Montana State Stands Within Dakota Gauntlet

As we reach the final 4, Montana State is the loner in a Dakotas-filled semifinal. 

Grizzly fans may not have been cheering for the Bobcats last weekend, but after a week of mourning, (most) Montanans will stand together with MSU against the foes to the East. Still undefeated, the Cats will welcome the Coyotes from South Dakota into Bobcat Stadium on Saturday.

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A knockout victory for Montana State over Idaho last weekend.

Montana State played their second game of the playoffs last week against Idaho, where they won in a decisive 52-19 victory over the Vandals. Defensively, the Cats continued to dominate, causing two turnovers and limiting the Vandals to only 2/10 on 3rd down.

Jaxton Eck was the tackle leader for the Cats, notching 10 solo tackles and 13 total on the game. With “Touchdown” Tommy Mellott and Adam Jones both going for 130+ on the ground and 7 touchdowns between the two, the Bobcats are roaring into the semifinals. 

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The biggest test of the year for the Cats.

The other side of the bracket is filled with champions, with winners of 10 of the last 12 FCS Titles facing off against each other. North Dakota State enters the semifinal round hoping to get back to their championship pedigree. Although the Bison have 9 titles to their name since 2010, three of the last four years have been disappointments, with only 1 title to boast about. Tim Polasek will be looking to add his name to the Bison record books and return his program to their dominant ways.

To the south of the Bison are the Jackrabbits of South Dakota State. The Jackrabbits are searching for their 3rd title in a row, taking down the Grizzlies last year and NDSU the year before. With only 2 titles to the program’s name, SDSU will be fighting to make history against Goliath on Saturday at 10:00 MST.

After taking down UC Davis, the University of South Dakota will be taking the 12-hour drive to Bozeman for their semifinal matchup. The Cats enter the game 14-0, hoping to keep the breadstick off of their record and advance to the championship for the first time since 2021, where they lost to NDSU. With the forecast showing 43 and sunny, Saturday afternoon will have the Cats hoping to get to 15-0.