News you can use

Cat-Griz Report: Griz thump Aggies; Cats stunned in Texas

MISSOULA (AP) — Backup quarterback Shay Smithwick-Hann threw two touchdown passes Saturday to lead Montana to a 47-14 win over Oklahoma Panhandle State.

The No. 9 Grizzlies scored on seven of their first eight possessions as the Division II Aggies fell to 1-3.

Montana starting quarterback Jordan Johnson gave way to Smithwick-Hann late in the first quarter after staking the Grizzlies to a 17-0 lead. Johnson attempted only six passes on the day, one of them a 17-yard scoring strike to Ellis Henderson less than a minute into the game.

Travon Van, on a 2-yard touchdown run, and Ben Worst, with a 50-yard field goal, also scored with Johnson at the helm.

Smithwick-Hann entered the game and threw touchdown passes of 16 yards to Jordan Harper and 9 yards to Taylor Walcott to put Montana (3-0) up 31-0 at the end of the first quarter. UM had eight different players catch passes, and Henderson, Walcott, and true freshman tight end Jordan Harper had one scoring reception each. True freshman John Nguyen had 22 carries for his hard-earned 144 yards.

In the win, the Griz played every active player on the roster Saturday.

Montana travels to Flagstaff, Ariz., Saturday night to face the No. 25 Northern Arizona Lumberjacks in the Griz’ Big Sky Conference opener.

S.F. Austin 52, Bobcats 38

NACOGDOCHES, Texas (AP) — Brady Attaway passed for 392 yards and two touchdowns to lead Stephen F. Austin to a 52-38 victory over Montana State Saturday night.

Attaway was 34-of-56 passing, hitting Mike Brooks and DJ Ward for a pair of Lumberjack touchdowns. Gus Johnson added to the team's potent offense, rushing 26 times for 157 yards and three touchdowns.

The Lumberjacks' (2-2) defense intercepted Montana State's Jake Belskin four times. Bleskin threw for 308 yards and two touchdowns.

The No. 3 Bobcats (2-2) took the lead once during the game early in the fourth quarter on a 2-yard touchdown run by Cody Cook. Cook then caught a Bleskin pass for the 2-point conversion, giving Montana State a 38-31 lead.

“I thought the third quarter was a great example of Bobcat football,” MSU head coach Rob Ash said. “We came out and moved the ball, got ahead by seven points. I was proud of our guys for the effort. I thought we were going to take this down to the wire, but they hit a couple of big passes and that ended up being the difference in the game.”

Three Lumberjack touchdowns followed the Cats taking the lead in the third, including a 25-yard interception return of a Bleskin pass by linebacker Ortavious Hypolite in the final seconds.

The Bobcats remain on the road, opening conference play at the University of North Dakota Saturday in Grand Forks, N.D.

Note: Havre Daily News sports editor George Ferguson contributed to these stories.

 

Reader Comments(0)

 
 
Rendered 03/19/2024 19:41