BOZEMAN — No. 18 Northern Arizona travels to Bozeman to take on No. 1 Montana State for a Big Sky Conference showdown Saturday night.
Bobcats coach Brent Vigen says he's excited about being in full-time conference play.
"We have a ranked team coming in here and this is the type of game that we need after that last game, with all our senses heightened and the opportunity in front of us to take off," said Vigen, whose team had to fight to get past Central Connecticut State 35-30 last week.
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Montana State offensive tackle Titan Fleischmann recounted to the media what he remembers from last year's matchup versus the Lumberjacks.
"I remember them being strong, quick and twitchy," Fleischmann said. "And I remember them being real good. They're not going to be the same team as they were last year because nobody is, but they're going to be a real good outfit coming in here."
Vigen says the NAU offense will pose challenges for the Bobcats' defense in multiple facets.
"Northern Arizona is a really good team," Vigen said. "They're a team that has found a way to win."
One of those offensive weapons is quarterback Ty Pennington.
"He can throw it, he can run it, he can do it all," Vigen said.
And Pennington is surrounded by multiple options.
"They have a really good tandem of running backs that can run with power and they're athletic enough," Vigen said. "And then (the) receiving core along with the tight ends, they get a lot of guys involved."
And defensively, the Lumberjacks are led by former MSU cornerbacks coach Trenton Greene, who's in his first year as NAU's defensive coordinator.
"I think (that's) a group that's really coming into their own," Vigen said. "And they've found a way if nothing else, to take the football away."
With Greene on the other sideline know, there will be a sense of familiarity in the game.
"It kind of works both ways," Vigen said. "We certainly have familiarity with the defense that he's running, but then he's got familiarity with our program as well."
Vigen also commended Greene for his work so far in his first role as a coordinator.
"I think coach Greene's doing a terrific job," Vigen said. "You can see the guys playing with a lot of passion and energy, and playing within the scheme."
Saturday's matchup marks the last night home game for the Bobcats.
"We're really excited about it," Vigen said. "It should be a great evening here in Bobcat Stadium and there's something about night games here after dark that are pretty special, so we need to make this a special one too."
The game kicks off at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday night from Bobcats Stadium, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN2.
