BOZEMAN —
by:Greg Rachac
Montana State had struggled to close out several close games in Jeff Choate’s first two seasons as coach.
Maybe Thursday night was a signal that the Bobcats have learned how to finish in the fourth quarter.
Feeling his way through his first career start, quarterback Troy Andersen rushed for 145 yards and two touchdowns, as the Bobcats prevailed 26-23 in a tightly contested “Gold Rush” opener over Western Illinois at Bobcat Stadium. But the big hero was newly acquired kicker Tristan Bailey, who was perfect on four field goal tries, including the one that mattered most.
Bailey hit field goals of 21, 47, 50 and 35 yards, the last of which gave MSU the winning margin with 4:02 remaining.
The Bobcats’ defense then preserved the victory on Western Illinois’ ensuing possession. On fourth down with the ball at the MSU 47, Washington transfer Bryce Sterk sacked quarterback Sean McGuire, which sent a sellout crowd of 18,507 into a frenzy.
The style of the game was nothing new for the Cats: They’d had 16 of the previous 22 games decided in the fourth quarter, the majority of which didn’t result in a positive outcome. This one was different.
“This was a huge win. We’ve had a lot of close games over the years and it seems like we’ve been on the wrong side of them,” said Andersen, who finished with 145 rushing yards and two TDs. “So for this to be a close game and to come out on the right side with a win, it’s huge.”
Learning on the fly
Andersen, who won a fall-camp quarterback competition to replace the academically ineligible Chris Murray, struggled early, and ended the first half with just three pass completions and four yards. But he heated up on the first drive of the second half, and completed his first five passes of a drive that culminated in an Andersen 14-yard touchdown scamper.
Though he finished with just 81 passing yards, Andersen was much more efficient in the second half, completing 9 of his 14 throws after halftime. MSU’s coaches simplified their play-calling, which put Andersen in position to make easier, quicker passes.
Andersen also needed to simply calm his nerves, coach Jeff Choate said.
“You could definitely tell there were some first-game jitters for that young man,” Choate said. “Troy is a high-strung kid as I’ve said a number of times, and I think he did a really nice job tonight of calming down and taking what was available.”
“In the second half we were able to come out and take advantage, use tempo, and we were able to get them on their heels a little bit,” Andersen said.
“We just came out with a lot better energy in the second half.”
Pass rush revival
Defensively, MSU showed a renewed ability to rush the quarterback. With Sterk on one end of the line and Tyrone Fa’anono on the other, the Bobcats’ pass rush got stronger as the game went on.
Sterk had two sacks, including the game-clincher, and finished with four tackles for loss.
“Our kids rose to the occasion,” Choate said. “Our D line stepped up, in particular in that fourth quarter. I think Tyrone was tremendous (and) Bryce Sterk made a handful of plays for us.”
Fa’anono had a sack, safety Brayden Konkol had a sack and an interception. Before suffering an injury in the second half, safety Jahque Alleyne also intercepted McGuire.
“It was good to see us get after the quarterback,” Fa’anono said. “This is what coach Choate talked about. This is our game. It’s always going to be close.
“We’ve just got to make sure we’re not frontrunners and finish the game (on) a good note.”
Bailey’s big night
Bailey transferred to MSU in the offseason from Coffeyville Community College in Kansas, and showcased a powerful leg throughout spring drills and fall camp.
Bailey became the first MSU kicker to make four field goals in a game since Jason Cunningham in 2011, and the first to make one of 50 yards since Luke Daly at Idaho State in 2015.
On fourth-and-short with the game tied late, MSU had a decision to make: Go for it or allow Bailey to attempt a 35-yarder to put the Bobcats up. Choate made the right call. And Bailey was in the zone all night.
“It’s all mental. It’s the preparation leading up,” Bailey said. “It’s nothing different throughout the game. You can’t put too much pressure on a kick. If it’s the end of the game you can’t put too much pressure on it and feel like you’ve got to make it and everything’s going to end if you don’t.
“Everything’s the same. Have positive affirmations, that’s what I kind of tell myself every time before I go kick. It keeps me calm and ready to go.”
Kevin Kassis had a kickoff return of 69 yards and a punt return of 32 yards to bolster MSU’s special teams performance.
“It was nice to make some kicks tonight,” Choate said. He added, “(Kassis was) huge tonight. The big kick return, the explosive punt return, some critical catches to keep drives alive … we expect that from him. He’s a leader, he’s a captain for us, I thought Kevin was a really important part of our success tonight.”
Scoring breakdown
The teams traded punts at the outset of the game, but the Leathernecks got on the scoreboard on their second drive, a 3-yard touchdown run by versatile tailback Steve McShane.
WIU had good field position on its second drive following a shanked punt by Jered Padmos, and then when the Bobcats made a stand on third down near the goal line, cornerback Damien Washington was flagged for a personal foul after the play.
Those two mistakes added up to an early deficit for MSU.
The Bobcats’ offense didn’t do much on its first two drives, but then Andersen started showing the running ability that made him the Big Sky Conference’s freshman of the year as a running back in 2017.
A 26-yard run by Andersen set MSU up in the red zone, which led to a 21-yard field goal by Bailey that made the score 7-3 with 1:08 left in the opening frame.
McGuire, a fifth-year senior, marched the Leathernecks to a second touchdown early in the second quarter. He fired a 40-yard pass down the sideline Clint Ratkovich, then hit McShane for an 18-yard score — another on-target throw against good coverage. After a missed extra-point kick, the score stood at 13-3.
Using an array of sweep plays and traditional handoffs, WIU continued to move the ball in the second quarter, until Bobcats safety Jahque Alleyne intercepted McGuire on third down in MSU territory to snuff out another potential scoring drive.
It was the first takeaway of the year for the Bobcats’ defense, and it came from a player coach Jeff Choate brought in during the offseason to bolster that side of the ball. Alleyne previously played at Virginia Tech.
Konkol then intercepted McGuire on the Leathernecks’ ensuing drive. That led to a 47-yard field goal by Bailey to make the score 13-6 as the clock ran out. Choate said that was one of the biggest plays in the game.
Andersen and MSU looked like a completely different offense at the outset of the third quarter, moving 81 yards in eight plays over two minutes and six seconds. Andersen, after throwing for only four yards in the first half, completed all five his passes on the drive, and ran for a 14-yard touchdown as the Bobcats tied the game 13-13.
Later, the Leathernecks drove deep into MSU territory and were finally able to punch it in on a fourth-down roll-out pass from McGuire to McShane for a 2-yard TD pass. It was McShane’s third touchdown of the day. That made the score 20-13.
A 69-yard kickoff return by Kassis set the Bobcats up at WIU’s 30, and Andersen eventually scored on a 25-yard gallop on third down to tie the game again.
McGuire and the Leathernecks converted another crucial fourth-down play early in the fourth quarter — a five-yard pass to Jared Drake — to extend a drive that ultimately resulted in a 38-yard field goal by Sam Crosa that put WIU back in the lead, 23-20, with 11:32 left.
The tit-for-tat continued as MSU answered on their next possession, this time a 50-yard field goal by Bailey, his third field goal of the night. Bailey made a fourth field goal with 4:02 left, a 35-yarder that made the score 26-23.
NOTES: Bobcats NG Tucker Yates, a preseason All-Big Sky pick, did not play. It was announced before kickoff that Yates had been suspended one game for violating team rules. … MSU lost Alleyne and LB Balue Chapman to serious-looking lower-body injuries in the second half.
Email Greg Rachac at greg.rachac@406mtsports.com or follow him on Twitter at @gregrachac
PHOTO CREDIT
Troy Andersen looks to pass during the first half of Montana State’s game against Western Illinois on Thursday in Bozeman. DEAN HENDRICKSON, For 406mtsports.com
