Montana
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.
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.
Montana
Half a million absentee ballots sent to Montana voters for primary election • Daily Montanan
Ballots for Montana’s June 2 primary began to hit voters’ mailboxes this weekend.
According to the Secretary of State’s website, 509,399 absentee ballots were mailed to voters. As of Monday morning, 358 voters had already returned their ballots.
“Montana’s 2026 Primary Election is well underway, and the Montana Election Team is honored to serve our voters,” Secretary of state Christi Jacobsen said in a press release. “As a reminder, Montanans can view their sample ballot, track their absentee ballot, confirm their voter registration information, and much more at VoteMT.gov.”
Voted ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, June 2nd.
The Montana Election Team reminds absentee voters to sign, date, and add their birth year when returning their absentee ballot. County election officials provide instructions in the ballot packet, and more information is also available online at https://votemt.gov/absentee-ballot/.
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 10, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from May 10 drawing
06-22-28-31, Bonus: 08
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 10 drawing
01-03-20-35-46, Bonus: 05
Check Millionaire for Life 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.
- Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
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.
The Socorro Independent School District honored and celebrated its top two educators at the 2026 Teacher of the Year Gala on Friday, May 8 at the El Paso Convention Center.
Cristina Garcia, a fifth-grade teacher at Mission Ridge Elementary School, was recognized as the 2026 SISD Elementary Teacher of the Year. Javier Esparza, an audio and video broadcast teacher at Socorro High School, was named the 2026 SISD Secondary Teacher of the Year.
https://www.ktsm.com/news/socorro-isd-honors-top-2-teachers-at-gala-celebration/
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