Photo by: Garrett Becker
Bobcat Ground Game Gets MSU to FCS Quarterfinals
12/4/2021 7:14:00 PM | Football
Montana State rushed for a school post-season record 387 yards in a win over UT Martin on Saturday
BOZEMAN, Montana – On a day when people focused on what was going on in the air – gusts up to 30 miles an hour swirled through Bobcat Stadium, tossing footballs and officials' hats everywhere – and the headlines – the Cats used a first-time starter at quarterback Saturday – most of the action was on the ground.
Montana State rushed for 387 yards, ran the ball on 60 of its 80 offensive plays, and controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball in a 26-7 win over the University of Tennessee at Martin in a second round FCS Playoff game. The win propels the Cats into the quarterfinals for the second straight season and gives the program a win its third consecutive playoff appearance for the first time in school history. The reward for the win is a date with No. 1 Sam Houston State in Huntsville next week.
The reward Saturday, though, came through a persistent, battering ground game. Isaiah Ifanse pounded the Skyhawks defense for 176 yards on 28 carries, scoring once. And Tommy Mellott gained 180 yards, and provided the biggest blow of the game when he scampered 73 yards for a touchdown on MSU's first play of the fourth quarter.
"The moment wasn't too big for him," said Bobcat coach Brent Vigen of his first-time starter at quarterback. Mellott overcame miserably windy conditions throughout the day, and a scoop-and-score fumble just before halftime that trimmed MSU's lead to 10-7 and gave the Skyhawks life.
"It was 10-7 at halftime," Vigen said, "but it didn't really have the feel of a 10-7 game." That's because the Bobcats had out-gained UTM 212 yards to 81 at that point.
The Bobcats righted the ship with a 13-play, 61-yard drive that resulted in a 30-yard field goal to open the second half. After the teams traded punts, UT Martin took control at its own 20 with seconds remaining in the third quarter. A fumbled snap, followed by a Bobcat sack (Daniel Hardy and Amandre Williams), a short gain, and a punt, gave the Cats a first-and-10 from the 27.
Then, in the windiest conditions anyone could remember in Bobcat Stadium, lightning struck. Mellott found a crease in UT Martin's impressive (despite the numbers) defense, made his way to the sideline, and was gone. It gave the Bobcats a 19-7 lead, which felt insurmountable with the way the defense was playing. It was the longest run by a Bobcat in the post-season, the eighth-longest run in stadium history, and Mellott's 180 yards is the most ever by a Bobcat quarterback in the post-season.
Ifanse's number didn't quite match Mellott's on Saturday, but he continued to amaze in the playoffs. He now has rushing games of 196, 176, and 139 yards among his six career playoff contests, and his 654 career yards in the post-season is a Bobcat record. The efforts of Ifanse and Mellott produced 387 rushing yards, the most by an MSU team in the post-season.
Now, MSU's attention turns to Sam Houston. The nation's top-ranked team lies in wait for the Bobcats next weekend. But after missing 2020 entirely, enduring a coaching transition, and a brilliant regular season that culminated in a rivalry game loss, the Bobcats clearly pointed toward this moment, a December afternoon spent imposing their will on a worthy, talented opponent.
"I'm just so happy for these guys," Vigen said after his first post-season win as a head coach. "More than anything to do with me, I'm happy for them."
#GoCatsGo
Montana State rushed for 387 yards, ran the ball on 60 of its 80 offensive plays, and controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball in a 26-7 win over the University of Tennessee at Martin in a second round FCS Playoff game. The win propels the Cats into the quarterfinals for the second straight season and gives the program a win its third consecutive playoff appearance for the first time in school history. The reward for the win is a date with No. 1 Sam Houston State in Huntsville next week.
The reward Saturday, though, came through a persistent, battering ground game. Isaiah Ifanse pounded the Skyhawks defense for 176 yards on 28 carries, scoring once. And Tommy Mellott gained 180 yards, and provided the biggest blow of the game when he scampered 73 yards for a touchdown on MSU's first play of the fourth quarter.
"The moment wasn't too big for him," said Bobcat coach Brent Vigen of his first-time starter at quarterback. Mellott overcame miserably windy conditions throughout the day, and a scoop-and-score fumble just before halftime that trimmed MSU's lead to 10-7 and gave the Skyhawks life.
"It was 10-7 at halftime," Vigen said, "but it didn't really have the feel of a 10-7 game." That's because the Bobcats had out-gained UTM 212 yards to 81 at that point.
The Bobcats righted the ship with a 13-play, 61-yard drive that resulted in a 30-yard field goal to open the second half. After the teams traded punts, UT Martin took control at its own 20 with seconds remaining in the third quarter. A fumbled snap, followed by a Bobcat sack (Daniel Hardy and Amandre Williams), a short gain, and a punt, gave the Cats a first-and-10 from the 27.
Then, in the windiest conditions anyone could remember in Bobcat Stadium, lightning struck. Mellott found a crease in UT Martin's impressive (despite the numbers) defense, made his way to the sideline, and was gone. It gave the Bobcats a 19-7 lead, which felt insurmountable with the way the defense was playing. It was the longest run by a Bobcat in the post-season, the eighth-longest run in stadium history, and Mellott's 180 yards is the most ever by a Bobcat quarterback in the post-season.
Ifanse's number didn't quite match Mellott's on Saturday, but he continued to amaze in the playoffs. He now has rushing games of 196, 176, and 139 yards among his six career playoff contests, and his 654 career yards in the post-season is a Bobcat record. The efforts of Ifanse and Mellott produced 387 rushing yards, the most by an MSU team in the post-season.
Now, MSU's attention turns to Sam Houston. The nation's top-ranked team lies in wait for the Bobcats next weekend. But after missing 2020 entirely, enduring a coaching transition, and a brilliant regular season that culminated in a rivalry game loss, the Bobcats clearly pointed toward this moment, a December afternoon spent imposing their will on a worthy, talented opponent.
"I'm just so happy for these guys," Vigen said after his first post-season win as a head coach. "More than anything to do with me, I'm happy for them."
#GoCatsGo
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