Top Five Road Win for Title
11/16/2024 10:59:00 PM | Football
“Our team is pretty dang resilient,” he said.
DAVIS, California – A lot of words came to Brent Vigen's mind to describe his Montana State football team's 30-28 win at UC Davis to clinch at least a share of the Big Sky Conference Championship on Saturday, but a couple stood out.
Resilient. Belief.
"Our team is pretty dang resilient," he said. "They needed the belief to come back and make another play. After we gave up a two-point conversion, we came back and got a stop. After we gave up on on-side kick, we came back and got the next one The belief in moving on to the next play was so big. They're resilient, and whether we won by two or the 22 points that we had the margin at doesn't matter. The win matters."
The memorable win didn't come easy. The Cats led 30-8 with seven minutes to play when the Aggies began a furious charge. Lan Larison scored from one yard out to pull UCD within 30-15, then Samuel Gbatu Jr. scored on a four-yard pass from Miles Hastings with 1:45 to play to cut MSU's lead to 30-22. Finally, after recovering an on-side kick Chaz Davis caught an 11-yard pass from Hastings to cut the score to 30-28.
With 34 seconds to play, though, and facing a make-or-break situation, the Bobcat defense came through. McCade O'Reilly intercepted the two point conversion attempt and MSU recovered the on-side kick, and the Bobcats sealed the win.
"We were put in a position where we had to make a couple plays" to close the game, Vigen said. "We stopped to two-point conversion, we recovered to on-side kick. Obviously we're happy with the outcome."
Bobcat quarterback Tommy Mellott threw for 173 yards and two touchdowns, and the Bobcats received a boost from running back Julius Davis. Injured for most of the season, he gained 91 yards and sored MSU's final touchdown.
MSU's defense proved remarkable, recording a season-high six sacks and nine tackles-for-loss. The Cats also intercepted a pass and recovered a fumble (forced by Zac Crews and covered up by Neil Daily). The Bobcats didn't turn the ball over.
Both defenses came out strong, forcing three-and-out possessions to begin the game. UC Davis' second drive, which started at the Aggies' five, became the longest scoring drive allowed by MSU and the longest turned in by UCD all season. Hastings capped the 11-play drive with a one-yard pass, and the two-point conversion gave the Aggies an 8-0 lead. The Cats answered with an 83-yard drive, with Mellott tossing a 47-yard pass to a wide open Rohan Jones.
On UC Davis' next possession, the Bobcat defense changed the game. Dru Polidore intercepted a Miles Hastings pass near midfield, and Mellott capped a 46-yard drive with a 17-yard pass to Ty McCullouch, and the Bobcats led 13-8 after the missed PAT. Then, after the Cats forced a punt, Taco Dowler angled from the 21-yard line to the opposite end zone for his first touchdown return since 2022.
While the Bobcat offense and special teams were extending the lead, MSU's defense The Cats allowed just 32 yards outside of the 95-yard scoring drive, allowing 3.96 yards a play before halftime. Larison gained just 32 yards on the ground, and Hastings threw for 127 yards and a touchdown in addition to the interception.
Larison rushed for 112 yards to lead the Aggies, the first MSU opponent to top the 100-yard rushing mark this season. He also caught eight passes for 109 yards. Hastings threw for 320 yards and three touchdowns
The win boosted Montana State's record to 11-0 overall for the first time in school history, and 7-0 in the Big Sky. The Bobcats have played a game with the opportunity to win a share of the Big Sky title in each of Vigen's four seasons, and he has now captured two. The Bobcats host Montana (8-3, 5-2) Saturday at 12 noon with the opportunity to win the conference championship outright.
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