MISSOULA — The Montana Grizzlies earned their 28-9 homecoming victory against Cal Poly with clutch defensive plays and a strong running game, and they did it all while sporting an old-school look.
WATCH THE VIDEO:
From the moment the Griz entered the field, the game had a different feel to it as the team donned the throwback copper and gold jerseys as an homage to the 30th anniversary of the 1995 national championship team.
While the throwback look got an exciting reaction from the fans, head coach Bobby Hauck and the team were honored to pay tribute to the great players who came before them.
“Oh, I think it’s awesome, it’s cool for people in our generation at this place,” Hauck said. “It’s really cool. I mean, it's fun to have that, and I thought our team looked great and they played great.”
Photos: Montana closes out Cal Poly for 28-9 homecoming victory
Although the Griz looked great from the start of the game, it took a while for the offense to get going after the Griz were held scoreless with only 146 total yards in the first half.
However, the defense held strong throughout the game, allowing only nine points and forcing three interceptions while only giving up one first down in the second half.
The first points of the game for Montana came from their defense when cornerback Kenzel Lawler picked off Cal Poly and ran it back 21 yards into the end zone for the pick-6.
“I just felt like it was one of those moments where I had an opportunity to just do the best job I could for my team,” Lawler said. “I was able to seize it in that moment, and I'm just grateful for it."
Grizzly Replay: No. 4 Montana vs. Cal Poly
That interception seemed to be the spark the Griz needed. They eventually took the lead on a 26-yard touchdown reception by Michael Wortham, and two late fourth-quarter touchdowns by Eli Gillman sealed the victory for the Griz.
Gillman ended his day with 123 rushing yards on 18 attempts.
“We could feel it shift a whole lot,” Gillman said. “We see those dudes make those plays in practice. I mean, it sucks for offense at the time, but it's also sweet because we are a team at the end of the day. So, we just know it's like we got to go do our job now. I mean, they're helping us out all game. We just have to go help them out, as well.”
Montana will look to stay undefeated when it faces its next opponent, Sacred Heart, at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 18.
