Bobcat spirit persists after heartbreak in Frisco

On Jan. 6, 2025, Bobcat fans were left heartbroken as their beloved team fell just short against the North Dakota State University Bison (NDSU) in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) national championship game. The Bobcats, looking to complete their perfect season, were ultimately defeated 35-32 in a contest that they trailed in by as much as 18 points early on.

The championship loss left the Bobcats with a myriad of questions — many of which revolve around how the program will move forward following the departures of several key players, including senior quarterback and FCS Offensive Player of the Year Tommy Mellott.

During the 2024-25 FCS Playoffs, the Bobcats were rewarded for their stellar regular-season play with the top seed in the postseason bracket. This gave MSU a first-round bye — meaning the team automatically advanced past the first round of the playoffs — and guaranteed home games throughout the postseason until the championship in Frisco. This season marked the first time since 2009 that a Big Sky conference team held the tournament’s first seed.

One benefit of hosting playoff games, besides having the home-field advantage, is that it allows the Spirit of the West (SOTW) marching band to support the team more directly. Unlike at home games where costs are minimal, the band has to fundraise to cover the significant travel costs for any postseason contests on the road, which makes their support all the more special.

“That first step during the pregame show when the stadium is full and roaring, it’s just like the best feeling in the world, and so being able to have so many home games this season was just a big plus,” said SOTW baritone section leader Lily Ranger.

The ‘Cats made good use of their home-field advantage, defeating the unranked University of Tennessee at Martin 49-17, #8 University of Idaho 52-19 and #4 University of South Dakota 31-17, placing them in the matchup against NDSU that would decide the season’s national champion.

“No matter what’s happening within the game, you have to just know that the band is a primary part of kind of keeping the energy up in the crowd and even the players,” Ranger said. “Then you just have to keep [being] hyped up, keep screaming and playing as loud as you can.”

The Bobcats reaching this point in their season sent many people into action. Fans began to arrange travel plans, the SOTW began fundraising and MSU started planning ways to celebrate making it to Frisco.

One way that MSU celebrated this year’s team was with the “Bobcat Sunday Funday” event held at The Star in Frisco — the headquarters and practice facility of the Dallas Cowboys. According to montanasports.com, the event was attended by over 5,000 Bobcat fans and consisted of food, drinks, games, pictures and live music, including a performance from the SOTW. MSU President Waded Cruzado, Football Head Coach Brent Vigen and Athletic Director Leon Costello also said a few words to help fire up the crowd of Bobcat supporters before the big game.

MSU film student Alex Thayer, who had also been to the Bobcat’s most recent trip to Frisco in 2021, said the energy felt different this time around.

“The vibe started out super energetic, the best I’ve ever seen at any game,” Thayer said. “[It was] like everyone on the ‘Cats side knew it was going to be an easy victory.” This was in stark contrast to Thayer’s 2021 experience, where he said it felt like fans “immediately lost hope” in the first quarter of the game.

However, throughout the first half of the game, the Bobcat offense struggled to move the ball and had only managed to put three points on the board to the Bison’s 21 by the time the second half began. Even though the Bobcats eventually found their spark with a second-half scoring barrage led by Mellott, the deficit to NDSU proved too great and they suffered their only loss of the season to the tune of a 32-35 final score. This time though, MSU’s fans and supporters were behind the team to the very end.

“[When] the second half hit, you could feel the optimism drop. But until the end, people never lost hope,” Thayer said.

Fans will carry their optimism into the offseason as the Bobcats look to replace key players while also battling for a return trip to Frisco next year. That challenge will fall on the shoulders of Vigen and his staff, who, along with the team, have already begun the early phases of the offseason.

“[The offseason] starts immediately,” Vigen said. “We’ve got a really talented group, and it’s up to those guys right now to just show up on a daily basis and put the work in, and we’re finishing up for our first week of that, our first week [out] of eight before we get to spring ball.”

For the Bobcats to move on successfully, they will have to find a way to break through without several key offensive contributors. Besides moving on from Mellott, MSU will also have to replace running back Scottre Humphrey, who transferred to the University of New Mexico, fullback and tight end Rohan Jones, who transferred to the University of Arkansas, tackle Conner Moore, who is heading to Michigan State University and graduating senior Marcus Wehr — who projects to go in the later rounds of the NFL draft.

However, while the roster might be missing some familiar faces next season, Vigen isn’t concerned about his team’s experience level on the field.

“The nature of our 16 games, a lot of guys got [some] significant experience,” Vigen said. “Those were guys. We return a decent number of starters, and in any year you’re going to lose starters in some way shape or form, a number of guys that rotated, and a number of guys that, by the virtue of us being up in a lot of those games played quite a bit, and that usually doesn’t happen that way.”

If anyone thinks the roster turnover will affect the Bobcats’ style of play, the answer is a firm no. The 2025 edition of MSU Football is making a concerted effort to stick to their core values as they make another push for Frisco.

“Realistically, it’s still going to be fast, physical, hard-nose football. [We] still have a lot of depth at a lot of positions, so I wouldn’t be too worried about any of that stuff,” said returning defensive back Jackson Harmon. “I wish the best for all the dudes that got opportunities to get out of here, the seniors that are leaving, but [it’s] still the same brand of football, [we’ve got] dudes that have been around a long time — [it’s] just time to step up.”

The process of “stepping up” has already begun, as Vigen revealed that the players spend a lot of January and February with Lead Strength Coach Sean Herrin. According to Vigen, this time is spent getting stronger both physically and as a team.

If MSU’s returning players and their new additions can figure out how to work well as a team, the results will likely speak for themselves once the new season begins in the fall. It’s the small steps that the program can take now — even after coming off of a devastating national championship loss — that Vigen wants people to take note of.

“The program did not end on [Jan.] 6, 2025, okay? That’s part of our continued story,” Vigen said. “So, who are those next guys to step up? I think that’s where some of the questions lie, but I think [it’s important] for our fans out there to know that we have a lot of talent. We have a lot of hungry guys that are working hard right now. We’ve got a coaching staff that has turned the page, and we’re on to 2025.”

To stay up to date with more news about MSU Bobcat Football, visit the program’s website at https://msubobcats.com/sports/football.