2021 Montana State Bobcats football team
The 2021 Montana State Bobcats football team represented Montana State University in the Big Sky Conference during the 2021 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by first-year head coach Brent Vigen, the Bobcats played home games on campus at Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman, Montana.
| 2021 Montana State Bobcats football | |
|---|---|
![]() | |
| Conference | Big Sky Conference |
| Ranking | |
| STATS | No. 2 |
| FCS Coaches | No. 2 |
| Record | 12–3 (7–1 Big Sky) |
| Head coach |
|
| Offensive coordinator | Taylor Housewright (1st season) |
| Defensive coordinator | Freddie Banks (1st season) |
| Home stadium | Bobcat Stadium (capacity: 17,777) |
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 10 Sacramento State $^ | 8 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 2 Montana State ^ | 7 | – | 1 | 11 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 7 Eastern Washington ^ | 6 | – | 2 | 10 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 6 Montana ^ | 6 | – | 2 | 10 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 17 UC Davis ^ | 5 | – | 3 | 8 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weber State | 5 | – | 3 | 6 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Arizona | 4 | – | 4 | 5 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Portland State | 4 | – | 4 | 5 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Idaho | 3 | – | 5 | 4 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Colorado | 2 | – | 6 | 3 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cal Poly | 1 | – | 7 | 2 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Idaho State | 1 | – | 7 | 1 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Southern Utah | 0 | – | 8 | 1 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Montana State finished the regular season at 9–2 (7–1 in Big Sky, second), losing only to Wyoming (FBS, Mountain West) and rival Montana.[1] Seeded eighth in the FCS postseason, they received a first-round bye, then defeated UT Martin, #1 Sam Houston, and South Dakota State. MSU advanced to the championship game in Texas on January 8, 2022, but fell 38–10 to #3 North Dakota State.[2]
Preseason
On July 26, 2021, during the virtual Big Sky Kickoff, the Bobcats were predicted to finish fourth in the Big Sky by both the coaches and media.[3]
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Weber State | (7) |
| 2 | Montana | (3) |
| 3 | Eastern Washington | (2) |
| 4 | Montana State | (1) |
| 5 | Sacramento State | (1) |
| 6 | UC Davis | |
| 7 | Northern Arizona | |
| 8 | Idaho | |
| 9 | Idaho State | |
| 10 | Portland State | |
| 11 | Southern Utah | |
| 12 | Cal Poly | |
| 13 | Northern Colorado |
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Weber State | (14) |
| 2 | Montana | (4) |
| 3 | Eastern Washington | (3) |
| 4 | Montana State | (3) |
| 5 | Sacramento State | |
| 6 | UC Davis | |
| 7 | Northern Arizona | |
| 8 | Idaho | |
| 9 | Idaho State | |
| 10 | Portland State | |
| 11 | Southern Utah | |
| 12 | Northern Colroado | |
| 13 | Cal Poly |
Preseason All–Big Sky team
The Bobcats had two players selected to the preseason all-Big Sky team.
|
Offense Taylor Tuiasosopo – OL |
Defense Troy Andersen – OLB |
Schedule
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 4 | 2:00 p.m. | at Wyoming* | No. 12 | ESPN+ | L 16–19 | 30,007 | |
| September 11 | 6:00 p.m. | Drake* | No. 11 | SWX | W 45–7 | 19,797 | |
| September 18 | 1:00 p.m. | San Diego* | No. 13 |
| SWX | W 52–10 | 19,107 |
| September 25 | 3:05 p.m. | at Portland State | No. 13 | ESPN+ | W 30–17 | 4,095 | |
| October 2 | 1:05 p.m. | Northern Colorado | No. 11 |
| SWX | W 40–7 | 20,127 |
| October 9 | 2:00 p.m. | Cal Poly | No. 10 |
| RTNW | W 45–7 | 19,847 |
| October 15 | 8:00 p.m. | at No. 19 Weber State | No. 9 | ESPNU | W 13–7 | 6,323 | |
| October 23 | 1:00 p.m. | Idaho State | No. 8 |
| SWX | W 27–9 | 19,297 |
| November 6 | 2:00 p.m. | at No. 5 Eastern Washington | No. 4 | SWX | W 23–20 | 6,981 | |
| November 13 | 1:00 p.m. | Idaho | No. 3 |
| SWX | W 20–13 | 19,447 |
| November 20 | 12:00 p.m. | at No. 7 Montana | No. 3 | RTNW | L 10–29 | 26,856 | |
| December 4 | 2:00 p.m. | No. 16 UT Martin* | No. 7 |
| ESPN+ | W 26–7 | 15,237 |
| December 11 | 6:30 p.m. | at No. 1 Sam Houston* | No. 7 |
| ESPN+ | W 42–19 | 7,565 |
| December 18 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 11 South Dakota State* | No. 7 |
| ESPN2 | W 31–17 | 20,457 |
| January 8, 2022 | 10:00 a.m. | vs. No. 3 North Dakota State* | No. 7 | ESPN2 | L 10–38 | 18,942 | |
| |||||||
Conference opponents not played this season: Northern Arizona, Sacramento State, Southern Utah, UC Davis
Roster
| 2021 Montana State Bobcats football team roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Offense
|
Defense
|
Special teams
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Game summaries
At Wyoming
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 12 Bobcats | 7 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 16 |
| Cowboys | 0 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 19 |
Drake
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulldogs | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| No. 11 Bobcats | 9 | 15 | 7 | 14 | 45 |
San Diego
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toreros | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 10 |
| No. 13 Bobcats | 21 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 52 |
At Portland State
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 13 Bobcats | 3 | 6 | 14 | 7 | 30 |
| Vikings | 10 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 17 |
Northern Colorado
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| No. 11 Bobcats | 17 | 10 | 13 | 0 | 40 |
Cal Poly
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mustangs | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| No. 10 Bobcats | 7 | 28 | 7 | 3 | 45 |
At No. 19 Weber State
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 9 Bobcats | 7 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 13 |
| No. 19 Wildcats | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
Idaho State
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bengals | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 9 |
| No. 8 Bobcats | 0 | 10 | 3 | 14 | 27 |
At Eastern Washington
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 4 Bobcats | 7 | 9 | 0 | 7 | 23 |
| No. 5 Eagles | 13 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
Idaho
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vandals | 0 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
| No. 3 Bobcats | 7 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 20 |
At No. 7 Montana
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 3 Bobcats | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| No. 7 Grizzlies | 10 | 6 | 10 | 3 | 29 |
Ranking movements
| Week | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Final |
| STATS FCS | 12 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 2 |
| Coaches | 11 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 (1) | 9 | 2 |
References
- Connelly, Bill (January 7, 2022). "FCS national championship game: Breaking down Montana State-North Dakota State". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
- "North Dakota State football continues dominant FCS run, wins ninth championship in 11 seasons". ESPN.com. January 8, 2022. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
- "Bobcats Land Andersen, Tuiasosopo on Preseason All-Big Sky Team, While Coaches, Media Pick MSU Fourth in Preseason Polls". July 26, 2021. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
- "2021 Football Schedule". Montana State University Athletics. Retrieved April 24, 2022.
