Top-seeded Montana State thumps Idaho 52-19 in FCS quarterfinals

“Yellowstone” is coming to an end this month. And while the TV series is set to go off the air, a different group of Montanans was trying to avoid spoilers.

The top-seeded Montana State Bobcats did that and then some, turning away eighth-seeded Idaho 52-19 in the quarterfinals of the Football Championship Subdivision Friday night in Bozeman.

Montana State (14-0) will face the winner of South Dakota-UC Davis in the semifinals. Idaho’s season ends at 10-4.

Montana State recovered an Idaho onside kick that failed to go 10 yards and scored three touchdowns in 3 minutes, 47 seconds of the second quarter to break open a 10-10 game and leave Idaho trailing 31-10 halftime.

The Bobcats maintained momentum coming out of halftime as Andrew Jones scored from 9 yards out.

On Montana State’s next possession, Taco Dowler caught a 5-yard pass from Tommy Mellott on third-and-goal to give the Bobcats a 45-10 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Jones scored four touchdowns for the Bobcats and ran for 95 yards on 23 carries. Tommy Mellott finished with 14 running attempts for 131 yards and a touchdown. He also completed 12 of 18 passes for 174 yards, with two touchdowns and an interception.

“He is a great player,” Idaho coach Jason Eck said of Mellott. “I think he should win the Walter Payton Award for the best player in FCS.”

Things didn’t start out so one-sided. But after a 10-all tie, the Bobcats scored 42 straight to put the matter out of reach.

The game opened favoring the Bobcats. Tight end Rylan Schlepp got Montana State out to an early lead, finishing off a 75-yard drive with a touchdown reception from Mellott.

The Vandals, on their first possession, struck for three consecutive first downs with passes to Jordan Dwyer, Mark Hamper and a run up the middle by Deshaun Buchanan.

But the drive stalled on the MSU 17-yard line when Buchanan was just short of converting a fourth down.

Trailing 7-0, the Vandals steadied when linebacker Zach Johnson pressured Mellott on a second-and-9, forced him to let go of a pass early. Linebacker Isiah King made a diving interception.

On the next play, Layne hit Dwyer, who had run away from safety Carson Williams and corralled a pass for an easy touchdown.

The Bobcats tried to duplicate the feat, but Mellott’s pass across the middle to wide-open Ty McCullouch caromed off his hands.

With the Bobcats forced into a third down, the teams exited the first quarter tied at 7.

Montana State converted the third down when Mellott took off, pressed the edge and made the first down. In 12 plays, the Bobcats got to the Idaho 31-yard line on third down, but they stalled when Vandals safety Tommy McCormick broke up and nearly intercepted a pass to McCullouch. On fourth down, Myles Stansed kicked a 46-yard field goal to give the Bobcats a 10-7 lead.

Idaho answered immediately. On first down at the 25, Idaho running back Elisha Cummings took a jab step to the right and carried 25 yards to midfield. A 25-yard pass from Layne to Dwyer, closely covered by cornerback Jon Johnson, got Idaho to the 15-yard line. When the drive stalled there, Cameron Pope kicked a 32-yard field goal to tie the score.

At that point, the aggressive Vandals tried to knock MSU on its heels and steal a possession, but an onside kick failed to travel 10 yards and the Bobcats recovered.

Mellott made Idaho pay. He drove the Bobcats from the Idaho 38-yard line to the 9 in six plays.

On second-and-1 from there, he broke free up the middle and scored. With 3:47 to play in the first half, the Bobcats led 17-10.

“It was bad timing by me,” Jason Eck said of the onside kick. “That gave them some momentum.”

Things went from bad to worse for the Vandals. On second-and-5 at their 30-yard line, Layne found Mark Hamper with a short screen pass. It went nowhere as Hamper collided with Idaho tackle Ayden Knapik, lost the ball, and Brody Grebe recovered for the Bobcats at Idaho’s 28.

In a six-play drive, running back Adam Jones twisted his way from the 11-yard lane to the 2. Soon after, he fought his way through the middle for a touchdown and 24-10 lead.

The Vandals were unable to move the ball. After LJ Harm punted, MSU had the ball at its 35-yard line with 35 seconds to play.

Mellott eluded Idaho’s edge rusher Keyshawn James-Newby in the backfield, stepped through a tackle at the line and raced down the sideline 63 yards to the 2.

Jones scored from there, and the Bobcats went into halftime with a comfortable 31-10 lead.

Layne completed 20 of 30 passes for 239 yards and two touchdowns . Dwyer made 11 receptions for 189 yards and two touchdowns, and Deshaun Buchanan carried 10 times for 95 yards.

MSU outgained Idaho 457-407.

Linebacker Jaxton Eck had 13 tackles for the Vandals. Safety McCormick added nine and James-Newby had seven.

In the locker room after the game, Jason Eck had a message for Vandals seniors.

“(I told them) to hold their heads high, be proud of how they have grown and how they really changed the trajectory of this program, going to the playoffs three straight times.

“For our young guys, there is a lot to build on and keep improving.”