FARMINGTON, Utah (Dec. 5, 2021) - After a pair of impressive wins by Montana and Montana State over the weekend, the Griz and Bobcats each advance to the Quarterfinals of the FCS Playoffs as the Big Sky Conference seeks another deep postseason run for the league.
Montana won its rematch with Eastern Washington on Friday night, while Montana State ran past UT Martin on Saturday afternoon. Sacramento State scored 19-unanswered points but couldn't overcome South Dakota State and give the Big Sky its third quarterfinal team.
Montana earned an impressive 57-41 victory at home against Eastern Washington to secure the program's 14th appearance in the Quarterfinals of the FCS Playoffs. The No. 6 Griz travel to Harrisonburg, Virginia, on Friday, Dec. 10 to take on No. 3 James Madison, with kickoff slated for 5:00 p.m. MT. The matchup will be televised on ESPN2 and marks the second time Montana has appeared on the network this season.
Montana State rushed for 387 yards and ran the ball on 60 of its 80 offensive plays, as the Bobcats earned a 26-7 victory over UT Martin at home on Saturday. The win propels No. 8 Montana State into the Quarterfinals for the second-straight season (2019, 2021) as the Bobcats travel to Huntsville, Texas, on Saturday, Dec. 11 to take on No. 1 Sam Houston, with kickoff slated for 6:30 p.m. MT. The game will be aired on ESPN+.
Below is a recap of each game from this past week.
Montana 57, Eastern Washington 41
UM Recap
MISSOULA, Montana (Dec. 3, 2021) - No. 6 Montana got its sweet revenge in the second round of the FCS Playoffs, as the Griz dominated Eastern Washington in a high-scoring affair, 57-41. Cam Humphrey threw three touchdown passes, and the Griz defense forced two turnovers, a pair of sacks and five QB hurries to limit the high-powered Eagle offense. Despite allowing 530 passing yards, the Montana defense held EWU to just 78 yards on the ground.
Montana State 26, UT Martin 7
MSU Recap
BOZEMAN, Montana (Dec. 4, 2021) - No. 8 Montana State rushed for nearly 400 yards on the ground, while limiting UT Martin to just 178 total yards of offense as the Bobcats ran away with a 26-7 victory on a windy, frustrating day for the visiting Skyhawks. Freshman Tommy Mellott made his first start at quarterback, scoring two touchdowns and racking up 180 yards rushing for the Bobcats. Isaiah Ifanse had 176 yards of his own on the ground and scored a fourth-quarter touchdown to put the game out of reach.
South Dakota State 24, Sac State 19
SAC Recap
SACRAMENTO, California (Dec. 4, 2021) - Despite falling behind 24-0 in the first half, No. 4 Sacramento State fought its way back and scored 19-unanswered points to nearly pull off an amazing comeback but ultimately fell 24-19 to visiting South Dakota State. The Hornets battled back in the second half as they limited South Dakota State to just 68 yards of total offense while gaining 281 of their own. The loss wraps up a historic season for Sacramento State which finished the year with a 9-3 overall record and won the Big Sky Conference with a perfect 8-0 mark.
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