The No. 3 Grizzlies, with Turlock High alumnus Everett Johnson stationed at right tackle, were plenty focused from the start Saturday, jumping out to and early lead and dominating the No. 11 South Dakota Coyotes 52-22 in the quarterfinal round of the FCS Playoffs on a spectacular December day inside Washington-Grizzly Stadium.

With millions of viewers tuned in to the network broadcast on ABC, the Griz punched their ticket to the semifinal round of the postseason for the second time in the last three years and the 12th time in program history with the record-breaking win.

Montana burst out of the gates to take a 24-0 lead in a near-flawless opening quarter and a half as the Griz torched the Coyotes for 305 yards through the air, the sixth time this season and the second-straight week UM has passed for 300-plus.

South Dakota entered the game having outscored its first two postseason opponents 85-17 but was held to just a single score in the first three quarters of play with a fluke 69-yard touchdown scored in the fourth quarter when a receiver rolled over the tackler and never touched the ground before going the distance.

Montana, conversely, wins the unofficial South Dakota State Championship with the win over the Coyotes after rolling over South Dakota State last week in the second round of the playoffs. The Griz have now outscored opponents 102-51 in the postseason after hanging a pair of 50 burgers on USD and SDSU.

"Our guys played great offense, defense, and special teams today. Our guys were better, and I was proud of the Grizzlies being so ready to play today," said head coach Bobby Hauck. "I thought we were in control of the game from the jump. It was really a concerted effort to get ready this week, and the guys went out and performed. Credit to them and their preparation and going out and executing the plan. I thought that was good."

With 449 total yards against USD, Montana has now broken a school record that stood for over two decades. The Griz and their high-flying offense have now posted 6,508 yards of total offense this season, breaking the 2004 school record of 6,416. That's on top of the new school records the Griz set last week for total points and touchdowns in a season.  

Michael Wortham also etched his name atop Montana's record books with a huge day for the Grizzlies. The electric senior receiver totaled 201 yards through the air, 43 on the ground, and 25 in the kick return game for a monster 269 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns to post 2,295 all-purpose yards this season. That total breaks Hall of Famer Marc Mariani's 2008 record of 2,265 single-season all-purpose yards.

"It means the world to me. Coming in here and doing it with these guys – I couldn't do it without them," said Wortham. "I got the record, but my teammates deserve all the praise as well. They help me so much, and they're so happy for me."

Wortham's 201 yards receiving were also the second-most of any Grizzly ever in the FCS playoffs, just behind Samori Toure's 2019 total of 303 that broke Randy Moss' playoff record.

Playing in his final game at Washington-Grizzly Stadium, senior receiver and return man Drew Deck broke free for a 93-yards punt return for a touchdown early in the third quarter.

Deck finished with two scores on the day after opening the game with a short-yardage touchdown catch early in the first quarter to start the scoring for the Griz. It was his second-straight game with a receiving TD and his fourth this season.

Keali'i Ah Yat was again special for the Griz as well, completing 21 of 30 passes for 305 yards and three scores – all to Wortham. He aired-out seven passes of 15-plus yards with two to Wortham for 50-plus yards – both for a score – while going 4-for-6 on deep balls on the day. Johnson and the rest of the Grizzly offensive line also kept him clean, not allowing a sack.

The Griz will now prepare to head across the divide and face Montana State. It will be the 125th all-time meeting between the ancient rivals but will be the first ever in the postseason. It's also the first time the two have played twice in the same season in over a century, dating back to 1913. A tipped pass that resulted in a pick six and a missed field goal were the difference as the Cats escaped Missoula with a 31-28 win .Montana leads the all-time series with Montana State 74-44-5 and leads 24-22-3 all-time in Bozeman. The semifinal is set for 1 p.m. PT on Saturday, Dec. 20. Montana's game will again broadcast across the nation on ABC.

Patterson, College of Idaho Ends in NAIA Semifinals

The College of Idaho's historic postseason run came to an end Saturday afternoon, as the Yotes fell 36–27 to unbeaten Keiser in the NAIA national semifinals at KU Football Stadium.

College of Idaho (11–2) delivered one of its strongest offensive halves of the season, scoring three touchdowns in a span of less than 13 minutes in the second quarter to seize a 21–9 halftime lead. In his final game in a Yotes uniform, senior tight end Torey Watkins was an offensive force, finishing with four receptions for 145 yards and two long touchdown catches.

Behind Frontier West Offensive Lineman of the Year and NAIA All-American guard Ashton Patterson, also a graduate of Turlock High, quarterback Caden Young also found the end zone twice on the day, accounting for four total touchdowns while leading a balanced and explosive Yotes attack. Watkins opened the scoring for College of Idaho with a 48 yard strike from Young early in the second quarter, then struck again minutes later on a 71 yard touchdown that capped another quick drive. Young added a 65 yard touchdown run late in the half to extend the lead.

Keiser (12–0) responded with steady adjustments after the break, leaning on quarterback Shea Spencer and a deep receiving corps to chip away at the deficit. The Seahawks outscored College of Idaho 27–6 in the second half, taking the lead for good midway through the fourth quarter on a 44 yard touchdown pass before adding a decisive score just 51 seconds later.

The Yotes answered once more when Young capped a 90 yard drive with an 8 yard rushing touchdown to pull College of Idaho within two, but Keiser responded immediately to seal the outcome.

Young finished 14 of 25 passing for 281 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for 131 yards and two more scores. Rylie Byington added 75 yards on the ground as the Yotes totaled 500 yards of offense against one of the nation's top defenses.

— Journal writer Christopher Correa contributed to this report.