MISSOULA — Whether it was rushing, passing, receiving or returning kicks, Michael Wortham did it all for Montana on Saturday in leading the Grizzlies to a dramatic 42-38 come-from-behind win at Idaho State.
With 247 all-purpose yards (the most in the Big Sky Conference and sixth-most in the FCS this season), one passing and two rushing touchdowns, and big play after big play, Wortham was everywhere in helping the Griz improve to 5-0 on the season and 2-0 in league play.
With so much single-handed impact, he was named the Big Sky offensive player of the week on Monday, surprisingly, for the first time in his career. For the second time this season he also earned an honorable mention for the Stats Perform FCS national player of the week after picking up a special teams nod week one.
The senior receiver totaled 247 all-purpose yards with 41 yards and two TDs rushing, a career-high 124 receiving yards on six catches and another 82 on kickoff returns. He also added 49 passing yards and a touchdown on 2-of-2 passing for a QB rating of 471.
All told he was involved in five of Montana’s 11 biggest plays of 15 yards or more. His first chunk play was from the quarterback position, rushing it in from 21 yards out to cap UM’s first drive of the game with a score. Later in the second quarter he got on the board again with a touchdown pass to tight end Josh Gale from 16 yards out to convert a third down.
He also set up a big touchdown with his arm, throwing back to quarterback Keali’i Ah Yat on a reverse that put the Griz in the red zone late in the fourth quarter with a 33-yard gain. On the next play he ran it in from 9 yards out to put the Griz up for good.
Wortham now leads both the Big Sky and the FCS in all-purpose yards. Not even halfway through the season and he’s already having one of the best all-purpose years in program history, as well, with 883 total combined rushing, receiving and return yards.
He needs 511 more to enter his name into Montana’s top 20 record book for the most in a single season and will continue chasing Marc Mariani’s 2009 record of 2,265. With a current per-game average of 176.6 and seven regular-season games to play, he’s on pace to be in the record-breaking conversation at the end of the year. He could also be in reach of the Big Sky Conference season record of 2,520 set by another former Eastern Washington Eagle in Jesse Chatman in 2001.
Montana now has five straight wins and at least one Big Sky player of the week after each this season as the Grizzlies sit at the top of the league standings and remain at No. 4 in both major FCS polls this week.
Wortham and the Griz return to Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday for homecoming against Cal Poly. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m., with the annual homecoming parade set to start at 10 a.m. in downtown Missoula. The traditional Friday “Yell Night” pep rally kicks off homecoming celebrations at 8 p.m. in front of Main Hall on the UM campus.
