Griz rally past Western Carolina

Grizzlies quarterback Keali'i Ah Yat (8) scores a touchdown on a 6-yard run in the third quarter against Western Carolina at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 21. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
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Grizzlies running back Eli Gillman (10) leaps over Western Carolina defensive back Bo Simpson-Nealy (21) on a run in the fourth quarter at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 21. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
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Grizzlies running back Nick Ostmo (26) scores a touchdown on a 12-yard run in the fourth quarter against Western Carolina at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 21. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
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Grizzlies wide receiver Junior Bergen picks up yardage after a reception in the fourth quarter against Western Carolina at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 21. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
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Grizzlies head coach Bobby Hauck offers a referee his glasses after an offensive play didn't draw a flag on the Western Carolina defense in the third quarter at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 21. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
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Grizzlies special teamers celebrate after a missed field goal by Western Carolina in the third quarter at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 21. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
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Grizzlies quarterback Keali'i Ah Yat (8) celebrates after a 12-yard run in the third quarter against Western Carolina at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 21. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
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Grizzlies running back Eli Gillman (10) motions for a first down after a 58-yard run in the third quarter against Western Carolina at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 21. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
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Grizzlies wide receiver Junior Bergen (5) celebrates after a reception in the fourth quarter against Western Carolina at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 21. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
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Grizzlies linebacker Caleb Otlewski (45) celebrates after a sack in the third quarter against Western Carolina at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 21. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

by JON ALLEN
Staff Writer | September 22, 2024 12:00 AM

MISSOULA — The Catamounts made it a battle.

Keali’i Ah Yat set a school record with four rushing touchdowns and No. 9 Montana rallied back from 17 points down to defeat No. 24 Western Carolina 46-35 Saturday at Washington-Grizzly Stadium.

“(Our team) did a great job of fighting back,” Montana coach Bobby Hauck said. “We are pleased with a big victory over a ranked opponent. ... We just kept fighting, our teams got a lot of fight and a lot of belief.”

Ah Yat’s four touchdown scampers were the most in school history for a quarterback and tied the record for any player — last done in 2013 by Jordan Canada in a 51-48 overtime win over Sacramento State.

Ah Yat didn’t get a chance to run for a fifth touchdown, as Logan Fife finished out the fourth quarter.

“The stuff we wanted to do at that point is the stuff that Logan does best,” Hauck said about Ah Yat not reentering the game.

After his 12-for-13 first quarter, Montana (3-1) shut down Catamounts (1-3) quarterback Cole Gonzales, who went 13-for-34 the rest of the day. The junior finished with 340 yards through the air and a pair of touchdowns, with one interception to Trevin Gradney.

“They were not running the ball very successfully and that tends to wear on (a quarterback),” Hauck said. “He kept coming back, but he was getting knocked down a lot.”

“I think we knew, even in the first quarter, that we were getting to him,” Gradney said. “It was just a matter of time that he was going to start feeling it a little bit more.”

Western Carolina jumped out on Montana early, as Branson Adams found his way into the end zone twice.

Christian Lowery added a 33-yard field goal to make it 17-0 Catamounts before the Griz offense could get its footing.

Montana outgained the Catamounts 552-477, including 349 yards and six touchdowns rushing. Eli Gillman led the Griz with 175 yards on the ground and a score. Ah Yat added 57 yards to go with his four touchdowns.

Montana found their first points early in the second as Gilman went 66 yards to the house and made it 17-7.

Lowery added another field goal before Keali’i Ah Yat capped off a nine-play, 81-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run.

Gonzalez found De’Andre Tamarez for a quick answer though, going 61 yards through the air to extend the Catamounts lead to 27-14.

Ah Yat found the end zone again from nine yards out with 53 seconds left in the half, capping a penalty-aided 70-yard drive.

Montana seized control after Ah Yat scrambled for a six-yard score to give Montana their first lead of the day late in the third.

Gradney’s interception set up Ah Yat’s record-breaking score to extend the Grizzlies lead to 35-27.

Fife connected with Junior Bergen on a fourth-and-4 to help set up Montana’s sixth rushing touchdown of the game, a 12-yard scamper from Nick Ostmo to grow the lead to 46-35.

“If it was earlier in the game, we would have most likely kicked it,” Hauck said. “They probably only had one possession left and a touchdown, assuming they can make the PAT, beats you. We were only up three, so we decided to go for it.”

Montana now faces a road trip to Cheney to play Eastern Washington as the Griz open up conference play.

W.Carolina 14 13 0 8 - 35

Montana 0 21 14 11 - 46

W — Branson Adams 5 run (Lowery kick), 11:43 1Q

W — Adams 1 run (Lowery kick), 7:35 1Q

W — Lowery 33 kick, 13:52 2Q

M — Eli Gilman 66 run (Ty Morrison kick), 7:03 2Q

W — Lowery 30 kick, 3:05 2Q

M — Keali’i Ah Yat 1 run (Morrison kick), 1:47 2Q

W — De’Andre Tamarez 61 pass from Cole Gonzales (Lowery kick) 1:47 2Q

M — Ah Yat 9 run (Morrison kick), :53 2Q

M — Ah Yat 6 run (Morrison kick), 5:28 3Q

M — Ah Yat 1 run (Morrison kick), 3:01 3Q

M — Morrison 34 kick, 12:12 4Q

W — AJ Colombo 3 pass from Gonzales (Gonzales run), 8:22 4Q

M — Nick Ostmo 12 run (Racanelli pass), 1:44 4Q

INDIVIDUAL STATS

RUSHING: Western Carolina (27-103) — Branson Adams 17-91, Marlin Cochran 2-12, Corey Reddick Jr. 2-5, Cole Gonzales 6- minus 5. Montana (48-349) — Eli Gilman 14-175, Nick Ostmo 15-73, Keali’i Ah Yat 11-65, Aaron Fontes 1-29, Xavier Harris 2-27, Stevie Rocker Jr. 1- minus 2.

PASSING: Western Carolina — Cole Gonzales 25-47-1 for 340 yards, James Randle 1-1-0 for 34 yards. Montana — Keali’i Ah Yat 16-27-1 for 145 yards, Logan Fife 7-10-0 for 58 yards, Ryan Simpson 0-1-0 for 0 yards, Junior Bergen 0-1-0 for 0 yards.

RECEIVING: Western Carolina — De’Andre Tamarez 8-229, Branson Adams 7-50, AJ Colombo 5-44, Corey Reddick Jr. 2-8, Malik Knight 1-16, Isaiah Johnson 1-12, Jake Young 1-8, Calvin Jones 1-7. Montana — Junior Bergen 8-99, Aaron Fontes 4-36, Sawyer Racanelli 4-28, Keelan White 3-25, Evan Shafer 1-11, Erik Barker 1-5, Nick Ostmo 1-2, Eli Gilman 1- minus 4.

MISSED FIELD GOALS: Western Carolina — Christian Lowery 51, 29. Montana — Ty Morrison 43.