushing for the Fighting Hawks. MSU out-gained North Dakota375 yards to 348, but the teams each compiled 17 first downs.
"The stats were pretty even," Choate said. "The turnovers were the difference."
Each team is now 2-2 on the season after the Big Sky opener for both. MSU visits Sacramento State next Saturday for a 7 pm MT kickoff.
Team Stats
UND
MSU
Total Yards
348
400
Pass Yards
121
284
Rushing Yards
227
116
Penalty Yards
102
60
1st Downs
17
17
3rd Downs
4
6
4th Downs
1
0
TOP
33:50
26:10
1st Quarter
UND 0, MSU 3
MSU - Gabe Peppenger 26 yd field goal 9 plays, 27 yards, TOP 2:33
2nd Quarter
UND 0, MSU 6
MSU - Gabe Peppenger 24 yd field goal 13 plays, 67 yards, TOP 5:37
UND 7, MSU 6
UND - Brady Oliveira 2 yd run (Reid Taubenheim kick), 6 plays, 27 yards, TOP 2:28
3rd Quarter
UND 7, MSU 9
MSU - Gabe Peppenger 44 yd field goal 9 plays, 49 yards, TOP 3:53
UND 10, MSU 9
UND - Reid Taubenheim 22 yd field goal 9 plays, 41 yards, TOP 5:09
4th Quarter
UND 17, MSU 9
UND - Brady Oliveira 60 yd run (Reid Taubenheim kick), 1 plays, 60 yards, TOP 0:11
UND 17, MSU 15
MSU - Chad Newell 3 yd run (Chad Newell rushfailed), 4 plays, 60 yards, TOP 0:46
Game Leaders
Passing Leaders
CMP
17
TD
0
YDS
284
INT
3
CMP
0
TD
0
YDS
0
INT
0
Players Mentioned
QB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
RB
/ Football
K
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