Kenneth Eiden IV
Photo by: Garrett Becker
GAME #9: Bobcats Return Home to Host Upset-Happy NAU and Honor All-Time Great, 11/2/2023
11/2/2023 4:31:00 PM | Football
College Football of Fame honors all-time great Bobcat Bill Kollar during Saturday's game
BOZEMAN, Montana – Montana State head football coach Brent Vigen knows exactly what Northern Arizona has on its mind when the Lumberjacks visit Bobcat Stadium Saturday at 1 pm.
An upset.
"Their three wins all came against teams that were ranked at the time," Vigen said, "and that's very impressive. But what really has our attention is our game against them last year." That thriller ended with a walk-off winning field goal by the Bobcats to cap a fourth-quarter comeback. Capturing that win almost exactly one year ago (November 5, 2022) boosted the Bobcats to a Big Sky Championship.
This year's matchup with the Lumberjacks comes one week after MSU suffered its first league loss since 2021, a 24-21 defeat at Idaho. Northern Arizona owns wins over then-No. 11 Montana, No. 13 Weber State, and No. 25 UC Davis. NAU also lost a one-point decision at No. 9 Sacramento State.
The Cats look to get back on track offensively against a star-studded Northern Arizona defense. Defensive end Eloi Kwete's 24 career sacks is a school record, and 6.5 of them have occurred this season. Freshman safety Alex McLaughlin's 57 tackles leads the team, as do his five pass breakups and two interception. It is all enough to land him on the Jerry Rice Watch List presented to the FCS' top freshman.
Offensively, Northern Arizona got a boost from a reserve quarterback in its upset of UC Davis. Angel Flores came off the bench to scored touchdowns by catching and throwing passes and rushing. Whether he or projected starter Adam Damante is taking snaps, a talented group of receivers star for the Jacks. Hendrix Johnson is seven catches from breaking the school's all-time receptions record, while Coleman Owen is one touchdown catch from the career top 10 list in that category.
Montana State honors two-time All-America Bill Kollar on Saturday, along with several of his teammates. Kollar is a 2023 College Football Hall of Fame electee (the official induction is in December), and the National Football Foundation holds its on-campus salute for him between the first and second quarters. In addition, Kollar and several teammates from the 1973 Bobcat team will be recognized as the first squad to play in Reno H. Sales/Bobcat Stadium. MSU's most recent home win, against Cal Poly on October 14, was the 200th Bobcat victory in its current home venue.
Saturday's game airs around Montana on CW stations and streams on ESPN+, with Ben Creighton, Ty Gregorak and Scott Breen calling the action. The Bobcat Radio Network carries the game across Montana and on the Varsity Network app, with Keaton Gillogly, RJ Fitzgerald and Dan Davies on the call.
#GoCatsGo
An upset.
"Their three wins all came against teams that were ranked at the time," Vigen said, "and that's very impressive. But what really has our attention is our game against them last year." That thriller ended with a walk-off winning field goal by the Bobcats to cap a fourth-quarter comeback. Capturing that win almost exactly one year ago (November 5, 2022) boosted the Bobcats to a Big Sky Championship.
This year's matchup with the Lumberjacks comes one week after MSU suffered its first league loss since 2021, a 24-21 defeat at Idaho. Northern Arizona owns wins over then-No. 11 Montana, No. 13 Weber State, and No. 25 UC Davis. NAU also lost a one-point decision at No. 9 Sacramento State.
The Cats look to get back on track offensively against a star-studded Northern Arizona defense. Defensive end Eloi Kwete's 24 career sacks is a school record, and 6.5 of them have occurred this season. Freshman safety Alex McLaughlin's 57 tackles leads the team, as do his five pass breakups and two interception. It is all enough to land him on the Jerry Rice Watch List presented to the FCS' top freshman.
Offensively, Northern Arizona got a boost from a reserve quarterback in its upset of UC Davis. Angel Flores came off the bench to scored touchdowns by catching and throwing passes and rushing. Whether he or projected starter Adam Damante is taking snaps, a talented group of receivers star for the Jacks. Hendrix Johnson is seven catches from breaking the school's all-time receptions record, while Coleman Owen is one touchdown catch from the career top 10 list in that category.
Montana State honors two-time All-America Bill Kollar on Saturday, along with several of his teammates. Kollar is a 2023 College Football Hall of Fame electee (the official induction is in December), and the National Football Foundation holds its on-campus salute for him between the first and second quarters. In addition, Kollar and several teammates from the 1973 Bobcat team will be recognized as the first squad to play in Reno H. Sales/Bobcat Stadium. MSU's most recent home win, against Cal Poly on October 14, was the 200th Bobcat victory in its current home venue.
Saturday's game airs around Montana on CW stations and streams on ESPN+, with Ben Creighton, Ty Gregorak and Scott Breen calling the action. The Bobcat Radio Network carries the game across Montana and on the Varsity Network app, with Keaton Gillogly, RJ Fitzgerald and Dan Davies on the call.
#GoCatsGo
Thursday, July 31
Monday, May 19
Wednesday, May 03
Wednesday, May 03
