Score MISSOULA, Mont. – Visiting Missouri State racked up 356 total yards and outgained No. 3 Montana here Saturday at Washington-Grizzly Stadium, but the Grizzlies held on for a 29-24 victory over the Bears.

Jacob Clark was 23 of 39 for 257 yards through the air, while Jacardia Wright added 76 ground yards and 69 receiving yards for Missouri State, keeping pace with the reigning FCS national runners-up.

The Bears were given 13 penalties for 113 yards, which led to four Montana first downs. The Grizzlies drew just four flags on the night and accounted for 347 total yards, including 167 on the ground.

After trailing by two points at halftime, Missouri State regained the lead less than three minutes into the third quarter. A 27-yard pass from Clark to Wright led to a 32-yard touchdown run by Jayden Becks on the next play. The quick, six-play scoring strike gave MSU a 17-12 lead.

That lead held for most of the third period until the 32-second mark when Montana fired back with a six-play touchdown drive of its own. A 34-yard run from Xavier Harris came out on fourth-and-1 and capped the drive with a long scoring run to give UM a 19-17 lead heading into the final period.

Early in the fourth quarter, the Grizzlies took advantage of a failed fourth-down conversion by the Bears at the Montana 42. It took the home team just three plays and two key penalties to strike again, this time on a two-yard run by Gillman to extend the lead to 26-17, the largest of the night by either team, with 9:36 left to play.

The Bears responded with a key drive, however. Missouri State marched 75 yards on 10 plays to cut their deficit to 26-24 with 4:43 left. Clutch passes to Hunter Wood for 19 yards and Wright for 12 pushed MoState to the Montana eight. Two plays later, wide receiver Jmariyae Robinson scored on an eight-yard carry to give Missouri State new life.

The Bears then held the Grizzlies to a field goal on their final real drive, when Ty Morrison converted his third 3-pointer of the night to make it 29-24 with 98 seconds left in the game.

Still, the Bears had a chance. From their own 25, with no timeouts, Clark threw a five-yard pass to Wood for a key first-down gain. But Montana ended MSU’s hopes with three straight sacks by Clark to end the game.

Wood finished with 8 receptions for 70 yards, a team-high.

Both UM quarterbacks, Keali’l Ah Yat and Logan Fife threw for 90 yards, with Fife accounting for one TD. Eli Gillman was Montana’s leading rusher, with 15 carries for 89 yards and two scores.

Missouri State led for most of the first half until Montana scored twice in the second quarter, including one just before the end, to give them a 12-10 lead at halftime.

The Bears took advantage of a Montana miscue late in the first quarter to draw first blood. A failed Grizzlies punt was recovered by Thomas Andersen at the MSU 47. After a key 21-yard pass from Clark to Wright kept the drive alive early, it set up the first score of the season. Seven plays later, Wright found paydirt from seven yards out to give the Bears a 7-0 lead with 5:25 left in the opening period.

Three plays later, Montana regained momentum with a 37-yard touchdown run by Gillman. The drive was accelerated by two MoState penalties that cut the march short by 20 yards. The Grizzlies missed the extra point, giving the visitors a 7-6 lead at the end of the opening period.

Missouri State defeated Montana 100-74 in the first 15 minutes.

The Bears extended their lead with a 33-yard field goal by Yousef Obeid early in the second quarter to make it a 10-6 game. The 16-play drive chewed up seven and a half minutes with D’Vontae Key grabbing a key 14-yard, third-down reception from Clark to extend the drive.

Montana’s Morrison then added field goals of 35 and 22 yards to round out the first-half scoring and give the Grizzlies a 12-10 lead at midpoint. His second 3-pointer split the uprights as time expired in the half, capping a 12-play march in the final minute and 40 seconds to give the home team its first lead of the night.

Montana’s announced attendance of 26,482 was the seventh-largest in stadium history and helped the Grizzles clinch their 13th-place finish^and straight home win.

Missouri State is back on the road next week to face Ball State in Muncie, Ind., at 1 p.m. (Central) before opening the lid on its home schedule on Saturday, Sept. 14, against Lindenwood at Plaster Stadium. Tickets for the Lindenwood game are available at MissouriStateBears.com or through the Missouri State box office at Great Southern Bank Arena, (417) 836-7678, during regular business hours.

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