When the 2023 season kicks off on Aug. 26, only two active FCS programs can say they have reached the pinnacle of FCS football in the past 12 seasons. North Dakota State and South Dakota State will be the only two programs in the country that have raised the hardware in Frisco, Texas since 2011.
FCS analysts and fans consistently ask, “Which team can take the next step and compete for a national championship?” Every year there seems to be a large gap between the great teams and true national contenders due to the stranglehold that North Dakota State has had on FCS football.
We have seen the contenders rise and fall throughout the years with only three teams – James Madison, Sam Houston, and South Dakota State – taking that step and winning the FCS national title.
The Jackrabbits faced the question entering the 2022 season … Can SDSU win the games when everything is on the line? Montana State will face the same major question this season after another run to the semifinals last season.
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When the Bobcats announced the hire of Brent Vigen on Feb. 8, 2021 … the message was obvious: Montana State aimed to build one of the perennial powerhouses in FCS football, and their sights were set on winning their first FCS national championship since 1984.
Montana State has been one of the most successful teams in the country over the past two seasons. The Bobcats have only lost three FCS games in the past two years and have made three consecutive appearances in the semifinals of the fall FCS playoffs. Under Vigen, the Bobcats have won five FCS playoff games in two years for the first time in school history.
Despite the momentum the Bobcats have generated in multiple FCS playoff runs, the ending has remained the same for the past two seasons.
Last year, the Bobcats entered the playoffs with the most potent rushing attack in the country but were held to 52 yards rushing and only 1.5 yards per carry in the semifinal matchup against SDSU.
In 2021, the Bobcats exploded in Vigen’s first season behind freshman quarterback Tommy Mellott as the Bobcats outscored their first three opponents in the playoffs by an average of 18 points per game. Mellott suffered an injury early in the FCS national championship, but the Bison racked up over 380 yards and four touchdowns on the ground on their way to a 28-point win over the Bobcats.
The stage is now set for the Bobcats as we approach the 2023 season. Montana State returns 35 players from the two-deep depth chart from last season, including 15 starters from a squad that was one win away from making back-to-back appearances in Frisco and that won its first Big Sky championship since 2012.
Quarterbacks Tommy Mellot and Sean Chambers both return after combining for 44 total touchdowns last season. All five starters on the offensive line and all four starters on the defensive line also return.
The biggest question marks will be replacing running back Isaiah Ifanse and wide receiver Willie Patterson, but the top-six leading rushers from last season return for the Bobcats. And Marqui Johnson, Clevan Thomas, and Taco Dowler are players that are primed to emerge at wide receiver.
The regular season will test the Bobcats but prepare the program for the tough road to Frisco throughout the FCS playoffs. A grudge match against SDSU in Brookings, SD in September will be the biggest measuring stick for Montana State on whether this program is ready to take that next step into a true national championship contender.
Road games against Montana, Idaho, Sacramento State, and Weber State will all be major tests throughout their journey through a loaded Big Sky Conference. The Bobcats are going to be one of the most battle-tested teams in the country by the time postseason play begins in late November.
Experience is often discussed as a massive factor for postseason success at the FCS level. As much experience as the players in Bozeman have gained these past two seasons … none may be as important as the experience behind head coach Brent Vigen. Vigen had a front-row seat to Craig Bohl building the dynasty that has become the NDSU Bison.
Vigen served as the offensive coordinator at NDSU for the first three FCS national championships of the Bison dynasty. He understands what it takes to build a perennial powerhouse program at the FCS level. He further understands the importance of continuing that success over multiple seasons.
The first two years at Montana State have been strong building blocks for building a true national championship contender in Bozeman under Vigen. The playoff run in 2021 developed the taste needed to create a hunger within the program … Last year was about establishing the standard within the program … This year will set the tone for future seasons.
The message should be clear throughout the offseason inside the Bobcat Athletic Complex … The time is now for Montana State to earn its place among the elite programs at the FCS level.
