BOZEMAN — It's a game the FCS world has been waiting all offseason for as No. 3 Montana State hosts No. 2 South Dakota State in Bobcat Stadium on Saturday night.
These teams have met five times since 2017, the most recent being a close 20-16 loss for the Bobcats in Brookings, S.D., in 2023. Despite the frequency these two teams have seen each another, there are going to be a lot of new faces in new roles for the teams this time around.
"Informing yourself of the past, which I’ve done a good job of, seeing how the other games turned out, talking to guys about it and also just going out there and executing our game plan and not trying to make too much out of it, I think that’s the biggest thing," said Montana State quarterback Justin Lamson, who transferred in from Stanford this offseason.
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But, someone who is very familiar with Montana State is first-year head coach Dan Jackson from South Dakota State. He was on staff when SDSU handed MSU a Gold Rush loss in 2019. Most recently, he was the defensive coordinator at Idaho, a team Montana State beat twice last season.
"Coach Jackson knows us better than if he hadn’t been at Idaho because he had been at South Dakota State these last three times we played them," Montana State head coach Brent Vigen said. "But because he’s played us on the other side at Idaho, I think he’s got a good sense for who we are, certainly a good sense for the environment here."
One major advantage for the Cats is playing this game at home. They’ll have a sold-out crowd on their side for this one.
"What that means for our guys is something. It certainly is when you have a 22,000-plus stadium behind you," Vigen explained. "And also what it can mean for your opponent, too. It has to be a factor for us, and I know we can’t wait to get out there on Saturday night."
The game kicks off at 6 p.m. in Bobcat Stadium and will be broadcast by Scripps Sports.
