Utah Tech fell into an early hole and could not recover as the Trailblazers opened the 2023 season with a 63-20 loss at No. 3 Montana State on Saturday night at Bobcat Stadium.  
 
The Trailblazer defense was tested by MSU's vaunted offensive attack on the opening drive of the game as the nationally-ranked Bobcats marched 72 yards on nine plays to set themselves up with first and goal at the Utah Tech 3-yard line.
 
However the Blazers turned away Montana State (1-0) with a big goal-line stand to force the Bobcats to turn the ball over on downs at the UT 1. 
 
Utah Tech (0-1/0-0 UAC) went three-and-out on its first possession, and MSU took advantage of the short field by covering 53 yards in four plays, culminating with a 3-yard Scottre Humphrey 2-yard run for the first points of the game.
 
UT ran into a little bad luck on its ensuing possession as a Boone Abbott screen pass got deflected up into air and into the waiting arms of Bobcat defender David Alston at the Blazer 15. MSU quickly turned that miscue into points five plays later when Sean Chambers scored on a 3-yard dive to make a 14-0 game.
 
Boone showed no ill-effects of the interception as he came back on the very next Blazer offensive play and hit freshman Beau Sparks for a big 62-yard catch-and-run that flipped the field from the UT 25-line to the Bobcat 13. Boone took the shotgun snap, rolled right and found a streaking Sparks, who got behind his defender and sprinted into the red zone.
 
However Utah Tech could not turn the red zone chance into a touchdown and had to settle for a Connor Brooksby 32 yard field goal that cut the deficit to 14-3 with 56 seconds to go in the opening frame. 
 
Montana State wasted little time with an answer, doing so with a Tommy Mellott-to-Jared White 47-yard touchdown connection. Then after another Trailblazer three-and-out, Humphrey notched his second scoring run of the half, a 29-yard scamper up the middle that staked the Bobcats to a commanding 28-3 lead with 7:52 to play until halftime. 
 
The Trailblazers responded on their next possession, covering 75 yards in 10 plays to punch it into the end zone and make a 28-10 game with 3:31 to go in the period. Abbott threw for 70 of those 75 yards, including hitting Sparks across the middle for a 33-yard gain to the Bobcat 19.
 
Abbott added the exclamation point four plays later when he connected with Sparks on a 4-yard strike for the freshman's first collegiate touchdown grab.
 
Utah Tech's defense forced a Bobcat punt to give the offense one more scoring chance before halftime. However Montana State's defense turned the tables as defensive back Caden Dowler intercepted Boone at the UT 30 and returned it 16 yards to the Blazer 14. MSU scored its fifth touchdown of the half three plays later and took a commanding 35-10 lead into the intermission.
 
The Trailblazers managed to add a Brooksby 48-yard field goal and a Kobe Tracy-to-Rickie Johnson 17-yard touchdown connection in the fourth quarter. However Utah Tech could not slow down Montana State, which struck for one touchdown in the third and three more in the fourth to coast to the season-opening win. 
 
Utah Tech finished with 309 yards, including 260 yards in the air. Abbott wound up with 143 yards on 11-of-19 passing and the one touchdown. Sparks hauled in seven passes for 144 yards and a touchdown in his Trailblazer debut, while Johnson caught nine balls for 79 yards to go with his fourth-quarter score. 

Meanwhile Brooksby, who is already Utah Tech's career leader in field goals made (26-of-36), also vaulted to the top spot on the program's career PAT list (57-of-58) and moved to within two points of breaking the progam's career points record (135 points). 

Montana State racked up 638 yards on the night, with 407 of those yards coming on the ground. Humphrey rushed for a game-high 114 yards on 14 carries with two touchdowns, and Jared White carried the ball four times for 84 yards, which included a 79-yard fourth quarter scoring run. Mellott finished with 157 yards on 8-of-14 passing and a touchdown.  
 
Utah Tech opens its four-game home slate against another Big Sky power in No. 14 Montana next Saturday night, Sept. 9. Kickoff inside Greater Zion Stadium is set for 7 p.m.