Keali'i Ah Yat throws two TD passes, No. 9 Montana shuts down Northern Colorado

GREELEY, Colo. – It wasn't always pretty or energetic, but No. 9-ranked Montana did what it needed to in a 24-0 shutout over Northern Colorado at sun-drenched Nottingham Field on Saturday.

UM's defense intercepted three passes and quarterback Keali'i Ah Yat was effective in his first action in three weeks as the Grizzlies won their second straight game.

Tommy Martino/Montana Athletics

After a bye, the Griz improved to 6-2 overall and 3-1 in the Big Sky and stayed close to the top of the conference race.

“In modern college football, shutting people out is a monumental achievement, and I was really glad we were able to do it,” said head coach Bobby Hauck. “I think our guys kind of embraced it in the fourth quarter.

“We played a lot of guys that hadn't played against a lot of guys the last few drives and they took it upon themselves to finish the game and I was happy about that.”

Logan Fife got the starting quarterback for Montana, but Ah Yat got the lion's share of the meaningful snaps. Ah Yat finished the game with 149 yards and two passing TDs, outscoring his UNC counterpart Kia'i Keone; both played high school football at Kapalama High School in Honolulu.

Neither team's first possession produced any points. But after a personal foul on linebacker Riley Wilson gave UNC a first down on the second drive, a Keone pass at the line of scrimmage was deflected by Ryan Tirrell and intercepted by Montana's Jace Klucewich.

That led to a drive dominated by Eli Gillman, which the sophomore capped with a 4-yard touchdown run to give the Griz a 7-0 lead.

Trailing by a touchdown, UNC was on the rise in the second quarter looking for the tying points. But an errant throw from Keone deflected off the hands of his intended receiver and landed at the UM 3-yard line into the arms of Montana's Caleb Otlewski.

The Grizzlies eventually took a 14-0 lead on a short TD pass from Ah Yat to Ian Finch with less than a minute left in the first half.

Montana immediately increased its lead in the third quarter when a 76-yard kickoff return by Xavier Harris gave the Griz the lead at the UNC 24 and Ty Morrison hit a 47-yard field goal to make it 17-0.

Later in the third, after an interception by Jaxon Lee, Ah Yat and Gillman connected on a 9-yard scoring pass that gave the Griz a 24-0 lead. It was the culmination of a 16-play, 87-yard drive.

Montana stopped the Bears on fourth down inside the red zone early in the fourth quarter to maintain the shutout.

Turning point: After UM's defense forced a punt in the later stages of the second quarter, Ah Yat put a nice throw into the hands of Harris for a 35-yard gain down the right sideline.

Nick Ostmo followed with a 22-yard run inside the 5, and then Ah Yat rolled out and found Finch for a 2-yard touchdown throw as the Grizzlies took a decisive two-possession lead, 14-0, with 31 seconds left -Took the lead at break.

Statistics of the game: Montana's defense entered Saturday with just two interceptions in its first seven games, but intercepted three passes on the day. Otlewski's interception at UM's 3 was particularly important as it prevented the Bears from potentially tying the game.

Grizzly game balls: QB Keali'i Ah Yat (Attack). Ah Yat suffered an injury against Western Carolina on September 21 and had limited play two weeks later against Weber State, but this was his most significant action in Big Sky play. He delivered two passing touchdowns and no turnovers.

DE Hayden Harris (defense). Everyone on UM's defense stepped up, but Harris again led the team in tackles for loss (two solo) and helped the Griz to their first shutout of the year.

KR Xavier Harris (special teams). Any time you can break a big shot in the kicking game, it helps your cause. Harris opened the third quarter with a 76-yard return that allowed the Grizzlies to extend their lead.

What's next?: The Grizzlies continue their road tour next Saturday when they take on Cal Poly at Mustang Memorial Field. Montana is 18-5 and has won three straight.

Kickoff is at 3:00 p.m. Mountain Time and the game will be broadcast by Scripps Sports.

Northern Colorado (1-7, 1-3) will also be on the road next week, facing another Big Sky contender, UC Davis.