POCATELLO, Idaho – Montana State’s defense – particularly the Bobcats’ secondary – understood the magnitude of the assignment facing them at Holt Arena on Saturday afternoon.
Under second-year head coach Cody Hawkins, the Idaho State Bengals are determined to be one of the most pass-heavy teams in the nation, making it their mission to stress opposing defensive backs with a steady diet of down-the-field shots.
Entering Saturday’s game, Idaho State had attempted the most passes of any team in the Big Sky Conference, and was averaging over 275 passing yards per game.
But on Saturday, a Montana State secondary that’s been stingy already this season was more than up to the task.
The Bengals, true to their nature, attempted 41 passes – more than double their total of 20 rushing attempts.
But with receivers struggling to get separation, ISU quarterbacks Kobe Tracy and Hunter Hays completed just 20 of those passes for a total of 201 yards.
Defensive backs Andrew Powdrell and Simeon Woodard each had two pass breakups for the Bobcats.
Not only did MSU’s secondary make it difficult to move the ball, it came up with one of the biggest plays of the day when Rylan Ortt jumped a sideline route for an interception in the second quarter.
It was only Montana State’s second interception in five games so far this season, and it came at a crucial time, just three plays after Idaho State recovered a fumble that set the Bengals up near midfield.
“The fumble really could have turned the tide, and to get that play a few later and then we answered offensively, that’s a play in our direction and turns the game right on the spot,” Montana State head coach Brent Vigen said. “Every game is going to have those (plays), so for us to go out there and answer a big play for them with a big play of our own … that little sequence might have been as critical as any in the game.”
Maybe the most impressive part of the secondary’s performance was that it came on a day when Montana State’s front seven wasn’t able to get much pressure. The Bobcats made Tracy and Hays uncomfortable at times, but didn’t record a sack for the first time in three weeks.
“Tracy is a guy who’s going to get the ball out of his hands,” Vigen said. “We got pressure on him, but our inability to sack him is kind of how he’s been.”
Idaho State’s longest pass play, a 31-yarder from Tracy to Jeff Weimer in the second quarter, came on a free play when Montana State jumped offsides and Tracy simply threw the ball up for grabs.
After the game, Hawkins lamented a few misses by his team, chief among them an overthrown deep ball by Tracy on the very first drive of the game that likely should have resulted in a touchdown.
But after that, there simply weren’t very many chances for the Bengals’ quarterbacks – and on a day when Montana State’s own big-play ability didn’t show up until the fourth quarter, the play of the Bobcats’ defensive backs was a big reason why they moved to 5-0.
“They have good, big guys on the other end of those passes, and I thought we really competed there,” Vigen said. “They were going to get some maybe when we were in zone, but as far as what we did in man coverage, I thought it was pretty dang solid. I think what we’re seeing is the secondary is pretty dang competitive. We’re not going to get them all, but we got more than they did today, I would say.”
