“Stuck in a Rut”
By Danny Waldo
The Jekyll and Hyde rollercoaster that has been Bobcat football in the 2019 season continued on a downward swing following a disheartening 16-12 loss to the University of North Dakota on October 26th in Grand Forks, dropping the ‘Cats to 5-3 on the season and 2-2 in Big Sky Conference play.
Following an expected 45-10 blowout to Texas Tech to open the 2019 campaign, the Bobcats ripped off a five-game winning streak, supplanting themselves as one of the top teams in the FCS division, earning a Top 10 ranking along the way. MSU looked virtually unbeatable in a 38-17 victory over Southeast Missouri State in a matchup of Top 25 teams in the Bobcats’ home-opener. The ‘Cats followed that victory by defeating Western Illinois from the powerful Missouri Valley Conference before returning home to hammer Norfolk State 56-21.
But chinks in the armor started to appear in MSU’s fifth game of the season, a 49-31 come-from-behind victory over Northern Arizona. In that contest, the Bobcats spotted NAU a 21-point lead before ripping off 35 consecutive points in the second half to win going away. That would be the last time MSU’s offense appeared to be clicking on all cylinders.
MSU survived a tougher-than-expected game at Cal Poly in overtime before being thoroughly beaten on both sides of the ball in a homecoming shellacking by Sacramento State to head into their off week.
Head coach Jeff Choate espoused about the need for his team to refocus during their week off, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, even making the observation that perhaps his squad had become predictable to their opponents. With the recognition of needed changes to their offensive arsenal, Bobcat fans were hoping for some fireworks, reminiscent of the start to the season, when MSU returned to play versus North Dakota. Instead, ‘Cat fans were treated to more of the same ground and pound that has marked Choate’s offensive philosophy since taking over in Bozeman in 2016.
Against the Fighting Hawks, Montana State managed to pass for a paltry 97 yards, averaging just over six yards per play, hardly enough to put fear into opposing defenses. Instead, Bobcat opponents regularly stack the box, putting more men near the line of scrimmage than the Bobcats can block, daring MSU to beat them through the air. With recent results, you can expect that trend to continue for the foreseeable future.
The Bobcats will try to get back into the win column when they host bottom dweller Southern Utah on November 2nd. MSU’s shot at a conference title seems unlikely, at best, but the opportunity to earn an at-large bid is very much alive, so the ‘Cats have much to still play for. One can only hope that motivation is enough to light a spark in the Bobcats’ offense as they try to save their season.
Kick-off versus Southern Utah is set for 12:00 p.m. in Bobcat Stadium, and will be the ‘Cats last home game before the Brawl of the Wild on November 23rd.
