The Montana football team didn't have much luck in the Dodge Red Zone early in Saturday's game. Try as they might, the Griz couldn't make their way to the Goody's Headache Powder goal line.
It took almost 22 minutes before they broke the ice with a field goal. It carried just over the Coors Light crossbar, which supports the Grandma's Cookies goal post.
For the record, only the red zone has a new sponsor at Washington-Grizzly Stadium this season, but that's plenty. Especially when fans are constantly being reminded how Montana's offense has entered the Dodge Red Zone, and then the Griz can't come through with a score.
Missed opportunities were beginning to get on the fans' nerves in the opening frame Saturday. The Grizzlies' first four series netted zero points, even though the first one started on the Southern Utah 33-yard line and the second reached the SUU 7.
The frustration peaked on a missed 47-yard field goal by Russell Schey at the end of the first period, drawing boos from a record crowd of 25,056 (hey folks, if we're going to boo a freshman kicker, why don't we just go ahead and boo the new inflatable mascot, too!)
It's times like these when a poised senior quarterback comes in handy. Someone like Cole Bergquist, who probably deserves more credit than he's been given over the past two seasons for his uncanny ability to free himself, and his team, from sticky situations.
By his own admission, Bergquist made a few too many mistakes in Montana's debut win at Cal Poly. Then in Saturday's home opener, he found himself struggling again, throwing an interception to start the game and misfiring on 8 of 15 passes before coach Bobby Hauck pulled him out because “he got a little banged up and wasn't available.”
Just exactly what happened to Bergquist remains a mystery. He wasn't permitted to talk to the media after Saturday's game.
But we do know Bergquist left the game with his team comfortably in front, 17-0. Kind of impressive considering his slow start, and the fact Montana's running backs managed only 59 yards in the first half, and the fact the Griz QB was “banged up.”
He still threw for two touchdowns and ran for 31 yards. And his last pass of the day was his best. He hit Marc Mariani for a 66-yard scoring strike that brought the fans to their feet with 5:23 left in the first half.
“That was a great throw,” Mariani said. “It was cover 2. I just got down the sideline in the seam and he put it right where it needed to be. Luckily I was one step ahead of the safety. It was a great throw and it worked out for us.”
Bergquist finds ways to win when things aren't going well. He's won 13 times in 14 starts since the beginning of his junior season. The only blemish came in the playoffs last season after he heroically led the Griz on a late drive to set up a potential game-winning field goal.
The California Kid sparked his team to a 2-0 start Saturday by staying patient when the fans grew testy. He ran for critical yards - just like he did at Cal Poly. He resisted the temptation to force a pass, then threw two TD strikes to put the strut back in the struggling young Grizzlies.
You come to realize just how important Bergquist is when things aren't clicking.
“He's learned and he's mature enough to handle those things,” Hauck said. “A lot of attention goes to the quarterback, but he's essentially at the controls.
“When he's composed and confident when things aren't going the way you want 'em to - and we had a chance early on to really ring them up quick, and we didn't - it's a good thing for your team.”
As understatements go, that's a pretty big one. Deserving of a Budweiser-sized sponsor.
Sports columnist Bill Speltz may be reached at 523-5255 or bill.speltz@lee.net.
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