MISSOULA – Turnovers helped Central Arkansas win nine games this season, but they cost the Bears dearly in a 41-14 loss to fifth-ranked Montana on Saturday in the second round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
The Grizzlies (10-2) held Central Arkansas to 25 yards rushing, turned three first-quarter turnovers into 17 points and pulled away to a 38-0 lead before the Bears scored late.
“This is one of the Mt. Rushmore college venues in the country,” Central Arkansas coach Clint Conque said. “You can’t spot a team three turnovers and 17 points like that. We really dug ourselves a hole.”
The Grizzlies won their eighth straight game after a 2-2 start.
“It’s a beautiful thing to be hitting on all cylinders right now,” said Montana receiver Jabin Sambrano, who caught two first-half touchdown passes from Jordan Johnson.
Jordan Canada ran for two more scores for the Grizzlies, who led 31-0 by halftime.
Montana will play host to Northern Iowa in the quarterfinals next weekend.
The 15th-ranked Bears, in the FCS playoffs in just their second year of eligibility, had their eight-game winning streak snapped and finished 9-4.
Central Arkansas, which entered the game plus-13 in turnover margin this season, lost three of five fumbles and committed four turnovers.
The first, a fumbled punt, came after the Bears defense had held Montana to a three-and-out on its first series.
Another Central Arkansas fumble, recovered by freshman strong safety Matt Hermanson, left Montana 21 yards from the end zone, and Johnson hit Sambrano from 8 yards out for a 10-0 lead with 6:40 to go in the first.
Hermanson recovered two Central Arkansas fumbles, and senior cornerback Trumaine Johnson intercepted Nathan Dick later in the first quarter.
“I loved playing here,” Dick said, “but I wish we could have valued the football a little bit better.”
Peter Nguyen’s 2-yard touchdown run 3 minutes later gave the Grizzlies a 17-0 lead.
Sambrano also caught a 22-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter from Johnson, who completed 16 of 25 for 135 yards.
Canada had TD runs of 11 and 12 yards as the Grizzlies totaled 229 yards rushing. Canada’s last touchdown, with 9:30 to go in the third quarter, gave the Grizzlies a 38-0 lead.
Brody McKnight kicked two field goals for Montana that extended his school-record streak to 16.
“It’s great to see all three phases play that well,” Grizzlies linebacker Caleb McSurdy said. “I think we’re starting to peak at the right time.”
Central Arkansas scored on a 44-yard pass from Dick to Jesse Grandy in the third quarter and on an 8-yarder to Al Lasker with 1:58 to play.