Bold start: A stunning home win caps Montana’s run, while USD’s dream quarterfinals fade on a cold Missoula night.
Missoula, Mont. — The No. 3 seed Montana Grizzlies protected their turf at Washington-Grizzly Stadium, rallying to a 52-22 victory over No. 11 South Dakota in the FCS Playoffs quarterfinals.
Coyote wide receiver Larenzo Fenner etched his name in USD history, becoming the first Coyote in the Division I FCS era to surpass 1,000 career receiving yards with an 18-yard grab in the third quarter.
Montana seized the early momentum, building a 24-0 advantage in the first half before South Dakota found a spark. The Yotes, stifled by Montana’s stout defense, finally produced a productive sequence midway through the second quarter, giving the offense a chance to break through.
Before the break, South Dakota flashed life on a late drive. With under two minutes remaining in the half, L.J. Phillips Jr. sped 23 yards to the end zone, trimming the deficit to 24-7.
In the opening stanza, Montana led in total offense 260 yards to 101, but USD caught a late wave of momentum on that final drive, with Phillips Jr. contributing 69 rushing yards in the half.
The Yotes started the second half with the ball and aimed to narrow the gap, but a USD punt followed by a 93-yard Montana scoring drive pushed the lead to 31-7 early in the third.
A dramatic moment greeted the fourth: Aidan Bouman connected with Jack Martens for a 69-yard touchdown after a crowd-pleasing sequence where Martens appeared down and then got up to finish the play. The defense, offense, and special teams continued to click for Montana as they extended the margin.
South Dakota fought back on a Bouman-to-Martens connection for a 69-yard score early in the fourth, followed by a 20-yard strike to Tysen Boze for a two-point conversion that made it 38-22 with just under nine minutes left.
Montana answered with a couple more scores late, sealing a 52-22 win and advancing to the FCS semifinals. The Grizzlies moved to 13-1 on the season and will travel to Bozeman for a highly anticipated rematch with rival Montana State in the Brawl of the Wild.
Individual figures highlighted a balanced performance: Phillips Jr. led USD with 74 rushing yards on 15 carries, Bouman finished 15-for-32 for 231 yards with two touchdown passes, and Martens topped USD receivers with three catches for 93 yards and a touchdown. defensively, Gabriel Hardman led the Yotes with nine tackles.
South Dakota’s season ends in the quarterfinals at 10-5 (6-2 MVFC), a continuation of their recent extended runs to the postseason, including three straight quarterfinal appearances.
Stay connected with USD Athletics for updates on football and other programs via Facebook at /SDCoyotes, on X (Twitter) @SDCoyotes, and on Instagram @sdcoyotes. The team sign-off remains: #GoYotes x #WeAreSouthDakota.
But here’s where it gets controversial: some fans will ask whether the decision to go for a 23-yard TD with time ticking in the half—rather than playing conservatively—was the turning point that shifted momentum for the Grizzlies. Do you think the risk paid off, or should USD have protected the ball and waited for a more measured push? Share your thoughts in the comments.
