No. 2 SDSU heads to No. 3 Montana State this weekend for a colossal FCS non-conference clash.
It’s the fourth time these subdivision titans have met in the 2020s. MSU beat SDSU 31-17 at home in the 2021 semifinals. SDSU returned the favor in the 2022 semifinals, winning 39-18 in Brookings. The two also met early in the 2023 regular season with SDSU winning 20-16 at home.
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Montana State vs. SDSU On TV
The matchup between Montana State and SDSU will be streamed nationally on ESPN+. Locally, it’ll air on CBS stations across Montana while airing on Midco Sports 2 across Midco’s footprint in North Dakota, Minnesota, and South Dakota.
The game will kick off at 6 p.m. MT on Saturday, Sept. 6. The contest is taking place at Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman, Montana.
Montana State vs. SDSU Preview
A terrific non-conference matchup here. It’ll be an epic scene for MSU’s Gold Rush Game, an atmosphere I’m excited to experience as I’ll be heading to Bozeman for this one.
While MSU did beat SDSU in the 2021 semifinals, the Bobcats have had their season ended by either SDSU or NDSU every year since 2018:
2018 NDSU (2nd round)
2019 NDSU (semifinals)
2020 DNP/COVID
2021 NDSU (championship)
2022 SDSU (semifinals)
2023 NDSU (2nd round)
2024 NDSU (championship)
There is a bit of a rivalry here and a sense of urgency to dethrone the Dakota powers. A Week 2 victory for MSU is a step in that direction, but it ultimately needs to get it done in the playoffs.
SDSU’s defense looked phenomenal in Week 1, shutting down Sac State’s hyped Go-Go Offense. The front seven especially looked stout, led by an experienced d-line and a new group of linebackers that looked every bit as good as past Jackrabbit LBs. It’s a good-on-good matchup going up against an MSU offensive line that returns four players with starting experience from last year. Center Burke Mastel missed last week’s game, though, causing a reshuffling of the lineup. He’s questionable for Saturday as of this writing. The Bobcats have a top RB duo in the FCS — Adam Jones and Julius Davis both have All-Big Sky accolades. Controlling the trenches is key here. SDSU also has an experienced offensive line in starts and reps from last fall. RB Julius Loughridge, an All-Conference FCS transfer from Fordham, rushed for 159 yards on 22 attempts (7.2 yards per carry) in Week 1.
The Jacks looked good in their 20-3 win over ranked Sac State. They could have looked really good if not for some lack of execution and self-inflicted errors in the red zone. It could have been a 35-3 type of win. For MSU, a 59-13 loss at Oregon makes it a tough gauge. It does look like MSU will deploy more passing, using some quick-hitting, high-efficiency throws to complement its strong run game that was the best in the FCS last season. New starting QB Justin Lamson finished 23/31 for 198 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions in Week 1.
SDSU QB Chase Mason, meanwhile, showed why he was getting some NFL buzz this summer before even starting a game. His size, speed, and arm talent are combinations you don’t often see at the FCS level. Against Sac State, he went 17/23 for 190 yards and a touchdown. Mason also had 70 rushing yards before sacks, which is an area of concern as Sac State’s pressure got to SDSU’s o-line and Mason for seven sacks.
We don’t know how good Sac State will turn out to be. And it’s hard to put much stock in MSU’s performance at Oregon, an FBS title contender. So Saturday is a great gauge of both squads.
A 0-2 start wouldn’t necessarily be disastrous for MSU, considering the opponents. But it would really put the Cats up against it in the big picture when it comes to playoff seeds. Hosting throughout the postseason is crucial for national title hopes. Home-field advantage has been the difference several times in wins to advance to the natty.
And that home-field advantage will be the difference in this one. I think it’s evenly matched on paper, but the home crowd pushes MSU over the top as it seizes momentum in critical points of the game.
Prediction: Montana State 24-20
