Photo by: Garrett Becker
Bobcats Cap Stirring Weekend with 5th Seed, Playoff Bye
11/24/2019 12:10:00 PM | Football
Montana State opens playoffs against either Albany or Central Connecticut State
BOZEMAN, Montana – Fresh off Saturday's 48-14 win over the University of Montana, the Bobcat football team received more good news on Sunday.
Montana State's season-closing four-game win streak propelled the team to the fifth seed in the 2019 FCS Playoffs, and a first-round bye. The Cats, now 9-3 overall and 6-2 in Big Sky play, host the winner of the Albany-Central Connecticut State game next Saturday. Game won't be available until next week. The first-round playoff bye is MSU's first since 2012.
"You get on one side of the bracket or you get on the other side of the bracket," Choate said moments after his team's draw was announce. "With four seeded teams from the Big Sky Conference, in a quarterfinal matchup there's the potential for all four of us to play one another. We're going to play (one of) a couple of teams from the east coast (in the second round) so weather isn't as big of a factor (for the opponent). They're going to have some weather they have to contend with, but they do have to travel a good ways. We'll start digging in on those two and see what we can find out about them."
Choate is gratified that the Big Sky Conference, considered by many at the top of the FCS in terms of top-end teams, earned four seeds among the tournament's top six. Weber State enters the Playoffs seeded third, Sacramento State is fourth, the Cats fifth, and Montana sixth.
"They mentioned it a couple of times (on the selection show), they talked about three-loss teams (earning seeds). But two of the losses Weber has are to FBS opponents, one of Montana's losses is to an FBS opponent, one of our losses is to an FBS opponent. (Sacramento State also lost to two FBS opponents.) We beat each other up a little bit, but I think the committee recognized the quality of the league overall and rewarded us with those seeds."
Montana State conducted its regular season-ending banquet early Sunday afternoon, then Choate said it would be back into preparation mode. "I'll be bugging Garrett (Becker, MSU's football video coordinator) to see if we can get as much Albany and Central Connecticut State film as possible."
MONTANA STATE IN NCAA PLAYOFFS
2018: Beat Incarnate Word 35-14, lost at North Dakota State 52-10
2014: Lost to South Dakota State 47-40
2012: Beat Stony Brook 16-10, lost to Sam Houston State 34-16
2011: Beat New Hampshire 26-25, lost at Sam Houston State 49-13
2010: Lost to North Dakota State 42-17
2006: Beat Furman 31-13, lost at Appalachian State 38-17
2003: Lost at Northern Iowa 35-14
2002: Lost at McNeese State 21-14
1984: Beat Arkansas State 31-14, beat Rhode Island 32-20, won against Louisiana Tech in Charleston, S.C., 19-6
1976: Beat New Hampshire 17-16, won at North Dakota State 10-3, beat Akron in Wichita Falls, Texas, 24-13
#GoCatsGo
Montana State's season-closing four-game win streak propelled the team to the fifth seed in the 2019 FCS Playoffs, and a first-round bye. The Cats, now 9-3 overall and 6-2 in Big Sky play, host the winner of the Albany-Central Connecticut State game next Saturday. Game won't be available until next week. The first-round playoff bye is MSU's first since 2012.
"You get on one side of the bracket or you get on the other side of the bracket," Choate said moments after his team's draw was announce. "With four seeded teams from the Big Sky Conference, in a quarterfinal matchup there's the potential for all four of us to play one another. We're going to play (one of) a couple of teams from the east coast (in the second round) so weather isn't as big of a factor (for the opponent). They're going to have some weather they have to contend with, but they do have to travel a good ways. We'll start digging in on those two and see what we can find out about them."
Choate is gratified that the Big Sky Conference, considered by many at the top of the FCS in terms of top-end teams, earned four seeds among the tournament's top six. Weber State enters the Playoffs seeded third, Sacramento State is fourth, the Cats fifth, and Montana sixth.
"They mentioned it a couple of times (on the selection show), they talked about three-loss teams (earning seeds). But two of the losses Weber has are to FBS opponents, one of Montana's losses is to an FBS opponent, one of our losses is to an FBS opponent. (Sacramento State also lost to two FBS opponents.) We beat each other up a little bit, but I think the committee recognized the quality of the league overall and rewarded us with those seeds."
Montana State conducted its regular season-ending banquet early Sunday afternoon, then Choate said it would be back into preparation mode. "I'll be bugging Garrett (Becker, MSU's football video coordinator) to see if we can get as much Albany and Central Connecticut State film as possible."
MONTANA STATE IN NCAA PLAYOFFS
2018: Beat Incarnate Word 35-14, lost at North Dakota State 52-10
2014: Lost to South Dakota State 47-40
2012: Beat Stony Brook 16-10, lost to Sam Houston State 34-16
2011: Beat New Hampshire 26-25, lost at Sam Houston State 49-13
2010: Lost to North Dakota State 42-17
2006: Beat Furman 31-13, lost at Appalachian State 38-17
2003: Lost at Northern Iowa 35-14
2002: Lost at McNeese State 21-14
1984: Beat Arkansas State 31-14, beat Rhode Island 32-20, won against Louisiana Tech in Charleston, S.C., 19-6
1976: Beat New Hampshire 17-16, won at North Dakota State 10-3, beat Akron in Wichita Falls, Texas, 24-13
#GoCatsGo
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