BOZEMAN — On a night that often felt more like a party than a football game, No. 3 Montana State eventually settled in and pulled away from No. 9 UC Davis for a 38-17 win Saturday at Bobcat Stadium.
It was the Bobcats' ninth consecutive win and sets up a high-stakes Brawl of the Wild next week against rival Montana.
Despite pregame festivities that included a celebration of Native American heritage and a drone show in the night sky over Bobcat Stadium, the Bobcats started slow. UC Davis led 7-0 after the first quarter on the strength of a 29-yard touchdown pass from Caden Pinnick to Ian Simpson.
The Bobcats got on the board early in the second quarter on a short Justin Lamson TD run, and then the quarterback threw an 18-yard touchdown to Chris Long, who went up and over the defense to break the vertical plane of the goal line. Lamson, who has played his way into the Big Sky offensive player of the year conversation with his recent performances, was shaky to start, but he found a groove in the second quarter to lead the two scoring drives.
MSU led 14-7 at halftime and extended the lead to 24-7 by the end of the third quarter thanks to a 28-yard field goal by Myles Sansted and then the play of the game by Caden Dowler. The safety intercepted a pass on a miscommunication between Pinnick and his intended target, and then weaved his way 83 yards for a touchdown.
Dowler added another pick in the fourth quarter — his second consecutive game forcing two turnovers. He had an interception and forced a fumble last week versus Weber State.
Dowler's second pick set up a short touchdown run by Julius Davis, which put the Cats up 31-10 midway through the fourth quarter.
Lamson added a fourth-quarter rushing touchdown and finished the game with 97 rushing yards and two TDs on 11 carries. He was 10-of-18 passing for 144 yards and touchdown.
Photos: Montana State tops UC Davis for 9th straight win
DOUBLE DOWLER: Dowler's college career has been plagued by injuries, but this season he's been a stalwart in the defensive secondary for the Bobcats. In addition to the two INTs, he forced a fumble (UC Davis recovered it) and led the Bobcats with 12 tackles.
Caden's twin, receiver Taco Dowler, was also effective Saturday. He was Lamson's favorite target in the passing game, catching five passes for 78 yards.
BIG SKY AFTER DARK: The game didn't kick off until 8:30 p.m. on ESPN2, but it was a frenzied atmosphere inside Bobcat Stadium by 8 o'clock. The Bobcats wore special logos on their helmets to celebrate Native American Heritage Month, there was a drum circle and a drone show, which flashed images of a buffalo skull, the Bobcat logo, the Montana state outline and the United States flag during the national anthem.
The crowd carried that energy into the game, building snakes with souvenir cups that were handed out at the gates. There was even an on-field proposal during a timeout (she said yes).
PEAK PINNICK: UC Davis has a star in the making at quarterback in Pinnick, the redshirt freshman who has taken over after Miles Hastings' graduation. Pinnick's final stat line — 22-of-36 passing for 234 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, 70 yards rushing — doesn't tell the complete story of his effectiveness. Despite facing pressure from Montana State's defensive line much of the game, Pinnick avoided sacks, extended plays with his legs and found open receivers.
His first interception came on a miscommunication. The second was a bad throw he'd like to have back, but the Aggies' offense is in good hands as long as he's taking the snaps.
WHAT’S NEXT: It's a winner-take-all Brawl next Saturday when third-ranked Montana State visits No. 2 Montana.
The Bobcats and Grizzlies are tied atop the Big Sky Conference standings with matching 7-0 league records. The Cats have won nine consecutive games; the Griz are undefeated at 11-0.
The Brawl of the Wild winner likely clinches the all-important No. 2 seed for the FCS playoffs. Only the top two seeds in the bracket have home-field advantage through the semifinal round.
The Cats and Griz are scheduled to kick off at noon on Saturday, Nov. 22. The game will be broadcast by Scripps Sports and air on CBS stations across Montana.
