Grizzlies win with big rally
Marc Mariani’s kickoff-return touchdown started it all for Montana.
Mariani also scored the go-ahead touchdown, on a 2-yard pass from Andrew Selle with 1:08 to play Saturday to cap a 27-point second-half comeback and give top-seeded Montana a 61-48 victory over South Dakota State in the first round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
Montana (12-0), champion of the Big Sky Conference, advances to play next week against Stephen F. Austin.
Mariani scored three touchdowns for the Grizzlies, who scored the game’s final 40 points. Mariani caught 12 passes for 171 yards and two scores.
Mariani’s other TD may have been the biggest, a 98-yard kickoff return with 5:25 to play in the third quarter, which cut the Jackrabbits’ lead to 48-27 and was followed by five more Montana touchdowns.
“I have got to give the 10 guys in front of me a lot of credit,” Mariani said. “That thing just opened wide and all I had to do was put on the jets.”
After Mariani’s score with 1:08 left broke a 48-48 tie, Severin Campbell returned an interception 32 yards for a touchdown with 45 seconds to play to ice the win for the Griz.
Montana 61, S. Dakota St. 48
| S. Dakota State | 14 | 20 | 14 | 0 | — | 48 |
| Montana | 0 | 14 | 13 | 34 | — | 61 |
SD—Cochart 7 pass from O’Brien (Harris kick)
SD—Cochart 8 pass from O’Brien (Harris kick)
SD—FG Harris 34
Mon—C.Reynolds 1 run (McKnight kick)
Mon—T.Palmer 25 pass from Selle (McKnight kick)
SD—Cochart 5 pass from O’Brien (Harris kick)
SD—Minett 1 run (Harris kick)
SD—FG Harris 39
SD—Jeske 0 blocked punt return (Harris kick)
Mon—Brooks-Fletcher 2 run (McKnight kick)
SD—Minett 1 run (Harris kick)
Mon—Mariani 98 kickoff return (kick failed)
Mon—Mariani 15 pass from Selle (McKnight kick)
Mon—C.Reynolds 1 run (McKnight kick)
Mon—C.Reynolds 1 run (McKnight kick)
Mon—Mariani 4 pass from Selle (McKnight kick)
Mon—Campbell 32 interception return (kick blocked)
| SD | Mon | |
| First downs | 19 | 23 |
| Rushes-yards | 48-126 | 26-40 |
| Passing | 198 | 351 |
| Comp-Att-Int | 14-27-3 | 33-55-2 |
| Return Yards | 67 | 86 |
| Punts-Avg. | 7-40.6 | 6-39.0 |
| Fumbles-Lost | 2-1 | 3-2 |
| Penalties-Yards | 10-75 | 9-97 |
| Time of Possession | 34:25 | 25:35 |
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING—S. Dakota State, Minett 35-131, Duffy 5-14, T.Kool 3-8, Team 1-(minus 1), O’Brien 4-(minus 26). Montana, C.Reynolds 14-35, Brooks-Fletcher 5-17, Selle 4-4, Team 1-(minus 1), Roper 2-(minus 15).
PASSING—S. Dakota State, O’Brien 14-27-3-198. Montana, Selle 27-43-2-309, Roper 6-12-0-42.
RECEIVING—S. Dakota State, M.Steffen 5-90, Cochart 4-28, Fox 2-69, Montague 1-6, Rollin 1-4, Minett 1-1. Montana, Mariani 12-171, T.Palmer 6-85, Gratton 5-27, Pfahler 3-35, Beaudin 3-22, C.Reynolds 2-9, Klaboe 1-4, Brooks-Fletcher 1-(minus 2).
William & Mary 38, Weber State 0: R.J. Archer ran for two scores and William & Mary (10-2) returned two interceptions for touchdowns in a 38-0 win over the Wildcats (7-5) in Williamsburg, Va., in a first-round playoff game.
William & Mary intercepted four passes, while holding Weber State to 161 yards of offense.