No. 3 Montana State goes to No. 22 Idaho State on Saturday in Pocatello, and the stakes are bigger than a ranking matchup. Brent Vigen is one win from tying the Montana State coaching record, while the Bobcats face a team that has already shown it can make life difficult in the Big Sky Conference.
That is why Montana State is searching for Montana State Vs Idaho State now: the game kicks off at 4 p.m. Saturday, will be shown by Scripps Sports on The Spot – MTN across Montana, and will also stream on +. It is the kind of late-season road test that can reshape a season, even for a team that has spent much of the year near the top of the league.
Vigen said Idaho State has beaten good teams this season and keeps getting better. He pointed to Jordan Cooke, calling him one of the more talented quarterbacks probably in the country, and said the Bengals spread the ball around well, find ways to move it and score points every week. Cooke gives Idaho State a passing threat that has to be respected, especially in a ranked conference game on its home field.
But the challenge is not only on one side of the ball. Vigen said Idaho State is giving up less than 22 points right now, is really good against the run and the pass, and has been strong on third down. He also noted that the defense scored two touchdowns in its last game at Utah Tech after the program had dropped a few conference games before bouncing back. That recent surge is part of what makes this trip more dangerous than the records alone suggest.
Montana State, though, said its approach will not change. Brock Steel said the expectations do not change for the defense, which still has to play fast, play physical and be assignment sound. Titan Fleischmann said the offense is going to run the rock, the same way it has for a long time, and Vigen said his team will keep leaning into what it does best.
The Bobcats arrive with a 42-4 Big Sky mark since Vigen took over before the 2021 season, and a win would give him 70 at Montana State and tie the school record held by Rob Ash. That is the backdrop to a road game that may look straightforward on paper but carries much more weight in practice. Idaho State has improved, Montana State knows it, and Saturday in Pocatello will show whether the No. 3 team can handle a sharper test than its ranking implies.
