+Jones and Kelley already flashing explosive plays
+Choate's inside knowledge of Montana State's program
−priced as a home underdog vs an FCS team
−defense untested against this level of skill talent
−first meeting with Montana State since 1996 adds unknowns
Montana State enters Saturday, September 12 as the reigning FCS national champion, and that's not hyperbole — the Bobcats needed just 2 games to outscore Utah Tech and Butler by a combined 81 points behind quarterback Justin Lamson, who threw for 3,172 yards and 26 touchdowns during last season's title run. Nevada counters with its own fast start, a 49-14 blowout of Western Kentucky in the opener that saw running back Dominic Kelley break off a 72-yard score and quarterback Carter Jones toss 2 touchdown passes.
This one is also personal for Nevada's sideline. Jeff Choate spent 4 seasons running the show in Bozeman, taking the Bobcats to back-to-back FCS playoff appearances and a trip to the semifinals in 2019, before Montana State cashed in on the program he built by winning it all last season. He knows this roster's tendencies as well as anyone not currently on Montana State's staff, and Wolf Pack fans packing Mackay Stadium for the first meeting between these programs since 1996 will be watching for that insider edge to show up on Saturday.
None of that changes the size of the jump in competition Montana State is about to take. Utah Tech and Butler are respectable FCS programs, but neither is built like a Mountain West roster with size up front and speed on the perimeter, and Saturday marks the Bobcats' first real test against an FBS defense this season.
Nevada's only look at live bullets so far came against a Conference USA team that finished under .500 a year ago, so how the Wolf Pack defense handles Lamson's mix of accuracy and mobility is the swing skill of the night. Montana State, for its part, has answered nearly every question with defense and special teams as much as offense — a blocked punt and a pick-six turned tight early scores into blowouts against Utah Tech.
The stakes cut both ways. This is Nevada's chance to make a real early statement in year 2 under Choate, while Montana State treats it as one more data point on the way back to another playoff run. Whichever team leaves Reno with a win gets a head-to-head answer nobody in either building currently has, since these programs haven't lined up against each other in 3 decades.
