Bobcats Use Big Plays To Fly Past Eagles 42-28

Saturday, November 2

Cheney, WA

2:00 pm MT

Montana State University

9-0 , 5-0

Eastern Washington

2-7 , 1-4

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Montana St.

Eastern Wash.

Ty McCullouch on his way to MSU's game-clinching touchdown

Photo by: Bobcat Creative Services

11/2/2024 10:57:00 PM | Football

Box Score

Tommy Mellott runs for one long touchdown and throws for another

By: Bill Lamberty

CHENEY, Washington – The rain fell throughout the afternoon, but Tommy Mellott provided the lightning.

One play after Eastern Washington tied the game at 28-28 late in the third quarter, Montana State's senior quarterback sprinted 76 yards for a touchdown as the Bobcats recaptured the lead. Then with just over three minutes to play and MSU still clinging to that 35-28 lead, facing a third-and-seven, Mellott found Ty McCullouch racing down the sideline for a 61-yard touchdown. Those two big plays boosted the Bobcats to a hard-fought 42-28 win over Eastern Washington in Cheney on Saturday.

The Bobcats rushed for 316 yards and scored over 30 points for the ninth straight game this season, with Mellott (125) and Scottre Humphrey (110) each topping 100 rushing yards. Each reached milestones, as well, with Humphrey moving past the 1,000-yard mark for the season and Mellott becoming the fourth Bobcat to rush for 3,000 yards in his career.

MSU carried a 28-14 lead into the second half, but Eastern Washington's Tuna Altahir scored on a three-yard pass from Jared Taylor with 9:01 to play in the third quarter to draw the Eagles within 28-21. Then Altahir scored from 11 yards out with 1:26 remaining in the third quarter to forge the tie.

The first half started slowly for the offenses, with three-and-outs on each teams first drive. Montana State got things cooking on its second possession, with Mellott completing four of five passes and rushing once for 10 yards. Scottre Humphrey punched it in from the one. The game's first pivot point came on the next play, when Max Murphy forced a fumble on the kick return and Carson Williams recovered. Mellott found Taco Dowler on the next play for a 19-yard touchdown, and the Cats led 14-0.

Eastern got on the board on its next drive, marching 63 yards. Jared Taylor connected with Efton Chism III on a four-yard pass for the score to cap a 13-play drive. That was the first offensive touchdown MSU has allowed in the first quarter all season, and the first first-quarter points since the season opener at New Mexico.

The Cats answered with an eight-play drive fueled by consecutive runs by Mellott of 26 and 23 yards. That set up a 23-yard touchdown run by Adam Jones. The lightning-strike Eagles offense struck quickly, with Michael Wortham dashing 75 yards on a reverse for a touchdown.

The Bobcats closed the first-half scoring with a 16-play drive, its second-longest of the season. Humphrey plowed in from four yards for his second score of the day. MSU out-gained the Eagles 276 yards to 164 in the first half, with 160 on the ground and 116 through the air. Of the Eagles' yardage total, 122 came on the ground.

In addition to his great ground game, Mellott completed 13 of his 20 passes for 181 yards with two touchdowns and his first interception of the season. That interception, with 7:19 to play, set up a dramatic Bobcat defensive stand. On second-and-10 from the MSU 32, Bryce Grebe made a tackle on a middle screen to set up fourth-and-four, then the Cats stopped Michael Wortham short of the line to gain to turn the ball over. That setup Mellott's long scoring strike.

Montana State raised its record to 9-0 for only the second time in school history, and is 5-0 in Big Sky play. The Bobcats host Sacramento State Saturday at 1 pm. Eastern Washington is 2-7 overall, 1-4 in the Big Sky.

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