2023 Montana State Bobcats football team

Last updated

2023 Montana State Bobcats football
Montana State Bobcats M Logo.png
Conference Big Sky Conference
Ranking
STATSNo. 9
FCS CoachesNo. 8
Record8–4 (6–2 Big Sky)
Head coach
Offensive coordinator Taylor Housewright (3rd season)
Offensive scheme Pro-style
Defensive coordinatorWillie Mack Garza (2nd season)
Base defense 4–2–5
Home stadium Bobcat Stadium
Seasons
←  2022
2024  →
2023 Big Sky Conference football standings
ConfOverall
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  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – FCS playoff participant
Rankings from STATS Poll

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.

Contents

Preseason

Polls

On 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]

Coaches poll
Predicted finishTeamVotes (1st place)
1Montana State120 (10)
2UC Davis96 (1)
3Sacramento State94 (1)
4Weber State91
5Idaho89
6Montana84
7Eastern Washington52
8Portland State45
9Northern Arizona44
10Northern Colorado37
11Cal Poly25
12Idaho State15
Media poll
Predicted finishTeamVotes (1st place)
1Montana State447 (26)
2Idaho410 (8)
3Montana359 (2)
4Sacramento State334 (3)
5UC Davis330
6Weber State320
7Eastern Washington216
8Northern Arizona178
9Portland State167
10Northern Colorado109
11Cal Poly103
12Idaho State69

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 26:00 p.m. Utah Tech *No. 3
 ESPN+ W 63–2021,967
September 95:00 p.m.at No. 1 South Dakota State *No. 3
ESPN+L 16–2019,332
September 161:00 p.m. Stetson *No. 3
  • Bobcat Stadium
  • Bozeman, MT
ESPN+W 57–2021,487
September 236:00 p.m.at No. 10 Weber State No. 3
ESPN+W 40–010,905
September 302:00 p.m. Portland State Dagger-14-plain.pngNo. 3
  • Bobcat Stadium
  • Bozeman, MT
ESPN+W 38–2222,017
October 146:00 p.m. Cal Poly No. 2
  • Bobcat Stadium
  • Bozeman, MT
ESPN+W 59–1921,997
October 218:30 p.m.at No. 3 Sacramento State No. 2
 ESPN2 W 42–3016,122
October 282:00 p.m.at No. 9 Idaho No. 2
ESPN+L 21–2413,073
November 41:00 p.m. Northern Arizona No. 6
  • Bobcat Stadium
  • Bozeman, MT
ESPN+W 45–2121,297
November 111:00 p.m. Eastern Washington No. 5
  • Bobcat Stadium
  • Bozeman, MT
ESPN+W 57–1420,897
November 1812:00 p.m.at No. 3 Montana No. 4
ESPN+L 7–3727,178
December 21:00 p.m.No. 8 North Dakota State *No. 5
ESPN+L 34–35 OT17,247

[2]

Game summaries

vs Utah Tech

at No. 1 South Dakota State

No. 3 Montana State Bobcats (1–0) vs No. 1 South Dakota State (1–0) – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
No. 3 Bobcats730616
No. 1 Jackrabbits0071320

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+
StatisticsMSUSDSU
First downs1720
Total yards298341
Rushing yards211157
Passing yards87184
Turnovers10
Time of possession35:2324:37
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Montana StatePassingSean Chambers3/9, 53 yards, INT
RushingSean Chambers20 carries, 90 yards, TD
ReceivingDerryk Snell3 receptions, 38 yards
South Dakota StatePassing Mark Gronowski 13/22, 184 yards, 2 TD
Rushing Isaiah Davis 12 carries, 66 yards
ReceivingGriffin Wilde2 receptions, 49 yards, TD

vs Stetson

at No. 10 Weber State

vs Portland State

vs Cal Poly

at No. 3 Sacramento State

No. 2 Montana State Bobcats (5–1) at No. 3 Sacramento State Hornets (5–1) – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
No. 2 Bobcats01472142
No. 3 Hornets70101330

at Hornet Stadium, Sacramento, CA

  • Date: October 21, 2023
  • Game time: 7:30 p.m. PST
  • Game weather: SW 9 mph • Sunny
  • Game attendance: 16,122
  • Referee: Jim Crowley
  • TV announcers (ESPN2): Play-by-Play: John Schriffen • Analysis: Rocky Boiman • Sideline: Dawn Davenport
  • Sources: [3] [4] [5]
Game information
StatisticsMTSTSAC
First downs2625
Total yards448434
Rushing yards328200
Passing yards120234
Passing: Comp–Att–Int10–16–126–42–2
Time of possession32:4027:20
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Montana StatePassing Tommy Mellott 9/14, 99 yards
RushingJulius Davis12 carries, 110 yards, TD
ReceivingTy McCullough4 receptions, 53 yards, TD
Sacramento StatePassingKaiden Bennett26/42, 234 yards, TD, 2 INT
RushingElijah Tau-Tolliver8 carries, 100 yards, 2 TD
ReceivingDevin Gandy5 receptions, 59 yards, TD

at No. 9 Idaho

No. 2 Montana State Bobcats (6–1) vs No. 9 Idaho Vandals (5–2) – Game summary
Quarter1234Total
No. 2 Bobcats0014721
No. 9 Vandals3701424

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

vs Eastern Washington

at Montana

1234Total
No. 4 Bobcats00707
No. 3 Grizzles14610737

NCAA Division I playoffs

No. 8 North Dakota State (second round)

No. 8 North Dakota State Bison (9–3) vs. No. 5 (6) Montana State Bobcats (8–3)
Quarter1234OTTotal
No. 8 Bison01477735
No. 5 (6) Bobcats77140634

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
StatisticsNorth Dakota StateMontana State
First downs1821
Plays–yards57–37459–509
Rushes–yards43–29640–279
Passing yards78230
Passing: comp–att–int6–14–014–19–1
Time of possession29:4330:17
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
North Dakota StatePassing Cam Miller 5/13, 66 yds, TD
RushingTaMerik Williams11 car, 162 yds, 2 TD
ReceivingEli Green4 rec, 63 yds
Montana StatePassingTommy Mellott13/17, 204 yds, 2 TD, INT
RushingTommy Mellott18 car, 151 yds, 2 TD
ReceivingTy McCullouch4 rec, 92 yds TD
Scoring summary
QuarterTime Drive TeamScoring informationScore
Plays Yards TOP NDSUMTST
1st1:573631:11MTSTTy McCullouch (#6) 34-yard touchdown reception from Tommy Mellott (#4), Casey Kautzman (#38) kick good07
2nd8:525392:56NDSUZach Mathis (#0) 3-yard touchdown reception from Cam Miller (#7), Griffin Crosa (#39) kick good77
2nd4:075932:58NDSUTaMerik Williams (#22) 44-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#39) kick good147
2nd1:056713:02MTSTTommy Mellott (#4) 6-yard touchdown run, Casey Kautzman (#38) kick good1414
3rd14:501750:10NDSUTaMerik Williams (#22) 75-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#39) kick good2114
3rd13:562860:48MTSTTommy Mellott (#4) 76-yard touchdown run, Casey Kautzman (#38) kick good2121
3rd8:088694:11MTSTClevan Thomas Jr. (#2) 9-yard touchdown reception from Tommy Mellott (#4), Casey Kautzman (#38) kick good2121
4th2:339894:48NDSUTK Marshall (#28) 29-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#39) kick good2828
OT525NDSUCam Miller (#7) 3-yard touchdown run, Griffin Crosa (#39) kick good3528
OT125MTSTScottre Humphrey (#22) 25-yard touchdown run, Casey Kautzman (#38) kick blocked3534
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.3534

Ranking movements

Ranking movements
Legend:██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
Week
PollPre123456789101112Final
STATS FCS 3333322226545
Coaches 3333322228548

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team</span> American college football season

The 2015 Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team represented the University of Southern Mississippi in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season as members of the West Division of Conference USA. They were led by third-year head coach Todd Monken and played their home games at M. M. Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. They finished the season 9–5, 7–1 in C-USA play to be champions of the West Division. They represented the West Division in the Conference USA Football Championship Game where they lost to Western Kentucky. They were invited to the Heart of Dallas Bowl, where they were defeated by Washington.

The 2017 Portland State Vikings football team represented Portland State University during the 2017 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by third-year head coach Bruce Barnum and played their home games at Providence Park, with one home game at Hillsboro Stadium. They were a member of the Big Sky Conference. They finished the season 0–11, 0–8 in Big Sky play to finish in last place.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 North Dakota State Bison football team</span> American college football season

The 2019 North Dakota State Bison football team represented North Dakota State University in the 2019 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by first-year head coach Matt Entz. The team played in the Fargodome in Fargo, North Dakota, for the 27th season as members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC). They entered the season as defending national champions, having won seven of the prior eight FCS titles. In 2019, the Bison finished the regular season 12–0, the second consecutive undefeated Bison season, and won their ninth consecutive MVFC title. They received an automatic qualifying bid to the FCS playoff tournament and were seeded as the No. 1 team. The Bison then went 4–0 in the FCS playoffs to finish 16–0 as FCS champions, becoming the first team at any level of college football to finish a season 16–0 since Yale in 1894. They also extended their FCS-record winning streak to 37 games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Drake Bulldogs football team</span> American college football season

The 2021 Drake Bulldogs football team represented Drake University as a member of the Pioneer Football League (PFL) during 2021 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by third-year head coach Todd Stepsis, the Bulldogs compiled an overall record of 2–9 with a mark of 1–7 in conference play, tying for ninth place in the PFL. The team played its home games at Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 North Dakota State Bison football team</span> American college football season

The 2021 North Dakota State Bison football team represented the North Dakota State University in the 2021 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Bison competed as members of the Missouri Valley Football Conference and were led by third-year head coach Matt Entz. They played their home games at Fargodome in Fargo, North Dakota.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Incarnate Word Cardinals football team</span> American college football season

The 2022 Incarnate Word Cardinals football team represented the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) as a member of the Southland Conference during the 2022 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Cardinals played their home games at Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium in San Antonio, Texas. They were led by first-year head coach G. J. Kinne.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Idaho Vandals football team</span> American college football season

The 2022 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the Big Sky Conference during the 2022 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by first-year head coach Jason Eck, the Vandals were 7–4 in the regular season and played their home games on campus at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow, Idaho. It was the program's first winning season in six years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Montana State Bobcats football team</span> American college football season

The 2022 Montana State Bobcats football team represented Montana State University as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 2022 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Bobcats were led by second-year head coach Brent Vigen and played their home games at Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman, Montana.

The 2022 Sacramento State Hornets football team represented California State University, Sacramento as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 2022 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by third-year head coach Troy Taylor, the Hornets played their home games on campus at Hornet Stadium in Sacramento, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 North Dakota State Bison football team</span> American college football season

The 2022 North Dakota State Bison football team represented North Dakota State University as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) during the 2022 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Bison were led by fourth-year head coach Matt Entz. They played their home games at the Fargodome in Fargo, North Dakota.
The Bison finished their regular season with an overall record of 9–2 and 7–1 in MVFC play. NDSU received the number 3 overall seed in the FCS playoffs. The Bison then beat Montana in the second round, Samford in the quarterfinals, and Incarnate Word in the semifinals, before falling to topseed and archrival South Dakota State in the FCS National Championship. This was the program's first loss in the FCS title game, and only their third ever loss in a title game at any level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Idaho Vandals football team</span> American college football season

The 2023 Idaho Vandals football team represented the University of Idaho in the Big Sky Conference during the 2023 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by second-year head coach Jason Eck, the Vandals were 8–3 in the regular season, and played their home games on campus at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow, Idaho.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Northern Arizona Lumberjacks football team</span> American college football season

The 2023 Northern Arizona Lumberjacks football team represented Northern Arizona University as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 2023 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Lumberjacks were led by fifth-year head coach Chris Ball and played home games at the Walkup Skydome in Flagstaff, Arizona.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 North Dakota State Bison football team</span> American college football season

The 2023 North Dakota State Bison football team represented North Dakota State University as a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) during the 2023 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Bison were led by fifth-year head coach Matt Entz. Following the season he was hired by USC as the team's linebackers coach. The Bison played home games at the Fargodome in Fargo, North Dakota.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Cal Poly Mustangs football team</span> American college football season

The 2023 Cal Poly Mustangs football team represented California Polytechnic State University as a member of the Big Sky Conference the 2023 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Mustangs were led by first-year head coach Paul Wulff and now played their home games at Mustang Memorial Field in San Luis Obispo, California.

The 2023 Idaho State Bengals football team represented Idaho State University in the Big Sky Conference during the 2023 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by first-year head coach Cody Hawkins, the Bengals played their home games on campus at Holt Arena, an indoor facility in Pocatello, Idaho.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Northern Colorado Bears football team</span> American college football season

The 2023 Northern Colorado Bears football team represented the University of Northern Colorado as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 2023 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by first-year head coach Ed Lamb and played their home games at Nottingham Field.

The 2023 Sacramento State Hornets football team represented California State University, Sacramento as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 2023 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by first-year head coach Andy Thompson, the Hornets played home games at Hornet Stadium in Sacramento, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Montana State Bobcats football team</span> American college football season

The 2024 Montana State Bobcats football team represents Montana State University as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 2024 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Bobcats are led by fourth-year head coach Brent Vigen and play home games at Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman, Montana.

The 2024 Sacramento State Hornets football team will represent California State University, Sacramento during the 2024 NCAA Division I FCS football season as a member of the Big Sky Conference. They will be led by second-year head coach Andy Thompson and will play their home games at Hornet Stadium in Sacramento, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Northern Colorado Bears football team</span> American college football season

The 2024 Northern Colorado Bears football team represented the University of Northern Colorado as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 2024 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They are led by second-year head coach Ed Lamb and played their home games at Nottingham Field.

References

  1. ↑ "Montana State Tabbed Preseason Football Favorites". July 25, 2021. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  2. ↑ "2023 Montana State Football Schedule". msubobcats.com. Retrieved September 4, 2023.
  3. ↑ "Football vs Montana State on 10/21/2023 - Box Score - Sacramento State". October 21, 2023. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  4. ↑ "Football Falls To No. 2 Montana State, 42–30". October 21, 2023. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  5. ↑ "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.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.