Game On: Eli Gillman Shines in Sophomore Year as Griz Chase First Victory on the Fiery Red Turf!

MISSOULA — Eli Gillman is proving there’s no such thing as a sophomore slump; instead, he’s enjoying a sophomore surge this season.

The running back has elevated his performance after capturing the Jerry Rice Award as the 2023 FCS national freshman of the year, delivering impressive stats across four nonconference games.

On Monday, Gillman was recognized for his outstanding play, earning his first Big Sky offensive player of the week award. He recorded a career-high 175 rushing yards and one touchdown during Montana’s Top 25 victory over Western Carolina.

“He’s really maturing in how he approaches the physicality of the game, finishing his runs effectively,” said Montana head coach Bobby Hauck. “He’s not just evading defenders; he’s also powering through contact and advancing the ball.”

“Additionally, his yards per carry average is quite impressive.”

Eli Gillman leads the entire FCS with a remarkable average of 10.13 yards per carry, ranking third in all NCAA Division I football. The only players with higher averages are Blake Horvath of Navy (10.76) and Ashton Jeanty of Boise State (10.46).

Gillman’s impressive average is bolstered by several long runs, including a 37-yard touchdown against Missouri State, a 63-yard score at North Dakota, and a 66-yard touchdown along with a 58-yard rush against Western Carolina.

Overall, he has recorded eight runs of 20 yards or more and three runs between 10-19 yards, which has helped him secure new sets of downs. These 11 carries of 10+ yards represent 24.4% of his total 45 carries this season.

Despite averaging just 11.25 carries per game, Gillman ranks fifth in the FCS with 456 rushing yards, displaying patience as he looks for openings or bounces outside the tackle. His average of 114 rushing yards per game places him seventh nationally.

With six total touchdowns, all on the ground, he is tied for the fourth most in the nation. Adding in five receptions for 19 yards, he stands 22nd in the nation with an average of 118.75 all-purpose yards per game.

He has achieved this while running behind a revamped offensive line under first-year assistant coach Joe Pawlak. Gillman emphasized the importance of adapting to this new line during the offseason and focused on finishing runs despite contact.

“We have a new O-line coach, which means the blocking and run schemes are a bit different. We’re starting to build chemistry as we progress through the season,” Gillman explained.

Gillman’s strong performances have propelled him up the school record books. He now has 1,489 career rushing yards, placing him 20th all-time; the record is held by Yohance Humphery with 4,070 yards from 1998-2001. His 19 touchdown runs rank 13th, with Chase Reynolds leading that category with 52 total from 2008-10.

Gillman is on track to challenge some single-season records. The highest rushing yards in a season is 1,658, set by Humphery in 2001. The record for rushing touchdowns is 23 by Marcus Knight in 2019, while Dick Imer holds the record for highest yards per carry at 8.17 in 1953. The most rushing yards per game record is 138.2, also by Humphery in 2001.

His recent 175-yard rushing performance ties for the 24th best in Montana history, accomplished on just 14 carries; Humphery’s record is 265 yards against Weber State in 2001.

Gillman already made his mark in the record books last year with the longest touchdown run in program history, an 85-yard score at UC Davis.

“We support him every time he gets the ball,” said senior defensive end Hayden Harris. “This is true for all of our offensive guys. We have plenty of playmakers, and it’s exciting to see them make big plays in crucial moments.”

First Look

Eastern Washington enters Big Sky play on a low note, having lost three straight games to finish nonconference play with a 1-3 record.

The Eagles kicked off the season with a 42-27 win over Monmouth from the Coastal Athletic Conference, where Kekoa Visperas threw for 275 yards and five touchdowns, showcasing their offensive potential.

However, they then suffered an unexpected 35-32 overtime loss at home to Drake, a non-scholarship team from the Pioneer Football League.

Following that, they lost 28-24 on the road to Southeastern Louisiana, which was picked to finish third in the Southland Conference preseason poll.

Most recently, the Eagles faced a harsh defeat, falling 49-16 to Nevada, an FBS team in the Mountain West, coached by former Montana State head coach Jeff Choate.

This has been a challenging start for head coach Aaron Best, whose program has struggled recently. Since he took over in 2017, the Eagles hold a 49-35 record, but have experienced their two worst seasons in 2022 and 2023, finishing with records of 3-8 and 4-7, respectively.

Before these seasons, Best had led the team to five consecutive winning seasons, including a run to the FCS national championship in 2018, and playoff appearances in spring 2021 and fall 2021.

During fall 2021, the Eagles had a strong 10-2 overall record and a 6-2 Big Sky mark when they faced Montana in a playoff game, which resulted in a 57-41 loss for the Grizzlies. Since that defeat, they have struggled, posting an 8-19 overall record and a 5-11 conference record.

With back-to-back losing seasons, Eastern Washington is at risk of experiencing a third consecutive losing season, a situation they haven’t faced since a stretch of five straight from 1987-1991.

Series History

The Grizzlies will be aiming for their first victory on Eastern Washington’s iconic red turf, known as “The Inferno.” Since the installation of the colorful field at Roos Field in 2010, they have held a 0-6 record there.

“I’ve only seen it on TV,” said Gillman regarding the red turf. “I was a senior in high school. It looks bright and a bit distracting.”

Montana’s last visit was in 2021, where they suffered a 34-28 defeat to the No. 6 Eagles while they were ranked fourth. Their other losses at this venue include: 36-27 in 2010, 32-26 in 2012, 36-26 in 2014, 37-20 in the 2014 playoffs, and 35-16 in 2016.

The turf installation coincided with the Eagles’ rise under former coach Beau Baldwin, who helped the team become dominant in the Big Sky during the 2010s, taking over the role previously held by Montana after Hauck’s departure in 2009. They secured the FCS national championship in 2010 and remain the last Big Sky team to achieve this honor. While EWU reached the title game again in 2018, and Montana State and Montana did so in 2021 and 2023 respectively, all three fell short in the championship.

Montana and Eastern Washington did not face each other during the 2023 season due to the Big Sky’s unbalanced schedule. Their last encounter was a decisive 63-7 victory for the Griz in November 2022 at Washington-Grizzly Stadium.

In terms of the all-time series, the Griz lead 30-18-1; however, since 2010, they have a 5-8 record against the Eagles, who have established themselves as a top-tier program nationally. Hauck has an impressive 9-2 record against EWU during his two tenures at UM from 2003-09 and 2018-present.

Ah Yat Recognized

Montana’s redshirt freshman quarterback, Keali’i Ah Yat, received an honorable mention for the Stats Perform FCS National Freshman Player of the Week award, announced on Monday.

Ah Yat made history by rushing for four touchdowns in Montana’s 46-35 comeback victory over Western Carolina, establishing a new single-game record for quarterbacks at the school. His four rushing touchdowns also tied the overall record for any Griz player, a feat last achieved by Jordan Canada in 2013.

He completed 16 of 27 passes for 145 yards while also rushing for 57 yards. The weekly award went to South Dakota State running back Kirby Vorhees, who had five carries for 179 yards and three touchdowns.