Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Big Sky Conference Fooball Notes - Sept. 26
This Week’s Sky Highlights
The wild world of Big Sky Conference football enters October this Saturday. The slate features four conference games, including a matchup between No. 25 Sacramento State and No. 4 Montana State. The Bobcats, fresh off a road win over Eastern Washington and riding a three-game winning streak, welcome Sacramento State to Bozeman. The Hornets snapped a two-game losing streak with their first ever win over Montana last week...Weber State puts its two-game winning streak on the line at Eastern Washington, which is still seeking its first win...No. 19 Montana looks to get back on track when it plays host to winless Northern Colorado...Idaho State returns home to face Portland State. The Vikings are 1-0 in league, while the Bengals are 1-1. NAU has the week off....All four games can be viewed for free on Big Sky TV.
This Week’s Sky Schedule
Saturday, Oct. 1......................................................................... Time
Series: EWU leads 15-14.
Last Meeting: EWU won 35-24 in 2010.
Series Streak: EWU has won 1.
TV: Altitude, Comcast Sports Net Northwest (Joined in progress at 1 p.m.)
Internet: Big Sky TV
Series: UM leads 10-1.
Last Meeting: UM won 30-7 in 2010.
Series Streak: UM has won 10.
TV: Montana’s News Stations.
Internet: Big Sky TV.
Series: ISU leads 23-12-1.
Last Meeting: PSU won 38-3 in 2010.
Series Streak: PSU has won 1.
Internet: Big Sky TV.
Series: MSU leads 13-6.
Last Meeting: MSU won 64-61 in OT in 2010.
Series Streak: MSU has won six.
TV: Max Media (Montana), Comcast Sports Net California.
Internet: Big Sky TV.
*Big Sky Conference Game
Times Local to Site/Subject to Change
Around the League
FIRST TIME: Sacramento State ended its 16-game losing streak to Montana, beating the Grizzlies for the first time 42-28 last Saturday. Quarterback Jeff Fleming accounted for four touchdowns – throwing two and rushing for two. Bryan Hilliard rushed for 100 yards. Sacramento State led by as many as 21 in the second half, and put the game away when Fleming hit Brandyn Reed for a 37-yard score with 10:13 remaining. That TD gave the Hornets a 42-21 lead. The teams first met in 1993, prior to Sacramento State joining the Big Sky in 1996. Montana had beaten Sacramento State 15 times, the longest streak of domination of one Big Sky team over another. Montana was the only team the Hornets had not beaten since becoming a member of the league. The win catapulted Sacramento State back into the top 25. The Hornets are ranked 25th in the Sports Network/Fathead.com Poll, and tied for 25th in the Coaches’ Poll. Montana has beaten Northern Arizona 13 straight times, now the longest active streak of wins by one team over another in the league.
KICKERS MOVING UP: Montana State’s Jason Cunningham made five field goals and scored 18 points in the Bobcats’ 36-21 win over Eastern Washington. Cunningham now has 287 career kicking points, and ranks eighth all-time in Big Sky history. He is 13 points away from tying Tony Zendejas for seventh on the all-time list. Montana kicker Brody McKnight now has 285 career points to sit ninth all-time in Big Sky history. Montana’s Dan Carpenter is the all-time leader with 413 points, followed by Montana’s Chris Snyder with 392.
IN THE POLLS: Montana State remained fourth in both major FCS polls following a 36-21 victory over Eastern Washington. The Bobcats earned 618 points in the Coaches’ Poll. Montana State received two first-place votes in the Sports Network Poll and 3,398 total points. Georgia Southern, Northern Iowa and Appalachian State are the top three teams in both polls. Montana dropped from 10th to 19th in the Sports Network Poll following its loss to Sacramento State. The Grizzlies dropped from ninth to 16th in the coaches’ poll. Sacramento State moved back into both polls, checking in at 25th. Eastern Washington dropped out of both polls this week. Weber State is just outside the top 25 in both, checking in at 28th in the coaches’ poll, and 30th in the Sports Network Poll.
CHAMPS STRUGGLING: Eastern Washington, which closed the 2010 season with 11 straight wins and a national championship, is off to an 0-4 start following Saturday’s 36-21 loss to Montana State. It was the Eagles’ first loss on the red turf after eight straight wins in 2010. EWU’s offensive line has sustained a myriad of injuries. All-American center Chris Powers suffered a knee injury in the first half against MSU, becoming the fifth starting offensive lineman to miss action already this season with injuries. Converted tight end Patrick Mealey replaced Powers at center. Sophomore guard Steven Forgette suffered a broken fibula against Montana and is out for the year. Guard Ashton Miller sustained a ruptured Achilles tendon in the season opener and is lost for the season. EWU is the first defending national champion to start the season 0-4 since Southern Illinois in 1984.
MIGHTY MIKE: Weber State quarterback Mike Hoke has yet to throw an interception this season in 119 pass attempts. Hoke has not thrown an interception in 160 pass attempts dating back to the 2009 season. His streak ranks as the second-longest active in the FCS. Ryan Taggart of Holy Cross has not thrown an interception in 201 pass attempts. Hoke has 11 touchdowns and zero interceptions. Weber State leads the Big Sky with a turnover margin of +5. Last season, Weber State finished last in the Big Sky with a turnover margin of -9 and threw 11 interceptions.
SACK ATTACK: Northern Arizona recorded 10 sacks in its 20-3 win over Idaho State on Saturday, tying the Big Sky single-game record since 2000, when the NCAA began recognizing sacks as an official sack. NAU also recorded 10 sacks in a 2008 game against Portland State. Sacramento State had 10 sacks against Portland State in 2007. Defensive end Blayne Anderson was credited with three sacks, while Jarret Bilbrey had 2.4, and Isaac Bond two. Idaho State has allowed a league-high 24 sacks. The Bengals have also attempted a league-high 214 pass attempts.
Extra points: EWU’s Matt Johnson intercepted his 17th career pass last Saturday, moving him into a tie for seventh on the Big Sky’s all-time interceptions list…EWU true freshman RB Jordan Talley has back-to-back 100-yard rushing games… PSU kicker Zach Brown had made a school-record 10 straight field goals…PSU senior RB Cory McCaffrey did not play against TCU because of a knee injury. He is questionable for Saturday’s game against Portland State…Northern Colorado linebacker Clarence Bumpas recorded 19 tackles against Weber Staty, tying for second-most in the school’s Big Sky history.
The Sports Network/Fathead.com FCS Top-25 College Football Poll: SoCon has three teams in FCS top eight
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - The Southern Conference is rising. CAA Football has been the top conference in the FCS in recent seasons, but the SoCon is making a push for that distinction this year. Georgia Southern continues to be top-ranked in The Sports Network/Fathead.com FCS Top 25, and Appalachian State and Wofford give the conference two additional schools among the top eight.
On Monday, Georgia Southern (3-0) remained an overwhelming No. 1 for the third straight week, gaining 124 of the 160 first-place votes and 3,931 points from the national panel of sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries.
The Eagles rushed for an FCS season-high 634 yards in a 52-20 win over Western Carolina on Saturday. Dating to last season, coach Jeff Monken's squad has won nine of their last 10 games, losing only to Delaware in the 2010 national semifinals.
Their first-place votes increased by 2.8 percent from last week.
The top four spots were unchanged in the poll. Northern Iowa (2-1) again stood at No. 2, with 17 first-place votes and 3,715 points. The Panthers posted a 38-10 win over Western Illinois in its Missouri Valley Football Conference opener on Saturday.
No. 3 Appalachian State (3-1) relied on two defensive touchdowns for a 14-12 win over Chattanooga, the SoCon's fourth team in the Top 25. The Mountaineers will play another important game this weekend when they go to No. 8 Wofford (3-1) for a meeting between last year's conference co-champions.
Montana State (3-1) remained No. 4 after booting defending FCS champion Eastern Washington out of the rankings with a 36-21 win in the Big Sky Conference.
North Dakota State (3-0) moved up three spots to No. 5 after upsetting Minnesota, 37-24. The Bison, from the Missouri Valley Conference, have an impressive 5-3 record against Bowl Subdivision schools since 2006.
The rest of the Top 10 was No. 6 Delaware (3-1), No. 7 New Hampshire (2-1), Wofford, No. 9 James Madison (3-1) and No. 10 Richmond (3-1). James Madison beat CAA preseason favorite William & Mary, 20-14, on Saturday, but was reeling on Monday from the university leveling an indefinite suspension to starting quarterback Justin Thorpe.
William & Mary (2-2) fell five spots to No. 11 and was followed by No. 12 Southern Illinois (2-1), No. 13 Lehigh (3-1), No. 14 Jacksonville State (3-1), No. 15 Chattanooga (2-2), No. 16 Sam Houston State (3-0), No. 17 Southern Utah (3-1), No. 18 McNeese State (2-1), No. 19 Montana (2-2) and No. 20 Massachusetts (2-1).
Sam Houston State and Southern Utah made big moves up in the rankings after both beat FBS opponents. Sam Houston State, from the Southland Conference, rose four spots after its 48-45 overtime win over New Mexico, while defending Great West Conference champion Southern Utah rose six spots after its 41-16 thrashing of UNLV.
Rounding out the poll were No. 21 South Dakota (2-2), No. 22 South Carolina State (2-2), No. 23 Towson (3-0), No. 24 Indiana State (3-1) and No. 25 Sacramento State (2-2).
Towson moved into the rankings for the first time since Sept. 10, 2007, which gave the CAA a poll-best seven teams in the Top 25. Indiana State hadn't been in the rankings since the 1996 preseason poll, while Sacramento State was out of the rankings last week, but moved back in with a 42-28 win over Montana in the Big Sky.
Stephen F. Austin, Murray State and Eastern Washington fell out of the rankings after suffering losses.
During the regular season the Top 25 will be released every Monday afternoon, except for the final weekend of games, when it will be released Sunday morning, Nov. 20, due to its use as an official tool by the NCAA Division I Football Committee in selecting the 20-team playoff field later that day.
The Sports Network and Fathead.com will release a final Top 25 following the FCS championship game, which will be held Jan. 7 at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas.
On Monday, Georgia Southern (3-0) remained an overwhelming No. 1 for the third straight week, gaining 124 of the 160 first-place votes and 3,931 points from the national panel of sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries.
The Eagles rushed for an FCS season-high 634 yards in a 52-20 win over Western Carolina on Saturday. Dating to last season, coach Jeff Monken's squad has won nine of their last 10 games, losing only to Delaware in the 2010 national semifinals.
Their first-place votes increased by 2.8 percent from last week.
The top four spots were unchanged in the poll. Northern Iowa (2-1) again stood at No. 2, with 17 first-place votes and 3,715 points. The Panthers posted a 38-10 win over Western Illinois in its Missouri Valley Football Conference opener on Saturday.
No. 3 Appalachian State (3-1) relied on two defensive touchdowns for a 14-12 win over Chattanooga, the SoCon's fourth team in the Top 25. The Mountaineers will play another important game this weekend when they go to No. 8 Wofford (3-1) for a meeting between last year's conference co-champions.
Montana State (3-1) remained No. 4 after booting defending FCS champion Eastern Washington out of the rankings with a 36-21 win in the Big Sky Conference.
North Dakota State (3-0) moved up three spots to No. 5 after upsetting Minnesota, 37-24. The Bison, from the Missouri Valley Conference, have an impressive 5-3 record against Bowl Subdivision schools since 2006.
The rest of the Top 10 was No. 6 Delaware (3-1), No. 7 New Hampshire (2-1), Wofford, No. 9 James Madison (3-1) and No. 10 Richmond (3-1). James Madison beat CAA preseason favorite William & Mary, 20-14, on Saturday, but was reeling on Monday from the university leveling an indefinite suspension to starting quarterback Justin Thorpe.
William & Mary (2-2) fell five spots to No. 11 and was followed by No. 12 Southern Illinois (2-1), No. 13 Lehigh (3-1), No. 14 Jacksonville State (3-1), No. 15 Chattanooga (2-2), No. 16 Sam Houston State (3-0), No. 17 Southern Utah (3-1), No. 18 McNeese State (2-1), No. 19 Montana (2-2) and No. 20 Massachusetts (2-1).
Sam Houston State and Southern Utah made big moves up in the rankings after both beat FBS opponents. Sam Houston State, from the Southland Conference, rose four spots after its 48-45 overtime win over New Mexico, while defending Great West Conference champion Southern Utah rose six spots after its 41-16 thrashing of UNLV.
Rounding out the poll were No. 21 South Dakota (2-2), No. 22 South Carolina State (2-2), No. 23 Towson (3-0), No. 24 Indiana State (3-1) and No. 25 Sacramento State (2-2).
Towson moved into the rankings for the first time since Sept. 10, 2007, which gave the CAA a poll-best seven teams in the Top 25. Indiana State hadn't been in the rankings since the 1996 preseason poll, while Sacramento State was out of the rankings last week, but moved back in with a 42-28 win over Montana in the Big Sky.
Stephen F. Austin, Murray State and Eastern Washington fell out of the rankings after suffering losses.
During the regular season the Top 25 will be released every Monday afternoon, except for the final weekend of games, when it will be released Sunday morning, Nov. 20, due to its use as an official tool by the NCAA Division I Football Committee in selecting the 20-team playoff field later that day.
The Sports Network and Fathead.com will release a final Top 25 following the FCS championship game, which will be held Jan. 7 at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas.
| Team (First-place votes) | Record | Points | Previous Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Georgia Southern Eagles (124) | 3-0 | 3,931 | 1 |
| 2. Northern Iowa Panthers (17) | 2-1 | 3,715 | 2 |
| 3. Appalachian State Mountaineers (8) | 3-1 | 3,540 | 3 |
| 4. Montana State Bobcats (2) | 3-1 | 3,398 | 4 |
| 5. North Dakota State Bison (8) | 3-0 | 3,315 | 8 |
| 6. Delaware Blue Hens (1) | 3-1 | 3,201 | 7 |
| 7. New Hampshire Wildcats | 2-1 | 2,915 | 11 |
| 8. Wofford Terriers | 2-1 | 2,905 | 9 |
| 9. James Madison Dukes | 3-1 | 2,695 | 12 |
| 10. Richmond Spiders | 3-1 | 2,344 | 5 |
| 11. William & Mary Tribe | 2-2 | 2,091 | 6 |
| 12. Southern Illinois Salukis | 2-1 | 2,069 | 14 |
| 13. Lehigh Mountain Hawks | 3-1 | 1,949 | 15 |
| 14. Jacksonville State Gamecocks | 3-1 | 1,795 | 16 |
| 15. Chattanooga Mocs | 2-2 | 1,452 | 13 |
| 16. Sam Houston State Bearkats | 3-0 | 1,449 | 20 |
| 17. Southern Utah Thunderbirds | 3-1 | 1,436 | 23 |
| 18. McNeese State Cowboys | 2-1 | 1,264 | 19 |
| 19. Montana Grizzlies | 2-2 | 1,095 | 10 |
| 20. Massachusetts Minutemen | 2-1 | 911 | 17 |
| 21. South Dakota Coyotes | 2-2 | 736 | 18 |
| 22. South Carolina State Bulldogs | 2-2 | 706 | 25 |
| 23. Towson Tigers | 3-0 | 520 | NR |
| 24. Indiana State Sycamores | 3-1 | 447 | NR |
| 25. Sacramento State Hornets | 2-2 | 424 | NR |
| Others receiving votes: Tennessee Tech 175, Alabama State 152, Maine 144, Old Dominion 144, Weber State 140, Stephen F. Austin 87, Holy Cross 87, Elon 83, Jackson State 68, Bethune-Cookman 66, Liberty 60, Yale 55, Eastern Washington 50, UT Martin 49, North Dakota 44, Murray State 37, Youngstown State 33, Central Arkansas 24, Portland State 23, Missouri State 21, Norfolk State 21, South Dakota State 17, Coastal Carolina 15, Cal Poly 11, Eastern Kentucky 11, Monmouth 10, Hampton 8, Texas State 7, Furman 7, UC Davis 6, Alabama A&M 5, San Diego 5, Stony Brook 5, Dayton 5, Harvard 4, South Alabama 3, Rhode Island 3, Northwestern State 3, Jacksonville 3, Tennessee State 2, Georgetown 1, Texas Southern 1, Northern Arizona 1, Villanova 1. |
2011 Big Sky Conference Football Standings as of September 24
| School | Conf | Pct | Overall | Home | Away | Streak |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weber State | 2-0 | 1.000 | 2-2 | 1-0 | 1-2 | W2 |
| Montana State | 1-0 | 1.000 | 3-1 | 2-0 | 1-1 | W3 |
| Portland State | 1-0 | 1.000 | 2-1 | 2-0 | 0-1 | L1 |
| Idaho State | 1-1 | 0.500 | 2-2 | 2-0 | 0-2 | L1 |
| Montana | 1-1 | 0.500 | 2-2 | 2-0 | 0-2 | L1 |
| Northern Arizona | 1-1 | 0.500 | 2-2 | 2-0 | 0-2 | W1 |
| Sacramento State | 1-1 | 0.500 | 2-2 | 1-0 | 1-2 | W1 |
| Eastern Washington | 0-2 | 0.000 | 0-4 | 0-1 | 0-3 | L4 |
| Northern Colorado | 0-2 | 0.000 | 0-4 | 0-2 | 0-2 | L4 |
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Lunch with the University of Montana's Athletic Director, Jim O'Day
Bitter Root MGSA members and Griz Fans, the Hamilton Kiwanis have invited you to have lunch with Jim O'Day at 12 noon, Wednesday, October 12, 2011 at BJ's restaurant in Hamilton.
This is a no host event, please call Bill Rummel at 360-1036 or email him at jrummel@bresnan.net so BJ's and the Kiwanis have an idea on how many will attend.
This is a great opportunity for everyone to talk with Jim, and get his take on Grizzly Athletics, the Big Sky Conference, and national trends in the field of collegiate athletics.
Here is Jim's profile from the Athletic's Department's website at http://www.gogriz.com:
Jim O'Day was named athletic director by UM President George Dennison in June of 2005. Prior to being named athletic director, O'Day spent four years as the Director of Development for Intercollegiate Athletics at The University of Montana.
Before that, he served for almost three years as Assistant Director of the Grizzly Athletic Association. O'Day was responsible for major gift development as it pertains to athletics and serves as the liaison between UM Athletics and the University of Montana Foundation.
Prior to returning to his alma mater in 1998, O'Day was the owner and publisher of the family-owned Western Breeze newspaper in Cut Bank, Montana, for 10 years. During the period 1982-87, he was a reporter and editor of the twice-weekly publication. From 1980-82, he was the sports editor of the Daily Interlake newspaper in Kalispell, Montana.
O'Day was a charter member of the Cut Bank Education Foundation and Alumni Association. He was Cut Bank's Citizen of the Year in 1992. O'Day organized the Golden Triangle Chapter of the GAA in 1992 and served as president until his appointment at UM.
A 1980 Montana graduate, O'Day received a B.A. in journalism. He was the 1991 recipient of the University of Montana Service Award.
Jim and his wife Kathy have three sons: Chris, Kevin and Brian.
Do miss out and contact Bill today.
Thanks,
Doug
This is a no host event, please call Bill Rummel at 360-1036 or email him at jrummel@bresnan.net so BJ's and the Kiwanis have an idea on how many will attend.
This is a great opportunity for everyone to talk with Jim, and get his take on Grizzly Athletics, the Big Sky Conference, and national trends in the field of collegiate athletics.
Here is Jim's profile from the Athletic's Department's website at http://www.gogriz.com:
Jim O'Day was named athletic director by UM President George Dennison in June of 2005. Prior to being named athletic director, O'Day spent four years as the Director of Development for Intercollegiate Athletics at The University of Montana.
Before that, he served for almost three years as Assistant Director of the Grizzly Athletic Association. O'Day was responsible for major gift development as it pertains to athletics and serves as the liaison between UM Athletics and the University of Montana Foundation.
Prior to returning to his alma mater in 1998, O'Day was the owner and publisher of the family-owned Western Breeze newspaper in Cut Bank, Montana, for 10 years. During the period 1982-87, he was a reporter and editor of the twice-weekly publication. From 1980-82, he was the sports editor of the Daily Interlake newspaper in Kalispell, Montana.
O'Day was a charter member of the Cut Bank Education Foundation and Alumni Association. He was Cut Bank's Citizen of the Year in 1992. O'Day organized the Golden Triangle Chapter of the GAA in 1992 and served as president until his appointment at UM.
A 1980 Montana graduate, O'Day received a B.A. in journalism. He was the 1991 recipient of the University of Montana Service Award.
Jim and his wife Kathy have three sons: Chris, Kevin and Brian.
Do miss out and contact Bill today.
Thanks,
Doug
Sac State posts historic win over Griz
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Sacramento State Hornets were due and Jeff Fleming was ready.
Fleming, the Hornets' senior quarterback, threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more to lead the Hornets past No. 10 Montana 42-28 Saturday - the first win over the Grizzlies in Sac State's history.
Bryan Hilliard added 100 rushing yards for the hosts, who held the ball for two-thirds of the 60-minute contest, played out in front of 12,751 fans. The Hornets bottled up UM's spread offense and took advantage of a couple special teams breakdowns to square their record at 1-1 in Big Sky Conference play.
Fleming ran for 59 yards and threw for 224, including a 37-yard strike to Brandyn Reed that put Sac State up 42-21 with 10:13 left in the game.
But the biggest number was 1, as in that first victory over the Griz after 16 straight losses.
"I mean, you can only imagine," said fifth-year Sac State coach Marshall Sperbeck. "Shoot, we've heard all about it and these kids have played up there and played here.
"And we told our kids this week, ‘You've got to beat Montana. If you're going to make any noise in this conference, it goes through Montana.' They know that. We were fortunate to get after it tonight and our kids played great in all three phases."
It was a step back in all three for the Grizzlies, though they were tied 14-14 with the Hornets midway through the second quarter.
Jordan Johnson set up the first of Dan Moore's two touchdown runs with bursts of 11 and 22 yards as the Griz drew into a 7-7 tie. Then the Griz forced a punt, only to give Sac State its first big break.
The ball brushed blocker Josh Dennard and Sam McCowan recovered for the Hornets at UM's 14. Five snaps later Fleming breezed in from 7 yards out on a quarterback draw for a 14-7 Sac State lead.
Johnson answered with passes of 43 yards to Antwon Moutra and 33 to Bryce Carver, the latter going for a game-tying TD at 8:58 of the second quarter.
But Sac State took the momentum right back with a three-play, 68-yard drive. Fleming hit Morris Norrise for 41 yards, DeAndre Carter for 18 yards and scrambled around right end for the final 9. The Hornets had the lead for good, 21-14, at the 7:45 mark.
It stayed that way until halftime, but any hopes of a third-quarter Griz surge went away early: An option handoff on third-and-2 netted nothing, and Chase Deadder came in to block Sean Wren's punt.
Markell Williams scooped up the ball and scored from 30 yards out for a 28-14 lead.
"We're always going to be aggressive in our special teams," said Sperbeck, who also went for it on four fourth downs rather than try field goals. "We've done that with punt blocks and fakes and different things. Those kids believe they're going to block it every time they go after it, and a lot of its just belief."
It brought visions of the Grizzlies' 2010 loss to Eastern Washington, but the visitors couldn't make the fourth-quarter comeback this time.
McCowan, filling in for a dinged-up Hilliard, scored on a 42-yard burst to put the Hornets up 35-14 midway through the third quarter.
Johnson finished a 72-yard drive with a 4-yard scoring run to cut the gap to 35-21, and the Griz could've drawn closer when Donny Lisowski forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff and teammate Kevin Frank recovered.
UM netted 4 yards on three plays, and Brody McKnight missed a 36-yard field goal.
Reed's touchdown came at the end of a 14-play drive that ate up almost nine minutes.
Moore's second TD came with 28 seconds left, with Nate Montana and Gerald Kemp sharing QB duties.
Johnson ran for a team-high 64 yards and threw for 148, but was intercepted three times.
"The offense just came out slow," said Moore, who led the Griz with four catches for 66 yards. "We came out sluggish, and we just needed to pick it up. Their defense played great; they stopped the run and shut down the pass. You can't win that way."
Fleming picked apart UM's defense with screens to the edges and some slippery runs.
"I think when he does that he makes us a better offense," said Sperbeck. "Jeff played a very good game tonight and played very much within himself and the scheme. I'm very proud of the way he handled the game."
The Grizzlies surrendered 462 yards of offense.
"I don't think out-formationed us or did anything we weren't ready for," said UM linebacker Caleb McSurdy, who had 11 tackles. "We just didn't play physical, starting with myself.
"He (Fleming) improvised on some stuff. We didn't do a good job of containing him - again, starting with myself. We allowed him to improvise too much."
The Grizzlies have had stunning losses before, including a 45-28 loss at Weber State in 2008 that was their first in 24 conference games. They made the Division I Football Championship that year.
It was small consolation.
"We're upset to say the least about this," said McSurdy. "It's what, week four? It's our second Big Sky Conference game. I don't know - I'm hoping every one of us uses this as motivation. We're aware that there's a lot of season left, but this one hurts."
Read more: http://missoulian.com/college/griz/article_5502c618-e70a-11e0-8326-001cc4c002e0.html#ixzz1Yyil5W5o
Fleming, the Hornets' senior quarterback, threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more to lead the Hornets past No. 10 Montana 42-28 Saturday - the first win over the Grizzlies in Sac State's history.
Bryan Hilliard added 100 rushing yards for the hosts, who held the ball for two-thirds of the 60-minute contest, played out in front of 12,751 fans. The Hornets bottled up UM's spread offense and took advantage of a couple special teams breakdowns to square their record at 1-1 in Big Sky Conference play.
Fleming ran for 59 yards and threw for 224, including a 37-yard strike to Brandyn Reed that put Sac State up 42-21 with 10:13 left in the game.
But the biggest number was 1, as in that first victory over the Griz after 16 straight losses.
"I mean, you can only imagine," said fifth-year Sac State coach Marshall Sperbeck. "Shoot, we've heard all about it and these kids have played up there and played here.
"And we told our kids this week, ‘You've got to beat Montana. If you're going to make any noise in this conference, it goes through Montana.' They know that. We were fortunate to get after it tonight and our kids played great in all three phases."
It was a step back in all three for the Grizzlies, though they were tied 14-14 with the Hornets midway through the second quarter.
Jordan Johnson set up the first of Dan Moore's two touchdown runs with bursts of 11 and 22 yards as the Griz drew into a 7-7 tie. Then the Griz forced a punt, only to give Sac State its first big break.
The ball brushed blocker Josh Dennard and Sam McCowan recovered for the Hornets at UM's 14. Five snaps later Fleming breezed in from 7 yards out on a quarterback draw for a 14-7 Sac State lead.
Johnson answered with passes of 43 yards to Antwon Moutra and 33 to Bryce Carver, the latter going for a game-tying TD at 8:58 of the second quarter.
But Sac State took the momentum right back with a three-play, 68-yard drive. Fleming hit Morris Norrise for 41 yards, DeAndre Carter for 18 yards and scrambled around right end for the final 9. The Hornets had the lead for good, 21-14, at the 7:45 mark.
It stayed that way until halftime, but any hopes of a third-quarter Griz surge went away early: An option handoff on third-and-2 netted nothing, and Chase Deadder came in to block Sean Wren's punt.
Markell Williams scooped up the ball and scored from 30 yards out for a 28-14 lead.
"We're always going to be aggressive in our special teams," said Sperbeck, who also went for it on four fourth downs rather than try field goals. "We've done that with punt blocks and fakes and different things. Those kids believe they're going to block it every time they go after it, and a lot of its just belief."
It brought visions of the Grizzlies' 2010 loss to Eastern Washington, but the visitors couldn't make the fourth-quarter comeback this time.
McCowan, filling in for a dinged-up Hilliard, scored on a 42-yard burst to put the Hornets up 35-14 midway through the third quarter.
Johnson finished a 72-yard drive with a 4-yard scoring run to cut the gap to 35-21, and the Griz could've drawn closer when Donny Lisowski forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff and teammate Kevin Frank recovered.
UM netted 4 yards on three plays, and Brody McKnight missed a 36-yard field goal.
Reed's touchdown came at the end of a 14-play drive that ate up almost nine minutes.
Moore's second TD came with 28 seconds left, with Nate Montana and Gerald Kemp sharing QB duties.
Johnson ran for a team-high 64 yards and threw for 148, but was intercepted three times.
"The offense just came out slow," said Moore, who led the Griz with four catches for 66 yards. "We came out sluggish, and we just needed to pick it up. Their defense played great; they stopped the run and shut down the pass. You can't win that way."
Fleming picked apart UM's defense with screens to the edges and some slippery runs.
"I think when he does that he makes us a better offense," said Sperbeck. "Jeff played a very good game tonight and played very much within himself and the scheme. I'm very proud of the way he handled the game."
The Grizzlies surrendered 462 yards of offense.
"I don't think out-formationed us or did anything we weren't ready for," said UM linebacker Caleb McSurdy, who had 11 tackles. "We just didn't play physical, starting with myself.
"He (Fleming) improvised on some stuff. We didn't do a good job of containing him - again, starting with myself. We allowed him to improvise too much."
The Grizzlies have had stunning losses before, including a 45-28 loss at Weber State in 2008 that was their first in 24 conference games. They made the Division I Football Championship that year.
It was small consolation.
"We're upset to say the least about this," said McSurdy. "It's what, week four? It's our second Big Sky Conference game. I don't know - I'm hoping every one of us uses this as motivation. We're aware that there's a lot of season left, but this one hurts."
| Montana | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | – | 28 |
| Sacramento St. | 7 | 14 | 14 | 7 | – | 42 |
| First Quarter | ||||||
| Sac–Deadder 9 pass from Fleming (Diniz kick), 7:40. | ||||||
| Mont–Moore 1 run (McKnight kick), :34. | ||||||
| Second Quarter | ||||||
| Sac–Fleming 7 run (Diniz kick), 10:23. | ||||||
| Mont–Carver 33 pass from J.Johnson (McKnight kick), 8:58. | ||||||
| Sac–Fleming 9 run (Diniz kick), 7:45. | ||||||
| Third Quarter | ||||||
| Sac–Williams 30 blocked punt return (Diniz kick), 13:05. | ||||||
| Sac–McCowan 42 run (Diniz kick), 7:31. | ||||||
| Mont–J.Johnson 4 run (McKnight kick), 5:10. | ||||||
| Fourth Quarter | ||||||
| Sac–Reed 37 pass from Fleming (Diniz kick), 10:13. | ||||||
| Mont–Moore 1 run (McKnight kick), :28. | ||||||
| A–12,751. | ||||||
| Mont | Sac | |||||
| First downs | 17 | 24 | ||||
| Rushes-yards | 32-139 | 49-238 | ||||
| Passing | 184 | 224 | ||||
| Comp-Att-Int | 12-27-3 | 18-27-0 | ||||
| Return Yards | (-10) | 82 | ||||
| Punts-Avg. | 4-39.5 | 3-39.0 | ||||
| Fumbles-Lost | 1-1 | 1-1 | ||||
| Penalties-Yards | 6-45 | 9-71 | ||||
| Time of Possession | 19:17 | 40:43 | ||||
| INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS | ||||||
| RUSHING–Montana, J.Johnson 7-64, Moore 15-41, Kemp 2-14, Canada 3-10, Montana 1-6, Nguyen 4-4. Sacramento St., Hilliard 22-100, McCowan 14-66, Fleming 9-59, D.Carter 1-14, Deadder 1-2, Team 2-(-3). | ||||||
| PASSING–Montana, J.Johnson 9-19-3-148, Montana 3-8-0-36. Sacramento St., Fleming 18-27-0-224. | ||||||
| RECEIVING–Montana, Moore 4-66, Moutra 4-57, S.Gratton 2-15, Carver 1-33, Nguyen 1-13. Sacramento St., Norrise 6-96, Hendershott 4-29, Deadder 4-27, D.Carter 2-27, Reed 1-37, Maciel 1-8. | ||||||
Read more: http://missoulian.com/college/griz/article_5502c618-e70a-11e0-8326-001cc4c002e0.html#ixzz1Yyil5W5o
Friday, September 23, 2011
I have updated Tailgate #3.
Please go to the the tailgate #3 post (http://montanatailgate.blogspot.com/2011/09/northern-colorado-vs-montana-october-1.html) and see what the menu is for next weekend.
Up on the Roof
While the presence of Hornet football has improved and some facilities have definitely been upgraded, it's small-market football in a big-market California town.
Sacramento native Marshall Sperbeck has won more games than any previous four-year coach and has strong junior college connections having coached for 15 years at Foothills College where he won twice as many games as he lost and took the school to 11 bowl games.
And it looked like this might be the Hornets' year after opening with an overtime road victory over Oregon State, but their press clippings didn't bring victory either against a tough Southern Utah 11 or at Weber State in the league opener last week.
And so for now, here before the completion of the season's first month, Sac State is again up against it and hoping by defeating Montana for the first time in 17 games, they can prove they are more than an also-ran.
It's a late leave for the Grizzlies Friday via charter and an early return on Sunday which makes for yet another short preparation turnaround.
Temps are forecast into the nineties on game day and it won't be far cooler than that with a 6 p.m. (PDT) start.
The World League used to play at Hornet Stadium and the lights are awesome as is the playing surface which is surrounded by an Olympic-style track which contributes to leaving fans a bit removed.
Greg Sundberg opted out of his sideline duties this week and will be replaced by Kent Haslem who is attempting himself to rebound from a one-game losing streak sustained during his last substitute appearance in Ogden last year.
As for the broadcast crew, well we're still "Up On The Roof," because television gets the visiting radio booth - Go figure.
It is less than adequate as is the shaking ancient elevator that takes you to the press level for an additional one-level access to the roof.
It can be windy, which causes one to scramble for your spotting chart, and a few years back before the area was covered, a torrential rain storm dropped the temp so severely I was shaking and if not for KPAX's Tom Katz, who loaned me a jacket that almost made it to my armpits I no doubt would have caught pneumonia.
There's also a fair share of kibitzing, clamoring and cheering upstairs which also makes for interesting and challenging dialogue from the radio crew.
But don't get me wrong; Sac State is doing what they can, not only to improve athletically but in all areas.
And none of that of course will have any effect on the football game, just my perception of it.
A second step to a league championship and return to the playoffs is in the offing and I like the Grizzlies in a resounding offensive showcase.
Week 4 Schedule
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| Thursday, September 22, 2011 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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