Griz offense struggles, falls to NAU 28-14
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — An early special teams breakdown gave way to major offensive struggles for the Montana Grizzlies, who fell 28-14 to previously winless Northern Arizona inside the Walkup Skydome Saturday.
The upset loss dropped the No. 13 Griz (3-1, 0-1 in the Big Sky Conference) from the unbeaten ranks and got them off to a rough start in league play.
True freshman quarterback Adam Damante threw for 212 yards and a touchdown for the Lumberjacks (1-3, 1-0), who a week ago fell 50-36 to Utah Tech in this same venue.
The week before that Montana won at Utah Tech, 43-13.
A blocked punt — moments after Griz linebacker Braxton Hill intercepted a tipped Damante pass — didn’t help. It set up NAU’s first TD, a 24-yard pass to Hendrix Johnson.
More than, though, was an offense that gained just 244 yards and 12 first downs. The Grizzlies managed one sustained drive against a Lumberjack defense that was allowing 40-plus points a game.
“First thing I’d say is we didn’t perform,” Montana coach Bobby Hauck told the Grizzly Radio Network. “We had a good week of practice and preparation; it wasn’t that. … We just didn’t perform.
“Credit to NAU, they threw everything but the kitchen sink at us, and they had some good stuff early that put us behind two touchdowns. That will happen sometimes, and you’ve got to hold the rope until you get it right. But we just didn't. We didn't score enough to get back in at that point.”
A 75-yard drive capped by Damon Starling’s 2-yard run put NAU up 14-0 at 13:09 of the second quarter.
Montana closed the gap thanks to Trevin Gradney’s fourth interception in four games, which he returned 21 yards down to the Lumberjack 4-yard line. On second-and-goal Sam Vidlak found Aaron Fontes for the touchdown but the PAT kick missed, leaving the score 14-6.
The momentum didn’t last. The Grizzlies forced a punt, but then Vidlak fumbled on third-and-long and NAU’s Nehemiah Magalei recovered. On the next snap the Lumberjacks got a 48-yard halfback pass from Chase Belcher to Marcus Phillips, Jr. for a TD and a 21-6 lead.
The Grizzlies put together a 75-yard drive and got it to a one-score game on Xavier Harris’ 24-yard TD sprint with 2:48 left in the first half. They didn’t score again. Their drive to open the second half reached NAU’s 38, before the Lumberjacks’ Alex McLaughlin picked off a Vidlak pass and returned it to midfield.
Northern Arizona then marched in for the final score of the game, on a 4-yard run from Keyonta Lanier at 7:47 of the third quarter.
Montana punted on its next two possessions, then fell short on fourth down to end the next three drives.
“They just played well,” Hauck said of the Lumberjacks. “They held us to 12 first downs; that’s pretty anemic. We’re going to have to really, really consider some things tonight and tomorrow and Monday. We have to get some stuff straightened out, because you can’t perform at that level in this league and expect to win.”
Vidlak was 23 of 37 passing for 210 yards, and was sacked five times for 33 yards of losses. Harris ran seven times for 44 yards; Eli Gillman had just four carries for 12 yards.
Keelan White had nine catches for 92 yards and Junior Bergen had seven catches for 66.
Starting picked up 67 yards on 19 carries for NAU.
“There were fundamental things in that game, by their offense, by our offense, where we busted,” Hauck said. “There were so many things that they did well and we didn’t. Credit to them certainly, but I’m at a loss on that performance a little bit, because I didn’t see that coming at all.”
NAU 28, Montana 14
Montana 0 14 0 0 — 14
Jacksonville St. 7 14 7 0 — 28
First Quarter
NAU — Johnson 24 pass from Damante (lye kick), 8:43.
Second Quarter
NAU — Starling 2 run (Lye kick), 13:09
UM — Fontes 4 pass from Vidlak (kick failed), 8:31
NAU — Phillips Jr. 48 pass from Belcher (Lye kick), 5:05
UM — Harris 24 run (Meyer run), 2:48
Third Quarter
NAU — Lanier 4 run (Lye kick), 7:47
UM NAU
First downs 12 23
Total Net Yards 244 396
Rushes-yards 24-31 42-136
Passing 213 260
Punt Returns 1-5 1-10
Kickoff Returns 0-0 2-38
Interceptions Ret. 2-21 1-25
Comp-Att-Int 24-38-1 24-32-2
Sacked-Yards Lost 5-33 0-0
Punts 6-33.8 4-37.2
Fumbles-Lost 1-1 0-0
Penalties-Yards 4-25 10-69
Time of Possession 24:33 35:27
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING—UM, Harris 7-44, Gillman 4-12, Team 2-6, Fontes 2-3, Ostmo 2-minus 1, Vidlack 7-minus 33. NAU, Starling 17-67, Belcher 12-54, Hall 4-24, Lanier 1-4, Fleming 1-0, Damante 3-minut 6, Team 1-minus 7.
PASSING—UM, Vidlak 23-37-1-210, McDowell 1-1-0-3. NAU, Damante 23-30-2-212, Belcher 1-2-0-48.
RECEIVING—UM, White 9-32, Bergen 7-66, Ostmo 3-7, Fontes 2-33, Gillman 2-9, Racanelli 1-6, Harris 1-0, Simpson 2-0. NAU, White 7-68, Hall 4-30, Phillips 3-56, Johnson 2-33, Fleming 2-24, Owen 2-9, Currie 1-20, Belcher 1-17, Doursea 1-2, Starling 1-1.
MISSED FIELD GOALS—NAU, Lye 39 and 46.