It began on an ominous note – for Mississippi Valley State.
A dropped kickoff and a false start put the Delta Devils up against their own goal line, just a few yards from a couple thousand screaming fans in Washington-Grizzly Stadium’s north end zone. But a couple of big pass plays quickly moved MVSU from the shadow of their own goal to across Montana’s 93 yards away for a 7-0 lead on Austin Bray’s 3-yard touchdown run.
That Mississippi Valley State was able to so quickly rebound from its start was surprising to just about all 24,607 people in attendance Saturday, it wasn’t so that Montana was able to. But the degree to which Montana bounced back probably was.
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Following MVSU’s 88-yard march, Montana allowed just 58 more the rest of the way. After allowing the Delta Devils to convert three of their first four third downs, Montana held the winless team from the Southwestern Athletic Conference to just one more conversion in 13 attempts.
“We didn’t change anything,” said sophomore linebacker Josh Buss, who anchored the Grizzlies’ school record effort of -61 rushing yards allowed. “I think we just kinda went in with more focus — I guess — that second series. Not that we weren’t focused that first series, but we really locked in and made sure that everyone was executing their job. When we do that as a defense we can be really good.”
Montana forced MVSU, which came to Missoula with just 41 scholarships, into 10 drives of three plays or less and never allowed the Devils more than 30 on any drive from their possessions.
The result propelled Montana into the top two of every major defensive statistical category in the Big Sky Conference except points allowed where the Grizzlies are third behind North Dakota and Montana State at 22.8 per game.
Ahead 50-7 with more than seven minutes remaining in the third, Montana head coach Bob Stitt began replacing his starters with backups. Including a few substitutions along the offensive line and at wide receiver, Stitt rotated quarterbacks Chad Chalich and Reese Phillips in place of Brady Gustafson.
Chalich took over in the second drive of the third quarter and Phillips followed. Neither drive went far, but on Chalich’s second drive he needed to guide the offense just 10 yards after UM senior cornerback TJ Reynard recovered a muffed punt. Chalich, a senior transfer from Idaho, did so with a 2-yard run that pushed Montana’s lead to 57-7.
Phillips, a transfer from Kentucky, came back and drove Montana 46 yards in 12 plays for Brandon Purdy’s 38-yard field goal with 11:09 left in the fourth.
Chalich finished his day 2-of-5 for 14 yards and the rushing touchdown. Phillips, a junior transfer from Kentucky, was 5-of-7 for 35 yards.
“We thought about going two series, two series, but then it gets too long and you’re out of it and then you have to go in after two series,” Stitt said. “I liked the fact that we could just keep their minds in it and they know they’re gonna have the next series. They’re both very valuable to our football team. We’ve got to get them both reps and I thought they did a great job.”
Added Chalich – somewhat it jest, “Our offense came out and played a great first half and I thank Brady and the offense for giving me the opportunity to play. It was just a great team win.”
Montana rolled up 433 yards of offense — 300 of which came through the air – and Gustafson threw four touchdowns for the second consecutive week. But all that production came without the services of redshirt freshman receiver Jerry Louie-McGee.
McGee, who caught 30 passes over the two previous weeks, was held out to let him rest, Stitt said.
“Jerry is one of those guys that he gets banged up and he won’t rest,” Stitt said. “You’ve got to take his pads away and so we’re going to do that at least for a week and rest him up and have him ready to go for the meat of the Big Sky.”
In his place, Montana slid James Homan to the Z receiver spot and brought in Keenan Curran, who didn’t play receiver in the Grizzlies’ homecoming win over Southern Utah, in at X spot. Homan led the Grizzlies with six receptions for 69 yards and a score. Curran caught two balls for 48 yards and two touchdowns.
Montana hosts Sacramento State on Saturday.
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Photos by Jason Bacaj – Skyline Sports. All Rights Reserved.
