Bergen times two

Grizzlies returner Junior Bergen (5) celebrates in the end zone after a 52-yard punt return for a touchdown in the third quarter against Tennessee State in the first round of the FCS Playoffs at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Grizzlies running back Eli Gillman (10) stiff-arms a defender on a 58-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter against Tennessee State in the first round of the FCS Playoffs at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Grizzlies defenders stop a run by Tennessee State running back Tevin Carter (21) in the first quarter of the opening round of the FCS Playoffs at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Grizzlies running back Eli Gillman (10) dives into the end zone for a touchdown in the second quarter against Tennessee State at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Grizzlies defensive lineman Noah Kaschmitter (69) celebrates after sacking Tennessee State quarterback Draylin Ellis (1) in the third quarter of the opening round of the FCS Playoffs at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Grizzlies linebacker Riley Wilson (42) sacks Tennessee State quarterback Draylen Ellis (1) in the third quarter in the opening round of the FCS Playoffs at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Grizzlies returner Junior Bergen (5) leaps into the end zone on a 52-yard punt return for a touchdown in the third quarter against Tennessee State in the first round of the FCS Playoffs at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 30. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

by FRITZ NEIGHBOR
Daily Inter Lake | December 1, 2024 3:00 AM

MISSOULA — The Tennessee State Tigers did a lot of things right Saturday night at Washington-Grizzly Stadium, worrying the host Montana Grizzlies with big plays and ball-hawking defense.

The major issues? Two jail-break snaps that lost big yardage; a bevy of false starts; and two punts that got to the hands of Junior Bergen.

Bergen, the senior out of Billings, got punt return touchdowns number seven and eight for his career in Montana’s 41-27 win over the Tigers. Eli Gillman added two TD runs, including a game-clinching 59-yard burst, and Ty Morrison booted four field goals for Montana (9-4), which will play at South Dakota State next Saturday at noon.

But Bergen, as he often does, made a difference. His first punt return, which covered 52 yards, put the Grizzlies up 27-6 at 1:28 of the third quarter.

After the Tigers, taking advantage of a Logan Fife fumble, closed to 27-20 on an 11-yard Draylen Ellis touchdown run, Bergen came up huge again.

The Tigers had gotten the back on a Gillman fumble, but a bad snap lost 21 yards and they punted toward the Griz sideline. Bergen made a fingertip catch, maneuvered through a mass of players and suddenly popped free. This return covered 54 yards and made it 34-20.

Tennessee State (9-4) wasn’t quite done, driving to an Ellis-to-Karate Brenson 15-yard touchdown pass with 3:03 remaining.

Two snaps later, Gillman took a handoff, appeared boxed in and then – like Bergen – got outside. The sophomore, who crossed the 1,000-yard rushing barrier in the first half, put the game away with 1:58 left.

Montana was at its best at times, but also inconsistent. Playing without running back Nick Ostmo and receiver Aaron Fontes, the Grizzlies struggled to a 3-3 tie in the first quarter.

The second period was all UM: Thanks to a 13-yard loss on a sack, the Tigers had just 1 yard of offense in the frame.

It didn’t start much better for the hosts. After Gillman dropped a third-down screen pass, Morrison missed a 39-yard field goal. But on the Grizzlies next drive Gillman carried seven times for 46 yards, His 6-yard touchdown put Montana up 10-3 at 4:35 of the second quarter.

Then Morrison found his range, and in fact he punched through two field goals 10 seconds part: He hit from 31 yards out to put his team up 13-3; then after a pooched kickoff was recovered by Montana’s Tyson Rostad at the TSU 42, he drilled a 50-yarder as time ran out on the half.

It was the longest field goal since Kevin Macias hit from 50 yards against the Bobcats in 2021.

Things stayed uneven, though. Fife had two fumbles the second half and Keali’i Ah Yat took over at quarterback. When TSU super freshman Sanders Ellis recovered Gillman’s fumble — he also recovered Fife’s second one, returning it 37 yards — the crowd of 12,479 was worried.

Then the Tigers shot themselves in the foot, and then they kicked the ball to Bergen.

Gillman had 116 yards on 20 carries. Fife as 11 of 22 passing 97 yards, and Ah Yat completed his only pass for 18 yards.

No Griz had more than two receptions; Glacier product Drew Deck caught two passes for 18 yards. Henry Nuce, another Glacier grad, had a sack in the first half.

Brenson had 11 catches for 122 yards and two scores for TSU; Ellis was 29 of 39 passing for 296 yards. He threw one pick, to Trevin Gradney with under a minute left.