Sacramento State 16, Montana State 37

1234T
CSUS (2-8)770216
MTST (6-3)101301437

Final

2:05 PM ET, November 5, 2005
Bobcat Stadium
BOZEMAN, MT

Montana State 37, Sacramento State 16

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Team Stat Comparison
 
1st Downs1222
Total Yards231349
Passing68238
Rushing163111
Penalties10-915-40
3rd Down Conversions3-165-11
4th Down Conversions1-20-1
Turnovers23
Possession36:0123:59
Individual Leaders
Sacramento State Passing
 C/ATTYDSTDINT
Tredway10/176801
Wehr1/5000
Montana State Passing
 C/ATTYDSTDINT
Lulay20/3723811
Sacramento State Rushing
 CARYDSTDLG
Daniels26132228
Cummings93509
Lively111011
Montana State Rushing
 CARYDSTDLG
Groves20112327
Lulay820110
Domineck1909
Sacramento State Receiving
 RECYDSTDLG
Mooshagian324013
Briggs221013
Baker2905
Perry1707
Montana State Receiving
 RECYDSTDLG
Gatewood772025
Guinn559016
Miller247024
Barnhart223019
Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTERCSUSMTST
TD9:35TRAVIS LULAY 1 YD RUN (JEFF HASTINGS KICK)
Drive info: 12 plays, 73 yards.
07
TD4:48KRIS DANIELS 20 YD RUN (JUAN GAMBOA KICK)
Drive info: 10 plays, 68 yards.
77
FG1:32JEFF HASTINGS 27 YD FG
Drive info: 9 plays, 55 yards.
710
SECOND QUARTERCSUSMTST
TD8:46KRIS DANIELS 5 YD RUN (JUAN GAMBOA KICK)
Drive info: 2 plays, 8 yards.
1410
TD6:53EVIN GROVES 8 YD RUN (JEFF HASTINGS KICK)
Drive info: 7 plays, 57 yards.
1417
TD2:31EVIN GROVES 2 YD RUN (FAILED 2PT RUSH)
Drive info: 5 plays, 35 yards.
1425
FOURTH QUARTERCSUSMTST
TD14:19BRANDON BOSTICK 3 YD PASS FROM TRAVIS LULAY (JEFF HASTINGS KICK)
Drive info: 5 plays, 58 yards.
1432
TD5:52EVIN GROVES 2 YD RUN (JEFF HASTINGS KICK)
Drive info: 6 plays, 50 yards.
1439
S2:06MASON MITCHELL SAFETY1639

BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) -- The future of the Montana State football team looks bright, if the freshman effort in the team's 37-16 victory over Sacramento State is any indication.

Redshirt freshman Evin Groves rushed for 112 yards and three touchdowns and tight end Brandon Bostick caught a touchdown pass Saturday.

"We're finally taking advantage with our redshirt freshman group," said MSU coach Mike Kramer. "Boy, does that make us look good for a long time. This is the 2006 offense."

The Bobcats stayed atop the Big Sky Conference standings after their fifth home victory of the season.

Senior Travis Lulay passed for 238 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score and the Bobcats (6-3, 4-1 Big Sky) held the Sacramento State (2-8, 1-5) offense scoreless in the second half.

"The defense came out and played a whole game together," said MSU linebacker Nick Marudas.

With the win Montana State, ranked 12th in NCAA Division I-AA, stayed atop the league standings. The Bobcats led 23-14 at halftime and neither team scored in the third quarter, as both teams lost fumbles. MSU also blocked a Sac State punt in the third quarter, but the Hornets recovered the ball and picked up a first down.

"We find ways to keep our defense on the field in some bizarre circumstances," said Kramer, who noted it was the Bobcats' first blocked punt in years.

Groves' third touchdown, a 2-yard run, gave MSU a 37-14 lead with 5:52 remaining.

"Having a great passing game opened up the rushing game," Groves said. "We really dominated up front."

Sac State scored a safety with 2:06 remaining when Jason Gathing was tackled in the end zone after Mitch Lively's 65-yard punt pinned the Bobcats on their own 1-yard line.

Groves had three carries for 37 yards during a drive at the end of the third quarter, setting up a 3-yard TD pass from Lulay to freshman tight end Brandon Bostick on the second play of the fourth quarter, giving MSU a 30-14 lead.

"It's nice to get up on a team instead of having another close game," Marudas said. Montana State has had to rally in the fourth quarter for three wins this season, and lost another game on a last-second field goal.

Sacramento State quarterback Brad Tredway completed 10-of-17 passes for 68 yards while Kris Daniels, starting in place of injured running back Ryan Mole, had 26 carries for 132 yards and two touchdowns for the Hornets.

It was Mole who rushed for 245 yards and two long touchdowns in Sac State's 38-28 win over the Bobcats last season, starting a three-game losing skid to end the season.

Rick Gatewood had 72 yards receiving and Chaz Guinn had 59 for MSU.

Lulay, who completed 20-of-37 passes, scored on a quarterback keeper from a yard out on the Bobcats' first drive.

Sac State tied the score on a 20-yard touchdown run by Daniels. The series was kept alive by a roughing the kicker penalty against MSU after the Hornets had been forced to punt on their own 29.

"It made us a little nervous when they scored a touchdown on their first drive," Marudas said.

The Bobcats went up 10-7 on a 27-yard field goal by Jeff Hastings with 1:32 left in the first quarter.

The Hornets took their only lead at 14-10 on a 5-yard TD run by Daniels with 8:46 left in the half. The score was set up when linebacker Matt Logue intercepted Lulay and returned the ball 16 yards to the MSU 8.

The Bobcats took a 23-14 halftime lead after touchdown runs of 8- and 2 yards by Groves, who had 109 rushing yards this season going into Saturday's game.

"I think he made the difference in the run game," said Sacramento State coach Steve Mooshagian. "That's big for them because they're going to lose all those receivers. Now they have a running back with big-play potential."

College Football Scores

Other Scores:

Saturday, November 5th
Sacramento State 16 Final
Montana State 37
Montana 23 Final
Northern Arizona 0
Portland State 34 Final
Idaho State 36
Eastern Washington 35 Final
Cal Poly 40