There’s a familiar feeling for college football teams this time of year. Their seasons are just about to start, marking the end of a months-long period where teammates can only go up against each other.
That feeling is compounded for Montana State, head coach Brent Vigen said after Saturday’s intrasquad scrimmage. The Bobcats chose not to play last season because of the coronavirus pandemic, so next Saturday’s season opener at Wyoming will be their first game since their 42-14 FCS semifinal loss to North Dakota State on Dec. 21, 2019.
“There’s a real sense of excitement to what we can be,” Vigen said.
Saturday’s scrimmage was one more data point among many since Vigen was hired by MSU in February. Unlike last Saturday’s scrimmage, in which the offensive and defensive starters went up against each other, those first-string (and some second-string) players faced a scout team a week later.
The latest scrimmage, while far from perfect, provided Vigen and his staff optimism that their team will break their hiatus with a good performance less than a week from now.
“What we have is a team that we feel is going to show up and be disciplined, is going to have the appropriate attention to detail and is going to play like crazy,” Vigen said. “If you do those things with the team that’s got some ability, you’re going to be in the fourth quarter with a chance to win games.
“What we’re trying to preach is, let’s be prepared, let’s be ready to go.”
Last week’s scrimmage was like a tug-of-war, with MSU’s best offensive players trying to get the better of their top defensive teammates. The scout team players on Saturday played a different role. They still played hard, both to provide the best preparation for the starters and to impress their coaches, but their main duty was to provide their first-string teammates with a live look of Wyoming’s schemes.
While it’s hard to fully evaluate a position group that’s facing a scout team, Vigen was especially impressed with the defensive line’s performance Saturday.
“They really got off the ball well and created some problems,” he said.
The scrimmage also gave the Bobcats a chance to prepare for the little things next week, such as pregame and where coaches will be stationed at War Memorial Stadium. Vigen noted that Saturday was the first time all of the offensive and defensive coaches were on the same sideline during a preseason scrimmage setting.
“Part of it is what’s happening within a series, so the defensive coach can relay that to a defensive player, and the same with the offense,” Vigen said. “It approaches what a game will look like from a communication standpoint. That’s the biggest thing that will come out of today.”
The sunny, calm conditions Saturday in Bozeman felt especially nice to the Bobcats after wind disrupted their scrimmage a week earlier. MSU was able to get a better gauge of downfield throws and kicks on Saturday.
Vigen was pleased with what he saw from previously limited players, such as linebacker Troy Andersen, and said the next week will require an important balance of physicality and “knowing where your guys’ bucket is filled” so everyone is as fresh as possible against Wyoming.
“The biggest thing transitioning into the next week is we’ve got to be going full speed next Saturday, and that’s where (strength) coach (Sean) Herrin and I’ve sat down and talked about kind of where we’re at, where he sees our team as far as our speed, our health,” Vigen said. “That’s where this coaching profession is way more science than it is art.”
The Bobcats have not only had ample time to prepare for Wyoming; their head coach is extremely familiar with the Cowboys. Vigen was their offensive coordinator from 2014 to 2020.
Vigen said he might feel some emotions when he gets to Laramie next week and reunites with all of the people he knows there. But he’s more focused on MSU, and not just from an on-field standpoint. Last fall, when the Bobcats were at home waiting for a spring season that never materialized, Vigen and the Cowboys played six games.
“That’s where my real emotion is,” Vigen said, “for our guys who haven’t played in so long.”
