BOZEMAN — No. 2-ranked Montana State returns home to Bobcat Stadium for the first time in nearly a month to take on Sacramento State on Saturday at 1 p.m.
The Bobcats have a chance to make history. If they win, they would improve to 10-0 for the first time in program history.
Montana State coach Brent Vigen said earlier this week that even though his team is on the cusp of a landmark win, it remains focused on the moment and not on history.
"I hope it’s that we don’t think about things like that," said Vigen, whose team is also 5-0 in the Big Sky Conference and tied with UC Davis in the league standings. "I think our ability to live in the present moment has allowed us to just keep stacking these up."
And the players have the same mentality. Despite the importance of these final three games of the regular season, the Cats have stayed focused on the opponent in front of them each week.
"We just have to keep doing what we’ve been doing," Montana State cornerback Simeon Woodard said. "Just going 1-0 every day in the weight room, in the meeting room, on the practice field, during walk-throughs, everything has to be that 1-0 mentality. We need to win that."
Quarterback Tommy Mellott has been firing on all cylinders; so far he has eight touchdowns of 50-plus yards and three touchdowns of 70-plus yards while playing in the fourth quarter only four times this year.
His play thus far this season could put him in the running for the Walter Payton Award — the Heisman Trophy of the FCS — at the end of the season.
"His growth in the passing game for us, his efficiency has been beyond noticeable and impactful," Vigen noted. "I think his running ability, while maybe he hasn’t accumulated the same carries and yards, I think the big-play ability has been significant. What his threat means to the rest of our run game is significant, and there’s no way to quantify that.
"There’s something to be said for, he’s the quarterback with the best record in the country. He would have my vote. I don’t vote though," Vigen said with a laugh.
Saturday's game will air on the Montana Television Network. For details on how to watch, click here.
