22013013 MontanaMontana StateState BobcatsBobcats #4/5 Montana State vs. #3/4 Eastern Washington November 9 • Roos Field • Cheney, WA Montana State Eastern Washington THIS WEEK’S GAME BOBCATS EAGLES KICKOFF: 1:10 pm MT/12:10 pm PT 7-2/5-0 Big Sky 7-2/5-0 Big Sky SITE: Cheney, WA STADIUM: Roos Field RADIO: Bobcat Radio Network (Tyler MSU in ‘13 ............................................7-2 EWU in ‘13 ............................................ 7-2 Wiltgen, Colter Nuanez) Conf./Record ............................Big Sky/5-0 Conf./Record ............................Big Sky/5-0 TELEVISION: ROOT SPORTS (Tom Home/Road .....................................4-0/3-2 Home/Road .....................................3-0/4-2 Glasgow, Jason Stiles, Brad Adam) Grass/Turf ........................................1-0/6-2 Grass/Turf ........................................0-0/7-2 Day/Night .........................................6-0/1-2 Day/Night .........................................6-1/1-1 2013 MSU SCHEDULE HEAD COACH ............................. Rob Ash HEAD COACH .....................Beau Baldwin Aug 29 Monmouth W 42-24 Alma Mater ........................ Cornell (Ia.)/’73 Alma Mater .................... Central Wash./’83 Sept 7 at SMU L 30-31 Overall/Years ......................233-123-5/34th Overall/Years ...............................61-24/7th Sept 14 Colorado Mesa W 26-0 At MSU/Years ..............................57-24/7th At School/Years ...........................51-21/6th Sept 21 at Stephen F. Austin L 38-52 vs EWU ..................................................2-4 vs MSU ..................................................3-2 Sept 28 *at North Dakota W 63-20 Oct 5 *NAU W 36-7 Home/Road ....................................1-2/1-2 Home/Road .....................................1-1/2-1 Oct 19 *at Weber State W 34-16 SERIES .............................................10-26 ABOUT EWU ...........................The Eagles Oct 26 *UC Davis W 34-17 At Bozeman .........................................6-14 Spirit Colors ...............................Red, white Nov. 2 *at Northern Colo. W 35-28 At Cheney ..............................................2-9 Location/Enrollment ................ Cheney, WA Nov 9 *at Eastern Wash. 12:10 pm PT Nov 16 *Southern Utah 4 pm At Neutral...............................................2-3 Stadium...... ...............................Roos Field Nov 23 *Montana 12 noon SID......................................... Bill Lamberty FB SID ...................................... Dave Cook Offi ce ....................................406/994-5133 Offi ce ....................................509/359-6334 HIGHLIGHTS E-mail .......... [email protected] E-mail ...................... [email protected] • Senior defensive end Brad Daly leads the FCS in sacks and tackles-for-loss THE STORYLINE • Cody Kirk has scored at least one In case there wasn’t enough on the line in a contemporary sense on Roos Field’s red turf touchdown in six straight games, with a in Cheney Saturday, the matchup pitting No. 3/4 Eastern Washington and No. 4/5 Montana total of 12 in that span State also features a touch of history as the fi rst between top fi ve-ranked Big Sky schools • Saturday’s tilt is the fi rst between Big in 19 years. Sensational sophomore quarterback Vernon Adams, the FCS’ fourth-leading Sky schools ranked in the top fi ve since passer, leads a sizzling Eagles attack that scores 39.3 points a game against a Bobcat #1 Montana hosted #3 Idaho in 1994 team relying on QB DeNarius McGhee (36 wins as MSU’s starting signal caller) and run- ning back Cody Kirk, who has 16 TDs this year. Since EWU hired Beau Baldwin in 2008, STREAKS the Eagles (35 wins) and Montana State (36) are the winningest programs in the Big Sky. • Montana State has at least 20 fi rst downs in each of the team’s 2013 games ON THE RECORD • The Bobcats have scored between 34 While MSU leads the Big Sky and is 20th nationally in sacks, Eastern Washington has and 36 points in four straight games, and surrendered just seven sacks in the last fi ve games while throwing 178 passes in that span more than 30 against each DI foe in 2013 Montana State is now 38-2 under Rob Ash when scoring 30 or more points MSU’s 12 straight winning seasons and 13 in BSC play are the most in school history MILESTONES • DeNarius McGhee is the 14th player STADIUM STUFF in college football history, and the second MSU is sixth in the FCS in average attendance (19,627) Bobcat (after Travis Lulay), to throw for The Cats stand 2-9 in Woodward Stadium/Roos Field, but 1-0 on EWU’s famed red turf 10,000 yards and rush for 1,000 • Brad Daly’s 42.5 career tackles-for-loss BIG SKY BULLET POINTS is fourth in MSU history, and his 17.5 this • Saturday’s contest pits the two highest-scoring teams in the Big Sky in league games year is tied for eighth with Dane Fletcher (EWU leads at 41.4, while MSU scored 40.4 per outing). • Cody Kirk’s 11.1 points per game is • Cody Kirk’s 16 touchdowns and 11.1 points per game each lead the Big Sky eighth in the FCS this season BY THE NUMBERS THE BOBCATS THIS WEEK SHINING Sun ..................................................................Off • Shawn Johnson, this week’s ROOT Mon ................................................Players’ day off SPORTS Big Sky ST Player of the Week, 23 Road wins by Rob Ash at MSU, Tue ..... 10:30 am - Coaches Corner (Holiday Inn) a total which would be ninth on the school’s ........................................12 noon - Media Lunch has the long punt (tied) and kick returns, all-time victories list ..............................3:45 pm - Practice in Stadium and rush, in the Big Sky this year Wed ................3:45 pm - Practice (no interviews) • Brad Daly has 12 sacks this season, ....................................................7 pm - Cat Chat 32 in his career (fourth in Bobcat history) 223 Points scored by Montana State Thu .......................4 pm - Practice (no interviews • Cody Kirk’s 16 rushing touchdowns in the fi rst half this season, more than six Fri ................................TBA - Practice at Cheney in 2013 is fi fth in the FCS and tied for # Sat .12:05 pm PT - MSU vs. Eastern Washington Big Sky teams have scored all season second on the MSU single-season list Practices are CLOSED for the remainder of 2013 In-Season Media Policies A Quick Look Practice Policy MSU practices are generally open to the public, but MSU vs. Eastern Washington media members are asked to check in with MSU Sports Info. EVERYTHING SEEN AND HEARD The Series Big Play VA AT PRACTICE IS OFF THE RECORD. Photog- Two of the elite programs in the Football Sophomore quarterback Vernon Adams’ EWU raphy and videography are never permitted during Championship Subdivisions get together in career is off to a spectacular start. The he leads line-of-scrimmage situations (11-on-11, 7-on-7). Cheney, Wash., Saturday when Montana State the Big Sky in passing yards, effi ciency, and Player Interviews visits Eastern Washington. This series has touchdowns, and is among the top four in the MSU players are available ONLY on Tuesdays dur- provided plenty of thrills through the years, FCS in each of those categories (leading the ing normal game week at the Bobcat Media Lunch but the bottom line has been fairly one-sided. nation in passing effi ciency). Just 21 games (12-1 pm, Hall of Fame Room). Players not at the Eastern owns a 26-10 advantage over the Cats, into his career, Adams has already thrown 55 Media Lunch are available after practice (in-person built largely on the strength of winning nine touchdown passes with only 17 interceptions. interviews only), while those asked to attend the of 10 matchups between 1991 and 2000 and pizza lunch won’t be asked to do post-practice inter- a seven-game winning streak from 2003-09. views. Players are NEVER available for interviews It’s All Relative Mike Kramer’s arrival at MSU from Eastern on Monday, or after Tuesday. Per Rob Ash’s policy, Montana State’s 2013 football team is one of true freshmen are not available for interviews. Only Washington in 2000 helped bring a sense of strong bloodlines. Below is a closer look... captains are available during Cat-Griz week, and competitiveness back to the series, while Rob only at the media lunch. Ash has won twice against EWU. The Eagles Brothers: Tanner and Jake Bleskin, Trace and are 9-2 against the Bobcats in Cheney, although Trevan Timmer, Nate and Mac Bignell, Mor- Rob Ash Interviews MSU won its last trip to Roos Field in 2011. ris Gates-Mouton and Jayshawn Gates. Also, Rob Ash is available during the weekly Media Lunch The Bobcats and Eagles split four games in (Tuesdays, noon) or by arrangement through MSU Brad Daly’s brother Bobby, Connor Verlanic’s Spokane, while Eastern is 1-0 in Great Falls. Sports Info. Ash is generally available Wednesdays brother Andrew and Rhett Young’s brother from 10 am to noon and on the Big Sky coaches Chase are former Bobcats. conference call Wednesday at 10 am (866-398-2885, Junior, Eastern WRs, and Some Multi-Generational: Brad Daly (father J., Passcode 517644). Coach Ash is available on game Great Memories brother Bobby), Tanner Roderick (father days only following the contest. While playing Eastern Washington in football Steve), Trace and Trevan Timmer (father Kirk is quite a task, it brings with it for Bobcat fnas played at MSU, mother Kelly played hoops), Injury Updates the pleasure of renewing acquaintences with MSU issues injury reports on Sunday night, Tuesday, Trevor Bolton (brother Ty, father Pat). and before and after each game. Per school policy, EWU receivers coach Junior Adams, one of MSU updates the player and availability. the greatest and most popular Bobcats of all. Cousins and Nephews: Cody Kirk (uncle Adams and EWU have produced some of the Tom Mahlum played at MSU), Nate and Mac Post-Game Interviews top pass-catchers in the FCS, including record- Bignell (father Joe was a Bobcat All-America, Up to four requested players appear in the former setting Brandon Kaufman who fi nished last cousins Clay and Brian played at MSU).