NFL News NFL News, Reports and Updates
Dec. 9—MISSOULA — To get to their first semifinal home game in 14 seasons, Montana needed Junior Bergen to do something no Griz had done in 21.
There were other big plays made in the Grizzlies’ 35-28 overtime win over Furman Friday at Washington-Grizzly Stadium, including Clifton McDowell’s 13-yard dart to Keelan White for the winning touchdown.
But without Bergen’s 99-yard kickoff return and 59-yard punt return for scores — he now has four punt return TDs, a school record — then McDowell and White don’t get a chance to hook up, and the Griz defense doesn’t get to make a final stand.
“Sometimes games don’t go as smoothly as you like,” Montana coach Bobby Hauck said after his team improved to 12-1 and earned another home playoff game (they’ll find out the opponent, date and time Saturday). “We haven’t had a close game for quite a long time and it was probably good for us to be in a game like that.
“I would say this as well: Good teams find a way to win, but great teams find a way to win when they don’t have their A game and aren’t playing their best. … That is a championship effort by the Montana Grizzlies.”
McDowell was a difference-maker as well, rushing for 118 yards and throwing for 208 against a stalwart Furman defense. His 40-yard burst after a short Furman punt set up his own 8-yard touchdown run for a 14-7 lead.
That was part of a frenetic first quarter that saw the Paladins (10-3) answer Montana’s first two touchdowns with ones of their own, each in less than 90 seconds. McDowell scored at the 6:44 mark; Furman quarterback Tyler Huff tore off a 53-yard touchdown run at 5:21.
Bergen’s first touchdown came on the opening kickoff — working a new return scheme installed Wednesday — and three snaps later Huff hit Colton Hinton for a 70-yard catch and run. That led to Dominic Roberto’s 1-yard run at 13:22…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/griz-return-fcs-semis-140100715.html
Author : Daily Inter Lake, Kalispell, Mont.
Publish date : 2023-12-09 14:01:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
