MISSOULA — Montana made sure the Little Brown Stein would not change hands — in spite of the individual effort of Idaho quarterback Joshua Wood.
Wood was good, but the No. 5-ranked Grizzlies had too much Keali’i Ah Yat, Eli Gillman and Michael Wortham in a 41-30 win over the eighth-ranked Vandals in front of a wild Saturday-night crowd at Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
Montana and Idaho have fought for the Little Brown Stein — the rivalry’s keepsake — 90 times now, and the Griz won it for the ninth time in the past 10 meetings dating back to 2000.
Gillman rushed for 142 yards and two touchdowns, Ah Yat threw for one and ran for another, and Wortham also had a hand in two scores to offset Idaho’s second-half surge, which Wood was a part of with three rushing touchdowns and three two-point conversions.
TURNING POINT: Leading 17-6 at halftime, Montana was on defense to start the third quarter. The Grizzlies forced a quick three and out to give the ball back to their offense, and when Ah Yat and Co. took over they fashioned a seven-play, 65-yard drive that culminated in a 22-yard touchdown pass from Ah Yat to Wortham and a 24-6 advantage.
Wortham, an Eastern Washington transfer who displayed his dynamic abilities all night, converted a fourth-and-2 play on the ground one snap prior to his touchdown catch that allowed Montana to keep Idaho at arm’s length the rest of the way.
Photos: No. 5 Montana keeps hold of Little Brown Stein with win over No. 8 Idaho
PECKING ORDER: Griz defensive end Hunter Peck, a transfer from NAIA Caroll College in Helena, continues to make a smooth transition to Division I. Peck finished the game with three solo tackles, a quarterback sack, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble.
Peck is looking like one of the top transfer additions on the Montana roster, and why not? At Carroll last season, the 6-foot-2, 252-pound Peck was an Associated Press NAIA All-American and was named Frontier Conference defensive player of the year.
PERFECT TIMING: Idaho came in among the top teams in the FCS in terms of possession time at around 35 minutes per game, but the Grizzlies won the battle on this night.
Montana held the ball for 33:47 compared to 26:13 for the Vandals.
UM limited Idaho to 15 first downs, only four which were achieved in the running game. The Vandals averaged just 3.2 yards per carry and Wood completed just 50% of his attempts, though he did throw for 262 yards.
WHAT’S NEXT: With the win, the Grizzlies improved to 4-0 overall and are now 1-0 in the Big Sky. They will hit the road for the first time this season next week when they travel to face longtime rival Idaho State at the old Holt Arena (now the ICCU Dome).
The Bengals opened their Big Sky schedule Saturday with a 26-18 victory on the road at Northern Colorado. Idaho State’s overall record is 2-3.
