Saturday, November 15
BOZEMAN
8:30 pm
Montana State University
vs
UC Davis
Justin Lamson (Jamie Lynch photo)
GAME #11: Bobcats, UC Davis Square Off in Top 10 vs. Top 10 Matchup... Again
11/14/2025 8:40:00 AM | Football
MSU Game Notes vs. UC DavisUCD Game Notes vs Montana StateDIGITAL PROGRAM Montana State vs. UC Davis 2025MSU vs UC Davis Flip Card
MSU, Aggies meet under Bobcat Stadium's lights on Saturday night
BOZEMAN, Mont. (Nov. 13, 2025) – Most observers see Montana State's nationally-televised home game on Saturday night against No. 9 UC Davis as the opportunity to chase a Big Sky Championship. But fifth-year Bobcat coach Brent Vigen appreciates that his team continues to chase something different.
"I think that this team continues to understand that the standard is out there," he said. "And they want it. They keep chasing it. They want it every bit as much as the coaches want it for them. And I think that's the key."
The third-ranked Bobcats (8-2 overall, 6-0 Big Sky) host the Aggies at 8:30 pm on Saturday in a game televised nationally by ESPN2 and streamed internationally by DAZN. For the second straight season, the Cats and UC Davis (7-2, 5-1) meet with Big Sky title hopes alive. MSU won a 30-28 thriller last November in Davis.
Vigen said that his team, in addition to seeking to reach the standard set by its immediate predecessors, also understands the task in front of it. "Now we're in a position where the team we're playing has everything to play for, too," he said. "And (the team) knows that."
UC Davis rides the strength of a high-powered offense, standing 28th in the FCS in scoring, 24th in rushing offense, 19th in passing offense, and 18th in yards per game. The offense is triggered by redshirt freshman quarterback Caden Pinnick, who is 12th in the FCS in total offense with 278.0 yards per game.
"You better cover (the receivers)," Vigen said, "because if (Pinnick) sees open guys, he's going to be able to connect with them. You know, some of his most impressive plays have been these, how in the world did he get out of that position and scramble? And then, when guys on the perimeter think they have him dead to rights, he's able to run around him."
Pinnick leads the Aggies' offense against a Bobcat defense that also carries excellent credentials. Montana State enters the game 7th nationally in points allowed, 10th in yards allowed. He has superior offensive weapons around him, starting with receiver Samuel Gbatu Jr. He has 43 catches, eight of them for touchdowns, and averages 82.4 receiving yards per game. Jordan Fisher rushes for 87.4 yards per game.
Montana State's offense has also rolled lately, scoring 121 points in the two most recent games. Quarterback Justin Lamson enters Saturday's game 2nd in the FCS in completion percentage. On the ground, Julius Davis rushes for 70.9 yards per game while Adam Jones gains 59.3.
The Aggies have survived a wave season-ending injuries, none more significant than Big Sky Preseason Player of the Year Rex Connors. Still, UC Davis is 7th in the Big Sky in total defense and 5th in scoring defense.
While Vigen says his counterpart on the UC Davis sideline, Tim Plough, "deserves a lot of credit," he also lauds his players for their steady approach. "Consistency is what it's all about," he said. "Being able to show up every week, and that's not just on Saturday. It's showing up every Monday ready to go, ready to prepare. This team, as much as any of the teams that we've had, has really embraced that."
Montana State and UC Davis currently claim spots among the Big Sky's top three in the standings, with 6-0 Montana sharing the catbird seat with MSU, Saturday's winner remains in strong contention for the crown.
"Now we're in position where we've been able rattle off eight in a row, and we've positioned ourselves to play a meaningful football the last couple of weeks of the regular season. And everything for us that we would like to achieve is still out there for us."
#GoCatsGo
"I think that this team continues to understand that the standard is out there," he said. "And they want it. They keep chasing it. They want it every bit as much as the coaches want it for them. And I think that's the key."
The third-ranked Bobcats (8-2 overall, 6-0 Big Sky) host the Aggies at 8:30 pm on Saturday in a game televised nationally by ESPN2 and streamed internationally by DAZN. For the second straight season, the Cats and UC Davis (7-2, 5-1) meet with Big Sky title hopes alive. MSU won a 30-28 thriller last November in Davis.
Vigen said that his team, in addition to seeking to reach the standard set by its immediate predecessors, also understands the task in front of it. "Now we're in a position where the team we're playing has everything to play for, too," he said. "And (the team) knows that."
UC Davis rides the strength of a high-powered offense, standing 28th in the FCS in scoring, 24th in rushing offense, 19th in passing offense, and 18th in yards per game. The offense is triggered by redshirt freshman quarterback Caden Pinnick, who is 12th in the FCS in total offense with 278.0 yards per game.
"You better cover (the receivers)," Vigen said, "because if (Pinnick) sees open guys, he's going to be able to connect with them. You know, some of his most impressive plays have been these, how in the world did he get out of that position and scramble? And then, when guys on the perimeter think they have him dead to rights, he's able to run around him."
Pinnick leads the Aggies' offense against a Bobcat defense that also carries excellent credentials. Montana State enters the game 7th nationally in points allowed, 10th in yards allowed. He has superior offensive weapons around him, starting with receiver Samuel Gbatu Jr. He has 43 catches, eight of them for touchdowns, and averages 82.4 receiving yards per game. Jordan Fisher rushes for 87.4 yards per game.
Montana State's offense has also rolled lately, scoring 121 points in the two most recent games. Quarterback Justin Lamson enters Saturday's game 2nd in the FCS in completion percentage. On the ground, Julius Davis rushes for 70.9 yards per game while Adam Jones gains 59.3.
The Aggies have survived a wave season-ending injuries, none more significant than Big Sky Preseason Player of the Year Rex Connors. Still, UC Davis is 7th in the Big Sky in total defense and 5th in scoring defense.
While Vigen says his counterpart on the UC Davis sideline, Tim Plough, "deserves a lot of credit," he also lauds his players for their steady approach. "Consistency is what it's all about," he said. "Being able to show up every week, and that's not just on Saturday. It's showing up every Monday ready to go, ready to prepare. This team, as much as any of the teams that we've had, has really embraced that."
Montana State and UC Davis currently claim spots among the Big Sky's top three in the standings, with 6-0 Montana sharing the catbird seat with MSU, Saturday's winner remains in strong contention for the crown.
"Now we're in position where we've been able rattle off eight in a row, and we've positioned ourselves to play a meaningful football the last couple of weeks of the regular season. And everything for us that we would like to achieve is still out there for us."
#GoCatsGo
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Matt Houk Introductory Press Conference
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