North Dakota State crushes Montana State 38-10 in FCS title game

The FCS championship trophy is heading back to Fargo, ND.

The North Dakota State Bison dominated the Montana State Bobcats in the FCS national championship game on Saturday, leaving Toyota Stadium in Frisco, TX, with a 38-10 victory. NDSU has now reclaimed the top spot in FCS and extended its dynasty, taking home the program’s ninth national championship in 11 seasons.

North Dakota State (14-1) began the onslaught right out the gate when fullback Hunter Luepke broke off an eight-yard touchdown run to put them up 7-0. Luepke would end up with three first half scores and those along with a 76-yard Kobe Johnson touchdown scamper allowed for the Bison to take a commanding 28-0 lead into the break.

Montana State (12-3) suffered misfortune on the very first drive of the contest when freshman quarterback phenom Tommy Mellott went down with a leg injury. The Bobcats could barely get anything going offensively from that point forward as their defense couldn’t physically match up in the trenches with the Bison. A 35-yard touchdown reception from NDSU tight end Josh Babicz to open the second half effectively put the game out of reach.

North Dakota State has now taken back its spot at the top of the mountain after a year-long hiatus. The Bison were eliminated by eventual champion Sam Houston State during the quarterfinal round of last year’s spring playoffs. This is the second national title for head coach Matt Entz, who took over for current Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman in 2019.