BOZEMAN, Montana — For most of the first four seasons under Jeff Choate, the Montana State football team has played with a distinct chip on its collective shoulder.
Choate has used slogans and sayings like “drag our opponents into deep water and let them drown” and “don’t ever back a Bobcat into a corner.” Last season, MSU experienced a breakthrough, making the playoffs for the first time since 2014 and winning a playoff game for the first time since 2012.
That Bobcat team won eight games before running into the juggernaut that is North Dakota State in the second round of last season’s FCS playoffs. This season, Montana State finds itself in a new realm with the playoffs descending upon the Gallatin Valley for the second straight season.
A 48-14 walloping of rival Montana in Bozeman two weeks ago stamped a 9-3 regular-season for the Bobcats. Montana State earned the No. 5 seed in the playoff bracket and the first-round bye that comes along with it. MSU is the decided favorite entering Saturday’s game against No. 25 Albany — Vegas odds makers have the ‘Cats at nine-point favorites — yet the Bobcats are trying to embrace the same mentality that has helped them win 10 of their last 12 games in November over the last three seasons and 12 of 15 November games under Choate overall.
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“I hope we play like we have our backs against the wall because we do. It’s playoff football. Win or go home,” Montana State’s fourth-year head coach said on Monday. “This isn’t the FBS that we have had a month to prepare for and we know some of our kids have one foot out the door. I just hope our kids are still hungry, which I think they are. The energy they had (Monday) morning showed that. I think we are excited to be able to play some more football.”
The Bobcats have been led all season by a group of seniors that include captains from Montana like offensive tackle Mitch Brott, strong safety Brayden Konkol and defensive tackle Derek Marks along a pair of wide receivers, one who was part of Choate’s first recruiting class (Kevin Kassis) and one who joined the program as a transfer (Travis Jonsen). The sixth captain is do-everything junior Troy Andersen, a two-way star who earned first-team All-Big Sky Conference honors last season at quarterback and first-team all-league honors this season at outside linebacker.
That crew and a group of supporting fifth-year seniors with Treasure State roots like inside linebacker Josh Hill, running back Logan Jones, defensive lineman Marcus Ferriter and punter Jered Padmos have been the complete overhaul of a program that went from three straight Big Sky titles to begin the decade to a plague of complacency across the program.
The statement win over the Griz helped the Bobcats earn their first four-game winning streak over their rivals since the 1970s. MSU won the decade 6-4, also the first time since more than 40 years ago Montana State won a 10-year stretch.
But this Bobcat squad has talked since the summer about having larger aspirations than just winning Montana’s Super Bowl. These ‘Cats want to make a run in the postseason.
“For me, this could be the last time I play football and I don’t want to be done yet,” Hill, a first-team All-Big Sky selection after returning from back surgery that cost him all but one game last season, said on Monday. “The other seniors don’t want to be done. For a team that has been through so much, a coaching change our redshirt year and basically starting a new program behind Coach Choate, I know none of us are ready to be done.”
While the Bobcats are making consecutive playoff appearances for the third time in school history — MSU went to the FCS playoffs consecutively in 2002-2002, 2010-2012 and now the last two years — Albany is into the 24-team tournament for the second time, including the first time since 2011.
Last week, standout redshirt freshman quarterback Jeff Undercuffler threw for four touchdown passes in a 28-point third quarter and six touchdowns overall to lead UAlbany to a 42-14 win over No. 17 Central Connecticut State. Undercuffler’s touchdown pass total tied a single-game FCS playoff record. He 6-foot-5, 231-pound phenom also helped lead the Great Danes to their first playoff win in program history.
“This is such a blessing and so humbling to even be in the position we are in right now,” Undercuffler said. “Hat’s off to our team and coaches, our whole program. We have just been grinding all winter last year leading up to this year. We definitely deserved it.”
Albany, a former Northeast Conference power, has gone on its best run of its Division I era since the Great Danes joined the Colonial Athletic Association. And Undercuffler has played a huge role in the most successful season yet under sixth-year head coach Greg Gattuso.
Undercuffler has thrown for 3,270 yards and 39 touchdowns, the latter a national single-season record for a freshman at the FCS level.
“It’s either I finally became a good coach after 25 years or our quarterback is pretty darn good,” Gattusso said on the CAA conference call on Monday. “I can promise you I haven’t changed. He’s been a huge impact on our program.”
“You look at his numbers, for a redshirt freshman, phenomenal. He cannot play well, he can struggle and he never stops playing hard and he never stops being positive. Saturday was a perfect example of who he is as a person. We were getting our butts kicked. And then he took over.”
Albany had 18 yards in the first quarter and struggled to move the ball for the entire first half. Then Undercuffler caught fire and led the Great Danes to a historic win.
“He never blinked,” Gattuso said. “When we got the ball back after half, we drove us down, made a perfect throw for a touchdown and it took off from there.”
On Monday, Choate was effusive in his praise for the Great Danes across the board. He evaluated powerhouse running back Karl Mofor as “a guy who could for sure play in the FBS.” He mentioned the pass rush proclivity of edge rusher Eli Mencer (14.5 sacks, 23 tackles for loss), the active and aggressive nature of Albany’s defensive line, the play-making ability of safety Josh Wynn and complimented the hard-hitting inside linebacker duo off Levi Metheny and Danny Damico.
Choate also gave credit to Undercuffler for infusing the UAlbany program with energy. But the player Choate said concerns him most is Juwan Green.
“You give one-on-one opportunities to No. 4 (Green), Undercuffler is going to find them and they are going to make you pay,” Choate said.
“When Juwan is one-on-one, we are going to him and we are going to keep going to him until teams prove they can stop it,” added Undercuffler.
“He’s just so athletic. At 6-foot, 190, he runs a sub 4.4 (40), great routes, great hands, great football awareness. It’s a blessing to have No. 4 on our team.”
That chip on the shoulder that has defined the Choate era so far is similar to the attitude Albany possesses coming to Bozeman. During his time at Holy Cross Academy in Delran, New Jersey, Undercuffler garnered interest from Maryland, Rutgers, Syracuse and Pitt. But none ever pull the trigger with an offer.
The day after Gattuso called him to offer him a full ride, Undercuffler commited to the Great Danes has never looked back. Neither has the program.
“All this season, Albany has been overlooked,” Undercuffler said. “Everyone thinks we are not as good as we are. We just use that as more fuel for our fire. This week we just have to come out guns blazing all four quarters.”
And Choate is well-aware of the mentality of the team his Bobcats host in Bozeman.
“You have to tip your hat to this group,” Choate said. “They were voted to finish last in their league. I didn’t know how many games they won but not many. Here they have been able to flip the script. This freshman quarterback has really come in and really changed the confidence of this team on offense and their ability to stay in any game. He can throw the ball 70 yards to No. 4 and it changes everything.”
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Photos by Brooks Nuanez. All Rights Reserved.
