BOZEMAN — Making a surprise appearance before Monday's press conference for head football coach Brent Vigen, Montana State athletic director Leon Costello announced a first in MSU history as the team prepares for their game against Idaho on Saturday.
“This will mark the sixth straight (football) game that we have hit a sellout in our regular seats,” he announced. “We do have some standing room only tickets available but we have never done this before.”
He just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has come to support the program.
“Going back the last 18 to 20 months have been tough on everybody but our fans are simply the best and they keep showing it time and time and time again,” Costello said. “Obviously, this success of the football program means a lot to this as well, but I think it's pretty neat when you have everything working together and you’re kind of going in the same direction when these things, these special things can really happen.”
The sellout crowds have given the Bobcats football team a boost, says Vigen.
“Our crowd has made a difference,” said the Bobcats head coach. “To quantify it in a home game, what that means for us and ultimately the obstacle it creates for opponents, it’s hard to quantify.”
Costello wants fans to know they need to get to Bobcat Stadium a little earlier than normal this Saturday ahead of the game against Idaho.
“We want to make sure that our people know to come into the stadium a little bit earlier about 30 minutes before the game to honor the seniors that we have,” said Costello. “We have plans for a lot more football games in Bobcat Stadium this year, but we also want to say thank you to our seniors in the right way.”
In other big news, some Bobcats earned Big Sky honors for their play against Eastern Washington. Senior linebacker Troy Andersen was named defensive player of the week with his 15 tackle performance.
“It’s evident he’s one of the best players in our conference and he’s continued to show up every Saturday with those types of performances,” Vigen said. “Whether this is the first time he deserved it or not, I don’t know, but he got it. It’s well deserved and without his play, his leadership, just the way he goes about his day to day business, we wouldn’t be the team that we are.”
Freshman punter Bryce Leighton was the special teams player of the week, pinning the Eagles offense inside their own 20-yard-line in four out of five punts.
“Bryce’s punt at the end of the game -- that gave us an edge in the special teams,” Vigen said. “His ability to put them inside the five, you could argue that was the biggest play of the game.”
At 1 p.m. on Saturday the Bobcats take on Idaho.
