PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland State startled Montana right off the bat Saturday afternoon at Providence Park.
But order was eventually restored and the No. 2-ranked Grizzlies — propelled by an interception-happy defense — went on to a 63-17 blowout win to remain undefeated (11-0, 7-0 Big Sky) and in prime contention for the conference championship.
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Nevertheless, it was an interesting start.
The Vikings pooched the opening kickoff against the unsuspecting Griz, who muffed it away to PSU’s Pierce Walker. Two plays later Tyrese Smith scored on a 7-yard run to put Portland State up 7-0.
Montana’s next drive ended with a missed field goal and the Vikings’ offense then moved to the UM 27, but that’s when Montana started patrolling the air.
Griz safety T.J. Rausch intercepted PSU’s John-Keawe Sagapolutele — the first of Rausch’s two picks — and returned it 51 yards to help set up a 4-yard touchdown run by Eli Gillman to tie the game. Gillman ended the first quarter with a 60-yard sprint straight up the gut to the end zone to put Montana in front.
Griz defensive back Micah Harper later intercepted PSU’s Smith in the second quarter and returned it 54 yards, which helped produce a 15-yard touchdown run by quarterback Keali’i Ah Yat and a 21-7 lead before halftime.
After the initial craziness, Montana took over by playing complementary football — five Griz interceptions directly led to 35 points.
PICK-OFF PARTY: Interceptions by Rausch and Harper allowed the Grizzlies to gain separation in the first half, and another by linebacker Peyton Wing at the outset of the third quarter led to a 4-yard touchdown throw from Ah Yat to Brooks Davis for a 28-10 advantage.
After Rausch’s second interception, Ah Yat made an easy 27-yard scoring throw to tight end Josh Gale to make it 35-10. Cy Stevenson also snared a tipped pass for the Griz in the fourth.
Montana’s defense has now intercepted 18 passes this season, which ranks No. 1 in the Big Sky and at the top of the FCS.
HELLO, DAD: Portland State’s special teams coordinator is Robby Hauck, son of Montana head coach Bobby Hauck. The elder Hauck has a reputation as a special teams sage, but the younger Hauck pulled a fast one on his dad with the surprise opening kickoff.
Robby Hauck joined the Portland State coaching staff in 2023 following a standout career at Montana as a safety. Though the initial gambit paid off on Saturday, the Vikings simply didn’t have the horses to keep up with the Grizzlies.
ELI ERUPTS (AGAIN): If Montana had planned to take a few hits off of Gilman in this game (and their other top players, for that matter), it worked out perfectly. But not before Gillman made a huge impact.
Gillman’s two touchdown runs — his 60-yarder was an impressive burst of speed straight up the middle — seemed to settle the Grizzlies during a wild first quarter. Gillman ended the game with 81 yards on just 10 attempts. He now has 1,129 rushing yards and 16 rushing touchdowns this season, both tops in the Big Sky.
WHAT’S NEXT: Now it’s time for the big one. Montana will next host longtime rival Montana State in the 124th edition of the historic cross-state football rivalry.
The Brawl of the Wild will kick off at noon next Saturday in Missoula, possibly with the outright league championship and potentially a top-two seed for the FCS playoffs hanging in the balance. The hot rumor all week was that ESPN’s College GameDay might broadcast its preview show from campus. The game will air on the Montana Television Network.
The Grizzlies lead the all-time series 74-43-5, but Montana State holds an 11-10 edge since it snapped UM’s 16-game winning streak in 2002. Since Washington-Grizzly Stadium opened in 1986 Montana has beaten the Bobcats in 14 out of 19 matchups in Missoula, including in both 2021 and 2023. The home team has won each of the past five meetings.
