Photo by: Garrett Becker
Bobcats Remain Focused After Unforgettable Rivalry Win
11/23/2018 2:44:00 PM | Football
Montana State football moves forward from emotional victory in Missoula and is ready for start of playoff run
Down 22-0 in the second quarter against the Grizzlies last Saturday, the Bobcat football team's season was potentially on the line. In addition to the magnitude of the rivalry between Montana and Montana State, the two 6-4 teams were both angling for a spot in the 24-team FCS playoffs.
Facing their largest deficit of the day, the Bobcats stayed composed and turned the deficit into an unforgettable comeback.
"We talked last night in particular if you want to be remembered, you make a play in this game," Choate said following the game. "I think this is a game in general that will be remembered for a long time. For the courage of the young men who fought in it and the excitement that was provided."
Plays were made by a countless number of Bobcats. Senior linebacker Grant Collins was recognized as the STATS FCS national defensive player of the week. Collins combined for two fumbles and was involved in stops on the last two Grizzly goal line plays.
The Bobcats finished the regular season fourth in the Big Sky with a 7-4 record, three of those losses coming against top ten teams.
The team was rewarded for its successful regular season with a home playoff game against the University of the Incarnate Word Cardinals tomorrow. The trip to the playoffs marks Choate's first as the head coach at MSU. The Bobcats haven't made the playoffs since 2014 and gathered Sunday morning to see the announcement.
"We had a pretty good feeling that we were in (the playoffs)," nose tackle Tucker Yates said. "We were all just sitting there (Sunday morning) eating our breakfast. It was funny because we were the very first team announced. I think we all kind of knew we were going to get in, but there was the slight 'maybe we weren't in', we were a little nervous."
UIW finished the regular season 6-4 and capped the year with a share of the Southland Conference title. UIW established its football program in 2009 and completed its move to the FCS in 2013. The young program is making its first trip to the playoffs. UIW is led by first-year head coach Eric Morris.
The Bobcats had to quickly digest their emotional win over the Grizzlies. Yates stuffed the run at the goal-line last week and helped force the game sealing fumble. He knows he has to put that game behind him and give his complete focus to UIW this week.
"Let's forget about it for the time being, basically this week," Yates said. "Let's go win this game. We've kind of moved on and we're ready for this playoff game, that's kind of the mindset."
UIW's Morris comes from a high-powered Texas Tech offense, which he played for as a student-athlete and then coached five years in prior to taking the head coaching job at UIW. In 2015, he helped engineer the second highest scoring offense in the country at Texas Tech.
This season, Morris has the Cardinals offense clicking on all cylinders. The offense averages just shy of 500 yards a game and has scored over 80 combined points during their current two-game winning streak.
"They're eighth in the country in total offense, (Ra'Quanne Dickens) has 14 touchdowns, averages 105 yards per game," Choate said. "In an offense that features the passing game as much as they do, I think that says a lot about how committed Eric (Morris) is to being balanced."
MSU's defense only gave up three points in the second half last week. UIW's offense is going to be a tall task for the stout Bobcat defense. The Bobcats are keeping their focus where it's been all season, stopping the run and being efficient against conversions.
"It's just slowing them down, making them one-dimensional, stopping the run," Yates said. "That's kind of what we're focusing on. We pride ourselves on swelling up in the red zone and swelling up on third downs That's key in defensive play, if you can get off the field on third down, swell up in the red-zone and hold them to field goals, it's huge."
MSU takes on UIW at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 24, at Bobcat Stadium.
Facing their largest deficit of the day, the Bobcats stayed composed and turned the deficit into an unforgettable comeback.
"We talked last night in particular if you want to be remembered, you make a play in this game," Choate said following the game. "I think this is a game in general that will be remembered for a long time. For the courage of the young men who fought in it and the excitement that was provided."
Plays were made by a countless number of Bobcats. Senior linebacker Grant Collins was recognized as the STATS FCS national defensive player of the week. Collins combined for two fumbles and was involved in stops on the last two Grizzly goal line plays.
The Bobcats finished the regular season fourth in the Big Sky with a 7-4 record, three of those losses coming against top ten teams.
The team was rewarded for its successful regular season with a home playoff game against the University of the Incarnate Word Cardinals tomorrow. The trip to the playoffs marks Choate's first as the head coach at MSU. The Bobcats haven't made the playoffs since 2014 and gathered Sunday morning to see the announcement.
"We had a pretty good feeling that we were in (the playoffs)," nose tackle Tucker Yates said. "We were all just sitting there (Sunday morning) eating our breakfast. It was funny because we were the very first team announced. I think we all kind of knew we were going to get in, but there was the slight 'maybe we weren't in', we were a little nervous."
UIW finished the regular season 6-4 and capped the year with a share of the Southland Conference title. UIW established its football program in 2009 and completed its move to the FCS in 2013. The young program is making its first trip to the playoffs. UIW is led by first-year head coach Eric Morris.
The Bobcats had to quickly digest their emotional win over the Grizzlies. Yates stuffed the run at the goal-line last week and helped force the game sealing fumble. He knows he has to put that game behind him and give his complete focus to UIW this week.
"Let's forget about it for the time being, basically this week," Yates said. "Let's go win this game. We've kind of moved on and we're ready for this playoff game, that's kind of the mindset."
UIW's Morris comes from a high-powered Texas Tech offense, which he played for as a student-athlete and then coached five years in prior to taking the head coaching job at UIW. In 2015, he helped engineer the second highest scoring offense in the country at Texas Tech.
This season, Morris has the Cardinals offense clicking on all cylinders. The offense averages just shy of 500 yards a game and has scored over 80 combined points during their current two-game winning streak.
"They're eighth in the country in total offense, (Ra'Quanne Dickens) has 14 touchdowns, averages 105 yards per game," Choate said. "In an offense that features the passing game as much as they do, I think that says a lot about how committed Eric (Morris) is to being balanced."
MSU's defense only gave up three points in the second half last week. UIW's offense is going to be a tall task for the stout Bobcat defense. The Bobcats are keeping their focus where it's been all season, stopping the run and being efficient against conversions.
"It's just slowing them down, making them one-dimensional, stopping the run," Yates said. "That's kind of what we're focusing on. We pride ourselves on swelling up in the red zone and swelling up on third downs That's key in defensive play, if you can get off the field on third down, swell up in the red-zone and hold them to field goals, it's huge."
MSU takes on UIW at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 24, at Bobcat Stadium.
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