MISSOULA — Sixth-ranked UC Davis scored 46 unanswered points in the second half to trounce Montana 49-21 at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday. Turnovers were again an issue for the Grizzlies, who coughed up the ball four times, resulting in 21 points for the Aggies.
Montana built a 21-3 halftime lead as Dalton Sneed threw two first-half touchdowns to Samuel Akem. Jeremy Calhoun added a 15-yard rushing touchdown as the Griz were looking to snap a two-game losing streak.
The second half was all UC Davis, though, as Jake Maier threw three TD passes and ran for a fourth. Maier threw scoring passes to Wesley Preece, Keelan Doss and Carson Crawford. Tehran Thomas and Ulonzo Gilliam added rushing touchdowns for the Aggies, and Devon King intercepted Sneed twice.
TURNING POINT: Halftime. Montana looked on its way to a signature, bounce-back win with a 21-3 lead at halftime. The wheels came off in the second, though, as UC Davis scored 46 unanswered points, including 36 in the fourth quarter. UC Davis out-gained UM 229-47 in the fourth quarter, and the Grizzlies turned the ball over three times in the fourth quarter — two interceptions and a fumble.
STAT OF THE GAME: Four turnovers. The Griz had four turnovers for the third consecutive game to extend their losing streak to three games, their first such streak since 1992. Sneed accounted for all four turnovers — three interceptions and a fumble. He was sacked six times.
GAME BALLS: Maier, King and Mason Moe. Maier finished the game completing 36 of 48 passes for 292 yards and three touchdowns. He added a 1-yard rushing touchdown. King had two of UC Davis’ three interceptions, forced a fumble and totaled nine tackles. Moe tied for a game-high 13 total tackles, but he was a menace behind the line of scrimmage with five tackles-for-loss, including 3.5 sacks. Moe added another quarterback hit and forced a fumble.
WHAT’S NEXT: Montana (4-4 overall, 2-3 Big Sky Conference) travels to Southern Utah on Saturday, Nov. 3. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. at Cedar City, Utah. League-leading UC Davis (7-1, 5-0) is back home against Northern Arizona.
