Bobcat creative services

Titan Fleischmann and Scottre Humphrey celebrate in Pocatello

Football
10/4/2024 10:49:00 AM

Bill Lamberty

MSU hosts Northern Colorado Bears

BOZEMAN, Montana – Montana State coach Brent Vigen knows one of the biggest storylines surrounding his team’s opponent this week, Northern Colorado, and he doesn’t want to hear about it.

“In Northern Colorado we are dealing with a team that has struggled at record levels, but this year they have competed very well at times,” Vigen said. “They took Abilene Christian, a ranked team, to the brink. It took a last-second field goal for Abilene Christian to win that game. They had flashes.”

The Bears, 0-5 on the season and 0-1 in Big Sky play, arrive at Bobcat Stadium on the back of a 17-game losing streak. This year’s team is led by an experienced defensive front with four senior starters on the line and three veteran linebackers. The team gives up 33.2 points per game, but that number is skewed by Colorado State’s 38 points allowed and Stephen F. Austin’s 48 points scored. None of the other three enemies reached 30 points.

“They have some good players up front, and that’s always the first thing you notice,” Vigen said. “In the front seven they have some talented players, good size and good athleticism for that size. They move on different fronts and are not afraid to apply pressure.”

Safety Cam Chapa’s 30 tackles lead a UNC defense with 10 players with at least 20 tackles. Chapa and Keenan Guthrie have UNC’s interceptions this season, while Guthrie and Ladavion Osborn have forced fumbles that UNC has recovered. That explains the team’s four results this season.

Northern Colorado’s season was defined offensively by injuries at the quarterback position. Five different players have thrown more than one pass and four different Bears have started a play at that position. “That in itself makes your stomach turn as a coach,” Vigen said of the revolving door at quarterback.

Montana State’s fourth-year head coach said the process of preparing a defensive plan for a team with multiple quarterbacks starts with who is likely available. “I think we feel like there are a few guys who are out, so just narrow it down to the guys you think will play and what’s their mode, what’s their style? In the last game the two guys seem not they played out this week and they are two different types (Kia’i Keone) is much more of a runner, and as far as their running game goes, they have an element of quarterback run and he would be their biggest threat. ”

Keone is the team’s second-leading rusher, averaging 4.0 yards per carry and 43.7 yards per game. Darius Stewart leads the team with 5.0 yards per carry and 58.8 yards per game. Kaiden Box made his debut behind center for the Bears when he started last week’s match, completing two of his eight pass attempts.

The Cats return home last week after a hard-fought win at Idaho State. “It wasn’t easy,” Vigen said. “Our guys had to fight for it, and a lot of the credit goes to Idaho State. They definitely have some players that are causing problems.”

The Bengals cut MSU’s lead to 17-10 early in the fourth quarter, but after that it was all Bobcats. “Our players didn’t panic when it got to the point where it was a one-score game,” Vigen said. “They responded with a touchdown, a big play, then they got a stop and a long drive for a touchdown.”

The win increased Montana State’s record to 5-0 on the season, 1-0 in Big Sky play. When the 1984 National Championship Bobcats are honored during this week’s Homecoming game, members of that team’s high-flying offense may have trouble recognizing this year’s ground-oriented attack as offspring. That team gained three-quarters of its yards through the air, while the 2024 Cats gained 64% of their yards through the air.

Sophomore running back Scottre Humphrey remains among the best ball carriers in the country. He enters this week’s game with 117.4 rushing yards per game, sixth in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), as a freshman running back Adam Jones’ 79.2 yards per play is 38^e. Senior quarterback Tommy Mellott rushing for 42.0 yards per game, and he is completing passes at a .682 rate (70-102, no interceptions and eight touchdowns), 10^e in the FCS.

Efficiency also remains a hallmark of the Bobcats defense. MSU’s 18.4 points allowed per game is eighth nationally and the team is 14th^e in third defense (.294). Safety for seniors by Rylan Ortt ISU’s first interception of the season came at a crucial moment of that game, on a Bengals takeaway, and he is second on the Bobcat team with 25 total tackles. Linebackers McCade O’Reilly (29) and Danny Uluilakepa (25) also top MSU’s tackles list.

This week’s game kicks off at 2:00 PM and will air in Montana on Scripps CBS stations (along with MTN in Missoula/Kalispell).

#GoCatsGo