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

January 8, 2022

Brent Vigen

Montana State Bobcats

Postgame Media Conference

North Dakota State 38, Montana State 10

BRENT VIGEN: Well, first off, I want to congratulate North Dakota State. They were the better team for sure today. We were able to play their brand of football, they grabbed the momentum really quick, and we were never able to get it back.

At the same time I want to express a great deal of appreciation for our guys. Our guys continued to battle and fight, and in particular our group of fifth and sixth-year guys that are going to be taking the pads off for the last time today.

We have 16 guys that play a lot of different roles on this team, but through a lot of things they led the way they've taken Bobcat football to another level. Our intent was not just to get here so it leaves a very sour taste in your mouth. It hurts a lot. Our guys put a lot into this for a long time. They didn't play in 2020 and didn't play in the spring of '21.

It's an unbelievable group of young men that will do great things no matter where they head off to, and they'll always be special to me and they're always going to be a real special group to this program, there's no question about it.

Q. For starters with Tommy going out early, I'm curious how that changed your game plan and what you thought of Tucker stepping in.

BRENT VIGEN: Well, I think it definitely changed us. But it's the next-man-up mentality. It's Tucker's first real live bullets going in this season. He's got a lot of game experience in his past, so I thought he went out there and competed, competed real well, did everything that he could to just -- I think both sides of the football we got beat today.

I'm certain there was part of that that was our doing, and certainly a lot of credit goes to NDSU.

Q. You described NDSU getting the momentum early. How hard is it to slow them down once they get their run game going so early in the game?

BRENT VIGEN: Well, it proved to be really challenging today. By no means did we make them one-dimensional, and by no means did we put a lot of pressure on their quarterback to make plays. I thought in those instances when it was still a back-and-forth affair I thought he made some plays, so credit to them.

But yeah, the ball got rolling, and it was really hard for us to stop it today.

Q. With your quarterback going down after the first series, how did you get your team to rally around all that, because I know that's a lot of -- basically a distraction, him going down, and you had everything all ready to go this week, and now you had that problem. How did you get the team and say, hey, we can still do this?

BRENT VIGEN: Well, you throw out there a fifth-year captain and a guy that a lot of these guys had seen out there many, many times. It hadn't been this year, but like I said before, Tucker had played in a lot of games. You just keep fighting. You make it about one play. You make it about one series.

Our guys kept going after it. We just didn't have enough today.

Q. I wanted to ask you about a couple different scenarios in the game early, when you had like the fake field goal, was that intended to be a fake? And I also wanted to ask you about the 4th down in the third quarter where you took the deep shot down the sideline, as well.

BRENT VIGEN: Well, the sequence of events that happened on that first one, I knew Tommy got hurt the play before. I think we were sitting at about 4th and 4. We were kind of right on -- we were probably within Blake's range, but it was a two-way play and it didn't work out for us.

We certainly didn't want to kick it into the end zone, but that one didn't work out.

I think the one you'd be referring to, 4th and short, I can't recall what the score was at that time, the way that worked out. I think Lance was the guy that Tucker went after. He liked the matchup. It was a run-pass scenario. He just -- if you're going to do that, you've got to give Lance a chance to make a play on the ball, and I don't think he did in that sequence.

Yeah, two plays that didn't go our way. We wanted to be aggressive in this game and knew that it would take some plays of that making to come out on top, and unfortunately they didn't work out.

Q. You brought up about your seniors who will soon be graduating. What do you hope that they take out of this while playing football and move on to the rest of their lives, whatever they may do?

BRENT VIGEN: Well, if you have a really positive college athletics experience, in this case football for these guys, I really feel like it can -- something you can fall back to on a daily basis, whether that's in your line of work, with your family.

When you have a positive experience like I think our guys have had, the sky's the limit as far as what that can do for you. Playing the sport of football and being part of the makeup and the fabric of what a team means is something that's, I think, often misunderstood in our society. It's unlike anything else. It's the ultimate team sport.

The lessons you learn about perseverance, about teamwork, you can't get a lot of places.

I hope that answers your question, but these guys had an amazing experience while they were at Montana State. I think the bar has been set really high as far as what we're looking for in our leaders. I think our young guys can follow that direction.

I know this group of guys, these seniors, are going to be very successful at whatever they choose to do.

Q. I was curious as somebody who knows the other program on the other side of the sidelines really well, did you have any message to your players kind of about that's the benchmark and that's what we should aspire to be?

BRENT VIGEN: I think our guys know that. This is three consecutive seasons that's ended at the hands of NDSU. I think our guys didn't need to be reminded of that.

I truly believe that we continue to close it, but they're not slowing down, either. So I think that's going to continue to be the message. We made it to a certain point. Our team has changed right now, and we're going to be on to the '22 group of Bobcats, and we have to keep getting better every day.

That's in the weight room, that's as a program in general. I think we've got to keep pushing the envelope. That's what North Dakota State has continued to do in every facet of that program. They've continued to push the envelope, and credit to them.

Q. Lance broke the single-season receiving yards record. What did you think of his impact in this game and for the season? Also generally speaking, what will you remember this team most for when you look back on your first team as a head coach?

BRENT VIGEN: Well, first off with Lance, yeah, Lance had an incredible season. I think of a guy meeting with him back in February, and I'd seen him move around a little bit. I watched some film, and really I think we empowered Lance to become great. Gave him opportunities, and he did that.

He's going to be -- those are big shoes to fill. I don't think Lance McCutcheon is done playing football, and I don't think anybody might have said that this time last year. So certainly really proud of Lance and what he's become and certainly what he's aspiring to be.

11 months I think on the dot from when I got hired, it was February 8th, I think just the transformation of being in that Hall of Fame room and looking at a bunch of wide-eyed guys that were willing to listen, willing to trust, willing to buy in. I think that's going to be it. It's been a crazy 11 months, a wild ride, but just appreciate them so much.

Q. Like you said, you didn't put Cam Miller in too many tough spots, but I think early in the game, a third and long, hit Christian Watson, and then Christian Watson had another big one on their second drive. How big was letting Watson get a couple big plays early on to kind of jump start some of their drives?

BRENT VIGEN: Yeah, we got them off schedule a few times early, and they responded. It wasn't the ground game initially, it was a combination. For us to be successful today, we didn't come nearly as close -- not even close to saying ground game wise we slowed them down, but early on I think it was a matter of they made some plays that maybe there was opportunities for us too and changed the balance of that initial, you know, who's going to take the momentum and run with it.

Yeah, he's a really good player. He's got all the tools, Christian Watson does. To have him back I know was a big lift for them.

Q. I was wondering when specifically did Tommy get hurt? And it was awesome hearing from Ty Okada and Isaiah Ilfanse earlier. You must think that starting with those two guys and some of the juniors you've got coming back, that at least moving into this next chapter, the future is bright at Montana State?

BRENT VIGEN: Yeah, Tommy got hurt I believe on the 3rd down. It maybe was even the play before. I know he got up a little slow. I think it was the play before, actually, the 2nd down play.

Yeah, to put Ty and Isaiah up here I think was representative of two guys that have poured everything in and will continue to. Neither one of those guys played against South Dakota State in the semifinal game, but there was no way they were going to be held out of this opportunity.

We will count on those two, no question, to be leaders, to be playmakers moving forward. I caught a little bit of their comments. I think they're not only great representations of what this '21 team is about, but you could hear it in their voice, that they'll be bound and determined to lead this '22 outfit moving forward.