The 2023 Montana State Bobcats football team represented Montana State University as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 2023 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Bobcats were led by third-year head coach Brent Vigen and played home games at Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman, Montana.
2023 Montana State Bobcats football | |
---|---|
NCAA Division I Second Round, L 34–35OT vs. North Dakota State | |
Conference | Big Sky Conference |
Ranking | |
STATS | No. 9 |
FCS Coaches | No. 8 |
Record | 8–4 (6–2 Big Sky) |
Head coach |
|
Offensive coordinator | Taylor Housewright (3rd season) |
Offensive scheme | Pro-style |
Defensive coordinator | Willie Mack Garza (2nd season) |
Base defense | 4–2–5 |
Home stadium | Bobcat Stadium |
Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 2 Montana $^ | 7 | – | 1 | 13 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 8 Idaho ^ | 6 | – | 2 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 9 Montana State ^ | 6 | – | 2 | 8 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Northern Arizona | 5 | – | 3 | 5 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 24 UC Davis | 5 | – | 3 | 7 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
No. 13 Sacramento State ^ | 4 | – | 4 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Portland State | 4 | – | 4 | 5 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weber State | 4 | – | 4 | 6 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Eastern Washington | 3 | – | 5 | 4 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Idaho State | 3 | – | 5 | 3 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Cal Poly | 1 | – | 7 | 3 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Northern Colorado | 0 | – | 8 | 0 | – | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Preseason
editPolls
editOn July 23, 2023, during the virtual Big Sky Kickoff, the Bobcats were predicted to finish first in the Big Sky by both the coaches and media.[1]
Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
---|---|---|
1 | Montana State | 120 (10) |
2 | UC Davis | 96 (1) |
3 | Sacramento State | 94 (1) |
4 | Weber State | 91 |
5 | Idaho | 89 |
6 | Montana | 84 |
7 | Eastern Washington | 52 |
8 | Portland State | 45 |
9 | Northern Arizona | 44 |
10 | Northern Colorado | 37 |
11 | Cal Poly | 25 |
12 | Idaho State | 15 |
Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
---|---|---|
1 | Montana State | 447 (26) |
2 | Idaho | 410 (8) |
3 | Montana | 359 (2) |
4 | Sacramento State | 334 (3) |
5 | UC Davis | 330 |
6 | Weber State | 320 |
7 | Eastern Washington | 216 |
8 | Northern Arizona | 178 |
9 | Portland State | 167 |
10 | Northern Colorado | 109 |
11 | Cal Poly | 103 |
12 | Idaho State | 69 |
Schedule
editDate | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
September 2 | 6:00 p.m. | Utah Tech* | No. 3 | ESPN+ | W 63–20 | 21,967 | |
September 9 | 5:00 p.m. | at No. 1 South Dakota State* | No. 3 | ESPN+ | L 16–20 | 19,332 | |
September 16 | 1:00 p.m. | Stetson* | No. 3 |
| ESPN+ | W 57–20 | 21,487 |
September 23 | 6:00 p.m. | at No. 10 Weber State | No. 3 | ESPN+ | W 40–0 | 10,905 | |
September 30 | 2:00 p.m. | Portland State | No. 3 |
| ESPN+ | W 38–22 | 22,017 |
October 14 | 6:00 p.m. | Cal Poly | No. 2 |
| ESPN+ | W 59–19 | 21,997 |
October 21 | 8:30 p.m. | at No. 3 Sacramento State | No. 2 | ESPN2 | W 42–30 | 16,122 | |
October 28 | 2:00 p.m. | at No. 9 Idaho | No. 2 | ESPN+ | L 21–24 | 13,073 | |
November 4 | 1:00 p.m. | Northern Arizona | No. 6 |
| ESPN+ | W 45–21 | 21,297 |
November 11 | 1:00 p.m. | Eastern Washington | No. 5 |
| ESPN+ | W 57–14 | 20,897 |
November 18 | 12:00 p.m. | at No. 3 Montana | No. 4 | ESPN+ | L 7–37 | 27,178 | |
December 2 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 8 North Dakota State* | No. 5 |
| ESPN+ | L 34–35 OT | 17,247 |
|
Game summaries
editvs Utah Tech
editat No. 1 South Dakota State
editNo. 3 Montana State Bobcats (1–0) vs No. 1 South Dakota State (1–0) – Game summary
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 3 Bobcats | 7 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 16 |
No. 1 Jackrabbits | 0 | 0 | 7 | 13 | 20 |
at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium • Brookings, SD
- Date: September 9, 2023
- Game time: 5:00 p.m. MDT
- Game weather: 70 °F (21 °C), Sunny, Wind NE 10 mph (16 km/h)
- Game attendance: 19,332
- Referee: Rick Warne
- TV: ESPN+
Statistics | MSU | SDSU |
---|---|---|
First downs | 17 | 20 |
Total yards | 298 | 341 |
Rushing yards | 211 | 157 |
Passing yards | 87 | 184 |
Turnovers | 1 | 0 |
Time of possession | 35:23 | 24:37 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Montana State | Passing | Sean Chambers | 3/9, 53 yards, INT |
Rushing | Sean Chambers | 20 carries, 90 yards, TD | |
Receiving | Derryk Snell | 3 receptions, 38 yards | |
South Dakota State | Passing | Mark Gronowski | 13/22, 184 yards, 2 TD |
Rushing | Isaiah Davis | 12 carries, 66 yards | |
Receiving | Griffin Wilde | 2 receptions, 49 yards, TD |
vs Stetson
editat No. 10 Weber State
editvs Portland State
editvs Cal Poly
editat No. 3 Sacramento State
editNo. 2 Montana State Bobcats (5–1) at No. 3 Sacramento State Hornets (5–1) – Game summary
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 2 Bobcats | 0 | 14 | 7 | 21 | 42 |
No. 3 Hornets | 7 | 0 | 10 | 13 | 30 |
Game information | ||
---|---|---|
|
Statistics | MTST | SAC |
---|---|---|
First downs | 26 | 25 |
Total yards | 448 | 434 |
Rushing yards | 328 | 200 |
Passing yards | 120 | 234 |
Passing: Comp–Att–Int | 10–16–1 | 26–42–2 |
Time of possession | 32:40 | 27:20 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
Montana State | Passing | Tommy Mellott | 9/14, 99 yards |
Rushing | Julius Davis | 12 carries, 110 yards, TD | |
Receiving | Ty McCullough | 4 receptions, 53 yards, TD | |
Sacramento State | Passing | Kaiden Bennett | 26/42, 234 yards, TD, 2 INT |
Rushing | Elijah Tau-Tolliver | 8 carries, 100 yards, 2 TD | |
Receiving | Devin Gandy | 5 receptions, 59 yards, TD |
at No. 9 Idaho
editNo. 2 Montana State Bobcats (6–1) vs No. 9 Idaho Vandals (5–2) – Game summary
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 2 Bobcats | 0 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 21 |
No. 9 Vandals | 3 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 24 |
at Kibbie Dome • Moscow, ID
- Date: October 28, 2023
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
- Game attendance: 13,073
- TV: ESPN+
vs Northern Arizona
editvs Eastern Washington
editat Montana
edit1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 4 Bobcats | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
No. 3 Grizzles | 14 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 37 |
NCAA Division I playoffs
editNo. 8 North Dakota State (second round)
editNo. 8 North Dakota State Bison (9–3) vs. No. 5 (6) Montana State Bobcats (8–3)
Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. 8 Bison | 0 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
No. 5 (6) Bobcats | 7 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 6 | 34 |
at Bobcat Stadium, Bozeman, MT
- Date: December 2, 2023
- Game time: 2:00 p.m. (CT)
- Game weather: Sunny; 36 °F (2 °C); Wind: W 15 mph
- Game attendance: 17,247
- Referee: Bruce Austin
- TV announcers (ESPN+): Noah Reed, Charles Arbuckle
Statistics | North Dakota State | Montana State |
---|---|---|
First downs | 18 | 21 |
Plays–yards | 57–374 | 59–509 |
Rushes–yards | 43–296 | 40–279 |
Passing yards | 78 | 230 |
Passing: comp–att–int | 6–14–0 | 14–19–1 |
Time of possession | 29:43 | 30:17 |
Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
---|---|---|---|
North Dakota State | Passing | Cam Miller | 5/13, 66 yds, TD |
Rushing | TaMerik Williams | 11 car, 162 yds, 2 TD | |
Receiving | Eli Green | 4 rec, 63 yds | |
Montana State | Passing | Tommy Mellott | 13/17, 204 yds, 2 TD, INT |
Rushing | Tommy Mellott | 18 car, 151 yds, 2 TD | |
Receiving | Ty McCullouch | 4 rec, 92 yds TD |
Scoring summary | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Ranking movements
editWeek | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Final |
STATS FCS | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 5 | |
Coaches | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 8 |
References
edit- ^ "Montana State Tabbed Preseason Football Favorites". July 25, 2021. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
- ^ "2023 Montana State Football Schedule". msubobcats.com. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
- ^ "Football vs Montana State on 10/21/2023 - Box Score - Sacramento State". October 21, 2023. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
- ^ "Football Falls To No. 2 Montana State, 42–30". October 21, 2023. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
- ^ "Mellott runs for 2 TDs to help FCS No. 2 Montana St. beat No. 4 Sacramento St. 42–30". ESPN. October 21, 2023. Retrieved November 2, 2023.