FRISCO, Texas – Cam Miller ran for two touchdowns and threw two more in his 54th consecutive start as North Dakota State’s quarterback, and the Bison won their record 10th Football Championship Subdivision title by beating top-seeded and previously undefeated Montana State defeated by 35-35 minutes. 32 on Monday evening.

North Dakota State (14-2) traveled from Fargo to Frisco for the 11th time in 14 seasons. The last title there was three years ago, in a game in which Miller and Montana State’s Tommy Mellott were also the starting quarterbacks.

According to ESPN Research, North Dakota State’s 10 FCS championships have all been won in the last 14 seasons (no other school has more than six FCS titles). The Bison’s only title game loss in Frisco came two years ago against South Dakota State. They are still the only team in modern college football to post a 16-0 season, five years ago when the Bison also won the national title.

Miller completed 19 of 22 passes for 199 yards and ran 18 times for 121 yards to win his 45th game (of 56 starts) and his second national title.

Mellott, a Montana native, had a 44-yard touchdown run that cut the Bobcats’ deficit to 28-25 early in the fourth quarter. He won the Walter Payton Award as the FCS’s top offensive player that season in a close vote over Miller.

Mellott ran for 135 yards on 14 carries and was 13 of 24 passing for 195 yards and 2 touchdowns. He threw a 19-yarder to Taco Dowler with 1:09 left before an onside kick attempt failed.

The Bison never trailed after Miller capped the game’s opening drive, which lasted more than seven minutes, with a 2-yard plunge. Facing an empty backfield on their second possession, Miller got the snap and sprinted 64 yards untouched up the middle for another touchdown.

Miller threw a 1-yard touchdown to Bryce Lance before halftime for a 21-3 lead. Lance’s FCS-best 17th TD came one play after a catch near the front pylon when he was out of bounds on a 1st down replay. Lance had a 38-yard flying reception on the final play of the third quarter to set up Miller’s 1-yard TD pass to Joe Stoffel.

Lance is the younger brother of former NDSU quarterback Trey Lance, who currently plays for the Dallas Cowboys. He had nine catches for 107 yards.

It has been 40 years since Montana State (15-1) won its national title. The Bobcats hold a 21-18 series lead over North Dakota State, but have lost their last six meetings – all in the FCS playoffs since 2010. They lost 35-34 in the second round last season after in an extra point attempt was blocked during overtime.

Next

North Dakota State opens the 2025 season at The Citadel on August 30. This is the first time since midway through the 2021 season that someone other than Miller has started at quarterback for the Bison.

Montana State plays its opening game of 2025 at Oregon of the Big Ten on August 30. The only previous meeting in this series was in 1947.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.