SACRAMENTO, Calif. — In what was a wild week leading up to Montana's game against Sacramento State, the Grizzlies quieted all of the noise with a 49-35 victory over the Hornets to improve to 8-0.
"So we played well in all three phases," UM head coach Bobby Hauck said. "I thought our guys played hard. I thought they played physical. I thought they dominated the physical battle. And the JV was ready tonight."
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All week, the buildup was palpable for the highly anticipated matchup between Montana and Sacramento State.
The banter and outside noise were the talk of many, but the Griz found a way to block it out, focus, and go on the road to a hostile environment at Hornet Stadium.
"I think we've got a very disciplined and mature team," said UM linebacker Peyton Wing, who finished the game with three of Montana's six sacks. "We know what the task is at hand. So I think we got it. We come in and worry about what we need to worry about. You know, all the other outside stuff is outside stuff. Nothing to do with us. We know what we need to do and we took care of it."
"Amazing, man. I mean, it was a lot of talk. They tried to get chippy before (kickoff), try to get us out of our game," UM wide receiver Michael Wortham said. "But at the end of the day, great teams are going to keep winning. We're going to find ways to win each and every day."
The story of the game was the hometown return of Wortham, who again put on a show.
With 50-plus family members in attendance, the Sacramento native scored three touchdowns and put up 238 all-purpose yards as the do-all athlete shined under the national spotlight with some extra motivation.
Wortham finished with seven carries for 89 yards and two touchdowns and also caught five passes for 80 yards and another score. He added 69 yards returning on two kickoffs.
"Fun fact, (Sac State) actually skipped me on recruiting three times out of high school, JuCo, and when I was in the portal," Wortham said. "They said they didn't have enough money for me. I felt like I wanted to prove something. I wanted to prove my worth, you know, and show them what they've been missing, and I'm glad we got the win."
The game was a shootout in the opening half, with Sac State's offense finding plenty of success behind the efforts of quarterback Cardell Williams, running back Rodney Hammond Jr. and wide receiver Ernest Campbell.
But late in the second quarter until the final minutes of the fourth quarter, the Griz defense buckled down while the offense and special teams rolled. The Hornets scored on Hammond's second touchdown of the day to tie it 21-21 with 4:16 to go in the second quarter, and Sac State didn't find paydirt again until garbage time was rolling around with 4:17 left in the game and the Hornets down three scores when Williams trimmed it to 42-28.
"We settled in and we played better," Hauck said. "And one of the things we talked about as a team was if they couldn't run the ball, they couldn't beat us. And that ended up being pretty factual."
Diezel Wilkinson added a pair of sacks in the game and Hayden Schwartz also got home on one. Kenzel Lawler added a pair of tackles for loss while Caleb Otlewski had 1.5 tackles for loss and added a late interception that set up a touchdown run from Malae Fonoti that effectively sealed the game.
It was a statement win for the Griz, who were on the road for just the second time of the season. Keali'i Ah Yat took a huge hit on a touchdown pass to Evan Shafer that made it 35-21 in the third quarter, and after being down for a minute, Ah Yat jumped up, ran to the sideline, brushed it off and finished out the game. He finished the day 16 for 24 for 196 yards and three touchdowns as he connected with Brooks Davis as well for another score.
"Everybody that puts on the maroon and silver is a physical player, and no one's excluded from that," Hauck said. "Keali'i's a tough, physical football player and that was a good throw, and he came back and made more, so good on him."
Eli Gillman finished with 67 yards on 20 carries and one touchdown, a hard-running effort that came in the second quarter to make it 28-21 heading into halftime.
That came after UM's special teams unit came up with a much-needed turnover as Jaxon Fresques muffed a punt after pressure from Geno Leonard. Tanner Huff came up with the ball, putting UM on Sac State's 21-yard line.
Later, the Griz also got another home run on special teams thanks to a fake punt that saw Ty Morrison hit Ian Finch on a 28-yard pass completion on the second play of the fourth quarter, that ultimately led to Wortham's third touchdown the play after that.
"It's a play we've had in since August. It takes a specific situation for me to want to call that," Hauck explained. "It's a shot play. With the offense, it's not a high-percentage throw necessarily, right? And so it's even less with the punt team and the punter throwing it. And they went and executed it pretty well. It's good to see. That was the play that put them away."
From gritty offensive performances, to gutsy special teams moments that shifted momentum, to key defensive stops, and all the drama in between, the game offered everything as Montana rose to the top and improved to 8-0.
"I don't think focus is an issue for this group, ever," Hauck said. "I don't think preparation is an issue. If somebody's good enough, they'll beat us, but they're going to have to outplay us. Nobody's going to out-prepare (us) or be more focused than we are."
