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Bison, Bobcats to Battle for FCS Championship

Updated: 1 day ago

2024-25 FCS Championship Game | NDSU Bison vs. Montana State Bobcats — @ Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

For the second time in four years, the FCS championship will be decided in a matchup between the Montana State Bobcats (15-0) and the North Dakota State Bison (13-2). At 7 p.m. EST on Jan. 6, NDSU and the undefeated Bobcats will face off in Toyota Stadium at Frisco, Texas, in a much-anticipated game involving the two top FCS seeds.

Montana State is favored by 3.5 points over the Bison, and the game is scheduled to air live on ESPN. Coach Brent Vigen is seeking to lead the Bobcats to their first title since 1984.

Last Time in Frisco

For 15 years, the venue of the FCS championship has been Toyota Stadium in Frisco, located about 30 miles north of downtown Dallas. However, commencing next season, the title game will be played at FirstBank Stadium on the Vanderbilt campus in Nashville, Tenn.

Dominant Bison

Over the last two decades, the NDSU football program has been the FCS gold standard. The Bison have won nine national championships since 2011. In the 21st century, North Dakota State's record is 267-64, an .807 win percentage.

Impressively, NDSU's overall record against FBS teams is 9-5, with wins over prominent teams such as Iowa, Kansas, Kansas State and Minnesota.

Ascendant Bobcats

Montana State won its lone FCS championship in 1984. In 2021, the Bobcats were the runner-up, and in 2022, they were semifinalists. Last season, the Bison knocked off Montana State in a thrilling 35-34 overtime first-round playoff game.

This season, the Bobcats have been dominant en route to the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. Commencing with a victory over an FBS opponent, the New Mexico Lobos (5-7), MSU has outscored its opponents by an average margin of 41.33 to 17.13.

NDSU, MSU Rivalry

In their closely contested rivalry series, the Bobcats and Bison have played 38 times, with Montana State holding an overall 21-17 edge. However, NDSU has won the last five matchups.

Key Players for Bobcats, Bison

Favored to win the Walter Payton Award as the top FCS offensive player, native Montanan senior quarterback Tommy Mellott has posted terrific numbers this season, throwing for 2,564 yards and 29 touchdowns with only 2 interceptions. A dual-threat signal-caller, he has also rushed for 914 yards and 9 TDs.

Running backs Scottre Humphrey (sophomore) and Adam Jones (redshirt freshman) have also been fantastic, both rushing for well over 1,000 yards with 15 and 14 TDs, respectively.

On the other side of the ball, standout senior safety Rylan Ortt, a 6-foot-1 native of Montana, leads the team in tackles with 75. He also has 3 pass breakups, 2 QB hits, 1 INT and 1 forced fumble. Complementing Ortt's excellent play, 2024 Big Sky Conference defensive MVP Brody Grebe a 6-foot-3, 250-pound defensive end, has put relentless pressure on opposing QBs, with 8.5 sacks, 8 QB hits and 2 fumble recoveries.

Key Bison performers include senior QB Cam Miller, junior wide receiver Bryce Lance and junior linebacker Logan Kopp.

Completing 72.64 percent of his passes, Miller has thrown for 3,052 yards, 31 TDs and only 4 INTs. He is also the team's third-leading rusher with 510 yards gained on the ground and 10 more TDs. Lance is his favorite target in the passing game. The 6-foot-3 WR from Minnesota has 66 receptions for 964 yards and 16 TDs.

Kopp leads the Bison in tackles with 69, INTs with 3 and PBUs with 6. He also has 1 forced fumble and 8 tackles for loss including 3 sacks. Three times he has been named first-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference

In his first year at the helm, coach Tim Polasek seeks to lead the Bison to an upset over the Bobcats and a 10th FCS title for NDSU.