To Frisco! Montana State hosts South Dakota for the FCS title game berth
BOZEMAN — It’s been a dream season for Montana State, and now that dream has led the Bobcats to their first national championship in 40 years.
Top-seeded MSU, again led by superstar quarterback Tommy Mellott, held off South Dakota 31-17 in the FCS semifinals Saturday at Bobcat Stadum to earn a spot in the Jan. 6 title game in Frisco, Texas.
With the win, the Cats improved to 15-0 and earned their second trip to the championship in four seasons under coach Brent Vigen. The Bobcats will face FCS stalwart and No. No. 2 seed North Dakota State (13-2) in Frisco as they look to win their first crown since 1984.
The game took on a back-and-forth nature early before Mellott and the Bobcats established command, despite the efforts of South Dakota running back Travis Theis.
Pictures: Montana State punches ticket to Frisco with win over South Dakota
MSU’s offense came out firing and Mellott dropped a beautiful 34-yard touchdown pass over the top into the arms of Taco Dowler for a 7-0 lead on the game’s first possession.
But the Coyotes didn’t need much time to provide an answer as Theis broke free for a 55-yard TD run on their opening drive to tie the score.
Late in the first quarter, Mellott found the end zone on a 5-yard run to put MSU up 14-7. But back came South Dakota when Charles Pierre Jr. broke loose down the sideline for a 45-yard TD run to tie it again early in the second.
The touchdown trade continued as MSU pushed back ahead 21-14 on a 1-yard rush by Scottre Humphrey.
But it was a key sack by Kenneth Eiden IV of QB Aidan Bouman on USD’s next possession that allowed the Cats to gain some separation. The sack helped force a punt, and Myles Sansted later booted a 28-yard field goal to make it 24-14 with seconds left before halftime.
The Coyotes had the ball to start the third quarter, but went three-and-out, giving MSU a chance to further extend its lead. That’s exactly what happened.
And Mellott played the game. On third-and-1, Mellott mishandled an errant snap but recovered it in the backfield, ran forward, jumped to escape a tackle, kept his balance and raced to the end zone for a 41-yard score.
That put the Bobcats ahead 31-14 and fans started thinking about their travel plans to Texas. But it wasn’t quite over yet.
Montana State defensive back Miles Jackson appeared to force a fumble and return it for a touchdown, but it was called back on review when Theis was ruled down for contact. USD’s Will Leyland then added a 46-yard field goal to make it a 31-17 score.
The Coyotes got on the doorstep of a touchdown later in the fourth, but a pass from Bouman to tight end JJ Gilbreath missed a first down on fourth-and-13 and MSU took over at its own 2. A bad snap earlier in the series hurt USD.
MSU’s defense again stopped the Coyotes on fourth down in the red zone on their next possession as another snap fumble factored into the series.
Mellott’s 41-yard TD run in the third quarter was about all the Bobcats mustered on offense after halftime, but the defense stood tall.
A fumble on a hook-and-ladder play with 1:41 left was recovered by Brody Grebe and the Bobcats were able to run out the clock and secure a spot in the title game.
Turning point: Eiden’s sack of Bouman midway through the second quarter, followed by a false start, set USD back with a second-and-22 play. The Coyotes eventually punted, and Sansted’s 24-yard field goal put MSU ahead by two possessions.
State of the game: The trip to the championship game further illustrates the heights to which the Bobcats have climbed under Vigen. MSU has now won 15 games, the most by any Big Sky Conference team since Montana’s 2001 national title season.
Under Vigen, the Bobcats are now 31-1 in home games since he was hired ahead of the 2021 season. Vigen’s overall record at Montana State is now 47-9, a .839 winning percentage. The only thing missing? A national title.
Bobcat game balls: QB Tommy Mellott (offense). By accounting for three touchdowns and making the most electrifying play of the game, the quarterback from Butte further cemented his legacy as an all-time Bobcat great.
DE Kenneth Eiden IV (Defence). The Bobcats were able to build a lead thanks to Eiden’s sack in the second quarter, and the Bozeman High product helped get behind Bouman and USD’s passing game.
P Brendan Hall (Special Teams). The 6-foot-9 Hallen continues to be a weapon as he booted five punts for a 54.0-yard average.
What’s next: The Bobcats will now try to cap off what has been a perfect season with the national title. And they’ll be going up against the team that beat them in the 2021 championship game — perennial contender North Dakota State.
NDSU knocked off two-time reigning national champion and Missouri Valley Football Conference rival South Dakota State 28-21 in Saturday’s second semifinal in Fargo, ND
The most decorated program in FCS history, the Bison return to the title game for the 11th time in the last 14 years and seek their 10th crown.