MISSOULA, Mont. – Visiting Missouri State racked up 356 total yards and outgained No. 3-ranked Montana here Saturday at Washington-Grizzly Stadium but the Grizzlies held on late to secure a 29-24 win over the Bears.
Jacob Clark was 23-of-39 for 257 yards through the air, while Jacardia Wright added 76 ground yards and 69 receiving yards for Missouri State to keep pace with the defending FCS national runners-up.
The Bears were whistled for 13 penalties for 113 yards, directly leading to four Montana first downs. The Grizzlies drew just four flags on the night and accounted for 347 total yards, including 167 on the ground.
After trailing by two at the half, Missouri State recaptured the lead less than three minutes into the third quarter. A 27-yard pass from Clark to Wright set up a 32-yard touchdown run by Jayden Becks on the next play. The quick, six-play scoring strike gave MSU a 17-12 lead.
That lead held most of the third period until the 32-second mark when Montana returned fire with a six-play touchdown drive of its own. A 34-yard run by Xavier Harris got outside on fourth-and-one and capped the drive with a long scoring run to tive UM a 19-17 lead headed into the final period.
Early in the fourth, the Grizzlies capitalized on a failed Bears fourth-down conversion at the Montana 42. The home club then took just three plays and two key penalties to strike again, this time on a two-yard run by Gillman to extend its lead to 26-17, the largest of the night by either team, with 9:36 to play.
However, the Bears responded with a key drive. Missouri State marched 75 yards on 10 plays to cut their deficit to 26-24 with 4:43 on the clock. Clutch passes to Hunter Wood for 19 yards and Wright for 12 pushed MoState to the Montana eight. Two plays later, wide receiver Jmariyae Robinson scored on an eight-yard carry to give Missouri State new life.
The Bears then held the Grizzlies to a field goal on their last real drive as Ty Morrison converted his third three-pointer of the night to make it 29-24 with 98 seconds to play.
Still, the Bears had a prayer. From their own 25 with no timeouts, Clark threw a five-yard pass to Wood for a key first-down gain. But Montana ended MSU’s hopes with three straight sacks of Clark to end the contest.
Wood finished with a team-high 8 receptions for 70 yards.
Both UM quarterbacks, Keali’l Ah Yat and Logan Fife threw for 90 yards with Fife accounting for one TD. Eli Gillman was Montana’s top rusher, carrying 15 times for 89 yards and two scores.
Missouri State led nearly the entire first half before Montana booted through a pair of field goals in the second quarter, including one at the horn, to lead 12-10 at the intermission.
The Bears capitalized on a Montana mishap late in the first quarter to draw first blood. A muffed punt by the Grizzlies was recovered by Thomas Anderson at the MSU 47. After a key 21-yard pass from Clark to Wright kept the drive alive early, it foreshadowed the season’s first score. Seven plays later, Wright found paydirt from seven yards out, giving the Bears a 7-0 lead at the 5:25 mark of the opening period.
Three plays later, Montana recaptured the momentum with a 37-yard touchdown run by Gillman. The drive was expedited with a pair of MoState penalties that cushioned the march by 20 yards. The Grizzlies missed the extra point, give the visitors a 7-6 lead at the end of the opening period.
Missouri State outgained Montana by a 100-74 margin in the first 15 minutes.
The Bears extended their lead on a 33-yard field goal by Yousef Obeid early in the second quarter to make it a 10-6 contest. The 16-play drive chewed up seven-and-a-half minutes with D’Vontae Key snagging a key 14-yard, third-down reception from Clark to extend the drive.
Montana’s Morrison then added field goals of 35 and 22 yards to close out the first-half scoring and give the Grizzlies a 12-10 lead at the midway point. His second three-pointer split the uprights as time expired in the half and capped a 12-play march in the final one minute, 40 seconds to give the home side its first lead of the night.
Montana’s announced attendance of 26,482 was the seventh-largest in stadium history and helped the Grizzles claim their 13th straight home victory.
Missouri State is back on the road next week for a clash with Ball State in Muncie, Ind., at 1 p.m. (Central) before lifting the lid on the home schedule on Saturday, Sept. 14 against Lindenwood at Plaster Stadium.
