Saturday, November 7
Missoula, Mont.
1 PM
Montana
7-3 , 5-2
57
vs
24
Portland State
2-8 , 2-5
| Team | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland St. | 3 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 24 |
| Montana | 15 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 57 |
11/7/2026 7:02:00 PM | Football
MISSOULA - In a season of historic moments even more was written on Saturday at Washington-Grizzly Stadium as the Montana Grizzlies rolled past Portland State 57-24 behind a record-breaking performance from senior running back Eli Gillman. Gillman rushed for 196 yards and four touchdowns on just eight carries to break NFL All-Pro Cooper Kupp's Big Sky Conference record for career total touchdowns.
Gillman surpassed Kupp's decade-old record with his 78th career touchdown, posting four rushing scores against the Vikings to total 468 points scored his career. He also became just the fifth running back in Big Sky history to surpass 5,000 career rushing yards, finishing the afternoon with 5,034 to move past Weber State's Trevyn Smith (5,029) and into fourth place all-time rushing yards in the Big Sky conference.
The senior's four-touchdown performance also moved him into fourth place in FCS history in both career total touchdowns and career rushing touchdowns. Gillman tied Montana's single-season total touchdown record with 25 as well, matching Marcus Knight's mark set in 2019. He also now owns the first and second longest rushing touchdown runs in Montana history with an 85-yard touchdown at UC Davis and an 84-yard touchdown today.
Gillman finished the afternoon averaging 24.5 yards per carry, adding a 48-yard reception to finish with 244 yards of total offense. His four rushing touchdowns tied his career high, while his 22nd career game with at least 100 rushing yards further cemented his place among the most productive running backs in Big Sky history.
It all added up to a dominant day for the Grizzlies who put up 644 yards of total offense while outscoring PSU 43-17 through three quarters and limiting the Vikings scoring opportunities despite the visitors having 12 more total offensive plays.
"It was special. What Eli did today was special. When you look at what the offensive line has helped him do, our quarterback and the guys on the offense, I was really proud of them all," said head coach Bobby Kennedy.
"I told the guys before the game that there has not been one time this year that I've been disappointed with them. We've had great effort across the board. We've had some unforeseen circumstances, but we've risen to the occasion the last couple of weeks. To be around a group of guys like that is really special because all they do every week is come and fight for Montana."
Montana's offense continued to find success throughout the afternoon, finishing with 363 on the ground and 281 through the air to total the fifth-most yards in a single game in program history. The Grizzlies were especially effective on third down, converting 10 of 12 opportunities.
Quarterback Keali'i Ah Yat finished with 259 passing yards and a passing touchdown while adding 44 rushing yards and a rushing score.
The afternoon also featured two first career touchdowns for Montana. Chase Cook hauled in a one-yard touchdown reception from Ah Yat, while Cody Schweikert broke free for a 35-yard rushing touchdown, the first of his career.
The defense also held Portland State to 24 points and 357 total yards, a big improvement from previous games.
"A lot of guys on the offense produced, but I told the defense I was really proud of them," Kennedy said. "All they do every week is work to improve no matter the situation."
But the star of the day was undoubtedly Gillman, who continued to prove he is one of the most dynamic scorers in all of college football, now holding five school records and three Big Sky records as the NCAA's active career leader in rushing and all-purpose yards in all of college football.
Adding to the magnitude of his accomplishments on Saturday, the officials called timeout so Kennedy could present the game ball to Gillman so the Grizzly faithful could celebrate his record-setting accomplishments with a standing ovation.
"He's got a great smile. He's always positive with the guys. They love him, and for everyone to be able to celebrate with him and share that experience is something really special," Kennedy said.
To break Cooper Kupp's record in Washington-Grizzly Stadium, that's a once-in-a-lifetime experience for him, for me, and maybe the people in this stadium. It was planned earlier in the week. We thought about it because he's such a dynamic guy and it's an incredible accomplishment."
Montana opened the afternoon with an immediate scoring drive for the second straight week. A 48-yard catch-and-run from Gillman helped set up the Grizzlies inside the red zone, where running back Hashim Jones finished the possession with an eight-yard rushing touchdown to give Montana a 7-0 advantage – his first of the year.
Portland State responded with a lengthy opening possession of 20 plays, moving the ball downfield and converting multiple third downs before Montana's defense came up with a stop inside the red zone. The Vikings settled for a 25-yard field goal, cutting the deficit to 7-3.
The Grizzlies answered with another explosive play. Gillman broke free for a 45-yard rushing touchdown, and Brooks Davis added a successful two-point conversion to extend Montana's lead to 15-3 late in the opening quarter.
Montana continued to build its advantage in the second quarter. After forcing a Portland State punt, they put together another scoring drive as Gillman finished the possession with a 15-yard touchdown run, pushing the lead to 22-3.
The Vikings responded with a scoring drive of their own, taking advantage of favorable field position following a punt. Quarterback John-Keawe Sagapolutele connected with Tanner Beaman for a 12-yard touchdown, bringing Portland State within 12 at 22-10.
Montana had one final opportunity before halftime and made the most of it. Ah Yat guided the Grizzlies downfield, eventually finding Cook for a one-yard touchdown reception. The score sent Montana into the locker room with a 29-10 advantage.
The Grizzlies wasted little time adding to their lead after halftime. Portland State opened the second half with a possession but was unable to convert on fourth down, giving Montana the ball back.
On the Grizzlies' ensuing possession, Gillman broke loose for a 43-yard rushing touchdown, extending the advantage to 36-10.
After another Portland State possession, Montana struck again on the first play of its next drive. Gillman found a crease in the defense and raced 84 yards for his fourth rushing touchdown of the afternoon, pushing the Grizzly lead to 43-10.
The Vikings answered with a touchdown drive of their own, with Zui Shelton finishing the possession with an 18-yard rushing score to make it 43-17.
Montana continued to control the game into the fourth quarter, putting together another scoring drive. Ah Yat capped the possession himself with a nine-yard rushing touchdown, extending the Grizzly advantage to 50-17.
Portland State responded with another touchdown, as Niall Raby scored on a three-yard rushing attempt to bring the score to 50-24.
The Grizzlies answered with another explosive rushing play, this time from backup QB Cody Schweikert breaking through the Vikings' defense for a 35-yard touchdown for his first score of the year, pushing the lead to 57-24.
Montana's defense forced another Portland State punt on the Vikings' next possession, and the Grizzlies used the remaining time to run out the clock and secure the 57-24 victory.
The Grizzlies return to Washington-Grizzly Stadium next Saturday, Nov. 14, to host Idaho State on Senior Night in Missoula at 8:30 p.m.
"I kind of feel like Dorothy, right? There's no place like home. There's no place like Washington-Grizzly Stadium, and anytime we can get back here, it's special," Kennedy added.
"We're not going to look ahead to another game because the only game we have is next week, and that's against Idaho State."
Gillman surpassed Kupp's decade-old record with his 78th career touchdown, posting four rushing scores against the Vikings to total 468 points scored his career. He also became just the fifth running back in Big Sky history to surpass 5,000 career rushing yards, finishing the afternoon with 5,034 to move past Weber State's Trevyn Smith (5,029) and into fourth place all-time rushing yards in the Big Sky conference.
The senior's four-touchdown performance also moved him into fourth place in FCS history in both career total touchdowns and career rushing touchdowns. Gillman tied Montana's single-season total touchdown record with 25 as well, matching Marcus Knight's mark set in 2019. He also now owns the first and second longest rushing touchdown runs in Montana history with an 85-yard touchdown at UC Davis and an 84-yard touchdown today.
Gillman finished the afternoon averaging 24.5 yards per carry, adding a 48-yard reception to finish with 244 yards of total offense. His four rushing touchdowns tied his career high, while his 22nd career game with at least 100 rushing yards further cemented his place among the most productive running backs in Big Sky history.
It all added up to a dominant day for the Grizzlies who put up 644 yards of total offense while outscoring PSU 43-17 through three quarters and limiting the Vikings scoring opportunities despite the visitors having 12 more total offensive plays.
"It was special. What Eli did today was special. When you look at what the offensive line has helped him do, our quarterback and the guys on the offense, I was really proud of them all," said head coach Bobby Kennedy.
"I told the guys before the game that there has not been one time this year that I've been disappointed with them. We've had great effort across the board. We've had some unforeseen circumstances, but we've risen to the occasion the last couple of weeks. To be around a group of guys like that is really special because all they do every week is come and fight for Montana."
Montana's offense continued to find success throughout the afternoon, finishing with 363 on the ground and 281 through the air to total the fifth-most yards in a single game in program history. The Grizzlies were especially effective on third down, converting 10 of 12 opportunities.
Quarterback Keali'i Ah Yat finished with 259 passing yards and a passing touchdown while adding 44 rushing yards and a rushing score.
The afternoon also featured two first career touchdowns for Montana. Chase Cook hauled in a one-yard touchdown reception from Ah Yat, while Cody Schweikert broke free for a 35-yard rushing touchdown, the first of his career.
The defense also held Portland State to 24 points and 357 total yards, a big improvement from previous games.
"A lot of guys on the offense produced, but I told the defense I was really proud of them," Kennedy said. "All they do every week is work to improve no matter the situation."
But the star of the day was undoubtedly Gillman, who continued to prove he is one of the most dynamic scorers in all of college football, now holding five school records and three Big Sky records as the NCAA's active career leader in rushing and all-purpose yards in all of college football.
Adding to the magnitude of his accomplishments on Saturday, the officials called timeout so Kennedy could present the game ball to Gillman so the Grizzly faithful could celebrate his record-setting accomplishments with a standing ovation.
"He's got a great smile. He's always positive with the guys. They love him, and for everyone to be able to celebrate with him and share that experience is something really special," Kennedy said.
To break Cooper Kupp's record in Washington-Grizzly Stadium, that's a once-in-a-lifetime experience for him, for me, and maybe the people in this stadium. It was planned earlier in the week. We thought about it because he's such a dynamic guy and it's an incredible accomplishment."
Montana opened the afternoon with an immediate scoring drive for the second straight week. A 48-yard catch-and-run from Gillman helped set up the Grizzlies inside the red zone, where running back Hashim Jones finished the possession with an eight-yard rushing touchdown to give Montana a 7-0 advantage – his first of the year.
Portland State responded with a lengthy opening possession of 20 plays, moving the ball downfield and converting multiple third downs before Montana's defense came up with a stop inside the red zone. The Vikings settled for a 25-yard field goal, cutting the deficit to 7-3.
The Grizzlies answered with another explosive play. Gillman broke free for a 45-yard rushing touchdown, and Brooks Davis added a successful two-point conversion to extend Montana's lead to 15-3 late in the opening quarter.
Montana continued to build its advantage in the second quarter. After forcing a Portland State punt, they put together another scoring drive as Gillman finished the possession with a 15-yard touchdown run, pushing the lead to 22-3.
The Vikings responded with a scoring drive of their own, taking advantage of favorable field position following a punt. Quarterback John-Keawe Sagapolutele connected with Tanner Beaman for a 12-yard touchdown, bringing Portland State within 12 at 22-10.
Montana had one final opportunity before halftime and made the most of it. Ah Yat guided the Grizzlies downfield, eventually finding Cook for a one-yard touchdown reception. The score sent Montana into the locker room with a 29-10 advantage.
The Grizzlies wasted little time adding to their lead after halftime. Portland State opened the second half with a possession but was unable to convert on fourth down, giving Montana the ball back.
On the Grizzlies' ensuing possession, Gillman broke loose for a 43-yard rushing touchdown, extending the advantage to 36-10.
After another Portland State possession, Montana struck again on the first play of its next drive. Gillman found a crease in the defense and raced 84 yards for his fourth rushing touchdown of the afternoon, pushing the Grizzly lead to 43-10.
The Vikings answered with a touchdown drive of their own, with Zui Shelton finishing the possession with an 18-yard rushing score to make it 43-17.
Montana continued to control the game into the fourth quarter, putting together another scoring drive. Ah Yat capped the possession himself with a nine-yard rushing touchdown, extending the Grizzly advantage to 50-17.
Portland State responded with another touchdown, as Niall Raby scored on a three-yard rushing attempt to bring the score to 50-24.
The Grizzlies answered with another explosive rushing play, this time from backup QB Cody Schweikert breaking through the Vikings' defense for a 35-yard touchdown for his first score of the year, pushing the lead to 57-24.
Montana's defense forced another Portland State punt on the Vikings' next possession, and the Grizzlies used the remaining time to run out the clock and secure the 57-24 victory.
The Grizzlies return to Washington-Grizzly Stadium next Saturday, Nov. 14, to host Idaho State on Senior Night in Missoula at 8:30 p.m.
"I kind of feel like Dorothy, right? There's no place like home. There's no place like Washington-Grizzly Stadium, and anytime we can get back here, it's special," Kennedy added.
"We're not going to look ahead to another game because the only game we have is next week, and that's against Idaho State."
Players Mentioned
QB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
RB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
QB
/ FootballTeam Stats
PSU
UM
Total Yards
357
644
Pass Yards
205
281
Rushing Yards
152
363
Penalty Yards
30
10
1st Downs
21
27
3rd Downs
9
10
4th Downs
1
1
TOP
34:30
25:30
1st Quarter
PSU 0, UM 7
UM - Jones,Hashim 8 yd run (Silver,Jo kick), 5 plays, 66 yards, TOP 01:32
PSU 3, UM 7
PSU - Hossmann Lees,Joshua 25 yd field goal 20 plays, 85 yards, TOP 09:35
PSU 3, UM 15
UM - Gillman,Eli 45 yd run (Davis,Brooks rush), 5 plays, 75 yards, TOP 02:22
2nd Quarter
PSU 3, UM 22
UM - Gillman,Eli 15 yd run (Silver,Jo kick), 11 plays, 80 yards, TOP 05:05
PSU 10, UM 22
PSU - Beaman,Tanner 12 yd pass from Sagapolutele,John-Keawe (Hossmann Lees,Joshua kick) 9 plays, 56 yards, TOP 04:12
PSU 10, UM 29
UM - Cook,Chase 1 yd pass from Ah Yat,Keali'i (Silver,Jo kick) 7 plays, 84 yards, TOP 01:49
3rd Quarter
PSU 10, UM 36
UM - Gillman,Eli 43 yd run (Silver,Jo kick), 4 plays, 70 yards, TOP 01:51
PSU 10, UM 43
UM - Gillman,Eli 84 yd run (Silver,Jo kick), 1 plays, 84 yards, TOP 00:16
PSU 17, UM 43
PSU - Shelton,Zui 16 yd run (Hossmann Lees,Joshua kick), 10 plays, 75 yards, TOP 05:35
4th Quarter
PSU 17, UM 50
UM - Ah Yat,Keali'i 9 yd run (Silver,Jo kick), 11 plays, 78 yards, TOP 03:47
PSU 24, UM 50
PSU - Raby,Niall 2 yd run (Hossmann Lees,Joshua kick), 11 plays, 75 yards, TOP 05:48
PSU 24, UM 57
UM - Schweikert,Cody 35 yd run (Silver,Jo kick), 6 plays, 67 yards, TOP 03:02
Game Leaders
CMP
19
TD
1
YDS
259
INT
0
CMP
2
TD
0
YDS
22
INT
0
Saturday, November 07
Monday, November 02
Monday, November 02
Monday, October 26
