Weber State wins 24-21 overtime thriller in Montana


Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

MISSOULA, Mont. — The last time Weber State won in Missoula was in 1987, and that streak ended Saturday night.

On the first play in overtime, Weber State forced a fumble to gain possession. After pushing the ball to the 10-yard line, senior WSU place-kicker Josh Kealamakia sent the ball through the uprights for a 27-yard field goal to secure the 24-21 upset win over No. 12 Montana.

This Wildcat win comes just one week after a 44-0 blowout loss at home to Southern Utah University. Weber had won its two previous games before losing to SUU but looked to have taken a step back after the huge loss. Weber put the tough defeat behind it and went into a hostile environment to pick up a huge win against a high-caliber Montana team.

Weber State had success running the ball with 253 yards on the ground. Power back Eric Wilkes led the charge by rushing for 112 yards and a touchdown before going down with an injury late in the fourth quarter.

This is the second 100-plus yard rushing performance for the running back this season. Wilkes has proven to be highly effective in the return game as well, picking up 438 total yards over the last six games.

Quarterback Jadrian Clark found seams in the Montana defensive line and added 87 yards on the ground. The junior took several big hits during the game, including a crushing hit in the first quarter from a UM linebacker as he was trying to pick up a first down.

Montana scored 14 straight points after giving up a quick first-half touchdown to Weber early in the first quarter. Montana quarterback Chad Chalich found success early in the first half, throwing 136 yards with a touchdown connection to wide receiver Ben Roberts. Chalich also picked up 24 yards on the ground before going down with a foot injury just before halftime. He did not return for the remainder of the game.

Both teams ramped up the defense in the second half with the only points scored coming off a Montana touchdown pass at the 4:51 mark in the fourth quarter to tie the game 21-21.

Junior WSU linebacker Tre'von Johnson put on a dominating performance on the defensive end picking up 13 tackles and forcing the overtime fumble to secure the victory.

This victory moves Weber State back to .500 with a 3-3 overall record on the season and 2-1 in Big Sky Conference play.

Weber State is back home next Saturday to take on conference opponent North Dakota that coming off a 37-31 home loss to Idaho State. The Wildcats are 1-0 all-time vs. North Dakota, which joined the Big Sky Conference in 2013. This will be their first meeting in Ogden.


Mark Douglas is a graduate of Weber State University and lives in Ogden, Utah. Contact him at markdouglasmail@gmail.com or on Twitter @ThePistolColumn.

Most recent Sports stories

Related topics

SportsWeber State Wildcats

ARE YOU GAME?

From first downs to buzzer beaters, get KSL.com’s top sports stories delivered to your inbox weekly.
By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

KSL Weather Forecast