MISSOULA, Mont. — Remembering the last two minutes of the UND football team's loss at Kansas State was meant to be a rallying cry for motivation early this season.
Instead, on Saturday afternoon, it was a devastating omen of things to come.
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Brooks Davis' 28-yard touchdown catch with 1 minute, 35 seconds to play gave the No. 5 Grizzlies a 24-23 win over the No. 16 Fighting Hawks at Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
"Today was just a total lack of execution," UND head coach Eric Schmidt said. "I feel like our guys just didn't do a good job of handling the moment at the end there. When you work as hard as you do, to be able to get in those positions, to be able to be on the road and in really a commanding position, to be able to win a football game, you got to be able to do that. And we just haven't been able to close the door yet."
UND, which dropped to 1-2, led all but those last 95 seconds and held a two-score lead in the fourth quarter.
Schmidt's first season has featured two near-signature wins for his tenure and the program overall. Instead, they were eerily similar collapses.
After Montana took the late lead, UND's offense had three timeouts to try to gain enough yards for a game-winning kick attempt.
UND picked up one first down to open the series, out to its own 40. However, UND first-year starting quarterback Jerry Kaminski threw two incompletions, then connected on a short pass to B.J. Fleming.
With 39 seconds left, UND faced fourth-and-7. Kaminski was looking for Fleming on a comeback route. UND's sideline wanted pass interference but officials ruled the play incomplete.
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The Griz drained the remaining clock to move to 4-0 against UND at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. The previous three victories came by an average of 20 points.
The Hawks led 16-7 at halftime and 23-14 early in the fourth.
The Griz game-winning drive started at the Montana 30 with 2:30 to play.
The key connection on the drive came on fourth-and-12 from the Montana 45. Quarterback Keali'i Ah Yat scrambled to his left and found tight end Josh Gale for 27 yards to set up the game-winning score.
"We drew up a play, and we didn't do a very good job communicating — not as good as we've been taught to do — and didn't execute the play," said UND cornerback Antonio Bluiett, who had two interceptions in the game. "That led to a first down, and then we didn't do a very good job handling the noise and the excitement of the crowd and flushing that play and getting to the next one. That ultimately led to the play that didn't have a good result for us."
UND, which didn't win a road game last season, dropped its eighth consecutive road game.
"You're in a spot to win the game and all you have to do is keep getting a couple of first downs ... one first down here, one play there, and we couldn't do it," Kaminski said. "I know people want to look at the fourth-and-12. But, I mean, we couldn't stay on the field at the end of that game. I'll take the blame for that. I have to get us in a better play at the end, or make a play ... do something."
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Photo Sep 13 2025, 1 21 13 PM.jpg
UND quarterback Jerry Kaminski celebrates a first-half play against Montana on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula, Mont.
Leighton Chamblee / UND Athletics
UND outgained Montana 460 to 368 behind an advantage of 202 to 68 in team rushing yards.
Kaminski threw for 258 yards and three touchdowns, including an 82-yard touchdown strike to Fleming in the first quarter.
Fleming, a first-year transfer from Northern Arizona, finished with five catches for 138 yards on 16 targets.
Kaminski was UND's leading rusher for the second week in a row. He had 12 carries for 85 yards.
Montana was led by Ah Yat's 300 passing yards. UND sacked the mobile quarterback six times.
UND limited Montana star running back Eli Gillman to 82 yards on 16 carries.
"They have a really good football team," Montana coach Bobby Hauck said of UND. "They were dialed in ready to go. I have a high regard for their team."
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UND returns to Grand Forks next weekend to host Valparaiso.
Tom Miller
By Tom Miller
Miller has covered sports at the Grand Forks Herald since 2004 and was the state sportswriter of the year in 2019 (NSMA, NDAPSSA), 2022 (NSMA, NDAPSSA) and 2024 (NDAPSSA).
His primary beat is UND football but also reports on a variety of UND sports and local preps.
He can be reached at (701) 780-1121, tmiller@gfherald.com or on Twitter at @tommillergf.
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