BOZEMAN – In as season that seemed as if it would come down to something like this for Montana State, the Bobcats saw the campaign end with a shocking 35-34 overtime loss to North Dakota State when seldom used NDSU offensive lineman Hunter Poncius blocked Casey Kautzman’s extra point.
Poncius, a 6-foot-8 senior from Buffalo, Minnesota was in for only one play in the game and it turned out to be the winner.
“We tried to get longer and had seen some things on film,” NDSU head coach Matt Entz said. “Tendencies, you have 11 games to watch. We put in our tallest player. We told him ‘you’re a road grader. 1-2-3 put your hands up’ and that’s exactly what we talked about all week. We got a great surge, but … wow!”
The Bobcats lost to last year’s national champion South Dakota State 20-16 in the second game of the season on a controversially reversed game-winning touchdown pass, then fell to Idaho 24-21 when it couldn’t convert a first down until late in the first half. The Bobcats also played six Top 10 teams over the course of the season. So it only seemed fitting that perennial power and No. 8 NDSU would be their first playoff foe. And the freakish ending capped off one of the most perplexing, disappointing endings to a season in modern Montana State history.
The Bobcats finished the season with an 8-4 record, including three losses by a total of eight points. MSU was plagued by special teams’ errors, especially in the place-kicking game. MSU missed two field goals against NDSU to go along with the extra point and also missed a pair against Idaho, including one that would’ve tied the game.
Against NDSU, MSU wasted a dominant offensive effort with 509 yards of total offense to the Bison’s 374. Bobcat quarterback Tommy Mellott was stellar in defeat, connecting on 13 of 17 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns, and gaining 151 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries. The Bison, however, were just better at making plays when plays needed to be made.
“He’s a great player,” Entz said. “I thought we did a great job early on him. He popped the big one there in the third.”
“Boy, I thought he battled, that’s who he is,” Vigen said. “He is going to give this program everything he possibly has. He’s an awfully talented young man and he’s a runner, he’s a thrower and I think he showed all of that today. He’s a quarterback.”
MSU had ample chances to clinch the win and led 28-21 until there was 2:33 left on the clock. But by that point, Mellot has already gotten knocked out of the game with what appeared to be a serious injury to his right leg.
Scottre Humphrey’s first down carry on the field on fourth down on the final play of the third quarter was overturned upon review to start the fourth quarter, giving the ball back to NDSU to begin the final frame. The Bobcats missed the aforementioned two field goals in the first quarter. Most critically, however, were a pair of sacks taken by quarterback Sean Chambers who was in for the injured Mellott.
Chambers got MSU into field goal range with a 29-yard run, but then took the two sacks as MSU struggled to operate without its junior captain quarterback under center.
“Got them out of field goal range,” Entz said of the sacks. “All of sudden back-to-back sacks, great pressure on the quarterback and we got them out of field goal range.”
“It’s a situation where you can’t take sacks,” Vigen said. “I don’t want to pin that all on Sean, he’s out there for the first time functioning that way (it was the first possession after the Mellott injury) but he’s gotta find a way to either throw it to what he sees or throw it away.”
After a big 29-yard run to the NDSU 36, the senior took sacks on 2nd-and-10 and 3rd-and-14 after NDSU had scored with 2:33 to play to tie the game at 28-28. The Bobcats still needed a few more yards to get into Kautzman’s range.
The Bobcats got on the board first when Mellott hit Ty McCullouch down the sideline for a 34-yard touchdown, although MSU’s first two offensive possessions resulted in missed field goals. The Bison then scored 14 unanswered points, getting all their first half yardage on the two drives. Mellott guided MSU on a quick drive to end the half. His six-yard touchdown run, his fourth TD spurt of the year, tied the game 14-14 at halftime.
NDSU took the first play of the first half 75 yards as TaMarick Williams tallied the score. But just two plays later, Mellott one-upped him by going 76 yards up the gut to re-tie the game at 21-21. Mellott’s long run is the longest in MSU postseason history, surpassing the 73-yard scoring jaunt he had in the second round of the 2021 playoffs against Tennessee Martin.
The Bobcats would score again on their next possession on a razzle dazzle play that saw Mellott move out of the shotgun to be replaced by Chambers, who then pitched the ball to Mellott on a reverse. Mellott then found Clevan Thomas, Jr. for a 9-yard touchdown and 28-21 lead.
The Bison made it 28-28 with 2:33 to go with a clutch nine play, 89-yard drive capped off by TK Marshall’s 29-yard burst. That run was part of an afternoon that saw NDSU rush for 296 yards and average almost seven yards per carry.
In overtime, the Bison got the ball first and scored in five plays. The Bobcats got a 25-yard touchdown run by Humphrey on its first play from overtime before Poncius’ heroics.
“Obviously, very disappointing outcome today,” Vigen said. “Guys really fought hard, really fought hard. Made a ton of plays, but not enough. We had chances early to grab momentum, but we didn’t take advantage of that. Chances to go up two scores and we didn’t do that and against a program like NDSU we left the door open.”
Senior linebacker Nolan Askelson played perhaps his best game in a Bobcat’ uniform with eight tackles, three tackles-for-loss and two sacks. He was knocked out of the game in the first half when he collided with cornerback Jon Johnson, but returned in the second half in inspirational fashion.
“Clearly, there was a young man that was going to leave it all out there,” Vigen said. “You want more guys like that in your program that grow so much while their here, are able to give so much while they’re here. For him to play his heart out, I wouldn’t have expected anything less.”
The Bobcats, who were ranked No. 2 for most of the season, now have the daunting task of rebuilding for the 2024 campaign after leaving so many of their goals on the table in 2023. But Montana State has plenty to build upon.
Mellott will be the center piece as a senior if he can get back healthy and he’ll operate behind an offensive line that returns its entire two-deep. Montana State’s top three running backs and all its receivers except Thomas will return. The Bobcat defense also returns All-American defensive linemen end Brody Grebe and tackle Sebastian Valdez along with the linebacker duo of Danny Uluilakepa and McCade O’Reilly, all-league safety Rylan Ortt and every player in its defensive secondary besides senior nickelback Level Price, Jr.
“I feel like all the guys are ready and motivated,” junior center Justus Perkins said. “This is all the motivation we need. As soon as we can get back to work that’s what we’re going to be doing.”
Askelson, Price, tight ends Treyton Pickering and Derryk Snell and running back Lane Sumner are the five sixth-year seniors on this year’s team. Thomas, Chambers, defensive ends Ben Seymour and David Alston, wide receiver Tayvian Williams and defensive tackle Blake Hehl all played their final games for Montana State.
“I feel like we will be ready and motivated because this is all the motivation we need,” Valdez said.
North Dakota State moves on to face No. 3 South Dakota, who won 34-24 against Sacramento State on Saturday. The quarterfinal contest will be in Vermillion, South Dakota.
“We have a chance to go 1-0 next week,” Entz said. “It doesn’t matter who we play, it’s just a matter of how it all unfolds. We are looking forward to it.”
Montana State senior Nolan Askelson had nine tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks in his final game as a Bobcat/ by Blake Hempstead, Skyline Sports
North Dakota State senior offensive lineman Hunter Poncius blocked an extra point to seal NDSU’s win/ by Blake Hempstead, Skyline Sports
Montana State freshman running back Scottre Humphrey rushed for 77 yards and a touchdown/ by Blake Hempstead, Skyline Sports
