Cat-Griz Report: Bobcats make a statement at UND

GRAND FORKS, N.D. (AP) - Chris Murray threw three touchdown passes and ran in another score Saturday to lead Montana State to a 49-21 win over No. 17 North Dakota in the Big Sky Conference opener for both teams.

Murray was 15 of 19 for 174 yards, connecting with Wilson Brott and Jabarri Johnson on short scoring throws in the first half and with Kevin Kassis for a 44-yard touchdown pass late in the third quarter. He added another 132 yards on the ground, including a fourth quarter touchdown from the one to cap the scoring.

Troy Andersen finished with 131 yards on 22 carries and two touchdowns, a short plunge from the 2 and a 27-yard scoring run in the fourth, as Montana State (1-2) raced out to a 21-0 lead midway through the second quarter and never trailed. Also scoring for the Bobcats was Logan Jones with a 13-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.

North Dakota (1-3) got its first points off an interception when Jake Disterhaupt picked off Murray and returned it 37 yards for the TD. Reid Taubenheim kicked a 37-yard field goal at the end of the first half to cut the deficit to 28-10, and Brady Oliveira had a 34-yard touchdown run in the third quarter with the Fighting Hawks getting the two-point conversion.

"It's a good feeling, but as I told the guys this isn't a playoff game, this is a play-in game," MSU head coach Jeff Choate said after his squad derailed the Fighting Hawks' 11-game league win streak. "This gives us the right to talk about some things in the conference play."

The Bobcats come back to Bozeman to host Weber State this Saturday.

E. Washington 48, Griz 41

MISSOULA (AP) - Gage Gubrud's second trip to Washington-Grizzly Stadium was much more enjoyable.

Gubrud threw for a program-record 549 yards and four touchdowns, keying a second-half comeback in Eastern Washington's 48-41 win over Montana on Saturday night in a Big Sky Conference opener for both teams.

It was Eastern Washington's first victory in Missoula since 2013, and just the second since 2005,

The Eagles (2-2, 1-0) trailed 24-6 after a mistake-filled first half, capped by Montana's 44-yard TD pass from Gresch Jensen to Justin Calhoun as the half ended.

"After that Hail Mary there was a lot of wind blown out of our sails," said first-year Eastern Washington coach Aaron Best. "We talked about it in the locker room, that one play doesn't define a game. They executed immensely in the second half."

The Eagles scored 42 points in the second half.

"Way better," said Gubrud, who broke his own single-game passing record of 520 yards. "We got beat real bad (57-16) last time." That was in 2015, in Bob Stitt's first year as Montana head coach and Gubrud's freshman season.

"We kind of started the second half offensively like we did the first," Stitt said. "We didn't make some plays to help our defense out. Our defense just defended a lot of plays - 96 plays is a lot."

The Grizzlies took advantage of a Gubrud fumble at his own 32 for a 2-yard scoring run from Jeremy Calhoun. That put Montana up 14-3 at 3:05 of the first quarter.

Gubrud, who also ran for a touchdown, sandwiched touchdown passes to Sam McPherson around a 32-yarder to Dre' Sonte Dorton.

McPherson's second touchdown catch on a 50-yard throw from Gubrud tied the game at 27-27.

Montana (2-2, 0-1) jumped back in front on a 14-yard scoring run from Alijah Lee, but Eastern Washington scored the next 21 points. Gubrud's 3-yard scoring run tied it, and he tossed a 3-yard TD pass to Nic Sblendorio to put the Eagles up for good, 41-34, with 6:49 left.

Eastern's final score came on a 10-yard run from Antoine Custer, Jr., after Montana gave up the ball on downs at its own 20.

Gubrud, a junior, also had a 24-yard scoring pass to Brandon Purdy in the first half. Sblendorio had 18 catches for 189 yards. If Markell Sanders hadn't picked off Gubrud in the third quarter, Gubrud may have been more dominant. As it was he bought time and found receivers alone

in the flat all game.

"They did everything that they that we'd do (on defense)," said

Gubrud, who was 44 of 65 passing. "They were just who we saw on film and so we were ready for it."

Jensen, a redshirt freshman making his first start in place of injured Reese Phillips, threw for 358 yards and two scores. He had a 2-yard run to cap a 78-yard drive to give Montana a 7-3 lead midway through the first quarter. The Griz stretched the lead to 14-3 after Jeremy Calhoun scored from two yards out with 3:05 to play in the first.

Jensen's second touchdown pass went to Sammy Akem with 50 seconds left in the game. Montana tried to onside kick but it went out of bounds.

The Grizzlies' offense faltered in the second half, leaving a

defense that came up with a fumble and interception but still ran out of gas. Josh Buss had 17 tackles and a sack.

Montana is now on the road for two straight, starting with a trip to Portland State this Saturday.

Note: Havre Daily News sports editor George Ferguson contributed to this story.