Jared White
Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson
GAME #2: Bobcats Travel to South Dakota State for Big Early-Season Showdown
9/7/2023 8:19:00 PM | Football
MSU faces top-ranked Jackrabbits in showdown between top-three teams
BOZEMAN, Montana – One of Montana State's most anticipated non-conference games in recent history arrives Saturday when third-ranked Montana State visits No. 1 and defending FCS National Champion South Dakota State. Kickoff is 5 pm MT (6 pm CT) and the game airs across the Treasure State on MTN stations.
While MSU and the Jackrabbits never shared a conference affiliation, the teams have met 17 times since the series began in 1956. The teams took turn ending each other's season in the last two years – MSU topped South Dakota State with a trip to the 2021 FCS National Championship Game on the line, while SDSU won under similar circumstances nine months ago – and have met four times in the most recent five campaigns.
Bobcat coach Brent Vigen's battles with SDSU date to his playing days at North Dakota State in the mid-1990s and his time coaching his alma mater against the Jackrabbits through 2013. His two seasons at MSU have done nothing to turn down the heat. "They're the defending champs, No. One-ranked in the country right now, and this will be our third game in our last 18 games against them so there's familiarity from both the semifinal matchups," he said.
The Bobcats earned their way to Frisco, Texas, with the 31-17 win in Bobcat Stadium in 2021. That game remains a Blue & Gold classic. South Dakota State turned the tides last year with a 39-18 win in Brookings.
The Jackrabbits ride a 15-game winning streak into Saturday's showdown, with two of those wins over current No. 2 North Dakota State and one over the third-ranked Cats. Since transitioning to NCAA Division I status in 2004 the Jackrabbits claim 17 winning seasons, including the last 11 in a row. Each of those 11 campaigns have resulted in FCS Playoffs appearances, the second-longest current streak behind NDSU's 13.
South Dakota State and the Cats have a strong mutual tradition on the gridiron. The teams met every year from 1956 to 1966, with MSU winning nine of those 11 meetings. Four of those, including one SDSU victory, occurred in Great Falls. The rivalry went dormant until 2004, when the first-year Division I Jackrabbits visited Bozeman. A decade later the Jackrabbits were back, this time for a 2014 FCS Playoff contest won by the visitors. In the decade that started with that game, MSU is 1-4 against the foes from Brookings, including 1-2 in the playoffs.
All of that queues up Saturday's showdown between two of the best teams in the FCS. "We both bring a lot of players back," Vigen said. "It will be one of those games that I imagine will go down to the fourth quarter. To get there you have to play well on both sides of the ball and we need to be able to push to play an advantage on the special teams side of things, but they're good in all three phases. It's going to take an improved effort on our part as far as execution goes, (along with) that same relentless way of going about things in terms of how hard we play."
As expected, the Jackrabbits return a wealth of talent. "You don't see a real weakness across the board from them, and you shouldn't," Vigen said. "They're the defending champs and they bring a lot of players back."
Junior quarterback Mark Gronowski brings a championship pedigree to the Jackrabbits offense after leading the team to the 2022 crown. He completed 10 of his 13 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns in the FCS Semifinals against Montana State last season, then went 14-for-21 for 223 yards with three touchdowns in the championship game against NDSU. Receivers Jaxon and Jadon Janke return as key weapons on the outside, as does running backs Isaiah Davis and Amar Johnson.
"Gronowski had a phenomenal playoff run last year, he can run it and throw it, and they return the Janke twins who are obviously a point of attention," Vigen said. "I look at their running backs and that tandem's really good, Davis and Johnson. They are a different blend of running back. Davis is a powerful back that can really run, and we found out how Johnson can really run speed-wise last year."
Vigen is also impressed with the offense's big men. "They return all five starters up front (on the offensive line)," Vigen said. "That was a strength of theirs last year."
Linebacker Adam Bock leads the way on defense. The junior linebacker finished 2021 as a Buck Buchanan Award finalist, and logged 2.5 tackles-for-loss against the Cats last season. Defensive line starters Cade Terveer and Ryan Van Marel also return, along with linebackers Jason Freeman and Isaiah Stalbird, who flank Bock.
Both teams enjoyed decisive season-opening wins. South Dakota State whipped Western Oregon 45-7, while the Cats ran past Utah Tech 63-20. Vigen saw plenty to like, and plenty of work ahead of his team, in the opener. "It felt like it was a good effort, and at the same time there's plenty for us to improve upon," he said. ""To win the turnover margin, to not be penalized – for the most part our penalties came at the end of the game – we played pretty clean. The playmaking was there. It's certainly a performance for us to build upon."
The Bobcats rode offensive weapons both familiar and fresh. Junior quarterback Tommy Mellott ran for 79 yards and threw for 157, completing passes to seven different receivers. MSU's ground game churned out 402 yards, led by first-year freshman Scottre Humphrey's 114 yards and three touchdowns. He is the first true freshman since at least World War II to hit those benchmarks in a season opener.
Defensively the Cats picked off three passes, including one by senior defensive end David Alston. That marked MSU's first defensive line interception since Tyrone Fa'anono in 2018. MSU held Utah Tech to 309 total yards and 16 first downs.
Vigen knows that it will take elevated play to compete with South Dakota State on Saturday. "This is a good team, more than that, a great team, and we'll need to improve this week."
In addition to airing on MTN Stations the game is broadcast on the Bobcat Radio Network (Keaton Gillogly, RJ Fitzgerald, Dan Davies) and streams on ESPN+ with audio on the Varsity Network.
#GoCatsGo
While MSU and the Jackrabbits never shared a conference affiliation, the teams have met 17 times since the series began in 1956. The teams took turn ending each other's season in the last two years – MSU topped South Dakota State with a trip to the 2021 FCS National Championship Game on the line, while SDSU won under similar circumstances nine months ago – and have met four times in the most recent five campaigns.
Bobcat coach Brent Vigen's battles with SDSU date to his playing days at North Dakota State in the mid-1990s and his time coaching his alma mater against the Jackrabbits through 2013. His two seasons at MSU have done nothing to turn down the heat. "They're the defending champs, No. One-ranked in the country right now, and this will be our third game in our last 18 games against them so there's familiarity from both the semifinal matchups," he said.
The Bobcats earned their way to Frisco, Texas, with the 31-17 win in Bobcat Stadium in 2021. That game remains a Blue & Gold classic. South Dakota State turned the tides last year with a 39-18 win in Brookings.
The Jackrabbits ride a 15-game winning streak into Saturday's showdown, with two of those wins over current No. 2 North Dakota State and one over the third-ranked Cats. Since transitioning to NCAA Division I status in 2004 the Jackrabbits claim 17 winning seasons, including the last 11 in a row. Each of those 11 campaigns have resulted in FCS Playoffs appearances, the second-longest current streak behind NDSU's 13.
South Dakota State and the Cats have a strong mutual tradition on the gridiron. The teams met every year from 1956 to 1966, with MSU winning nine of those 11 meetings. Four of those, including one SDSU victory, occurred in Great Falls. The rivalry went dormant until 2004, when the first-year Division I Jackrabbits visited Bozeman. A decade later the Jackrabbits were back, this time for a 2014 FCS Playoff contest won by the visitors. In the decade that started with that game, MSU is 1-4 against the foes from Brookings, including 1-2 in the playoffs.
All of that queues up Saturday's showdown between two of the best teams in the FCS. "We both bring a lot of players back," Vigen said. "It will be one of those games that I imagine will go down to the fourth quarter. To get there you have to play well on both sides of the ball and we need to be able to push to play an advantage on the special teams side of things, but they're good in all three phases. It's going to take an improved effort on our part as far as execution goes, (along with) that same relentless way of going about things in terms of how hard we play."
As expected, the Jackrabbits return a wealth of talent. "You don't see a real weakness across the board from them, and you shouldn't," Vigen said. "They're the defending champs and they bring a lot of players back."
Junior quarterback Mark Gronowski brings a championship pedigree to the Jackrabbits offense after leading the team to the 2022 crown. He completed 10 of his 13 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns in the FCS Semifinals against Montana State last season, then went 14-for-21 for 223 yards with three touchdowns in the championship game against NDSU. Receivers Jaxon and Jadon Janke return as key weapons on the outside, as does running backs Isaiah Davis and Amar Johnson.
"Gronowski had a phenomenal playoff run last year, he can run it and throw it, and they return the Janke twins who are obviously a point of attention," Vigen said. "I look at their running backs and that tandem's really good, Davis and Johnson. They are a different blend of running back. Davis is a powerful back that can really run, and we found out how Johnson can really run speed-wise last year."
Vigen is also impressed with the offense's big men. "They return all five starters up front (on the offensive line)," Vigen said. "That was a strength of theirs last year."
Linebacker Adam Bock leads the way on defense. The junior linebacker finished 2021 as a Buck Buchanan Award finalist, and logged 2.5 tackles-for-loss against the Cats last season. Defensive line starters Cade Terveer and Ryan Van Marel also return, along with linebackers Jason Freeman and Isaiah Stalbird, who flank Bock.
Both teams enjoyed decisive season-opening wins. South Dakota State whipped Western Oregon 45-7, while the Cats ran past Utah Tech 63-20. Vigen saw plenty to like, and plenty of work ahead of his team, in the opener. "It felt like it was a good effort, and at the same time there's plenty for us to improve upon," he said. ""To win the turnover margin, to not be penalized – for the most part our penalties came at the end of the game – we played pretty clean. The playmaking was there. It's certainly a performance for us to build upon."
The Bobcats rode offensive weapons both familiar and fresh. Junior quarterback Tommy Mellott ran for 79 yards and threw for 157, completing passes to seven different receivers. MSU's ground game churned out 402 yards, led by first-year freshman Scottre Humphrey's 114 yards and three touchdowns. He is the first true freshman since at least World War II to hit those benchmarks in a season opener.
Defensively the Cats picked off three passes, including one by senior defensive end David Alston. That marked MSU's first defensive line interception since Tyrone Fa'anono in 2018. MSU held Utah Tech to 309 total yards and 16 first downs.
Vigen knows that it will take elevated play to compete with South Dakota State on Saturday. "This is a good team, more than that, a great team, and we'll need to improve this week."
In addition to airing on MTN Stations the game is broadcast on the Bobcat Radio Network (Keaton Gillogly, RJ Fitzgerald, Dan Davies) and streams on ESPN+ with audio on the Varsity Network.
#GoCatsGo
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