It also had many happy returns.
From Marc Mariani's 53-yard return of the opening kickoff to the re-emergence of running back Lex Hilliard, defensive end Mike Stadnyk and punter Tyson Johnson, the second-ranked Griz put together a workmanlike performance against their nonconference opponent.
And Hilliard back in the backfield.
“I feel great,” said Hilliard, who ran for 108 yards in his first game since the Cal Poly playoff loss in 2005. “It felt good to be back out here with these guys and be back out here on the field.”
Hilliard, lost for the 2006 season because of an Achilles injury suffered in fall camp, ended the day with 22 carries. Whatever worries the crowd of 23,599 had about his health were answered when the 230-pounder carried the ball for the final five plays of UM's opening drive.
He crashed in from 1 yard out to put the Griz up for good at 12:20 of the first quarter.
“I'm excited for him,” Hauck said of Hilliard. “I'm excited for our football team, too.
“When we lost him a year ago it was a bad thing for our team. But now it's good for him, good for us. I think we have a more experienced line than we had a year ago that will get better and better, and I don't think he's played his best football yet.”
The Grizzlies as a team were up and down. Quarterback Cole Bergquist performed solidly, throwing two touchdown passes to Eric Allen and running 14 yards for his first collegiate touchdown.
But Bergquist also bobbled a shotgun snap that ended in a safety in the second quarter. Southern Utah took the free kick and threatened, with quarterback Wes Marshall and receiver Craig Gritton hooking up for 43 yards down to UM's 25-yard line.
Another pass to Gritton moved the ball to the 11, but the drive ended when UM safety Colt Anderson ranged left and snared another pass meant for Gritton in the end zone. Anderson got a foot down just inside the sideline, preserving the Grizzlies' 14-2 lead with 50 seconds left in the first half.
Yet the Thunderbirds, 3-8 a year ago but boasting 19 returning starters, weren't out of it.
“I thought we fought hard through that,” SUU coach Wes Meier said. “I think it would have been easy for the guys to let down, but they felt like they were still in it.”
Southern Utah marched 78 yards with the second-half kickoff to close to 14-9 on the first of two 1-yard runs by Johnny Sanchez halfway through the third period.
Montana answered with two Dan Carpenter field goals and Bergquist's first career TD, in which he broke containment behind right tackle Chris Dyk and darted through the T-Bird defense.
“It was kind of funny that it was my first one, because that's all I did last year,” said Bergquist, who played sparingly and mostly in UM's option package last year. “It was nice. It wasn't a designed run, I just happened to bounce it outside and found a little lane.”
The TD made it 27-9 at 9:21 of the fourth quarter. Southern Utah answered with another 78-yard touchdown drive, cutting the gap to 10. But the visitors' final three possessions ended with an interception, a fumble and another pick.
After Loren Utterback intercepted a Marshall pass, Bergquist hit Allen across the middle for a 29-yard touchdown with 3:16 left in the game.
“We've seen Eric Allen before,” said Bergquist, who threw for 150 yards and ran for 26. “He makes great plays.”
That made it 34-17. Carpenter added another field goal with 1:49 remaining after the fumble; Shann Schillinger intercepted Marshall's final pass.
Southern Utah had its moments, with Marshall running for 65 yards and throwing for 218 out of the spread option. Gritton had six catches for 116 yards.
“I thought it was in general a good effort by our defense,” said Hauck. “I wasn't real enthused about them coming out of the locker room at halftime and driving down the field on us.”
“We had some young kids get their eyes in the wrong place, and the option game hurt us. We had some contain issues on blitz a couple times. Other than that I thought it was pretty solid.”
Buchanan Award candidate Kroy Biermann and linebacker Tyler Joyce had six tackles each. Biermann and fellow end Stadnyk - who missed last season after surgery - shared in a sack.
Johnson, another injury victim last season (knee), boomed three punts for an average of 46 yards.
“I'm excited about the way we played,” said Hauck. “Southern Utah has a nice football team. I like the way they play. I thought it was an entertaining game to watch, coach and hopefully to play in.”
Click here to see the sights and sounds of the Griz game vs. Southern Utah State.
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