Battle of predators: Wildcats get back to winning ways in clash with Grizzlies

OGDEN — Weber State needed to bounce back in a big way after a defeat to conference foe Montana State last week. That was no easy task as the Wildcats welcomed No. 11 Montana to town in a pivotal game for each team's respective season.

The home team answered the call as the Wildcats outplayed the Grizzlies in a close game in which they came out on top 24-21.

Weber State outperformed Montana in nearly every way but struggled to capitalize at certain times, which resulted in a closer score than many statistics indicated. The Wildcats' offense outgained the Grizzlies 345-114 in total yards and converted 18 first downs in the game to Montana's 10. Weber State also possessed the ball longer and converted more third downs — all typical signs of a dominant game.

"So proud of coach (Mickey) Mental and the offensive staff because that's not an easy team to prepare for with all the bullets and twists and scheming that they do," Weber State head coach Jay Hill said. "... They're a very veteran defensive staff and they're very well coached. And so the reality is you gotta be ready for a fight in that game, and I thought our offense was."

The outcome of the game wasn't determined until Weber State's final drive, though. After the Wildcats scored to take a 24-13 lead, Montana receiver Malik Flowers returned the ensuing kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. After a successful 2-point conversion, the Grizzlies were down by just a field goal with a little over five minutes to go in the game.

But the running back tandem of Dontae McMillan and Kris Jackson made the difference down the stretch.

It was no secret to those in attendance of the game, but McMillan and Jackson had the task to get first downs and run out the clock for the win. The two backs alternated first downs: McMillan ran a few plays and the team got a first down; and then Jackson did the same. The Grizzlies used their timeouts to give themselves some time should they get the ball back, but it was all in vain since the running back duo put their heads down and did their jobs.

At the Weber State 38-yard line, the Wildcats faced fourth-and-1 — the result of that play effectively decided the game. The offensive line got the push it needed, and Jackson ran for 3 yards to end the game.

"For me and Kris, me and Kris was talking about like, 'Hey bro, this is the end of the game and we gotta win this game,'" McMillan said. "First downs, just keep running, keep running hard, and just basically keep being consistent."

McMillan led the team with 100 rushing yards and Jackson contributed 33 yards. But perhaps none of those yards were more important than what those two did on that final drive.

"That last drive, to take 5:47 off the clock, and running when everyone in the stadium knows you're gonna run it, that's hard to do," Hill said. "And that shows great O-line play, that shows great tight end play, and the running backs ran hard."

While the outcome was decided by the final drive, each of the defenses showed why they're some of the best in the conference. The week prior, the Wildcats gave up nearly 500 yards to a fiery Montana State team, and the defense knew it would need to show up on Saturday.

Montana didn't score their first touchdown of the game until midway through the second quarter; and the Grizzlies only managed a field goal on 42 total yards in the first quarter. Weber State's defense put consistent pressure on Montana's quarterback and ended the day with four sacks and multiple tackles for loss. The Wildcats also got contributions from a variety of players, some of whom hadn't seen a lot of playing time this year, like junior defensive tackle Steven Bryant.

"In your program, you've got to continue to bring young guys along," Hill said. "... And so it's something that we want to do; we wanna continue to get those guys involved, and there's others like that that we need to continue to get involved. Steven Bryant is going to be a great player in this program — we know it."

While the defense did its job, the offense put together a solid day overall. Chunk yardage plays contributed to the offense's success, with long touchdowns from running back Damon Bankston and wide receiver Ty MacPherson. Bankston broke free for a 47-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter that gave Weber State its first lead of the day, while MacPherson's had a 69-yard touchdown reception in the middle of the third quarter.

The offense struck again on a drive part way through the fourth quarter when quarterback Bronson Barron connected with tight end Hayden Meacham for a 12-yard touchdown pass that put the Wildcats up by two scores. And everyone knows what the offense accomplished on the last possession.

"I'm very proud of our guys," Hill said. "They fought, they clawed, they dug; it wasn't always perfect — never is going to be when you play a great team — but I'm happy with how they responded and happy with so many individual performances that came up throughout the game."

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