# 2018 Montana State Bobcats football team

The 2018 Montana State Bobcats football team represented Montana State University as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 2018 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by third-year head coach Jeff Choate, the Bobcats compiled an overall record of 8–5 with a mark of 5–3 in conference play, tying for fourth place in the Big Sky. Montana State received an at-large bid to the NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs, where they defeated Incarnate Word in the first round before losing to the eventual national champion, North Dakota State, in the second round. The Bobcats played their home games at Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman, Montana.

## Preseason
### Polls

On July 16, 2018 during the Big Sky Kickoff in Spokane, Washington, the Bobcats were predicted to finish in eighth place in both the coaches and media poll.
Coaches poll :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Eastern Washington | 134 (6) |
| 2 | Weber State | 124 (3) |
| 3 | Northern Arizona | 121 (3) |
| 4 | Idaho | 101 (1) |
| 5 | Sacramento State | 94 |
| 6 | Southern Utah | 91 |
| 7 | Montana | 82 |
| 8 | Montana State | 76 |
| 9 | UC Davis | 64 |
| 10 | Cal Poly | 40 |
| 11 | Northern Colorado | 30 |
| 12 | Idaho State | 29 |
| 13 | Portland State | 21 |
Media poll :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Eastern Washington | 651 (27) |
| 2 | Weber State | 636 (19) |
| 3 | Northern Arizona | 535 (1) |
| 4 | Montana | 496 (2) |
| 5 | Idaho | 483 (3) |
| 6 | Southern Utah | 449 (1) |
| 7 | Sacramento State | 415 |
| 8 | Montana State | 391 (1) |
| 9 | UC Davis | 331 (1) |
| 10 | Idaho State | 170 |
| 11 | Cal Poly | 169 |
| 12 | Northern Colorado | 166 |
| 13 | Portland State | 103 |

### Preseason All-Conference Team

The Bobcats had one player selected to the Preseason All-Conference Team.
Tucker Yates – Sr. DT

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 30 | 7:00 p.m. | Western Illinois* | | Bobcat StadiumBozeman, MT | SWX | W 26–23 | 18,507 |
| September 8 | 5:00 p.m. | at No. 3 South Dakota State* | | Dana J. Dykhouse StadiumBrookings, SD | SWX | L 14–45 | 14,614 |
| September 15 | 1:00 p.m. | Wagner* | | Bobcat StadiumBozeman, MT | SWX | W 47–24 | 18,037 |
| September 22 | 3:00 p.m. | at Portland State | | Hillsboro StadiumHillsboro, OR | SWX | W 43–23 | 4,135 |
| September 29 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 5 Eastern Washington | | Bobcat StadiumBozeman, MT | RTNW | L 17–34 | 18,667 |
| October 13 | 2:00 p.m. | Idaho | | Bobcat StadiumBozeman, MT | RTNW | W 24–23 | 19,177 |
| October 20 | 4:00 p.m. | at No. 7 Weber State | | Stewart StadiumOgden, UT | RTNW | L 24–34 | 8,062 |
| October 27 | 3:30 p.m. | at Idaho State | | Holt ArenaPocatello, ID | ELVN | L 17–24 | 8,851 |
| November 3 | 2:00 p.m. | Cal Poly | | Bobcat StadiumBozeman, MT | SWX | W 49–42 | 16,747 |
| November 10 | 1:00 p.m. | Northern Colorado | | Bobcat StadiumBozeman, MT | RTNW | W 35–7 | 14,147 |
| November 17 | 12:00 p.m. | at Montana | No. 25 | Washington–Grizzly StadiumMissoula, MT (rivalry) | RTNW | W 29–25 | 26,508 |
| November 24 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 24 Incarnate Word* | No. 23 | Bobcat StadiumBozeman, MT (NCAA Division I First Round) | ESPN3 | W 35–14 | 10,017 |
| December 1 | 2:00 p.m. | at No. 1 North Dakota State* | No. 23 | FargodomeFargo, ND (NCAA Division I Second Round) | ESPN3 | L 10–52 | 17,007 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from STATS Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Mountain time ||||||||

## Game summaries
### Western Illinois

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Leathernecks | 7 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 23 |
| Bobcats | 3 | 3 | 14 | 6 | 26 |

### At South Dakota State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bobcats | 0 | 0 | 8 | 6 | 14 |
| No. 3 Jackrabbits | 7 | 17 | 14 | 7 | 45 |

### Wagner

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Seahawks | 7 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 24 |
| Bobcats | 14 | 16 | 10 | 7 | 47 |

### At Portland State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bobcats | 6 | 20 | 17 | 0 | 43 |
| Vikings | 3 | 13 | 7 | 0 | 23 |

### Eastern Washington

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 5 Eagles | 14 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 34 |
| Bobcats | 10 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 17 |

### Idaho

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Vandals | 7 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 23 |
| Bobcats | 7 | 0 | 14 | 3 | 24 |

### At Weber State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bobcats | 7 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
| No. 7 Wildcats | 0 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 34 |

### At Idaho State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bobcats | 7 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 17 |
| Bengals | 0 | 17 | 7 | 0 | 24 |

### Cal Poly

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Mustangs | 7 | 7 | 7 | 21 | 42 |
| Bobcats | 14 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 49 |

### Northern Colorado

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Bobcats | 7 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 35 |

### At Montana

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Montana St | 0 | 7 | 0 | 22 | 29 |
| Montana | 7 | 15 | 0 | 3 | 25 |
at Washington–Grizzly Stadium, Missoula, Montana
* Date: November 17, 2018
* Game time: 12:00 p.m.
* Game weather: Sunny, 30 °F (−1 °C)
* Game attendance: 26,508
* Box Score
Game information :
First quarter
UM – Gabe Sulser 1-yard pass from Dalton Sneed (Tim Semenza kick), 12:31. Montana 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 73 yards, 2:29.
Second quarter
UM – Adam Eastwood 1-yard run (Tim Semenza kick), 13:30. Montana 14–0. Drive: 10 plays, 58 yards, 3:41.
UM – Samuel Akem 37-yard pass from Dalton Sneed (run good), 8:15. Montana 22–0. Drive: 2 plays, 39 yards, 0:40.
MSU – Troy Andersen 3-yard run (Tristan Bailey kick), 0:23. Montana 22–7. Drive: 10 plays, 72 yards, 2:43.
Third quarter
No scoring
Fourth quarter
MSU – Troy Andersen 1-yard run (run good), 14:24. Montana 22–15. Drive: 9 plays, 87 yards, 3:15.
UM – Tim Semenza 34-yard field goal, 7:46. Montana 25–15. Drive: 14 plays, 58 yards, 6:32.
MSU – Troy Andersen 1-yard run (Tristan Bailey kick), 6:01. Montana 25–22. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 1:45.
MSU – Logan Jones 13-yard run (Tristan Bailey kick), 2:19. Montana St 29–25. Drive: 7 plays, 35 yards, 2:57.
Top passers
MSU – Troy Andersen – 15/24, 158 yards
UM – Dalton Sneed – 22/34, 354 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
MSU – Troy Andersen – 23 rushes, 107 yards, 3 TD
UM – Jerry Louie-McGee – 4 rushes, 43 yards
Top receivers
MSU – Travis Jonsen – 11 receptions, 101 yards
UM – Samuel Akem – 6 receptions, 147 yards, TD :

## FCS Playoffs
### Incarnate Word–First Round

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 24 Cardinals | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 |
| No. 23 Bobcats | 7 | 11 | 3 | 14 | 35 |

### At North Dakota State–Second Round

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 23 Bobcats | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| No. 1 Bison | 21 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 52 |

## Ranking movements

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Final |
| STATS FCS | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | 25 | 23 | 17 |
| Coaches | — | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | — | RV | RV | 23 | 17 |