Analysis

‘Cats, Eagles have engaged in plenty of memorable showdowns in Big Sky era

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So, you say you’re a big Montana State or Eastern Washington fan?  You say you want to see your team do big things, like maybe win a national championship?  I got a hot tip for you:  root for the other guys.

That’s right.  This Saturday, if you’re a Bobcat fan, then root for the Eagles.  Eagle fan, root for the Bobcats.  Sounds a little unconventional, maybe even a little twisted, but sample this:

In 1984, the last time MSU won a national title the Bobcats lost – on the road – to EWU 21-16. The Cats went on to win 11 of their next 12 games culminating in a 19-6 win over Louisiana Tech in the national championship game, marking the third and most recent national championship for the Bobcats.

In 2010, the last time EWU won a national title the Eagles lost – on the road – to MSU 30-7. The Eagles went on to win 11 straight games culminating in a 20-19 win over Delaware in the national championship game. That title run serves as the only national championship in EWU’s program history and the most recent national title captured by a Big Sky Conference program.

Let’s say you’re ready to settle for something less.  Let’s say you just want to get to the national semi-finals, or you want to win your first playoff game in 22 years:

Former Eastern Washington quarterback Vernon Adams was one of the most elusive QBs in league history/ by Brooks Nuanez

In 1997, head coach Mike Kramer’s Eastern Washington team lost – on the road – to MSU 17-7. The Eagles made it within one game of a national title before losing to eventual national champion Youngstown State 25-14. It was the first time EWU had gotten that far.

In 2006, head coach Mike Kramer’s Montana State team lost – at home – to EWU 19-10. The Bobcats won the next six straight, then beat Furman 31-13 in the first round of the FCS playoffs to snap a 22-year drought without a playoff win. The last playoff win coming in the aforementioned 1984 championship season.

It’s a little bit like South Park’s “The Losing Edge” episode, but instead of trying to lose baseball games in order to miss the playoffs, these two teams might just be better off to go out there and try to help the other catch passes, make tackles and score points in order to win as many playoff games as possible.

……..

The Eagles and Bobcats have been putting on a show in regular season games over the years, but none has ever been anything like their 2014 game in Bozeman, which was one of the best – if not the best – games in Big Sky Conference history.

The tilt was aired on ROOT Sports and had all the makings of a classic from the get-go. Both quarterbacks – EWU’s Vernon Adams and MSU’s Dakota Prukop – were electric read-option players capable of beating you with their legs just as easily as with their arms. 

Oddly enough both players would transfer to the PAC-12’s University of Oregon and become starting quarterbacks for the powerhouse Ducks.  They weren’t even the biggest stars on the field that day as Adams had wide receivers Cooper Kupp, currently the NFL’s leading pass catcher, for the Los Angeles Rams and Kendrick Bourne now with the New England Patriots.  MSU, meanwhile, had linebacker Alex Singleton, currently one of the NFL’s leading tacklers, for the Philadelphia Eagles.

The 2014 game was played on September 20 and was the first conference game for both teams. As often is the case for fall games in Bozeman it was a cobalt, blue sky day, 66 degrees, and barely a waft of wind. 

Just one play into the second quarter, the two teams had combined for 44 points when Kupp took in a 29-yard TD pass from Adams. Prior to that Prukop had thrown three TD passes – two to Bozeman’s own Tanner Roderick – as MSU clung to a 23-21 lead.

After Kupp’s touchdown, Quincy Forte scored to give the Eagles a 27-23 lead midway through the second quarter, it would be their last lead until just 27 seconds remained in the game. Plenty would happen between those two points.

Prukop would score on a running play with just :38 to go in the half to put MSU up. The Bobcats would stretch the lead to 44-30 when they book ended an Eagle field goal with TD runs by Anthony Knight and Shawn Johnson, who took his in from 70 yards away. It was one of seven touchdowns of 24 yards or more that day and one of 20 plays to cover 15 or more yards. 

The Eagles bounced right back, however, with Forte scoring on a run and Kupp taking in his second TD reception to tie the game at 44 with over 11 minutes to play.  Oddly enough, the scoring would cease for nearly ten minutes before MSU re-took the lead with just 1:55 to play on Johnson’s third touchdown of the game.

The intensity of the final two minutes matched everything that happened in the previous 58. Adams threw incomplete on his first four passes to start his team’s final drive. In the middle of that, however, he skittered 19 yards for a first down.  Still, EWU found itself staring at a 4th and 10 and called timeout with 1:15 to play on their own 39-yard line. 

Adams would find Bourne for a huge 40-yard gain to the MSU 21. Three plays later Mario Brown was in the end zone to cut MSU’s lead to 51-50. Not wanting to play overtime on the road, the Eagles opted to go for two. Adams took the snap and dropped back looking to pass. No one was open, so he frantically took off for the end zone and narrowly dove across the goal line for what would be the winning points, but even with just 27 seconds to go the game still wasn’t over.

After a 22-yard kickoff return by Gunnar Brekke put MSU on its own 28, Prukop went to work. He quickly found Brian Flotkoetter for 22 yards to the 50, then ran for 7 yards to the EWU 43. With just :09 to go the next play was critical.

EWU’s Cooper Kuppy/ courtesy of EWU athletics

Johnson rolled into the left flat on a wheel route and had enough open area in front of him to put MSU in field goal range. Prukop’s pass went just over his fingertips, and he then threw incomplete again on the next play.  With one final shot, Prukop took the snap and was flushed out of the pocket to his left by three Eagles, he spun a 360 into his throwing motion and heaved a long pass into the end zone that went off the hands of several Eagles and Bobcats before falling harmlessly to the turf. 

Both teams would advance to the FCS playoffs.  The Eagles won the Big Sky title, while the Bobcats finished tied for second. 

The teams come into Saturday’s game in Cheney ranked in the top five in the latest STATS FCS power poll with identical 7-1 records. Montana State is No. 4, Eastern Washington is No. 5.

About Thomas Stuber

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