Griz rock Hornets; Cats lose at Cal Poly

MISSOULA (AP) — The Montana Grizzlies' defense didn't take kindly to having 42 points dropped on them last week, and they responded in a big way Saturday afternoon.

Montana (6-3, 4-1 Big Sky) allowed 13 points and Jordan Canada rushed for 109 yards and two touchdowns to help No. 12 Montana past Sacramento State in a 31-13 Big Sky Conference win.

Garrett Safron punched in a TD from the one with 32 seconds left to give Sacramento State (4-5, 1-4) its only touchdown. Safron finished 27 of 48 for 262 yards.

"I told them before the game, 'I want you to make this the most miserable day of his entire career,' and I think we did that a bit today, I really do," Montana coach Mick Delaney said.

Jordan Johnson stepped out of the game early in the fourth, finishing 13-21 for 143 yards and a touchdown for Montana. Johnson's 42-yard option run early set up Jordan Canada for a 2-yard touchdown for Montana's first score.

Kendrick Van Ackeren came up with a tip-drill interception off Safron's throw soon after, zig-zagging his way 59 yards down the field to set up a 29-yard Daniel Sullivan field goal for Montana.

"When I got the ball, it almost felt like I was 185 pounds again for a second," Van Ackeren said. "I think that's the longest I've ran in six years."

Travon Van snuck in standing on a 7-yard touchdown run and Canada continued the trend by bouncing off the line and to the outside on a 68-yard touchdown run.

Sacramento State edged Montana in total yards and time of possession in the loss.

"I think our defense today was tremendous," said Delaney, whose squad moved to 5-0 at home. "To take (QB) Garrett Safron, who is averaging 39 (points) a game, and to hold them to six points was incredible."

The Grizzlies are now one of six teams with one loss in a crazy Big Sky. Montana play one of those teams this Saturday when the Griz travel to Cheney, Washington for their much-anticpiated showdown with the Eastern Washington Eagles.

Cal Poly 35, Bobcats 27

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (AP) — Chris Brown passed for one touchdown and ran for two more and Karlton Dennis had a late interception to help Cal Poly hold off No. 9 Montana State for a 35-27 win Saturday night.

Cal Poly (6-3, 5-1 Big Sky) is one of six teams with just one loss in conference play. Eastern Washington is also 5-1. Saturday night’s win over the Bobcats was the second straight win for the Mustangs over a Montana school.

Clinging to a 28-27 lead, Cal Poly took possession at its own 21 with 10:40 to play. The Mustangs marched 79 yards on 17 plays — all runs — capped by 2-yard touchdown from Brown with 2:38 remaining.

Gunnar Brekke returned the ensuing kickoff 31 yards and Montana State (6-3, 4-1) took over at its own 43. Seven plays later, on fourth-and-2 from the 19, Dakota Prukop's pass was intercepted by Karlton Dennis.

"It was an all-or-nothing type play," said Bobcat coach Rob Ash. "We'd been running power successfully all day, so we wanted to set it up so they'd attack power and run Gunnar Brekke out of the backfield on a wheel route. If they had a guy disciplined enough to cover that, and Tiai (Salanoa) was covered on the secondary route, then you tip your hat to them."

Brown passed for 107 yards and added 97 of Cal Poly's 376 rushing yards. Kori Garcia had 124 yards and a score on 17 carries.

MSU led at the half, but Cal Poly scored on its first drive of the third quarter, a 23-yard Chris Brown pass to Mitch Kelly, to set up a see-saw finish. MSU answered with an Anthony Knight touchdown run of four yards, then Brandon Howe rumbled 24 yards for a touchdown to put the Mustangs back in the lead. Montana State's next possession ended in a 41-yard Luke Daly field goal, which drew the Cats to within 28-27.

Prukop finished with 129 yards rushing — his fourth 100-yard game this year — and 167 yards passing. Gunnar Brekke rushed for 49 yards, and Anthony Knight 48 and two scores. Khari Garcia (15 tackles), Alex Singleton (14) and Cole Moore (12) all had double-digit tackle totals.

"It was a classic game," Ash said. "It's exactly how I thought it would go. We were able to move the ball all night, and I really thought we'd be able to get it in the end zone on the last drive and get it to overtime. But they made a play to seal up the game."

The Bobcats will look to rebound when they host Portland State this Saturday in Bozeman.

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