| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SDAK | 7 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 17 |
| MTST | 14 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 31 |
Mellott leads Montana State over South Dakota 31-17 to reach FCS championship game
Tommy Mellott scores a 41-yard rushing TD for Montana State
Tommy Mellott keeps it for his second rushing touchdown against South Dakota.
BOZEMAN, Mont. -- — Tommy Mellott rushed for two touchdowns and passed for another to lead Montana State to a 31-17 victory over South Dakota on Saturday and a berth in the FCS championship game.
The top-seeded Bobcats (15-0) will play No. 2 seed North Dakota State in the title game Jan. 6 in Frisco, Texas. The Bison beat South Dakota State 28-21 earlier Saturday. NDSU defeated Montana State 38-10 for the 2021 championship. The Bobcats' only FCS title came in 1984 when they beat Louisiana Tech 19-6.
Mellott fumbled a bad shotgun snap but the ball bounced back into his hands and he went up the middle, hurdling a defender for a 41-yard TD run and a 31-14 lead early in the third quarter.
A field goal cut the lead to 14 then South Dakota (11-3) drove to the Montana State 11 midway through the fourth quarter but came up short on a fourth-down pass to the 2. The Coyotes again drove deep into Montana State territory but a bad snap cost yardage and a down before a fourth-down pass to the end zone was broken up. A final possession ended on the first play with a fumble.
The Bobcats went in front 24-14 at halftime on Scottre Humphrey’s 1-yard run to finish a long drive midway through the second quarter and Myles Sansted’s 28-yard field goal.
In the first quarter, Mellott hit Taco Dowler with a 34-yard TD pass and scored on a 5-yard run. South Dakota's Travis Theis scored on a 55-yard run in the first quarter and Charles Pierre Jr. went 45 yards to tie at 14-all early in the second.
Mellott rushed for 125 yards and passed for 134.
South Dakota's Aidan Bouman passed for 236 yards and Theis rushed for 110.
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Game Information
2024 Missouri Valley Football Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | OVR |
|---|---|---|
| North Dakota State | 7-1 | 13-2 |
| South Dakota State | 7-1 | 12-3 |
| South Dakota | 7-1 | 11-3 |
| Missouri State | 6-2 | 8-4 |
| Illinois State | 6-2 | 10-4 |
| Youngstown State | 3-5 | 4-8 |
| Indiana State | 3-5 | 4-8 |
| North Dakota | 2-6 | 5-7 |
| Southern Illinois | 2-6 | 4-8 |
| Northern Iowa | 1-7 | 3-9 |
| Murray State | 0-8 | 1-11 |
2024 Big Sky Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | OVR |
|---|---|---|
| Montana State | 8-0 | 15-0 |
| UC Davis | 7-1 | 11-3 |
| Idaho | 6-2 | 10-4 |
| Northern Arizona | 6-2 | 8-5 |
| Montana | 5-3 | 9-5 |
| Idaho State | 3-5 | 5-7 |
| Eastern Washington | 3-5 | 4-8 |
| Weber State | 3-5 | 4-8 |
| Portland State | 3-5 | 3-8 |
| Cal Poly | 2-6 | 3-8 |
| Sacramento State | 1-7 | 3-9 |
| Northern Colorado | 1-7 | 1-11 |
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