BOZEMAN — The Montana State Bobcats did their part Friday night.
No. 2 seed MSU topped No. 7 Stephen F. Austin 44-28 at Bobcat Stadium in the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs to potentially set up a semifinal game eagerly anticipated by Treasure State college football fans.
If Montana can beat South Dakota on Saturday, the Grizzlies will travel to Bozeman next weekend in a game that will be unprecedented in the annals of the great rivalry. The Cats and Griz have never met in the postseason.
A week after shutting out Yale for three quarters in a 21-13 second-round win, MSU had another strong start defensively to set the tone and help the Bobcats build a 24-point lead in the first half.
Kenneth Eiden IV forced two strip-sack fumbles — both recovered by MSU — and was a disruptor in general, while Caden Dowler kept his interception streak alive as the Bobcats turned three SFA turnovers into 21 points.
Meanwhile, quarterback Justin Lamson was meticulous and precise and running back Adam Jones provided some big plays to help the MSU offense rebound from what was a rather up-and-down performance in the second-round win over Yale.
Lamson completed 20 of 26 passes for 246 yards and three touchdowns overall, and Jones scored three times also.
Lamson, who did throw his first interception since Sept. 20, tossed touchdown passes to Jones and Luvens Valcin. Lamson also ran for a score. Jones rushed for two touchdowns to go along with his TD reception and finished with 114 rushing yards on just nine carries.
Myles Sansted kicked three field goals with a long of 47 yards.
Former Griz quarterback Sam Vidlak, who made three starts for Montana in 2023 before being supplanted by Clifton McDowell, was 26 of 43 for 242 yards and one touchdown and one interception for the Lumberjacks. Vidlak was the Southland Conference offensive player of the year this season.
Vidlak was sacked five times, with Eiden picking up three.
Jaylen Jenkins scored two touchdowns on the ground and short-yardage quarterback Gavin Rutherford also rushed for a touchdown for the Lumberjacks, who couldn't overcome that large 24-0 deficit.
TURNING POINT(S): Much like last week, MSU’s offense fed off turnovers created by the defense. The Cats’ first touchdown followed Eiden’s first forced fumble and subsequent recovery by Zac Cruse, and Dowler’s interception on SFA’s next possession for its second score. The Bobcats never trailed in the game.
THE STREAK CONTINUES: On SFA’s second possession of the game, Dowler grabbed a Vidlak pass that went through the hands of receiver Derrick Bohler at the MSU 7 and returned it 35 yards to the MSU 42. It’s the fifth straight game that Dowler, who was named the Big Sky defensive player of the year, has come up with an interception. He has six picks overall in that stretch.
BIG RUNS: SFA came into the game with the No. 3 rushing defense in the FCS, giving up just 87.8 yards per game. The Bobcats found that stat was for real Friday until big runs by Jones (40 yards) and Julius Davis (64) made the stats respectable. MSU had just 27 yards on 20 carries at the half, but finished with 227 yards on 42 carries thanks to some of those big second-half runs.
Davis finished with 96 yards on 17 carries to surpass the 1,000-yard plateau for the first time in his career. He needed 52 yards to get to 1,000.
PICK UP THE LAUNDRY: Two games into the playoffs the Bobcats seem to be still working out the postseason kinks after receiving a first-round bye. Sustained offensive consistency was a problem against Yale last week, and Friday the issue was penalties.
MSU was flagged 12 times for 100 yards against SFA, and a pass interference penalty on a fourth-down incompletion helped set up a 5-yard run by Jenkins as the Lumberjacks got within 24-14 with 9:04 left in the third quarter.
The penalty yardage also included a call on Davis, who was flagged for taunting a Lumberjacks defender on his way into the end zone following a long run at the end of the third quarter. Davis was called for unsportsmanlike conduct and his touchdown was disallowed. Davis, who had postgame shouting match with coach Brent Vigen following the win over Yale go viral, was still credited with 64 yards on the carry.
UP NEXT: Montana State, winners of 12 straight, reached the semifinals for the fourth time in five seasons and must await the victor of Montana-South Dakota. No matter who wins between the Grizzlies and Coyotes, the Bobcats (12-2) will be at home, where they are 9-1 in the playoffs under coach Brent Vigen.
Stephen F. Austin (11-3) saw its program-record 11-game winning streak and its season end.
