Griz explode late in 42-7 win at Cal Poly
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Logan Fife and Keali’i Ah Yat each threw a scoring pass and Junior Bergan’s 84-yard punt return sparked a late scoring burst as the No. 8 Montana Grizzlies downed Cal Poly 42-7 in Big Sky Conference football Saturday.
Bergen’s return up the Grizzly sideline — his sixth for a TD, a Big Sky record — came with 2:49 of the third quarter and Montana leading the Mustangs just 14-0. In the final 18 minutes the visitors piled up 28 points and improved to 7-2 overall, 4-1 in the Big Sky.
One of the top rushing teams in the FCS, the Grizzlies ran for just 68 yards on 32 carries against Cal Poly (2-7, 1-3 in the Big Sky). Nick Ostmo ran for 35 yards on nine carries; Eli Gillman’s total of 17 yards on 11 attempts included a 3-yard scoring run with 13 seconds left in the third quarter.
That made it 28-0. The score was set up when Garrett Hustedt intercepted a Jaden Jones pass and returned it 29 yards to the Mustangs’ 17-yard line.
On Cal Poly’s previous possession, Jones replaced Bo Kelly after Kelly was sacked and fumbled on a big hit by Griz linebacker Tyson Rostad. Rostad hit Kelly facemask-to-facemask and after review was ejected for targeting.
That gave the Mustangs a first down, but they soon punted and Bergen took the kick to the paint for a 21-0 lead.
“We kind of felt we had a play there all week,” Montana coach Bobby Hauck said in a postgame interview on KGVO. “We weren’t sure if it was blocking it or a return, but we thought we’d have a shot at both. Him getting the record was kind of a goal of ours.”
Montana led 7-0 at 5:10 of the first quarter when Ah Yat capped a 75-yard drive with a 24-yard touchdown pass to Xavier Harris. The freshman was 9 of 14 passing for 131 yards.
Fife, who started the game but was intercepted on UM’s first drive, hit Keelan White for 21 yards and a TD at 5:29 of the second quarter.
Fife was 12 of 16 passing for 137 yards and had a hand in UM’s fifth touchdown: He kept the ball on second-and-goal from the 7, lost it on a goal-line hit by Cal Poly’s Mason Rivera and Griz offensive lineman Lucas Freitas recovered in the end zone.
“There was some really good and some not as good,” Hauck said of the QB play. “Those guys did a god job. We’re winning games, we have two good quarterbacks and that’s why we’re playing both.”
Cal Poly responded with a 75-yard drive, ending with a 14-yard TD from Richie Watts to Jake Woods with 6:11 left in the game.
With 1:57 left Glacier product Drew Deck set UM up with a short field with a 28-yard punt return. It took the Griz four plays to cover 35 yards; Stevie Rocker, Jr. Capped the scoring with a 1-yard run with 1:02 left.
Deck caught two passes for 22 yards in addition to that punt return. Defensive end Hank Nuce, another Glacier product, had a sack, two tackles for loss and batted down a pass.
The Grizzlies return home to face No. 4 UC Davis next Saturday. The game will air on ESPN2 at 8:15 p.m. The Aggies beat Northern Colorado 59-7.