MISSOULA -- Marcus Knight rushed for 131 yards and three touchdowns to help 10th-ranked Montana rally past rival Eastern Washington 34-17 Saturday at Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
The Eagles built an early 14-3 lead, but Knight scored his first touchdown late in the first half to bring the Griz within 14-10 going into halftime. He added another touchdown in the third and another in the fourth as Montana built a double-digit lead to bounce back from last week's loss at Sacramento State. Quarterback Dalton Sneed missed the game for Montana, but Cam Humphrey managed the offense while Knight made the big plays. Humphrey finished 20-of-29 passing for 176 yards and a touchdown pass to Samuel Akem.
After the slow start, the Montana defense limited Eastern Washington quarterback Eric Barriere to 22-of-41 passing for 264 yards and one touchdown.
TURNING POINT: After digging a 14-3 hole, Montana got a much-needed touchdown from Knight late in the first half. The Grizzlies took further control in the second half, getting two more scores from Knight -- a 45-yard TD in the third quarter and a 9-yard score early in the fourth -- to help create separation.
STAT OF THE GAME: Second-half comparison. Eastern Washington scored just three points and totaled only 134 yards after halftime. The Eagles also turned the ball over twice and were sacked twice, while Montana racked up 221 yards, including 146 on the ground, and 24 points.
GAME BALLS: Knight, Dante Olson, Robby Hauck. Knight was a monster on offense, carrying the ball 26 times and averaging 5 yards per attempt. Olson and Hauck, again, led the UM defense. The duo combined for 24 tackles, including 1.5 for loss. Hauck had 10 tackles and a sack.
WHAT’S NEXT: Montana (6-2 overall, 3-1 Big Sky Conference) heads to Portland State for its second-to-last road game of the regular season. The Vikings (5-3, 3-1) and Grizzlies kick off at 3 p.m. (MDT) Nov. 2. The Eagles (3-5, 2-2) return home for a matchup with Northern Arizona.
