Bobcats use balanced attack to down N. Colorado
Daily Inter Lake | Daily Inter-Lake | UPDATED 17 minutes AGO
GREELEY, Colo. — Their plane may have been grounded Friday, but the Bobcats soared over Northern Colorado on Saturday.
Justin Lamson threw for 246 yards and Jared White ran for 112 as Montana State moved to 10-1, 7-1 in the Big Sky, with a 31-21 football victory over the Bears at Nottingham Field.
Friday's national ground stop forced the kickoff for Saturday's showdown to be moved from noon until 5 p.m.
Lamson used his legs to run in from 16 yards out and give Montana State the lead for good, 14-7, just before the half as both teams struggled to find points in the first 30 minutes outside of the opening drives.
A Myles Sansted 37-yard field goal made it 17-7 at 6:52 of the third quarter.
On the next Bears (3-8 overall, 2-6 in BSC games) drive, Kieryus Boone cut the deficit down to three for the Bears with a 7-yard run that capped off a 75-yard drive.
The No.2-ranked Bobcats responded with a punishing 15-play, 89-yard march that took 7:27 off the clock and ended with Lamson's second rushing score of the evening. This one came from 17 yards out.
White then put the game out of reach with a 28-yard scamper into the end zone with 4:05 to play.
Brayten Silbor hit Evan Morris in the final minute to cut the deficit to 10, but Northern Colorado couldn't grab the ensuing onside kick and the Bobcats kneeled on the ball to end the game.
Silbor had a 68-yard touchdown pass to Trey Olsen on the Bears' first drive to tie the game at seven. Silbor finished with 242 yards through the air and the two touchdowns.
Adam Jones added 65 yards rushing for Montana State, including a 1-yard touchdown run on the opening drive of the game. The touchdown was Jones 42nd rushing score with the Bobcats, tying him with Tommy Mellott for second in school history. The record is 44.
Lamson tacked on 51 yards on the ground.
Dane Steel had eight catches for 91 yards, while freshman Carter Dahlke grabbed five passes for 57 yards.
The win was the 71st for Brent Vigen as MSU's coach, moving him past Rob Ash to No. 1 in school history.
The Bobcats return home for a regular-season ending Brawl of the Wild showdown with Montana on Saturday at noon.