Kenneth Eiden IV celebrates a sack
GAME #8: Bobcats Host Undefeated Weber State in Matchup Between Top Five-Ranked Teams
10/20/2022 11:17:00 AM | Football
Perennial Big Sky power arrives in Bozeman with longest FCS road win streak
BOZEMAN, Montana – Montana State and Weber State have met 55 times on the gridiron, but none of them shaped up quite like this one.
For the first time in this series (which MSU leads 31-23-1) the Bobcats and Wildcats meet in Bozeman with both teams nationally ranked. In fact, Saturday's 1 pm showdown between third-ranked Montana State and No. 5 Weber State stands as the first regular season game in Bobcat Stadium history with both teams ranked among the nation's top five. The only previous such game was the Bobcats' 1984 NCAA Division I-AA Playoff win over Rhode Island when the two teams were tied for second.
"They understand it is" an important game, Montana State coach Brent Vigen said of his players as the Bobcats prepare for Saturday's contest. "But our preparation doesn't change from week to week. Every game is the most important one because it's the next one."
The Bobcats' next one brings to Bobcat Stadium a 6-0 Wildcats team out-scoring their opponents 37.3 points per game to 11.0. Weber State gains 6.3 yards per play offensively, while holding its opponents to 3.7 yards a play. Weber State's defense is ranked first or second in almost every Big Sky statistical category.
"Defensively, I wouldn't say if you can stop one guy you've got them," Vigen said. "They're really good most everywhere. They play a lot of guys up front so they stay fresh. They're linebacker corps is strong. A lot of times they play six DBs, so that speaks to the depth they have in the secondary. They play a lot of man coverage, so their guys are good at playing the core, fundamental coverage for them."
Winston Reid leads the Wildcats with 44 tackles, adding 4.5 tackles-for-loss and one sack. He has forced a fumble. Garrett Beck's 35 tackles are complemented by two sacks and an interception. WSU has intercepted a dozen tackles this season.
Quarterback Bronson Barron triggers an dynamic and versatile offense. Three different backs surpass the 250-yard mark in rushing, with Josh Davis (67.6 yards per game, 4.7 yards per rush) and Damon Bankston (64.7, 5.7) leading the way. The pass-catching corps is similarly deep, with three players catching at least 20 tosses. Five different players average at least 10.0 yards per catch. Barron completes 65.7% of his passes for 1,434 yards (239.0 per game).
"Offensively I think their quarterback's playing really well," Vigen said. "He's making good decisions, he's getting the ball out. They're throwing the ball better and differently than they did last year. They have a good receiving corps, and tight ends. They're playing three tailbacks right now, and they all have a different style. They have really good skill, and they're not dependent on any one particular guy. They have a lot of weapons, and they're very good up front."
While the Wildcats have played only one close game this year, a 17-12 win at UC Davis (the rest have featured winning margins of at least three touchdowns), Montana State has had to scrap more consistently. The Bobcats fell behind 14-3 at Northern Colorado a week ago before rallying for a 37-14 win. "We were frustrate that we were down 14-3, but we didn't panic," Vigen said. "We really put together a strong stretch in most of the second quarter and third quarter. We couldn't quite get it to a three-score game, we missed that extra point, but defensively we really honed in. They were ultimately 2-of-14 on third down so I'm really pleased with how we played on third down."
The Bobcats seem stuck in a cycle of welcoming back injured players simultaneous to losing important pieces to the puzzle. Quarterback Tommy Mellott and running back Lane Sumner each returned from injuries last week with strong showings. Mellott's 16-for-20 passing day was his career best, while Sumner rambled for rambled for over 100 yards for the third time in his three games this season.
With those two offensive weapons back in the fold, the Cats lost in quick succession starting offensive guard Cole Sain and starting offensive tackle Marcus Wehr. Freshman Omar Aigbedion makes his second start in Sain's absence, while sophomore Jacob Kettels steps in for Wehr. "We have full confidence in those guys," Vigen says simply.
While a small amount of standing room tickets remain, Saturday's game is expected to be MSU's 12th straight regular season sellout. Vigen knows the crowd will be crazy and loud. "We need them," he said. "We're glad we're playing at home. I think our players feed off that energy. But we know that the crowd doesn't guarantee us anything."
Vigen knows the task is tall. "There's a reason they're undefeated. They're solid in every area and it's going to take a great effort on our part."
Saturday's game is broadcast around Montana on the Bobcat Radio Network, televised on the CW stations via the Montana Television Network, and streams on ESPN+.
#GoCatsGo
For the first time in this series (which MSU leads 31-23-1) the Bobcats and Wildcats meet in Bozeman with both teams nationally ranked. In fact, Saturday's 1 pm showdown between third-ranked Montana State and No. 5 Weber State stands as the first regular season game in Bobcat Stadium history with both teams ranked among the nation's top five. The only previous such game was the Bobcats' 1984 NCAA Division I-AA Playoff win over Rhode Island when the two teams were tied for second.
"They understand it is" an important game, Montana State coach Brent Vigen said of his players as the Bobcats prepare for Saturday's contest. "But our preparation doesn't change from week to week. Every game is the most important one because it's the next one."
The Bobcats' next one brings to Bobcat Stadium a 6-0 Wildcats team out-scoring their opponents 37.3 points per game to 11.0. Weber State gains 6.3 yards per play offensively, while holding its opponents to 3.7 yards a play. Weber State's defense is ranked first or second in almost every Big Sky statistical category.
"Defensively, I wouldn't say if you can stop one guy you've got them," Vigen said. "They're really good most everywhere. They play a lot of guys up front so they stay fresh. They're linebacker corps is strong. A lot of times they play six DBs, so that speaks to the depth they have in the secondary. They play a lot of man coverage, so their guys are good at playing the core, fundamental coverage for them."
Winston Reid leads the Wildcats with 44 tackles, adding 4.5 tackles-for-loss and one sack. He has forced a fumble. Garrett Beck's 35 tackles are complemented by two sacks and an interception. WSU has intercepted a dozen tackles this season.
Quarterback Bronson Barron triggers an dynamic and versatile offense. Three different backs surpass the 250-yard mark in rushing, with Josh Davis (67.6 yards per game, 4.7 yards per rush) and Damon Bankston (64.7, 5.7) leading the way. The pass-catching corps is similarly deep, with three players catching at least 20 tosses. Five different players average at least 10.0 yards per catch. Barron completes 65.7% of his passes for 1,434 yards (239.0 per game).
"Offensively I think their quarterback's playing really well," Vigen said. "He's making good decisions, he's getting the ball out. They're throwing the ball better and differently than they did last year. They have a good receiving corps, and tight ends. They're playing three tailbacks right now, and they all have a different style. They have really good skill, and they're not dependent on any one particular guy. They have a lot of weapons, and they're very good up front."
While the Wildcats have played only one close game this year, a 17-12 win at UC Davis (the rest have featured winning margins of at least three touchdowns), Montana State has had to scrap more consistently. The Bobcats fell behind 14-3 at Northern Colorado a week ago before rallying for a 37-14 win. "We were frustrate that we were down 14-3, but we didn't panic," Vigen said. "We really put together a strong stretch in most of the second quarter and third quarter. We couldn't quite get it to a three-score game, we missed that extra point, but defensively we really honed in. They were ultimately 2-of-14 on third down so I'm really pleased with how we played on third down."
The Bobcats seem stuck in a cycle of welcoming back injured players simultaneous to losing important pieces to the puzzle. Quarterback Tommy Mellott and running back Lane Sumner each returned from injuries last week with strong showings. Mellott's 16-for-20 passing day was his career best, while Sumner rambled for rambled for over 100 yards for the third time in his three games this season.
With those two offensive weapons back in the fold, the Cats lost in quick succession starting offensive guard Cole Sain and starting offensive tackle Marcus Wehr. Freshman Omar Aigbedion makes his second start in Sain's absence, while sophomore Jacob Kettels steps in for Wehr. "We have full confidence in those guys," Vigen says simply.
While a small amount of standing room tickets remain, Saturday's game is expected to be MSU's 12th straight regular season sellout. Vigen knows the crowd will be crazy and loud. "We need them," he said. "We're glad we're playing at home. I think our players feed off that energy. But we know that the crowd doesn't guarantee us anything."
Vigen knows the task is tall. "There's a reason they're undefeated. They're solid in every area and it's going to take a great effort on our part."
Saturday's game is broadcast around Montana on the Bobcat Radio Network, televised on the CW stations via the Montana Television Network, and streams on ESPN+.
#GoCatsGo
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