North Dakota State Routs Montana State 38-10 to Claim 9th FCS Championship
Jan 8, 2022
FRISCO, TX - JANUARY 08: Cody Mauch #70 and Hunter Luepke #44 of the North Dakota State Bison celebrate a touchdown against the Montana State Bobcats during the Division I FCS Football Championship held at Toyota Stadium on January 8, 2022 in Frisco, Texas. (Photo by C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
The North Dakota State Bison returned to the top of FCS on Saturday with a 38-10 demolition of the Montana State Bobcats in the FCS Championship Game at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.
With Saturday's win, NDSU has now won nine of the past 11 FCS titles and improved its record in FCS Championship Games to a perfect 9-0.
While the Bison have boasted some top-flight talent at quarterback over the past several years, including Carson Wentz of the Indianapolis Colts and Trey Lance of the San Francisco 49ers, Saturday's win was largely the result of a dominant running game and a suffocating defense.
North Dakota State rushed for 380 yards and four touchdowns on 53 carries as a team against Montana State.
Three players rushed for at least 82 yards in the contest, including Hunter Luepke, who finished with 82 yards and three touchdowns. The Bison also got 106 yards out of Kobe Johnson and 98 yards from Quincy Patterson.
NDSU's defense performed at an elite level as well, holding the Bobcats to 335 total yards and a 5-of-15 conversion rate on third downs.
One key factor in Montana State's offensive struggles was the fact that true freshman quarterback Tommy Mellott suffered an apparent leg injury on the first drive of the game and had to be removed.
Mellott didn't start his first game until the FCS playoffs, but he played a big role in Montana State reaching the title game, as he rushed for 411 yards and six touchdowns in three playoff wins.
With Mellott unable to continue, junior Tucker Rovig replaced him and struggled to the tune of 156 yards, one touchdown and one interception on 13-of-28 passing.
NDSU essentially put the game out of reach in the first half by taking a 28-0 lead and rushing for 270 yards.
Of those four touchdowns, three were scored by Luepke:
The Bison get on the board first with the big TD run! 💪
With the Bison blowing the Bobcats out of the water, former Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee, ESPN's Matt Miller and SiriusXM's Boston Connor all marveled at NDSU's dominance:
This North Dakota State squad is BEATING THE LIVING BREATHING HELLLLLLL aht of Montana State in the Natty right now
Rather than allowing Montana State to potentially get back in the game during the third quarter, North Dakota State kept its foot on the gas pedal.
Quarterback Cam Miller helped extend the NDSU lead to 35-0 just 2:26 into the third quarter with his first touchdown of the day on a 35-yard pass to tight end Josh Babicz:
A little misdirection sends Josh Babicz into the end zone!
Montana State did manage to get into the end zone in the fourth quarter, but it was far too late at that point, as the celebrations had already begun for the Bison.
FCS Playoffs 2021-22: Date, Schedule for Montana State vs. North Dakota Championship
Dec 18, 2021
Montana State wide receiver Nate Stewart (10) celebrates with teammates after a touchdown during an NCAA college football game against South Dakota State in the semifinals of the FCS playoffs, Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021, in Bozeman, Mont. (AP Photo/Tommy Martino)
The No. 2 North Dakota State Bison will face the No. 8 Montana State Bobcats for the 2021 FCS championship on Jan. 8 in Frisco, Texas. North Dakota State is looking for its ninth national championship in 10 years, while Montana State will be aiming for just its second title in program history.
The Bobcats have not won the FCS title since 1984, when they defeated Louisiana Tech 19-6 under head coach Dave Arnold. The Bison last won the title in 2019 with a 28-20 win over James Madison under current head coach Matt Entz.
Montana State and North Dakota State have met just three times in the playoffs—2010 second round, 2014 first round and 2019 semifinal—with the Bison winning each matchup by a significant margin.
Championship Schedule
No. 2 North Dakota State vs. No. 8 Montana State: Saturday, Jan. 8 at noon ET
North Dakota State's Run to the Final
The Bison earned a first-round bye and the second overall seed after going 10-1 in the regular season. They began their championship pursuit with a 38-7 win over the Southern Illinois Salukis in the second round behind a two-touchdown performance from junior running back TaMerik Williams.
North Dakota State then steamrolled the East Tennessee State Buccaneers 27-3 in the quarterfinals with another two-score performance from Williams and a 123-passing-yard performance from sophomore quarterback Cam Miller.
In the semifinals, the Bison defeated the James Madison Dukes 20-14 with a two-touchdown performance from Miller and a 199-yard, two-touchdown day for junior fullback Hunter Luepke.
Williams, Miller and Luepke have been big performers for the Bison throughout the 2021 season. Williams has 115 carries for 718 yards and 12 touchdowns this year, in addition to two catches for 15 yards.
Meanwhile, Miller has completed 68.1 percent of his passes for 1,318 yards, 13 touchdowns and three interceptions, in addition to rushing for 176 yards and four scores. Luepke has rushed for 461 yards and five touchdowns this season, in addition to catching nine passes for 165 yards and three scores.
Montana State's Run to the Championship
The Bobcats also earned a first-round bye after going 9-2 in the regular season and began their championship run in the second round with a 26-7 win over the Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks behind an incredible 181-yard, two-touchdown rushing performance from freshman quarterback Tommy Mellott.
Montana State then steamrolled the Sam Houston State Bearkats 42-19 in the quarterfinals by another impressive performance from Mellott, who passed for two touchdowns and rushed for two more.
The Bobcats continued rolling in the semifinals with a 31-17 win over the South Dakota State Jackrabbits behind Mellott, who again passed for two touchdowns and rushed for another two.
Mellott only recently took over as Montana State's starting quarterback after Matthew McKay entered the transfer portal just before the playoffs began. He has been nothing short of incredible, throwing for 500 yards and four touchdowns, in addition to rushing for 410 yards and six scores in three games.
Other big performers for the Bobcats include junior running back Isaiah Ifanse, who has rushed for 1,539 yards and 10 touchdowns this season, and senior wide receiver Lance McCutcheon, who has caught 53 passes for 1,015 yards and seven scores this year.
