Almost a year ago to the day, Montana State went from the penthouse to just about to pull open the door to the outhouse before scurrying back up to the penthouse. In an almost cartoon-like finish, the Bobcats nearly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.
The Bobcats built a convincing 30-8 lead over UC Davis in a game that would clinch a tie for the Big Sky Conference regular season crown and also the league’s automatic bid to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs. After falling behind 8-0, the Bobcats rattled off 30 straight points as the game moved to the 10:41 mark of the fourth quarter. MSU had been rolling at 10-0 through the 2024 season and in the penultimate game of the regular season, it looked the Aggies would succumb quietly like all others before them.
Out of nowhere the Aggies, who had been stymied all night accumulating less than 200 yards of total offense to that point, rolled 81 yards for a touchdown to cut the lead to 30-15. That left just 6:21 to play, however, and after MSU got a first down before having to punt there was just 2:20 to go and UCD needed to go 89 yards for a score to have any chance of pulling out a win. Unfazed, UCD did just that on a mere three plays – getting a 77-yard pass play from quarterback Miles Hastings to wide receiver Chaz Davis – and scored with 1:45 to go yet still trailed 30-22 and needed a successful onside kick to have a shot.
The kick was a success as it short-hopped and then unexpectedly spring boarded high over the outstretched arm of MSU tight end Hunter Provience, allowing enough time for a UCD player to get under it. The Aggies drove the ball into the end zone from there with just :34 to play. Trailing 30-28, UC Davis had to convert a two-point conversion to get the game into overtime, but MSU linebacker McCade O’Reilly intercepted the pass from Hastings as Bobcat fans everywhere breathed a sigh of relief.
“I know this: defensively, if you think you got them backed into a corner you better keep punching,” MSU head coach Brent Vigen said on Monday. “That was the biggest thing last year. What you look back and see for us, offensively, is we can’t become one dimensional against this team. We did, in part, because we got a lead, but we didn’t put that game away because we didn’t throw it enough as the game went along.”
UC Davis head coach Tim Plough essentially echoed Vigen’s thoughts just in the reverse order.
“With us, we can’t depend on falling down by that many points and think we’re coming back,” Plough said. “That was just a strange circumstance, but the biggest thing for us is I felt last year’s game we thought way more about what the game meant and the implications of it and may have put a little too much pressure on ourselves. Montana State is so good that that should be all the pressure we need.”
The Bobcats had dominated after the Aggies scored on their second possession of the game. MSU answered that score with a Tommy Mellott 53-yard pass to a wide-open tight end Rohan Jones. Moments later safety Dru Polidore intercepted a Hasting pass and with another touchdown pass from Mellott, this time to wide receiver Ty McCullouch.
The momentum continued for MSU as the defense forced a three-and-out that led to 79-yard punt return for a touchdown by Taco Dowler that suddenly put the Bobcats up 20-8. MSU got a field goal on its next possession as scored on four straight possessions to put the Aggies on their heels. The Bobcats, as they often do, would score on their first possession of the second half and were suddenly up by a seemingly safe 30-8 count.
The game slogged along from there with neither team getting into their opponent’s territory and, combining to punt six straight times before the Aggie’ floodgates opened giving fans one of the most unanticipated endings they’d ever seen.
UC Davis travels to Bozeman this year but they’ve proven that they’re not a team that is going to wilt due to the gravity of the game or cower in front of a big crowd. The Aggies have endured a crazy amount of adversity, losing 15 players to season-ending injuries, including All-American safety Rex Connors. Yet the Aggies are still 7-2 (their Week 0 game against Mercer was ruled a no contest because of lightning) and ranked No. 9 in the country.
“Davis went up to Missoula last year late in the year and found a way to win so it’s not like this is a completely foreign opportunity for them,” Vigen said, referring to UCD’s 30-14 win in Missoula in a similar ‘Big Sky After Dark’ affair against the Griz. “We have to create a situation, both as fans choosing to show up and really make a difference, but then we have to be able to inspire (the fans) with our play. An advantage can be gained through that.”
Davis rolled to a decisive win in Missoula by scoring the final 17 points to pull away from Montana. The Bobcats and Aggies may find themselves in a similar position to one year ago, but a lot has changed not only in personnel but also in schemes.
“The two teams are quite a bit different,” Vigen said. “The losses on both (teams) were significant. Different sets of playmakers (this year), some the same but this team is not going to go away, so depending on how the game flows, it flows, but we expect a 60-minute game. That’s the biggest thing looking back on last year. Looking at two programs that have good winning mindsets. A bunch of players that expect to win. No one’s going to run away and hide that’s for sure. There’re things to be taken from last year schematically but we gotta appreciate who this opponent is.”
The Aggies have not only had to deal with a big turnover from last year’s roster but also a plethora of injuries throughout this season.
“We’re a very resilient group,” Plough said. “You look at how our season started with three straight road games all late-night kicks. We come back home to play a couple of tough opponents; we’re dealing with a lot of injuries. We got, at this point, 15 guys out for the year with season-ending injuries. We only traveled 58 (out of a possible 70) guys to the Idaho game. Lot of key players that were starters for us and big-time players have rallied and have found a way to get it done.”
This Saturday night’s game is being telecast on ESPNU, which means it’ll have a late starting time. The Bobcats and Aggies will kickoff at 8:30 at Bobcat Stadium.
