BOZEMAN -- Among the concerns for the Montana State Bobcats football team as they prepare for their trip to face Texas Tech: the heat.
The weather on Saturday in Lubbock, Texas is projected to be just under 95 degrees. Add another 15 degrees on the turf playing field and about 60,000 fans in the stands, and the Bobcats will be playing in temperatures well above 100 degrees. And that's something MSU has no experience of this season.
"It's very difficult for us to simulate (the temperature) here, we don't have an indoor (facility). I can't turn the heat on and water the turf down to create the steam effect," said MSU coach Jeff Choate. "We had probably two days in the mid-80s in the entire fall camp that we were able to get on the turf."
Choate said his team will likely do a short pregame warmup on Saturday as to not waste the players' energy and to be cautious with their health.
"We have to do a good job of managing our guys, keep them rolling, be smart with them," said Choate. "Player safety is always the thing we pay attention to. If a guy needs to come out, he has to come out."
