Griz hold off Ferris St., 17-10
MISSOULA — It says in the scoring summary that Nick Ostmo’s 3-yard run to the pylon at 1:39 of the third quarter was the difference in Montana’s 17-10 win over Ferris State Saturday.
The Griz defense, though, is who saved the day.
The Grizzlies bent, bent some more and kept the Division II Bulldogs scoreless in the second half. Faced with two mobile quarterbacks — Carson Gulker was the most effective and was on the field at the end for the second straight week — Montana came up with four sacks.
At the end the 11th-ranked team in the FCS had to stop a fourth-and-14 pass short with 37 seconds left to hand the Bulldogs their first road loss in 29 games.
“They really played well,” Montana coach Bobby Hauck said of the Bulldogs (2-1). “They saved some stuff for us, as they should have. When we scheduled them, our guys came in and said, ‘We’re having trouble filling this date, do you mind if we schedule a Division II team?’ I saw that’s fine.
“I should have said, don’t schedule THE Division II team. They were really good. Really good’”
Ferris State, owners of the last two DII championships, didn’t give away anything in terms of speed or tackling ability. They gained more yards (285-189) and made more first downs (18-17).
They did bounce a field goal off the upright with 8:57 left; after reaching Grizzlies’ 3-yard line only to false start; and gave up a 32-yard punt return to Junior Bergen to set up a 1-yard touchdown by Eli GIllman with 7:45 left in the third quarter.
They also caught some breaks, like a fumble that turned into a first down-earning 8-yard gain. A Sam Vidlak pass to Bergen was overturned to keep momentum out of UM’s hands. The Griz had an apparent scoop and score by Tyler Flink ruled a Braxton Hill sack instead.
They say luck is the product of hard work, but Ferris State coach Tony Annese had a different explanation for why they were right there.
“We’re badasses,” he said. “We’re dogs.
Let’s back up: Montana, trailing 10-3 at halftime, got a measure of momentum when Bergen sped in and grabbed a line-drive FSU punt in stride. His return set the Griz up at the Bulldog 40, and he then caught a 26-yard pass ahead of Gillman’s game-tying TD.
Trevin Gradney then made an interception for the third straight game, igniting an announced crowd of 26,798. The Griz punted, but Eureka’s Garrett Graves ran under the punt and pinned FSU at its 1.
Another punt — after Gulker somehow avoided a third-down safety — set the Griz up at the Ferris 30. Gillman tore off a 23-yard burst ahead of Ostmo’s TD off an option run. It was 17-10.
The Bulldogs, using that fumble and a pass interference call, kept the ball for 17 snaps ahead of their missed field goal. After Montana punted again, FSU — getting that fumble overturned, then a 34-yard pass on fourth-and-27 — kept the ball for 13 more plays.
When it was all done, Annese bemoaned that false start at the 3.
“Bottom line we could hardly hear the quarterback’s cadence and it really cost us, it really did,” he said. “Watching the game, I think we got people’s respect. And I don’t know, it’s not too far off from Montana beating the University of Washington two years ago.”
“We did some good things and then couldn’t sustain it,” said Hauck, who saw Vidlak throw for 105 yards and Gillman run for 78. “I thought that the defense was really good, even adjusting to some things we haven’t seen.”
Hill had 15 tackles and two sacks. Flink had eight stops. The Griz D racked up 48 yards in losses and it was just enough.
“Coach (Hauck) talked about our record, and all we do is win, win, win,” Annese said. “People ask me, ‘Why?’ And I don’t know the answer to that, but I am proud of knowing that they are going to fight to the bitter end.”