BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) — Tucker Rovig, a last-minute substitution at quarterback, threw for 221 yards and four touchdowns to lead Montana State to a 56-21 win over Norfolk State on Saturday afternoon.
Ranked No. 8 in the Football Championship subdivision, the Bobcats (3-1) had three players rush for more than 100 yards. Logan Jones had 104, all in the first half. Lane Sumner had 113 and Shane Perry added 111.
Rovig started in place of freshman Casey Bauman, who started the first three games of the season. Rovig started two games in 2018, but lost the starting job to Bauman.
MSU pressured Norfolk State’s Juwan Carter all day. Bryce Sterk led the way with 3.5 sacks and five tackles-for-loss. The Bobcats had 12 tackles-for-loss on the day. Carter finished completing 21 of 32 passes for 243 yard and two touchdowns.
The Bobcats amassed 369 yards of offense in the first half and after the Spartans scored the first touchdown, they answered with 21 straight points. Perry and Jones carried the run game and Rovig consistently found open receivers. The Bobcats finished with 670 total yards
Kevin Johnson rumbled 84 yards for a Spartan touchdown in the third quarter. It was the longest touchdown run in school history and the second longest touchdown run in Bobcat Stadium history.