Understanding just how to use an open date, aka bye week, on your football schedule can be a challenge unto itself. Most coaches have been around the game long enough to be able to handle it themselves and how to present to their players, but getting those players to be able to navigate it is the challenge.
Montana State rolled into its two-week break riding a five-game winning streak, including three devastating performances over conference foes: Eastern Washington, Northern Arizona and Idaho State. The Bobcats won those games by a combined 139-27. Once-powerful EWU was considered a laughingstock in the Big Sky Conference after its 57-3 loss, but the Eagles have bounced back to win consecutive games. NAU was the No. 13 team in the nation before MSU downed them 34-10 in the always hostile Walkup Skydome in Flagstaff. ISU was considered by some to be the third best team in the BSC only to find itself on the losing end of a 48-14 score in Bozeman.
So, a week off can break up a team’s momentum. MSU’s head coach Brent Vigen isn’t fazed by that and looking at all the positive aspects.
“I know this is kind of at the right time for us having played seven games,” Vigen said on ESPN MT last week. “We’re relatively healthy but I know the accumulation of seven straight weeks playing does have an affect on some guys, so being able to lighten their load a little this week, get back to fundamentals, do some recruiting, all those things are all part of a bye week. Kind of in the middle of our Big Sky season is the way I like it.”
After a rough first week seeing starting inside linebacker Neil Daily and starting safety Taki Uluilakepa go out with injuries, the Bobcats have been relatively injury free. Wide receiver Chris Long injured his lower leg late in that game and guard Burke Mastel injured his hand just before the game as all four missed their second game against South Dakota State. With the exception of Uluilakepa, who is close to being able to practice, those players are back in their roles going into this Saturday’s game against Cal Poly.
“We’re a team that continues to improve,” Vigen said. “I think that’s the exciting part and that was really the charge out of the non-conference. Each and every week in the Big Sky anything can happen. I truly believe that, and you better come ready to play. As defending champs, I think we are going to get everybody’s best shot or at least assume we’re going to, so it took a group of guys to continue to have that mindset to go back to work each week and figuring out individually how can we improve and the collective force of that has been on display on Saturdays.
“We’ve come out of each and every one of these games and there’s still room for improvement in a lot of different ways, so I think our guys see that, they take coaching. They go back to work. They’re valuing this week, it’s not an off week, it’s a week to get better and we’ve had some moments particularly the last couple weeks. We were down to NAU and even last week (vs. ISU) a couple different times where they cut it to a score but there’s no sense of panic with this team. Offense, lifting defense and defense lifting up the offense is how we’ve done things so far. We have improved but there’s a lot of room for improvement out in front of us.”
The biggest surprise for the Bobcats has come on the defensive side of the ball where a group of young, inexperienced players had to replace all five of 2024’s defensive backs. The group, which is at least two-deep and growing, at each position – cornerback, safety and nickelback – has shown a lot more than just raw talent.
Vigen said he knew his young secondary that includes a variety of speed underclassmen would have great ability. But he was unsure how steady the group would be.
“You look at the youth in our secondary, I know we felt like talent – the talent is one thing, but that group has been pretty resilient,” Vigen said. “They haven’t given up too many plays, but when they have they bounce right back. I look at the corner position and the fact that we’re playing four guys pretty equally and those guys all know their contribution matters and they’re going to do everything they can to support the next guy.
“With (safety) Taki (Uluilakepa) going down in game one we needed a couple guys to be able to step up and that happened in the form of Bryant Meredith and JJ Dolan. Tim Thomas, a redshirt freshman, has been added to that group of late. In that safety room the experience was light. Caden (Dowler) had some experience, but not a ton. (Nickelback) Tayden (Gray) and Taki had some experience. I was hopeful but to say it was a surprise…I thought it could happen.”
Offensively, the Bobcats have had to make a big transition from the style and star power of Tommy Mellott, who was a run-first quarterback in a run-heavy offense. MSU is still a strong running team and is second in the league in both yards per game (225.7) and yards per carry (5.6). However, the threat of passing the ball has expanded the scope of the offense.
“The evolution of our offense as we’ve gone through seven games has taken its form,” Vigen said. “It’s a lot of new coaches, a new quarterback certainly and some new players in some new spots. While there’s been some moments where frustration could’ve set in, I think we’ve fought through that. We continue to find ways to produce and that’s the bottom line.”
Quarterback Justin Lamson has handled the pressure of replacing Mellott while carving out a sharp identity for himself. The highly competitive, hard-nosed quarterback blends his running skill with a crisp arm.
“We’ve been really pleased,” Vigen said. “We didn’t bring him in here by chance. We felt like what we knew about him; he could be the right fit. Ultimately, it worked out because he thought it’d be a good fit and he didn’t assume anything at the same time, nor did we. That work ethic that he displayed from May through the end of August set him up within the team to be a guy that they knew who he was, how they could count on him.”
Lamson’s work ethic has been particularly eye-catching for Vigen.
“He and Pete Sterbick continue to develop their rapport when they continue to practice and talk in the summer,” Vigen said. “We’ve seen in the season is, first and foremost, a guy that’s willing to compete and he’s had that ability with both his arms and his legs. He’s a competitor, he’s grown in his leadership capabilities, which we needed in the offense. Who he is as a play-maker and how that fits in with our offense, Pete’s done a really good job with that. Best thing about Justin is he comes back each week and asks, ‘what do I need to do better? What can I do better?’ He’s already got a list of things and he’s really self-aware. He’s really conscious of all the things he can do. He wants it. He appreciates this opportunity, and we certainly appreciate the fact that he’s here and he’s a great teammate – that happened first – the play-making ability continues to evolve.”
The Bobcats now enter the stretch run of the season. This week’s trip to an improved Cal Poly trip looms immediately while much of the national pundits are already talking about MSU’s nationally televised clash against No. 6 UC Davis on November 15. And of course, the narrative of a collision course with the rival Grizzlies is always a part of the story in the Treasure State.
Vigen simply wants to see his team continue their steady improvement.
“For me my barometer is how much are we going after it. How encouraging to see we were really going after it. You could see guys that know ‘I need to get better and here’s my opportunity and I really value what this looks like’ so just baseline we gotta continue to get better on our fundamentals and that applies to offense, defense and special teams. The cumulative effect that has on our performance shows up starting next Saturday.”
