Montana State drop the "Claw of the Wild"

The Bobcat football team traveled to Ogden, Utah on Oct. 20 for their third game against a top-ten team this year, facing the Weber State University Wildcats. The game lived up to the hype, featuring five turnovers and 27 second-half points. After taking a 10-point lead late in the second quarter, the Bobcats looked poised to control the momentum. The Wildcats responded, eventually pulled away to secure a 34-24 victory.

The Bobcats started the game on a defensive hot streak by intercepting Weber State on their own 15-yard line. Three plays later, junior wide receiver Travis Jonsen scampered into the end zone from seven yards out. Before the first quarter ended, junior kicker Tristan Bailey knocked a field goal through the uprights from 27 yards out to take a 10-0 lead. The Wildcats fought back with an eight-yard run touchdown run. The Cats answered on their next possession, when sophomore quarterback Troy Andersen raced past Weber State defenders for an impressive 71-yard touchdown.

Leading 17-14 at intermission, the Bobcats looked to close out Weber State with a strong second half performance. During the third quarter, junior cornerback Greg Filer III picked off a pass and ran it 27 yards for a touchdown, giving the Bobcats a 24-17 lead. The Wildcats got their offense rolling during the second half, culminating in two one-yard touchdown runs to take a late 31-24 lead. The Bobcats found themselves down with a chance to tie the score but an errant pass by Andersen was picked off for his second interception of the day. The Wildcats tacked on a late field goal resulting in a 34-24 final score.

Andersen paced the Bobcats on the ground with a 102 rushing yards and a touchdown. Junior linebacker Brayden Konkol topped the defensive stat line with 13 tackles in the game. The loss put the Cats at 4-3 with another road contest this weekend against Idaho State on Oct. 27 before returning home Nov. 3 against Cal Poly.