PULLMAN, Washington — Montana State came into Martin Stadium with a plan to slow the tempo, tackle in open space, eat up the clock and try to hang with the No. 24 Washington State Cougars
The visiting and rebuilding Bobcats executed those ideas for the most part of the first three quarters Saturday night in Pullman. But Montana State’s offense could not move the ball or manufacture points as the host Cougs dominated both sides of the line of scrimmage for the duration in a 31-0 win in front of 30,254 here.
MSU employed a bailout defensive coverage scheme to negate Washington State’s ability to strike over the top. The strategy worked in terms of limiting Wazzu’s point total — the Cougs scored 14 first-half points as MSU limited the hosts to just four possessions — but senior quarterback Luke Falk completed his first 20 passes and 33-of-39 overall as the Cougs sliced and dices MSU’s defense slowly but surely.
Mac Bignell last season/ by Brooks Nuanez
“That’s what we wanted them to do,” MSU senior outside linebacker Mac Bignell said after notching nine tackles, a sack and two tackles for loss in his first game against a Pac 12 opponent. “We executed it. We just needed to get the ball out a little more. One forced turnover is not good enough in a game like that.”
Montana State’s offense operated out of shotgun and diamond formations, running triple-option principles unseen in Jeff Choate’s first season. Despite the innovation in the first game for new MSU offensive coordinator Brian Armstrong, Montana State mustered almost no offensive rhythm or production.
The shutout was Washington State’s first since a 42-0 victory over Idaho in 2013. It also marked the first time Montana State was held scoreless since 45-0 loss to UC Davis in 2006.
“Our plan was to move the chains and eat up clock on offense and we weren’t able to do that but we didn’t allow that to affect our psyche on defense,” Choate said after falling 4-8 in his career as a head coach.
“I’m really pleased despite some of the errors that those guys came back to fight. We played a long young kids tonight and that’s going to serve us well down the stretch. One of the things I told our coaches is ‘We have to survive September (against South Dakota State, at North Dakota).’ Our mindset needs to be correct. We know we have to work through some things. If we can continue to improve throughout this month, I think we are going to have a good football team down the stretch. It starts on defense. That’s in my DNA. We are going to play great defense and figure some things out on offense. We have too good a group of players on that side of the ball. When the playing field gets leveled a little bit, those guys will start to shine.”
Montana State quarterback Chris Murray last season/ by Brooks Nuanez
Montana State managed 143 yards on 44 plays, notching seven first downs and converting just 1-of-11 third down tries. MSU ran the ball 32 times for 115 yards. With the exception of 17, 16 and 15 yard runs by sophomore quarterback Chris Murray, true freshman running back Troy Andersen and sophomore running back Edward Vander, MSU averaged 2.3 yards per rush against WSU’s stout front seven.
“Our triple option is one of our running identities and we wanted to get the started but their defensive line was so effective,” said Murray, who finished with 55 yards on 17 carries. “They brought their safeties down, fit all the gaps.
“As soon as the first drive, you could sense the urgency, how fast they move, the quick twitch. Usually, those times I break out, I would make them miss and score but it was really hard tonight. Different skill level.”
Andersen, a former Class A all-state quarterback and safety from Dillon, made his first Division I start against Wazzu. He managed 33 yards on nine carries.
“I think he handled it well,” Murray said. “Pac 12 environment, crowd is going crazy, probably the best crowd we will play in front of all season. He kept his legs churning and got us a few extra yards every time.”
After an off-season filled by a narrative of his massive improvement throwing the football, Murray completed 5-of-12 passes for 28 yards. Four of his five completions came in the fourth quarter against Wazzu’s second-team defense when the game was already out of reach.
Hard-hitting sophomore safety Jalen Thompson led the swarming WSU defense. He notched seven tackles and snared an interception, MSU’s only turnover of the day. The Bobcats drew even in the turnover battle by forcing a fumble on Washington State’s third possession. Thompson’s pick came on an under-thrown ball by Murray late in the third quarter.
Washington State notched eight tackles for loss led by All-American candidate defensive end Hercules Mata’afa, who had 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Murray, a 6-foot-2, 180-pound true sophomore with length but not mass, incurred many big hits during his first outing against a Pac 12 opponent.
Montana State head coach Jeff Choate/ by Brooks Nuanez
“He took a lot of shots tonight and I would’ve liked to see him protect himself a little more,” Choate said of the reigning Big Sky Freshman of the Year. “I was concerned every time. The kid isn’t very big, but he’s tough and he’s a very competitive kid.”
Washington State entered the game touted as a high-powered, up-tempo offensive team led by a Heisman candidate. The Cougs showed that but also showed a powerful offensive front anchored by Cody “the Continent” McConnell, a 6-foot-9, 378-pound unanimous All-American selection last season. The defensive front seven, led by Mata’afa and senior middle linebacker Peyton Pelluer, smacked Montana State on all 44 of its offensive plays.
“That’s a Top 25 football team for a reason and that starts on both sides of the line of scrimmage,” Choate said. “Coach (Mike Leach’s offense is always going to get a lot of praise and deservedly so. Luke ran the offense very efficiently tonight, they have three talented backs they can go to. But their offensive line is really good and the thing that is going to separate this group with their ability to climb in the Pac 12 North is their front seven.”
“Hercules was as advertised and we could not block him in any one on one setting. Them controlling the line of scrimmage and getting us behind the stick was a concern coming in and that held up tonight.”
The victory marks Washington State’s first in six season-openers under eccentric yet successful head coach Mike Leach. Although Montana State did its best to take away big plays and slow the pace, Washington State still managed 511 yards of total offense, including 311 passing yards for Falk.
The senior threw three touchdowns, giving him 92 for his career, passing Connor Halliday for Washington State’s career mark of 90. Falk is also the NCAA active leader in career touchdown passes. Falk threw touchdown passes of 11 yards to sophomore running back James Williams and six yards to junior wide receiver Tavares Martin during an efficient but not explosive first half for the hosts.
Washington State quarterback Luke Falk/ WSU athletics
“He didn’t throw the deep ball because we held him to check downs but being a safety, him looking you off, he’s definitely an NFL-caliber quarterback,” Montana State senior safety and captain Bryson McCabe said after a 13-tackle effort. “I was surprised they were so patient. Some games they showed they wanted to take shots. They wanted to take shots toward the end but they really only took two.”
“I don’t want to blitz Mike Leach,” said Choate, who coached at WSU on Leach’s staff in 2012. “That’s one thing I learned here.”
Falk’s 20 straight completions approached the NCAA Division I record of 26 held by Dominique Davis of East Carolina set in 2011.
“Luke Falk is a Heisman quarterback for sure,” Bignell said. “Their o-line was big and good. They were everything we expected them to be.
Williams set a Washington State single-game record with 13 receptions. His 163 receiving yards set a single-game record for Cougar running backs. He caught two of Falk’s three touchdown tosses.
“They have three really good running backs who could all start for them,” McCabe said. “I don’t even know who started. They can break tackles, they can catch passes, they got our linebackers in open spaces, made us miss. They were good players.”
Washington State’s running backs/ by Washington State athletics
Washington State managed 150 yards rushing and averaged six yards per carry, led by Jamal Morrow’s 89 yards on 10 rushes. On Morrow’s 29-yard touchdown run, he stretched MSU defensive tackle Tucker Yates out to the edge, cut back, made MSU sophomore end Derek Marks miss and danced into the end-zone to give WSU a 21-0 lead.
Less than nine minutes later, Falk engineered a 7-play, 63-yard drive capped by Williams’ 24-yard catch and run. After the touchdown, a score that put the hosts up 28-0, Williams did the famous LaDanian Tomlinson pose in front of the Washington State student section.
Montana State’s attention now turns to its next challenging opponent. No. 3 South Dakota State comes to Bobcat Stadium next week fresh off a 51-13 drubbing of the Duquesne Dukes behind four touchdowns from All-American wide receiver Jake Wieneke. Choate wants his team to survive September. Murray, for one, continues to relish the challenges of his second season.
“Name me any team that goes to the top without facing the best teams,” Murray said. “No, it doesn’t happen.”
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