No. 7 Oregon opens the season against Montana State on Saturday (1 p.m., Big Ten Network) at Autzen Stadium.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reached out to Montana State beat reporter Victor Flores (@VictorFlores406 on X) of 406MTSports.com to pose five questions about the Bobcats and get a prediction.
How to watch streaming live: You can watch this game live for FREE with DirecTV (free trial) or by signing up for Fubo (cheapest streaming plans, $30 off your first month). Your best option might be to get a Sling “Season Pass” ($199) and buy an HDTV antenna. This would give you nearly every channel showing college football this season. If you already have cable, you can also watch this game live on FOX Sports Live with your cable or satellite provider login information.
1) How similar is Montana State’s offense going to look with a new QB and offensive coordinator?
Flores: “MSU coaches and players have reiterated their intent to be more balanced this season, partly because they no longer have Tommy Mellott, who was one of the best rushing QBs in FCS history. I still expect to see lots of outside zone and RPO because the Bobcats’ new starting QB, Justin Lamson, is a dual threat and that style of offense has carried them to elite levels during Brent Vigen’s first four seasons as head coach. I also expect to see lots of motions, shifts and other methods designed to “manipulate space,” as new OC Pete Sterbick said last week.”
2) What will be the key for Adam Jones to be productive on Saturday?
Flores: “The line of scrimmage will be the biggest key. If MSU’s offensive line can at least occasionally create slivers of space, Jones is fast enough to burst into the secondary. Lamson also be another key, both in his ability to pass and in how he operates option plays with Jones. I’m also curious to see how effective co-starting running back Julius Davis, a Wisconsin transfer, can be as essentially the thunder to Jones’ lightning.”
3) Does Montana State earmark the $680,000 for this game for specific purposes?
Flores: “Nothing specific. The money will go into the athletic department’s general operating budget, according to MSU athletic director Leon Costello.
4) What will make Saturday successful for the Bobcats?
Flores: “Minimizing injuries and mistakes are probably the biggest things. The Bobcats would obviously love to win or make it a close game like fellow Big Sky program Idaho did at Autzen to open last season, but they know Oregon’s an elite team and there’s only so much they can do to make it close. As long as they play clean football and grow, I don’t think they’ll care what the result is (and I doubt the result will look too ugly if they play up to their potential).”
5) How do you see it playing out and what’s your score prediction?
Flores: “I predicted a 48-24 Oregon win. I don’t have a ton of confidence in that pick or how it will play out because both teams lost so many key players from last year. Ultimately, I think the Bobcats’ strong offensive and defensive lines will allow them to look competitive for stretches, but Oregon’s talent and coaching will allow the Ducks to build a big lead.”
Oregon (0-0) vs. Montana State (0-0)
- When: Saturday, Aug. 30
- Time: 1 p.m. PT
- Where: Autzen Stadium, Eugene
- TV channel: Big Ten Network
- Stream: DirecTV (free trial) or Fubo (promotional offers). Streaming broadcasts for this game will be available on these streaming services locally in Oregon and Washington, but may not be available outside of the Pacific Northwest, depending on your location.
- Oregon football 2025 season schedule, scores
— James Crepea covers the Oregon Ducks and Big Ten.
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