🏆 NDSU wins FCS Title
🏀 Georgia Tech debuts in WBB Power 10
⛹️♂️ Kentucky, Illinois surge in Power 37
North Dakota State took down undefeated Montana State, 35-32, in the FCS national championship. This is the Bison’s 10th title since 2011 and their first since 2021.
NDSU led 21-3 at the half, holding the high-powered Bobcat offense to a little over 100 yards in the first 30 minutes. However, Walter Payton Award-winning quarterback, Tommy Mellot, pulled Montana State back within three by the end of the third quarter with a handful of explosive plays.
A 66-yard, five-minute drive sealed the game for the Bison late in the fourth, giving the ball back to the Bobcats with under three minutes to play down 10. Mellot found Taco Dowler on 4th and 2 to cut the lead to three with a little over a minute to play, but MSU did not recover the ensuing onside kick, sealing the game.
Standout wide receiver Bryce Lance powered the NDSU offense, hauling in nine catches for a career-high 108 yards, including a remarkable 39-yard catch that set up a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Bison quarterback Cam Miller played a remarkably clean game, connecting on 19 of 22 passes for 200 yards and two touchdowns. Miller has now won his second FCS championship after leading NDSU to a title in 2021, also over Montana State.
The North Dakota State defense held the Bobcats over 100 yards under their 301-yard rushing total per game, as MSU finished with 199 on the ground.
The Bison are once again on top of the FCS, spoiling Montana State’s perfect season and bringing yet another title back to Fargo, North Dakota.
North Dakota State added seven points to push its lead to 35-25 with 2:31 to play. The drive took nine-plays and drained over five minutes off the clock.
Montana State will take over possession with two timeouts remaining, plus the two-minute timeout.
Tommy Mellott was bound to break free eventually and he did just that, dashing for a 44-yard run up the sideline. Tight end/H-back Rohan Jones had a great block on the edge to spring the run.
With the score, Montana State is back within three points with 11:25 to play in the fourth quarter. All teams have all three of their timeouts.
TOMMY MELLOTT IS NOT HUMAN 😱
📺 ESPN@Tommy_Mellott | #BobcatBuilt pic.twitter.com/ZCxmrWEUfr
After running back CharMar Brown got stuffed at the one-yard line on the first play of the fourth quarter, a play-action pass from Cam Miller found tight end Joe Stoffel for the one-yard touchdown on the second play of the final quarter. The score is Miller’s fourth of the day — three passing, one rushing — and it pushes NDSU’s lead back to two scores at 10 points.
Miller to Stoffel to extend the lead to 10 pic.twitter.com/xNLKiyGmHA
We have a game entering the fourth quarter of the FCS championship game! Montana State has scored 15 unanswered points to cut the deficit to three, but North Dakota State will be two yards away from pay dirt when play resumes.
Montana State quarterback Tommy Mellott is heating up, going 5-7 passing for 117 yards and a score in the third quarter.
On the last play before halftime, North Dakota State quarterback Cam Miller found Bryce Lance for a 39-yard catch on a slot fade — a route they’ve gone to multiple times tonight — to set up a 1st-and-2 when play resumes. Click or tap here for stats from the game.
We see you Bryce! pic.twitter.com/3mB8C4Ar8f
Two plays, 58 yards, touchdown. Throw in a two-point conversion for a little razzle dazzle and we now have a three-point game. That’s all it took for Montana State to rally back within one possession.
WE RIDE WITH ROHAN ‼️🫡@Rohan_Jones2 x @Tommy_Mellott
📺 ESPN#BobcatBuilt | #CATS pic.twitter.com/t9CJScRJZh
First, quarterback Tommy Mellott evaded pressure, stepped up in the pocket and delivered a strike down field to Ryan Lonergan. A play later, Mellott threw a five yard bullet to Rohan Jones to put the Bobcats down five points. The math said go for two, and the math was mathing as Mellot faked a reverse to find Lonergan in the end zone, this time for a two-point conversion.
15-0 run out of the break 🤯 https://t.co/Owl5pDN5UX pic.twitter.com/nab3cNfvRX
Montana State finally found the end zone on its first possession of the second half, opening the third quarter with an 11-play 75 yard drive. Running back Scottre Humphrey ran in for a one-yard score after a defensive holding penalty in the end zone granted the Bobcats a fresh set of downs.
Scottre In For Six 😤💪
📺 ESPN@ScottreHumphrey | #BobcatBuilt pic.twitter.com/umOyY2QPxF
The score was set up by a 25-yard pass from Tommy Mellot to Ryan King who landed inches away from the end zone.
‘Cats are cooking 👀 pic.twitter.com/tznBnjRbYK
After the Bison defense got a stop on fourth down with 59 seconds remaining in the first half, quarterback Cam Miller and wide receiver Bryce Lance connected four times through the air for 23 yards as the Bison scored a touchdown with 12 seconds to play in the half. North Dakota State went 56 yards in 47 seconds to score.
Two-minute offense run to perfection and Bryce Lance with his 17th TD of the season pic.twitter.com/DVyoGaeQA9
The Bison scored touchdowns on three of its four first half drives, winning the time of possession battle 17:13 to 12:47. Miller has been his usual efficient self, completing 10-11 passes for 92 yards and a score. Miller has also added 108 rushing yards and two touchdowns, bringing him to 200 total yards and three total touchdowns. That’s 88 percent of all of North Dakota State’s offensive production.
Meanwhile, Montana State has struggled offensively. The Bobcats only have 17 passing yards, with most of the action coming from YAC yards from passes behind the line of scrimmage. Montana’s longest drive of the day ended with just a field goal, which may not cut it in a game where every point matters.
Click or tap here for stats from the first half.
A drive that took 11:13 seconds off the clock ended up with a field goal for Montana State, now trailing 14-3. The Bobcats drove 61-yards in 17 plays, without pushing the ball vertically through the air. Montana State ran the ball 13 times on the drive without a pass going for more than eight yards.
On the board ☑️ pic.twitter.com/2Uc3aC9It0
North Dakota State leads Montana State 14-0 after the first quarter of play. It’s been the Cam Miller show in the first half, scoring two rushing touchdowns. Miller has been a decisive runner so far, using seven designed quarterback runs to gain 84 yards. Through the air, Miller is 4-4 passing for 51 yards.
On the other side of the ball, Montana State only has 45 total yards, all on the ground as the Bobcats have yet to complete a pass during its first two drives.
When play resumes, Montana State will have possession on its own 35-yard line facing 1st-and-10. Click or tap here for stats from the game.
North Dakota State quarterback Cam Miller is continuing to attack the Montana State defense with his legs, this time blasting through the middle on a 64-yard touchdown run. It was a great play call from the Bison offense, spreading out the Bobcat defense with an empty set, allowing Miller to run up the middle. The score was Miller’s seventh designed-run of the day.
It’s Miller Time! pic.twitter.com/cpVMCu6VFM
North Dakota State took the ball on the first possession of the game and found the end zone as quarterback Cam Miller spun in for six. Miller went 3-3 passing for 44 yards while adding in 16 rushing yards on the first drive, converting both of the two Bison third down attempts with his legs.
In total, NDSU’s opening drive went 75 yards in 12 plays taking 7:05 off the clock.
Miller for six! pic.twitter.com/7E79MVqytN
It’s almost gametime here in Frisco for the FCS Championship game. North Dakota State and Montana State are getting ready to crown a new king of the sport.
View the starting lineups below ahead of the game
