Derryk Snell caught a touchdown pass from Tommy Mellott against Weber State.
Photo by: Garrett Becker
Bobcats hold on to beat Weber State
10/22/2022 4:48:00 PM | Football, General
Montana State scored 34 straight points on Saturday afternoon, turning an early deficit into a lead that the Bobcats were able to hold on to in a touch-and-go victory over Weber State in Big Sky action in Bozeman.
Tommy Mellott ran for 273 yards and three touchdowns while throwing for another score and the third-ranked Bobcats came out on top 43-38 over fifth-ranked WSU.
The Bobcats (7-1 and 5-0) took a 43-24 lead midway through the third quarter. Ahead 27-24 at the half, the Bobcats benefitted from WSU's fourth safety of the game to lead 29-24. Then Mellott dashed around the left side, receiving a pancake block by Derryk Snell to make it a 12-point game. The Bobcats' final score came on a 1-yard burst by sixth-year senior RJ Fitzgerald. The 43-24 advantage looked safe, but the Wildcats scored at the end of the third quarter and the 2-point conversion made it 43-32.
The Wildcats (6-1, 3-1) trimmed it to 43-38 with just under 7 minutes to play. Their final drive as time was running out ended on a defended pass by James Campbell to ensure the Bobcats 17th straight home win. The Bobcats finished with 487 total yards to 338 for the Wildcats from Ogden, Utah.
The first half was one of the stranger ones the Bobcats had played in years. Their first, third and fifth scores all came on safeties, each one the result of a snap into the endzone as WSU attempted to punt. The four total safeties recorded by the Bobcats are believed to be a FCS record.
Meanwhile, WSU scored on a 100-yard kickoff return and a 91-yard punt return to lead 17-9 after the first quarter. During that opening stanza, WSU had zero first downs and only 12 total yards, yet led by eight points.
Mellott gave the Bobcats a 9-3 lead with his longest run of the season, going 42 yards behind the blocking of Willie Patterson, Derryk Snell and Ravi Alston. Then came the Wildcats two return touchdowns and a 5-yard score to give them a 24-9 lead.
The second safety was followed by Mellott's 1-yard run to trim the difference to 24-18. The third safety made it a two-point game and the Bobcats then got a break. Forced to punt in the closing seconds of the half, MSU's long snapper Tommy Sullivan recovered the WSU muff. Snell made a nice catch for the go-ahead touchdown when he started looking over his left shoulder and then rotated his body around to haul in Mellott's pass over his right shoulder.
Despite the slim 27-24 halftime lead, the Bobcats dominated the first half statistics with 278 total yards and 13 first downs to 118 yards and four first downs for the Wildcats. Mellott, who played the whole game as an injury during practice this week kept Sean Chambers out of the game, finished the half with 127 yards rushing and 106 yards through the air. His 273 total yards rushing broke the MSU record set by Troy Andersen for yards by a quarterback. Andersen finished with 211 in 2018 against Portland State.
Mellott finished with 15 completions in 23 attempts for 140 yards and the second quarter score to Snell. Patterson was his favorite target, hauling in five passes for 25 yards. Defensively, Callahan O'Reilly led MSU with nine tackles, including a sack on WSU's final drive that helped keep the Wildcats out of the end zone as time wound down. Danny Uliulakepa added another eight tackles. Blake Schmidt also had a sack of WSU quarterback Bronson Barron who completed 14 of 30 passes for 151 yards.
The Bobcats have the week off before heading to Northern Arizona on Nov. 5 and Cal Poly on Nov. 12. Their next home game is against Montana on Nov. 19. Weber State plays host to Montana this week.
Tommy Mellott ran for 273 yards and three touchdowns while throwing for another score and the third-ranked Bobcats came out on top 43-38 over fifth-ranked WSU.
The Bobcats (7-1 and 5-0) took a 43-24 lead midway through the third quarter. Ahead 27-24 at the half, the Bobcats benefitted from WSU's fourth safety of the game to lead 29-24. Then Mellott dashed around the left side, receiving a pancake block by Derryk Snell to make it a 12-point game. The Bobcats' final score came on a 1-yard burst by sixth-year senior RJ Fitzgerald. The 43-24 advantage looked safe, but the Wildcats scored at the end of the third quarter and the 2-point conversion made it 43-32.
The Wildcats (6-1, 3-1) trimmed it to 43-38 with just under 7 minutes to play. Their final drive as time was running out ended on a defended pass by James Campbell to ensure the Bobcats 17th straight home win. The Bobcats finished with 487 total yards to 338 for the Wildcats from Ogden, Utah.
The first half was one of the stranger ones the Bobcats had played in years. Their first, third and fifth scores all came on safeties, each one the result of a snap into the endzone as WSU attempted to punt. The four total safeties recorded by the Bobcats are believed to be a FCS record.
Meanwhile, WSU scored on a 100-yard kickoff return and a 91-yard punt return to lead 17-9 after the first quarter. During that opening stanza, WSU had zero first downs and only 12 total yards, yet led by eight points.
Mellott gave the Bobcats a 9-3 lead with his longest run of the season, going 42 yards behind the blocking of Willie Patterson, Derryk Snell and Ravi Alston. Then came the Wildcats two return touchdowns and a 5-yard score to give them a 24-9 lead.
The second safety was followed by Mellott's 1-yard run to trim the difference to 24-18. The third safety made it a two-point game and the Bobcats then got a break. Forced to punt in the closing seconds of the half, MSU's long snapper Tommy Sullivan recovered the WSU muff. Snell made a nice catch for the go-ahead touchdown when he started looking over his left shoulder and then rotated his body around to haul in Mellott's pass over his right shoulder.
Despite the slim 27-24 halftime lead, the Bobcats dominated the first half statistics with 278 total yards and 13 first downs to 118 yards and four first downs for the Wildcats. Mellott, who played the whole game as an injury during practice this week kept Sean Chambers out of the game, finished the half with 127 yards rushing and 106 yards through the air. His 273 total yards rushing broke the MSU record set by Troy Andersen for yards by a quarterback. Andersen finished with 211 in 2018 against Portland State.
Mellott finished with 15 completions in 23 attempts for 140 yards and the second quarter score to Snell. Patterson was his favorite target, hauling in five passes for 25 yards. Defensively, Callahan O'Reilly led MSU with nine tackles, including a sack on WSU's final drive that helped keep the Wildcats out of the end zone as time wound down. Danny Uliulakepa added another eight tackles. Blake Schmidt also had a sack of WSU quarterback Bronson Barron who completed 14 of 30 passes for 151 yards.
The Bobcats have the week off before heading to Northern Arizona on Nov. 5 and Cal Poly on Nov. 12. Their next home game is against Montana on Nov. 19. Weber State plays host to Montana this week.
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