The Bobcats (6-0, 2-0 Big Sky), ranked No. 3 in the FCS, will face the No. 7 Vandals (4-2, 1-1) at Bobcat Stadium on Saturday at 8:25 p.m. MSU is the 8½-point favorite to win the game, which will be televised on ESPN2.

The Cats are coming off a 55-17 home win over Northern Colorado, their fifth straight unranked FCS opponent, after starting the season with a 35-31 win at FBS New Mexico.

MSU will be Idaho's fifth straight FCS opponent. The Vandals opened the season with a 24-14 loss at Oregon (the third-ranked FBS team) and defeated FBS Wyoming a week later. Idaho began Big Sky play with a 28-26 loss at UC Davis.

The Vandals have a 26-19-1 record against MSU, winning their last meeting 24-21 last October in Moscow, Idaho. MSU has a 10-8 home record against Idaho and has won five straight against the Vandals in Bozeman since 1991.

A win Saturday night would give the Cats a 7-0 record for the first time since 1978.

MSU redshirt freshman free safety Taki Uluilakepa will make his first career start Saturday in place of the injured Caden Dowler. Dru Polidore, last year's FS first team player, will support Uluilakepa in his first game back from injury this year.

Cats backup tight end Rylan Zieh will miss Saturday's game due to injury.

MSU co-starting nose tackle Blake Schmidt is out for the season with a knee injury, head coach Brent Vigen announced Monday. All-Big Sky running back Julius Davis and All-League center Justus Perkins will return this season, according to Vigen, but are inactive for the seventh straight game.

Redshirt freshman Nick Josifek will start for the Vandals ahead of this season's most frequent starter, Jack Wagner, according to Idaho Sports Information. This season's starting quarterback, Jack Layne, is out for the sixth straight game after breaking his collarbone at Oregon.

Idaho backup running back Nate Jackson will also miss Saturday's game due to injury, the Vandals said.

Danny Uluilakepa tackled Nick Josifek on fourth down at MSU's 48-yard line on the game-opening drive, giving the Cats the ball with 12 minutes, 16 seconds to play. McCade O'Reilly contributed to the stop.

MSU got well into Idaho territory with two 14-yard runs from Scottre Humphrey, but Idaho forced a couple of downs to set up a 51-yard field goal attempt. Myles Sansted missed the shot, his first from more than 44 yards this season, wide right.

The Cats opened the scoring with a 65-yard touchdown run by Tommy Mellott at 5:34. It's the Butte native's longest run since a 76-yard TD against North Dakota State in the 2023 season-ending second-round FCS playoff game.

Mellott's TD was also the longest play Idaho has allowed this season, surpassing a 58-yard pass from UAlbany. The longest run the Vandals had ever given up was 37 yards at Wyoming.

MSU took a 14-0 lead with 11 seconds left in the quarter on a 34-yard TD pass from Mellott to Taco Dowler. It was the second connection between Mellott and the Billings native in as many weeks and Dowler's fourth TD reception of the season.

SCORE: Montana State 14, Idaho 0

Paul Brott recorded his first sack of the season on third down early in the quarter, forcing Idaho's third straight punt. Brody Grebe had the initial pressure.

Idaho senior linebacker Mathias Bertram, a team captain, was sent off after 8:47 of the game for targeting a Dowler punt return.

Mellott made it 21-0 on a 7-yard rush with 1:44 left.

Danny Uluilakepa intercepted a pass from Jack Wagner with 52 seconds left. He returned the ball to the Idaho 20, but the ball was discovered at the 50 due to an accidental whistle.

Sansted made a 35-yard field goal as time expired.

The Cats outscored Idaho 271-72 overall at halftime, including 192-13 on the ground.

Mellott completed 7 of 11 passes for 79 yards and a TD, and he ran six times for 104 yards and two scores.

SCORE: Montana State 24, Idaho 0

An 11-yard TD pass from Mellott to Rohan Jones gave MSU a 31-0 lead with 12:48 on the clock.

This story will be updated.