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Montana State quarterback Tommy Mellott scores a rushing touchdown against Idaho in the FCS quarterfinals on Dec. 13 at Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman.
Tommy Mellott, The Pride of Butte, ranks at the top for me.
It’s been almost two decades since I moved the family to Montana and started working in the Missoulian sports department. In that time I’ve seen a lot of electric FCS players that hail from the Treasure State, including Montana’s Marc Mariani, Chase Reynolds and Junior Bergen and Montana State’s Troy Andersen.
But when it comes to being consistently electrifying, play after play, Mellott has no equal. At least as far as I’ve seen live and in person in this great state we call home.
Now you have to keep in mind I was not around when Dave Dickenson was passing the ball all over the field for the Grizzlies. He’s the standard by which all Treasure State FCS electrifiers are measured.
Mellott may never match what Dickenson has accomplished as a professional player and coach in Canada, but a January championship would surely put Touchdown Tommy on a pedestal in Bozeman. Bobcat fans would look upon him the way Grizzly fans look upon Dickenson, who is in the College Football Hall of Fame.
Beyond that, let’s face it: The Pride of Butte is a hoot. He’s a scrambling, passing, sneaky, cat-quick whiz kid. A dangerous stick of dynamite every time he takes a snap.
It’s the versatility that has put Mellott over the top for me this season. Go ahead and stack that line of scrimmage to stop his run option prowess. We all know it’s coming, including Mellott. He’s worked hard to foil that strategy by fine-tuning his passing accuracy. Actually it will be fun to see what Mellott can do on the pro level, perhaps even playing for Dickenson in Calgary!
Certainly there are other players to be celebrated on the Montana State team. Mellott would be the first to admit he wouldn’t be shining like a diamond without an imposing offensive line that gives him time and opens up gaping holes.
But there is only one Touchdown Tommy. He’s the rarest of the rare in the Treasure State. Just like Super Dave Dickenson.
One big difference between the two, at least when it comes to college prowess, is Dickenson won an FCS title (back then it was called a Division I-AA title, but it’s the same thing). Mellott has not won a national title and if he hopes to be mentioned in the same breath with someone like Dickenson, he needs that title.
In case you weren’t aware, this is Mellott’s last shot. He’s down to his last bullet. After this season he’s on to the Canadian Football League or some arena league or maybe a cup of coffee in the NFL or maybe even no more football at all.
No one knows that more than Mellott as he prepares to lead his team into an FCS home semifinal Saturday against underdog South Dakota. The urgency has reached a peak. The Cats are going to look way different next season and probably won’t be nearly as formidable and everyone knows it.
That makes Saturday a must-watch for FCS football fans across the West. Cats fans, Grizzly fans, Eagles fans, Aggies fans, Bengals fans, Lumberjacks fans … we’ll all be watching.
Here’s a look at the playoff game involving the one Big Sky Conference team still alive (with seedings included):
Speltz
No. 4 South Dakota (11-2) at No. 1 Montana State (14-0), 1:30 p.m., ABC. The Coyotes didn’t exactly impress the heck out of me in their 35-21 home win over UC Davis last Saturday. They turned the ball over three times and went 5 for 10 on third down conversion attempts. The Aggies might have won the game had they not turned the ball over a whopping six times. Beyond that, the South Dakota offense didn’t strike me as a unit that can match the high-octane Montana State offense. Granted, the Coyotes do have a bruising running back and their quarterback is capable. But Montana State’s quarterback and running back corps are better. Plus the Bobcats’ defense is mighty stingy. There’s also the weather factor for Saturday’s game in Bozeman. South Dakota plays its home games in a dome and will need to adjust to the Bozeman cold. For me, the three best teams in the FCS are Montana State, North Dakota State and South Dakota State. Look for the Cats to advance and face either NDSU or SDSU in an epic championship next month in Frisco, Texas. Speltz: Bobcats 40, Coyotes 21. Flores: Cats 31, Coyotes 24. Gogola: Montana State 34, South Dakota 23.
Victor Flores
Frank Gogola
Bill Speltz is Missoulian sports editor. Contact him at bill.speltz@406mtsports.com or on Twitter @billspeltz
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The top-seeded Bobcats (13-0) are hosting a Big Sky rematch against eighth-seeded Idaho (10-3) in the FCS quarterfinals.
“(Moore was) leaning on who was playing next to him last year, to now that works the other way. … Beyond amazing what he’s become.” MSU head…
“It can’t be cold enough, in my opinion. I love the adversity of the elements.” Idaho QB Jack Layne, who missed the Oct. 12 game at MSU
Adam Jones’s four touchdowns helped MSU reach the FCS semifinals for the fourth time in five seasons.
Five will be inducted into the Players category, two in the Support category, and one in the Legacy category.
Montana State quarterback Tommy Mellott scores a rushing touchdown against Idaho in the FCS quarterfinals on Dec. 13 at Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman.
Speltz
Victor Flores
Frank Gogola
