Cats Face Buffs, Aggies to Open '06 Football Season
1/31/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Mike Kramer knows two things about his 2006 football team. First, his squad enters the season with a new quarterback. Second, his team plays a schedule that is plenty tough.
"This schedule will challenge us," said Kramer, Montana State's seventh-year head coach. "We went through the same process last year. It is a difficult way to open the season, but ultimately it prepares us to be a very good football team in November."
The 2006 Bobcats open the season the same way as last year's team, facing a Big 12 opponent on the road and a potential I-AA top 25 foe at home. The Bobcats face Colorado in Boulder on September 2, then open the home season against explosive UC Davis, a team that beat Stanford last year, a week later.
Colorado's date with the Bobcats mark CU's first I-AA foe since the NCAA established the sub-classification in 1978. It also marks a reunion between a pair of former Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference rivals. The Buffaloes and Bobcats played three straight seasons from 1925-27, with Montana State winning two of those contests.
Montana State faces two other non-conference foes from California. The 'Cats open the home portion of their schedule on September 9 against Cal-Davis, and a week later host Humboldt State. MSU has never met Davis, but the Humboldt State game offers a rematch with the Division II opponent that launched the Mike Kramer era of Bobcat football by upsetting the 'Cats in Bozeman to begin the 2000 season.
On September 23, Montana State plays its third straight home game, hosting 2005 Big Sky Champion Eastern Washington. Eastern's last trip to Bobcat Stadium resulted in a 51-44 overtime win over the 'Cats. With three of the next four contests on the road, MSU travels to Northern Arizona, Sacramento State and Idaho State. The 'Cats open October hosting Portland State on Homecoming, and close the month with Weber State at home.
Through Montana State's three runs to the Big Sky Championship in the past four seasons, the Bobcats have thrived in November. MSU is 9-4 in November regular season games since 2002, but the 'Cats play only twice in make-or-break month in 2006. MSU hosts new Big Sky foe Northern Colorado on November 4, then after an open week travels to Montana for the 106th Cat-Griz game on November 18.
MSU's 2006 schedule follows...
2006 MONTANA STATE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Sept. 2 -- at Colorado, TBA
Sept. 9 -- UC Davis, 1:05 pm
Sept. 16 -- Humboldt State, 1:05 pm
Sept. 23 -- *Eastern Washington (Wendy’s Hall of Fame), 1:05 pm
Sept. 30 -- *at Northern Arizona, 4:05 pm MDT
Oct. 7 -- *Portland State (Homecoming), 1:35 pm
Oct. 14 -- *at Sacramento State, 6:05 pm PDT
Oct. 21 -- *at Idaho State, 3:05 pm
Oct. 28 -- *Weber State, 12:05 pm
Nov. 4 -- *Northern Colorado, 12:05 pm
Nov. 18 -- *at Montana, 12:05 pm
All times Mountain *-Big Sky Conference game
"This schedule will challenge us," said Kramer, Montana State's seventh-year head coach. "We went through the same process last year. It is a difficult way to open the season, but ultimately it prepares us to be a very good football team in November."
The 2006 Bobcats open the season the same way as last year's team, facing a Big 12 opponent on the road and a potential I-AA top 25 foe at home. The Bobcats face Colorado in Boulder on September 2, then open the home season against explosive UC Davis, a team that beat Stanford last year, a week later.
Colorado's date with the Bobcats mark CU's first I-AA foe since the NCAA established the sub-classification in 1978. It also marks a reunion between a pair of former Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference rivals. The Buffaloes and Bobcats played three straight seasons from 1925-27, with Montana State winning two of those contests.
Montana State faces two other non-conference foes from California. The 'Cats open the home portion of their schedule on September 9 against Cal-Davis, and a week later host Humboldt State. MSU has never met Davis, but the Humboldt State game offers a rematch with the Division II opponent that launched the Mike Kramer era of Bobcat football by upsetting the 'Cats in Bozeman to begin the 2000 season.
On September 23, Montana State plays its third straight home game, hosting 2005 Big Sky Champion Eastern Washington. Eastern's last trip to Bobcat Stadium resulted in a 51-44 overtime win over the 'Cats. With three of the next four contests on the road, MSU travels to Northern Arizona, Sacramento State and Idaho State. The 'Cats open October hosting Portland State on Homecoming, and close the month with Weber State at home.
Through Montana State's three runs to the Big Sky Championship in the past four seasons, the Bobcats have thrived in November. MSU is 9-4 in November regular season games since 2002, but the 'Cats play only twice in make-or-break month in 2006. MSU hosts new Big Sky foe Northern Colorado on November 4, then after an open week travels to Montana for the 106th Cat-Griz game on November 18.
MSU's 2006 schedule follows...
2006 MONTANA STATE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Sept. 2 -- at Colorado, TBA
Sept. 9 -- UC Davis, 1:05 pm
Sept. 16 -- Humboldt State, 1:05 pm
Sept. 23 -- *Eastern Washington (Wendy’s Hall of Fame), 1:05 pm
Sept. 30 -- *at Northern Arizona, 4:05 pm MDT
Oct. 7 -- *Portland State (Homecoming), 1:35 pm
Oct. 14 -- *at Sacramento State, 6:05 pm PDT
Oct. 21 -- *at Idaho State, 3:05 pm
Oct. 28 -- *Weber State, 12:05 pm
Nov. 4 -- *Northern Colorado, 12:05 pm
Nov. 18 -- *at Montana, 12:05 pm
All times Mountain *-Big Sky Conference game
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