Bison Block Bobcats in Overtime for 35-34 Second Round Playoff Win

BOZEMAN, Mont. (NDSU ATHLETICS)- Offensive lineman Hunter Poncius blocked Montana State’s point-after-touchdown kick in overtime to lift North Dakota State a 35-34 victory in the second round of the NCAA Division I Football Championship on Saturday, Dec. 2, before a crowd of 17,247 at Bobcat Stadium.

The victory moved North Dakota State (10-3) into the FCS quarterfinals for the 14th straight year, where the Bison will play No. 3 seed South Dakota (10-2) next weekend at the DakotaDome in Vermillion.

NDSU snapped No. 6 seed Montana State’s 26-game home winning streak and broke Georgia Southern’s record of 45 FCS playoff victories. The Bison are now 46-4 in the FCS playoffs since 2010.

Neither team led by more than seven points all day.

TK Marshall’s 29-yard touchdown run and Griffin Crosa’s PAT kick with 2:33 left tied the game at 28, and the Bison defense held after a 29-yard run by MSU quarterback Sean Chambers got the Bobcats to the Bison 36.

Eli Mostaert stuffed a run for 0 yards and Jake Kava and Dylan Hendricks had back-to-back sacks to force a punt with 35 seconds left.

NDSU had the first possession in overtime. TaMerik Williams and Cole Payton got the Bison two first downs rushing before Cam Miller’s 3-yard touchdown. Scottre Humphrey scored on a 25-yard run on MSU’s first play of overtime before the blocked PAT.

Williams rushed 11 times for a career-high 162 yards including a pair of go-ahead touchdowns from 44 yards in the second quarter and 75 yards on the first play of the third quarter.

Montana State quarterback Tommy Mellott ran 18 times for 151 yards and two touchdowns while completing 13 of 17 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns before leaving the game with an injury in the fourth quarter.

Cole Wisniewski made a team-high nine tackles for North Dakota State including one of NDSU’s eight tackles for loss and an interception on the final play of the first half.