MISSOULA — It's ideal to peak late in the season, and Montana has found a groove heading into the biggest game of the year.
In an all-around effort Saturday night, the No. 12-ranked Grizzlies scored touchdowns on offense, defense and special teams on the way to a 38-30 victory over No. 21 Idaho State to keep their playoff hopes intact, as well as their chance to take a piece of the Big Sky Conference title.
The win, its third straight, pushed UM's record to 8-3 overall and 5-2 in the league heading into next week's clash with age-old rival Montana State. And Saturday's victory was accompanied by a handful of big plays.
Idaho State took the game's first lead, capping a 10-play, 86-yard drive with a 2-yard touchdown run by Isaiah Suesue. That lead didn't last long at all — Monte Gillman returned the ensuing kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown as the Grizzlies tied the game.
The Bengals continued to falter in the special teams battle in the opening quarter when Mason Lindberg was wide left on a 42-yard field goal try, and ISU missed a chance to retake the lead. Montana, though, didn't miss its chance in the second quarter. Keali'i Ah Yat threaded a perfect pass over the outstretched arm of a defender to connect with Landon Ransom-Goelz on a 13-yard touchdown pass for a 14-7 advantage.
Jo Silver then connected on a 46-yard field goal as the Griz stretched their second-quarter lead.
Lindberg hit a field goal for the Bengals, then Ransom-Goelz fumbled the ensuing kickoff, giving ISU the ball in UM territory with a chance to tie the game with just seconds left before halftime. But Jordan Cooke's pass on first-and-goal was intercepted by cornerback Devin Dunn, who returned it 94 yards for a touchdown to put the Grizzlies ahead 24-10 at the break.
Between Dunn's huge play, Monte Gillman's kickoff return and Ransom-Goelz's earlier touchdown catch, the Grizzlies pulled a coveted trifecta by finding the end zone on offense, defense and special teams, all in the first half. It's tough to lose when you do that.
At the outset of the third quarter, Idaho State got a 35-yard touchdown pass from Cooke to Tommy Poe to pull within 24-17. Eli Gillman had been relatively quiet ... until the Griz record-breaker caught a pass and scooted 16 yards for a leaping TD at the pylon for — after a long video review — a 31-17 Montana lead.
That score was his 26th total touchdown of the season, which broke the school record of 25 set by Marcus Knight in 2019. Gillman took another swing pass from Ah Yat to the end zone early in the fourth quarter as the Griz took a 38-24 advantage, and just as both offenses started going back and forth.
In the final minutes, with Montana leading 38-30, Ah Yat threw an interception. But it was called back on defensive holding and the Griz got a fresh set of downs with roughly 2:00 left.
DUNN DEAL: After Ransom-Goelz fumbled near the end of the first half, Idaho State had the ball in prime position at the Montana 28 with the chance to tie it. A pass interference foul gave the Bengals first-and-goal at the 6 with 12 seconds left.
On the next play, Cooke threw a short pass to his left toward the sideline, but Dunn jumped right in front of it and raced down the sideline 94 yards for a touchdown to turn what could have been a tie game into a two-possession lead for the Griz. It was, simply put, the play of the game.
DEFENSIVE STAND: After ISU pulled within 38-30, Montana went three-and-out and punted the ball away. Needing a stand, the Griz forced three straight Cooke incompletions to force a Bengals punt.
Then, a 23-yard pass from Ah Yat to tight end Mariano Birdno put Montana on the Idaho State 15, and Eli Gillman was able to move the chains a couple of plays later and the Grizzlies ran out the clock.
SPECIAL TEAMS ADVENTURE: It was a wildly up-and-down night for the specialists. Monte Gillman set the tone for the Grizzlies, ISU's Lindberg had his struggles, and Montana's Ransom-Goelz got away with what could have been a costly fumble.
Montana's Brooks Davis returned a punt for a touchdown with less than five minutes left in the game, but it was negated by an illegal block.
But the sequence that best encapsulated the night came in the third quarter, when Idaho State punter Jordan Rucker dropped a snap, picked up the ball and improvised a 19-yard run to move the chains. But later, Lindberg missed from 48 yards and the Griz maintained a 24-17 lead.
HIGH RANSOM: It was an eventful night for Ransom-Goelz, almost all of it good. Ransom-Goelz caught nine passes for 159 yards and a score. He was targeted 11 times and had 50 yards after the catch.
He outpaced fellow Griz receiver Davis (eight catches for 81 yards) and did his part as Montana's running game was held in check with just 62 yards on 26 attempts.
WHAT'S NEXT: Montana now gets set for the most anticipated game of the year. The 125th Brawl of the Wild is scheduled for next Saturday at 12 p.m. from Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman. It will be the first game in the rivalry for Montana coach Bobby Kennedy, and he'll have a chance to lead the team to a share of the league title.
The Grizzlies will try to reverse some bad trends when they visit Montana State. Montana hasn't won in Bozeman since the 2015 season, and isn't far removed from a 2025 campaign in which it lost twice to the Bobcats in the span of a month, including in the playoff semifinals as MSU went on to win the national championship.