DIVISION I FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: MONTANA ST. VS NORTH DAKOTA ST.

January 7, 2022

Brent Vigen

Montana State Bobcats

Media Conference

BRENT VIGEN: I can't say how much excitement this opportunity has brought to the state of Montana, Montana State University, Bobcat fans everywhere, and in particular our team making the trip down here to Frisco. What a great host that Frisco has become. It's been a while since I've been here. It was January 14. It's changed a lot, but as far as that consistency and just being a great host of this championship, I can't say enough.

We haven't played since December 18th, but we've really utilized the last three weeks to heal up, to prepare, and some of that was pre-Christmas, some of it was obviously after Christmas back in Bozeman, and the last couple days here in Frisco, I feel like we have a team that's ready to take the field tomorrow against an incredibly formidable opponent in North Dakota State.

It's going to be a game of two teams that play very similar styles, both offensively and defensively, value very much the same things when it comes to how you go about winning football games. Obviously for our guys, we have to go out and play extremely well to come out on top against such a good opponent.

Our guys are so excited to be here, like I said, so ready to go for this opportunity.

Q. Just wanted to get your sense of the former players who have been in town and just your reaction to meeting some of these former players and legends in Montana State history.

BRENT VIGEN: Well, it's a big deal. These opportunities to bring so many former players to one spot are obviously rare. When it was presented to different groups of guys, they rallied the troops, so to speak, and I don't know what the count was, but hundreds of guys out there, different eras, having a chance to meet our guys, spend some time with them, but then more than anything, just be around each other, it's an awesome deal.

I know that those guys are going to have a great time the rest of today and be as fired up for that game as anyone tomorrow.

We've got a proud, proud history here at Montana State, and to see so many legends I think is the word you used, I think that's very accurate, here on that practice field this afternoon was a neat deal.

Q. Earlier Matt Entz said that Christian Watson is going to play on Saturday. If he's healthy, what does he add to that offense, and what's the challenge in game planning for a player like that?

BRENT VIGEN: Well, he adds a whole lot, not only on offense but potentially in the return game, as well. I don't know if there's a better talent from a receiver perspective in the FCS this year.

He's got great size. He's got tremendous speed. Once the ball is in his hands, he's been really hard to bring down. That can come through the air. The ground game, they utilized him quite a bit there the last several years, and then the return game, as well.

Expected him to play. I'm sure Christian is a competitor, and he probably wanted to be on that field the last couple times out but was pretty convinced that he'd be ready to go after this three-week layoff.

We'll have to know exactly where he's at at all times and do everything we can to keep him in front of us, and when he gets the ball, tackle him.

Q. How has it been different being a head coach down in Frisco here as opposed to an assistant? What's it been like?

BRENT VIGEN: Well, you're pulling different strings. I know that. This trip down in particular with the uptick of COVID, that's probably worried me as much as anything. Just wanting to get to the game and doing everything we could. Worrying about stuff like that more than what plays are going to be called.

I think a lot about how you do things down here is how you plan for it, and I had obviously an experience and a real good roadmap on how to spend our time down here, and I think our players and our coaches have followed that.

Yeah, you've got just a different view of things. I don't know, it's still about going out and coaching that game tomorrow, and I'm really looking forward to that. I'm sure the emotions and everything will be a little bit different from that perspective. I haven't been on the field here in my three trips before, so looking forward to it.

Q. We talked about earlier this week those couple weeks off, using it as some time to just get healthy. I don't know if there's any update on some of the players we missed in that semifinal game, or is that still going to be a game-time decision?

BRENT VIGEN: No, I think we've utilized the three weeks well. In particular Ty Okada has really been out there for the most part this whole game, Isaiah, Chase Benson have been out practicing. What their capacity will ultimately be, I think we'll know once the game gets going, but the plan is all three of those guys who didn't play in that semifinal will all be on the field.

I think we're in that position where we can say we're as healthy as we've been since the start of the season in that I think it'll take as much of that as we need. That's the beauty of this three-week layoff. I think both teams can put their best team out there possible.

Q. You mentioned COVID; I'm curious if you can expand a little bit more on that. Do you expect everyone to be available for this game?

BRENT VIGEN: Yes, we do. But it's just worrisome because how exactly do you control it. We had sent all our guys away for the holiday break, and that's kind of when things across the country sped up a little bit.

But our guys have followed a stricter regimen over the last couple weeks than we had in quite a while, and it wasn't a real tough ask, asking guys to wear masks more than we had in a long time, asking guys to space differently than we had in a long time. It wasn't too complicated when you know what's at the end of it.

Our guys have done a really good job. Honestly the travel Wednesday was probably the most complicating thing where you feel like you don't control it, but it appears that we made it through that and we'll have a full squad ready to go tomorrow.

Q. Just wanted to get your thoughts, I know Buck Buchanan hasn't been awarded yet, but Troy Andersen won the FCS ADA one. How has he handled all of these extra things on top of the game and these awards so far?

BRENT VIGEN: Well, I do think he's certainly proud of his accomplishments. I know the week of the Sam Houston game, we went down to Las Vegas and he was part of that Campbell Trophy presentation, scholar athlete deal, and that was a Tuesday. I went down with him. His parents were able to go. Leon, we had a whole crew, Bill Garrett. We practiced in the morning, got down there, and I know it didn't faze him, but I think it's important that he's able to take all that in.

Tonight's ceremony, he'll be at our meetings, he'll eat with the team. We'll do everything like we can. He's about the team, though. I think the honor that he wants most is going to happen tomorrow, and I think he's very deserving of the Buchanan. Whether he gets it or not, we'll have to find out tonight, but I don't think for one second it affects his preparation, his play in the game, but at the same time, very well-deserved honors that you need to be a part of those opportunities as much as possible.

Q. Can you just describe the influence of your father Randy Vigen and what's it like having him down there and as much as you can experiencing this with him?

BRENT VIGEN: Yeah, you know, I was fortunate to grow up in some ways on the football field, going to his practices, on the sideline for games, being a ballboy, being a statistician, whatever, and then ultimately getting a chance to play for him.

You know, I know him being a coach and me being around his teams would without question be my biggest influence in becoming a coach. Through the years, no matter where I've been coaching, what my role has been, we've always had a chance to talk on probably a weekly basis, not necessarily a daily basis but a weekly basis about how things are going, and advice has been always there, support has always there always there.

Yeah, to have him down here along with a lot of -- Molly and I, a lot of our family is here in town, is special. These are opportunities to bring family together, enjoy one another's company, and then obviously have them cheer on the Bobcats tomorrow.

Yeah, his influence, hard to quantify, but it's pretty dang special.

Q. Obviously all this building up to tomorrow; what do you think the feeling will be like when you rest your head on the pillow tonight, and will sleep be difficult at all tonight?

BRENT VIGEN: Well, it's an early morning, so sleep better not be too complicated.

You know, that's a good question. I think when you don't sleep is when the preparation isn't complete. So that's earlier, I think, sometimes, especially when you're talking about a regular game week. So I think our guys are prepared. I think our guys are locked in.

I think I'll sleep okay. I know that alarm is going to be early in the morning, and I know our guys, there's going to be a different sense of excitement around this atmosphere come 11:00 central tomorrow than probably they've ever experienced. But that's going to go away pretty quickly, and it becomes about playing football.

We've tried to talk about that the whole time through just kind of setting the stage for tomorrow.

I'll do the best I can to get sleep tonight. I am sure our guys will, and we're really looking forward to tomorrow, though. It's going to be awesome.

Q. Sometimes in a lot of these big games, some players have said there's so much hype leading up to it and during pregame warmups and stuff that they almost get a little exhausted a few plays in to the game or into the first quarter because there's so much emotion. What's the message to the team as far as handling that aspect of it?

BRENT VIGEN: Yeah, much like I just said, I think try to prepare them for that, but at the same time you want them to enjoy those sensations, I guess, those feelings, because in life, opportunities like our guys are going to get tomorrow, they certainly don't happen every day.

To be a part of this championship, to be a member of this team is something these guys are going to remember for the rest of their lives.

Take a few deep breaths along the way, know that we still have a football game to play. I think that's as simple as I can put it.

The emotion is going to have you revved up through warmups and early on, but that goes away really fast, so we've just got to keep coming back to what we have to accomplish, and play in, play out against a team like North Dakota State. That's a tall task.

I think we've tried to do our best to explain that to our guys, and it's going to live out starting at 11:00 tomorrow.

Q. Final thoughts, final message for the great fans back in Bozeman before we get ready to go tomorrow morning at 11:00?

BRENT VIGEN: Yeah, I'm sure there's thousands and thousands of you down, Montanans, Bobcat fans down here in Frisco, but for the tens of thousands that are back in the great state of Montana and across this country, this team is playing for you. We're looking forward to just putting our best effort.

The support we've had throughout this run, throughout the regular season has really been uplifting to our team, in particular that's setting on December 18th back in Bozeman for that final game. Whether you're watching on TV or you're in the stadium here, scream as loud as you can, as long as you can tomorrow, and we'll give it everything we can.

Thanks a lot, and go Cats.