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MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) -- Cole Bergquist passed for 150 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score while Dan Carpenter kicked three field goals of 41 yards or more to lead Montana to a 37-17 victory over Southern Utah on Saturday.
Lex Hilliard, a Walter Payton Award candidate who missed the 2006 season after rupturing his Achilles tendon, had 22 carries for 108 yards, including a 2-yard touchdown run just over three minutes into the game.
Montana (1-0), ranked second in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, took advantage of four Southern Utah turnovers to pull away late.
The Grizzlies led 14-2 at halftime.
Southern Utah (0-1) used half the third quarter on a drive that was capped by a 1-yard touchdown run by Johnny Sanchez, to pull the Thunderbirds to 14-9.
Montana answered with field goals of 42 and 41 yards by Carpenter and a 14-yard touchdown run by Bergquist to take a 27-9 lead with 9:21 remaining.
Sanchez scored on another 1-yard run at the end of a four-minute drive and Southern Utah was successful on a 2-point conversion to pull to 27-17 with 5:14 remaining.
Two late turnovers hurt SUU, as Montana scored on a 29-yard TD pass from Bergquist to Eric Allen and then a 41-yard field goal by Carpenter. Allen's other catch was a 14-yard touchdown midway through the second quarter.
Marshall completed 19 of 32 passes for 218 yards, but was intercepted three times. He also rushed 13 times for 65 yards. Sanchez rushed 11 times for 28 yards.
(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) APTV-09-01-07 1716MDT
