Montana's Hilliard, Dwyer go out in style
MISSOULA - Kalispell's two Montana Grizzlies had monster games Saturday against Portland State on Senior Day - UM's final regular-season home game.
Running back Lex Hilliard and special teams player Brandon Dwyer should remember the day forever.
Hilliard ran for 116 yards and a touchdown. It was his 48th career touchdown and tied him with Yohance Humphery (1998-2001) atop UM's all-time list. It was his 46th career rushing TD, which is already a school record. With 3,718 career rushing yards, he is 353 yards from breaking Humphery's mark as the school's career rushing leader with at least three games left.
"It's been amazing playing here," Hilliard said. "It's been a great five years. I've been here a while and I wouldn't trade anything in the world for it. It's the greatest feeling to walk off with fans and kids huddling around their favorite players. I'm going to miss it."
Dwyer, who already has a special teams player of the week award under his belt this year, played his best game of the season.
He had two huge hits for tackles and threw a blocker into PSU's punt returner and recovered the fumble. He also recovered an onside kickoff that was nullified by a player being offsides.
"Everything lined up for me," Dwyer said. "I've been telling everybody, 'Every blind hog gets an acorn once in a while.' It was nice to be able to do it today. I had some of my best friends, who I was able to get tickets for, come down and watch the game. So I was happy to be able to play so well in front of them and in front of my parents on Senior Day."
The physical side of the game even made PSU coach Jerry Glanville reflect on his NFL days.
"I had one Montana kid come to my sideline and stand with me," he said. "I said, 'Are you OK?' and he said, 'I'm fine coach.' I said, 'You're on the wrong sideline.'
"That hasn't happened to me since we were playing the 49ers. It's the first time a kid from the other team has come and try to stand by me since the Falcons-49ers game. I said, 'Son, you've got to go over to the other sideline.' The whole game was played like that on both sides."
It was Dwyer's big hit and fumble recovery on punt coverage that set the Griz up on PSU's 16-yard line with 8 minutes, 9 seconds left before half.
"I got a good release off the line and from the guy who was holding me up," Dwyer said. "I got to the returner a little early and I've been waiting for a situation like that all year where throwing my blocker into the returner would work. Everything just kind of lined up and I was able to knock him into the punt returner. The ball came out and the next thing I knew I was on top of the ball. Everybody was slapping me on the helmet and was grinning really hard. That's all I remember."
Three plays later, the Grizzlies took a 24-10 lead.
On the very next kickoff, the Griz tried an onside kick.
"That was too bad we had an offsides on it," Dwyer said. "It was a great kick by (Dan) Carpenter. We don't practice it a lot. We just saw an opportunity that Portland State gave us and tried to take advantage of it."
Hopefully for Griz Nation, the two will get another chance to play in Washington-Grizzly Stadium because UM is headed towards hosting a playoff game. … Or two or three.