Montana State University plays Drake. (Provided by MSU for the Daily Montanan.)
The last time Montana State University football team claimed a national championship, U.S. Sen. Steve Daines was graduating from the school, in 1984.
“What a time to be a Bobcat!” Daines wrote in a social media post on X last night from Nashville, where he was in attendance to witness MSU pull off an incredibly exciting overtime victory over Illinois State, 35-34.
Also in attendance supporting Montana State’s run to the top of the FCS was Gov. Greg Gianforte and U.S. Sen. Tim Sheehy.
“What a game! Bobcats are the National Champs. So proud!” Gianforte wrote on X, along with photos of himself and his wife celebrating the win on the field.
The Bobcats returned to the FCS championship game for the third time in five years, after losing a close game 35-32 to North Dakota State University.
At the start of this season’s playoffs, NDSU was ranked No. 1, with the Bobcats entering as the No. 2 ranked team following their Big Sky Conference title earned in a Brawl of the Wild win against the University of Montana.
The Cats earned their championship berth with a second victory over the Griz in a semifinal game on Dec. 20, setting the stage for a trip to Nashville to take on Illinois State.
MSU jumped to an early lead in the game, with quarterback Justin Lamson rushing three yards to put points on the board first.
Another rush by Lamson in the second quarter put MSU up by 14 before the Redbirds finally responded with their own touchdown.
The teams continued back and forth with MSU always holding the lead until the fourth quarter, when the Redbirds reached the endzone twice, tying the game at 28 with just over five minutes on the clock.
The momentum seemed to be with Illinois State, as the Bobcats saw a three-and-out that gave the Redbirds the ball, and they drove deep into Bobcats territory with a chance to kick a field goal for the win with a minute to go.
But a block by Bobcats cornerback Jhase McMillan ended that dream, and gave the Bobcats their own chance to end the game in regulation time.
Instead, a bad snap sent the ball over Lamson’s head and gave the chance right back to Illinois State, which sent the game into overtime, a first for an FCS championship.
The Redbirds kept up their second-half momentum by scoring in two plays in OT, on a 10-yard pass from quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse.
It wasn’t enough, however, as once again, an MSU player blocked the additional point.
The Bobcats marched back down into Illinois State territory and Lamson landed a 14-yard pass to Taco Dowler for the touchdown, and the point after by Myles Sansted clinched the game.
MSU coach Brent Vigen, who was allegedly a top-two candidate for the head coaching job at Oregon State before committing to stay in Bozeman, holds a 61-12 record with the Bobcats, complete with three Big Sky Conference titles and an FCS Championship.
According to his latest contract, which went into effect Jan 1, 2025, Vigen earns a base salary of $295,000 with hundreds of thousands of dollars in bonus incentives.
The bonuses include a $50,000 annual retention incentive, $80,000 from participating in radio and television shows, up to $50,000 based on fundraising activities, various academic milestones achieved by the team, and performance bonuses.
Throughout the FCS playoffs, Vigen earned roughly $107,000 in bonus incentives for advancing to each round, hosting playoff games in Bozeman, and winning the championship.
