What will come next for Bobcat football?

The Bobcat football team will take the stage on April 26 for the annual Sonny Holland Classic (SHC) spring game, where they will be split into blue and white teams to play an intrasquad scrimmage. 

This year’s classic will look different, notably due to the Bobcats’ ongoing search for a new quarterback to replace superstar Tommy Mellott as they go into the 2025 season.

After a crushing defeat in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) championship game against North Dakota State University, the Bobcats now face the challenge of overcoming a 41-year championship drought. On top of this, the ‘Cats are looking to replace numerous starters on both offense and defense.

The spring game offers Bobcat Head Coach Brent Vigen an opportunity to evaluate his players ahead of the upcoming season. Although it is just an intrasquad competition, the results may indicate which Bobcats could be poised to contribute in 2025.

In last year’s SHC, running back Adam Jones rushed for a pair of touchdowns. He would go on to score 14 times and rush for 1,152 yards during the 2024-25 season as part of the feared Bobcat rushing attack from last year’s record-setting squad. It is worth noting that Jones competed as a redshirt freshman last season.

Quarterback Chance Wilson also saw snaps in last year’s SHC. Some Bobcat fans might remember Wilson for his brief spurts of play during the 2024 season. Wilson will be a name to watch in this year’s edition of the inter-team face off, as he recently performed quite well in a spring scrimmage on April 19, throwing for one score and rushing for another.

“I thought we moved the ball well enough, and I thought both [sophomore] quarterbacks made some plays," Vigen saidafter Saturday’s scrimmage, according to an article released by Bobcat athletics. "[Wilson and Patrick Duchien] both made some plays with their feet. We continue to have a number of guys on the other end of the passes make plays, so that's good."

Regardless of whether it is Wilson, Duchien or another quarterback who takes over the signal-calling next season, they will have lofty expectations to meet. Last season’s team didn’t just win the Big Sky Conference and make an FCS title game appearance; they did so without losing a single game. 

This included the ‘Cats' victory over Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponent University of New Mexico to begin the season, which was a historic out-of-conference matchup due to the Bobcats being 13.5 point road favorites. This was the first time in 15 years that an FCS team had a spread this large over an FBS team, according to CBS.

This time around, the matchup draw is much tougher, as the Bobcats begin next season with a road contest against the University of Oregon (UO), the number-one ranked team in the nation from the previous FBS regular season.

However, the Bobcats should not be counted out just yet, as the framework from last year’s team is still there. Not only is Vigen returning as head coach, but the team is bringing back key contributors on offense in Jones and wide receiver and punt returner Taco Dowler. Bobcat fans should maintain hope that the team can capture the elusive FCS championship next season.

“I don’t know who’s gonna replace [Mellott], but I feel like we have strong fundamentals on the team,” business marketing student Sam Russo said. “That should, in general, make us prepared for next season.”

Except for the first two games of the season and the traditional “Brawl of the Wild” football game against rival University of Montana, the ‘Cats have an average margin of victory of 28.78 points over their 2025 opponents in their most recent matchups.

It is worth noting that this statistic includes opponents who were played as recently as last season, such as University of California, Davis, but also accounts for opponents such as the University of San Diego, who MSU has not played since 2021.

“Well, our defense has always been really good, never letting up more than 14 points [usually,] and I think we can score more than that,” mechanical engineering student Luke Roney said. “I think [the environment] will be the same, I still think we’re going to win every home game.”

The Bobcats might have lost some pieces in the offseason after last year’s championship defeat, but by no means are these ‘Cats declawed.

To learn more about Bobcat football, go to https://msubobcats.com/sports/football.