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12/13 18:03 CST Montana reaches FCS semifinals for 12th time with 52-22 win
over South Dakota
Montana reaches FCS semifinals for 12th time with 52-22 win over South Dakota
MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) --- Keali'i Ah Yat threw three touchdown passes, two of
them of 50-plus yards to Michael Wortham, and Montana flew past South Dakota
52-22 on Saturday in a quarterfinal of the FCS playoffs.
The third-seeded Grizzlies (13-1) advanced to the semifinals for the 12th time
and will play archrival No. 2 Montana State.
Montana dominated South Dakota from the start, driving 75 yards on the game's
opening possession. Ah Yat's 1-yard touchdown pass to Drew Deck gave the
Grizzlies a 7-0 lead and Ah Yat's 53-yard touchdown pass to Wortham made it
24-0 in the second quarter.
The Coyotes made it 24-7 heading to halftime when L.J. Phillips Jr. scored on a
23-yard run.
Deck's FCS playoff record 93-yard punt return touchdown early in the third
quarter made it 31-7 and Ah Yat and Wortham connected on a 51-yard touchdown to
make it 38-7.
South Dakota rallied on two touchdown passes by Aidan Bouman --- 69 yards to
Jack Martens and 20 yards to Tysen Boze to make it 38-22 with 8:42 remaining.
The Grizzlies responded with an 82-yard drive, highlighted by a unique
trick-play in which Wortham caught a pass on a short slant then threw a
backward pass across the field to Eli Gillman who took it for a 20-yard gain to
the South Dakota 29-yard line. Wortham finished the drive with an 11-yard
touchdown run and a 45-22 lead with 2:40 remaining.
Hashim Jones capped the scoring with a 20-yard run in the final minute.
Ah Yat threw for 305 yards. Wortham had 201 yards receiving on 11 catches plus
43 yards rushing on three carries to lift him to the Montana record for
all-purpose yards in a single season.
Bouman had 231 yards passing and Martens had 93 yards receiving for the Coyotes
(10-5).
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