Cat-Griz Report: Bobcats roll, Griz fall apart at WIU

BOZEMAN — The Montana State Bobcats were feeling blue after last Saturday’s loss at South Dakota State, Back at home however, the Cats wasted little time in reversing their fortunes.

Tucker Rovig threw three touchdown passes and Isaiah Ifanse rushed for 146 yards as Montana State trounced Wagner 47-24 on Saturday afternoon in Bobcat Stadium.

The Bobcats dominated every facet of the game in closing out the non-conference portion of their schedule. Putting the frosting on the cake was a 57-yard touchdown run by Troy Andersen in the fourth quarter that accounted for the final points of the game.

The Bobcats opened the second half just as they closed the first half, a touchdown pass from Rovig to Kevin Kasis. This one, which covered 29 yards, gave MSU a 37-21 lead. Kasis caught a 10-yard scoring toss from Rovig to end the first half making it 30-21 at halftime.

A long kickoff return by Denzel Knight set up Wagner's second touchdown of the game, this one an 18-yard dash by Ryan Fulse that made it 14-all. Fulse totaled 181 rushing yards on the day. The Bobcats regained the lead on a 39-yard field by Tristan Bailey moments later. In the second quarter, Ifanse ripped off a 73-yard gallop to make it 23-14. Bailey also converted a 27-yarder in the third quarter.

Rovig, making his second straight start at quarterback, completed 23 of 34 passes for 310 yards while Ifanse scored once on the ground and once on a reception. Kasis hauled in nine passes for 126 yards and the two touchdowns, while Ifanse picked up another 72 yards on five catches.

After seeing its streak of 42 straight games with over 100 yards rushing end in last week's loss at South Dakota State, the Bobcats renewed the run to the century mark, finishing with 246 yards on the ground on Saturday, to the delight of the 18,057 in attendance.

The small FCS college from Staten Island, NY, was no match for the Bobcats who improved their season mark to 2-1 while Wagner fell to 1-2. The game marked the season debut of big Tyler Natee, the 260-pound transfer from Indiana. Natee entered the game on MSU's first possession and rumbled for a first down on a fourth down call. On his second carry, he danced his way into the end zone from the 4-yard line that gave MSU a 14-7 after one quarter.

Wagner got on the scoreboard first as Knight returned the opening kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown.

Rovig completed his first three attempts before fumbling the ball away at the Wagner 15-yard line on MSU's first drive. The Bobcats held, and after a short punt by Wagner, the game was tied 7-7 when Rovig connected with Ifanse from 27 yards out. It marked the first touchdown for Ifanse, a true freshman from Bellevue, Wash.

The Bobcats open Big Sky Conference play with a visit to Portland State Saturday.

Western Illinois 31, Griz 27

MACOMB, ILL. — The Montana Grizzlies weren’t supposed to beat Missouri Valley Conference foe Western Illinois Saturday. But, with seven minutes left in their road clash with the Leathernecks, it looked like the Grizzlies were about to do just that.

Then, it all fell apart.

Leading 27-17, WIU’s Steve McShane escaped the Grizzlies' punt-coverage unit and scored the touchdown that turned what felt like a certain Montana victory into a 31-27 win for Western Illinois Saturday in Macomb, Illinois.

McShane fielded the ball on his own 42 and despite being pinned against the sideline, somehow slithered through the entire coverage unit to score his team's first touchdown in forever and pump new life into a Leatherneck sideline that had moments before appeared defeated.

"We were in control of the dang thing right up until the end, so letting it slip away is pretty disheartening," Griz coach Bobby Hauck said. "We had pretty good coverage on it. We were there. We had probably at least five guys put a glove on him, and we had him pinned to the short side. We should have gotten him down, and we didn't."

But Montana still held a 27-24 lead and had an offense that was enjoying its best rushing game of the season. The Grizzlies were still in control, until another miscue gave Western Illinois the opening it needed to finish off the late rally.

On Montana's first play of the possession that would answer McShane's return for a touchdown, Dalton Sneed connected with Jerry Louie-McGee, who fumbled, giving the Leathernecks the ball at the Montana 43. Six plays later they were in the end zone, with Sean McGuire getting the ball to — who else? — McShane for an 11-yard catch-and-run.

"Obviously turning the ball over when we're still in control, up three, was a bad play by us," said Hauck. "You can't go on the road and turn the ball over. It basically comes down to that."

The No. 15 Griz turned it over four times to be exact. And that’s after crawling out of a 14-0 first-quarter hole. McGuire connected with John Brunner for a 71-yard scoring play 42 seconds into the game. After a Montana fumble, the pair connected again, this time from 37 yards out. It was 14-0 with only 133 seconds elapsed from the clock.

That the play happened less than three minutes in gave it a distant feel by game's end, but it was Malik Flowers' 95-yard kickoff return after it was 14-0 seemed to spark the Griz, who would end up taking an 18-17 lead into halftime.

Things got even better in the fourth quarter for the Griz, but, it wasn’t meant to be.

"That was a game we could have won but didn't. That's bad on us, good on Western Illinois," said Hauck. "I told them (in the locker room) everyone had to own up to the mistakes they made, starting with the head coach. We need to get better this week. We'll come back around. We've got resilient guys."

Montana will try and recover from the stinging loss when the Griz host Sacramento State this Saturday in the Big Sky opener for both teams. The university will also honor legendary Dave Dickenson during the game for him being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Note: Havre Daily News sports editor George Ferguson contributed to this story