How big is 2-0 start for the Montana State Bobcats?
In a typical year, it probably doesn’t mean a whole lot. It’s always a good thing to be 2-0, not 1-1 and certainly not 0-2. Especially if you start the season with consecutive road games like MSU.
A 2-0 start is more meaningful for this year’s Bobcats.
Considering that both games were on the road is a good starting point. Back-to-back road wins are hard to come by at any time of the season. Pulling that off to start your campaign is a solid check mark on the plus side, especially when it means a come from behind FBS win. And this week, Montana State is the only team in the FCS Top 25 poll that is 2-0.
“First off, you’re trying to get as many wins by the end of the regular season as possible,” Montana State head coach Brent Vigen said. “They all add up. All the division one wins or wherever they come from, they matter. To have two under our belt, one being an FBS win, we’re really excited about what that’s going to mean for us down the road.”
The Bobcats had an immeasurably difficult road schedule in 2023 and only managed a 2-3 mark against five teams all ranked in the top 10 at one point, but they have already matched that win total in 2024. The first win is significant even though New Mexico is expect to finish near the bottom of the Mountain West Conference. Despite that the Lobos are still an FBS team with a good talent level. The Bobcats hadn’t beaten an FBS squad since their 2006 19-10 win over Colorado.
UNM opened some eyes last week when it put up more points (39) and more yards (471) on the road against FBS No. 17 Arizona on the road than it did at home against the Bobcats. The Lobos had 31 points against MSU, but 14 of those came via defensive scores, and they managed just 324 yards against the Bobcats. Utah Tech was almost a sure win as the Trailblazers lost in Bozeman 63-21 on opening day in 2023, but holding them without a first down through three quarters was a rare feat.
“We’ve played smarter this past week just with our angles, our pursuit and our leverage on defense,” Vigen said. “Ultimately, we’ve made strides on defense. The stretch of defense from halftime of the New Mexico game through the third quarter against Utah Tech – five quarters not allowing points, defensively – that’s pretty significant. I don’t care who you’re playing to not let them get a first down through three quarters is impressive.
“We want to play championship level defense and we’re not there yet, but we’ve made some strides. That’s maybe my biggest takeaway after a couple games.”
The progress hasn’t just been limited to the defensive side although that’s probably where there’s the most room for improvement.
“We’ve learned quite a bit about our team through the first couple of weeks,” Vigen said. “I think we’ve played extremely hard, I think that’s the first thing that’s jumped out.
“I know offensively being able to find a rhythm, being able to makes plays and calling on some different guys, I think that’s shown up the first couple weeks. Showing progress and being able to chalk up a couple wins before we come home is pretty significant.”
The Bobcats were also stinging from not only their three road losses last season, but a bitter 35-34 overtime loss to playoff rival North Dakota State that ended when the Bison blocked MSU’s extra-point attempt. With that loss entrenched in their collective psyches, maintaining focused on the job at hand was that much more difficult to start the season.
Perhaps most importantly is that now Montana State has just four road games remaining over the next 12 weeks. This is due to playing in Week 0 of a season with a 12-game schedule. Since the Bobcats played the early game, they now have an extra open date in their schedule and will have two weekends of rest to go along with the four road games and six home games.
This gives MSU a total of eight weeks in the comforts of their hometown. It’s hard to quantify exactly just how much of a difference that will make, but bye weeks – as their called – at a minimum give teams time to let players heal up from injuries and those not injured time to rest their bodies. The Bobcats have already been hit with several nagging, if not serious, bone, ligament and muscle issues.
Montana State has next week off and then another home game against Mercyhurst. The Bobcats should see some on the injury list of around 10 players back by the time it opens Big Sky Conference play at Idaho State. Among those that have been out are star center Justus Perkins and starting guard JT Reed from MSU’s formidable offensive line. Tackle/guard Conner Moore was also nicked up last week, but is expected back this Saturday. Backup guard Blake Mastel, who is expected to rotate in regularly in 2024, has also not played yet . Starting running back Julius Davis, who led all Bobcat running backs in rushing yards last season, is also waiting to see his first action.
Defensively, Dru Polidore, who burst onto the scene in 2023 only to be hampered by injury and then need off-season surgery, has yet to play at safety. Cornerback Jon Johnson unofficially – MSU head coach Brent Vigen had yet to comment at the time this story was written – suffered a lower arm injury.
MSU’s last 2-0 start came in 1957 the year it returned to the NCAA’s College Division after a few decades as an NAIA team. The Bobcats were fresh off their first national championship in 1956 and after beating South Dakota State 13-6 and Fresno State 27-14 as they went on to finish at 8-2 with one loss coming in the final week to Arizona State.
The Bobcats will look to play in front of a sellout crowd this Saturday at 6 as is the recent norm for the popular Gold Rush games.
