BOZEMAN — From Adam Jones' perspective, the three-touchdown, 160-total-yard outing he had on Friday night against Stephen F. Austin in the FCS quarterfinals was a byproduct of the other 10 players around him opening up opportunities.
"The offense was kind of flowing and I think the ball kind of bounced my way a couple of times," Jones said during Monday's media availability. "I think I benefited from a bunch of dudes doing their job."
That performance in the quarters followed a solid showing against Yale in the second round where Jones piled up 107 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. His lone 100-yard outing in the regular season came against Idaho State on Oct. 11 where he carved up the Bengals to the tune of 173 yards a touchdown.
HEAR FROM ADAM JONES:
He'll look to keep churning out yards and scores as MSU prepares to host Montana in the FCS semifinals as the Bobcats and Grizzlies gear up for their first-ever playoff meeting. Jones racked up 48 yards and a touchdown during their November meeting in Missoula and also reeled off a 15-yard run late in the game to help seal the Bobcats' first win at Washington-Grizzly Stadium since 2018.
Less than a month ago, the two teams played for a Big Sky Conference title and a No. 2 playoff seed. Now they'll face off with a trip to the national championship game in Nashville, Tenn.
"I think we definitely have confidence from that game, but at the same time they're going to make a ton of adjustments, they're a great team," Jones said of the Grizzlies, who routed South Dakota State and South Dakota in the second round and quarterfinals. "We're going to make some adjustments, so it's going to be a new game, for sure. It's not going to look the same, it's not going to play the same. But I do think we have some confidence in how that game went. The only thing that mattered about that game is that now we get to play this game at home."
Tickets to this unprecedented Cat-Griz matchup quickly sold out and prices soared to staggering numbers. A record attendance at Bobcat Stadium seems likely and Jones is hoping that works out in his team's favor with UM's last victory in Bozeman happening in 2015.
"It means a lot playing in Bobcat Stadium, I think we do get an advantage with that," he said. "It was really hard to play over in Missoula. I think they're going to see how hard it is to play here. And just playing in front of our fans is something we don't take for granted."
With all the buzz and all the hype surrounding this game, the Bobcats are simply focused on doing what they need to do Saturday to ensure they get the chance to play one final game in January. Jones said playing for the graduating players is especially giving him plenty of drive as what is being tabbed as the biggest sporting event in Treasure State history approaches.
"The seniors like Paul (Brott), Kenny (Eiden IV), Alec (Eckert), all those dudes, especially the ones that have been here for four or five years, they've seen this program grow to the top," said Jones. "We're just doing whatever it takes to get one more week with those dudes. So thankful that those dudes have laid the foundation. They've seen what this program has been and where it is now."
