When North Dakota State played upstart Montana State on Jan. 10, 2022 for the FCS title, the Bison emphatically won their fourth championship in five seasons (and ninth in 11), 38-10.

Putting aside the early injury to MSU quarterback Tommy Mellott, NDSU piled up 378 rushing yards that day to 156 for the Cats. And that, friends, about sums it up. 

Three years later — NDSU and MSU battle Monday at 5 p.m. for the 2024 FCS title — you can say the 15-0 Bobcats have closed the gap. 

“Football is a game that’s won up front on both sides,” Bobcat safety Rylan Ortt said Monday. “They (the Bison) controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and that’s how they were able to go on that run.  

“I think Coach Vigen, when he came in that was a point of emphasis — that we needed to get better up front. He slowly and surely built us up and turned us into what we are now. Now I feel confident we can match up with anybody up front, on offense and defense.” 

It’s been written before about how the Bobcats lost two standout linemen, Rush Reimer (Cal) and Omar Aigbedion (Baylor) off last year’s team that lost to NDSU 35-34 in the quarterfinals. Add in the injury issues for center Justus Perkins — the Bozeman product came into this season having started 41 straight games, then was injured in fall camp — and it’s a pretty complete rebuild. 

Or reload. 

Cole Sain, who began his college career with the Montana Grizzlies, spent a season at Riverside (Calif.) Community College in 2019 and then transferred into MSU, has excelled in Perkins’ spot. The Darby native — his dad John played for the Bobcats in 1987 — missed last fall with injuries after starting 13 games at guard in 2022. 

“Cole got here same time I did but took a different path,” Mellott noted. “His injuries have just been unfortunate. It was a lot of bad luck there in previous years. Seeing him be able step up and get after it and be a huge contributor, and a huge leader on an offensive line I think is the best in the country, is incredible.” 

Perkins, also a Bobcat legacy, has returned to action in this year’s Cat-Griz game and has played in all three of MSU’s playoff games. But the core of Sain, tackles Cody Moore and Titan Fleischman and guards Burke Mastel and Marcus Wehr have started all but three games (Moore was at guard for three games while Mastel was out). 

We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the defensive line: North Dakota State quarterback Cam Miller noted the ends, Brody Grebe and Kenneth Eiden IV, in particular. 

“It will help that we have two All-American tackles to go against them, but those two really pop,” Miller said. 

The marquee matchup will be Miller and Mellott, but a lot of love is owed the big fellas up front and Vigen knows it. 

“That (2022) game maybe had to happen to give us a barometer of where we were at that time,” Vigen said this week. “We were missing (all-Big Sky defensive tackle) Chase Benson that day, and that hurt, but they won the line of scrimmage. That was clear. 

“Fast forward to the 2022 semifinal game against South Dakota State, and I think the same could be said that day. Those were days that it was clear on the field that we were not where we needed to be. Without them, I don’t know that the motivation would maybe be as significant.” 

Three years later, MSU is averaging 301.4 rushing yards a game and NDSU 192.7. Defensively, the Cats allow 115.8 yards a game on the ground and the Bison, 119.3. 

“That will be very critical to who wins this game, is that battle,” Vigen said. “And I know our guys are ready to get after them.”