Griz swat Hornets in Sacramento to stay unbeaten

Friday, October 24

Sacramento, Calif.

8:30 PM (MT)

Montana

8-0 , 4-0

Sacramento State

4-4 , 2-2

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Montana

Sacramento St.

10/25/2025 2:14:00 AM | Football

Box Score

By: Montana Sports Information

Fueled by a hat trick from Michael Wortham and a special night for Montana's special teams, the Grizzlies improved to 8-0 on the season and 4-0 in Big Sky play with a dominant 49-35 road win under Friday night lights at Sacramento State.

The Griz survived a first half shootout with the Hornets that saw seven combined touchdowns in the first 30 minutes to take a 28-21 lead into the locker room. Montana's offense put the pedal down in the second half and the defense clamped down to go up by as many as three scores to give the Griz their first win in California's state capital since 2013.

With Sac State set to move out of the Big Sky Conference at the end of the season, Montana ends the series against the Hornets at 22-4 in all-time meetings and 9-3 in games played in Sacramento.

Wortham was firing on all cylinders as college football's leader in all-purpose yards, adding 238 to his season total while leading the team in rushing and receiving with three total touchdowns, two on the ground and one in the air.

Quarterback Keali'i Ah Yat put in a gritty performance under center as well, passing for 196 yards and three touchdowns while completing 16-of-24 passes. He guided the Grizzly offense to 385 total yards as Montana won the ground game with 161 total on the ground.

Defensively Montana got after Hornet QB Cardell Williams all day, totaling six sacks, 10 TFLs, four QB hurries and an interception late in the game that sealed the win in a highly charged conference game that wasn't as close as the score would indicate.

Peyton Wing and Diezel Wilkinson combined for 14 tackles and five sacks with Wing earning a season-high three in the sack count, while Elijawah Tolbert once again led the team in tackles with nine. The unit combined held the potent Sac State run game to just 141 yards rushing, its second-lowest rushing total of the season.

Montana's special teams may have been the biggest difference maker, however. Thanks to nearly 70 yards of returns Montana enjoyed good field position on most of its drives, with eight of UM's 13 possessions starting at the 30-yard line or better.

The Griz also jumped on a muffed punt return that led directly to the go-ahead touchdown right before the end of the first half and stole all the Hornets' momentum.

UM also dialed up a key trick play in the kicking game when Ty Morrison faked a punt and found Ian Finch open for a 28-yard pass on fourth and long that led directly to another Grizzly touchdown.

"Well, the first thought is the JV was ready to go tonight," said head coach Bobby Hauck in referring to previous comments about FCS football by the Sac State school president.

"We whooped their tail tonight. It wasn't close, and it was fun to do it here."

After the Hornets elected to receive the opening kickoff, Montana put in a defensive three-and-out to start the game. UM started the ensuing drive with a bang when Gillman rushed around left end on the first play to put the Griz in Sac State territory. A pair of incomplete passes left the Griz short of the line to gain, however, and Montana turned its first possession over on downs.

Sac State would then convert a fourth and six in UM territory on the next drive to set up the first score of the game when Rodney Hammond punched it in form seven yards out to put the Hornets up 7-0 with five minutes to play in the first quarter.

Montana got on the board on the next possession. Wortham sparked the drive with a 44-yard kickoff return from the zero that set UM up with good field possession. The Griz capped the eight play, 55-yard drive with a 24-yard touchdown pass from Ah Yat to Brooks Davis – his third of the year.

The run-oriented Hornets struck right back when Williams aired it out to Ernest Campbell wide open down field on a blown coverage for a 63-yard touchdown pass that put the home team up 14-7 early in the second quarter.

Montana got back on the move on the next drive with a big third down conversion on a pass from Ah Yat to Blake Bohannon to keep the chains moving. Wortham then struck through the air when Ah Yat found him at the 41 along the left sideline on a wheel route that he sprinted in for a 64-yard score that tied it 14-14.

"Mike was outstanding. He was all over the place. He just did everything, and I was proud of him. He made plays, made a lot of plays," said Hauck.

Special teams would come into play for the first time in the half when the ensuing kikcoff was returned for a score, but a Sac State penalty brought it back.

Three plays later the Hornets tried to fake a punt on a direct snap to the up man and the pass from Jaxon Fresques was complete to the punter Cal McGough, but he was drug down short of the line to gain and the Hornets turned it over on downs for a big swing of momentum.

Wortham then broke away for his second touchdown of the day, this time on the ground. The all-around star took a direct snap at quarterback and raced around the left end, making several would-be tacklers miss on his way 40 yards to the endzone to put UM up 21-14

But the Hornets persisted with the passing game, opening the next drive with a deep pass from Williams to Campbell again for 48 yards to the five, and would convert the chunk play into points three plays later when Hammond punched it in to tie the game again, 21-21.

Montana's next drive stalled at midfield, but special teams came into play again when Fresques muffed the punt and Tanner Huff jumped on the loose ball to put the Griz in Hornet territory. Gillman converted the turnover into points soon after with a strong 13-yard rush up the middle to put the Griz up 28-21 at the half.

Montana started the second half with the ball and wasted little time getting back on the board. Wortham again put the Griz in the red zone with a 30-yard burst around the right end to the Hornet five. Ah Yat worked some more of his magic soon after, escaping the pocket and finding Evan Shafer for the score while simultaneously getting leveled by Xavier Williams. The sturdy Griz signal caller would bounce back, however, and Montana went up two scores 35-21 early in the third to cap a nine play, 75-yard drive.

"He's a football player. They're supposed to get back up after they get tackled and go play, and he's a football player. He's a tough guy, and that's kind of what we expect of everybody that puts maroon and silver on is they're tough guys and they can play physical, and Keali'i can," said Hauck.

Sac State was then pinned back on a third and 19 after a series of penalties, but Williams pulled a rabbit out of a hat and completed a 20-yard pass to Gavin Nelson to enter UM territory. The Griz put a halt to the drive soon after though when Peyton Wing blitzed the A gap and took Williams down on a fourth and long to turn the ball over on downs.

Montana then converted another big late down opportunity to set up a score when Morrison threw pass to Finch on the fake punt on fourth down for 28 yards into the hornet red zone. That set Wortham up at QB to rush the ball in from 10 yards out for his third touchdown of the night to put the Griz up 42-21 early in the fourth quarter.

An interception for linebacker Caleb Otlewski led to Montana's final score of the day from short yardage for Malae Fonoti. The Hornets added a pair of late scores to close the gap, but the damage was done as UM stayed undefeated on the year.

The Griz now prepare to return to the road again next week, traveling to Ogden to take on Weber State.