MISSOULA — Keali’i Ah Yat has established himself as Montana’s quarterback through the first three games of the season.
It has been a statistically strong start for the sophomore in his first year as the full-time starter heading into Big Sky Conference play.
Ah Yat ranks first in the league in passing yards per game (287.7), yards per completion (14.2), yards per attempt (9.6), completions per game (20.3), total offense (281.7) and passing efficiency among qualified players (161.4).
On top of that, his passing-yards-per-game mark ranks fourth in the FCS while he’s 10th nationally in yards per attempt, 11th in total offense and 12th in completions per game. That’s not all, though.
He ranks second in the league in completion percentage (67.8) and passing yards (863) and third in touchdown passes (six). The last two — which are counting stats and not averages — stand out because UM has played only three games while 10 of the other 11 conference teams have played four.
“I think I’m just playing ball, having fun out there, trying to be confident,” he said when asked what he’s learned about himself this season. “Credit to the guys that we have on our team just making my job a lot easier.”
Ah Yat hasn’t been inflating his numbers with garbage time stats that had no bearing on the outcome of the game. He’s twice been relieved early while helping key the Grizzlies’ 3-0 start in nonconference play.
In the opener, he rebounded from two interceptions to help them overcome a 17-14 deficit against Central Washington as they scored 28 unanswered points while playing a team that already had one game under its belt.
He overcame two picks again and led two scoring drives late in the game to help the Griz escape with a 24-23 win over North Dakota in a ranked matchup. They got a signature victory and he threw for 300 yards for the first time.
Against another Missouri Valley team, he set a career high in passing yards for the fourth game in a row, scored three total touchdowns and didn’t commit a turnover for the first time this year while playing two and a half quarters.
With that outing, he became the Grizzlies’ first underclassman to throw for 300 or more yards in consecutive games in nearly eight years. The last such player to do that was then-redshirt freshman Gresch Jensen in October 2017.
Indiana State coach Curt Mallory praised Ah Yat for his ability to make plays outside the pocket. Ah Yat credited that to his father, Grizzly Hall of Famer Brian Ah Yat, who quarterbacked UM to a national runner-up finish in 1996.
“I think it’s something that my dad has instilled in me when I was a little kid: Just always have your eyes downfield,” he said. “When I get out of the pocket just trying to find the open receiver. If it’s not there, then take off and run.”
As competition ramps up, Ah Yat will have the chances to prove he’s one of the Big Sky’s best quarterbacks — if not the best. The league has six teams ranked in the FCS Top 25, trailing only the Missouri Valley’s seven teams.
First up for No. 5 Montana is No. 8 Idaho at 8:15 p.m. Saturday in Missoula. Also among the Grizzlies’ eight league games are trips to pesky Idaho State and ranked Sacramento State as well as a home game against ranked MSU.
Ah Yat also has yet to show if he can carry his patience, perseverance and poise under pressure on the road. The Griz will play four of their final eight games outside Montana after Idaho will be their fourth straight home game.
They already have an established star in running back Eli Gillman. Transfer receiver Michael Wortham has shown he can be a gamebreaker. Josh Gale, also a transfer, is giving them a pass-catching tight end they recently lacked.
Getting the offensive line figured out and consistent play from Ah Yat could give them a high-caliber, balanced attack. They’ve already scored 129 points, their most in the first three games of a season since they had 132 in 2013, and the most in coach Bobby Hauck’s 14 seasons, surpassing 121 in 2007.
“As he gains experience, the game slows down for him,” Hauck said of Ah Yat, who has made nine career starts. “I can kind of see that happening. I think he’s seeing things better.
“He does a good job of preparing. I think that’s an acquired skill, at all the positions. I think it’s particularly important at quarterback even though it is important at all the positions. I think he’s doing a great job with all those things.”
First look
Montana and Idaho will meet in a top-10 showdown on Saturday night at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPN 2.
The Griz (3-0) stayed at No. 5 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 poll and rose to a season-high No. 4 in the AFCA FCS Coaches poll. Idaho (2-2) remained at No. 8 in the media poll and fell from eighth to 10th in the coaches poll.
Montana opened as a 6.5-point betting favorite on Tuesday with an over/under of 54.5 points, according to Sports Bet Montana.
“To compete against a program as good as they have in Missoula is what you want,” Idaho coach Thomas Ford Jr. said at the Big Sky Football Kickoff in July. “If you’re an FCS program trying to really make a name for yourself and really make a deep run in the playoffs, we got to go through Montana.”
Like Montana, Idaho is 2-0 against FCS teams. The Vandals won 37-30 in their home opener against St. Thomas, which plays in the non-scholarship Pioneer Football League. They then scored a 20-6 home win over Utah Tech, which plays in the United Athletic Conference and will join the Big Sky next season.
Idaho’s two losses came to FBS teams by a total of six points. The Vandals opened with a 13-10 loss at Washington State after being tied in the final two minutes. Last week, they lost 31-28 at San Jose State after holding a 14-0 lead in the second quarter and being up 28-21 with 10 minutes remaining.
“I’m sure they feel like should be 4-0, and maybe they’re right,” Hauck said. “They certainly could be.”
This will be the first meeting between the two teams since 2023 in Moscow, Idaho. That was also a ranked matchup as the then-No. 16 Griz pulled a 23-21 upset over then-No. 3 Idaho for their third win in a 10-game winning streak.
It’ll be the first time they play in Missoula since 2022. The then-No. 3 Grizzlies lost 30-23 to then-unranked Idaho after a 5-0 start to the season. Jason Eck, who was in his first year leading Idaho, is now coaching FBS New Mexico.
“That was my favorite win of all time, running around with the Little Brown Stein,” Idaho defensive lineman Sam Brown said in July.
All-Big Sky offensive lineman Nate Azzopardi didn’t get to play in the 2022 game but was on the sideline. In July, he was already looking forward to getting to play in Washington-Grizzly Stadium for the first time.
“That atmosphere, it’s why you play college football,” he said. “I know some people might not like it, but I love it when fans talk shit. I think it adds to the fire, it adds to the game. All it does is make it more fun if you win. I think with the emotions that high in a rivalry game, especially a night time game on ESPN, I think it’s going to be awesome.”
Idaho is the only current Big Sky team that UM trails in the all-time series, 31-56-2. The Vandals are the Grizzlies’ second-oldest rival in terms of games played, with 89 meeting going back to their first one in 1903.
The Griz are 4-1 against Idaho since the latter returned to the FCS and the Big Sky in 2018. Idaho had departed the FCS in 1996 to join the FBS.
Montana and Idaho play for the Little Brown Stein, a traveling trophy that was created in 1938 by John T. Campbell, a former Missoulian journalist and Griz sports publicist. The Griz have held it since 2023 as they didn’t play last year.
Weekly honors
Ah Yat was named the Big Sky offensive co-player of the week for the first time in his career, coming in his 19th appearance and ninth start. He shared the award with Northern Arizona quarterback Ty Pennington.
Ah Yat threw for a career-high 313 yards and two touchdowns on 81.5 percent passing, a personal best in a game in which he attempted 12 or more passes. He also ran one time for 14 yards, a quarterback keeper for a touchdown.
Senior kicker/punter Ty Morrison was named the Big Sky special teams player of the week for the second week in a row and the third time in his career. He was the lone winner this time after he had shared the honor last week.
Morrison went 7 of 7 on extra points to improve to 16 of 16 for the season. He punted four times for an average of 45 yards, placing two inside the 20-yard line. He also kicked off eight times with six touchbacks.
Frank Gogola is the Senior Sports Reporter at the Missoulian and 406 MT Sports. Follow him on X @FrankGogola or email him at frank.gogola@406mtsports.com.
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