Cats hang on against Weber, Bison smash Griz in FCS playoffs

BOZEMAN (AP) - Sean Chambers threw two touchdown passes and ran for a score, Blake Glessner kicked four field goals on a frozen field and Montana State defeated Weber State 33-25 in the second round of the FCS playoffs on Saturday.

Montana State (11-1), the fourth seed, earned its ninth straight win. The Bobcats, whose only loss this season was to FBS-member Oregon State 68-28, is home against fifth-seeded No. 5 William & Mary in the quarterfinals.

Weber State (10-3) got a 39-yard field goal from Kyle Thompson on the opening possession to grab a 3-0 lead.

Montana State answered with Chambers' 2-yard touchdown run for a 7-3 lead after one quarter.

Glessner stretched the Bobcats lead to 10-3 with a 36-yard field goal, but Weber State (9-3) pulled even on Bronson Barron's 15-yard scoring strike to Ty MacPherson. Glessner kicked a 33-yard field goal with 2:47 left and another - from 31 yards out - on the final play of the half to give Montana State a 16-10 lead.

The Bobcats gained separation in the third quarter. Glessner kicked a 32-yard field goal and Chambers connected with Derryk Snell for a 28-yard touchdown and a 26-10 Bobcats lead.

Chambers fired a 47-yard scoring strike to Willie Patterson 50 seconds into the final quarter on a double reverse and Montana State led 33-10.

Kylan Weisser threw touchdown passes covering 31 yards to Jon Christensen and an 8-yarder to Hayden Meacham to get the Wildcats within eight points with 4:42 remaining. But the Bobcats used seven running plays - to pick up three first downs - and a kneel-down to run out the clock.

Tommy Mellott completed 13 of 19 passes for 91 yards for the Bobcats, who play two quarterbacks. Chambers was 2-of-2 passing for 75 yards. Mellott carried 22 times for 158 of the Bobcats' 388 rushing yards. Chambers carried 13 times for 92 yards. MSU entered play second in the nation averaging 325.7 yards rushing per game.

Isaiah Ifanse made his season debut for Montana State. Ifanse, fifth on the FCS all-time rushing yards list, carried 10 times for 91 yards, upping his career total to 3,552.

The Bobcats shut down Weber State running back Josh Davis, No. 4 on the all-time list. Davis, a senior, carried six times for 29 yards and finished with 3,801 career yards.

Montana State beat Weber State 43-38 in a late October match-up between then-top 5 teams.

NDSU 49, Griz 26

FARGO, N.D. (AP) - Kobe Johnson ran for 206 yards and two touchdowns, quarterback Cam Miller also ran for two scores and third-seeded North Dakota State pounded Montana 49-26 in the second round of the FCS playoffs on Saturday.

The defending and nine-time champion Bison (10-2) piled up 453 yards on the ground and turned three turnovers by the Grizzlies (8-5) into 21 points.

North Dakota State is home against sixth-seeded Samford in the quarterfinals next weekend.

Corbin Walker returned a Miller interception 58 yards early in the second half to pull the Grizzlies within 21-20. The Bison responded and scored on four of their next five possessions.

Johnson had touchdown runs of 75 and 73 yards and TaMerik Williams had a 68-yarder. After that NDSU went 87 yards in nine plays, capped by TK Marshall's seven-yard TD run.

Miller had the first two scores of the game on 10- and 68-yard runs.

Montana's Lucas Johnson had a rushing touchdown but the quarterback was knocked out of the game when he was sacked and fumbled with Cole Wisniewski recovering in the end zone late in the first half.

NDSU is making its 13th-straight FCS playoff appearance. The record is 17 straight by Montana, 1993-2009.

The Grizzlies ended their season at 8-5 and failed to advance to the FCS quarters for the first time since the 2018 season where the Griz didn't make it.