BOZEMAN, Mont. – Montana State ran wild on Monmouth in the first half and cruised to a 42-24 win in the season opener for both teams Thursday night.
MSU scored three touchdowns in the first quarter to go up 22-0, the last a 90-yard run by Shawn Johnson. The Bobcats rolled up 388 total yards, including 205 rushing by halftime, before a stadium record 21,007 fans.
Brad Daly led the defensive charge for the Bobcats. The end had four quarterback hurries, four tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble in the first half alone. He set up a touchdown for tackle Craig Ashworth by harassing Brandon Hill into a bad throw. He then blocked the quarterback and raced to the sideline for a second block, allowing Ashworth to score.
Julian Hayes ran for 139 yards on 23 carries and a touchdown for Monmouth.
