Saturday, November 9
Greeley, CO
12 p.m.
Montana State University
at
Northern Colorado
Lewis Kidd
Photo by: Garrett Becker
GAME #10: Bobcats Face Ascending Northern Colorado on Saturday in Greeley
11/6/2019 4:55:00 PM | Football
Montana State meets ancient rivals in 'really big game'
BOZEMAN, Montana – For the fourth straight game, Montana State faces an opponent riding a wave of momentum.
It began with Sacramento State, who whipped Eastern Washington by three touchdowns and turned that into a streak by beating Montana State, Montana and Cal Poly. North Dakota earned a road win the week before topping the Cats 16-12, and last week MSU beat a Southern Utah team fresh off a blowout win against Idaho State.
Regardless of what happened in recent weeks – Northern Colorado also earned a big road win at Idaho State last week – Bobcat coach Jeff Choate said his focus is squarely on the visiting sideline Saturday when No. 12/14 Montana State (6-3 overall, 3-2 Big Sky) visits Northern Colorado (2-7 overall, 2-3 Big Sky). Kickoff is 12 noon, and the game is available across Montana on ABC stations (SWX in Billings) across Montana, along with Eleven Sports, Pluto.tv and WatchBigSky on the internet, and the Bobcat Radio Network.
"This is a really big game for us," Choate said. "A really big game. I'm proud of the way our guys responded after a couple of tough losses. It was good to get back home to Bobcat Stadium (for Saturday's win against Southern Utah). In spite of a lot going on with high school playoffs and hunting season we still had a really good crowd, and we always appreciate that. But the next game is the most important."
Unlike its recent foes, the Bobcats are plenty familiar with Northern Colorado. This is the third straight season Montana State has faced the Bears, the only out-of-state team on this year's schedule with that distinction. In this case, for Choate, familiarity breeds apprehension. "Northern Colorado is a tough place to play. It was a big win for them on the road last week at Idaho State to create a lot of momentum for them."
The Bears' offense begins with senior quarterback Jacob Knipp. He completes 59.6% of his passes for 220.4 yards a game, and Choate is impressed. "I really like their quarterback, he's a really good player," he said. "I really like this kid. He's a big, strong kid, an accurate passer, he's got some good targets to throw to… He goes through his reads and his progressions, but he's decisive. He's not afraid to run. He's had an injury history, but that doesn't seem to deter him from pulling the ball down and going. He's definitely been an issue for people in that regard, too. I think he does compare favorably, he's a bigger guy than (Kevin Thomson of Sacramento State), but I think he's a similar player."
Complementing Knipp's mastery of the Bears passing game, Wyoming transfer Milo Hall rushes for 76.7 yards a game. Willie Fairman leads the Bears with 39 catches and 46.1 yards a game. Jaren Mitchell and Noah Sol combing for 65 yards a game through the air. Choate said the talent available to ninth-year head coach Earnest Collins Jr. has molded UNC's offensive philosophy. "(Hall is) a good inside zone runner, that's what they do with him," Choate said. "When they had the track kid (playing receiver) they'd set up five or six vertical shots a game to him, now it's more similar to what we saw against North Dakota, a lot of (run-pass option), inside zone, some tempo. Those are the type of things you see, and I think the Knipp kid does a really good job operating (the offense)."
Fairman, Choate says, is "their true speed guy, and they do a nice job of creating matchups because they'll move their speed guys into the slot and if you play quarters coverage on them you're basically going to get a safety man-to-man on their speed guy. They've taken advantage of everybody they've played in that regard. Other targets are (Mitchell and Sol), some taller guys on the perimeter that they use in a variety of ways."
Luke Nelson paces the Bears defensively with 84 tackles, while Choate also praised tackle Eddie Gonzales. "Defensively they play multiple fronts. It kind of depends the style you're playing whether you're going to see the three-down front or the four-down front. As they settle into the game you see more four-down. They're your standard 30 percent blitz team, more fire zone, not a ton of zero coverage, although if you do get into heavier sets, two tight ends, three tight ends, they will crowd the box and play zero coverage. I really like the Gonzalez kid, I think he's got a high motor, one of their best interior defensive linemen, and the senior captain (Nelson) at linebacker, you can tell he's the leader of that group. Everything goes through him in the communication."
Northern Colorado's top playmaker, though, is cornerback Michael Walker. The Big Sky's reigning Defensive Player of the Week, he has four interceptions this season, and was a catalyst in last week's win. "(Walker) had two interceptions, a pick six, and a forced fumble at Idaho State, so he had a huge game last week, but he shows up consistently on tape. He's a 6-1 senior corner, a really good athlete, and is a guy you have to be aware of all the time when he's on the field."
Like the Bears, Montana State also enters Saturday with a hot hand. The Cats cranked up their league-leading ground game to the tune of 176 yards last week. Lane Sumner led the way with 90 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Tucker Rovig threw for 206 yards and three touchdowns, and for the fourth time this season MSU didn't turn the ball over. The Bobcats stand plus-eight in turnovers this season, ninth in the FCS. MSU was even more effective defensively, holding Southern Utah to 249 total yards a week after the Thunderbirds dropped 59 points on Idaho State. MSU carried a shutout into the game's final six minutes, long after the team's starters had departed.
For Choate, though, the gaze is forward-facing. "We've got to go down there with the one-game-at-a-time mentality," he said, "and prepare to play our best game against this group."
#GoCatsGo
It began with Sacramento State, who whipped Eastern Washington by three touchdowns and turned that into a streak by beating Montana State, Montana and Cal Poly. North Dakota earned a road win the week before topping the Cats 16-12, and last week MSU beat a Southern Utah team fresh off a blowout win against Idaho State.
Regardless of what happened in recent weeks – Northern Colorado also earned a big road win at Idaho State last week – Bobcat coach Jeff Choate said his focus is squarely on the visiting sideline Saturday when No. 12/14 Montana State (6-3 overall, 3-2 Big Sky) visits Northern Colorado (2-7 overall, 2-3 Big Sky). Kickoff is 12 noon, and the game is available across Montana on ABC stations (SWX in Billings) across Montana, along with Eleven Sports, Pluto.tv and WatchBigSky on the internet, and the Bobcat Radio Network.
"This is a really big game for us," Choate said. "A really big game. I'm proud of the way our guys responded after a couple of tough losses. It was good to get back home to Bobcat Stadium (for Saturday's win against Southern Utah). In spite of a lot going on with high school playoffs and hunting season we still had a really good crowd, and we always appreciate that. But the next game is the most important."
Unlike its recent foes, the Bobcats are plenty familiar with Northern Colorado. This is the third straight season Montana State has faced the Bears, the only out-of-state team on this year's schedule with that distinction. In this case, for Choate, familiarity breeds apprehension. "Northern Colorado is a tough place to play. It was a big win for them on the road last week at Idaho State to create a lot of momentum for them."
The Bears' offense begins with senior quarterback Jacob Knipp. He completes 59.6% of his passes for 220.4 yards a game, and Choate is impressed. "I really like their quarterback, he's a really good player," he said. "I really like this kid. He's a big, strong kid, an accurate passer, he's got some good targets to throw to… He goes through his reads and his progressions, but he's decisive. He's not afraid to run. He's had an injury history, but that doesn't seem to deter him from pulling the ball down and going. He's definitely been an issue for people in that regard, too. I think he does compare favorably, he's a bigger guy than (Kevin Thomson of Sacramento State), but I think he's a similar player."
Complementing Knipp's mastery of the Bears passing game, Wyoming transfer Milo Hall rushes for 76.7 yards a game. Willie Fairman leads the Bears with 39 catches and 46.1 yards a game. Jaren Mitchell and Noah Sol combing for 65 yards a game through the air. Choate said the talent available to ninth-year head coach Earnest Collins Jr. has molded UNC's offensive philosophy. "(Hall is) a good inside zone runner, that's what they do with him," Choate said. "When they had the track kid (playing receiver) they'd set up five or six vertical shots a game to him, now it's more similar to what we saw against North Dakota, a lot of (run-pass option), inside zone, some tempo. Those are the type of things you see, and I think the Knipp kid does a really good job operating (the offense)."
Fairman, Choate says, is "their true speed guy, and they do a nice job of creating matchups because they'll move their speed guys into the slot and if you play quarters coverage on them you're basically going to get a safety man-to-man on their speed guy. They've taken advantage of everybody they've played in that regard. Other targets are (Mitchell and Sol), some taller guys on the perimeter that they use in a variety of ways."
Luke Nelson paces the Bears defensively with 84 tackles, while Choate also praised tackle Eddie Gonzales. "Defensively they play multiple fronts. It kind of depends the style you're playing whether you're going to see the three-down front or the four-down front. As they settle into the game you see more four-down. They're your standard 30 percent blitz team, more fire zone, not a ton of zero coverage, although if you do get into heavier sets, two tight ends, three tight ends, they will crowd the box and play zero coverage. I really like the Gonzalez kid, I think he's got a high motor, one of their best interior defensive linemen, and the senior captain (Nelson) at linebacker, you can tell he's the leader of that group. Everything goes through him in the communication."
Northern Colorado's top playmaker, though, is cornerback Michael Walker. The Big Sky's reigning Defensive Player of the Week, he has four interceptions this season, and was a catalyst in last week's win. "(Walker) had two interceptions, a pick six, and a forced fumble at Idaho State, so he had a huge game last week, but he shows up consistently on tape. He's a 6-1 senior corner, a really good athlete, and is a guy you have to be aware of all the time when he's on the field."
Like the Bears, Montana State also enters Saturday with a hot hand. The Cats cranked up their league-leading ground game to the tune of 176 yards last week. Lane Sumner led the way with 90 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Tucker Rovig threw for 206 yards and three touchdowns, and for the fourth time this season MSU didn't turn the ball over. The Bobcats stand plus-eight in turnovers this season, ninth in the FCS. MSU was even more effective defensively, holding Southern Utah to 249 total yards a week after the Thunderbirds dropped 59 points on Idaho State. MSU carried a shutout into the game's final six minutes, long after the team's starters had departed.
For Choate, though, the gaze is forward-facing. "We've got to go down there with the one-game-at-a-time mentality," he said, "and prepare to play our best game against this group."
#GoCatsGo
Players Mentioned
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