After a shaky, yet somewhat predictable, start to the 2025 season, Montana State finds itself still having an opportunity to not only win the Big Sky Conference title, but also a shot at a top two seed for the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
The Bobcats’ 0-2 start forced their followers into thinking just getting seeded in the top eight would be a challenge. But MSU has bounced back to win eight straight games, most in convincing fashion to reignite their title aspirations. MSU can be forgiven for the early slip ups. They were playing FBS No. 7 Oregon and FCS No. 2 South Dakota State.
Since then, MSU has been a statistical and eye-test juggernaut in the FCS. MSU’s conference-only stats overwhelm the rest of the league, and the Bobcats are making plays – like backup defensive tackle Talon Marsh’s 90-yard interception return for touchdown aka “Thick 6” and Julius Davis’s hurdle of a defender before scoring – to wow fans across the nation. This past week, MSU had interception returns of 54 and 25 yards, punt returns of 33 and 34 yards, a kickoff return of 77 yards and a touchdown run of 52 yards.
In league play, MSU leads the BSC in every major category except the one they’ve dominated over the past 10 years – rushing offense. MSU trails Sacramento State by just over 20 yards per game, but MSU leads the Hornets in yards per carry by 0.6. The Bobcats lead in points scored (+8.8), points allowed (+11.0), total offense (+28.7), total defense (+75.7), rushing defense (+6.8), pass efficiency offense (+8.3) and pass efficiency defense (+25.1).
The Bobcats got through their third and fourth games in less than overwhelming fashion as they handled San Diego 41-7 despite being limited early in the run game before a less impressive 17-0 win over second-year FCS member Mercyhurst.
The Mercyhurst win probably caused the most scrutiny MSU has drawn all year. The Bobcats had just beaten the Lakers the prior season by a score of 52-13, so the 17-point margin and lack of points caught quite a few fans and media off guard. MSU would respond greatly in the following week however, with a resounding 57-3 win over Eastern Washington, but that caused many to think that EWU was just bad as they reserved their praise for the Bobcats.
Over the next three weeks, MSU would beat No. 13 Northern Arizona in the unhospitable confines of Walkup Skydome in Flagstaff. The 34-10 win turned heads and a week later the Bobcats proved it was no fluke as they trounced Idaho State 48-14 a week after the Bengals came close to ruining Montana’s unblemished record in a 42-38 loss.
Their ship righted the Bobcats took a week off before a solid 34-17 road win at Cal Poly a week after the Mustangs held UM’s vaunted offense scoreless over three quarters and led 9-7 going into the fourth quarter in Missoula. They followed that with a convincing 55-7 drubbing at Northern Colorado and a 66-14 trouncing of Weber State. While the outcomes were similar, the latter game was set up by big punt, kickoff and interception returns as MSU scored 31 points off Wildcat’ miscues. Against UNC, the Bobcats simply shut down the Bears with their defense and ran and threw all over them on offense as quarterback Justin Lamson had a career day with 331 yards and three touchdowns passing and 57 yards and a touchdown rushing.
That whole journey brings Montana State to the brink that is the next two weeks of the regular season. Homefield advantage throughout the FCS playoffs is in clear view. But so is a seed somewhere between No. 4 and No. 8 if MSU splits the next two weeks. And playing in the first round of the playoffs might also be in the cards if things go against the Bobcats each of the next two weeks.
A No. 2 seed for the FCS playoffs, which would give them a good shot at a third title game appearance in the last five years and a chance to make it five trips to the FCS semifinals in the last six season they’ve participated in, is certainly in the cards.
Just two big problems for the Bobcats: the toughest BSC opposition on their 2025 schedule also makes up their final two games. The FCS playoffs may be three weeks away but for MSU, they seem to be starting now as losses in either or both will derail the momentum MSU has gained over the last two months.
The Bobcats will be favored to beat UC Davis this Saturday with the game being in Bozeman and the Aggies being beaten up with 15 players now lost for the season with injury. Among them are BSC preseason most valuable player safety Rex Connors, and his brother, linebacker Porter Connors. MSU hasn’t been injury-free this season but the players it has lost are all back in the lineup for this week’s game. Linebacker Neil Daily, safety Taki Uluilakepa and wide receiver Chris Long missed a variety of games early in the season. Defensive tackle Paul Brott missed last week’s game, along with cornerback Seth Johnson. All five are expected to suit up this week.
Still the Aggies have a trio of players on offense that can make any game they play winnable in freshman quarterback Caden Pinnick, who leads the league in passing, running back Jordan Fisher, the league’s No. 4 rusher and wide receiver Samual Gbatu, Jr., the No. 1 pass catcher in yards and leader in touchdown receptions. Pinnick has thrown for 304.4 yards per game and has the second-best passer rating at 192.9. Fisher is at 83.3 yards per game and Gbatu has 595 yards and six touchdowns in league play.
Pinnick missed a game – at Northern Colorado – three weeks ago and has been 44-59-4 for 573 yards and three touchdowns the past two games since returning. Of his four interceptions, only one has led to a score and it came with the Aggies up 28-7 over Idaho. He threw another as he was trying to lead his team into field goal range in the final seconds against Idaho State when trailing 38-36.
Should MSU get past UCD then it has the unenviable task of taking on a likely undefeated Montana Grizzly’ team in one of the best and loudest environments in college football – Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
The opportunity is great, and the stakes are high for the Bobcats. UC Davis sits at 7-2 overall and 5-1 in the BSC. One of the Aggies’ losses was a 70-7 defeat at the hands of the Big Ten’s Washington Huskies. They suffered a heartbreaking 38-36 loss to Idaho State at home two weeks ago but bounced with a road win at the always intimidating Kibbie Dome over Idaho.
The Grizzlies haven’t dropped a game all season and have thickened their skin with numerous close games, including a late comeback to beat North Dakota, 24-23. They came back from 18 points behind to defeat Idaho State 42-38, downed Cal Poly 28-9 after trailing by nine at halftime and just this past week held off Eastern Washington 29-24 after the Eagles scored a late touchdown, recovered their onside kick and advanced the ball to the UM 5 before faltering in the final seconds.
The Bobcats entertain the Aggies Saturday night with kickoff slated for 8:30. The game will be televised on ESPN2.
