Junior Bergen delivered another electrifying performance Saturday night, propelling Montana to a hard-fought victory over Tennessee State in the first round of the FCS playoffs.
Bergen returned two punts for touchdowns—the seventh and eighth of his career, tying the FCS record—and the Grizzlies fended off the Eddie George-coached Tigers 41-27 at Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
With the win, Montana, seeded No. 14 in the playoffs, advances to face No. 3 South Dakota State next week in the second round.
Despite three offensive turnovers that kept Tennessee State in contention, Bergen’s punt returns of 52 and 54 yards swung the momentum. His first return extended Montana’s lead to 27-6 in the third quarter, while the second made it 34-20 in the fourth, providing crucial breathing room. Bergen has now returned five punts for touchdowns in the playoffs, adding to his postseason heroics against SE Missouri in 2022 and Furman and North Dakota State last year.
Montana’s offense struggled with consistency and giveaways against a Tigers defense led by former Grizzly linebacker Brandon Fisher. However, the Grizzlies’ special teams made the difference.
After a sluggish opening drive, Montana got on the board with a 39-yard field goal from Ty Morrison. Tennessee State answered with a 37-yard kick by James Lowery to tie the game at 3-3 as the first quarter ended.
In the second quarter, Montana freshman running back Malae Fonoti sparked a drive with 36 rushing yards, but Morrison missed a 39-yard field goal. Later, Eli Gillman’s fourth-down conversion set up his 7-yard touchdown run, putting Montana ahead 10-3 with 4:35 left in the half. Morrison added two more field goals—one a career-long 50-yarder—to give the Grizzlies a 16-3 halftime lead.
Early in the third quarter, Montana quarterback Logan Fife fumbled near midfield, but Tennessee State only managed a 26-yard field goal from Lowery, cutting the lead to 16-6. Morrison answered with his fourth field goal of the game, a 30-yarder.
Bergen’s first punt-return touchdown widened the gap to 27-6, but Tennessee State countered with a 63-yard kickoff return by Craig Cunningham, setting up a 3-yard touchdown pass from Draylen Ellis to Karate Brenson. The Tigers then capitalized on another Fife fumble, with Ellis scoring an 11-yard rushing touchdown to make it 27-20 early in the fourth.
Montana responded with Xavier Harris’ strong kickoff return, and backup quarterback Keali’i Ah Yat stepped in. However, a fumbled exchange between Ah Yat and Gillman gave Tennessee State the ball back. The Tigers faltered, and Bergen seized the moment, returning a bouncing punt 54 yards for his second touchdown, restoring Montana’s two-score lead.
Tennessee State kept fighting, with Ellis finding Brenson for a second touchdown, narrowing the gap to 34-27. But Gillman sealed the win with a spectacular 59-yard touchdown run, evading defenders and cutting back across the field. Trevin Gradney’s interception at the 2-yard line with 1:19 left ended the Tigers’ hopes.
Bergen’s second punt return came with Montana clinging to a one-score lead, shifting momentum decisively in the Grizzlies’ favor.
Gillman’s 7-yard touchdown run in the second quarter secured his first career 1,000-yard rushing season. The sophomore, last year’s Jerry Rice Award winner as the FCS’s top freshman, finished with 136 yards on 20 carries.
Montana (9-4) travels to Brookings, S.D., for a second-round clash against two-time defending champion South Dakota State (10-2) next Saturday at 12 p.m. Mountain time. It’s a rematch of last year’s FCS title game, won 23-3 by the Jackrabbits in Frisco, Texas. The Grizzlies last faced SDSU in Brookings on Nov. 14, 1970, earning a 24-0 victory.
By: Montana Newsroom staff
