Sacramento State lost to Montana 45-30 Saturday afternoon.

First to score, junior quarterback Andrew Selle found wide receiver Marc Mariani in the back of the end zone for an 18-yard touchdown.

Montana led 7-0 with 8:19 remaining in the first quarter.

Sac State answered back. Sophomore running back Terrance Dailey ran up the middle for a three-yard touchdown run to tie the game with 4:49 remaining in the first quarter.

The Hornets had all the momentum to begin the second quarter when junior quarterback Jason Smith connected with junior wide receiver John Henderschott for a 25-yard touchdown with 14:13 remaining in the second. This was Henderschott’s first of two touchdowns.

After a two-yard touchdown run by running back Chase Reynolds, the Grizzlies caught Sac State off guard with an onside kick.

Reynolds scored his second of three touchdowns to give Montana a 21-14 lead.

A holding penalty by offensive lineman Clint Lessard negated a Smith touchdown to wide receiver Brandyn Reed just before halftime.

Montana controlled the third quarter, beginning with a 54-yard punt return by Mariani leading to a five-yard touchdown run by Reynolds with 9:32 remaining in the third. Running back Thomas Brooks-Fletcher added to the Grizzlies’ lead with a 17-yard run as Montana led 35-21 going into the fourth quarter.

The Hornets made one final push in the fourth. Smith found junior wide receiver Brett Willis for a 28-yard touchdown to make the score 38-28 with 5:05 in the fourth. Smith completed 31 of 46 passes for 323 yards. He tied a season-best with three touchdowns but also threw two interceptions.

Dailey ran the ball 19 times for 92 yards and a touchdown before he left the game in the fourth with a shoulder injury.

Head coach Marshall Sperbeck said he did not have any further information about the injury. Reed had 10 catches for 111 yards.

Sperbeck said there is room for improvement.

“We played hard but we turned the ball over too much on offense and gave up too many plays on defense,” he said. “On special teams, we gave up some big plays that you just can’t do against a good team”

With the loss Sac State is 2-3 in the Big Sky Conference and 2-5 overall. The Hornets host Northern Arizona on Oct. 31 at 2:05 p.m.

Andrew Hazard can be reached at [email protected].