As conference play approaches, Montana State head coach Jeff Choate continues to emphasize that the team is going to take the rest of the season one game at a time. That's a great clichè for any coach and may be a favorable mentality for the team, but as a fan you don't have to think that way. The schedule is out, and has been for some time, so why not look ahead? And that's exactly what this article is going to do.
Over the course of the next nine weeks the Cats will play eight conference opponents, of which four are currently in HERO Sports' BennettRank Top 25, and the other four are no slouches either. Each of these games is critical, considering the Big Sky Conference is composed of 13 teams and has no conference championship game, which are issues to be discussed at a later date.
In years past, teams crowned Big Sky Conference Champions touted a conference schedule with one or no losses, a feat that is becoming evermore difficult as the caliber of play continues to rise in the Big Sky.
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Conference Schedule
Here's a look at Montana State's conference schedule, week by week. The opponent's record heading into conference play is noted.
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Montana State at Portland State (1-2)
Montana State opens conference play against Portland State, a team with an interesting defensive scheme that is, as Choate puts it, "as talented as anyone else we play." The Vikings run a hybrid flex type of defense that can cause struggles for the opposing team.
Although Portland State is 1-2, they have played two FBS teams in Nevada and Oregon and found their only win against the College of Idaho, an NAIA team. The Bobcats are heading into this weekend as favorites.
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Montana State vs. Eastern Washington (2-1)
The preseason conference champion favorite Eastern Washington travels to Bozeman in the second weekend of conference play. The Eagles' explosive offensive play is expected to continue in 2018. With senior quarterback Gage Gubrud, a possible NFL talent, behind center EWU is going to be tough. Gubrud threw for an incredible 5,160 yards in 2017, the most in all of Division I Football. The Cats will certainly have their hands full this game.
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Montana State vs. Idaho (1-1)
After a bye week the Cats will host the Idaho Vandals, a team that participated at the FBS level last year in the Sun Belt Conference. Not much is known about the Vandals so far. They lost to FBS Fresno State and beat Division II Western New Mexico. Montana State fans may remember two years ago when the Bobcats traveled to Moscow, ID and came up just short, falling 17-20. Expect this one to be a tight game!
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Montana State at Weber State (2-1)
Defending conference co-champs Weber State will host the Cats in Ogden, UT. After last year's impressive playoff run saw the Wildcats fall to eventual runner-up James Madison by the narrowest of margins in the quarterfinals, Weber State is going to be another tough Big Sky team.
The Wildcats have already taken down a strong South Dakota team. Weber State is known for their tough defense lead by preseason All-American linebacker LeGrand Toia, and the Cats will have to bring it to pull off a win.
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Montana State at Idaho State (1-1)
After an onslaught of tough opponents, the Bobcats will play at Idaho State. The Bengals found themselves 12th out of 13th in the Big Sky preseason coaches poll. Against a team that is in the rebuilding process, Montana State will be heavy favorites.
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Montana State vs. Cal Poly (1-2)
After back-to-back away games, the Cats host Cal Poly. The Mustangs were slowed down by several injuries last year, including quarterback Khaleel Jenkins and 2018 preseason All-American fullback Joe Protheroe. With these two back on the field and a few new recruits, Cal Poly is a stronger squad this year, but is still a middle-of-the-pack Big Sky team. Another game the Bobcats will be favored.
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Montana State vs. Northern Colorado (0-3)
The Cats' last home game of the year is scheduled against Northern Colorado. The Bears' winless record so far doesn't necessarily indicate their talent. Two of their three losses this season have come to ranked opponents. Overall, the Cats will still be expected to come out victorious in this matchup.
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Montana State at Montana (2-1)
The long awaited Brawl of the Wild game will take place at Washington Grizzly Stadium this year, an atmosphere that always causes problems for opposing teams. Montana is already emerging as a powerhouse with head coach Bobby Hauck back at the helm. Regardless of how the season turns out for either team, the outcome of this game will determine the playoff fate for at least one, if not both of the Montana teams.
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How the Cats Can Clinch a Playoff Berth
Montana State hasn't competed in the FCS playoffs since 2014, and you can bet both the team and loyal fan base are hungry to get back in the playoff picture. Starting the season 2-1 isn't ideal but is exactly where most people thought the Cats would be sitting at three weeks into the season.
In the eight remaining games, the Bobcats need to win at least six to be in the playoff discussion and earn themselves an at-large bid. Within these games there are four must wins: at Portland State, at Idaho State, vs. Cal Poly and vs. Northern Colorado — the weaker teams in the Big Sky — which isn't saying much considering the depth of the Big Sky this year.
This leaves matchups against Eastern Washington, Weber State, Idaho and Montana. Of the four games, the Cats need to win at least two. Of the four the most winnable are the Idaho and Montana meetings.
The bad news is that three of these four games come during a four week time period with no other opponents in between, making it exponentially tougher for the Cats to come out relatively unscathed. The good news is Montana State fans will most likely know whether they are Frisco-bound or bust within the first four conference games.
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