Too many Joneses

Bobcats running back Adam Jones (23) celebrates after a 2-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter against the Grizzlies during the 123rd Brawl of the Wild at Bobcat Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake) Click here to order photo reprints.
Casey Kreider

The Bobcats celebrate with the Great Divide Trophy after a 34-11 win over the Griz in the 123rd Brawl of the Wild at Bobcat Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake) Click here to order photo reprints.
Casey Kreider

Grizzlies running back Eli Gillman (10) is tripped up trying to hurdle Bobcats safety Rylan Ortt (26) in the second quarter during the 123rd Brawl of the Wild at Bobcat Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake) Click here to order photo reprints.
Casey Kreider

Bobcats tight end Rohan Jones (8) catches a 35-yard touchdown reception in front of Grizzlies defensive back TJ Rausch (10) in the second quarter during the 123rd Brawl of the Wild at Bobcat Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Click here to order photo reprints.
Casey Kreider

Bobcat defenders Zac Crews (36) and Kenneth Eiden IV (11) sack Grizzlies quarterback Logan Fife (12) in the second quarter during the 123rd Brawl of the Wild at Bobcat Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Grizzlies running back Nick Ostmo (26) breaks a tackle by Bobcats safety Dru Polidore (2) on a run in the first quarter during the 123rd Brawl of the Wild at Bobcat Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Bobcats quarterback Tommy Mellott (4) picks up yardage on a run in the first quarter against the Grizzlies during the 123rd Brawl of the Wild at Bobcat Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Click here to order photo reprints.
Casey Kreider

Grizzlies wide receivers Keelan White (6) and Sawyer Racanelli (9) celebrate after a touchdown reception by Racanelli in the fourth quarter against the Bobcats during the 123rd Brawl of the Wild at Bobcat Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Grizzlies wide receiver Aaron Fontes (14) breaks a tackle by Bobcats defensive back Andrew Powdrell (14) on a reception in the fourth quarter during the 123rd Brawl of the Wild at Bobcat Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Bobcats students jeer the Grizzlies before the start of the 123rd Brawl of the Wild at Bobcat Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Grizzlies running back Eli Gillman (10) is hit by Bobcat defenders Bryce Grebe (10) and Andrew Powdrell (1) on a run in the second quarter during the 123rd Brawl of the Wild at Bobcat Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Bobcats quarterback Tommy Mellott (4) avoids a Grizzlies defender on a run in the first quarter during the 123rd Brawl of the Wild at Bobcat Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Grizzlies quarterback Logan Fife (12) rolls out to pass in the second quarter against the Bobcats during the 123rd Brawl of the Wild at Bobcat Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

The Montana State Bobcats take the field before the 123rd Brawl of the Wild with the Montana Grizzlies at Bobcat Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Click here to order photo reprints.
Casey Kreider

by FRITZ NEIGHBOR
Daily Inter Lake | November 23, 2024 6:00 PM

BOZEMAN — The Montana State Bobcats had too much for the Montana Grizzlies to handle Saturday.

Too many batted passes. Too many blitzes and inside zone runs. Too many Joneses.

Adam Jones ran for 197 yards and two touchdowns in No. 2 MSU’s 34-11 win over the No. 9 Grizzlies in the 123rd Brawl of the Wild; Rohan Jones hauled in a 35-yard touchdown pass from Tommy Mellott to help his team take command in front of 22,057 fans at Bobcat Stadium.

At the end, after they played through a fourth-quarter snow flurry and fans swarmed the field, the Cats had another dominant win — their 12th against zero losses.

“Great day for our program,” said fourth-year MSU coach Brent Vigen, whose club went 8-0 in the Big Sky Conference. “Real excited about where we are. To finish the season undefeated is significant, to win the conference title outright for the first time in quite a long time is significant, and to bring that (Great Divide) trophy back to this building is significant.”

The Bobcats are assured of a top-two seed into the upcoming FCS playoffs; they’ll also get a bye through the first round. The Grizzlies, 8-4 after their third Big Sky loss, also seem assured of a postseason spot. Both teams will learn what’s next when the FCS Selection Show airs at 10:30 a.m. Sunday on ESPNU.

Saturday was, by Bobcat standards this season, a little light on highlights. They took the opening kickoff and marched 75 yards in 14 plays, 12 of them runs, ending with Mellott’s 5-yard burst up the middle.

The Grizzlies managed a 47-yard Ty Morrison field goal early in the second quarter, and MSU answered that with a 65-yard drive.

The touchdown came one play after Griz linebacker Riley Wilson cut in front of a slant and nearly picked it; Mellott, facing third-and-8, then dropped a perfect pass on Rohan Jones up the seam for the TD.

It was 14-3 at 10:16 of the second quarter, and the Cats were on their way.

Montana did yeoman’s work on Mellott, allowing him 96 yards passing and 50 rushing. On offense, though, the Grizzlies were foundering. Quarterback Logan Fife, who played every snap, often threw flat passes barely beyond the sticks. When he did take a deep drop he was pressured mightily and sacked twice.

“We got pressure on the quarterback pretty much right from the start,” Vigen said. “By and large we really eliminated the big play in their run game. Probably the scrambles by Fife, a couple of them were probably their biggest runs I felt like.

“Our front is where it starts on both sides and I think we clearly won that battle.”

Montana was 2 of 12 on third downs. Fife was 18 of 34 passing for 117 yards.

“They knocked down three passes on third down which are huge plays,” Montana coach Bobby Hauck noted. “We had some guys open and some guys in space that were going to get the ball, and who knows what happens.”

Montana State got two Myles Sansted field goals before the first half ended — including a 50-yard as time ran out — to take a 20-3 lead.

The Grizzlies got the ball to open the second half, moved inside Bobcat territory on a 22-yard scramble by Fife, and then stalled. The teams traded punts until the Grizzlies, facing fouth-and-1 at the MSU 44, pinned the Cats back at their 5-yard line.

On second down Adam Jones burst clear, running 88 yards before getting taken out of bounds. Two snaps later he ran in his first TD, from the 3-yard line. It was 27-3 at 1:55 — the third quarter.

Oddly, Montana mounted its lone touchdown drive into the teeth of that snow flurry, getting a 16-yard pass to Keelan White and a 17-yarder to Aaron Fontes to set up Eli Gillman’s 1-yard scoring run.

The Bobcats answered right back, driving 71 yards in nine plays, all runs. Jones scored again, from 2-yards out. That capped the scoring with 4:49 left.

Jones picked up the slack for Scottre Humphrey (one carry) and Julius Jones (who limped off after seven carries for 39 yards). The freshman out of Missoula Sentinel — UM's back yard — had 25 attempts.

“He’s a great competitor,” Vigen said. “I’m glad he’s over here, I know that much.

To approach 200 yards like he did, to have that game-breaking 88-yarder. You know he’s a young guy but no moment is too big for him. Not at all.

“Hate to see Julius go down, hate to see Scottre not be able to do what we hoped today, but Adam stepped up. So yeah, I’m glad we have him over here.”

Bobcats students jeer the Grizzlies before the start of the 123rd Brawl of the Wild at Bobcat Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider