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Joe Montana’s Purdue Comeback

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6 months ago

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Joe Montana’s Purdue Comeback


By the fall of 1977, Joe Montana’s future in football felt uncertain. A series of injuries and inconsistent play had dimmed the spotlight that once shone so brightly on the junior quarterback. For much of that Purdue game, Montana watched from the sidelines as his team struggled to find its rhythm. But when backup quarterback Gary Forystek went down with a broken collarbone in the fourth quarter, Montana was thrust back into the action. What followed wasn’t just a comeback—it was a foreshadowing of greatness.

The article below, “Comeback Kid Conquers Purdue” by John Stenson, appeared in Volume 119, Number 7 of Scholastic Magazine on January 27, 1978, as part of the official 1977 Notre Dame Football Review. It captures the drama, the grit, and the heart of a game that helped reignite Montana’s legend—and Notre Dame’s national championship hopes.

Comeback Kid Conquers

Purdue

by John Stenson

For so long it was simply a memory. Joe Montana had a lot to look back on in his four years at the Dome, but on this October afternoon one would swear his diary was complete. The cheers, which once surrounded him were no longer heard. He was the forgotten man in the Irish attack, and why would anyone be foolish enough to think his statistics would change within the confines of Ross Ade Stadium?

As far as the team was concerned, they were in the midst of a beginning that they would rather have forgotten. There was a scare that first weekend until Cavanaugh got hurt and the Panthers ran out of gas. And then there was that debacle against Mississippi which seemed to put the Irish hopes into a severe tailspin. Now it was time for the Boilermakers, and for the third week in a row it appeared that the Irish might have been outmatched. Purdue’s offense centered around freshman quarterback Mark Hermann. This freshman standout from Carmel, Indiana, had thrown for over 600 yards in his first two games of the season. It appeared on the first drive of the afternoon that he was going to have little trouble adding to this total. Starting from his own 20, Hermann guided the Boilermakers downfield for the first score of the afternoon. Sixty of those yards came through the air with the clincher coming on a touchdown pass from Hermann to speedy Reggie Arnold for the final ten yards.

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The Irish offense, keeping pace with its performance in the previous two encounters, could go nowhere early and it was the defense that created the first score. Hermann had good field position in the early going but when he was finally trapped deep in his own territory, his inexperience paid larger dividends for the Irish. Working from his own 10, he overthrew his intended receiver, Raymond Smith, into the waiting arms of Doug Becker. Becker returned it 20 yards for what appeared to be an Irish touchdown until clipping was detected. The Irish offense then got to make the first tally as Rusty Lisch hit Terry Eurick in the end zone.

Hermann would not fold against the Irish defense. Before halftime Hermann would roll up 270 yards in the air completing two other touchdown strikes to Jappy Oliver and Raymond Smith while staking Purdue to a 24-14 third-quarter lead. On the other side, the Irish offense was listless. Lisch and Eurick had teamed up again for an Irish tally, but as the third quarter came to a close, Notre Dame looked as though they had nearly accepted defeat.

The fourth quarter brought more movement to the offense. Gary Forystek, who took over for Lisch at halftime, began to move ND downfield connecting with MacAfee and putting the Irish on the Purdue 30-yard line. Then, on second and seven it appeared that the Irish had finally cashed in their chips. On this play Forystek rolled to his right and decided to keep the ball. He carried it all the way down to the 17 before being met by a host of Boilermakers and suffering a broken collarbone. Now the stage was set. It would be Montana’s turn to recapture the spotlight. The only question left to be answered was whether he could conjure up another dream.

The Irish had to settle for a field goal on the drive which cut the deficit to seven points with over ten minutes left in the game. Now Notre Dame’s defense rose to the occasion. The passing game, which had been there for the taking all afternoon, had suddenly fallen apart. Purdue was resorting to their little-used ground attack and gaining yardage with it until Hermann was forced back to the air and made his second mistake of the game. This time it was Luther Bradley who had the honor of picking off the errant pass, putting the offense back in the driver’s seat at the Boilermaker 48-yard line. Montana’s game plan was a simple one on this drive. A sideline pass to Kris Haines and then a pass across the middle to MacAfee brought the Irish deep into Purdue territory. From there Montana returned to his big tight end for the tally, and with a Reeve conversion the score was tied at 24-24. In a period of eight minutes, Montana had guided the offense from apparent defeat to new life. He had given them the spark they had long been missing. Now it was showtime.

As they had done for much of the second half, the defense played it tough in the waning minutes. Montana got the ball on his own 30 with just over three minutes left, and everyone in the stadium realized he would not be denied. The “Monongahela Minuteman” went straight to the air, using MacAfee and Haines as his targets. Four completions between these two receivers brought the ball to the Purdue 10. On first down Montana turned to his ground game. First it went to Orsini, who brought them to the five. Then, on second and goal, sophomore Dave Mitchell fought his way to the end zone. The miracle was complete. Joe Montana had again returned to the spotlight, where he seemed to belong.

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That day in Ross–Ade Stadium marked the beginning of Montana’s mythos—the first of many fourth-quarter comebacks that would come to define his career. But more than that, it was a reminder that even when the crowd quiets and the headlines move on, greatness has a way of breaking back through. For Notre Dame fans, this wasn’t just a comeback—it was the return of a quarterback who would become one of the greatest to ever play the game.

Cheers & GO IRISH!



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Montana

FCS playoffs roundup: There will be an all-Montana semifinal in the FCS playoffs

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8 hours ago

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December 14, 2025

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FCS playoffs roundup: There will be an all-Montana semifinal in the FCS playoffs


MISSOULA, Mont. — The No. 3-seeded Montana Grizzlies proved too much to handle on Saturday afternoon, overwhelming the No. 11-seeded South Dakota Coyotes 52-22 in the FCS playoff quarterfinals at Washington-Grizzly Stadium.

The Griz used the home crowd to their advantage in an all-around dominant performance in all three phases of the game in front of a home crowd of 22,750 fans. The win sets up an all-Montana semifinal in the FCS playoffs as the Griz will go to face No. 2 Montana State on Dec. 20 for a trip to the national championship.

Montana’s Keali’i Ah Yat had 305 yards and three passing scores, as Michael Wortham had 11 catches for 201 yards and two receiving touchdowns, as well as 43 rushing yards and a score.

All told, the Coyotes had 63 plays on offense for 351 total yards, but the 10 offensive penalties seemed to be a key difference in finding any consistency.

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Montana State advances with decisive victory

BOZEMAN, Mont. — Montana State ran for 227 yards as the Bobcats dominated the third-ranked rush defense in the country en route to beating Stephen F. Austin 44-28 on Friday to advance to the FCS playoff semifinals.

Adam Jones finished with 117 yards and Julius Davis had 96 on the ground for Montana State, which jumped out to a 24-0 lead. Justin Lamson had 246 passing yards for the Bobcats.

Villanova holds down Tarleton State to advance

STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Villanova overcame a 14-0 deficit as the No. 12 Wildcats beat fourth-seeded Tarleton State 26-21 on Saturday.

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It is the fourth time in program history and the first time since 2010 that ‘Nova advanced to the semifinals. The Wildcats held Tarleton State to 56 yards rushing and 266 total yards while racking up 426 overall on their own.

Ja’briel Mace had a 47-yard run to trim Tarleton State’s lead to 21-19 in the third quarter and Braden Reed hauled in an 11-yard TD pass in the fourth to complete the comeback.

Dawson runs Illinois State past UC Davis

DAVIS, Calif. — Victor Dawson carried 29 times for 148 yards and Tommy Rittenhouse threw a 93-yard TD pass as Illinois State beat UC-Davis 42-31 on Saturday, one week after the Redbirds upset North Dakota State in Fargo.

Rittenhouse finished 15 of 20 for 266 yards and three touchdowns and one interception. Daniel Sobkowicz had six receptions for 150 yards and two scores.

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Davis quarterback Caden Pinnick was 24 of 41 for 402 yards with three touchdowns and a pick.

Trey Houchin of the Mitchell Republic contributed to this report.

Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.





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Montana Lottery Powerball, Lucky For Life results for Dec. 13, 2025

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20 hours ago

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December 14, 2025

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The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Dec. 13, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Dec. 13 drawing

01-28-31-57-58, Powerball: 16, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Dec. 13 drawing

12-18-19-24-35, Lucky Ball: 17

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Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from Dec. 13 drawing

20-26-27-32-46, Star Ball: 08, ASB: 02

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from Dec. 13 drawing

04-06-11-31, Bonus: 09

Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Montana Cash numbers from Dec. 13 drawing

01-16-18-31-37

Check Montana Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
  • Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
  • Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
  • Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.

Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.

Where can you buy lottery tickets?

Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.

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You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.

Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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Griz outlast power outage, surge to big win – University of Montana Athletics

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1 day ago

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December 13, 2025

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Griz outlast power outage, surge to big win – University of Montana Athletics


The power went out inside Dahlberg Arena on Wednesday evening, delaying the opening tip of the Montana men’s basketball game by nearly two hours. Once the electricity returned to campus, the Grizzly men lit things up inside Dahlberg Arena.
 
Montana reached the 100-point mark for the third time this season, winning 102-46 over the Salish Kootenai Bison.  The Grizzlies improved to 6-5 on the season with the win.
 
As a team, Montana shot 70.5 from the floor and 44.0 percent from three-point range. It’s the first time since 1968 that Montana has shot over 70 percent from the floor in a game. It’s also the 5th best shooting percentage by a D-I team this season.
 
Money Williams had a double-double, his third of the season, finishing with 10 points and 11 assists. It’s the second time in Williams’ career that he has finished with 10 assists in a single game.
 
He wasn’t the only Grizzly to reach double figures in the assist department. Tyler Isaak recorded his first career double-double with a new career high 10 assists to go along with 16 points. It’s the first time in program history that two different players have recorded 10 or more assists in the same game.
 
It was a highly efficient night for Isaak, who played just 24 minutes and went 6-of-7 from the floor.
 
It was a complete team effort for Montana with 10 of the 11 players dressed scoring in the contest. Connor Dick (15) and Amari Jedkins (13) both scored career highs in the victory.

 
The Grizzlies had seven players reach double figures, the most in a single game in program history. Te’Jon Sawyer (13), Brooklyn Hicks (13), and Tyler Thompson (11) joined the previously four mentioned players in double figures.
 
The assists played a big role in that with Montana sharing the ball plenty. They recorded 30 team assists on the night, the second most in a game in program history. The Grizzlies had a 5:1 assist-to-turnover ratio on the night.

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The Grizzlies held Salish Kootenai to just 27 percent shooting and a 6-of-30 (.200) mark from three-point range. Montana’s size played a huge factor on the night as the Grizzlies outrebounded the Bison 47-25 and outscored them 60-20 in the paint.
 
Montana scored 16 points off dunks as they broke out into the open court on several occasions for highlight reel slams. They also owned a 22-0 advantage in fastbreak points.
 
Montana jumped out to a 13-2 lead before the first media timeout and never looked back in win. They set the tone early from the three-point line, opening the game 4-of-7 from the arc to help build the early lead.
 
It was a balanced first half offensively and the Griz were able to go on five individual runs of at least six straight points with nine different players scoring in the opening 20 minutes. The Grizzlies went 8-of-17 from the arc and shot 65.5 percent from the field in the first half.
 
Williams’ 8th assist of the opening half went to Amari Jedkins. The Grizzly forward knocked down a corner three to send Montana into the halftime break ahead 50-17.

 
The Grizzlies didn’t let up in the second half, going on two separate 12-0 runs and winning the second period 52-29 for the big victory.
 
Montana will get a week off before returning home next Wednesday night to face Montana Tech at 7:00 p.m. The Orediggers are 8-3 on the season.
 





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