Jensen returns as Griz romp
Freshman quarterback Gresch Jensen threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score, and Montana intercepted five passes in a 44-14 win over Northern Colorado on Saturday in Missoula, Mont.
Jensen, returning to the lineup after missing the Grizzlies’ 17-15 win over Northern Arizona last week with a concussion, broke a 7-7 tie with a 6-yard pass to Makena Simis at 3:43 of the first quarter.
In the second quarter the Grizzlies (7-3, 5-2 Big Sky Conference) used a Jeremy Calhoun scoring run and a 24-yard touchdown pass to Samori Toure to push the lead to 37-7.
Montana’s defense intercepted three passes and forced a fumble, and the Grizzlies also blocked a punt in the second quarter, setting up three Brandon Purdy field goals. The Grizzlies also turned the ball over on downs at Northern Colorado’s 7-yard line.
Jensen threw a 56-yard scoring strike to Justin Calhoun to open the third quarter, pushing Montana’s lead to 44-7. He completed 17 of 25 passes for 228 yards. He also ran for 30 yards, including a 2-yard scoring run on Montana’s first drive.
Northern Colorado (2-7, 1-6) tied the game at 7-7 on Conor Regan’s 26-yard touchdown pass to Alex Wesley midway through the first quarter. But the Bears ended up with seven turnovers.
Jerry Louie-McGee (Lake City) had four catches for 25 yards for Montana.
Whitworth 57, Willamette 24: At Spokane, record-setting quarterback Ian Kolste finished up his final game at Whitworth by completing 20 of 29 passes for 264 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions as the Pirates (8-2, 5-2 Northwest Conference) beat the Bearcats (0-9, 0-7). Kolste finished his Pirate career with 10,467 yards of total offense, 10,118 passing yards and 85 touchdown passes.
Senior Michael McKeown, a Post Falls High product, caught six passes for 120 yards and a touchdown for Whitworth.
It is Willamette’s first winless campaign in its history.
Eastern Oregon 41, Carroll 34, OT: At La Grande, Ore., Nathan Harden tied it on a 41-yard field goal at the end of the fourth quarter, and a Kai Quinn 24-yard touchdown pass to Brenden Kelly was the difference in overtime as Eastern Oregon (4-6, 4-6 Frontier) held off Carroll (4-6, 4-6) in the season finale for both schools. Major Ali ran for 187 yards and two touchdowns for Carroll.
College of Idaho 45, Montana State-Northern 22: At Caldwell, Tyler Cox had a career-high 320 yards passing and 113 yards rushing — tying a school record with four touchdown passes — as the College of Idaho capped the season on a three-game win streak, beating Montana State-Northern (1-10, 0-10 Frontier).
Lakeland High product Troy Carr had three tackles for College of Idaho (6-5, 6-4), which logged its first winning season since 1969. The Yotes didn’t play football from 1978-2013.