BOZEMAN, Mont. — Denarius McGhee had the big numbers. Orenzo Davis had the two biggest plays.
Both overcame rare turnovers to help Montana State keep pace with the leaders in the Big Sky Conference.
McGhee threw for a career-best 400 yards and four touchdowns and Davis raced 77 yards on a shovel pass for the clinching touchdown with 6:03 to play as the Bobcats rallied from an early 11-point deficit to defeat Northern Colorado 37-35 in a Big Sky shootout Saturday.
Davis broke several tackles and had just enough speed to get to the end zone for a touchdown that gave the Bobcats (6-2, 4-1 Big Sky) a 37-28 lead.
After the Bears (2-6, 1-5) pulled within two points on a 10-yard touchdown pass from Dylan Orms to Chris Morris with 3:10 to play, Davis ran 38 yards for a first down to Northern Colorado’s 3-yard line with 1:20 remaining, allowing the Bobcats to run out the clock.
Davis rushed for 107 yards on 22 carries and lost his first fumble of the season early in the second quarter.
The Bobcats needed the big plays after falling behind 14-3 early in the second quarter, thanks to a 68-yard touchdown reception by Jace Davis and subsequent 1-yard run by Andre Harris.
The Bobcats rolled up 539 total yards and needed every one because Orms was 19-of-34 passing for 344 yards and four touchdowns, both career bests.
Jace Davis had eight catches for 207 yards as the Bears piled up 458 yards.
“Extremely frustrating,” Orms said of the Bears’ third conference loss by a touchdown or less. “I don’t know what to tell you guys (in the media) as to why we can’t get it done. It’s a mystery to me.”
