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Montana Grizzly semifinal coverage on NCAA.com

Most Grizzly Journal recognize this blog as a Grizzly and Lady Griz basketball site.

But I had the opportunity to cover the Montana Grizzlies in the FCS Championship quarterfinal and semifinal games for NCAA.com over the past few weeks (which is why I'm a bit behind on hoops coverage).

The NCAA site is very attractive, and the game stories have video highlights of the semifinal game.

Coverage of the FCS playoffs is quite detailed.

If you're interested, you can see the Montana-Appalachian State game coverage here:

Montana Storms Into Title Game, Beats Appalachian St.

In Battle of Decade's Best, Devil's in the Details

Four Montana Football Recruits are Ranked in Scout.com Hot 100

Four University of Montana football recruits have been included in the final 2008 Scout.com –- SuperPrep.com NORTHWEST HOT 100 football rankings, a listing of Northwest region player and university recruiting strength, which was released Feb. 8.

The Hot 100 includes the players by position, current school (prep or juco), ranked skill and school they’ve committed to attend in September of 2008. The Hot 100 includes players from British Colombia, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Montana.

The top-listed University of Montana Hot 100 recruit is 48th-ranked Alex Shaw, a 6-1, 205 lb. WLB from Spokane’s Lewis and Clark H. S.   

Three other Montana recruits included in the Hot 100 are: 81st-ranked Matt Lipski, a 6-8, 315 lb. OT from Ashland, Oregon High School; Caleb McSurdy, a 6-2, 230-lb. MLB from Borah H. S. of Boise, Idaho, ranked 87th, and; Jon Opperud, a 6-7,  280-lb. OT from Milwaukie, Oregon H. S., ranked 100th.

Two additional Hot 100 recruits made commitments to Montana schools. They are: Montana State University recruit, 62nd-ranked Matt Bernard, a 6-3, 292-lb. OG from Gig Harbor H. S. in Gig Harbor, Washington, and Carroll College recruit Dane Broadhead, a 6-2, 210-lb. QB from Minico, H. S. in Minico, Idaho.

No Montana prep player from the class of 2008 was included in the Hot 100.

Other Big Sky schools with recruits ranked in the Hot 100 are:

To Eastern Washington:  Evan Cook, a 6-3,  265-lb. DT from Todd Beamer H. S. in Federal Way, Washington, ranked 61st, and Koreye Dixon, a 5-9, 160-lb. WR from Lakes H. S. in Lakewood, Washington, ranked 78th.

To Portland State: Zach Todd, a 5-11, 180-lb. RB from Sheldon H. S. in Eugene, Oregon, ranked 90th, and Cory McCaffrey, a 5-11, 175-lb. RB from Sisters H. S. in Sisters, Oregon, ranked 98th.

To Idaho State: A. J. Storms, a 6-1, 185-lb. S from Meridian H.S. in Meridian, Idaho, ranked 75th.

To Weber State: Demetri Enesi, a 6-2, 265-lb. DE from Westview H. S. in Westview, Oregon, ranked 97th.

The University of Washington landed 14 Hot 100 recruits and Washington State University signed eight.

FCS Intrigue: a Montana vs. EWU rematch?

Surely it’s too early to even think about, much less mention... but what the heck: the 2007 playoffs have a potential matchup of true intrigue with both the Montana Grizzlies and the Eastern Washington Eagles placed in the same bracket.

I know, it’s way too early and there are huge obstacles facing both teams. But ever since the Grizzlies eked out a nail-biting 24-23 victory over the Eagles on Oct. 6, we’ve heard grumblings from around the Big Sky that the better team lost. And it’s true, the Eagles won nearly every major statistical category in that game... except the final score.

What a blast a potential third-round playoff confrontation would be. And what a perfect opportunity for the Eagles to actually prove they’re the better team. Numerous Big Sky media writers, coaches and bloggers have ranked the Eagles as the team with more weapons... one that’s gotten stronger as the season has progressed. Last week even Eagle coach Paul Wulff strongly intimated (in a Spokesman Review story defending an at-large playoff selection for his team) that the Eagles were the better team.

Getting to a third-round playoff game will be no easy task for either team. To score a rematch with the Grizzlies the Eagles would have to win road games against undefeated McNeese State (a distinct possibility in my book) and the winner of the Appalachian State - James Madison game.

There must be numerous doubters nationwide regarding the Griz this year. Because, despite a number two ranking in this week’s Sports Network's FCS College Football Poll, the Grizzlies were seeded fourth. That’s not all. Several RPI strength rankings place the Grizzlies as low as 12th which, by the way, ranks them behind the Wofford Terriers.

All conjecture, of course. For my money, the Griz of the past three weeks have easily been as dominant as any of the “great” Montana teams of the past 12 years. And their distinct brand of power football has been truly enjoyable to watch. I personally think the Griz matchup well against Wofford.

But enough of that. That’s what the playoffs are for, and they’re always great fun.

So, I’ll ride for now with the intrigue of a Griz-Eagle matchup. It’d surely be a great game. And good for the conference on a national “recognition” scale. And of course, my money’s on the Griz to make it to the championship.

Let the games begin.   

Griz Journal 'Sky Power' Ranking: Week 9

1. Montana -- (1st last week) Mathematically, at least, Bobby Hauck’s Griz need one win to clinch a tie for the Big Sky Crown. While the Vikings of Portland State seem to present matchup problems for the Grizzly defense, PSU’s offensive line will have to play its “game of the year” to pull it off. Care for a Blitzkrieg? Each of Montana’s next three foes has revealed some sort of glaring weakness the Grizzlies have exploited so efficiently. If there’s a catbird seat in the Big Sky this year, the Griz are the team about to claim it & settle comfortably in.
2 3, 4, Northern Arizona (2nd last week), Eastern Washington (3rd last week), Montana State (4th last week) Talking points from coaches and media analysts hold out slim playoff chances for each of these “pretenders.” Truth is, all three play each other this week and next week. Wave the postseason bye bye.
5. Weber State -- (6th last week) The Wildcats are the lone team besides the Griz that seems to get better each week. But with a 3-3, 3-5 record, all these Cats can do is spoil it for some other team.
6. Portland State -- (5th  last week) A team with a befuddling propensity for losing. The Vikings run & shoot offense got a kickstart last week from frosh quarterback Drew Hubel, and the Vikings appear to have the "passing-game" guns to score some points on the Griz. But can PSU’s porous defense hold the Griz under 45?
7. Sacramento State -- (7th last week) The 54th Causeway Classic pits two struggling programs -- the 1-7 Hornets against the 3-6 Aggies. Cal Davis will this year record its first losing football season in 38 years.
8. Idaho State -- (8th last week) The annual Border War pitting neighborhood foes with nearly identical losing records appears to favor the homestanding Wildcats.
9. Northern Colorado -- (9th last week) The Bears are not likely to get their second straight win in two seasons this weekend against the Eagles. But, who knows? Maybe next week.

Big Sky Football Wrapup: Week 9

Montana 21, at Northern Arizona 16
Montana running back Lex Hilliard rumbled for 146 yards, ran for his school-record  45th touchdown, and then helped the Griz put the game away with 44 yards on Montana’s game-clinching final drive for the victory. Once again the Grizzly defense flexed but didn’t break.

At several junctures the Lumberjacks committed critical penalties, including a series of three consecutive procedure penalties, nullifying one score and killing several drives.

The Griz controlled the tempo throughout, dominating time of possession by nearly six minutes. This game wasn’t as close as the final score indicated.

The win was the 50th for UM Coach Bobby Hauck, who needs two more to surpass legendary coach Jack Swarthout for second in career victories behind also legendary Don Reed.
From: The Great Falls Tribune:
Montana coach Bobby Hauck -- "Their schedule is going to keep them out of the playoffs, but they're (NAU) a playoff-caliber team.”
From the Arizona Daily Sun:
NAU Coach Jerome Souers -- "I suppose my epitaph will be 'died trying.' I'm not going to give up."
NAU quarterback Lance Kriesien -- "The setup of the game was perfect. It was like a Hollywood story. It's (too bad) we couldn't come through. We just didn't make enough plays."
Hauck -- "If we hadn't run the ball as well as we did, we probably wouldn't have won the game. You get better as the game goes on, with a back like Lex. Our front wore on them a little bit."

Cal Poly 48, at Idaho State 28
On a day when Idaho State’s suspect defense initially stopped Cal Poly’s vaunted option rushing game, Mustangs quarterback Jonathan Dally threw for 453 yards and a school record-tying five touchdowns  and the Mustangs rolled up 687 yards in total offense against the Bengals. Cal Poly had a whopping plus 13-minute margin in time of possession over the Bengals. ISU receiver Jaron Taylor had 149 yards in receptions  and two touchdowns.
From: Idaho State Journal:
Cal Poly quarterback Jonathan Dally -- “They gave us the pass, we stuck with the pass, and when they took away the pass it allowed us to run the ball.''
Cal Poly coach Rich Ellerson -- ''We had a heck of a time running the option. But when we needed to be able to run it, when we had to be able to hand the ball off and block some guys, we were good enough.''
Idaho State receiver Jaron Taylor --  ''We can't start off slow. I can't pinpoint it or ID it. It isn't our game plan. It's not the coaching staff. We couldn't get into anything.''

Eastern Washington 38 at Cal Sacramento 30
Four turnovers and two blown scoring opportunities from within the 1-yard line doomed a game Sacramento State Hornet squad which had played evenly with the Eagles throughout much of the contest.
From the Sacramento Bee:
Sacramento State coach Marshall Sperbeck -- "We just haven't closed it out. Something here, something there. Until we get more consistent play, eliminate some of the plays that are hurting us, (then) I think you'll see a turnaround."
Eastern Washington coach Paul Wulff -- "I knew coming down here I'd take a win by one. This is a tough place to play."

at Northern Colorado 16, Montana State 13
Two lost MSU fumbles, three interceptions against Cats quarterback Jack Rolovich, three missed field goals, 10 critical penalties and several potential season-ending injuries doomed the 19th ranked Bobcats in Greeley.

The miscues led to a series of “firsts” for Northern Colorado, including the first win against a Big Sky opponent since joining the conference last year, sealed with four seconds remaining in the game by a the first-ever field goal as a Bear by frosh kicker Zak Bigelow.
From the Greeley Tribune:
UNC Quarterback Dominic Breazeale: "Going winless since Texas State last year is the most depressing time of my life. Finally getting this win is a relief. Get that monkey off our back."
From the Bozeman Chronicle:
MSU quarterback Jack Rolovich --  “We might have overlooked these guys. We've got Northern Arizona (next Saturday at home), Portland State and Montana coming, and just didn't even think about these guys (Northern Colorado). It's hard not to do that.”
MSU coach Rob Ash --   “We should have outscored them, but that’s just the way this game turns out sometimes. Our guys are extremely down, and they should be. This is by far the worst game we’ve had for injuries.”

Weber State 73 at Portland State 68
In a game where the score looked more like a good college basketball game, the Wildcats outlasted the Vikings and somehow overcame a Big Sky and PSU record nine touchdown passes by Vikings frosh quarterback Drew Hubel.

The total of 20 touchdowns was three more than the prevous high FCS record 17, and the 141 points broke an all-time FCS record of 125, set by Cal Northridge and Cal Sacramento in 2000.
From the Portland Oregonian:
Weber State Coach Ron McBride --   "What kind of a deal was that?"
Portland State coach Jerry Glanville -- "One day, we're all going to play good on the same day. When the defense plays good and the offense plays like that, we'll have a lot of fun."
From the Ogden Standard-Net:
McBride --"It's like you don't have any control over the game. You hate to be over there thinking if we don't score this time we're going to lose. You have to score on every possession and you can't afford not to because we weren't stopping them."

Griz Journal 'Sky Power' Ranking: Week 8

1. Montana -- (1st last week) The Griz matchup well against NAU in several team statistical categories, particularly the rushing game. Key will be for the stellar Griz rushing defense to contain Jacks QB Lance Kriesien... and for Lex Hilliard & Co. to have a seasonal-best ground game on the other side. Rejuvenated Griz QB, Cole Berquist will probably need to lead his team to at least match Montana’s season-average in points (33.1) to get the job done.
2. Northern Arizona -- (2nd last week) The Lumberjacks have beaten the Grizzlies two times over the past 20 years: 1997 and 1987. Will the “Power of Sevens” be with the Jacks this year?
3. Eastern Washington -- (3rd last week) The Eagles have never lost to Sac State and they’ll need another big W, because their only chance at a playoff nod is to win the Big Sky. To have even a chance to do that they’ll have to win em all. After getting battered by the BYU Cougars last week, it won’t be any walkover against a Sac State team that plays much better at sunny Sacramento than in “weather” on the road.
4. Montana State -- (4th last week) Senior backup quarterback Cory Carpenter will step in for injured Jack Rolovich to lead the somewhat hobbled Cats at Northern Colorado in the first of a series of must-win games. The matchup against the Bears is as close to a sure thing as it gets in the Big Sky this season.
5. Weber State -- (6th last week) The Wildcats have managed to frequently play under their projected potential. But this team has inexperienced youth at critical positions. Solid line play on both sides of the ball, especially on defense, could give the Cats a chance in Portland this week.
6. Portland State -- (5th  last week) After last week’s crushing loss to Idaho State, the Vikings will likely have to rebound without the services of Big Sky passing leader, quarterback Brian White. Adding injury to that insult, the Viks lost two additional starters to their beleaguered offensive line, which has allowed a whopping 40 sacks so far this year, compared to this week’s opponent, Weber State, which has allowed a league-leading 7. The Wildcats match up favorably against the hobbled Viks.
7. Sacramento State -- (7th last week) The Hornets have never beaten the Eagles. Notching that first one won’t be easy without at least a couple of touchdowns, a rare occurrence for the Hornets this year, who are ranked 8th or 9th in EVERY Big Sky Conference team offensive statistical category this year.
8. Idaho State -- (8th last week) Visiting Cal Poly dropped out of the FCS Top 25 after last week’s 13-point loss at South Dakota State. But the Bengals will need more than one good half to win this week against the Mustangs, a team that’s solid, if somewhat down from previous years. 
9. Northern Colorado -- (9th last week) The Bears -- still winless at Greely in nearly two years -- might be playing for their coach, Scott Downing's, job security from here out... That is if they really want to.

Jacks coach pays tribute to Lex

Northern Arizona coach Jerome Souers paid high tribute to Grizzly record-breaking running back Lex Hilliard in a complimentary profile published in the Oct. 24 Arizona Daily Sun, Flagstaff's daily newspaper.

"Hilliard is the real deal," said Souers, in a story that credited the Jacks coach for dishing out, "compliment after compliment."

The story turns into a nice profile of Hilliard from there. You can read Sun sportswriter Daniel Berk's story here.

Football's version of "prostitution"

Griz football fans who’ve questioned scheduling division II teams such as Ft. Lewis College might get a kick out of a football column in Sunday’s Salt Lake Tribune.

Written by Tribune columnist Gordon Monson and headlined, "This is one game the Cougs had no business playing," it pans Brigham Young University’s scheduling of Eastern Washington for a midseason “tuneup,” which the Cougars won, 42-7.

BYU paid a handsome $325,000 to the Eagles  for... “a victory,” wrote Monson.

He contnued: “It was football’s version of prostitution. Easy but not cheap.”

Big Sky Football Wrapup: Week 8

at Montana 52, University of Northern Colorado 7

A breakout game for quarterback Cole Berquist, who notched 292 yards on 26-35 passes (1 interception)  and 57 yards rushing.

The Grizzlies racked up more points than expected in a game they were expected to win easily.

The game was valuable experience for several Griz backups, particularly backup frosh quarterback Andrew Selle, who completed 4-5 passes for 59 yards and a score. This might turn out to be the elixir the Griz offense needs one week before traveling to Flagstaff to  battle the NAU Lumberjacks for the league lead.

From the Missoulian:

Montana coach Bobby Hauck: "I think our team had fun. Our major point of emphasis this weekend was to go out and have some fun. Ignore anybody who doesn’t like the way we're doing things, and go have fun and enjoy each other, and that’s what we did."

Northern Colorado coach Scott Downing: "It’s fairly obvious we played the No. 3 team in the country today. Montana came out and played well, did everything I thought they could do."

at  Montana State 20, Cal State Sacramento 9

Was it the weather that foiled the Hornets? Two weeks after getting frozen out in a snow storm in Ogden, Utah, Sac State grabbed a 9-0 lead under sunny skies until midway through the third quarter when the temperature dropped and the snow blew in.

The steady Cat defense, with bone-chilling help from the weather, shut Cal State down from there. The Cats kept the Hornets out of the endzone... the second straight week without a touchdown for the  Hornets.

From the Bozeman Chronicle:

MSU kicker Eric Fisher: “This stadium, the wind just swirls. I was here all summer kicking with it and got a feel for it and it helped out today.”

From the Sacramento Bee:

Sacramento State coach Marshall Sperbeck: "I felt when they had the wind at their backs, they played better.”

Montana State coach Rob Ash: "I'm just glad we had the winds to our backs in the fourth quarter."

Northern Arizona 28 at Weber State 20

Northern Arizona safety Cyrus Igono returned an interception for a touchdown, blocked a Weber State punt (that resulted in a 2-point safety) and notched 14 tackles in the Lumberjacks’ 29-20 win. Lumberjack quarterback Lance Kriesien ran 24 times, several on quarterback draw plays, for 126 yards and a score.

The win sets up a battle for the Big Sky Conference lead with Montana in Flagstaff next week.

From the Arizona Daily Sun:

NAU senior defensive end Blair Boynton: "There's no use looking in the future. If you don't win the game that is ahead of you, then what's the game after that even matter?  We knew we had to come out today and get a win. That was the bottom line."

From the Ogden Standard-Examiner:

NAU quarterback Lance Kriesien: "I was able to make a couple of moves early in the pocket and find some holes. I guess I just found a lane here and there."

Weber State Coach Ron McBride: "We knew what they were going to run. I mean, everybody in the stadium knew what they were going to run. It was obvious they were going to run quarterback draw and there was a hole big enough to drive 16 people though.”

at Idaho State 38, Portland State 20

Trailing 13-3 at the half, Idaho State forced two Vikings fumbles in the first six minutes of the third quarter. Both fumbles were returned for touchdowns by Bengals defenders.

The Bengals scored two more third quarter touchdowns to coast to an 18 point win. The Bengals forced three more Viking fumbles and intercepted one PSU pass.

From the Portland Oregonian:

Portland State coach Jerry Glanville: "The only problem was when the turnovers were returned for touchdowns. They caught us and went ahead without the defense being on the field, and that's about as bad as it gets."

ISU safety Sterling Mennear: "One of our big goals was to get pressure on the quarterback. If you give their receivers time to develop their routes, they're going to pick you apart."

From the Idaho State Journal:

Idaho State coach John Zamberlin: ''It's awful nice to get this when nobody picked us to win.''

at Brigham Young 42, Eastern Washington 7

The Cougars pay out $325,000 to the Eagles to be their mid-season practice squad. Cougar frosh running back Harvey Unga rushed 21 times for 145 yards and had four receptions for 57 yards.

A comment after the story in the Salt Lake Tribune suggested the Cougars schedule a game with a Salt Lake City high school team for next year.

From the Deseret News:

Brigham Young Coach Bronco Mendenhall: It was good to win a football game, but it certainly wasn't as clean as I would have hoped. I didn't think our offense executed the way they are capable of, and it gives us a great chance to add a sense of urgency."

From the Salt Lake Tribune:

Brigham Young running back Harvey Unga: "A win is a win. We will take it any way we can whether it be a JC, Division I-AA or a Division I school."

Griz Journal 'Sky Power' Ranking: Week 7

1. Montana -- (1st last week) The Grizzly defense is truly “defending” the team’s solitary grasp of first place... what with its offense so frequently awol. No game is a “given,” but the Griz have an opportunity to experiment with some lineup tweaks on offense with the winless UNC Bears in town this Saturday.
2. Northern Arizona -- (4th last week) A generally favorable schedule remaining puts the Jacks in excellent position to make a run at the league crown. The Jacks travel to Weber Saturday and a road win will leave them with home contests against the Eagles and Griz and one final road contest against MSU.
3. Eastern Washington -- (3rd last week) A week’s break away from Big Sky play won’t help the Eagles, who can’t afford another loss in league or non-conference play. Seems like an odd time of year to schedule a road game against Mountain West power BYU.
4. Montana State -- (2nd last week) Just like the Griz, this team is searching for consistent offensive flow, something that will be harder than ever to find with starting quarterback Jack Rolovich’s status (chronic shoulder injury) questionable for Saturday. Cats might be vulnerable this week.
5. Portland State -- (5th  last week) A well-scheduled week off puts the Vikings in position to challenge for the Big Sky title. Some subtle signs that this team is finding an identity under its new coach. Expect a breakout game on offense from the Vikings.
6. Weber State -- (6th last week) The Wildcats might be able to play spoiler against NAU this week, where a Weber win would severely harm the Lumberjacks’ title hopes. Wildcats are playing for little more than self-respect from here out.
7. Sacramento State -- (7th last week) With the Bobcats facing injury and uncertainty at quarterback, the Hornets have the defense and the offensive potential (if they eliminate interceptions) to pull an upset special.
8. Idaho State -- (8th last week) Another quarterback switch is planned for the Bengals, with Russel Hill back calling signals. The Bengals, with the second-worst league rush defense, need some solutions on D as well.
9. Northern Colorado -- (9th last week) The winless string is mounting. The Bears are now taking more heat from disgruntled critics in Greeley than they are anywhere else.

Big Sky Football Wrapup: Week 7

Montana 17, at Sacramento State 3

The Grizzlies gave up four turnovers and, for the third consecutive week, were thrashed statistically. What the stats won’t reveal is that the Griz D controlled the flow of the game, scored once on an interception, and gave the offense good  field position for another score.

Check out this photo of the the Grizzly “D” swarming to the ball.

Montana coach Bobby Hauck: "We had to fight hard to get the win. I don't think I have ever been around a team that has turned the ball over four times and won the ball game.  I'm not doing cartwheels on how we played on offense. I thought we controlled field position and won the kicking game, which was huge." -- Great Falls Tribune

Sac State coach Marshall Sperbeck: "We did some good things. We moved the ball well. We had some opportunities that got away from us. We just didn't finish the job." -- Sacramento Bee

at Eastern Washington 35, Montana State 13

A close game at halftime swings decidedly in Eagles’ favor when the Bobcats’ first drive of the third quarter falters. After driving to the Eagles’ 28 yard line, a missed connection on a pass stops the Cats and the Eagles pull away.

Montana State coach Rob Ash: “Jamelle Banks was wide open, and we missed him,” Ash said. “I thought that missed opportunity was one of the key times in the game.” MSU Bobcats.com
"I thought we had great drive to start the second half, because we had talked (at halftime) about needing to come away with some points. Obviously, we were hoping for a touchdown there. On that play where Banks was wide open, that was one of the great missed opportunities that came and went. All of sudden we didn't get points. -- Bozeman Chronicle 

Eastern Washington coach Paul Wulff: “That was big. They chewed up like seven minutes in that first drive of the third quarter, so it was important we held them to three and then answered those points with a touchdown. Spokesman Review (registration required)

at Northern Arizona 45, Idaho State 24

Northern Arizona quarterback Lance Kriesien: "I have the easiest job in the conference right now. We have two great running backs, a great offensive line. We have wide receivers that are blocking down field and then making plays. It just makes things ridiculously easy for me." -- Arizona Daily Sun

Northern Arizona running back Lionel Scott: ''It's easy to be a running back when you have an offensive line and receivers blocking and you're not being touched until 10 yards down the field.” -- Idaho State Journal

Idaho State linebacker Sterling Mennear: ''We have to go back and find out who we are. We can't count on amazing schemes. We have to go right back to the drawing board.'' -- Idaho State Journal

Weber State 23, at Northern Colorado 0

Northern Colorado, after suffering its 15th straight loss (to Weber State), is a program living “down” to the title of  “doormat status,” a quality feared most by many former players now voicing concern about the school’s football program. See quotes below.

Former Northern Colorado quarterback Tom Beck, who led the UNC Bears to the National Division II Title in 1996. "There needs to be changes and things need to be put into place that will allow us to be successful because it is going to be a shame if this program becomes a doormat program and is sitting at the bottom.” -- Greeley Tribune

Former Northern Colorado quarterback Corte McGuffey who led the Bears to the Division II title in 1997:  "It has been a little frustrating for everybody that has been associated with the program.... Anytime you lose, it is tough and when you lose that many in a row it is hard, but hopefully people are working hard and trying to get things pointed in the right direction." -- Greely Tribune

The Big Sky's most-penalized teams

Weber State coach Ron McBride, in post-game comments Sept. 29,  shortly after the Montana Grizzlies defeated his Wildcats 18-10, was very blunt regarding what he considered to be “cheap-shots” by Montana players.

Three weeks later there is still chirping from Ogden. One Griz offensive lineman has been repeatedly singled out in comments made to Ogden and Salt Lake City newspaper reporters, in newspaper commentaries and even in an editorial cartoon.

The broader message from the northern Utah press is clear: that Montana players -- historically feared for their physical style -- play a borderline game rife with cheap-shots and questionable blocks.

Montana coaches and players -- to their credit -- have not responded with any give and take over the past three weeks.

But the question remains: is there any evidence of “extra-curricular” play by the Griz? And wouldn’t that style of play be evident in the number of penalties the team is flagged for each week?

We took a look. And we found answers on the Big Sky Conference football statistics page. Are the Grizzlies the “most-penalized” Big Sky team? Nope. In particular, how do the Griz rank in comparison to the Wildcats?

Here are the league stats for total and per-game average in penalties through Oct. 13.

BIG SKY CONFERNCE -- MOST PENALIZED TEAMS -- 10/14/07

1. NORTHERN ARIZONA        7 games, 645 yds, 92.1 per game
2. WEBER STATE                  6 games, 539 yds, 89.8 per game
3. EASTERN WASHINGTON    6 games, 504 yds, 84.0 per game
4. SACRAMENTO STATE        6 games, 437 yds, 72.8 per game
5. PORTLAND STATE            6 games, 429 yds, 71.5 per game
6. NORTHERN COLORADO    6 games, 428 yds, 71.3 per game
7. IDAHO STATE                  6 games, 420 yds, 70.0 per game
8. MONTANA                       6 games, 383 yds. 66.3 per game
9. MONTANA STATE             6 games, 310 yds. 51.6 per game

Big Sky Football Wrapup: Week 6

at Montana 24, Eastern Washington 23

I’ve never seen a college football game where the WINNING team is so thoroughly whipped statistically.

The stats in a nutshell:
FIRST DOWNS-- Eagles: 25,  Grizzlies: 14
RUSHING YARDAGE-- Eagles: 114, Grizzlies: 108
PASSING YARDAGE-- Eagles: 451, Grizzlies: 181
TOTAL OFFENSE -- Eagles: 565,  Grizzlies: 289
TIME OF POSSESSION -- Eagles: 33:05, Grizzlies: 26:55
3RD DOWN CONVERSIONS -- Eagles: 7 of 19, Grizzlies: 2 of 14

But here’s the key stat:
4th DOWN CONVERSIONS --  Eagles: 0 of 0, Grizzlies: 1 of 1.

That 4th down conversion was a diving catch of an errant Cole Berquist pass by Ryan Bagley which extended the Grizzlies’ final 2-minute-drill drive and resulted in a game-winning field goal by Chris Carpenter.

Montana Kicker Chris Carpenter: “That’s one of the better catches I’ve ever seen.” Quote from the Spokesman Review.

Eastern Washington coach Paul Wulff: “He (Bagley) just got away from us. It’s a shame. Our defense was solid all day. It was too bad it had to end that way.” Quote from the Spokesman Review. Read the story here (registration required):

Montana Coach Bobby Hauck: “We haven’t had anybody move the ball like that on our defense in a long time, and they (Eagles) deserve a lot of credit for being able to do that.” Quote from the Spokesman Review.

Read the story in the Missoulian (with an excellent photo of “the catch” here:

at Idaho State 25, Northern Colorado 14

Bengal Junior wide out Eddie Thompson’s 109 yards in first-half receptions was more than penalty-plagued Northern Colorado’s entire first-half offensive output (97 yards). ISU took a 13-point lead by halftime and withstood two Bears fourth-quarter scores for the win.

Northern Colorado Coach Scott Downing: "It's not like (us) to get those penalties. It's not conducive when you have to start with that kind of field position." Quote from the Greely Tribune.

ISU Coach John Zamberlin: ''I'm proud of the staff and the players to get that first conference victory, to get over the hump. They should enjoy that, because you don't get to enjoy it very long.'' Quote from the Idaho State Journal. Read the story here:

at Montana State 7,  Southern Utah 3

The Bobcats’ defense steps up big again. This time assisted by snow, freezing conditions and an icy mud-bath of a field. It was the lowest Bobcat offensive output in the history of Bobcat/Sales Field history.

The Bobcat D blocks a SUU field goal and intercepts a pass in the endzone during the final minute of play secure the win for MSU.

Montana State coach Rob Ash: “The defense was absolutely great today. There were several huge plays that dictated the outcome and the defense produced most of them.” Quote from the Bozeman Chronicle. Read the story here:

Southern Utah Coach Wes Meier: “If we make that field goal, which we work on every single day, all we have to do is kick a field goal to win the game at the end. Those kind of things haunt you. We really could have used the win.”
Quote from the Bozeman Chronicle.

Northern Arizona 44, at Portland State 43

Portland State scores a touchdown with six seconds remaining and coach Jerry Glanville decides to forego an extra-point kick, opting instead to try for the win with a two-point conversion.

The play fails and Jerome Souers’ NAU Lumberjacks roll out of Portland with a crucial road win and new life in the Big Sky race... while Glanville absorbs the boos from several of the 9,291 home fans.

Portland State coach Jerry Glanville: "If we're in the same spot tomorrow, we'll do it again." Quote from the Portland Oregonian. Read the story here:

Northern Arizona coach Jerome Souers: “... I'm not sure I wouldn't have done the same thing. It's been a long game, a lot of big plays are going both ways. They happen to have the momentum, so you lay it out there like that. I respect that." Quote from the Oregonian. “This is the biggest team win I've had in my 10 years here. We are at a pivotal point in our season and we absolutely had to have a win and our guys came through today." Quote from the Arizona Daily Sun. Read the story here:

at Weber State 26, Sacramento State 7

After scoring 38 the previous week the Sac State Hornets are literally frozen out by a snowstorm with ice and slush... and by the “pass-happy” Wildcats, which get 245 yards from second-game frosh QB (and Hawaii native) Cameron Higgins.

Weber State coach Ron McBride:  “Really, it was my kind of football. I'm a bad-weather coach. I love the bad weather. I knew when I got up this morning that we'd play well." Quote from the Sacramento Bee. Read the story here:

Sacramento State coach Marshall Sperbeck: "Both teams have to play on it (icy field) and Weber State came out and did a much better job with it than we did." Quote from the Ogden Standard Examiner. Read the story here: (with some excellent photos by Drew Godleski).
"... Some of that game plan got taken away by the conditions. So that hurt us a little. But we didn't tackle them. We didn't block. We didn't do the things necessary to win." Quote from the Sacramento Bee.

Controversial UM-Weber incident escalates

They’re still fanning the flames in Ogden concerning a chop block that resulted in an injury and a penalty in Montana’s 18-10 victory over Weber State last Saturday.

The charges that the block was not only illegal, but actually deliberate were repeated in a story in the Oct. 4 Salt Lake Tribune.

Weber State coach Ron McBride is quoted in the story as saying, “It was blatant.”

Wildcat nose guard Bryce Scanlon is quoted as saying, “It was no accident and completely uncalled for.”

That’s just the start of it. The story gets more perplexing from there, particularly with reference to UM Coach Bobby Hauck. You can read the Tribune story here.

There’s a similar account in the Oct. 3 Deseret News here.

Any sports injury, particularly one that jeopardizes a season or a career, is  tragic. The first order of attention should be to the injured player.

But instead, this affair seem to be getting out of hand.

Does the Big Sky Conference have an established protocol for dealing with issues like this? You would think that conference officials would want to ensure an ugly incident does not become a larger and uglier incident or string of incidents.

The fact that accusations are getting dangerously close to becoming slanderous certainly bodes ill on a number of fronts.

Did the game referees err in not ejecting the offending player? Is it obvious that the coaches could not resolve the issue quickly (the Trib story seems to hint there may have been an effort at resolution on Hauck’s part).

It might be time for conference officials to make a couple of calls. Before Saturday’s games.

Griz Journal 'Sky Power' Ranking: Week 5

One brief week after I proclaimed an upper and a lower division in the Big Sky Conference Rankings, the conference has turned into a rumble. Heck, it’s more fun this way.

1. Montana -- (1st last week) The Griz will have to cut down on penalties and dropped passes if they expect to maintain any distance on the pack.
2. Montana State -- (3rd  last week) The Cats leapfrog from 18th to 13th in the FCS National Rankings after 5 teams ranked ahead of them lose. MSU hosts non-conference foe Southern Utah Saturday. The Cats D looks to be for real.
3. Portland State -- (7th last week) Vikings’ special teams “player of the week” goes to the team bus driver who avoided a near head-on collision with a wrong-way driver on I 94 minutes before the team bus pulled into Portland. Read the story here.
4. Eastern Washington -- (4th last week) A tough loss at home to PSU and the Eagles get to ramble east on I 90 to Montana. History says they have a chance. The Eagles have four victories at Washington Grizzly Stadium, more than any other Big Sky Team.
5. Weber State -- (8th last week) For the first time this season a Weber State Men’s team is nationally ranked. It just happens to be the men’s cross country team, which earned a national ranking of 26th.
6. Sacramento State (6th last week) --  The Hornets’ per-game average of   4.50 sacks per game leads the Big Sky and is good for second in the FCS and leads the Big Sky. Defensive co-player of the week, Linebacker Cyrus Mulitalo was one of four players to collect a sack against the Lumberjacks last Saturday.
7. Northern Arizona -- (2nd last week) "We looked like a team without direction,” said Jacks coach Jerome Souers after a 38-9 loss to Sac State. They’ll get a chance to get headed in the right direction this week at Portland State... that’s just north of Sacramento on Interstate 5, coach.
8. Idaho State -- (9th last week) Down by a lousy point (21-20) at Bozeman before their new quarterback, Luke Butler, suffers a concussion and the Bengals get blown out 40-20. Butler won’t play this week. The Bengals, behind previous QB starter Russel Hill have their best chance yet for a win when they host the NCU Bears Saturday.
9. Northern Colorado -- (8th last week) These Bears are struggling for identity, but all the news is bad during a  dark week where Former Northern Colorado backup punter Mitch Cozad is sentenced to a 7-year jail term for second degree assault.

Griz win over Weber stirs controversy

On a quiet day only hours removed from the Montana Grizzlies’ tenuous 18-10 victory over winless Weber State University, at least a couple of long-simmering controversies erupted with the Montana football program... the flames of which  were fanned, at least in part, by Weber State football coach Ron McBride in his post-game comments.

In a  story headlined, “Costly block: Illegal chop block set the tone for penalty-marred game,” Missoulian reporter Nick Lockridge considers the ramifications of an illegal block that ended in a likely season-ending injury to Wildcat defensive lineman Derek Johnson.

McBride spoke candidly and critically of the play, hinting that penalties of that nature from the Griz were the norm, not the exception. “What happened is one of the Montana linemen set him (Johnson) up and the other guy chopped him. He tore his whole knee,” said McBride.

"I don’t think they teach their guys to do that, but that’s just absolutely horrible,” McBride is further quoted by Lockridge as saying.

You can read Lockridge’s complete story here.

The other story by Missoulian columnist Bill Speltz entitled, “Soft Griz schedule comes with a pricetag,” examines the more than muffled grumblings of numerous local fans who believe a soft non-conference schedule is actually hindering (rather than helping) the Grizzlies in numerous ways.

Speltz is blunt: he says the Grizzlies’ soft early-season schedule is actually severely hindering a potentially talented team. And there are veiled hints that the Griz are not as good as their national power ranking indicates.

Speltz writes: “Twenty-two years of covering football, and I can't ever remember a team - college, high school or middle school - playing five straight home games to start the season. Add the fact that the combined record of Montana's first four foes is 2-14, and I can understand how it might affect the Grizzlies' level of concentration.”

You can read Speltz' column here.
 

The scheduling issue is a complicated one for a program that is -- in many ways -- the victim of its own success. The brutal truth: every UM home game is a sellout... and that’s not just spare change for the local school. Go ahead, tell them they shouldn't schedule a sure-thing profit-winner.

Regarding McBride’s charges: That is an issue that should be efficiently handled by the Big Sky Conference front office. If there’s a trend, it should be addressed with administrative force.

But this is also a sensitive issue that has no easy answers. For several years now I’ve seen the Griz finish at the top of the Big Sky only to host FCS playoff teams that come to town and play a brutally physical game, win or lose. No team’s going to advance in FCS playoff action without preparing for quality smashmouth-playing opponents in post-season play.

This doesn’t address the issue of “illegal” or “dirty” play. But I’m certain that Big Sky Conference officials have the ability to efficiently enforce the conduct of fair play without compromising the physical impact of this game designed upon the principals of brute physical force and random violent collision.

Lastly, Kudos to Missoulian sports writers for publishing two quite objective stories on the controversies. The local newspaper enjoys a nifty profitable public relations arrangement with UM by publishing the home-game game programs (filled with soft features), and so any article that questions program or coaches is likely to grate with UM administrators.

Big Sky Football Wrapup: Week 5

It's a simple matter of perspective. Quotes from around the Big Sky Conference, September 29.

SACRAMENTO STATE 38, NORTHERN ARIZONA 9

Northern Arizona coach JEROME SOUERS: “The big plays, particularly right before the half, absolutely killed us.” Quote from the Sacramento Bee. "It was one of those games that whatever could go wrong, did go wrong. I was really disappointed in our offensive team execution in the first half. We looked like a team without direction.” Quote from the Arizona Sun.

PORTLAND STATE 28, at EASTERN WASHINGTON 21

Portland State coach JERRY GLANVILLE: "When we came out (of the locker room), we let the two lines come out first – because they had to win the game. If the lines didn't play, we had no chance." Quote from the Spokesman Review. "We're just getting better all the time. Brian White made some nice plays. He was the key. He made some good plays." Quote from the Portland Oregonian.

Eastern Washington coach PAUL WULFF: "Our offense couldn't relieve our defense. We weren't stringing anything together and it put a lot of pressure on our defense – and eventually, against that (PSU Vikings) offense, you're going to break down. We just didn't execute all night long and we never got in sync. We were really flat." Quote from the Spokesman Review. "I thought our defense played well in a lot of situations. It was just a frustrating game. We had a lot of injuries throughout the game, more than I've seen in a ballgame. It kind of put us out of sync and it just continued to escalate during the game." Quote from the Portland Oregonian.

at MONTANA STATE 40, IDAHO STATE 20

Idaho State Coach JOHN ZAMBERLIN: ''It's hard to be pleased when you lose. 'The biggest thing is, I believe, we made strides, made improvements. If we can stick together and stay together, we're going to win football games. It just takes time to build that foundation.'' Quote from the Idaho State Journal. “They played well that second half and made some plays,”  “And there's the difference.” Quote from the Bozeman Chronicle.

Montana State coach ROB ASH: “What I liked is that our football team stayed calm, we made some good adjustments at halftime. When you can win going away like we did, it kind of eases the frustration of the first half.” Quote from the  Bozeman Chronicle

at MONTANA 18, WEBER STATE 10

Weber State coach RON MCBRIDE: "For me to get this program where we want to go, we can't just play a good game. We've got to win." Quote from the Great Falls Tribune. “Basically, I liked how hard we played as a football team. I think our team left everything they had out there. I didn't like the way we played mentally, at times.” Quote from the Missoulian.

Montana quarterback COLE BERQUIST: "There is a ton of stuff the offense can do better. I gave the ball up twice, and that's unacceptable. And our receivers have to step up and make big plays." Quote from the Great Falls Tribune.

Montana running back GREG COLEMAN: “Coach Bobby (Hauck) told us before the game it was going to be like this. They're just a real aggressive team. They were out on a mission to stop our run game. It was just a hard-fought game.” Quote from the Missoulian.

Montana coach BOBBY HAUCK: “It was what we knew it would be. They consider it their rivalry game and they played like it.” Quote from the Missoulian.

at CAL POLY 56, NORTHERN COLORADO 21. No quotes available as of Sept. 31.

Common Opponents -- 9/28

EASTERN WASHINGTON: Beat Mt. Western 52-13. Beat UC Davis 41-31. Won 34-7 at Idaho State .

IDAHO STATE: Beat Southern Oregon 37-11. Lost to Oregon State 61-10. Lost 34-7 to Eastern Washington.

MONTANA: Beat Southern Utah 37-17. Beat Fort Lewis State 49-0. Beat Albany 35-14.

MONTANA STATE:  Lost at Texas A&M 38-7. Beat Dixie State 61-7. Won 21-5 at Weber State.

NORTHERN ARIZONA: Beat Western NM 47-0. Lost at Arizona State 45-24. Lost at Appalachian State 34-21. Beat Northern Colorado 34-14.

NORTHERN COLORADO: Lost to Chadron State 31-0. Lost at San Diego 49-13. Lost 34-14 at Northern Arizona.

PORTLAND STATE: Lost 35-12 at McNeese State. Lost 24-17 to UC Davis. Beat Sacramento State 35-24. Lost 52-17 at San Diego State.

SACRAMENTO STATE: Lost at Fresno State 24-3. Lost at Portland State 35-24. Lost 58-0 at New Mexico.

WEBER STATE: Lost at Boise State 56-7. Lost at Cal Poly 47-19. Lost to Montana State 21-5.

CAL POLY: Lost 38-35 at Texas State. Lost 20-13 at Idaho. Beat Weber State 47-19. Beat Western Oregon 24-17.

Griz Journal 'Sky Power' Ranking: Week 4

Monday the Griz assumed the TOP RANKING in the Sports Network Top 25, replacing Applachian State, which was beaten by Wofford 41-31. See the Sports Network Top 25 story here. 

The Big Sky appears to be splitting into distinct Upper and Lower Divisions...

UPPER
1. Montana -- (1st last week) More than any previous game, Griz QB Cole Berquist showed solid proof Saturday that he’s capable of becoming a class FCS level quarterback.
2. Northern Arizona -- (2nd last week) "We shot ourselves enough times in the foot to keep us from going at the pace and the tempo that we like to, but we got the win and that's the most important thing." -- NAU coach Jerome Souers in the Arizona Sun.
3. Montana State -- (3rd  last week) “From an offensive standpoint, I think we have a lot to work on,” MSU quarterback Jake Rolovich said. “The defense played really well and they can build on this win and I think we can, too.” Read Tim Dumas’ column in the Bozeman Chronicle here.
4. Eastern Washington -- (4th last week) "Going on the road anytime in this conference is tough,"  Eagles coach Paul Wulff said (Spokesman Review). "Anytime you go on the road and win by 27, you'll take it."

LOWER
5. Weber State -- (8th last week) "Right now, we're taking some backward steps and we should be in a position where we're not taking backward steps," WSU coach Ron McBride in the Ogden Standard Examiner.
6. Sacramento State (5th last week) -- “Sac State players vented some frustration, earning personal foul penalties in late in the half. The Hornets relaxed later in the game, even as the rout continued. (Sacramento Bee). "We got a little sloppy in the first half, where we lost our composure for the first time this year. I think the kids finished the game with better dignity and composure." Sac State coach Marshall Sperbeck.
7. Portland State -- (6th last week) “As marriages made in heaven go, this one beats all. Jerry Glanville and Portland, Ore. Think Gomer Pyle and the Green Party. A slice of Dixie bathed in a liberal application of Bohemia. Talk about your alternative lifestyles.” -- Mick McGrane, SignOn San Diego: read it here.
8. Northern Colorado -- (9th last week)  “We felt that coming in we thought NAU was one of the best teams in the conference, and we are leaving still thinking they are one of the best teams.” -- UNC coach Scott Downing in the Greely Tribune.
9. Idaho State -- (7th last week) “Idaho State football coach John Zamberlin announced today at his weekly news conference that only three weeks into the season he's switching quarterbacks. Luke Butler, who replaced a struggling Russel Hill in Saturday's 34-7 loss to Eastern Washington, will get the start this coming week at Montana State.” -- From the ISU Journal Sports blog.

Griz Journal 'Sky Power' Ranking: Week 3

Hey, anyone can post a power ranking. Here’ s mine.

1. Montana -- Albany of the North East Conference is known as a decent defense-oriented team. A good pre-season opponent to schedule.
2. Northern Arizona -- Solid offensive outing against top-ranked Appalachian State.
3. Montana State -- Cats Dixie win as inconclusive as Griz-Ft. Lewis win.
4. Eastern Washington -- A young team that will have a say on how the Big Sky shakes out.
5. Sacramento State -- 10 QB sacks against PSU still not enough. Hornets 2 minutes short of a win.
6. Portland State -- Some big holes on the O line. Ten sacks allowed? How deep are the Viks at QB?

The bottom three Big Sky teams appear to be significantly weaker than the rest of the conference.

7. Idaho State -- Is Oregon State really that good? Lots of big holes on D.
8. Weber State -- A young team takes its lumps early.... & late.
9. Northern Colorado -- At least they scored against San Diego.

Eagles, Viks win on late surges

Northern Arizona throws a scare into Applachian State: The Lumberjacks drove inside the Mountaineers' 25 yard line four times in the first half, but came away with only 6 points. "We got down into the red zone, an area we'd been good in all year, and they outexecuted us in that setting," said Jacks  coach Jerome Souers in the Arizona Daily Sun.  "It really hurt a lot of opportunities for us not to come away with points." You can read the Daily Sun game coverage here.

Portland State's 35-24 win looks, as a glance, pretty convincing. Not so. The visiting Hornets led most of the second half until the 2:06 mark of the fourth quarter. Hornet defenders sacked PSU quarterback Brian White 10 times, but the senior quarterback still completed 26-37 passes for 363 yards and two touchdowns. You can read the game story in the Portland Oregonian here.

Eastern Washington also had to come from behind to notch its 41-31 win over visiting UC Davis. You can read an account in the Spokesman Review's blog here:

Applachian State isn't the only FCS team to fare well against major college opponents. Northern Iowa, ranked 4th in the FCS (and which beat South Dakota State 31-17 Saturday) last week traveled to Ames and beat Iowa State University 24-13. Saturday Iowa State beat visiting Iowa 15-13.

There are four Illinois schools ranked in this week's FCS Top 25 Poll. They are: Southern Illinois (6th), Illinois State (15th), Eastern Illinois (17th), and Western Illinois (21st).

Common Opponents -- 9/15

ALBANY: Lost at Colgate 13-11. Won at Fordham 23-20. Lost to 19th ranked Hofstra 28-13.
EASTERN WASHINGTON: Beat Mt. Western 52-13. Beat UC Davis 41-31.
IDAHO STATE: Beat Southern Oregon 37-11. Lost to Oregon State 61-10.
MONTANA STATE:  Lost at Texas A&M 38-7. Beat Dixie State 61-7.
NORTHERN ARIZONA: Beat Western NM 47-0. Lost at Arizona State 45-24. Lost at Appalachian State 34-21.
NORTHERN COLORADO: Lost to Chadron State 31-0. Lost at San Diego 49-13.
PORTLAND STATE: Lost 35-12 at McNeese State. Lost 24-17 to UC Davis. Beat Sacramento State 35-24.
SACRAMENTO STATE: Lost at Fresno State 24-3. Lost at Portland State 35-24.
WEBER STATE: Lost at Boise State 56-7. Lost at Cal Poly 47-19.
SOUTHERN UTAH: Lost 37-17 at Montana. Lost to North Dakota 37-10. Lost 44-10 to 7th ranked Southern Illinois.
UC DAVIS: Beat Portland State 35-24. Lost to Eastern Washington 41-31.

Common Opponents

SOUTHERN UTAH: Lost 37-17 at Montana. Lost to North Dakota 37-10.
UC-DAVIS: Lost 28-21 at Western Washington. Won 24-17 at Portland State.
PORTLAND STATE: Lost 35-12 at McNeese State. Lost 24-17 to UC Davis.
FRESNO STATE: Beat Cal State Sacramento 24-3. Lost 47-45 at Texas A&M in OT.
TEXAS A&M:  Beat Montana State 38-7. Beat Fresno St. 47-45 in OT.

Another Portland State Viking Tater

The Viks dropped another "hot tater" Saturday.

Despite Portland’s pre-season buzz over new Portland State University head coach Jerry Glanville (former coach of the NFL Houston Oilers and Atlanta Falcons) that included advance sales of nearly 4000 season tickets, home-opener attendance by Portland’s mayor, and a halftime fireworks show, the PSU Vikings couldn’t blunt a 17-point second half surge by visiting Cal State Davis.

The result:  a 26-17 Aggies victory.

In one fourth quarter sequence that symbolized the Vikings' futility, the Vikings failed on six consecutive offensive running plays from within the Aggies' one-yard line. The story in the Portland Oregonian quoted Glanville as saying: "Any time you get the ball inside your 1-yard line that many times and you don't score, you don't deserve to win." Read the Oregonian's game account here.

Significantly, all six plays were said to be (the same?) run-trap plays.

It’s too early to make any sweeping conclusions regarding Glanville’s Viks. But expectations were high everywhere, from PSU being ranked second behind the Griz in most pre-season polls... and from a lot of super-hyped folks in Stumptown.

It's more proof that revamping or rebuilding a college football program takes more than new uniforms. As pre-season polls indicated, the Vikings have the nucleus of a very good team. But there's a hill to climb now.

The scenario was succintly painted by Ian Ruder in his Portland Oregonian Viking's Blog when he wrote: "After last week's loss to McNeese State, the Vikings went into Saturday's game playing to salvage the hype. After last night's loss they are playing to salvage the season."

For a more detailed perspective of that "Giant Disappointment," check out the Ruder's Viks blog here.

A couple of Big Sky eyebrow-raisers

While there’ll be plenty of analysis of the Montana Grizzlies’ 37-17 victory over Southern Utah, other Big Sky games offered up some surprises.

The MSU Bobcats’ 38-7 loss to Texas A&M seemed as-expected, some key statistics tell a different story. Surprising to me was that the Bobcats amassed 403 total yards in offense, compared to A&M’s 390, racking up a whopping plus-12 minutes in time of possession on offense against A&M. Three missed field goals by the Bobcats indicate some early kicking-game problems. Otherwise, it looks like the Cats under new coach Rob Ash are solid.

And, despite the hype of a big-name coach and new black-on-black uniforms, Portland State’s inaugural game of the Jerry Glanville era... no matter how analyzed, appears to have been a flop. The 13th ranked Vikings were up against a veteran squad in the 10th-ranked Cowboys of McNeese State, but the lopsided 35-12 score is backed up by stats: minus 10-yards rushing by the Vikings, and a whopping 395-to-266 total yardage advantage by the Cowboys. Plus, the Viks lost two offensive starters, quarterback Tygue Howland and fullback Bobby McClintock, to injury. Get another perspective of the game from Ian Ruder’s excellent Vikings Blog here.

Ruder starts his coverage with this lede: The big plays never materialized. The running was suspect and the shooting was way off target. The "hardest hitting team on the west coast" didn't show up and The Portland State Vikings were left pondering the true meaning of Coach Jerry Glanville's other favorite saying: that his team will approach each week as if they are undefeated.

Other Big Sky stat of note: Sacramento State’s defense was punctured for 475 yards in total offense in Fresno State’s 24-3 win. The Hornets managed only 103 yards on offense.

Gazette previews Cat FB for 07

The Billings Gazette has a good read for those interested in a solid pre-season  assesment of the Montana State Bobcat football squad, posted on Aug. 31. Here's the Billings Gazette link.