The Montana State Bobcats (12-2) hosted their in-state rivals Montana Grizzlies (13-1) on Saturday from Bobcat Stadium in the FCS Semi-Finals. Montana State jumped out to a 13-0 lead in the first, while Montana battled back to score 16 points in the second quarter.
The Bobcats led the Grizzlies 20-16 at halftime. From there, Montana State took over in the second half, only allowing seven points, while they scored 28 points to beat the Grizzlies 48-23. With the win, they advance to the FCS National Championship against either Villanova or Eastern Illinois on Monday, January 5, 2026, from FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.
Montana State’s offense had 449 yards (209 yards passing, 240 yards rushing), 23 first downs, and the team was penalized six times for 45 yards. Quarterback Justin Lamson completed 13 of 19 passes (68.4%) for 209 yards, two touchdowns, 10 carries for 43 yards, and two rushing touchdowns.
Running back Adam Jones had 16 carries for 131 yards and two rushing touchdowns. Wide receiver Taco Dowler made five catches for 125 yards and one touchdown, while Rocky Lencioni made two catches for 36 yards and one touchdown.
Kicker Myles Sansted made six extra points. The defense made 56 tackles, eight tackles for loss, three sacks, five pass breakups, one interception, and one touchdown.
Montana’s offense had 347 yards (251 yards passing, 96 yards rushing), 18 first downs, and the team was penalized six times for 65 yards. Quarterback Keali’i Ah Yat completed 27 of 42 passes (64.2%) for 251 yards, one touchdown, one interception, five carries for -19 yards, and one rushing touchdown.
Running back Eli Gillman had 16 carries for 106 yards, one rushing touchdown, and four catches for 37 yards. Wide receiver Michael Wortham made eight catches for 85 yards, while Blake Bohannon made five catches for 52 yards.
Kicker Jo Silver made one field goal for 21 yards and made two extra points. The defense made 54 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, and one pass breakup.
