Defense Carries MSU to Dominant Road Win at Utah Tech
8/31/2024 11:18:00 PM | Football
Bobcats allow just 41 yards through first three quarters, rush for 335 on the night in 31-7 win over Trailblazers
SAINT GEORGE, Utah – Montana State's defense stifled Utah Tech for three quarters, leading the Bobcats to a 31-7 win over the Trailblazers in St. George on Saturday.
The Cats held Utah Tech to just 41 yards of offense through the first three quarters, with the Trailblazers only able to move the ball once the game was already out of reach. Montana State's defense did not allow a first down until the fourth quarter.
One week after putting up 362 rushing yards on FBS New Mexico, Montana State rushed for 335 more on Friday.
Montana State took a 14-0 lead into the locker room at halftime, but the stats reflected an entirely different level of dominance. The Bobcats out-gained Utah Tech 272 yards to 38, rushing for 230 yards to UTU's 29, and held Tech without a first down while reaching the line-to-gain 15 times on offense.
Scottre Humphrey gained 91 rushing yards in the first half, Tommy Mellott, 70, and Adam Jones 43 before the intermission. Mellott threw for 42 yards on 7-for-13 passing.
The game, though, remained in doubt after 30 minutes of play. After the teams exchanged punts twice, Taco Dowler returned one 53 yards to the UTU eight. Three plays later, with 2:35 to play in the opening quarter, Adam Jones plunged in from one yard out to open the scoring.
On Montana State's next drive, Mellott scampered 47 yards for a touchdown to push the lead to 14-0. The Bobcats staged two more long drives in the first half, but the first resulted in a blocked field goal and the second in a missed field goal. Those were hardly the only mistakes in the first two periods, though. The Cats were penalized five times for 40 yards.
The Bobcats raised their record to 2-0 on the season, both on the road. Montana State hosts Maine for Gold Rush on Saturday at 6 pm in Bobcat Stadium.
#GoCatsGo
