Saturday, October 1
BOZEMAN
8:15 pm
Montana State University
vs
UC Davis
Willie Patterson (11) blocks for Sean Chambers
Photo by: Garrett Becker
GAME #5: Bobcats Host Talented UC Davis Squad in Return to Bobcat Stadium
9/29/2022 9:17:00 AM | Football
Montana State, Aggies take national stage on ESPNU at 8:15 pm
BOZEMAN, Montana – Brent Vigen isn't fooled.
"To see their 1-3 record," Montana State's second-year head football coach says of his team's opponent Saturday, 1-3 UC Davis, "that doesn't tell the entire story."
The entire story takes quite a bit to detail. The Aggies opened with a competitive loss to a Pac 12 foe, then followed with a heartbreaking two-point defeat at the hands of South Dakota State, perennially a top five FCS power. Last week UCD dropped another narrow decision, 17-12 to national power Weber State. "They've been in all those games," Vigen said. "This is the same team that was a preseason top 25."
Montana State and UC Davis meet at 8:15 pm Saturday in Bobcat Stadium. The game is televised nationally on ESPNU.
The Bobcats logged an impressive win last weekend, a 38-35 triumph at No. 15 Eastern Washington. Montana State showed resilience, following an interception in the end zone with just under four minutes to play and trailing by four points with a takeaway on the very next play. Callahan O'Reilly stripped Micah Smith of the ball and Ty Okada jumped on it. Sean Chambers scored two plays later, and when the Cats intercepted a pass four plays later the team was able to ice the win without losing possession.
Four Bobcats have surpassed the 100-yard rushing mark through that many games, and the two most recent have shown perseverance. Sean Chambers replaced injured Tommy Mellott near the end of the first quarter Saturday and finished with 160 rushing yards. His two touchdowns gives him and FCS leading nine on the season. Elijah Elliott, the 'next man up' mentality personified as the team's fourth starting running back of 2022, gained 156 on the ground.
"It was great to see Elijah step up to that opportunity," Vigen said. "I really appreciate how he has responded. To be able to get some traditional run game out of the running back position is big for us."
Scoring numbers in the last two weeks might point to a different evaluation than Vigen offers. "I like the way they've continued to fight," he said of his stop unit. "To get those two turnovers at the end of the game shows a lot of resilience."
Vigen has been impressed with UC Davis, in spite of the Aggies' record. "They really have a lot of ways to move the ball on offense," he said. "They use their backs, the quarterback completes passes, they have a good mix of size on the outside and speed in the slot. On defense they give you a lot of different looks. They are really stout."
While running back Ulonzo Gilliam powers the Aggies offense (91.3 yards per game, 6.8 yards per rush, 197 receiving yards), UCD offers diversity and versatility. Quarterback Miles Hastings completes 66.1% of his passes for 260.3 yards a game, while CJ Hutton, Trent Tompkins, Chaz Davis and Lan Larison have each caught between 14 and 18 passes.
With Mellott ruled out for this week, Chambers makes his first start as a Bobcat quarterback. The role is nothing new to him, though, as he started parts of three seasons at Wyoming. "He's played a lot of football and he's ready for the opportunity," Vigen said. "He'll benefit from a difference in the focus of his reps in practice. That's a shift for him, but it won't be a big deal. He's done this before."
Another thing the Bobcats have done before is play a night game. This is the team's third this season, although the start will be its latest. Vigen said logistical challenges emerge. "It's just such a long wait" on Saturday, he said, "but we've played night games this year. It will be an exciting atmosphere, and the guys will be ready."
#GoCatsGo
"To see their 1-3 record," Montana State's second-year head football coach says of his team's opponent Saturday, 1-3 UC Davis, "that doesn't tell the entire story."
The entire story takes quite a bit to detail. The Aggies opened with a competitive loss to a Pac 12 foe, then followed with a heartbreaking two-point defeat at the hands of South Dakota State, perennially a top five FCS power. Last week UCD dropped another narrow decision, 17-12 to national power Weber State. "They've been in all those games," Vigen said. "This is the same team that was a preseason top 25."
Montana State and UC Davis meet at 8:15 pm Saturday in Bobcat Stadium. The game is televised nationally on ESPNU.
The Bobcats logged an impressive win last weekend, a 38-35 triumph at No. 15 Eastern Washington. Montana State showed resilience, following an interception in the end zone with just under four minutes to play and trailing by four points with a takeaway on the very next play. Callahan O'Reilly stripped Micah Smith of the ball and Ty Okada jumped on it. Sean Chambers scored two plays later, and when the Cats intercepted a pass four plays later the team was able to ice the win without losing possession.
Four Bobcats have surpassed the 100-yard rushing mark through that many games, and the two most recent have shown perseverance. Sean Chambers replaced injured Tommy Mellott near the end of the first quarter Saturday and finished with 160 rushing yards. His two touchdowns gives him and FCS leading nine on the season. Elijah Elliott, the 'next man up' mentality personified as the team's fourth starting running back of 2022, gained 156 on the ground.
"It was great to see Elijah step up to that opportunity," Vigen said. "I really appreciate how he has responded. To be able to get some traditional run game out of the running back position is big for us."
Scoring numbers in the last two weeks might point to a different evaluation than Vigen offers. "I like the way they've continued to fight," he said of his stop unit. "To get those two turnovers at the end of the game shows a lot of resilience."
Vigen has been impressed with UC Davis, in spite of the Aggies' record. "They really have a lot of ways to move the ball on offense," he said. "They use their backs, the quarterback completes passes, they have a good mix of size on the outside and speed in the slot. On defense they give you a lot of different looks. They are really stout."
While running back Ulonzo Gilliam powers the Aggies offense (91.3 yards per game, 6.8 yards per rush, 197 receiving yards), UCD offers diversity and versatility. Quarterback Miles Hastings completes 66.1% of his passes for 260.3 yards a game, while CJ Hutton, Trent Tompkins, Chaz Davis and Lan Larison have each caught between 14 and 18 passes.
With Mellott ruled out for this week, Chambers makes his first start as a Bobcat quarterback. The role is nothing new to him, though, as he started parts of three seasons at Wyoming. "He's played a lot of football and he's ready for the opportunity," Vigen said. "He'll benefit from a difference in the focus of his reps in practice. That's a shift for him, but it won't be a big deal. He's done this before."
Another thing the Bobcats have done before is play a night game. This is the team's third this season, although the start will be its latest. Vigen said logistical challenges emerge. "It's just such a long wait" on Saturday, he said, "but we've played night games this year. It will be an exciting atmosphere, and the guys will be ready."
#GoCatsGo
Players Mentioned
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