Tommy Mellott’s late TD run gets Montana State past Idaho 20-13

Associated Press

Quarterback Tommy Mellott ran for his third touchdown with 2:16 remaining and Montana State held off Idaho for a 20-13 victory on Saturday in a Big Sky Conference matchup in Bozeman.

Montana State (9-1, 7-0 Big Sky Conference), playing in front of sold-out, 17,000-seat Bobcat Stadium, won its ninth consecutive game, its best streak since 2011.

The Bobcats, ranked third in the FCS coaches poll, entered tied with Sacramento State atop the conference standings,

Mellott’s 3-yard scoring run capped an eight-play, 37-yard drive lasting about 4 minutes. Caleb Lightbourn’s 28-yard punt on the Vandals’ previous series set up the short field for the Bobcats.

Zach Borisch was sacked for the fifth time when Idaho (3-7, 2-5) couldn’t get past its 18 on its final series.

Montana 30, Northern Arizona 3: Garrett Graves returned an interception 25 yards for a touchdown and Justin Ford picked off a pass for the eighth consecutive game and the Grizzlies’ defense smothered the Lumberjacks in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Patrick O’Connell returned a fumble 14 yards as the Grizzly defense held Northern Arizona (4-6, 3-4) to 154 yards with four turnovers and five sacks. Robby Hauck had 14 tackles and Jace Lewis 10; eight solo and two sacks.

Montana (8-2, 5-2) won for the first time in Flagstaff in 10 years. The Grizzlies, ranked ninth in the FCS coaches poll, face a season-ending game with No. 3 Montana State.

Weber State 62, Southern Utah 0: The Wildcats sent the Thunderbirds out of the Big Sky Conference with a romp in Cedar City, Utah.

The 62 points tied for the ninth most in a game in Weber State (5-5, 4-3) history.

It was the final Big Sky game between the two in-state rivals and it ended with the first shutout by Weber State against a Big Sky team since 2007.

The Thunderbirds (1-10, 0-8) are moving up to FBS level and will be members of the Western Athletic Conference starting the 2022-23 season.

Cal Poly 32, Idaho State 29: Jaden Ohlsen kicked a 41-yard field goal with four seconds left to give Cal Poly a 32-29 victory over Idaho State on Saturday night.

Cal Poly (2-8, 1-6 Big Sky Conference) ended an eight-game losing streak while Idaho State (1-9, 1-6) has lost five straight.

The game looked like it was headed for overtime when Cal Poly punted, but Ja’Maree Boone fumbled the ball and Dominic Stellini-Splan recovered for the Mustangs at the Bengals 34 with 33 seconds remaining. Ohlsen kicked the game-winner three plays later.