Humphrey, Bobcats run over Black Bears

BOZEMAN — Montana State running back Scottre Humphrey ran for 110 yards and two touchdowns on just four carries Saturday, helping the Bobcats overwhelm Maine 41-24 in their “Gold Rush” game. 

Humphrey’s 79-yard burst put the Big Sky Conference Bobcats (3-0) up 7-0 less than four minutes into the game; after taki Uluilakepa blocked a Maine punt, Adam Jones tore off a 40-yard TD run at the 8:33 mark. 

Tommy Mellott’s 4-yard scoring pass to Ryan Lonergan put MSU up 21-0 at 4:39 of the first quarter. 

It appeared the rout was on, and it was 35-7 at halftime. The Bobcats, resting Mellott — he was 12 of 15 passing for 144 yards, and ran for 66 on five carries — managed two second-half field goals by Myles Sansted. 

Maine (1-1) played solidly in the second half, getting a 19-yard scoring run to cap its first drive of the second half, and a 25-yard touchdown pass from Carter Peevy to Declan McKevitt early in the fourth quarter. 

The Black Bears had the ball with 1:06 left, but Peevy’s pass to Montigo Moss was intercepted by MSU’s Jackson Harmon.

Nine different Bobcat receivers caught passes Saturday; Ryan King and Lonyetta Alexander had three each, for a total of 70 yards. 

Jared White added 99 yards on 15 carries for MSU, which piled up 526 yards of offense in front of a crowd of 21,887. 

Peevy hit Montigo Moss with a 5-yard scoring strike with 3:15 left in the first half. 

Jaharie Martin, the former MSU Bobcat who transferred to Maine, had eight carries for 26 yards. Rohan Jones, the H-back who transferred from the Black Bears to the Bobcats, had one catch for 15 yards and a key block on Adam Jones’ 40-yard run. 

Jones also scored on a 19-yard burst to put MSU up 35-0 at 8:29 of the second quarter. 

The Cats have a bye this week and host Mercyhurst on Sept. 21.