Montana Grizzly Football Flies First Class Over Cal Poly Mustangs

A lack of discipline and a lackluster offense at times kept fans fidgeting.

The University of Montana Grizzlies overcame a plethora of major penalties and a non-existent running game with two explosive plays late in the third quarter, one on special teams and one on defense, to subdue a Cal Poly team whose defense kept them hanging around for nearly three-quarters of the game. Then the wheels came off and the Griz came away with a 42-7 route of the Mustangs Saturday afternoon in San Luis Obispo, California. While the sportsmanship might be questionable, the Griz desperately wanted running back Stevie Rocker his first career touchdown in the final minute. .

The Griz offense struggled immediately with an interception thrown by quarterback Logan Fife on their first series. But the defense stiffened, as they did most of the game. Later in the first quarter, a Keali'i Ah Yat touchdown pass to Xavier Harris made it 7-0.

In the second quarter, a spectacular catch by Keelan White from Logan Fife built the lead to 14-0, which is where it stood at halftime. Then came a long, uninspiring stretch for the Grizzly offense.

It was late in the third quarter that the Griz forced a punt. Junior Bergen took the ball at his own 16 yard line. 84 yards later, Bergen's signature skill made it 21-0.

On Cal Poly's next possession, a Garret Hustedt interception gave the Griz the ball right back at the Mustang 17. A couple plays later, running back Eli Gillman's 3-yard touchdown run made it 28-0, and the route was on.

With a deflated opponent, Montana tacked on another touchdown early in the fourth quarter. The only drama left in the game was whether the Griz could keep a second consecutive opponent scoreless.

But, another major pass interference penalty gave Cal Poly the ball inside the 20 yard line.  The Mustangs cashed in after the latest Griz miscue to make it 35-7, so no second shutout in a row. That ended a 139-minute scoreless streak for the Grizzly defense.

Montana's 10 penalties for 132 yards was a major source of frustration, but never truly factored into the overall performance.

The Griz return home to face 4th-ranked UC Davis, who crushed Northern Colrado 59-7 Saturday afternoon. Get your naps taken, Griz Nation! Kickoff at 8:15 p.m. Saturday night, Niovember 9.