CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – Jerry Louie-McGee returned a punt 81 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter and Montana held on to defeat Northern Iowa 20-14 on Saturday in a matchup of FCS powers.
Brady Gustafson hit Josh Horner for a 34-yard score and Tim Semenza kicked two field goals for the Grizzlies (2-0), all in the first half.
Tyvis Smith, who had 130 yards, scored on a 1-yard touchdown plunge in the first quarter and Daurice Fountain hauled in a 28-yard pass from Aaron Bailey with 8:01 remaining to give the Panthers (1-1) a chance.
Northern Iowa, which beat Iowa State last week, had 351 yards to 206 for Montana, but also had two turnovers and was 6 of 19 on third down and 0 for 3 on fourth. The Grizzlies only had 70 yards in the second half but didn’t have a turnover. Northern Iowa forced Iowa State into four turnovers in its 25-20 win.