CHENEY, Wash. — Montana's defense, much-maligned in recent weeks, needed a bounce-back performance in the worst way. It came through on Saturday — while setting a new school record for quarterback sacks.
With 11 sacks, 13 tackles for loss and three takeaways, UM's defense did enough to help Montana's offense, which had a few fits and starts, outscore Eastern Washington. It was a change of pace from the previous two games, and it produced a 42-33 win for No. 14-ranked Montana atop "The Inferno" at EWU's Roos Field.
The win stopped the bleeding for the Griz, and improved its record to 6-3 overall and 4-2 in the Big Sky. EWU fell to 2-7 and 1-4 in the league.
Coming off two straight losses and a bye week of self-evaluation, Montana needed an early spark in a must-win situation. Brooks Davis obliged.
On the day's first offensive play, Davis took a short pass from Keali'i Ah Yat and raced 75 yards to the end zone. But the Griz weren't quite their usual selves on offense for three quarters, which required a stand-up performance from the defense.
A huge defensive play occurred late in the first quarter when Montana's Kade Boyd jumped in front of a Nate Bell pass and intercepted the ball, setting UM's offense up at the Eagles' 41-yard line. That helped produce a 4-yard touchdown pass from Ah Yat to Eli Gillman for a 14-3 lead early in the second quarter, a deficit EWU could never quite overcome.
The Eagles did fight back with a TD pass from Bell to Drew Carlson and a second field field goal by Soren McKee — as well as a defensive stand to keep Montana out of the end zone inside the 5-yard line.
But Montana struck on the last play of the first half on a 51-yard Hail Mary caught by Davis off a deflection in the end zone. The play was set up by a return by Davis to midfield on an EWU squib kick. The Griz went into halftime up 21-13.
Eastern pulled within 21-20 in the third quarter, and later picked off Ah Yat for the second time, but then Griz linebacker Tanner Williams intercepted Bell, which set up another Gillman TD and a 28-20 Montana advantage.
KEY SEQUENCE: Eastern pulled within two points, 35-33, with 3:00 remaining on a 28-yard touchdown pass from Bell to Jaxon Branch. Eagles coach Aaron Best chose to go for two at that point, but Montana's defense, true to form, pressured Bell into an impossible throw and the try failed.
Getting the ball back, Montana's offense burned some clock ... but then iced the game with another explosive play. On third down with 2:05 left, Ah Yat slipped a quick screen to Davis — who else? — and he raced untouched 61 yards as the Grizzlies took a two-score lead.
SACK PARTY: From the start, it was obvious Montana could give Bell fits if it brought frequent pressure. That proved true. Four sacks in the first quarter — two by linebacker Clay Oven — set the pace. But that was only the beginning.
Tyler King also dumped the quarterback twice, and the Grizzlies' 11 total sacks broke the program's previous single-game record of 9.5, which came against Cal Poly in 2000.
END-ZONE ELI: In the end, the numbers were there for Montana's offense. And they were definitely there for Gillman, the Grizzlies' legendary running back. Gillman finished the day with 145 rushing yards and two TDs on 24 carries, and the touchdown pass he caught gave him three total for the day.
Gillman now has 73 total career touchdowns, just four shy of matching the all-time Big Sky Conference record of 77 set by former Eastern Washington star wideout Cooper Kupp.
DAVIS AND AH YAT: The connection between Ah Yat and Davis is only getting stronger. On Saturday, Davis caught nine passes for 231 yards and three touchdowns. Much of Davis' damage was done after the catch.
To that end, Ah Yat completed 21 of 28 passes for 327 yards and four touchdowns, making up for his two interceptions. Ah Yat has now thrown for 300 yards in four straight games, becoming the first Griz quarterback to do so since Drew Miller in 1999.
WHAT'S NEXT: Montana returns home next week to take on Portland State at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. The game is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday. Portland State, under first-year coach Chris Fisk, was 2-6 overall (2-3 Big Sky) entering its matchup this week against Idaho at home.
