BOZEMAN – It’s already being called ‘The Miracle in Missoula.’ Down 22-0 on the road at Washington-Grizzly Stadium, Montana State came back to defeat Montana 29-25. The Bobcats woke up in the second half and were willed to win in big part by their leader, quarterback Troy Andersen.
“I guess I really never felt like the game was out of hand. We just had that belief, had that swagger to us that this game is ours for the taking. We just had to quit shooting ourselves in the foot early and just stay the course and take it one play at a time,” Andersen said after the game.
By the end of the game, the sophomore signal-caller had a stellar performance, which included 158 yards passing, 107 yards rushing and three touchdowns. Even when the Cats were down 22-0, they were not out because the team knew they could count on Andersen.
“I never really second-guessed it, I never did. Kid’s a winner, kid’s a winner. Winners win,” Jeff Choate said when asked to reflect on placing Andersen in the quarterback position at the beginning of the season.
It’s the third time in a row Montana State has won the Brawl of the Wild. The next day, that victory played a key role in MSU securing its first playoff appearance in four years.
“We have a great group of seniors on our team, and I think they deserve a chance to play in the playoffs. I think we’ve shown that we are a team to be reckoned with,” said Andersen. “We’re going be a tough out.”
For our Andersen, it was quickly back to business. The action starts on Saturday in the first round of the FCS playoffs against Incarnate Word.
