The last time the Bobcats played at Providence Park, it was called Jeld-Wen Field and any current Montana State player was either a redshirt freshman or not yet on the roster.
The last time Mitchell Herbert played at Jeld-Wen Field in downtown Portland, he left the City of Roses as a champion.
“It will be fun and will bring back good memories,” said the MSU sophomore wide receiver, whose team plays Portland State at the venue on Saturday afternoon. “I actually played two state championships at Providence Park. It was Jeld-Wen Field back when I played. It will be fun to go back and play in the same stadium I had success at in high school.”
MSU wide receiver Mitch Herbert runs after a catch against Cal Poly
Herbert was a part of two Sheldon (Eugene) High teams that advanced to Oregon 6A state title games hosted at the downtown stadium. The Irish lost 47-13 to Lake Oswego at Jeld-Wen Field in 2011 when Herbert was a sophomore. The next season, the Irish earned revenge with a 13-6 win over Lake Oswego. Herbert, a junior at the time, caught one pass during the slugfest.
Herbert’s senior year, Herbert earned 6A all-state honors by catching more than 80 balls and 15 touchdowns. He capped his career with a state baseball championship on the way to being named the Eugene Register Guard’s Prep Athlete of the Year.
Herbert’s father, Mark, played football at the University of Montana but the Grizzlies never called with a scholarship offer. Herbert did have offers from the Air Force Academy, Yale and Colgate. His top two schools were Montana State and Portland State.
“It was close to home and I really liked the coaches who recruited me,” Herbert said. “I have some friends that go to school there and a former teammate there (long snapper Kameron Canaday). I really considered going there. But Montana State was a better fit.”
Herbert is the lone Oregon native on the roster as the Bobcats prepare to play in a second foreign venue in three weeks. Montana State played at Walkup Skydome in Flagstaff, Arizona for the first time since 2010 two weeks ago. The Bobcats fell behind 42-14 before a late rally helped the final deficit look more respectable, 49-41.
“I hope we can get to our walk through on Friday,” Ash said. “I would like for our team to be able to see it. It is a strange place, a nice place and a good place to play a game but a place you would like to be able to get some familiarity with it. I doubt there is a single player on our team who has been there.”
MSU wide receiver Mitch Herbert against Sac State
When reminded that Herbert is in fact from Oregon and informed he has had success at the venue, Ash seemed to light up.
“It would be awesome if he could perform again there like he has in the past,” Ash said. “Mitch is a super player. It would be a great thing for him to be able to come back home and play. I would like nothing better than for him to come have another big game.”
On Saturday, Herbert’s Bobcats will encounter a stout defense that will likely want to push the game to slugfest status. No. 17 Portland State enters the game as the No. 1 scoring and total defense in the Big Sky Conference. Herbert has scored five touchdowns for a Montana State offense averaging 43.5 points per game.
“They have some very good cornerbacks and their safeties are very good,” Herbert said. “Their defense overall is top in the conference. It will be a good challenge for the offense.”
The last time the Bobcats played at Portland State, 11 current Bobcats were in the midst of their redshirt freshmen years. On October 8 of 2011, Montana State defensive tackle Zach Minter and cornerback Darius Jones tackled Portland State quarterback Conner Kavanaugh for a loss on a two-point conversion attempt with 51 seconds left to lift MSU to a 38-36 victory. The win likely kept the Vikings out of the playoffs. PSU finished 7-4 that season, former head coach Nigel Burton’s second. PSU compiled a 21-36 record under Burton before he was fired last fall.
Herbert and the Montana State passing attack will be a crucial element if the ‘Cats hope to keep up their torrid offensive pace. Junior quarterback Dakota Prukop enters the game leading the FCS in total offense at 409.8 yards per game. He is throwing for 325 yards per outing and has 14 touchdowns passes to go with five rushing touchdowns.
MSU wide receiver Mitch Herbert makes a catch against EWU
Herbert has been one of his favorite targets. The 6-foot-4, 205-pounder caught 28 passes for 339 yards and four touchdowns after breaking into the starting lineup midway through his true freshman year last fall. This season, he should surpass those numbers with ease. He already has 19 catches for 316 yards (both second on the team) and he has caught a team-high five touchdowns.
Last fall, a spat of injuries decimated Montana State’s wide receivers group. With five players down with season-ending injuries, Herbert and fellow freshmen Justin Paige and Jayshawn Gates were thrust into the starting lineup. The trio combined to catch 53 passes for 1,100 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Entering this season, many wondered if, with the element of surprise gone, the three would experience a sophomore slump. Herbert had another question mark hovering over his head after missing spring drills because of off-season elbow surgery. Thus far, the gracious sophomore has lived up to expectations, a trend he hopes to continue as he returns to the West Coast.
“I don’t think I’ve seen a whole lot of that extra attention or anything from defenses this year,” Herbert said. “The biggest difference between this year and last year is my confidence. I’ve said that a few times but it’s so true. It’s the most important difference. I don’t have to think through my routes. I just go out and play and that’s been a key. Hopefully, we can keep it going on Saturday.”
Photos by Brooks Nuanez. All Rights Reserved.
