No. 1 Montana State heads to Idaho on Friday night in a nationally televised Big Sky Conference matchup, with the unbeaten Bobcats once again facing questions about depth as they try to protect a winning run that now stands at 19 games.
The Bobcats beat ranked Northern Arizona 28-14 last Saturday to move to 5-0 overall and 2-0 in the Big Sky, but Brent Vigen knows the challenge changes quickly when a team has to turn around for a road game in Moscow after a short week. Idaho, meanwhile, comes in at 0-4 overall and 0-1 in conference play after a bye week, which gives the Vandals extra time to prepare for one of the league’s sharpest teams.
Brent Vigen's depth test
Vigen has already pointed to the importance of his team's depth, and this is exactly the sort of game that puts that idea under the microscope. Montana State are unbeaten, but they are also dealing with injury concerns, which means the margin for error is smaller than the record suggests.
That matters because a short week can quickly expose any weakness in a roster. Montana State have the results to justify their No. 1 ranking, but Friday night in Moscow is another reminder that conference games do not allow much room to breathe, especially when a team is carrying knocks and trying to keep momentum alive.
How to watch Montana State Vs Idaho
The game is scheduled to kick off at 8:30 p.m. Mountain time on Friday and will be shown on and +.
For Montana State, the basic task is clear: keep the unbeaten run going, handle the road trip, and find enough healthy bodies to keep playing at a level that has carried them through the first stretch of the season. For Idaho, the bye week offers a chance to make the most of a rare Friday night spotlight and test the conference leaders at a time when the Bobcats may not be at full strength.
