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Montana routs Northern Iowa in FCS QFs

Dec 10, 2011 - 5:19 AM Missoula, MT (Sports Network) - Jordan Johnson threw for three touchdowns and ran for another score as Montana blasted Northern Iowa, 48-10, in the quarterfinal round of the FCS playoffs.

Donny Lisowski returned an interception for a touchdown for the fourth-seeded Grizzlies (11-2), who will next play the winner of Saturday's contest between Montana State and top seed Sam Houston State.

Tirrell Rennie threw a TD pass to Jarred Herring early in the opening quarter, but the Panthers (10-3) were no match for the Grizzlies.

Montana moved to 19-1 in the playoffs at home in December.

Johnson completed 13-of-20 passes for 196 yards and also ran for 86 yards.

Rennie finished 9-of-19 for 93 yards and a couple of picks.

The Grizzlies, who moved to 11-0 in FCS quarterfinal home games, fell behind less than six minutes into the game when Rennie found Herring from 27 yards away on a short pattern over the middle.

Jordan Canada surged up the middle into the end zone on a one-yard run in the closing seconds of the opening quarter, and the Grizzlies went ahead early in the second on Johnson's six-yard TD run.

Tyler Sievertsen kicked a 21-yard field goal for Northern Iowa, but that was countered by Peter Nguyen's 10-yard TD run with 4 1/2 minutes left in the half.

Johnson gave the Grizzlies a commanding 28-10 halftime lead with a five-yard scoring toss to Kavario Middleton in the closing minute.

Sam Gratton caught two TD passes for the Grizzlies in the second half, and Lisowski rumbled 35 yards to the end zone with about minutes left in the game.