BOZEMAN -- The Montana State offense was firing on all cylinders in its 56-21 win over Norfolk State on Saturday and there was one big change making the gears turn: Tucker Rovig.
Rovig, the Bobcats' backup quarterback through the first three games, earned the start against the Spartans and capitalized on the opportunity. He was a dead-eye on the field, going 21 of 27 and throwing for 221 yards and four touchdowns.
The starting job is something that has eluded Rovig the past two years, backing up Troy Andersen last year while filling in sparingly, but Saturday was his chance to prove he permanently belongs in the starting tole.
"I basically said, 'Hey, you've let this thing slip through your hands twice now. This opportunity may not come again and you just have to believe in yourself and go play and I think he did that,'" said Montana State head coach Jeff Choate. "I'm really proud of the way he performed (Saturday). That's to take nothing away from Casey (Bauman), but I believe Tucker operated at a really high level (Saturday)."
The most important piece for Rovig's success wasn't his physical ability, but his mindset. He says when he wasn't named in the preseason, he never got discouraged.
"Confidence was like a huge thing with me. When Casey was named the starter, that's something that I feel like didn't change for me. My confidence was still there, I was just going to keep on pushing, keep on grinding and doing what I need to do and just stay ready," said Rovig.
After the game, Choate did not definitively name a starter for next week, but he said Rovig maximized his opportunities Saturday and he added that the team will be behind whichever player lines up under center next week at home as the Bobcats open Big Sky Conference play against Northern Arizona.
