Montana defeats Appalachian State 24-17
12/12/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Junior running back Chase Reynolds rushed for 193 yards and two touchdowns as The first/third-ranked University of Montana Grizzlies defeated the fifth-ranked Appalachian State Mountaineers 24-17 in a NCAA Football Championship Subdivision semifinal game in front of 24,207 fans on a chilly, snowy Saturday afternoon day in UM???s Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
ASU took its first lead of the contest with 5:16 remaining until halftime when Vitaris connected on a 46-yard field goal. The Mountaineers led 10-7 at intermission.
The Grizzlies regained the lead at the 13:22 mark of the third stanza, Reynolds scoring on a 7-yard run, making it 14-10 Grizzlies. But, ASU countered with a touchdown of its own, Moore scoring from one yard out with 3:52 left in the third quarter. The Mountaineers??? go-ahead touchdown was set up when middle linebacker Jacque Roman intercepted a Selle pass and returned it 34 yards to the 50-yard line.
The Grizzlies tied the score at 17-all with 14:50 left to play, as McKnight hit a 32-yard field goal.
The Mountaineers had a chance to regain the lead on their next possession but Vitaris missed the 44-yard field goal try, and Montana took over on it own 27-yard line and proceeded to make its game-winning drive.
Reynolds rushed 23 times for 193 yards (his 15th career 100-yard rushing game), and his two touchdown runs give him 24 total TDs for the season (22 rushing, 2 receiving), breaking the mark of 23 that he set last season. He also has 144 points this year, breaking the single-season record 138 points that he also set a year ago.
Selle was 11-of-27-1 for 161 yards and a TD. Marc Mariani had a team-high 3 catches for 39 yards, while Reynolds, tight end Dan Beaudin, and wide receiver Tyler Palmer all had 2 receptions each. Sambrano???s only grab of the contest was his game-winner, but he did have four kickoff returns for 110 yards.
Free safety Shann Schillinger had a team-high 13 tackles and an interception. UM linebacker Shawn Lebsock added 11 tackles, while safety Erik Stoll and linebacker Alex Shaw had 10 stops apiece. Tackle Austin Mullins had the only sack for the Griz, and he also blocked a field goal.
Edwards was 28-of-54-1 for 353 yards and he also rushed 15 times for 534 yards, accounting for 407 of ASU???s 497 total yards. Moore had 21 carries for 84 yards and a pair of TDs. Quick had 10 catches for 135 yards, while wide receiver Matt Cline had 7 grabs for 101 yards. Linebacker D.J. Smith led ASU with 14 tackles.
Montana will play Villanova for the FCS title on Friday, Dec. 18, at 6:00 p.m. (Mountain) on a game televised by ESPN2.
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The top-seeded and undefeated (14-0) Grizzlies had to hold off a furious last-minute rally by the Mountaineers (11-3), led by their talented senior quarterback, Armanti Edwards.
Montana needed a last-minute drive of its own to make its second consecutive trip to the FCS national championship, which is next week in Chattanooga, Tenn.
The Grizzlies final possession came with 3:46 left in the game. They started that final drive from their own 27-yard line when Mountaineer kicker Jason Vitaris shanked a 44-yard field goal attempt.
In that final drive, facing a first-and-20 on the ASU 25-yard line, quarterback Andrew Selle floated a 25-yard scoring pass to wide receiver Jabin Sambrano who had run an in-out route and caught the ball in stride in the left corner of the end zone. The touchdown catch was reviewed and the call on the field for a TD was confirmed by the replay officials. Reynolds was instrumental in UM???s final scoring drive, a four-play, 73-yard affair, as he rushed three times for 43 yards.
But, Edwards and the Mountaineers had an impressive final drive of their own. Starting from their own 25-yard line, ASU advanced the all down to Montana???s three-yard line, but with just two seconds and one play left, Edwards??? pass to wide receiver Brian Quick was incomplete, and time expired and the Grizzlies celebrated their hard-fought win.
Edwards, one of three finalists for the 2009 Walter Payton Award, was 5-of-12 for 72 yards in that final drive, and had a key completion to Quick on a fourth-and-10 which moved the ball to the UM 14-yard line.
A 39-yard touchdown scamper by Reynolds with 7:50 left in the first quarter gave the Grizzlies a 7-0 lead. The Mountaineers tied the game at 7-7 early (14:40) in the second quarter on a 3-yard run by halfback Devon Moore. The key play of the scoring drive was a 33-yard completion from Edwards to Quick, giving ASU first and goal on the Griz 3-yard line.
game in front of 24,207 fans on a chilly, snowy Saturday afternoon day in UM???s Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
??ASU took its first lead of the contest with 5:16 remaining until halftime when Vitaris connected on a 46-yard field goal. The Mountaineers led 10-7 at intermission.
The Grizzlies regained the lead at the 13:22 mark of the third stanza, Reynolds scoring on a 7-yard run, making it 14-10 Grizzlies. But, ASU countered with a touchdown of its own, Moore scoring from one yard out with 3:52 left in the third quarter. The Mountaineers??? go-ahead touchdown was set up when middle linebacker Jacque Roman intercepted a Selle pass and returned it 34 yards to the 50-yard line.
The Grizzlies tied the score at 17-all with 14:50 left to play, as McKnight hit a 32-yard field goal.
The Mountaineers had a chance to regain the lead on their next possession but Vitaris missed the 44-yard field goal try, and Montana took over on it own 27-yard line and proceeded to make its game-winning drive.
Reynolds rushed 23 times for 193 yards (his 15th career 100-yard rushing game), and his two touchdown runs give him 24 total TDs for the season (22 rushing, 2 receiving), breaking the mark of 23 that he set last season. He also has 144 points this year, breaking the single-season record 138 points that he also set a year ago.
Selle was 11-of-27-1 for 161 yards and a TD. Marc Mariani had a team-high 3 catches for 39 yards, while Reynolds, tight end Dan Beaudin, and wide receiver Tyler Palmer all had 2 receptions each. Sambrano???s only grab of the contest was his game-winner, but he did have four kickoff returns for 110 yards.
Free safety Shann Schillinger had a team-high 13 tackles and an interception. UM linebacker Shawn Lebsock added 11 tackles, while safety Erik Stoll and linebacker Alex Shaw had 10 stops apiece. Tackle Austin Mullins had the only sack for the Griz, and he also blocked a field goal.
Edwards was 28-of-54-1 for 353 yards and he also rushed 15 times for 54 yards, accounting for 407 of ASU???s 497 total yards. Moore had 21 carries for 84 yards and a pair of TDs. Quick had 10 catches for 135 yards, while wide receiver Matt Cline had 7 grabs for 101 yards. Linebacker D.J. Smith led ASU with 14 tackles.
Montana will play Villanova for the FCS title on Friday, Dec. 18, at 6:00 p.m. (Mountain) on a game televised by ESPN2.
The top-seeded and undefeated (14-0) Grizzlies had to hold off a furious last-minute rally by the Mountaineers (11-3), led by their talented senior quarterback, Armanti Edwards.
Montana needed a last-minute drive of its own to make its second consecutive trip to the FCS national championship, which is next week in Chattanooga, Tenn.
The Grizzlies final possession came with 3:46 left in the game. They started that final drive from their own 27-yard line when Mountaineer kicker Jason Vitaris shanked a 44-yard field goal attempt.
In that final drive, facing a first-and-20 on the ASU 25-yard line, quarterback Andrew Selle floated a 25-yard scoring pass to wide receiver Jabin Sambrano who had run an in-out route and caught the ball in stride in the left corner of the end zone. The touchdown catch was reviewed and the call on the field for a TD was confirmed by the replay officials. Reynolds was instrumental in UM???s final scoring drive, a four-play, 73-yard affair, as he rushed three times for 43 yards.
But, Edwards and the Mountaineers had an impressive final drive of their own. Starting from their own 25-yard line, ASU advanced the all down to Montana???s three-yard line, but with just two seconds and one play left, Edwards??? pass to wide receiver Brian Quick was incomplete, and time expired and the Grizzlies celebrated their hard-fought win.
Edwards, one of three finalists for the 2009 Walter Payton Award, was 5-of-12 for 72 yards in that final drive, and had a key completion to Quick on a fourth-and-10 which moved the ball to the UM 14-yard line.
A 39-yard touchdown scamper by Reynolds with 7:50 left in the first quarter gave the Grizzlies a 7-0 lead. The Mountaineers tied the game at 7-7 early (14:40) in the second quarter on a 3-yard run by halfback Devon Moore. The key play of the scoring drive was a 33-yard completion from Edwards to Quick, giving ASU first and goal on the Griz 3-yard line.
