r/fcs • • Dec 04 '25

Video MSU Bobcats vs Yale: team mindsets

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10

u/bernie457 Montana Grizzlies Dec 04 '25

I think Yale is going to be in for a rude awakening.

14

u/WhoDatNinja87 Yale Bulldogs • Michigan Wolverines Dec 04 '25

Why will it be a rude awakening? There seems to be a disconnect from some people who watch FCS regarding how Yale fans and the team view this game. Every Yale fan who pays attention knows what the stakes are here, sees the spread and respects that Montana State is a great team. When Yale got the AQ, we were just happy to be a part of it finally.

Then, Yale had possibly the greatest comeback in team history against Youngstown State in the first round. We were hopeful the team would be competitive. They won.

I don't really think any of us expect much from this game. We're playing with house money. Several key players are injured. The Bulldogs might get blown out, but it doesn't really matter. If the team plays hard for four quarters, most of us (the reasonable ones) will be satisfied. This is literally the greatest season in the 30ish years I've followed the team.

The 2025 season is the first step toward something bigger but it's been an incredible ride. There's no rude awakening coming. The fanbase is going to enjoy December Bulldog football.

16

u/join_the_creed Montana State • Washington Sta… Dec 04 '25

I mean your guy's comeback wasn't just the best in Yale history, it's arguably one of the best in FCS playoff history.

7

u/WhoDatNinja87 Yale Bulldogs • Michigan Wolverines Dec 04 '25

Yeah, I'm not gonna lie I'm still kinda in shock that it happened. Probably going to watch the game through again on Friday night. Yale obviously has a really cool football history, but adding this win to it and knowing that we're sorta in a modern golden age of Yale football is pretty special. Bunch of Ivy titles, four straight years of beating Harvard and then this comeback is wild. I'm usually a pretty positive person when it comes to this team, but even when they got ahead late (before YSU punted late) I was just thinking about the two meltdowns v Dartmouth the past two years. It's really great to get this national exposure and have everyone else around the country pay attention to this football team for a little bit.

(Hoping this momentum gets turned into more people coming to The Bowl next season)

6

u/skedeebs Yale Bulldogs Dec 04 '25

I hope it also helps in recruiting more star players.

5

u/Top_Judge_1943 Montana State Bobcats • Miami Hurricanes Dec 05 '25

For sure. This isn’t like when Bill & Mary thought they were going to come in and compete, and then whined the whole way back home after getting blown out. Y’all know what’s coming, but it still should be competitive. Excited to see Yale out here for the first time!

3

u/skedeebs Yale Bulldogs Dec 04 '25

I fully agree. It will be mind-boggling if we win. I am fully willing to be boggled, though.

3

u/No_Bite_7238 Montana State Bobcats Dec 05 '25

Dont worry about the banter. Its just great to see the Ivy League here to experience the fun with us. Regardless of how the game goes, we look forward to seeing you guys in the future.

4

u/bernie457 Montana Grizzlies Dec 04 '25

Don’t get me wrong, you guys were fantastic and I thought it was an incredible game. I’m just not sure you’ve ever played against a team like the Cats, which are rightly the number 2 team in FCS. But seriously, good luck. Hope you have just as good of a game.

3

u/WhoDatNinja87 Yale Bulldogs • Michigan Wolverines Dec 04 '25

Yale hasn't played against a team like Montana State since 1983 when Doug Flutie and BC beat the hell out of Yale in The Bowl before I was born. The only other two games that I can think of in my lifetime that may compare to this is when Yale beat a terrible Army team in The Bowl in OT in 2014 or lost to a terrible UConn in 2021. This game will be harder than both of those, IMO.

3

u/skedeebs Yale Bulldogs Dec 04 '25

I was a sophomore in 1983. I wish I could have been at the Flutie game, but as on all Saturdays I was working at the Art and Architecture Library.

2

u/WhoDatNinja87 Yale Bulldogs • Michigan Wolverines Dec 05 '25

That's awesome! It really is wild seeing the rise of this program over the past several years. I remember listening to Dick Galiette and Carm on WELI as a kid every weekend I wasn't at The Bowl. They were not good in those first couple Siedlecki years, but 99 was incredible. The run from 2017 to 2025 in the Ivy after that terrible streak of losing to Harvard 14 out of 15 times is crazy too. It's a really really good time to be a fan and I can only hope the school takes advantage of the situation.