The Montana State Bobcats are a win away from the FCS title game and erasing the pain that was the end of the 2023 season.

Of course you could say that without that disappointment — a 35-34 second-round loss to North Dakota State — perhaps the 2024 Bobcats aren’t 14-0 for the first time in their history. 

“We just came together and drew a line in the sand, I guess you could say,” said MSU defensive end Brody Grebe, piling up cliches like he does sacks. “And we said we’re going to take this to another level, go through things in the offseason to make it tougher on ourselves, and it’s all worked out. But we have to keep going forward.” 

The top-seeded Bobcats host the No. 4 South Dakota Coyotes (11-2) Saturday at 1:30 p.m. A sellout crowd at Bobcat Stadium will see evenly matched offensive and defensive lines do battle. Both teams boast their conference’s defensive player of the year — Grebe has 7.5 sacks and nine tackles for loss for the Cats, Mi’Quise Grace has 9.5 sacks and 18 TFLs for USD — and excellent 1-2 punches at running back. 

Of course for MSU it is more a 1-2-3 punch because of the presence of quarterback Tommy Mellott, who made a third All-America team Thursday (FCS Football Central). 

Scottre Humphrey and Adam Jones should offset the Coyotes’ tandem of Charlies Pierre, Jr., and Travis Theis, assuming all four 1,000-yard rushers play.  

Montana State coach Brent Vigen said Monday that he expects both Humphrey and H-back Rohan Jones — another impact player — to be ready for USD.  

South Dakota coach Bob Nielson was pleased that tight end JJ Galbreath returned from a three-week absence to catch two touchdowns last week. Given that the Coyotes beat UC Davis 35-21, Galbreath would appear to be a difference maker. 

“I really feel this week we can count him (Galbreath) as 100 percent and get him more fully involved in our gameplan than we did a week ago,” Nielson said. “He had a lot of jump all last week. I’m confident he’ll be even better this week.” 

Playmakers are everywhere, but the difference will likely be made up front. The trenches are always part of a winning formula. Just ask NDSU and South Dakota State, who play at 10 a.m. in Saturday’s first semifinal. 

“There’s a reason us and the Dakotas are in the last four,” Grebe said. “Physical brand of football, being able to win the line of scrimmage on both sides. ... that’s what it comes down to. We take that personally as a D-line, and I know the O-line does, too.” 

MSU’s Difference Maker 

While South Dakota southpaw Aiden Bauman has the NFL pedigree — his dad Todd played for four teams in The League — it is Mellott who keeps getting the Walter Payton Award talk. 

Nielson noted the Butte product’s development from a run-first QB to simply, a quarterback. 

“You can’t discount the passing game anymore,” he said. “He’s going to make throws.” 

This isn’t a surprise for Vigen; it was the goal. 

“We added a much more thorough, quick, game package to create more ordinary quarterback throws,” the fourth-year coach of the Bobcats said. “It’s not that we didn’t have it, or some element of that, in the past. But we made a much more concerted effort there. The area he’s improved most is downfield passing. I’m talking posts and things like that, stuff we didn’t do a lot with him the last couple of years.   

“And I think the game has slowed down much more for him, the passing game.” 

All-America, Again 

Mellott and North Dakota State’s Cam Miller are the first-team quarterbacks in the FCS Football Central team released Thursday, alongside Bobcats Rohan Jones at tight end and Marcus Wehr at offensive line. 

Humphrey was a second-team pick, as was Grebe. Taco Dowler was the third-team punt returner. 

The Montana Grizzlies’ Junior Bergen was first-team at punt returner; departing linebacker Riley Wilson is a second-team selection. 

South Dakota had eight selections: Bryce Henderson (OL), Dennis Shorter (DB) and Grace on the first team: Joey Lombard (OL) and Gary Bryant III (LB) on the second team; and Pierre, Jr. (RB), Thies (All-Purpose) and Joe Cotton (OL) on the third team. 

QUICK KICKS: The Cats lead the FCS in points (41.3) and offense (496.5 yards). ... MSU has 16 sacks in its last four games. ... Bauman has 19 TD passes and four interceptions, and USD has allowed 11 sacks all season. ... The Montana Grizzlies signed defensive back Diezel Wilkinson, who had 14 tackles as a true freshman at Idaho this fall ...  The Griz also signed one-time BYU and most recently USC quarterback Jake Jensen. All of Jensen’s collegiate passes came at Contra Costa JC in 2021, when he threw for 1,970 yards and 22 TDs.