Montana State snatches victory from defeat, beats FBS New Mexico in opener

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Trailing by 17 points at the start of the fourth quarter, Montana State looked all but finished in its season opener Saturday against FBS New Mexico.

But the Bobcats, led by quarterback Tommy Mellott and their typically stout running game, snatched victory from the jaws of defeat with a 35-31 victory at University Stadium.

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Scottre Humphrey’s 4-yard touchdown run with 13 seconds left capped a game-winning drive that produced the Bobcats’ first victory over an FBS opponent since they beat Colorado to start the 2006 season. It also capped a frantic rally that got a big boost on a long touchdown run.

Momentum seemed to change hands when MSU’s Adam Jones ripped off a 93-yard touchdown run to pull the Bobcats within 31-28 with 4:35 remaining.

Also, third-down drops by wide receivers Luke Wysong and Caleb Medford on consecutive New Mexico possessions gave the Bobcats more life in the fourth quarter. The pass Wysong let slip away looked like it could have gone for a touchdown. The Lobos also missed two field goals.

The Bobcats scored 21 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, including a 15-yard touchdown run by Mellott off a busted play with 13:39 on the clock.

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Montana State’s final drive, helmed by a poised and confident Mellott, was an 11-play, 89-yard jaunt that covered 1 minute, 49 seconds.

It didn’t look good for MSU for most of the game, and it appeared that two fumble returns by New Mexico would be a deciding factor in the Bobcats losing the earliest season opener in program history.

Christian Ellis’ 40-yard fumble return in first quarter put MSU in a 7-0 hole, and Noah Avinger’s 13-yard scoop-and-score made the score 31-14 early in the third. But MSU never went away and spoiled Bronco Mendenhall’s debut as the Lobos’ new head coach.

Mellott finished his day completing 21 of 32 passes for 205 yards and two scores, and rushing for 30 yards and another TD, and overcame his two costly fumbles from earlier in the game.

Turning point: Jones’ 93-yard touchdown run was the explosive play the Bobcats had been looking for all day.

Lobos punter Aaron Rodriguez had pinned MSU on its own 7-yard line with 5:16 remaining. Mellott kept the ball for a 2-yard gain on the first play of the possession, then handed to Jones out of shotgun on the next play, and Jones burst through a hole on the left side and raced all the way to the end zone to send a surge of life into his team.

Stat of the game: The Bobcats led the FCS in rushing offense last season and don’t appear that they’ve lost a step in 2024.

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Montana State piled up 362 rushing yards and averaged 7.7 yards per attempt. Jones, a Missoula Sentinel grad, led the way with 167 yards on 17 carries, while Humphrey added 140 yards on 19 attempts.

Bobcat game balls: RG Marcus Wehr (Offense). The Bobcats established their ground game with the help of Wehr, who was dominant from his right guard position. With Wehr as the anchor up front, MSU’s running game got stronger as the game went along.

LB McCade O’Reilly (Defense). O’Reilly was a stalwart from his linebacker spot, racking up 10 tackles (five solo) and 1.5 tackles for loss. He added a pass breakup and a quarterback hurry to his stat line as the Bobcats shut out New Mexico’s offense in the second half.

What’s next: The Bobcats, who began the season ranked No. 4 in the Stats Perform FCS rankings, will be on the road again next week with a trip to Utah Tech. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 p.m. and will be available for streaming on ESPN+.

MSU beat the Trailblazers 63-20 last season in Bozeman, as Humphrey rushed for 114 yards and three touchdowns in his Bobcat debut.