Illinois State national championship opponent capsule: Montana State University

Montana State head coach Brent Vigen has compiled a 60-12 record since becoming the Bobcats’ head coach in 2021. (Photo by NCAA.org) 

By Dan Verdun

Montana State accomplished two major goals this past Saturday: Defeating its archrival for the second time this fall and earning a spot in the Jan. 5 FCS national championship game.

With a rivalry that dates back to 1897, one has to wonder which was more important to longtime Bobcat fans and alumni.

Montana State (13-2) scored 21 points in the fourth quarter to knock off nemesis Montana, 48-23, in Bozeman. The Bobcats defeated the Grizzlies, 31-28, in Missoula during the Big Sky Conference portion of the regular season.

No. 2 seed Montana State will face unseeded Illinois State (12-4) at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 5 at Vanderbilt University’s First Bank Stadium in Nashville to determine the FCS national champion.

“I think this team has continued to be a forward-thinking outfit,” Vigen said. “The offense came out and drove it down the field to take the lead back. That piece is a microcosm of what we’ve been about all season.”

Here’s a deeper look at Illinois State’s national championship game opponent:

School: Montana State University

Founded: 1893

First football team: 1897

Location: Bozeman

Distance from Normal: 1,364 miles

Distance from Nashville: 1,713 miles

Population: 53,293

Enrollment: 17,144

Nickname, Mascot: Bobcat, Champ

Colors: Blue and Gold

Stadium: Bobcat Stadium

Conference: Big Sky

Head Coach: Brent Vigen, 5th year

Overall Record: 60-12

I-AA/FCS Playoff Appearances: 15 (national champions, 1984; runners-up, 2021 and 2024)

Key players: DT Paul Brott, RB Julius Davis, S Caden Dowler, WR Taco Dowler, DE Kenneth Eiden IV, OL Titan Fleischman, RB Adam Jones, QB Justin Lamson

Quick facts: Head coach Brent Vigen, 50, is a North Dakota native and played tight end at North Dakota State (1993-97).  … Like Illinois State head coach Brock Spack, Vigen spent time at FBS Wyoming during his coaching career. Spack was the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator under Joe Tiller (1995-96), while Vegan was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach under Craig Bohl (2014-2020). … Montana State is the only college team with a national title in three different classifications – 1956 NAIA, 1976 Division II, 1984 I-AA/FCS.  … Six Bobcats have played in the Super Bowl.  … The Montana State-Montana rivalry is the 31st-oldest in Division I and the 11th-oldest west of the Mississippi River. It is also the fourth-oldest FCS rivalry.

Best NFL player: According to Pro Football Reference, 31 Montana State players have been in the NFL. Norwegian-born Jan Stenerud was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991 as the first exclusive placekicker to receive the honor. He was a six-time all-star (four NFL Pro Bowls and two AFL All-Star games). Stenerud helped the Kansas City Chiefs win the Super Bowl IV title.

Famous MSU alumni: Jeff Ament (Pearl Jam bassist); Carroll O’Connor (actor); Dennis Erickson (football coach); Mike Mansfield (former Senate majority leader); Jeannette Rankin (first woman in Congress); J.K. Simmons (actor); Joe Tiller (football coach)

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