| Griz overcome huge hole to top SDSU, 61-48 MontanaGrizzlies.Com The Montana Grizzlies looked nothing like the top-seeded team in the nation for most of the first three quarters against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits Saturday in Missoula, Mont. They looked every bit the part in the final 21 minutes of the game though, when the Griz scored 40 unanswered points to post a 61-48 victory in a Football Championship Subdivision first round playoff game. The comeback is Montanas biggest in playoff history. The Grizzlies found themselves down 27 points with 5:40 to go in the third quarter. Marc Mariani returned the ensuing kickoff 98-yards for a touchdown, tied for the third-longest kickoff return in school history. The extra point was no good, but the comeback was on. The Griz defense forced a punt, and the Griz drove 79 yards in 3:05 to score when Mariani caught a 15-yard touchdown pass from Andrew Selle to narrow the gap to 48-34 with 14:56 left in the fourth. Mariani had a key 38-yard catch to the SDSU 31-yard line in the drive to set up the score. Montana followed that up with two Chase Reynolds 1-yard touchdown runs on drives of 66 and 52 yards to tie the game with 4:11 left. |
