Cats hold off UC Davis, Griz win ahead of Brawl

DAVIS, Calif. — Tommy Mellott threw two touchdown passes in a 30-point run by Montana State, but the Bobcats needed an interception from McCade O'Reilly on a 2-point conversion try to hold off UC Davis 30-28 in a battle of Top-5 teams in the FCS coaches poll on Saturday night.

No. 2 Montana State (11-0, 7-0) clinched the Big Sky Conference title with the victory over No. 4 UC Davis (9-2, 6-1) and finished the regular season unbeaten for the first time in program history.

It was all Montana State until the fourth quarter after Miles Hastings marched UC Davis 95 yards and capped the 11-play drive with a 1-yard scoring toss to Ian Simpson. Winston Williams ran it in for the 2-point conversion and the Aggies led 8-0. It was only the second touchdown allowed in the first quarter by Montana State this season.

Mellott answered with his 20th touchdown pass of the campaign — a 53-yard scoring strike to Rohan Jones less than three minutes later — and the Bobcats trailed 8-7.

Mellott connected with Ty McCullouch for a 17-yard touchdown and a 14-8 lead just 41 seconds into the second quarter. The score was set up when Dru Polidore picked off Hastings, giving Montana State the ball on the Aggies' 46.

Taco Dowler followed with a 79-yard punt return and the Bobcats led 20-8 after the extra-point kick was blocked with 12:43 left before halftime. Hastings was strip-sacked and his fumble was recovered by Neil Daily at the Montana State 48. The Bobcats turned that into a 42-yard field goal by redshirt freshman Myles Sansted for a 23-8 lead.

Montana State had the only score of the third quarter, a 7-yard touchdown run by Julius Davis to up its advantage to 30-8 heading to the fourth quarter.

UC Davis rallied with three touchdowns in the final 6:21. Lan Larison, who rushed for 112 yards, scored on a 1-yard run. Hastings followed with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Samuel Gbatu Jr. with 1;45 remaining and an 11-yarder to Chaz Davis with 34 seconds left.

Mellott completed 18 of 25 passes for 174 yards for the Bobcats. Davis carried 13 times for 91 yards.

Hastings totaled 320 yards on 22-for-33 passing with an interception for the Aggies. Davis caught four passes for 128 yards and Larison had eight receptions for 109.

Montana State scored in 24 straight quarters and 39 of 44 this season before being shut out in the final period.

Montana beats PSU

MISSOULA, Mont. — Logan Fife threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score, all in the second half, and Montana defeated Portland State 28-17 in a game delayed by a campus-wide power outage in Missoula on Saturday.

Jacke Klucewich had an interception in the end zone that he returned 40 yards and then the power went out with 6:48 to play. After play resumed Tyson Rostad ended the Vikings' last chance with another end zone interception of Dante Chachere.

Fife was 9 of 14 for 197 yards with Racanelli picked up 102 yards on four receptions. Eli Gillman had 134 yards on 14 carries.

Montana (8-3, 5-2 Big Sky Conference), the 10th-ranked team in the FCS coaches' poll, trailed 3-0 at halftime.

The Grizzlies quickly marched downfield, scoring on Fife's 1-yard sneak on the fifth play but Portland State took five plays to regain the lead, the last a 17-yard run by Quincy Craig.

The Grizzlies had an apparent lost fumble on the ensuing kickoff return overturned as well an apparent interception overturned on the next snap. Fife threw a quick slant to Sawyre Racanelli, who turned that into an 81-yard touchdown.

The Vikings (2-8, 2-5) responded with a six-play drive, capped by Delon Thompson's 3-yard run, making it 27-14 just 8 1/2 minutes into the third quarter.

It took Montana 11 plays to go 70 yards to take the lead for good when Fife hit Erik Barker for an 11-yard score.

The Grizzlies made it four touchdowns in four possessions when Fife found Aaron Fontes for a 35-yard score one play after Andres Lehrmann strip-sacked Chachere and Jayden Harris recovered.

Klucewich also picked off Craig in the red zone in the first quarter.

Thompson finished with 117 yards on 22 carries for the Vikings.

It’s now time for the annual Brawl of the Wild, which will be another Top 10 matchup between the Griz and Cats this Saturday in Bozeman. For a full preview, see Thursday’s Havre Weekly Chronicle.