BOZEMAN — Montana State appears primed for Big Sky Conference play.
The third-ranked Bobcats flexed their muscles in their final nonconference game of the season, overwhelming FCS newcomer Mercyhurst 52-13 on Saturday at Bobcat Stadium.
Montana State scored on four of its five first-half possessions — and returned a blocked punt for a touchdown — and outgained the Lakers 278 yards to 71 en route to a 31-0 halftime advantage. MSU quarterback Tommy Mellott completed 11 of 13 passes for 185 yards in the first half, and running back Scottre Humphrey had 11 carries for 72 yards and a touchdown.
The Bobcats settled for a chip-shot field goal — a 23-yarder by Myles Sansted — on their first drive. After MSU's defense forced a three-and-out, Humphrey capped an eight-play drive with a 5-yard touchdown run to put the Cats up 10-0 at the end of the first quarter.
The floodgates came open in the second quarter, as Mellott threw a perfectly placed 5-yard touchdown pass to Taco Dowler. Moments later, senior safety Rylan Ortt burst threw the line on a Mercyhurst punt and blocked the kick. Zac Crews recovered the ball to score another MSU TD.
Then late in the quarter, Mellott executed a flawless two-minute drill, ultimately finishing off the drive with a 50-yard touchdown pass to Adam Jones. Mellott added his third passing touchdown of the day early in the third quarter, connecting with Rohan Jones for a 16-yard score.
Mercyhurst broke up the shutout later in the third. Senior linebacker Zach Hill forced a fumble on a carry by MSU running back Jared White, and Adonis Marshall scooped up the ball and took it 43 yards the other way for a Lakers touchdown.
They attempted and recovered a surprise onside kick after the touchdown but couldn't capitalize on offense and turned the ball over on downs. Two players later, Montana State's Colson Coon took a handoff 50 yards for another Bobcat touchdown. Coon led the Bobcats with 102 yards on 10 carries.
Mercyhurst's offense finally got on the board in the fourth quarter, going 75 yards in 18 plays and taking up more than nine minutes of clock. Quarterback Adam Urena threw a 5-yard touchdown to Joe Kerbacher to complete the drive.
Montana State redshirt freshman Chance Wilson, who came in for Mellott at quarterback in the second half, capped the scoring with a 5-yard touchdown run late in the fourth.
Turning point: This occurred in May, when Stephen F. Austin canceled its home-and-home series with Montana State, leaving the Bobcats scrambling to fill a game on this season's schedule. Mercyhurst, which is playing its first season of FCS football, was outmatched against Montana State from the get-go.
The Bobcats were heavily favored to win prior to kickoff and then completely controlled the game, save for a brief sequence in the third quarter when Mercyhurst returned a fumble for a touchdown and recovered the ensuing onside kick.
Stat of the game: The Bobcats averaged nine yards per play and 16.4 yards per completion as they racked up 502 yards of total offense — 256 on the ground and 246 through the air. Mercyhurst, meanwhile, finished with just 233 total yards, averaging 3.2 yards per play.
Bobcat game balls: QB Tommy Mellott (Offense). Montana State seemed to focus on its drop-back passing game with Mellott, who delivered an efficient performance. He finished the day 14-of-18 passing for 214 yards and three touchdowns.
DE Brody Grebe (Defense). Grebe, the Big Sky Conference preseason defensive MVP, had two first-half sacks as the Montana State front dominated Mercyhurst's offensive line. On one of his sacks, Grebe pushed an offensive lineman back into quarterback Adam Urena to force a fumble.
DB Rylan Ortt (Special teams). In addition to his strong play in the defensive secondary, Ortt blocked a Mercyhurst punt in the second quarter that teammate Zac Crews recovered for a touchdown. It was Montana State's second consecutive game with a blocked punt after Taki Uluilakepa also blocked one against Maine.
What's next: Montana State (4-0) begins Big Sky Conference play at Idaho State (1-2 entering Saturday's meeting with Southern Utah) next Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m., and the game will be broadcast by Scripps Sports on the MTN channel.
Montana State and Idaho State didn't play last season, but the Bobcats have won 11 of the past 12 in the series, including a 37-6 win in the most recent meeting in 2022.
