The 2018 Montana State Bobcats football team represented Montana State University as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by third-year head coach Jeff Choate, the Bobcats compiled an overall record of 8–5 with a mark of 5–3 in conference play, tying for fourth place in the Big Sky. Montana State received an at-large bid to the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs, where they defeated Incarnate Word in the first round before losing to the eventual national champion, North Dakota State, in the second round. The Bobcats played their home games at Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman, Montana.
2018 Montana State Bobcats football | |
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NCAA Division I Second Round, L 10–52 vs. North Dakota State | |
Conference | Big Sky Conference |
Ranking | |
STATS | No. 17 |
FCS Coaches | No. 17 |
Record | 8–5 (5–3 Big Sky) |
Head coach |
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Offensive coordinator | Brian Armstrong (1st season, games 1–7) Matt Miller (1st season, games 8–13) |
Defensive coordinator | Ty Gregorak (3rd season) |
Home stadium | Bobcat Stadium |
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 6 Weber State +^ | 7 | – | 1 | 10 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 2 Eastern Washington +^ | 7 | – | 1 | 12 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 7 UC Davis +^ | 7 | – | 1 | 10 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 17 Montana State ^ | 5 | – | 3 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Idaho State | 5 | – | 3 | 6 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Montana | 4 | – | 4 | 6 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cal Poly | 4 | – | 4 | 5 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Northern Arizona | 3 | – | 4 | 4 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Portland State | 3 | – | 5 | 4 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Idaho | 3 | – | 5 | 4 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Northern Colorado | 2 | – | 6 | 2 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Southern Utah | 1 | – | 7 | 1 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sacramento State | 0 | – | 7 | 2 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Preseason
editPolls
editOn July 16, 2018 during the Big Sky Kickoff in Spokane, Washington, the Bobcats were predicted to finish in eighth place in both the coaches and media poll.[1]
Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
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1 | Eastern Washington | 134 (6) |
2 | Weber State | 124 (3) |
3 | Northern Arizona | 121 (3) |
4 | Idaho | 101 (1) |
5 | Sacramento State | 94 |
6 | Southern Utah | 91 |
7 | Montana | 82 |
8 | Montana State | 76 |
9 | UC Davis | 64 |
10 | Cal Poly | 40 |
11 | Northern Colorado | 30 |
12 | Idaho State | 29 |
13 | Portland State | 21 |
Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
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1 | Eastern Washington | 651 (27) |
2 | Weber State | 636 (19) |
3 | Northern Arizona | 535 (1) |
4 | Montana | 496 (2) |
5 | Idaho | 483 (3) |
6 | Southern Utah | 449 (1) |
7 | Sacramento State | 415 |
8 | Montana State | 391 (1) |
9 | UC Davis | 331 (1) |
10 | Idaho State | 170 |
11 | Cal Poly | 169 |
12 | Northern Colorado | 166 |
13 | Portland State | 103 |
Preseason All-Conference Team
editThe Bobcats had one player selected to the Preseason All-Conference Team.[2]
Tucker Yates – Sr. DT
Schedule
editDate | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
August 30 | 7:00 p.m. | Western Illinois* | SWX | W 26–23 | 18,507 | ||
September 8 | 5:00 p.m. | at No. 3 South Dakota State* | SWX | L 14–45 | 14,614 | ||
September 15 | 1:00 p.m. | Wagner* |
| SWX | W 47–24 | 18,037 | |
September 22 | 3:00 p.m. | at Portland State | SWX | W 43–23 | 4,135 | ||
September 29 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 5 Eastern Washington |
| RTNW | L 17–34 | 18,667 | |
October 13 | 2:00 p.m. | Idaho |
| RTNW | W 24–23 | 19,177 | |
October 20 | 4:00 p.m. | at No. 7 Weber State | RTNW | L 24–34 | 8,062 | ||
October 27 | 3:30 p.m. | at Idaho State | ELVN | L 17–24 | 8,851 | ||
November 3 | 2:00 p.m. | Cal Poly |
| SWX | W 49–42 | 16,747 | |
November 10 | 1:00 p.m. | Northern Colorado |
| RTNW | W 35–7 | 14,147 | |
November 17 | 12:00 p.m. | at Montana | No. 25 | RTNW | W 29–25 | 26,508 | |
November 24 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 24 Incarnate Word* | No. 23 |
| ESPN3 | W 35–14 | 10,017 |
December 1 | 2:00 p.m. | at No. 1 North Dakota State* | No. 23 | ESPN3 | L 10–52 | 17,007 | |
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Game summaries
editWestern Illinois
edit1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Leathernecks | 7 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 23 |
Bobcats | 3 | 3 | 14 | 6 | 26 |
At South Dakota State
edit1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Bobcats | 0 | 0 | 8 | 6 | 14 |
No. 3 Jackrabbits | 7 | 17 | 14 | 7 | 45 |
Wagner
edit1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Seahawks | 7 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 24 |
Bobcats | 14 | 16 | 10 | 7 | 47 |
At Portland State
edit1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Bobcats | 6 | 20 | 17 | 0 | 43 |
Vikings | 3 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 23 |
Eastern Washington
edit1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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No. 5 Eagles | 14 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 34 |
Bobcats | 10 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
Idaho
edit1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Vandals | 7 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 23 |
Bobcats | 7 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 24 |
At Weber State
edit1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bobcats | 7 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
No. 7 Wildcats | 0 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 34 |
At Idaho State
edit1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Bobcats | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 17 |
Bengals | 0 | 17 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
Cal Poly
edit1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Mustangs | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 | 42 |
Bobcats | 14 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 49 |
Northern Colorado
edit1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
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Bears | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
Bobcats | 7 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 35 |
At Montana
editPeriod | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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Montana St | 0 | 7 | 0 | 22 | 29 |
Montana | 7 | 15 | 0 | 3 | 25 |
at Washington–Grizzly Stadium, Missoula, Montana
- Date: November 17, 2018
- Game time: 12:00 p.m.
- Game weather: Sunny, 30 °F (−1 °C)
- Game attendance: 26,508
- Box Score
Game information | ||
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FCS Playoffs
editIncarnate Word–First Round
edit1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 24 Cardinals | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
No. 23 Bobcats | 7 | 11 | 3 | 14 | 35 |
At North Dakota State–Second Round
edit1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 23 Bobcats | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
No. 1 Bison | 21 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 52 |
Ranking movements
editWeek | ||||||||||||||
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Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Final |
STATS FCS | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | 25 | 23 | 17 |
Coaches | — | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | — | RV | RV | 23 | 17 |
References
edit- ^ "Eastern Washington Picked to Win the Big Sky".
- ^ "Doss, Buss Headline Big Sky Football Preseason All-Conference Team".
- ^ "2018 Football Schedule". Montana State University Athletics. Retrieved April 24, 2022.