Bobcats gear up for stingy SDSU
Montana State running back Isaiah Ifanse runs the ball into the end zone in the first half, avoiding a tackle by William & Mary’s Marcus Barnes during an NCAA football game Friday, Dec. 9, at Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman. (Rachel Leathe/Bozeman Daily Chronicle via AP)
If Brent Vigen is drawing inspiration from Holy Cross quarterback Matthew Sluka’s 212 rushing yards against South Dakota State last week, he isn’t saying.
“I don’t subscribe to any of that,” said the second-year coach of the Montana State Bobcats, who battle SDSU in the FCS semifinals Saturday. “Their quarterback had a good game. And defensively (the Crusaders) did some things to challenge South Dakota State.”
The rub is the top-seeded and top-ranked Jackrabbits still prevailed 42-21, pulling away from a 21-all tie in the fourth quarter. So while MSU does have not one but two excellent running quarterbacks — Tommy Mellott and Sean Chambers — the Bobcats don’t necessarily have the key to solving the Jacks’ defense, which is No. 1 against the rush in the FCS.
Kickoff is at 2 p.m. at Dykhouse Stadium, an outdoor venue that holds 19,340 but will likely see considerably less than that with temperatures in the low teens. The game will air on ESPN2.
South Dakota State has its own wunderkind sophomore QB in Mark Gronowski, who in the spring of 2021 tore up opponents and led the Jackrabbits to the FCS title game as a freshman.
Similar to what happened to Mellott in last season’s title game, Gronowski was hurt early in the Jacks’ loss to Sam Houston.
He missed all of the fall season, came back in September and — with 598 yards and seven TDs over back-to-back wins over Butler and Missouri State — seemed to find his stride in late September.
“He is a dual-threat quarterback, he can run and he can throw,” SDSU coach John Steigelmier said this week. “But again, his greatest attribute is his leadership and confidence. I believe Mark Gronowski is one of the top quarterbacks at the FCS level.”
Isaiah Davis is a thousand-yard rusher for the Jackrabbits, and Vigen rates both their tight ends, the 6-foot-5 Tucker Kraft and 6-7 Zach Heins, as NFL types.
But Vigen is at least as impressed with a defense that plays a standard 4-3 and rotates a lot of talent in and out.
Defensive end Reece Winkleman, defensive tackle Caleb Sanders, linebacker Adam Bock and corner Dyshawn Gales were first-team all-Missouri Valley.
“Winkleman and Sanders are probably the big guys, but then I keep looking up numbers because they play a lot of guys and there’s not a lot of drop off,” Vigen said. “First of all they’re very principled. Up front they get off blocks really well.
“A team that stops the run, it starts with the front seven and they're playing 12, 13, 14 guys at those positions.”
Steigelmeier is in his 26th year coaching his alma mater. Last year’s team lost to the Bobcats 31-17 in a semifinal played in Bozeman, but he discounted any revenge factor for his players.
The goal is making the title game on Jan. 8.
“I think they want to get a chance to get to Frisco, Texas,” he said. “Whatever path we had to take to do that, that’s the opportunity they wanted.
“There’s no revenge thing. There’s no, ‘We have something to prove against those guys.’ We just need to play our best football and see what happens.”
The Bobcats have gotten huge seasons from Mellott, Chambers and linebacker Callahan O’Reilly. A year ago Mellott had 34 carries against SDSU; we can predict that won’t happen again.
“I feel better about where we’re at, health-wise,” Vigen said. “Isaiah didn’t play in that game. Deryk Snell hardly played. Ty (Okada) didn’t play on defense. We have more guys that we can lean on this year… but they’re definitely going to be more aware of what No. 4 (Mellott) can do.”