Montana's junior cornerback may not have always been in the correct position on Saturday, but his playmaking instincts - being in the right place at the right time - continued to shine as the No. 2 Grizzlies improved to 2-0 with a 41-23 non-conference victory over unranked Hofstra.
Hofstra committed just two turnovers on an overcast, sometimes drizzly day at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. And Edwards was smack dab in the middle of them both.
The Griz maintained their lead the rest of the way.
"Those were two big plays," said Montana coach Bobby Hauck. "A lot more football games are lost than are won, if that makes sense. People find ways to lose games. I'm not saying that's what happened with Hofstra today, but turnovers kill people. Those were two big turnovers."
Hofstra quarterback Bobby Seck tried to find Sullivan on a pass toward the sideline seven minutes into the contest, but the ball tipped off the 6-foot-2 freshman receiver's hands. It may also have grazed a lineman's hand.
In any case, Edwards was right there to make the interception, and no one touched him as he sprinted to the end zone for the first defensive TD of his collegiate career.
"I was kind of zoning," Edwards said. "I don't even know if I was doing my job right. Somebody got a hand up and it just fluttered my way. ... I always wanted to score a defensive touchdown. I wanted to celebrate, but coach Hauck would've got on me."
The forced fumble changed the game's complexion at a critical time.
Hofstra, trailing 27-20, faced third-and-6 at the Montana 28-yard line. Seck found Sullivan on a screen pass to the right, and Sullivan knifed his way to the 20, good for a first down. There was just one problem. Edwards, not giving up on the play, reached in from behind and knocked the ball free.
"They screened the hell out of us," Edwards said. "Those guys are pretty good on the edge. (Sullivan) was kind of carrying the football out, and he didn't see me coming from behind. I clubbed at the ball. Thank God someone was right there and grabbed it."
Montana surrendered 300 passing yards, and 471 all told. But Hofstra's offense managed just 16 points.
"Those guys fly to the ball," Seck said. "We had a few plays. But the run after the catch doesn't really happen against this team. Montana is going to get guys to the football."
Edwards, a former star at Lewis and Clark High in Spokane, Wash., was moved from strong safety to cornerback last season and started the final six games, stealing a team-high four interceptions. Now, with just eight career starts at corner, he finds himself the leader of a young secondary.
"He studies a lot of film, he practices his butt off, and he's ready to play come Saturday," said sophomore Tuff Harris, UM's other starting cornerback. "What he's doing right now, it's no accident."
And when it is, it's just fine.
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