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Grizzlies run over Texas State

Associated Press UM’s Ryan Featherston pressures Texas State’s Bradley George. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Associated Press
Associated Press UM’s Ryan Featherston pressures Texas State’s Bradley George. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

MISSOULA, Mont. – Texas, meet Chase Reynolds.

Montana’s sophomore running back rushed for a career-high 233 yards and two touchdowns Saturday and the Grizzlies rallied to down Texas State 31-13 in the first round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

The fifth-ranked Grizzlies (12-1), seeded fourth in postseason play, will host a quarterfinal game next weekend against fellow Big Sky team, Weber State.

Reynolds carried 38 times, also a personal best, and became the first Montana back to rush for 200 yards in a playoff game. It was the sixth straight 100-yard game for the former eight-man football star from Drummond, Mont., who gained 995 yards in the regular season.

No. 23 Texas State (8-5) grabbed a 10-0 lead in the first quarter on Andrew Ireland’s 47-yard field goal in the rain and a 16-yard touchdown pass from Bradley George to Cameron Luke. The Bobcats scored only once more, on another Ireland field goal late in the third quarter.

The momentum began to swing Montana’s way late in the first quarter when Texas State’s star back, Karrington Bush, fumbled the ball away after a short Grizzly punt.

The game’s momentum changed when Reynolds and senior quarterback Cole Bergquist spearheaded a 10-play, 89-yard drive in the closing minutes of the first half.

Bergquist was 4 for 4, including a 14-yard touchdown pass to Marc Mariani.

D-III rushing mark falls

Nate Kmic is the Division III leader in career yards rushing after he gained 235 yards in Mount Union’s 42-7 win over Hobart in the second round of the playoffs, at Alliance, Ohio.

Kmic, who scored four touchdowns, has 7,449 yards, surpassing the 7,353 set by R.J. Bowers of Grove City College in Pennsylvania from 1997-2000.

The only player at any level of college football to run for more than Kmic is Danny Woodhead, who ended his career at Division II Chadron State last year with 7,962 yards.

Willamette ousted

Antwan Anderson rushed for a career-high 269 yards and three touchdowns as Wisconsin-Whitewater (11-1) held on to beat Northwest Conference champion Willamette (11-1) 30-27 in Salem, Ore.