Montana
6-2 , 4-2
Northern Arizona
2-5 , 1-4
Grizzlies come from behind to beat NAU 28-24
10/22/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 22, 2011
Box score
Bryan Waldhauser sacked Northern Arizona quarterback Cary Grossart on fourth down with 1:02 left in the game to seal a 28-24 come from behind victory for the Montana Grizzlies Saturday night at the Walkup Skydome in Flagstaff, Ariz.
Montana (6-2, 5-1) allowed NAU (2-5, 1-4) to jump out to a 14-0 lead just 4:26 into the game. The Lumberjacks scored on a 77-yard pass play from Grossat to receiver Khalil Paden on the first play from scrimmage. Their second touchdown, a 37-yard run by running back Zach Bauman, came after a Grizzly three-and-out on their first possession.
The Grizzlies didn't find the endzone until the 7:17 mark in the second quarter when running back Peter Nguyen caught a screen pass and followed his blockers 20 yards for the touchdown.
Montana scored again with just 37 seconds left in the first half on a one yard run by running back Jordan Canada to knot the score up at 14-14.
The Grizzlies took their first lead (21-14) with 2:57 left in the third frame when receiver Jabin Sambrano scored on an 80-yard reverse.
The Grizzly defense stiffened after the big start by the Lumberjacks and held NAU scoreless until 12:40 left in the fourth quarter when Paden got his second touchdown reception of the night on a 51-yard pass from Grossart.
NAU took the lead back on their next possession when kicker Matt Myers hit from 40 yards out to the Jacks the 24-21 advantage with 4:45 left in the game.
Nguyen took the ensuing kickoff back into NAU territory, the kickoff was Myers' only boot that didn't go deep into the endzone and Nguyen made the most of the opportunity.
On the next play Canada scored the final points of the game on a 46-yard run to give the Grizzlies the 28-24 lead with 4:26 to play.
The Jacks had one more opportunity to score,they moved the ball to the UM 44-yard line but the promising drive ended with Waldhauser's sack.
The victory was the fourth straight for the Montana and guarantees the Grizzlies a winning season, the 26th straight, a streak which started in 1986.
Even though the Grizzlies spotted NAU 14 points early in the game head coach Robin Pflugrad has confidence in his guys and knows they have confidence in their teammates.
"We have a very tight group of guys, who just believe in each other,"Pflugrad said. "They never doubt that can come back in a game."
Quarterback Jordan Johnson had a scare in the third quarter when he went down with an ankle injury. Although the injury looked serious he went into the locker room for the rest of the series but returned in the next series.
He finished the game with 216-yards on 15-of-25 passing with a touchdown and no interceptions.
Grossart was 12-of-27 for 321 yards and two touchdowns and no interceptions but was sacked six times.
Waldhuaser had three of those sacks as part of his team leading 10 tackles.
Canada led the Grizzlies with 98 yards rushing on 17 carries and two touchdowns.
Bauman led NAU with 148 yards and a touchdown.
Montana will face Weber State at Washington-Grizzly Stadium next Saturday in their last conference home game of the season.
Team Stats
UM 0, NAU 7
NAU - Khalil Paden 77 yd pass from Cary Grossart (Matt Myers kick) 1 plays, 77 yards, TOP 0:16
UM 0, NAU 14
NAU - Zach Bauman 37 yd run (Matt Myers kick), 5 plays, 79 yards, TOP 2:06
UM 7, NAU 14
UM - Peter Nguyen 20 yd pass from Jordan Johnson (Brody McKnight kick) 9 plays, 80 yards, TOP 3:24
UM 14, NAU 14
UM - Jordan Canada 1 yd run (Brody McKnight kick), 10 plays, 75 yards, TOP 4:15
UM 21, NAU 14
UM - Jabin Sambrano 80 yd run (Brody McKnight kick), 1 plays, 80 yards, TOP 0:17
UM 21, NAU 21
NAU - Khalil Paden 51 yd pass from Cary Grossart (Matt Myers kick) 4 plays, 70 yards, TOP 2:03
UM 21, NAU 24
NAU - Matt Myers 40 yd field goal 9 plays, 57 yards, TOP 5:05
UM 28, NAU 24
UM - Jordan Canada 46 yd run (Brody McKnight kick), 1 plays, 46 yards, TOP 0:09
