Montana 49, Sam Houston St. 24
12/8/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) - Montana's offense clicked in the first half and its defense picked off passes in the second as the Grizzlies advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs with a 49-24 victory over Sam Houston State.
Top-ranked Montana (13-1) scored on all five of its possessions in the first half to take a 35-10 lead and the Grizzlies had five interceptions and a fumble recovery in the second half in the team's 12th straight victory.
Next Saturday, Montana plays host to Northern Iowa (11-2), a 56-28 victor over Maine in another quarterfinal game.
"John Edwards played with a flair and took the team with him," said Montana coach Joe Glenn. "Everybody was clicking. We got out to a 35-10 lead and it was just to much for them on this particular day."
Coach Ron Randleman agreed the early lead was too much for his Bearkats (10-3).
"It makes it difficult when you're trying to play catch-up," Randleman said. "Whenever you can jump out to a nice lead, then you can relax and play a lot differently.
"If you're scrambling to catch up, then it's pretty easy to have some turnovers and that kind of thing because you're out of your plan and you're out of your rhythm."
Edwards, who was ineffective as Montana was shut out in the first half of last week's first-round game, completed 16 of 19 passes for 270 yards and rushed for 43 yards and two touchdowns in the first 30 minutes Saturday.
"He was on his game from the get-go," Glenn said. "He took off and never looked back. He played with confidence."
Montana's defense forced six turnovers in the second half, including two interceptions each by Johnnie Peeples and Vince Huntsberger.
But the Grizzlies failed to capitalize on Huntsberger's first interception of the season, or on a fumble forced by Peeples and recovered by Dan Orizotti.
"They figured out our protection, or one of 'em anyway," Edwards said. "They'd bring one more guy on that side than we had to block. We did two series really trying to figure out what it was.
"The next series, we did come out and fix it. We just didn't make plays," he said.
Peeples returned an interception 25 yards for a touchdown to give Montana a 42-16 lead with 3:41 remaining in the third quarter.
"He never saw the ball," Peeples said of his first touchdown at UM. "I broke on it and made a big play. I knew I had it all the way. The guys were ahead of me. I was definitely going to the house."
Etu Molden's second touchdown pass, a 41-yarder from backup quarterback Brandon Neill, gave Montana a 49-16 lead with 13:33 remaining. That score came one play after an interception by Calvin Coleman.
Sam Houston's final score came on a 56-yard pass from Josh McCown to Corey Zeno with 9:29 remaining.
McCown passed for 344 yards and two second-half touchdowns and ran for 10 yards and a first quarter score that tied the game at 7.
Sam Houston's other score came on a 29-yard field goal by Alex St. Peter with 1:32 left in the half to pull the Bearkats to 28-10.
Montana ran six plays in 1:12 and Edwards scored his second touchdown on a 2-yard run with 20 seconds left in the half.
Jonathon Cooper caught nine passes for 117 yards, including an 8-yard touchdown pass from McCown to pull Sam Houston to 35-16 with 6:41 left in the third quarter.
"Our offense is capable of making big plays. We're capable of having a great game. But they were a better team," Cooper said.
Edwards, who has bruised ribs, completed 19 of 25 passes for 278 yards and ran for 31 yards before leaving the game late in the third quarter.
"I think it was just a precautionary deal," Edwards said. "I was satisfied with our lead at the time."
Molden caught eight passes for 138 yards, including a 19-yard touchdown pass from wide receiver T.J. Oelkers to put Montana up 21-7 with 12:46 left in the half.
"I just got it in my hand," said Oelkers of the pitch from Edwards. "I didn't have the laces, but I saw Etu open so I just threw it in there."
Sam Houston held Montana's career rushing leader Yohance Humphery to just 39 yards on the ground, nearly 100 yards below his average.
Humphery did catch three passes for 50 yards, including a 38-yard pass play on Montana's first play from scrimmage. He scored Montana's first touchdown on a 3-yard run five minutes into the game and put Montana up 28-7 midway through the second quarter on a 4-yard run.
Top-ranked Montana (13-1) scored on all five of its possessions in the first half to take a 35-10 lead and the Grizzlies had five interceptions and a fumble recovery in the second half in the team's 12th straight victory.
Next Saturday, Montana plays host to Northern Iowa (11-2), a 56-28 victor over Maine in another quarterfinal game.
"John Edwards played with a flair and took the team with him," said Montana coach Joe Glenn. "Everybody was clicking. We got out to a 35-10 lead and it was just to much for them on this particular day."
Coach Ron Randleman agreed the early lead was too much for his Bearkats (10-3).
"It makes it difficult when you're trying to play catch-up," Randleman said. "Whenever you can jump out to a nice lead, then you can relax and play a lot differently.
"If you're scrambling to catch up, then it's pretty easy to have some turnovers and that kind of thing because you're out of your plan and you're out of your rhythm."
Edwards, who was ineffective as Montana was shut out in the first half of last week's first-round game, completed 16 of 19 passes for 270 yards and rushed for 43 yards and two touchdowns in the first 30 minutes Saturday.
"He was on his game from the get-go," Glenn said. "He took off and never looked back. He played with confidence."
Montana's defense forced six turnovers in the second half, including two interceptions each by Johnnie Peeples and Vince Huntsberger.
But the Grizzlies failed to capitalize on Huntsberger's first interception of the season, or on a fumble forced by Peeples and recovered by Dan Orizotti.
"They figured out our protection, or one of 'em anyway," Edwards said. "They'd bring one more guy on that side than we had to block. We did two series really trying to figure out what it was.
"The next series, we did come out and fix it. We just didn't make plays," he said.
Peeples returned an interception 25 yards for a touchdown to give Montana a 42-16 lead with 3:41 remaining in the third quarter.
"He never saw the ball," Peeples said of his first touchdown at UM. "I broke on it and made a big play. I knew I had it all the way. The guys were ahead of me. I was definitely going to the house."
Etu Molden's second touchdown pass, a 41-yarder from backup quarterback Brandon Neill, gave Montana a 49-16 lead with 13:33 remaining. That score came one play after an interception by Calvin Coleman.
Sam Houston's final score came on a 56-yard pass from Josh McCown to Corey Zeno with 9:29 remaining.
McCown passed for 344 yards and two second-half touchdowns and ran for 10 yards and a first quarter score that tied the game at 7.
Sam Houston's other score came on a 29-yard field goal by Alex St. Peter with 1:32 left in the half to pull the Bearkats to 28-10.
Montana ran six plays in 1:12 and Edwards scored his second touchdown on a 2-yard run with 20 seconds left in the half.
Jonathon Cooper caught nine passes for 117 yards, including an 8-yard touchdown pass from McCown to pull Sam Houston to 35-16 with 6:41 left in the third quarter.
"Our offense is capable of making big plays. We're capable of having a great game. But they were a better team," Cooper said.
Edwards, who has bruised ribs, completed 19 of 25 passes for 278 yards and ran for 31 yards before leaving the game late in the third quarter.
"I think it was just a precautionary deal," Edwards said. "I was satisfied with our lead at the time."
Molden caught eight passes for 138 yards, including a 19-yard touchdown pass from wide receiver T.J. Oelkers to put Montana up 21-7 with 12:46 left in the half.
"I just got it in my hand," said Oelkers of the pitch from Edwards. "I didn't have the laces, but I saw Etu open so I just threw it in there."
Sam Houston held Montana's career rushing leader Yohance Humphery to just 39 yards on the ground, nearly 100 yards below his average.
Humphery did catch three passes for 50 yards, including a 38-yard pass play on Montana's first play from scrimmage. He scored Montana's first touchdown on a 3-yard run five minutes into the game and put Montana up 28-7 midway through the second quarter on a 4-yard run.
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