MISSOULA — The No. 7 Grizzlies host the No. 4 UC Davis Aggies in a game with massive implications when they kick off on national TV at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday in Washington-Grizzly Stadium. The Griz are 7-2 overall, 4-1 in the Big Sky to sit in third place while the Aggies are tied for the conference lead at 8-1, 5-0.
UM has won five straight home games against teams ranked in the top four of the Top 25 poll. The Griz have also won 11 home games in a row against ranked teams. They've even won 13 consecutive home games in November and December. Further, they've won 11 straight night games at Wa-Griz.
Montana opened as a 6.5-point betting favorite as it seeks its first four-game winning streak this season. The over/under is 55.5 points.
Pregame
Montana tight end Cole Grossman is going through warmups for the first time this year. He hasn't played since the 2022 season. He was a preseason All-American this year after having been a Freshman All-American in 2021 and Sophomore All-American in 2022.
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Montana starting left tackle Cannon Panfiloff is going through warmups after exiting last week's game in the second quarter with an injury. He's taking reps with the second-team offense while Dillon Botner is at left tackle with the first-team offense.
Former Grizzlies Dave and Craig Dickenson raise the No. 37 legacy jersey flag prior to kickoff.
Montana wins the coin toss and defers to the second half. UC Davis will receive the opening kickoff.
First quarter
Montana defensive end Hank Nuce makes his second start of the season. Safety Jace Klucewich makes his third consecutive start. UC Davis takes its first timeout with the play clock running down on a third-and-5 from its own 40-yard line. Aggies then look to have the first down, but Samuel Gbatu drops the pass, off his chest. Junior Bergen's first punt return goes for 13 yards.
QB Logan Fife gets the start for Montana. It's his sixth consecutive start. He's started in all six Big Sky games for UM. Dillon Botner starts at LT. Logan Fife 22-yard pass to Sawyer Racanelli, followed by 13-yard scramble. Tight end Cole Grossman on left side of field. Griz go to other side and Junior Bergen catches 23-yard TD as defender falls. 7 plays, 72 yards, 3:30
SCORE: Griz 7, Davis 0, 9:01 left first quarter
UC Davis answers with an 8-play, 75-yard TD drive in 3:16. Trent Tompkins 2-yard TD catch.
Aggies QB Miles Hastings goes 4-of-4 passing for 63 yards that drive after 2-of-4 on first drive. Lan Larison gets his first two catches, for 28 yards.
SCORE: Griz 7, UC Davis 7, 5:45 left 1Q
Montana QB Logan Fife targets TE Cole Grossman for the first time deep over the middle and Grossman bobbles, then drops the ball on third-and-3 from the UM 32-yard line. Griz punt for the first time today. Fife had started 5-of-5 passing for 59 yards before that.
Montana safety Jaxon Lee with a nice open-field tackle against UC Davis running back Lan Larison on third-and-8 to limit the gain to 5 yards and force a punt. Tied 7-7 with 2:28 left in the first quarter.
Montana QB Keali'i Ah Yat makes his first appearance today after Logan Fife got the first two drives. Griz go three and out for the second straight drive. Ah Yat's second-down pass is broken up and nearly intercepted.
UC Davis false starts on back-to-back plays, turning a second-and-10 into a second-and-20. The Griz decline a chop block penalty on second down and Chrishawn Gordon breaks up the third-down pass. Montana forces UC Davis to punt for the third time in four drives today, and the Aggies shank the punt of 23 yards, putting Montana at the 50-yard line.
End first quarter: Montana 7, UC Davis 7
Second quarter
Montana can't take advantage of the good field position starting at the 50-yard line. Griz gain 1 yard and punt for the third time in four drives today. Griz have gone three-and-out three straight drives since starting the game with a touchdown. Tied 7-7 with UC Davis. Montana QBs Logan Fife and Keali'i Ah Yat are a combined 1-of-11 passing for 5 yards since starting the game 5-of-5 for 59 yards.
UC Davis called for third false start. Hayden Harris TFL on Lan Larison direct snap. Delay of game makes it third-and-22. Then a fourth false start makes it third-and-27. Hunter Ridley 42-yard FG from right hash good. 14 plays, 62 yards, 6:30
SCORE: UC Davis 10, Griz 7, 8:16 left 2Q
Logan Fife in for his third drive after he and Ah Yat split first four. He hits Junior Bergen for 14 yards, Montana's first, first down since its first drive. Eli Gillman 24-yard run. Fife intercepted in end zone by Rex Connors. Second INT by Fife, both in past two games.
Montana's defense rises up and forces a three-and-out after the offense had gotten intercepted in the end zone. No return on the punt. Griz get the ball at their own 40-yard line trailing UC Davis 10-7 with 1:47 left in the second quarter and three timeouts left.
Drew Deck 8-yard catch on third-and-6. Later, Keelan White called for illegal touching on a third-and-4 pass. Montana goes for it on fourth-and-4 from the UC Davis 42-yard line and Rex Connors, who just had the interception last drive, breaks up the pass.
UC Davis kicker Hunter Ridley hits a 41-yard field goal to close a drive that included Winston Williams making a 19-yard catch on a pass that Ryder Meyer tipped. 6 plays, 34 yards, 0:37.
SCORE: UC Davis 13, Griz 7, 0:00 left 2Q
Griz QBs Logan Fife and Keali'i Ah Yat are 12-of-22 passing for 110 yards, 1 TD, INT. They're 7-of-17 passing after starting 5-of-5. UM drives: touchdown, three-and-out, three-and-out, three-and-out, interception, turnover on downs. Griz had 72 yards on first drive, 88 yards on five drives since then.
End second quarter: UC Davis 13, Montana 7
Third quarter
This story will be updated.
Frank Gogola is the Senior Sports Reporter at the Missoulian and 406 MT Sports. Follow him on X @FrankGogola or email him at [email protected].
Frank Gogola
Senior Sports Reporter