Strength vs. Strength as Bobcat offensive line meets Idaho defensive front – Skyline Sports

The Big Sky's highest-profile showdown could come down to a battle of the big boys at the top.

Idaho's prime-time showdown at Montana State this Saturday night on ESPN2 will surely hinge on the play of the vaunted Vandal defensive line against the always-impressive Bobcat offensive line… right?

Well, sometimes it seems like anyone who thinks they know what determines the outcome of a game is almost always wrong.

One thing is for sure: the battle between Idaho's defensive line and MSU's offensive line will be epic. And certainly a duel between two leaders in the Big Sky Conference. It may not decide the winner, but the overused cliché of the immovable object – MSU – versus the irresistible force – Idaho – is entirely true in this case.

The Bobcats have been steamrolling defensive fronts since 2018, when Troy Andersen converted from running back/linebacker to quarterback, using his 6-4, 235-pound frame to complement the capabilities of his offensive line and force his way to immortality to pave the way for Montana State.

This season, MSU has toned down its running game a bit in terms of yards per carry, as it doesn't use its quarterback to run the ball quite as often as in recent years. That fact could make the Bobcats' performance this season even more impressive since teams aren't paying as much attention to quarterback Tommy Mellott.

MSU may have dropped to 6.5 yards per carry from its 7.3 average a year ago, but that's likely because Mellott is only averaging six yards per carry this season, while the combination of Mellott and his quarterback -Sidekick last two seasons Sean Chambers averaged 21 carries per game over the last two seasons. And many of those QB runs were explosive hits for long gains.

Idaho doesn't have the long history of its defensive line that MSU has with its offensive line, but the Vandals are on fire this season. UI leads the Big Sky Conference and is third in the country with 18 sacks. Helena High product Keyshawn James-Newby leads the way with eight sacks, including five combined sacks in UI's 24-14 loss at Oregon and 17-13 win over Wyoming.

MSU head coach Brent Vigen is aware of Idaho's tendency to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

“Especially Keyshawn James-Newby, I think he has eight sacks and has been an absolute threat so far, especially on third down,” Vigen said. “I think what you see on defense is they're moving to the football. They are very principled, fundamentally in the right position and play with great commitment.”

More importantly: the vandals are the No. 2 defense in the Big Sky against the run, allowing just 2.8 yards per carry. That number comes despite playing two FBS teams – Oregon and No. 3 ranked Wyoming. They held the Ducks to just 133 yards on 31 attempts, not counting sacks and squats. Idaho also took on UC Davis and BSC offensive MVP running back Lars Larison in the preseason. The Vandals held Larison to just 46 yards on 18 carries.

“I think defensively you just look at their numbers,” Vigen said. “They give up less than 20 points a game, they rush for less than 100 yards a game, they have 19 sacks, so they made it really difficult for opposing offenses to run the ball first, but then they got into those passing situations , and they could really attack the quarterback.

“Overall, they are a team that has the right attitude. They are well trained and don't put themselves in bad situations. They play free football and it will be a big effort for us on Saturday. We look forward to playing on ESPN2 in the evenings.”

MSU's offensive line has been solid for years and mechanical this season. The Bobcats have been hit hard by injuries, but still show no signs of slowing down. If a wheel or gear becomes damaged, a new part is immediately there and pushed into place.

Shortly before the start of the season, the man who is considered the heart and soul of the team, senior captain center Justus Perkins, suffered a severe ankle sprain and has not been on the field to date. Guards JT Reed and Burke Mastel were also injured before the first game and it was a complete mess. Senior Cole Sain moved to center while tackles Marcus Wehr and Conner Moore took over the guard positions. Cedric Jefferson and Titan Fleischmann replaced Wehr and Moore, meaning not a single offensive lineman was at the position they were supposed to start the year at.

Still, the Bobcats threw for a total of 567 yards on the road against FBS New Mexico, 362 of which came from MSU's vaunted running game. The Bobcats have Reed and Mastel back, but Sain, who must be in the running for the team's Most Valuable Player award, is still the center of attention and performing at a high level.

Where the Bobcats need to be careful is the Idaho Pass rush.

“They're going to chip in with a back, which is what we should expect,” Idaho head coach Jason Eck said, referring to how MSU will use a running back to help its offensive line against Idaho's pass rush. “It opens up some opportunities for some other guys. Check out Malakai Williams (defensive) who has a sack in each of the last two games. There's going to be times where they trust their O-line, they're a good O-line, these guys have played a lot of football. There will be times when we get duels and we hope to win those duels.”

Mellott has developed a decent play-action fake, and the offense will most likely need that to gain an advantage against Idaho.

“The O-line and quarterback really make the difference,” Eck said. “The Oline is so good. Coach Johnson (like Eck, a Wisconsin graduate) does a good job coaching these guys. They come off the ball on rails, they move well. It’s hard to do something that confuses them and throws them off track.”

The game within the game, Idaho's defensive line versus Montana State's offensive line, will be one to watch when Big Sky After Dark begins again Saturday night at 8:15 p.m. at Bobcat Stadium.