Bring ’em On
The Bearkats are as close as can be from playing in their first Football Championship Subdivision title game, but a familiar nemesis is looking to stop them in their tracks. Like teams in other sports at different levels of competition, the Bearkats know they have their own personal hurdle to clear, Montana in their case, in order to play for a national championship.
HUNTSVILLE — No matter what sport or at any level of competition, there’s always going to be a team that stands in the way of an up-and-comer. That one team often remains as the biggest hurdle between a highly successful season and one that is rewarded with a championship.
In the late 1980s, the Detroit Pistons prevented Michael Jordan and the Bulls from capturing NBA titles, that is until the ’90s when Chicago won six titles in eight seasons.
Before the Texas Rangers snapped their playoff drought in 2010, going 11 years since making their last appearance, the three previous times the Rangers had short stints in the postseason. Three times in four years (1996, 1998 and 1999), Texas met the Yankees in the divisional series and lost all three times. It was only fitting that for the Rangers to get to the World Series, they would have to go through the Yankees, which they did in 2010 and have made it to two consecutive Fall Classics.
Before the Colts finally broke through to win the Vince Lombardi trophy in 2007, the Patriots certainly had their number beating them twice in the postseason (2003 AFC championship game and 2004 division playoff game). That is until Indianapolis outlasted New England in the 2006 AFC title game in Indianapolis and eventually won the Super Bowl.
For the Bearkats, it’s pretty easy to point out which team is their Pistons, Yankees or Patriots — Montana.
Of course, Montana.
“This isn’t a surprise,” said Sam Houston offensive lineman Riley Smith, who played high school football in Huntsville and knows SHSU’s history against Montana as good as any of the Bearkats. “When we first saw the lineup for the playoffs, we kind of expected to go through Montana State and Montana.”
The last two times Sam Houston has advanced to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs in 2001 and ’04, when it was referred to as the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs, the Bearkats’ dream seasons came to an end at the hands of the Grizzlies.
In ’01, Sam Houston was sent home following a 49-24 loss in the quarterfinals.
Back in the playoffs for the first time in three years, the Bearkats were rolling following a 54-24 trouncing over Western Kentucky and coming back from a 20-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat Eastern Washington 35-34 in 2004. Advancing as far as they’ve ever gone before, the Kats were denied once again in the national semifinals 34-13.
Seven years later, the Kats are one win away from reaching the FCS national championship game and, of course, Montana is standing in the way.
“I think that’s how you want it as an athlete,” junior linebacker Darius Taylor said. “To be the best, we figure we’ve got to beat the best and play the best. We’re just accepting this challenge and we’re glad we’ve got a home game and they’ve got to come all the way down here.
“We’re going to try to get the crowd live and keep it loud to get them off their game and try to distract them a little bit with the crowd noise for a home-field advantage.”
In both playoff games against Montana, the Bearkats had to go on the road and take the field in front of a hostile crowd at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula, Mont.
This time the Bearkats have the opportunity to make things difficult for the Grizzlies as today’s semifinal will be played in the friendly confines of Bowers Stadium.
“It’s exciting because I’ve been here for a long time and my dad was at the 2004 game in Montana, so now we get a chance to have a little revenge,” Smith said. “I know a lot of those older Bearkats and a lot of them are calling me, saying, ‘Hey, we owe them, so let’s go.’”
While the Bearkats aim at paying Montana back the favor of disappointment, the Grizzlies, who missed the playoffs last season, have plenty of history on their side and are looking to play in their sixth national championship game in the past 12 years.
Montana played for the ultimate prize in 2000, ’01, ’04, ’08 and ’09, winning the Division I-AA national championship in 2001.
Even though the Grizzlies have been one of the most dominant, consistent teams at this level, the Bearkats aren’t letting themselves be intimidated by Montana’s past successes.
“It’s more of a past thing. This is a new team. This is our new team and this is their new team. We’ve just got to come out and play them,” Taylor said. “They’re coming from Montana and we’re from Texas, I don’t think they’re respecting us as much as they should. It’s all going to be settled on the field Friday night.”
Preparing for their first semifinal playoff game in seven years, the Bearkats continue to remain loose and focused on their goals.
“I feel like we’re in our groove,” Smith added. “Last week, I think we showed ourselves and everyone else that we’re in our groove. When our offense is in our groove, no one can stop us and when our defense is in our groove, no one runs on us.
“Everybody’s ready for Friday night. We’re anxious, but not nervous.”
In the late 1980s, the Detroit Pistons prevented Michael Jordan and the Bulls from capturing NBA titles, that is until the ’90s when Chicago won six titles in eight seasons.
Before the Texas Rangers snapped their playoff drought in 2010, going 11 years since making their last appearance, the three previous times the Rangers had short stints in the postseason. Three times in four years (1996, 1998 and 1999), Texas met the Yankees in the divisional series and lost all three times. It was only fitting that for the Rangers to get to the World Series, they would have to go through the Yankees, which they did in 2010 and have made it to two consecutive Fall Classics.
Before the Colts finally broke through to win the Vince Lombardi trophy in 2007, the Patriots certainly had their number beating them twice in the postseason (2003 AFC championship game and 2004 division playoff game). That is until Indianapolis outlasted New England in the 2006 AFC title game in Indianapolis and eventually won the Super Bowl.
For the Bearkats, it’s pretty easy to point out which team is their Pistons, Yankees or Patriots — Montana.
Of course, Montana.
“This isn’t a surprise,” said Sam Houston offensive lineman Riley Smith, who played high school football in Huntsville and knows SHSU’s history against Montana as good as any of the Bearkats. “When we first saw the lineup for the playoffs, we kind of expected to go through Montana State and Montana.”
The last two times Sam Houston has advanced to the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs in 2001 and ’04, when it was referred to as the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs, the Bearkats’ dream seasons came to an end at the hands of the Grizzlies.
In ’01, Sam Houston was sent home following a 49-24 loss in the quarterfinals.
Back in the playoffs for the first time in three years, the Bearkats were rolling following a 54-24 trouncing over Western Kentucky and coming back from a 20-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat Eastern Washington 35-34 in 2004. Advancing as far as they’ve ever gone before, the Kats were denied once again in the national semifinals 34-13.
Seven years later, the Kats are one win away from reaching the FCS national championship game and, of course, Montana is standing in the way.
“I think that’s how you want it as an athlete,” junior linebacker Darius Taylor said. “To be the best, we figure we’ve got to beat the best and play the best. We’re just accepting this challenge and we’re glad we’ve got a home game and they’ve got to come all the way down here.
“We’re going to try to get the crowd live and keep it loud to get them off their game and try to distract them a little bit with the crowd noise for a home-field advantage.”
In both playoff games against Montana, the Bearkats had to go on the road and take the field in front of a hostile crowd at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula, Mont.
This time the Bearkats have the opportunity to make things difficult for the Grizzlies as today’s semifinal will be played in the friendly confines of Bowers Stadium.
“It’s exciting because I’ve been here for a long time and my dad was at the 2004 game in Montana, so now we get a chance to have a little revenge,” Smith said. “I know a lot of those older Bearkats and a lot of them are calling me, saying, ‘Hey, we owe them, so let’s go.’”
While the Bearkats aim at paying Montana back the favor of disappointment, the Grizzlies, who missed the playoffs last season, have plenty of history on their side and are looking to play in their sixth national championship game in the past 12 years.
Montana played for the ultimate prize in 2000, ’01, ’04, ’08 and ’09, winning the Division I-AA national championship in 2001.
Even though the Grizzlies have been one of the most dominant, consistent teams at this level, the Bearkats aren’t letting themselves be intimidated by Montana’s past successes.
“It’s more of a past thing. This is a new team. This is our new team and this is their new team. We’ve just got to come out and play them,” Taylor said. “They’re coming from Montana and we’re from Texas, I don’t think they’re respecting us as much as they should. It’s all going to be settled on the field Friday night.”
Preparing for their first semifinal playoff game in seven years, the Bearkats continue to remain loose and focused on their goals.
“I feel like we’re in our groove,” Smith added. “Last week, I think we showed ourselves and everyone else that we’re in our groove. When our offense is in our groove, no one can stop us and when our defense is in our groove, no one runs on us.
“Everybody’s ready for Friday night. We’re anxious, but not nervous.”
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