Copper and gold clad Griz down Cal Poly
FRITZ NEIGHBOR | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 3 months, 1 week AGO
Grizzlies running back Eli Gillman (10) scores a touchdown on a 13-yard run in the fourth quarter against Cal Poly at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 11. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Grizzlies cornerback Kenzel Lawler (8) returns an interception 21 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter against Cal Poly at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 11. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Grizzlies quarterback Keali'i Ah Yat (8) picks up yardage on a run in the first quarter against Cal Poly at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 11. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Grizzlies cornerback Kenzel Lawler (8) and other defenders stop a run by Cal Poly running back Kendric Sanders (34) in the third quarter at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 11. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Grizzlies running back Eli Gillman (10) celebrates with teammates after 13-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter against Cal Poly at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 11. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Grizzlies wide receiver Michael Wortham (6) catches a 24-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter against Cal Poly at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 11. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Grizzlies safety Brady Beaner (25) celebrates after a play on defense against Cal Poly at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 11. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Grizzlies quarterback Keali'i Ah Yat (8) drops back to pass in the fourth quarter against Cal Poly at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 11. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
Grizzlies wide receiver Michael Wortham (6) picks up yardage on a reception in the third quarter against Cal Poly at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 11. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider
MISSOULA — The Copper-and-Gold Grizzlies are as good at rallies as the Maroon-and-Silver.
Sparked by Kenzel Lawler’s 21-yard pick-6, No. 4-ranked Montana scored the final 28 points to beat stubborn Cal Poly 28-9 in its Homecoming game Saturday at Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
Down 9-0 at halftime, the Grizzlies (6-0 overall, 3-0 in the Big Sky Conference) dominated statistically, 1995-style — wearing old school “Texas Orange” to honor UM’s first national title — over the final 30 minutes.
The fourth quarter saw Keali’i Ah Yat find Michael Wortham with a 24-yard scoring pass, capping a 96-yard drive, and Eli Gillman tear off touchdown runs of 17 and 13 yards.
Held to 38 yards on eight carries before intermission, Gillman finished with 123 yards on 18 attempts.
“They might have beat us on a couple plays the first half but we knew they couldn’t hang with us,” Gillman said. “We were wearing and tearing them down.”
The stats are eye-popping: The Griz outgained the Mustangs (3-4, 1-2 in the Big Sky) 288 yards to 60 after halftime. Thirty-nine of Cal Poly’s yards came on one garbage-time burst from Kendric Sanders.
That first half, though: Cal Poly, a much better squad than the one UM beat 42-7 in San Luis Obispo a year ago, played with tempo on offense. And coordinator Cody vonAppen’s defense was the first to shut out the Griz for a half since Oregon in 2019.
“I told him I was proud of him and the way they planned us,” said Montana coach Bobby Hauck, who was coach in 2008 when vonAppen spent a redshirt year with the Griz. “There were some execution issues by us as well, but a lot of that goes back to them. They shut us out for a long time in that game, and that was frustrating.
“I was kind of proud of our guys not letting the frustration (show). It was very positive in our locker room at halftime, as it should be. Cody had a good plan.”
The Mustangs rode big completions from surprise starter Ty Dieffenbach to 276 yards by halftime. He threw a pick at the 5-yard line to ruin one Mustang drive, but he also hit Brooks Wheatley for a 24-yard touchdown at 12:20 of the second quarter.
Facing a long field with 1:02 left in the first half, Dieffenbach guided the Mustangs 69 yards to a 27-yard field goal — hitting Logan Booher with a 38-yard pass along the way.
“They hit us down the field a couple times on passes,” Hauck said. “I thought Timm (Rosenbach, Cal Poly’s O-coordinator) had a nice plan the first half. They were switching tempos and they were guessing with us, man or zone, a little bit. Caught us on a couple things.”
Then it all switched. Dieffenbach, who started Cal Poly’s first three games this season, had his first pass of the third quarter picked by Lawler, getting Montana on the board. The Mustangs’ next two possessions went 3-and-out; a great punt after the second left Montana at its on 4.
Fourteen plays later Ah Yat hit Wortham for six points and Montana was up 14-9 with 13:36 left in the game.
Dieffenbach threw high on Cal Poly’s next possession and UM’s Price Ford picked off the tipped pass. Montana didn’t cash in, but the Mustangs brought in Bo Kelly — he started their last two games — for two series that went nowhere.
In between, Drew Deck’s 20-yard punt return set up the Griz at midfield. Three Gillman carries later, Montana led 21-9.
Gillman capped another 14-play drive, this one covering 75 yards, with 1:55 left — after which Dieffenbach returned and threw his fourth pick. He threw for 5 yards after halftime and finished 15 of 33 for 225 yards.
Ah Yat was 27 of 41 passing for 257 yards, with an end zone interception in the first half. Gilman caught five passes for 43 yards; Wortham caught 10 for 84, and Brooks Davis picked up 56 yards and six catches. Stevie Rocker, Jr., had 38 yards rushing and 50 receiving.
The Griz are still unbeaten, heading into a non-conference home game with Sacred Heart next Saturday. They’ll be back in maroon for that one.
“I think it’s awesome,” Hauck, a UM alumnus, said of the throwback uniforms. “It’s cool for people in our generation who went to this place. I thought our team looked great and they played great.”
Grizzlies cornerback Kenzel Lawler (8) returns an interception 21 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter against Cal Poly at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 11. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Grizzlies quarterback Keali'i Ah Yat (8) picks up yardage on a run in the first quarter against Cal Poly at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 11. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Grizzlies cornerback Kenzel Lawler (8) and other defenders stop a run by Cal Poly running back Kendric Sanders (34) in the third quarter at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 11. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Grizzlies running back Eli Gillman (10) celebrates with teammates after 13-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter against Cal Poly at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 11. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Grizzlies wide receiver Michael Wortham (6) catches a 24-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter against Cal Poly at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 11. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Grizzlies safety Brady Beaner (25) celebrates after a play on defense against Cal Poly at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 11. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Grizzlies quarterback Keali'i Ah Yat (8) drops back to pass in the fourth quarter against Cal Poly at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 11. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
Grizzlies wide receiver Michael Wortham (6) picks up yardage on a reception in the third quarter against Cal Poly at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 11. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)Casey Kreider
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