
Griz grind down Catamounts in come-from-behind win
(Montana Sports Information) In a top 25 FCS matchup in Missoula, the Montana Grizzlies came from behind to knock off Western Carolina 46-35 using a dominant rushing attack for the second straight week.
The Grizzlies outscored Western Carolina 46-18 through the final three quarters in front of another sell-out crowd to cap the nonconference season at 3-1 with a win that had a playoff feel.
There were tense moments in Washington-Grizzly Stadium early as the Catamounts, last year’s FCS leaders in total offense with over 500 yards per game, came out of the gates in a hurry and jumped ahead 17-0 in the first quarter.
Montana made the adjustments moving forward, however, and the rushing trio of Keali’i Ah Yat, Eli Gillman, and Nick Ostmo ran through WCU all day long to get the win. All three made a little history as well in leading the Griz to their 15th-straight win at home.
“If you’re going to win a lot, which we do, you have to find a lot of different ways to win,” head coach Bobby Hauck said. “Every football game is different, every season is different, and you have to rely on your fundamentals and your formula and find different ways to win.
“Being down 17 to that team, with that offense, was scary to say the least. It was a gut-check, steely-eyed, stare adversity in the face and the Griz came out with a resounding W so that was awesome.”
Ah Yat ran it 11 times for 57 yards and entered the Grizzly record book by rushing for four touchdowns. He’s just the sixth player in program history with four rushing scores in a game, and the first quarterback to ever do it.
Gillman had a career-high 175 yards on the ground in his second-straight 100-yard game, averaging 12.5 yards on his 14 carries and finding the end zone once. The sophomore had two different runs for 50-plus yards, including Montana’s first score on the day on a play that changed the entire tone of the game.
“He’s a unique combination because he’s got enough shiftiness and mobility to make you miss and he can outrun you a bit. He got caught once today, but he doesn’t get caught very often,” Hauck said. “He’s also got the willingness and the size to be a power back and break tackles and run through contact. He’s got it all, and I thought he had a great day today.”
Ostmo moved into sixth in program history in rushing yards, passing John Nguyen behind 72 yards on 15 carries. All told, Montana outgained Western Carolina by 246 yards on the ground, and it proved to be the difference maker late in the game.
The running backs and quarterbacks shined in the rushing game, but a big reason they were able to eat up large chunks of yardage was the blocking of Montana’s offensive line and tight ends.
“They’re coming off and doing a great job,” Hauck said. “There wasn’t penetration in the run game. They weren’t getting up-field on us. Our backs were very patient today and they were hanging with their reads and even though it wasn’t wide open, they were sticking with it.”
The big plays on the ground were what turned the tide for Montana as they had 10 rushes of at least 10 yards in the game. It was a battle of styles as Western Carolina picked up most of their big plays in the air as they had eight completions of at least 15 yards.
It’s the first time Montana has come back from down 17 in a game since a playoff win over Southeast Missouri State in 2022 where they trailed 24-3.
The offensive attack was familiar, but getting in a high-scoring, shootout type game is not a spot Montana has been in for a while. It’s the first time since 2022 that the Grizzlies allowed 30 points in a game, but when you’re playing an offense like WCU’s you have to find new ways to win. Montana did just that.
The Griz were 50 percent on third down and converted 2-of-3 fourth down attempts, and they held WCU to 5-of-14 on third down. It was a game that saw plenty of penalties on both sides as the teams combined for 23 total flags for 201 yards, splitting them nearly 50/50.
Montana forced one crucial turnover as Trevin Gradney picked off a tipped pass in the third quarter, and it turned into seven Grizzly points at a big moment in the game. The defense made a great adjustment at the break, holding the WCU passing attack to just 115 yards in the second half after they had more than that in both the first and second quarters.
Jaxon Lee led the team with 11 tackles, five of which were solo in a career day. Ryan Tirrell added 10 tackles and broke up a pass as well.
Ah Yat went 16-of-27 for 145 yards through the air and Logan Fife played the final several drives for the Griz, going 7-of-10 for 58 yards. Junior Bergen officially announced his return with eight catches for 99 yards, the third-most in a single game for the talented senior.
“He showed a lot of guts on some of those runs to finish them, get in the end zone, move the chains. He’s good with the ball in his hands,” Hauck said. “There is obviously progress being made each week. We’re not there yet, but those guys are getting better and better. I was proud of Keali’i, and I was proud of Logan coming in and doing the stuff he does really well in the fourth quarter.”