UNI Football Comeback Falls Short in Missoula

Saturday, September 1

Missoula, Montana

8 p.m.

University of Northern Iowa

0-1

Montana

1-0

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Northern Iowa

Montana

UNI Football Comeback Falls Short in Missoula

9/2/2018 1:24:00 AM | Football

Box Score

MISSOULA, Mont. – The 13th-ranked UNI Panther football team rallied back after No. 24 Montana built a 26-0 halftime lead, eventually falling 26-23 in a season-opening loss on the road in front of a raucous crowd at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula, Montana.

The Montana defense stifled the UNI early, holding the Panthers to 47 yards in the first half. The Montana offense capitalized on Panther mistakes and racked up 283 yards and 26 points in the first half, capped off by a 31-yard field goal as time expired.

The second half was all UNI. Colton Howell sparked the comeback starting with his feet. He scampered for 30 yards in the middle of the third quarter. Later in the drive, he looked wrapped up in the backfield by the Montana defense before finding Trevor Allen who scampered 22 yards for the first down at the 3-yard line.

Howell closed the drive with a dive into the end zone from the just a foot out to cut the Montana lead to 26-7 with 1:47 to play in the third quarter.
After a Montana three-and-out, Briley Moore caught back-to-back first down catches to lead the Panthers into the red zone. Marcus Weymiller capped off the drive with a one-yard touchdown and went in untouched on the two-point conversion to cut the Montana lead to 26-15 with 11:43 to play in the game.

With 3:14 remaining Howell found Nick Fossey in the corner of the end zone for the touchdown, before hitting Moore for the two-point conversion to cut the deficit to a field goal, 26-23.

The Panthers elected to kick the ball deep and lean on the defense. The Panther defense held on first and second down, but on third, Montana quarterback Dalton Snead found Samori Toure for the first down to close the game out.

After Montana's big first half, it was the Panthers who closed the game with 22 first downs to 19 for the Grizzlies. UM tallied 348 total yards to just 268 for UNI, but only notched 65 total yards in the second half.

Howell finished the game 11-22 for 140 yards and a touchdown. Moore led all receivers with five catches for 78 yards. Fossey had two catches for 26, including the touchdown.

Allen led the rushing attack with 50 yards.

FUMBLE AND RECOVER
The Panthers had four fumbles during the game, but recovered all four, including three by starting Cal Twait.

UP NEXT
The Panthers have a bye week before traveling to Iowa City to face the Hawkeyes on Sept. 15.