Oct. 20, 2007

Final Stats |  Quotes |  Notes

The University of Northern Colorado football team fell to 0-8 on the year and 0-4 in Big Sky Conference action with a 52-7 defeat to third-ranked Montana at Washington-Grizzly Stadium this afternoon.

Sophomore running back Tyrone Wilson led the team with nine carries for 50 yards, while senior wide receiver Clint Wright caught three passes for 46 yards, including one touchdown reception for a career-long 31 yard gain. Senior Dominic Breazeale played his second straight complete game, completing 13-of-25 passes with one interception for 109 yards. He was also sacked three times. Defensively, junior linebacker Cristian Sarmento led the game with a career-high 17 tackles, while junior linebacker Joe Kenney and freshman Max Hewitt each chipped in 10. Hewitt also added a career-best 73 yard interception return.

Montana was led offensively by senior Lex Hilliard with 112 yards rushing on 19 carries with two touchdowns and Ryan Bagley, who caught 10 passes for 110 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Cole Bergquist completed 26-of-35 passes for 292 yards and four touchdowns with one interception and one sack. S. Schillinger led the Grizzlies with seven tackles in the game, while Kroy Biermann had six and all three sacks, as well as the blocked field goal.

Eric Brown started the game off for the Bears with a 20-yard return and NC moved the ball close to midfield, but Craig Mettler picked off Breazeale's pass and returned it 32 yards until he was eventually tackled by Breazeale, setting up Montana's first touchdown.

On the Grizzlies second drive, Myles Hayes had a pass break up in the end zone to save a touchdown and two plays later John Eddy recovered a fumble on the 18-yard line. A false start penalty pinned the Bears deep in their own territory and senior Rafael Mendoza was forced to punt for the second time in the game.

Montana drove downfield, but for the second straight game, freshman Max Hewitt intercepted a pass, this time returning it 73 yards to the eight-yard line. Hewitt's return was the sixth-longest interception return in school history and the longest non-scoring interception return ever. The Bears were then whistled for a five-yard penalty, Fauver caught a one-yard pass, Breazeale was sacked for a loss of four yards and the quarter ended.

The inclement weather played a factor early in the contest, as there were four timeouts for injuries in the first quarter alone, including one for an official.

An incomplete pass from Breazeale to Jason Caprioli set up a 33-yard field-goal attempt for freshman Zak Bigelow, which was blocked and returned to the Montana 38 yard line. The Griz drove 62 yards on nine plays in 2:23, scoring their second touchdown on a 12-yard pass from Bergquist to Ryan Bagley with 12:25 remaining in the half.

Brown had another good kickoff return, bringing the ball out of the end zone to the 25-yard line. Breazeale completed another two-yard pass to Fauver, Woods rushed for three and then Birkel caught a 14-yard gain for a first down. A 15-yard personal foul put the ball on the 35-yard line for the Bears. NC was whistled for a 10-yard holding penalty, Breazeale was sacked for a loss of three and a delay of game penalty put the ball back on the 47-yard line for a third-and-28 and Mendoza punted for the third time, this time for 36 yards, pinning the Griz on the 18-yard line.

The Bears had Montana on a fourth-and-four, but the Grizzlies faked the punt, gaining 22 yards on a rush by the punter, Brooks-Fletcher and setting up a touchdown for the 21-0 advantage. UM drove 82 yards on nine plays.

After a Northern Colorado punt, Montana used six plays to go 50 yards in 1:47 and take the 28-0 lead.  Lex Hilliard tied the Montana record for rushing touchdowns with the 43^rd of his career on a one-yard rush into the endzone.

After the halftime festivities, the NC defense came out tough, forcing the Grizzlies to punt for the first time all day. The Bears also punted on their first drive of the second half. A sack by Martin Awachie and John Eddy forced Montana to attempt a 50-yard field goal, which Dan Carpenter made for the 31-0 lead.

Montana scored a touchdown on its next possession, driving 69 yards on 10 plays in 4:16 to extend its lead to 38-0 with 4:08 remaining in the third quarter. After not having a first down in the first two drives of the quarter, the Bears strung together three in a row and Tyrone Wilson gained six yards on the ground to move into Montana territory for the first time in the half, but Wilson fumbled the ball and Montana took over on the final play of the third quarter. The Bears had gone 55 yards on 11 plays prior to the turnover.

Hilliard rushed 39 yards for another Montana touchdown, giving him the school record for rushing touchdowns. The Griz used just three plays to go 65 yards in 1:05.

On the ensuing drive for the Bears, Breazeale called plays for freshmen back-to-back with Smith gaining eight on a reception and then Andy Muns had the longest rush of his career, gaining 20. A pair of seniors then helped the Bears to their next first down as Clint Wright caught a seven yard pass and Vaden rushed for three yards with a two-yard gain by Wilson sandwiched in between. On a fourth and less than a yard, Breazeale dumped a pass over the top to Wright and he ran the ball 31 yards for the touchdown. Freshman Zak Bigelow's kick was good. Northern Colorado went 80 yards on nine plays in 3:56 to get on the scoreboard, 45-7.

Montana again marched down the field going 66 yards on seven plays in 1:54 to extend the lead back to 45 points, 52-7.

Northern Colorado returns home to host Montana State next Saturday at Nottingham Field. Game time is scheduled for 12:05 p.m.