ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Central Washington University Football Team will look to use their momentum from a season-opening Rodeo Bowl victory over Colorado Mesa last week to play spoiler for the 10th-ranked FCS squad, the Montana Grizzlies in their season and home-opening game this Saturday.
GAME INFORMATION
Saturday, September 6
#18 Central Washington at #10 FCS Montana
5:00 p.m. PST
Washington-Grizzly Stadium
Missoula, Mont.
WATCH (ESPN+):
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LIVE STATS:
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TICKETS:
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QUOTING CWU HEAD FOOTBALL COACH CHRIS FISK
"The biggest thing for us is it starts on special teams. Anytime you get into these games, if you go back and take a peek at our game against Weber State a couple of years ago, big punt and kickoff returns really were the big differences of the game to create short fields for their offense and they capitalized despite our defense playing very very well. We didn't capitalize on our special teams' opportunities. I think we gave up a 109-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to an All-American kick returner. We're really going to have to play well on special teams. If you go back to the 2020 game at Montana, that was a big part of the game was we didn't capitalize on ST and we ended up being backed up on our field position and they ended up playing on short fields most of the day and that score was the score. That's been the challenge this week starting there, but we're hoping the offense and defense take care of themselves. This will certainly be the best offense and defense that we will face most of this season aside from the top teams on our schedule. They present a lot of challenges that come outside of just the environment that you're playing in, which is tremendous as well. Our guys are excited for the challenge and we're very excited to get on that stage."
LAST WEEK
CWU racked up the very first victory of 2025 for the entirety of NCAA Division II in a 41-14 Rodeo Bowl victory over the visiting Mavericks of Colorado Mesa.
The Wildcats got on the board on their first possession when LSC Offensive Player of the Week
Kennedy McGill connected with
Jalen Grable for the first touchdown of the 2025 NCAA Division II season connecting on a 51-yard pass and
David Weber added on a successful PAT to make it 7-0 CWU. The next score came in the third quarter when McGill found the endzone on a 14-yard run and with Weber converting the PAT put CWU up 14-0. The Mavericks found the endzone as Liu Aumavae found Alex Turpin on a six-yard pass and with Sullivan Moon kicking the PAT, cut the 'Cat lead in half 14-7.
McGill found a wide-open
Mason Juergens on the next possession for a huge 55-yard touchdown pass and after a Weber PAT, increased the lead back up by two scores 21-7.
Brett McCalla kept the CWU momentum going with an 18-yard pick six on the Mavericks next drive to make it 27-7. McGill added on a 23-yard run to open the fourth quarter with Weber successfully kicking the PAT to make it 34-7 CWU. The Mavericks responded quickly on a Cole Hansen 66-yard pass to Trek Keyworth for the touchdown and with Moon kicking the PAT made it 34-14 CWU.
Ryder Bumgarner gave the 'Cats the final score of the game with a nine-yard rushing touchdown and with Weber making the PAT, made it a 41-14 ballgame.
McGill finished the game completing 8/13 passes for 190 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception and led the 'Cats on the ground with 135 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Bumgarner finished with 52 rushing yards and one touchdown. Juergens and Grable each had one receiving touchdown and 75 and 51 receiving yards, respectfully.
Wyatt Redding had three punts for 114 yards and seven kickoffs for 451 yards while
David Weber made 5/6 PAT attempts.
Beau Phillips added two kick returns for 45 yards.
On the defensive side of the ball, the 'Cats were led by
Chase Coalson with 10 tackles and two pass breakups with
King Williams not far behind with nine tackles, a half tackle for loss and one pass breakup.
Mikaio Edward had six total tackles and 1.5 sacks on the day with
Brycen Indell tabulating four tackles and the other half sack. McCalla had five tackles and the interception returned for a pick six.
ABOUT THE #10 FCS GRIZZLIES
The Grizz are opening their 2025 season against CWU this Saturday. In 2024 the Grizzlies finished the season with a 9-5 overall record including going 5-3 in the Big Sky. They made the NCAA Division I FCS Playoffs as the 14th-overall seed taking down the Tennessee State Tigers at home in the opening round by a 41-27 score before falling in the second round to the third-seeded South Dakota State Jackrabbits by a 35-18 score on the road.
Keali'i Ah Yat returns to lead the Grizzlies charge, taking over quarterback duties after splitting duties with Logan Fife last season. Ah Yat accumulated 1,121 passing yards with seven touchdowns and six interceptions while completing 112 out of 189 passes. Eli Gillman, the Grizzlies only 1,000-yard rusher from a season ago will be back after posting 1,104 rushing yards with 15 rushing touchdowns. Gillman is the leading receiver as the Grizz will look to replace their top five receivers from the 2024 season with Gillman accumulating 176 receiving yards and two touchdowns. The Grizz offensive line will also look a little different returning only one starter from a year ago in graduate student Cade Klimczak.
The Grizzly defense will look very different in 2025 with Caleb Otlewski leading the charge after the top 10 tacklers from the 2024 season departed including their top interception leader, their top pass breakup player, as well as their top two tackle for loss and sacks leaders. Otlewski totaled 33 tackles in 2024 adding 3.5 tackles for loss including 2.5 sacks. He added one interception and two quarterback hurries. Ty Morrison will be back in 2025 after serving as the main punter and field goal kicker for the Grizz in 2024. Morrison had 54 punts for a total of 2,308 yards as well as converting 17 of 23 field goals with his longest coming in from 50 yards. Drew Deck is also back in the return game, returning eight punts for a total of 82 yards last season.
UP NEXT
The Wildcats will have a week off before diving into Lone Star Conference play welcoming in West Texas A&M (0-1) to Steve Hertling Field at Tomlinson Stadium. The 'Cats and Buffs will clash in Ellensburg on Saturday, September 20 at 6:00 p.m. for family weekend.
