BOZEMAN — Bobcat Stadium let out a collective concerned sigh as Troy Andersen strung a run toward the Cal Poly sideline, his left knee twisting as he was slowly taken to the turf by safety Kitu Humphrey.
Montana State’s prodigiously talented running quarterback gingerly jogged to the sideline, then into the team room for the last few minutes of the first half. True freshman Casey Bauman played his first college snaps to finish the first half.
Andersen returned to the game after halftime, still appearing hobbled and running the ball much less often than normal. MSU’s 28-14 halftime lead ballooned to 42-14 after a pair of forced fumbles led to two Isaiah Ifanse touchdowns.
Yet Andersen’s presence was felt even if he did not appear to be his explosive self. And on a third down with Cal Poly in the midst of a rally, the Mustangs brought pressure, leaving open a gap that Andersen burst then jogged through on a 49-yard touchdown for MSU’s final score in what ended up a 49-42 victory Bobcat victory.
“His presence in the second half even though he really didn’t want to run the ball except that one time, his presence out there makes us defend him,” Cal Poly head coach Tim Walsh said following the game. “And that opens up things for the running backs, too. Give him a lot of credit and their offensive line a lot of credit. He’s a really good player and they have a great scheme. I give Coach (Jeff) Choate a lot of credit for what they do.
“Their scheme is as difficult to defense as ours is (triple option. I think that was probably living proof watching us play.”
Andersen’s injury remains undiagnosed, at least publicly. But the twisted knee allowed for Bauman to make his much-anticipated college debut.
The potential diamond in the rough from Nooksack Valley, took the field with less than two minutes left in the first half. It appeared MSU had a passing play called for the rookie before calling a timeout. A few plays later, Bauman completed his first college pass attempt to junior captain Kevin Kassis.
“We practice Casey in practice before so it’s nothing we haven’t seen before,” MSU junior left tackle Mitch Brott said. “It’s nice to see him out there.”
Andersen only ran the ball twice after halftime, the first the touchdown jaunt and the second a play he strung out to the Bobcat sideline and appeared to take another shot to his left knee.
The sophomore from Dillon also appeared to tweak the knee after the touchdown run while celebrating his Big Sky Conference-best 13th rushing touchdown.
“I celebrated with Lance (McCutcheon) and I kind of jumped up and landed a little odd I guess but I don’t know, it’s fine,” Andersen said.
Andersen still finished with 106 yards on the ground, his sixth 100-yard game this season. The converted running back now has 988 yards and 13 touchdowns, running back-like numbers in his first season playing quarterback.
He now has seven career 100-yard games, the 10th-most in MSU history. He is 188 yards from cracking MSU’s single-season Top 10. His 13 touchdowns is tied with Cody Kirk and Dakota Prukop for the fifth-most single-season total at Montana State. He is averaging 7.9 yards per carry, which would shatter Chris Murray’s record set last season.
“He’s the heart and soul of their team and he wasn’t going to not play,” Walsh said. “That’s the kind of kid he is. He has that true grit you want to have and he’s one of the best players in the league and he proved it again today.”
Entering Montana State’s final home game against Northern Colorado, Choate dodged questions around his unique quarterback. Andersen is slated to start for the seventh straight week and eighth time overall Saturday against Northern Colorado.
“He feels great,” Choate said with exuberance, eliciting a laugh from the press corps on hand. “He feels great. I think Grant (Collins) feels a lot worse than Troy after playing that triple option.”
Photos by Brooks Nuanez. All Rights Reserved.
