By FRITZ NEIGHBOR of the Missoulian | Posted: Saturday, October 22, 2011 9:00 pm
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - Sam Gratton seems to like the Walkup Skydome.
OK, that's not the right word.
"I love it," said the junior receiver from Billings. "Seven thousand feet. The air's nice and clean, the head's clear ..."
Gratton, who caught a 45-yard touchdown pass two years ago in Montana's 41-34 overtime win at Northern Arizona, played a critical role in the Grizzlies' 28-24 Big Sky Conference win Saturday.
He had a 43-yard catch in a drive that ended at NAU's 1-yard line on downs in the first quarter, and a 45-yard catch in a second-quarter march that ended with the first of Jordan Canada's TD runs.
The latter came on third-and-15, after he was left open on the previous play - which ended with NAU's lone sack of Jordan Johnson. Gratton didn't say anything to Johnson ahead of third down; he didn't have to.
"I'm pretty sure they (the coaches) saw the same thing," he said.
After Canada's TD tied the game at 14-all just before halftime, Gratton was on the field when UM went ahead 21-14 on an 80-yard Jabin Sambrano reverse that NAU didn't see coming.
It kind of shocked Gratton, too.
"I think they told us on the sideline it was going to be some other play," said the receiver. "When we lined up, it kind of surprised me. I was like, ‘All right.' So I just ran my guy off and ended up blocking him. It really surprised me."
"Sam had a tremendous game," Montana coach Robin Pflugrad said. "He'll probably be up there, when we look at our video tomorrow, for player of the game. He's not as flashy as Jabin with the reverse or Canada on the TD, but he brings his lunch pail - and he played great today."
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Sambrano's second rushing touchdown of the season came as Montana was running low on options against NAU's defense. Johnson had reinjured his ankle on the Grizzlies' first drive of the second half; he came back a series later but handed off four times ahead of an incomplete pass and a punt.
Canada and Nguyen were finding less room on the inside run game, with Johnson not an option to keep the ball.
It was Canada who took the handoff and flipped it to Sambrano on the TD.
And at that point Johnson looked very healthy.
"We thought the reverse was going to be a pretty good play," said Pflugrad. "Jabin hadn't practiced much all week ... Thursday afternoon was about the only time he ran it.
"We hadn't dialed it up and we knew it was going to be pretty good timing because of our inside run game. The ends were pinching a little bit. Actually the end came off and I thought he was going to have a chance, but then Jordy kind of got in his way - and then Jordy went downfield and did a nice job blocking downfield as well."
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It was a familiar turn of events in the fourth quarter.
In 2009 Gratton's TD came after a 50-yard return by Sambrano, though the Griz earned a first down between the two big plays and ran 72 seconds off the clock.
On Saturday, Nguyen set up Canada's go-ahead 46-yard touchdown run with a 49-yard kickoff return. It took 19 seconds to silence the vuvuzelas. Once again Northern Arizona lost a heartbreaker.
Lumberjack coach Jerome Souers was asked why "the streak" - he's lost 14 straight times to UM as NAU's coach - hasn't ended.
"It's a fair question," he said. "Every day I look in the mirror I have to ask myself the same question.
"The kids don't care about that stuff like the coaches do. With the number of coaching changes that have gone on over the years, a lot goes into it. And it's hard to win, and they've got a great tradition and strong coaches and competitive players, and to beat them you really truly have to be at your best."
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The Jacks were ready to start the game, with Cary Grossart and Khalil Paden hooking up on a 77-yard TD on the first play.
"We kind of knew what they were going to give us on first down - the middle of the field," said Grossart. "They were in a cover two and it worked out perfect. KP ran a great route."
"Just slipped right up the middle," said Paden, who zipped past safety Mike McCord. "Both the safeties went out with the out routes."
But after gaining 219 yards in the first quarter, the Jacks slowed. Grossart was sacked eight times, including three from Bryan Waldhauser.
"It may look like the O-line was losing but they did a great job, I thought," Grossart said. "Montana brings a ton of pressure. On some of those I needed to get rid of the ball and I've got to find my hot routes.
"There are so many plays where they bring something you've never seen, and it's how you handle that."
QUICK KICKS: Ryan Fetherston, Caleb McSurdy, John Kanongata'a, Sean Murray and Bobby Alt all added sacks for the Griz. ... UM's Brody McKnight has 183 career PAT kicks, moving past Chris Snyder (182 from 2000-03) into No. 2 in Griz history. Dan Carpenter hit 186 from 2004-07. ... McCord was shaken up on Zach Bauman's 6-yard run in NAU's final drive. ... McSurdy was hurt on a third-quarter sack but returned. ... NAU had possession of the ball for 20 minutes and 10 seconds of the second half.
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