QB Keali'i Ah Yat's nose for the end zone helps No. 9 Montana rally past No. 24 Western Carolina

MISSOULA — Western Carolina quarterback Cole Gonzalez was running around in celebration after his 61-yard touchdown pass to De’Andre Tamarez gave the No. 24-ranked Catamounts a 13-point lead over No. 9 Montana late in the second quarter on Saturday.

PHOTOS: MONTANA FIGHTS BACK, TOPS WESTERN CAROLINA TO FINISH NON-LEAGUE PLAY

It was part of a huge statistical day for Gonzalez and pass-happy WCU. But stats don’t win football games, and the Grizzlies rebounded from a slow start for a 46-35 victory at Washington-Grizzly Stadium to wrap up nonconference play.

Montana’s Keali’i Ah Yat set a single-game school record for quarterbacks by rushing for four touchdowns, and Eli Gillman ran for 175 yards and a TD as Montana came back from what was earlier a 17-point first-half deficit.

Ah Yat’s diving 6-yard TD run in the third quarter put UM ahead for the first time 28-27, then Trevin Gradney intercepted Gonzalez on a tipped screen pass right after that to set up Ah Yat’s fourth touchdown rush, a 1-yarder.

After a Ty Morrison field goal, the Grizzlies led 38-27 early in the fourth, but WCU didn’t go away. A 3-yard TD pass from Gonzalez to A.J. Colombo, followed by a Gonzalez run for a two-point conversion, pulled the Catamounts within three points, 38-35, with 8:22 left.

But a 13-yard pass from Logan Fife to Junior Bergen into the red zone on fourth and 4 kept a late Montana possession alive, leading to a clinching touchdown run by Nick Ostmo, a 12-yard scamper with 1:44 left.

Montana prevailed despite 340 passing yards by Gonzalez and 229 receiving yards from his favorite target, Tamarez. The Griz rushed for 349 yards, and outgained the Catamounts 552 to 477 in total offense.

It was Montana’s 10th consecutive home victory over ranked teams since 2018. The Griz will open Big Sky play next week looking to defend their outright conference title from last season.

Turning point: Despite their slow start, the Grizzlies managed to make it a one-score game going into halftime, which was critical.

After Gonzalez hit Tamarez for that 61-yard TD with 1:47 left in the second quarter, the Grizzlies got a wonderful bit of help on a late hit by WCU’s Jordy Lowery and a subsequent unsportsmanlike conduct call on Catamounts coach Kerwin Bell, which gave UM 25 free yards and set up a 9-yard touchdown run by Ah Yat with 53 seconds left before the break.

That put Montana in position to take the lead in the second half and leave with a victory.

Stat of the game: Ah Yat’s four touchdown runs set a single-game record for a Montana quarterback, and already gives him six rushing TDs in this his redshirt freshman season.

Ah Yat is now only three shy of the total rushing touchdowns his father, former Montana QB Brian Ah Yat, scored from 1995-98. Brian Ah Yat scored four rushing TDs in 1998, two in 1997 and three in 1996.

Grizzly game balls: QB Keali’i Ah Yat (Offense). Ah Yat didn’t flinch while Montana trailed throughout the first half, and made his biggest impact as a runner. Ah Yat finished with 57 rushing yards on 11 attempts, an average of 5.2 per rush and, of course, scored 24 points on his own.

LB Ryan Tirrell (Defense). It was a challenge for UM’s defense to contend with WCU’s passing game, especially with their underneath and intermediate routes. But Tirrell led the Grizzlies’ linebacking corps with 10 tackles and a key breakup on a Catamount possession in the first half.

What’s next: After a four-game non-league schedule, Montana (3-1) opens Big Sky Conference play next week on the road against a familiar rival — Eastern Washington.

The Grizzlies lead the all-time series 30-18-1 but have not won a game on the road against the Eagles since 2008 and have never won atop “The Inferno,” EWU’s signature red turf that was installed for the 2010 season.

The Griz, though, have won the past two matchups (both in Missoula) including a 63-7 drubbing in 2022. Overall, the Eagles have won eight of the past 13. By rule, Montana will be without linebacker Riley Wilson for the first half next week; Wilson was disqualified for targeting in the second half against Western Carolina on Saturday.