After a gutsy comeback early in the game, cruel fate intervened and so much went terribly wrong as the result of one play.

The starting quarterback is tackled and fumbles. The opponent scoops up the ball and scores a touchdown. The starting quarterback is injured on the play and does not return.

That flurry late in the second quarter resulted in more than the Montana Grizzly football team could overcome. The Griz took the fight to North Dakota State, even though they were unable to move the ball in the second half, which gave the Bison a lot of opportunities to control the ball and the game clock and wear the Montana defense down. But not before they made a statement.

Griz defensive back Corbin Walker intercepted a pass and returned it 58 yards for a touchdown to get Montana back to within a point, 21-20 early in the third quarter. But the Bison responded on the very next play, a 75-yard touchdown run.

Backup quarterback, freshman Daniel Britt, subbing for starter Lucas Johnson, is mostly ineffective,  and intercepted on the next possession. The Griz defense is totally out of sync, this time giving up a 68-yard touchdown run. North Dakota State is in complete control at this point, the Bison coast to an embarrassing 49-26 victory in Fargo, North Dakota, this afternoon, ending Montana's 2022 season with a 8-5 overall record.

The Griz spotted NDSU a 14-0 first quarter lead, and while Montana fought back to within 14-10, that sequence of events in the second quarter had a major impact on the outcome of the game.

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It all unraveled in the second half. Four huge North Dakota State touchdown runs added lots of insult to injury, racking up over 450 yards running the ball.

We look forward to reuniting with Griz Nation on September 2, when we host Butler to start the 2023 season.

Really not much more to say.

Montana Grizzlies 2022 Regular Season Recap

The University of Montana Grizzlies had a rollercoaster of a regular season. Here is what that journey looked like.