Following the release of the preseason Big Sky Conference football polls, Jeff Choate believed his Montana State Bobcats had a chance to defy expectations in his first season at the helm.
MSU, a team that won 35 of 48 Big Sky games the previous five seasons combined, was picked to finish eighth in the 13-team league. Choate felt if he could help an ailing defense that gave up points in bunches in 2014 and 2015, the Bobcats could at least be in the top half of the league.
MSU’s defense has improved markedly in Choate’s first season, ranking second in the league in scoring defense and fifth in the league in total defense. But the Bobcats have been hit hard by injuries and plagued by a rash of turnovers that have resulted in failing to even meet the modest preseason expectations.
Montana State enters the 116th showdown with rival Montana in Missoula on Saturday with just one Big Sky win, a 27-13 victory over hapless UC Davis last week in the season finale at Bobcat Stadium. MSU is 3-7 overall. The Bobcats enter the rivalry game with nothing to play for but pride. Yet they are taking the challenge on with optimism and a fire stoked by the chance of eliminating the 6-4 Griz from the playoff hunt.
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Photos by Brooks Nuanez. All Rights Reserved.
