An 8:30 p.m. kickoff at Montana State on Nov. 15 provided UC Davis head coach Tim Plough and his wife Christine with time to go shopping in Bozeman. Plough was astonished to be recognized time and again by folks who root for the Bobcats and know who’s who in the Big Sky Conference.
Having people approach him to shake hands was nothing compared with the manager of one store announcing Plough and his wife were in the shop. Montana State head coach Brent Vigen could walk through Davis wearing a Montana State hoodie and nobody would give him a second glance.
“I was thinking, ‘It’s different (in Bozeman). This is different than Davis,’” Plough said. “When you go to those places, you get to see it again – how far off we are from being at that level. They’re just doing it better than we are. We’re not doing the things that the Montanas and Dakotas are doing.”
Plough shared his shopping story to make a point. The gap between UC Davis and Montana State extends beyond 60 minutes on a field. Folks in Bozeman are invested in the Bobcats, the community rallies around the university and donors dig deep to ensure the team lacks for nothing.
Take a look at the FCS rankings in the past few seasons. North Dakota State, South Dakota State, Montana State and Montana have turned the top five into a gated neighborhood. Other teams can visit, but staying more than a week is prohibited.
North Dakota State, Montana State and Montana were the top three seeds in the FCS playoffs. No. 1 North Dakota State lost in the second round to unseeded Illinois State, which knocked out No. 8 UC Davis on Dec. 6. No. 2 Montana State beat No. 3 Montana in the semifinals and will play Illinois State for the FCS championship on Monday in Nashville. Montana State is a 10.5-point favorite.
The only teams outside of North and South Dakota or Montana to be ranked in the top three since 2015 were James Madison (2016, 2017, 2019 and 2021) and four one-hit wonders – Sam Houston State (2015), Jacksonville State (2015), Youngstown State (2016) and Eastern Washington (2018).
UC Davis has never made it to the top three, earning its highest ranking at No. 4 in 2018 and 2024. The Aggies slipped in both years to finish at No. 7 in 2018 and No. 5 last year. The Aggies were No. 11 on Nov. 24 before beating Rhode Island 47-26 on Dec. 6 and then losing 42-31 to Illinois State.
“When you see the rankings, it’s the same four or five teams at the top and we’re kind of part of the next group,” Plough said. “That’s probably why this feels like such a gut punch is I came here to get us into that (top) group and any time one of them beats us, it feels like failure. We’re still short.”
The gap between UC Davis and North Dakota State, Montana and Montana State is evident in the series records. The Aggies are 1-8 against Montana State, 2-9 against Montana and 4-7 against North Dakota State. UC Davis has played North Dakota State just seven times in the past 22 years, but the teams have reached a deal to meet in 2028 in Fargo and 2029 in Davis.
Revenue from ticket sales is an edge for Montana and Montana State with stadium capacities of 25,217 and 20,767, respectively. Each team’s average attendance exceeds its capacity. Advertisers will pay plenty to pitch products and services to such a massive audience. Corporate sponsors will open their wallets to link their brand name to the university beyond a one sport.
“It’s as if you’re getting your butt kicked for nine, 10 months out of a year. Like every single day, we’re losing off the field,” Plough offered. “And then one day a year we have to go in there and be better than them. That doesn’t seem like a fair fight. We’ve got to find ways to get over the hump.
“I just hope that we’ve played well enough that the people that surround the program are willing to help us close that gap so maybe we’re not losing off the field all year. We’ve got to find ways to get over the hump. I’m a firm believer that if we make it a fair fight, we will find a way to win.”
