Defense rules both Griz, Mustangs

The Daily Inter Lake

MISSOULA - Big-time players make big plays in big games at big times.

That's how the second-ranked University of Montana football team escaped with a victory Saturday against No. 6 Cal Poly.

Having compiled more instances of boo birds in Washington-Grizzly Stadium than first downs through the first three quarters, senior quarterback Josh Swogger engineered a 16-play drive in the final 3 minutes, 52 seconds that kicker Dan Carpenter capped with a 21-yard field goal with 5 seconds left to lift the Grizzlies to a 10-9 victory.

The Grizzlies' eighth-straight victory improved their overall record to 8-1. A win next week at hapless Northern Colorado assures UM a share of its ninth-straight Big Sky Conference title. Just as important, the victory over Cal Poly could assure the Grizzlies three home playoff games if they beat UNC and then Montana State in two weeks.

But vengeance on the team that booted the Griz out of the playoffs last season in Washington-Grizzly Stadium wasn't pretty.

The Grizzly offense had just two first downs through three quarters with Swogger at the controls. Sophomore quarterback Cole Bergquist came in for two series in the second quarter, got five first downs and engineered a drive that set Carpenter up with a 32-yard field goal. But Carpenter missed the field goal wide left and, while Bergquist rushed for 31 yards and completed four of eight passes for 39 yards - for a total of 70 offensive yards, the Grizzlies went into halftime with 52 yards of total offense.

"Coming into the game, we planned on (Bergquist) coming in on the third series of the game," UM coach Bobby Hauck said. "We didn't have any thought of going back to him in the second half. We had a nice little quarterback draw package for Cole. He did a nice job running it and the guys up front did a nice job blocking for it. We also got some play-action plays off of it. But we didn't know if those plays dried up or not after using them in those drives."

So Swogger, who went three-and-out in two possessions in the first quarter while throwing an interception on Cal Poly's 10-yard line on the first play of another, came back in with less than 2 minutes left before halftime. But he went three-and-out again and the first boo birds of the season came out in Missoula.

The third quarter didn't play out a whole lot better. He managed a first down apiece in each of the first two drives, but sacks and incomplete passes led to a string of four-straight, third-quarter possessions when the crowd booed. Prior to the game-winning drive, he was sacked five times and completed just eight of 22 passes.

"We knew they were going to be a great defense," Swogger said. "Statistically, they were top 10 in the nation in nearly every major category. We knew it was going to be tough to get anything we got. Things just weren't working out the first half. I missed receivers a couple times. Coach (Steve) Axman just told me to hang in there, things were going to pop."

And pop it did. But it was senior defensive end Dustin Dolly that made the pop and the momentum-swinging play.

Trailing 6-0 with 1:24 left in the third quarter, Cal Poly started a drive on its own 20-yard line. The South End Zone Crazies must have had a feeling it was going to have to be up to the Grizzlies' defense to win the game. They got crazy loud. On second down, Cal Poly quarterback Matt Brennan ran an option and tried to cut inside of Dlouhy's contain. But Dlouhy destroyed him, the ball came flying out and Tyler Joyce recovered on the 25-yard line.

"Coach (Kraig) Paulson made a little adjustment on that play and it worked perfectly," Dlouhy said. "They were stretching it out all day to the wide side of the field with the option and the option pass. I just slid from inside the H-back to the outside. When they came to block me, I was in a little different spot and I was one-on-one with the quarterback. I had no other choice but to hit him. I got up and saw the ball was out. That fired us up. That was the biggest thing. It got everybody going."

Two plays later, after a sack and boos, Swogger hit Ryan Bagley in the end zone on a seam route up the middle with a perfect pass and a 27-yard touchdown. The extra point gave the Griz a 7-6 lead.

After that, the teams exchanged two punts apiece in the fourth quarter before the Mustangs tipped the balance of field position a little their way. With the advantage, they managed a 20-yard drive and Nick Coromelas capped it with a 47-yard field goal. That third field goal of his gave the Mustangs a 9-7 lead with 3:56 left in the game.

The teams nearly equaled each other in offensive yards. Cal Poly finished with 292; the Griz had 290.

That amazingly tough Griz D held James Noble, who rushed for 144 and 188 yards against UM last year, to 66 yards on 23 carries. Brennan was 14-for-27 passing for 207 yards and added 40 yards rushing. His favorite target was 6-foot-6 receiver Ramses Barden, who caught six passes for 123 yards. Barden was almost unstoppable with the deep, lob passes.

"That was the only thing we were left with," Cal Poly coach Rich Ellerson said. "We weren't consistent enough running the ball and in other situations, we weren't consistent enough throwing and catching the ball."

Swogger completed four of eight passes in the final drive for 68 yards. He finished 12-for-30 (40 percent) for 161 yards. Eric Allen was his main man, catching five passes for 87 yards. Bagley had four catches for 57 yards and the touchdown. Running back Brady Green had 40 yards on 10 carries and Reggie Bradshaw had 27 yards on 10 carries.

Dlouhy led the way on defense with 10 tackles. Cornerback Jimmy Wilson was second with nine tackles and outside linebacker Loren Utterback was next with eight, including one for a loss. Defensive end Mike Murphy, cornerback Tuff Harris, strong safety Colt Anderson and defensive end Kroy Beirmann each had six tackles. Murphy also registered two sacks and Biermann added one. All told, the Griz had seven tackles for losses.

But Cal Poly, which was led by linebacker Kyle Shotwell, had 14 tackles for losses - including seven sacks.

All in all, though, Hauck and Ellerson were in agreement that it was just a non-conference game.

"There would have been no shame in getting beat by a team like that," Hauck said. "And I'm sure (Ellerson) is telling his team the same thing. There's no shame in losing to us. This one was a fun game. I've been saying it all week how I was looking at it like a scrimmage. It was two great football teams going at it. It was entertaining. It was stimulating, exciting, whatever you want to use to describe it. The important ones are the next two weeks."

Ellerson said his team will get over the loss in record time.

"We don't have time to lament because it will beat you up," he said. "Everyone of us will look back and want something back 50 times over in a a game that comes down to a single play. This is going to be a record turnaround for us. It's going to be the fastest we've ever gotten back on the bus, the fastest we've ever gotten out of town and the fastest we've ever refocused on our next opponent. Everything that we've dreamed about, everything that we have worked for is still conceivably on the table if we get back to work."

The Mustangs fell to 7-3 on the season.