MISSOULA — The Montana Grizzlies got their revenge on the North Dakota Fighting Hawks with a thrilling 24-23 win Saturday afternoon, and as this team continues to gel, a win like this one is a big step forward.
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In a game where every yard had to be earned for Montana, the Griz had a hard-fought comeback after trailing by nine points in the fourth quarter.
The victory was set up by a 42-yard field goal by Ty Morrison, which put the Griz within one score of the Fighting Hawks.
Then on their next drive, quarterback Keali’i Ah Yat made the two biggest plays of the game, converting a fourth-and-12 to tight end Josh Gale and finding Brooks Davis wide open in the end zone to take the lead with less than two minutes left in the game.
“It's what you dream about, it's what great players are made of,” Ah Yat said. “You play in the backyard and you dream of this stuff, so like, I mean, just grateful for the opportunity. And we had a similar opportunity last year to go ahead and win the game, and I just tried to make the most out of this one.”
Photos: No. 5 Montana surges past No. 16 North Dakota in thriller
Not to be outdone, Montana’s defense also stepped up big in this one, forcing multiple stops throughout while holding North Dakota to 6 for 18 on third down and 0 for 2 on fourth, and only giving up seven points in the second half.
The Griz defense also added an interception by Peyton Wing in the third quarter, which led to a Griz touchdown, bringing a spark to the rest of the team.
It was an impressive showing from a defense that's just two games into playing with one another.
“I love all our guys and we all spent a lot of time together getting to know each other, and I think that really is what starts to show, especially towards the end of the game,” linebacker Elijawah Tolbert said. “Just the chemistry that we are building week in and week out, I think that is what's most important and shows.”
Related: Grizzly Replay: No. 5 Montana vs. No. 16 North Dakota
As the team continues to build that chemistry, head coach Bobby Hauck and the Griz saw this win as a key learning experience for the new faces and up-and-coming players who are still figuring out their roles on the field and alongside each other.
“We have inexperience on our team all across the board. We probably are not ready to win a game of that magnitude, but we did,” Hauck said. "I think as we get into the latter part of this season, if we can keep finding ways to win, we're going to have a terrific football team.”
The Grizzlies now look forward to their next game against Indiana State at Washington-Grizzly Stadium at 1 p.m on Saturday, Sept. 20.
