Montana

How North Dakota State and Montana State reached the FCS national championship game

Published

1 year ago

December 24, 2024

How North Dakota State and Montana State reached the FCS national championship game

After a thrilling 2024 season, FCS football will crown a champion when North Dakota State and Montana State battle on a Monday night. As the Bison and Bobcats near the pinnacle of the sport, let’s take a look back at their journeys.

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North Dakota State

Regular season

North Dakota State finished the regular season 10-2, losing its first game to Colorado out of the FBS and its final game to South Dakota out of the MVFC. The season-ending loss prevented the Bison from winning the MVFC outright, but it didn’t matter as NDSU still got the No. 2 overall seed in the playoffs.

FCS playoffs

North Dakota State fought off an early scare from Abilene Christian in the second round to win by 20 points. In the quarterfinals, the Bison beat Mercer 31-7 in a game they controlled from start to finish.

Semifinal round

In the semifinals, North Dakota State defeated South Dakota State for the second time this year to advance to the championship game. Click or tap here for more on the thrilling finish.

Bison schedule

Opponent	Win/Loss	Score	Record	Ranking (AFCA)
at Colorado	L	31-26	0-1	No. 2
vs. Tennessee State	W	52-3	1-1	No. 2
at ETSU	W	38-5	2-1	No. 2
vs. Towson	W	41-24	3-1	No. 2
at No. 15 Illinois State	W	42-10	4-1	No. 2
vs. No. 6 North Dakota	W	41-17	5-1	No. 2
at Southern Illinois	W	24-3	6-1	No. 2
vs. No. 1 South Dakota State	W	13-9	7-1	No. 2
at Murray State	W	59-6	8-1	No. 1
vs. Northern Iowa	W	42-19	9-1	No. 1
vs. No. 14 Missouri State	W	59-21	10-1	No. 1
at No. 4 South Dakota	L	29-28	10-2	No. 1
vs. (15) Abilene Christian	W	51-31	11-2	No. 4
vs. (7) Mercer	W	31-7	12-2	No. 4
vs. (3) South Dakota State	W	28-21	13-2	No. 4

Key players this season

QB Cam Miller
RB CharMar Brown
RB TK Marshall
WR Bryce Lance
WR Braylon Henderson
TE Joe Stoffel
OL Mason Miller
OL Grey Zabel
DL Eli Mostaert
DL Kody Huisman
DL Loshiaka Roques
LB Logan Kopp
DB Darius Givance
K Griffin Crosa

North Dakota State has a reloaded roster under first-year head coach Tim Polasek. The Bison have the Jerry Rice Award winner CharMar Brown in the backfield along top-three Walter Payton Award finalist Cam Miller. The trenches are stout yet again with NFL prospect Grey Zabel on offense and All-American Eli Mostaert on defense.

Montana State

Regular season

Montana State finished the regular season 12-0 with the longest regular-season win streak in the FCS. Only two Bobcat games — an FBS win over New Mexico State and a Big Sky win over UC Davis — were within one possession.

FCS playoffs

Montana State’s dominance continued in the playoffs. The Bobcats didn’t play a close game in the first two rounds, averaging 50.5 points scored and a 32.5 margin of victory.

Semifinal round

In the semifinals, Montana State held off South Dakota to advance to the championship game. Tommy Mellott led the way offensively with 134 passing yards and a touchdown plus 125 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Click or tap here for more from the game.

Bobcat schedule

Opponent	Win/Loss	Score	Record	Ranking (AFCA)
at New Mexico	W	35-31	1-0	No. 4
at Utah Tech	W	31-7	2-0	No. 3
vs. Maine	W	41-24	3-0	No. 3
vs. Mercyhurst	W	52-13	4-0	No. 3
at Idaho State	W	37-17	5-0	No. 3
vs. Northern Colorado	W	55-17	6-0	No. 3
vs. No. 8 Idaho	W	38-7	7-0	No. 3
Portland State	W	44-14	8-0	No. 3
at Eastern Washington	W	42-28	9-0	No. 2
vs. Sacramento State	W	49-7	10-0	No. 2
at No. 4 UC Davis	W	30-28	11-0	No. 2
vs. No. 10 Montana	W	34-11	12-0	No. 2
vs. UT Martin	W	49-17	13-0	No. 1
vs. Idaho	W	52-19	14-0	No. 1
vs. South Dakota	W	31-17	15-0	No. 1

Key players this season

QB Tommy Mellott
RB Scottre Humphrey
RB Adam Jones
WR Taco Dowler
WR Ty McCullouch
TE Rohan Jones
OL Marcus Wehr
OL Conner Moore
OL Titan Fleischmann
OL Cole Sain
DL Brody Grebe
DL Paul Brott
LB McCade O’Reilly
LB Danny Uluilakepa
DB Andrew Powdrell
DB Rylan Ortt
P Brendan Hall

Montana State is an experienced group with a mix of young talent. Adam Jones was the runner-up for the Jerry Rice Award while senior Tommy Mellott is a top-three Walter Payton Award finalist. Brody Grebe leads the defense; he finished ninth in Buck Buchanan Award voting.

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Montana

Montana Lottery Powerball, Lucky For Life results for Jan. 7, 2026

Published

11 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Press Room

The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 7, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Jan. 7 drawing

15-28-57-58-63, Powerball: 23, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Jan. 7 drawing

05-14-15-21-39, Lucky Ball: 10

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from Jan. 7 drawing

03-18-25-45-50, Star Ball: 04, ASB: 02

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from Jan. 7 drawing

05-09-12-15, Bonus: 02

Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from Jan. 7 drawing

28-41-50-61-68, Powerball: 05

Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Montana Cash numbers from Jan. 7 drawing

09-11-13-16-40

Check Montana Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.

Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.

Where can you buy lottery tickets?

Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.

You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.

Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Montana

California woman sentenced for smuggling attempt at border in Montana

Published

23 hours ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

California woman sentenced for smuggling attempt at border in Montana

MISSOULA, Mont. — A California woman who tried to smuggle her husband into the United States through northwest Montana has been sentenced to six months of probation, according to U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme.

Tracy Routh Lautenslager, 54, pleaded guilty in August 2025 to conspiracy to bring an alien into the United States at a location other than a designated port of entry. U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided over the case.

Court documents allege Lautenslager entered the U.S. through the Roosville Port of Entry on April 1, 2025, then drove to the Swisher Lake area near Lake Koocanusa. Border Patrol agents later learned a man had crossed the border on foot nearby. Canadian authorities eventually apprehended the man, identified as Lautenslager’s husband, a citizen of Great Britain with no legal status in the U.S.

Investigators say Lautenslager admitted the couple planned to avoid the port of entry by having her husband cross illegally while she drove into the U.S. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katy Stack and investigated by the U.S. Border Patrol as part of Operation Take Back America.

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Montana

Miley Cyrus teases Hannah Montana 20th anniversary: ‘You see the bangs’

Published

1 day ago

January 7, 2026

Press Room

Miley Cyrus teases Hannah Montana 20th anniversary: ‘You see the bangs’

Move over Miley Cyrus, Hannah Montana is coming.

The “Flowers” singer is revisiting her Disney Channel roots, donning the signature blonde look of the fictional popstar ahead of the sitcom’s 20th anniversary in March.

At the Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival on Jan. 3, Cyrus confirmed she is involved with plans for the milestone date.

“Absolutely. We’re working hard on them,” she told Variety.

While she said she couldn’t say more about what’s in store for fans, Cyrus pointed to her blonde hairstyle, adding, “You see the bangs.”

Cyrus starred in the series alongside Emily Osment, Mitchel Musso and father Billy Ray Cyrus, between March 2006 and January 2011, and starred in the 2009 feature film “Hannah Montana: The Movie.” Under the Hannah Montana persona, she also released multiple platinum-selling soundtracks and headlined the Best of Both Worlds Tour, which grossed over $54 million.

What’s happening for the Hannah Montana 20th anniversary?

The Grammy-winning musician first teased plans for the anniversary in a July 22 interview on SiriusXM.

“I want to design something really, really special for it because it really was the beginning of all of this,” she said. “Without Hannah, there wouldn’t really be this me.”

“It’s crazy to think that I started as a character that I thought was going to be impossible to shed, and now that’s something that when I walk into a space, it’s looked at as this sense of kind of, like, nostalgia or something that you have from your childhood,” she added. “So, that’s exciting to get to celebrate that.”

Will there be a Hannah Montana tour in 2026?

Cyrus has not announced plans to tour as “Hannah Montana” for the show’s 20th anniversary.

While exact anniversary plans remain under wraps, a tour seems unlikely, as Cyrus has previously expressed a lack of interest in touring.

During a May 2023 interview with British Vogue, the “Something Beautiful” singer added that while she enjoys performing for her friends, noting that “singing for hundreds of thousands of people isn’t really the thing that I love.”

Contributing: Edward Segarra, USA TODAY

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