BOZEMAN — It’s a return to the red turf as No. 2 Montana State (8-0) takes on Eastern Washington (2-6) at Roos Field on Saturday. The Bobcats come off their bye week looking to go 9-0 for just the second time in program history and first time since 1956.
"We have everything in front of us," Montana State coach Brent Vigen said. "That’s great to be in that position, I suppose, two-thirds of the way through (the regular season), but that’s only two-thirds of the way through. And if for one second, we get anywhere ahead of ourselves, we’re going to be in trouble.
"We have to be entirely focused on Eastern Washington, and that has been the mindset that’s gotten us here. And we can’t stray from that."
The Bobcats' defense, which has dominated thus far this season, will face the challenge of dynamic Eagles quarterback Kekoa Visperas and standout wide receiver Efton Chism III in his final run.
"They’re a unique team in the fact that they play three quarterbacks, essentially," Vigen said. "But one is truly a quarterback in Visperas, and he’s had a good season up to this point. (He’s) completing well over 70% of his passes, and 13-to-1 touchdown-to-interception (ratio). On another hand, a lot of those passes are to Efton Chism. He finds ways to get open, and then once he gets the ball in his hands, he’s a dynamic runner after the catch."
Offensively, Montana State has scored at least 30 points in the first eight games of the season for the second time in program history. The Bobcats are averaging 512 yards per game, which is second-most in the FCS and quarterback Tommy Mellott leads the FCS is passing efficiency.
"Whether you’re going to try and stack the box on us, that’s going to open up the pass and, I mean, I don’t know what I would do against us," Montana State running back Adam Jones said. "We’ve seen a bunch of stuff, so that’s been huge for us, just getting to see different looks and different fronts as we head into the postseason because we’re going to see everything."
Montana State standout running back Julius Davis is listed on the depth chart for the first time this season after sustaining an injury in the offseason that has sidelined him to this point. He is "all systems go," according to Vigen.
Davis, who led the team in rushing last season, is another weapon for the Montana State offense that will be key in this latter half of the season.
The game kicks off at 2 p.m. Mountain time Saturday. It will air on KBZK and KXLF in the Bozeman and Butte markets, respectively, and the MTN channel elsewhere throughout Montana. More details on how to watch the Bobcats and Eagles.
