After a win on the road against the Vandals the Aggies have to hit the road again to Bozeman to take on the Bobcats of Montana State who will be the biggest test on the schedule (not counting Washington) to date. The Bobcats come into this match up with an 8-2 record and ranked as a top 3 team in the country. Their record to date has been...

@ Oregon - L - 13-59
vs South Dakota State - L - 24-30
vs San Diego - W - 41-7
vs Mercyhurst - W - 17-0
vs Eastern Washington - W - 57-3
@ Northern Arizona - W - 34-10
vs Idaho State - W - 48-14
@ Cal Poly - W - 34-17
@ Northern Colorado - W - 55-7
vs Weber State - W - 66-14

I think at just a superficial level it is really impressive that the most points they have allowed in a conference game to date is 17 and they are averaging almost 50 points scored per game. They will suffocate you both offensively and defensively so it's not surprising that they are one of the best teams in the country and probably one of the only squads that has a chance against a NDSU in a title run if we're being totally honest with ourselves.

The Bobcat offense is led by junior QB Justin Lamson who has completed 166/230 passing attempts (72.17%) for 2026 passing yards with 18 passing TDs to only 2 INTs. Not only is he a highly efficient passer, he can also do damage with his legs. Lamson has 107 rushing attempts on the season for a net of 412 yards with 8 rushing TDs. He's the kind of QB you would like to keep a spy on, unfortunately the rest of their offense is talented enough we probably won't have that luxury.

Outside of Lamson running the ball himself, the Bobcats feature two very strong running backs who have been carving up defenses. Sophomore RB Adam Jones has 107 carries on the season for a net of 593 yards (5.5 average) with 9 TDs while senior RB Julius Davis has 96 carries for a net of 709 yards (7.4 average) with 6 TDs. The fact that they can rotate 2 very talented RBs along with a QB who can do some ground and pound will wear down most defensive lines and why the average well over 200 yards rushing per game.

While they have several competent receivers, it's not a secret that their main receiving threat is junior WR Taco Dowler who has 51 receptions for 645 yards with 5 TDs on the season. Their next closest receiver purely in terms of production has been freshman WR Dane Steel with 26 receptions for 301 yards with 1 TD. I do think that it is worth noting that while he does not have a ton of yards on the season, freshman TE Rocky Lencioni has matched Dowler with 5 TDs.

The thing about the Montana State defense is that they don't necessarily have 1-2 star players blowing things up, but a whole roster of quality players who just do their jobs really well. They don't have one singular guy with a ton of sacks or interceptions or forced fumbles, but just about every guy is contributing in meaningful ways. Junior DB Caden Dowler is leading the team in tackles with a total of 60 while also contributing 4.5 TFLs, 1 sack, 1 INT, and 1 forced fumble. Senior DE Kenneth Eiden IV and junior DE Zac Crews are tied for most sacks on the team with 2.5 apiece. While none of the aforementioned numbers sound crazy on an individual level, the Bobcats on the season are allowing less than 300 yards per game this season and that is including their game against Oregon.

On special teams their punter is averaging almost 43 yards per punt while their kicker has made 12 of 14 attempts so far.

Let's be honest, the Bobcats have torn through Big Sky competition like wet tissue paper and with our injury situation compiling on both sides of the ball I don't think that we will fare much better especially on the road in a hostile Bozeman, Montana with the weather report currently showing a high temperature in the upper 40s. Of course I would like this to be a win, but I don't think that they will be looking past us despite the upcoming Brawl of the Wild against Montana. I guess that my definition of success in this game would be making it look respectable.

GO AGS!