Snow blinded: Grizzlies roll past Blue Hens, 49-19

Grizzlies running back Nick Ostmo (26) leaps into the end zone on a 35-yard touchdown run in the second quarter against Delaware on Saturday, Dec. 2. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
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Grizzlies quarterback Clifton McDowell (17) scores a touchdown on a 20-yard run in the second quarter against Delaware at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 2. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
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Grizzlies defender Sawyer Racanelli (9) blocks a punt in the first quarter against Delaware on Saturday, Dec. 2. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
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Grizzlies running back Xavier Harris (13) and wide receiver Keelan White (6) celebrate after Harris' touchdown run in the first quarter against Delaware on Saturday, Dec. 2. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
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Grizzlies defender Isiah Childs (28) celebrates after a stop on a Delaware kick return in the first half at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 2. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
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Grizzlies head coach Bobby Hauck congratulates Sawyer Racanelli (9) after Racanelli blocked a punt in the first quarter against Delaware at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 2. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
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Grizzlies quarterback Clifton McDowell (17) drops back to pass in the second quarter against Delaware on Saturday, Dec. 2. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
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Grizzlies wide receiver Keelan White (6) celebrates after a 55-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter against Delaware at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 2. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
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by FRITZ NEIGHBOR
Daily Inter Lake | December 3, 2023 12:08 PM

MISSOULA — The snow started right before kickoff Saturday at Washington-Grizzly Stadium, and not much else went right for the Delaware Blue Hens from there.

Montana quarterback Clifton McDowell threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, and the Grizzlies rolled to a 49-19 FCS playoff win in front of 20,580 fans.

It was a bit of a slog — the game went three hours, 40 minutes — but Nick Ostmo and Xavier Harris still got outside for long touchdown runs. The second-seeded Grizzlies improved to 11-1 and moved into a quarterfinal home game against Furman Friday, The No. 7-seeded Paladins beat Chattanooga 26-7.

“Nice job by our guys. I think the elements were a bit of a struggle for our guys, and the style we play,” Montana coach Bobby Hauck said. “I was proud of our guys for fighting through it. We’re excited to get the win and we’ll be real excited next week for Furman, either Friday or Saturday. Hope it’s Saturday and I hope, Saturday afternoon.”

Hauck was doubly-disappointed Sunday morning: Friday's kickoff is at 7 p.m.

McDowell, the 6-foot-4 senior transfer, shook off an interception on his second pass to complete 10 of 19 throws for 186 yards. He overshot Junior Bergen a couple times, and Keelan White dropped what was surely a third-quarter TD, but not many passes are prettier than the one McDowell delivered to White midway through the second quarter.

White caught the ball on the Delaware sideline and ran 55 yards through the blanket of snow for a touchdown and a 26-6 Griz lead.

The Blue Hens’ next possession ended in a jail-break punt snap safety, and the Grizzlies took advantage of that for a 20-yard TD jaunt from McDowell. It was 35-6.

The Blue Hens showed some life, with Ryan O’Connor driving them 75 yards to end the first half. Chandler Harvin, who earlier caught a 44-yard scoring pass, hauled in an 8-yarder to cut UM’s lead to 35-12.

Delaware (9-4) got the ball to open the second half — the snow had stopped and, as usual, most of the crowd was out tailgating — but in quick succession fumbled and threw an interception.

Jaxon Lee returned the fumble — forced from receiver Jourdan Townsend by Griz safety Nash Fouch — 56 yards for the score.

“That was devastating, yes it was,” Blue Hens coach Ryan Carty said. "We can't talk about it enough. It seemed like he might have been down on the ground, too? The call stood though.

“We can’t do it. You have to give the ball to the referee, and that’s that. That’s not just a possession there, that’s possession-and-points, that’s a 14-point swing.”

It got worse: Corbin Walker intercepted O’Connor on Delaware’s next snap, and six plays McDowell checked down to tight end Evan Shafer for a 25-yard catch-and-run-over-the-corner touchdown.

That made it 49-12 and the Grizzlies were on their way.

It didn’t look that easy when McDowell’s second pass sailed and was tipped, then picked off by Tyron Herring. But the Blue Hens, set up at UM’s 34-yard line, went backwards starting with a false start. Soon, they punted.

Nic Ramos’ first of two field goals made it 3-0, and Delaware’s next possession ended in a punt blocked by UM’s Sawyer Racanelli.

Harris scored his touchdown on the next play, going 27 yards and putting Montana up 10-0 at 3:31 of the first quarter.

White had four catches for 88 yards; Ostmo ran 10 times for 64 yards, including a 35-yard touchdown to open the second quarter. That made it 16-0.

“We had the turnover on the second play and then after kind of doubled down, got after it,” Hauck said. “We got a stop on defense and did some good things. Blocking the punt— that’s what really got us going I think. After that it was kind of fast and furious.”

O’Connor threw for 197 yards for the Blue Hens, completing 17 of 36 passes.

“This is definitely the loudest, best crowd I’ve played in front of,” the quarterback said. “We played at Penn State early in the year; not even close.”

Grizzlies defender Sawyer Racanelli (9) blocks a punt in the first quarter against Delaware on Saturday, Dec. 2. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
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Grizzlies quarterback Clifton McDowell (17) drops back to pass in the second quarter against Delaware on Saturday, Dec. 2. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
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