MISSOULA, Mont. — JR Waller rushed for 82 yards and three touchdowns and caught one of John Edwards' three touchdown passes for another score Saturday as Montana beat Southern Utah 68-45 in an offensive shootout.
Top-ranked and defending NCAA Division I-AA champion Montana (7-0) scored quickly and often to counter Southern Utah's spread option attack and forced Thunderbird quarterback Charles Henderson to pass the ball.
Henderson ended up with 347 yards in total offense — well above his season average of 78 yards per game — ran for two touchdowns and passed for a third, but a frustrated Southern Utah (1-6) lost its sixth straight game.
Montana won its 21st straight game by scoring on the ground, through the air, and on special teams — a 94-yard kickoff return by Rory Zikmund in the second quarter. The final score was a Washington-Grizzly Stadium record for total points (113) in a game.
Edwards completed 14 of 19 passes for 281 yards, including a 72-yard touchdown pass to Levander Segars that gave Montana a 41-21 lead with 2:48 left in the half.
Southern Utah got within 41-28 on a 40-yard scoring pass from Henderson to Cory Ashby with 1:10 left in the half.
Montana took a 54-28 lead after a 5-yard scoring pass from Edwards to Jon Talmage and another score when Jelani Harrison recovered an Edwards fumble in the end zone.
The Grizzlies led 68-36 after fourth-quarter touchdown runs by Harrison and Waller. Southern Utah wrapped up the scoring with a 30-yard field goal by Dave Pretzer and a 23-yard interception return by Travis Armistead.