Hounded the past few weeks for less-than-stellar performances, the University of Montana football team cut loose in a 52-7 conference win over Northern Colorado before 23,134 eager fans.
“We knew we had to improve, and we did today,” said Griz junior quarterback Cole Bergquist. “We had some big plays and that really helps out our whole team.”
“We are 7-0 right now, we are sitting good and our team is playing well,” said senior Lex Hilliard, who set UM's career rushing touchdown record. “We just have to keep doing that throughout the whole season and not look back on the games that we didn't do so well. Just move on forward.”
The Griz finished with 623 yards of total offense, marking the first time in six seasons they recorded 600 or more yards in a game. Montana had 629 in a 53-3 win over Cal Poly back on Sept. 16, 2000. The Griz had 564 yards in a 35-14 win over Albany earlier this fall.
In the books
After tying and surpassing Grizzly great Yo Humphrey on UM's rushing touchdown list, Hilliard passed the buck, like he's done plenty of times before.
“I've played with great O-lines over the years, it's been a long time since my first carry here,” said Hilliard, doing his best to reflect. “But the O-line just did a great job today.”
The Kalispell product scored on a 1-yard plunge just before halftime, then rumbled 39 yards untouched in the final quarter for the 43rd and 44th touchdowns of his career.
Humphrey, the Griz's all-time leading rusher, set all his records during an impressive career from 1998-2001.
“I watched Yohance growing up and he's a great back - a tremendous back,” Hilliard said. “Just to try and be as good as him, that's all you can do, really.”
Hilliard (46) still trails Humphery (48) in total TDs, and career yards (4,070-3,454).
Catching on
Ryan Bagley led a spirited charge by the wide receivers in the Grizzlies resurgent offense.
You just wouldn't believe it, though, listening to Bagley.
“Honestly, it didn't feel that much different from any other game,” he said. “It just felt like we got in a rhythm more. We ran a lot more plays and the offense kind of got rolling there.”
A dozen different players (7 receivers, 3 running backs and 2 tight ends) caught passes on Saturday, including five for TDs.
Bagley, a senior, had the best day of his career catching 10 passes for 110 yards and two touchdowns. A third scoring grab slipped through his fingers in the first quarter.
In all, the Griz caught 30 passes for 351 yards. UM ran 90 plays and got 32 first downs. The team record for plays is 99 (vs. South Dakota State, 1970) and first downs is 33 (vs. Sac State, 2004).
“I was surprised by the first couple of weeks of conference play and how low their scoring was, so we couldn't take them lightly,” UNC defensive tackle Vinny Pallone said. “I knew in the back of my mind that they had offensive weapons and they proved it - especially at the wide receiver position.”
Of the Grizzlies first downs, 17 of them came on pass plays. The last time Montana had four different receivers catch a TD pass was a 45-7 win over Albany in 2002.
Bagley was the only WR to have two scores, including one on a fourth-and-goal play.
“(UNC) blitzed the house a couple of times and that leaves one-on-one coverage and my receivers did a great job of getting open,” Bergquist said.
Closed gate
The odd punt formation used by Northern Colorado is actually quite common in D-I teams, said UNC coach Scott Downing.
The team drops three players back to protect the punter and then spreads the remaining seven guys along the line of scrimmage.
Rutgers and South Florida used it in their game earlier this week, said Downing.
“It takes advantage of everybody having to cover everybody,” he said. “It simplifies the protection and allows us to work on covering.”
UM coach Bobby Hauck calls it “gate protection,” and likes it.
“When you're punting the ball, the first order of business is to get the ball off,” he said. “And it's probably the best in terms of protection.”
Tuff Harris returned a punt for a TD against No. Colorado in Greeley last fall.
One-timer
Montana punter Tyson Johnson should have finished with two punts, but he called his own number - on a fake - to end with just one attempt.
The one punt went for 26 yards, while his run on the fake covered 22 yards and got a first down. Johnson came into the game with a 42.2 yards a punt average.
The last time Johnson punted only once in a game was the 2004 Division I-AA championship game against James Madison University. He now has four, one-punt games in his career.
Johnson, a senior, missed all but one game last season with a knee injury. Griz kicker Dan Carpenter filled in for Johnson and had three games in which he punted just once.
QUICK KICKS: Carpenter drilled a 50-yard field goal for a second week in a row. His 54-yarder last week at Sacramento is a career long. ... Biermann's blocked FG was UM's first since 2005 when Alan Saenz did it vs. NAU ... Former Griz tackle Scott Gragg was honored before the game - and yes, he did his famous somersault. ... Hauck had to be convinced at the press conference that it was Mariani who made the miracle TD grab in the second quarter. “I told Ty Palmer, ‘Nice catch,' ” Hauck said. “Marc did a great job. Even the back judge at halftime, he goes, ‘That was as great a catch as I've seen all year.' He was right back there next to him.”
|
 |
 |
Add your comment now! Write your comment in the form below.
(Email address is for verification only. If you'd like to email a story, look for the link above)