ST. GEORGE, Utah — Montana State started slowly, but the third-ranked Bobcats eventually found their groove and ran away with Utah Tech 31-7 on Saturday at Greater Zion Stadium.

Both teams struggled to generate offense in the first quarter, but Taco Dowler gave Montana State a spark late in the period. With Utah State trailing, the Trailblazers punted to Dowler, who caught the kick at his own 37-yard line and took the return 53 yards to the Utah Tech 10. Moments later, Adam Jones found the end zone to give the Bobcats a 7-0 lead they would never relinquish.

Montana State quarterback Tommy Mellott ran for a 47-yard touchdown early in the second quarter, and then the senior threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Rohan Jones — who showed some nice footwork to stay inbounds along the sideline — in the third. Mellott added a 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth that put the Bobcats up 31-0.

That’s not to say Montana State got through the game without drama. Missteps in the kicking game reared their heads again, as the Bobcats had a field goal blocked and missed another chip shot. Myles Sansted did make a 28-yard field goal in the third quarter.

Montana State finished with 335 rushing yards and 487 yards of total offense, compared to just 171 yards of total offense for Utah Tech.

Scottre Humphrey led the Bobcats with 104 rushing yards on 20 carries, while Jones had a team-high 66 receiving yards on four catches.

Turning point: Dowler’s punt return changed the complexities of the game after Montana State got off to a lackluster start. The big play set up the game’s first touchdown, and the Bobcats quickly added another touchdown early in the second quarter to take control of the game.

Statistics of the game: Utah Tech had just six first downs in the game and had only two drives with more than three plays. The Trailblazers punted on their first five possessions and 10 times overall.

Bobcat game balls: QB Tommy Mellott (offense). Mellott finished the game with three touchdowns — two on the ground and one through the air — and showed off his trademark speed on the 47-yard dash in the second quarter. He carried the ball just six times but gained 80 yards and finished the game completing 14 of 21 passes for 152 yards.

LB McCade O’Reilly (defense). O’Reilly had another strong game as a Montana State defense dominated the Trailblazers. O’Reilly tied for the team lead with four tackles and added two tackles for loss.

PR Taco Dowler (Special teams). Dowler brought the game to life with his 53-yard punt return to set up Jones’ first-quarter touchdown. Despite Utah Tech punting 10 times, it was Dowler’s only return of the game.

What’s next?:After opening the season with two straight road games, Montana State (2-0) will play its annual Gold Rush game against Maine (1-0) on Saturday, September 7 to open the home stretch.

Maine opened the season on Friday with a 17-14 win over Colgate.