With Non-Conference Over, Bobcats Set Sights on Big Sky
By Danny Waldo
If Montana State football fans were worried about a dropoff in their beloved Bobcats following the departure of Jeff Choate back in January, new head coach Brent Vigen quickly put those fears to bed as Montana State has bolted out to a 3-1 record following the Big Sky Conference opening win over Portland State, 30-17.
MSU was less than two minutes away from their first win over an FBS opponent in over a decade before falling to Vigen’s former employer the University of Wyoming, 19-16, to kick off the 2021 campaign. But the Bobcats quickly washed the taste of that loss out of their mouth by demolishing an overmatched Drake squad 45-7 in the annual Gold Rush game, and followed that convincing win up by handling fellow Pioneer League opponent San Diego 52-10. The Bobcats then went on the road to always tricky Portland State, and took care of business over the Vikings to stretch their win streak to three games, including 1-0 in the Big Sky Conference.
So, what have we learned about the new-look Bobcats under the direction of Vigen and Co. through four games? We’ve learned that the Bobcat offense is going to be more balanced than it’s been in years. We’ve learned that Matthew McKay is more than capable at the quarterback position, and Lance McCutcheon is a really good receiver. We’ve also learned that Isaiah Ifanse is still the powerful brusing back we’ve come to expect and Jaharie Martin will be just fine filling in at fullback in RJ Fitzgerald’s absence. And that’s just on the offensive side of the ball.
Defensively, we’ve learned that Troy Andersen will be a full-time disruption for opposing offenses now that he can focus his attention on one position, and newcomers Tre Webb and Jeffrey Manning Jr. add much-needed experience and physicality to a defensive backfield that has been lacking in that department for the past few years. Senior Amandre Williams is determined to make the most of his final go-round in a Bobcat uniform, and fellow senior Daniel Hardy will be a game-changer at the defensive end position. Callahan O’Reilly will again be Mr. Reliable from his linebacker position, and Nolan Askelson could be the next great Bobcat linebacker in the years to come.
Why all the optimism? The stats speak for themselves. Through four games, new quarterback Matthew McKay has completed 66.67% of his passes for 905 yards and nine touchdowns with only one interception. He’s also MSU’s second leading rusher, racking up 153 yards on the ground. The biggest beneficiary of the Bobcat’s heavier-than-normal passing attack has been senior Lance McCutcheon. The former Bozeman Hawk entered 2021 as the most productive receiver in the room, but that isn’t saying much after he made just 15 catches for 197 yards in his junior campaign. He has already surpassed that production in just four games in 2021. To date, McCutcheon has 23 receptions for 414 yards and three touchdowns, and with his size (6’3”, 202 lbs), he’s proven a matchup nightmare for the smaller defensive backs he’s faced. Throw in the ultra-competitive Isaiah Ifanse into the mix and you’ve got a bonafide three-headed monster on the offensive side of the ball. The junior from Bellevue, Washington torched the Portland State defense for 217 yards and a touchdown in his most recent game. For the season, Ifanse has rushed for 502 yards and three touchdowns, picking up and average of 6.5/yards per carry. New offensive coordinator Taylor Housewright has opened up the playbook more so than in the past, providing the Bobcats a more balanced attack, but make no mistake, Vigen still has a desire put a physical style of football out on the field, harking back to his roots in North Dakota and his time at NDSU. We can expect to see plenty of carries from Ifanse, as well as freshman Elijah Elliott, whose speed is a nice compliment to Ifanse’s bruising style.
Defensively, Troy Andersen has led the charge from his linebacker position, racking up a team-leading 33 tackles to go along with a pick-six he nabbed versus San Diego. Fellow linebacker and former Bozeman Hawk, Callahan O’Reilly, is second on the team in tackles with 24, while senior Daniel Hardy leads the team in tackles-for-loss (8.5) and sacks (5) in his first season playing defensive line. Amandre Williams has contributed another five sacks from his defensive line position. Tre Webb, Jeffrey Manning, and Ty Okada have all logged multiple tackles from their defensive back positions, in addition to all three snagging an interception on the year. First-year defensive coordinator Freddie Banks has showed a penchant for dialing up pressure more frequently and allowing his guys in the secondary to go make plays.
Special teams play has been one area where Montana State would like to see improvement, particulary in the kick coverage game. The Bobcats have repeatedly surrendered big returns, providing their opponents a hugh advantage in the field position game. Freshman Bryce Leighton has handled the punting duties, and is averaging a steady 41.92 yards per kick. Fellow freshman Blake Glessner has handled field goal and kick-off duties, connecting on six of eight field goals, with a long of 50+ yards, while averaging 61.9 yards per kick-off, resulting in 13 touchbacks.
From the looks of it, this version of Montana State football passes the eye test for being a contender in the Big Sky Conference championship race, but there are many other contenders out there. The Big Sky currently has five teams ranked in the Top 25, and is easily the most talented league in the FCS in 2021. If Montana State can survive their juggernaut of a schedule (MSU plays three Top 25 teams, all on the road), then they will be more than battle tested for the FCS playoffs, with the hopes of improving on their semifinal apperance in 2019.
Montana State returns home for the next two weekends, taking on Northern Colorado (October 2nd) and Cal Poly (October 9th) before hittting the road for their first big test at Weber State on October 15th. For a complete schedule of Bobcat football, log onto www.msubobcats.com. •
