BOZEMAN — The Montana State Bobcats defeated the Idaho Vandals 24-23 on Saturday in Bobcat Stadium, and head coach Jeff Choate knew exactly what his team was getting into.
“I said this was a war,” Choate said. “I knew Idaho was going to have their best, and I thought they played really well.”
The Vandals came out with two big scores off the bat, but the Montana State defense pushed through to get the offense back on the field.
“We were just going speed rush all game and then we were scrambling, so we decided to squeeze them, then Tyrone (Fa’anono) and Derek (Marks) got around them,” defensive lineman Tucker Yates said Saturday about the strategy.
After the half, the Bobcats were down by seven, but Choate said the team kept its poise, leading to the eventual win.
“The one thing I know is we have a group of young men who are going to fight hard regardless of the situation,” he said. “They don’t panic at halftime. I think our coaching staff does a good job of bringing them back together and refocusing on what needs to be done.”
The Bobcats are on the road at Weber State next Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m.
