Sam Houston State sees FCS showdown with Montana as gauge to program's success
By RONNIE TURNER, FOR THE Chronicle
Published 11:25 p.m., Thursday, December 15, 2011
HUNTSVILLE - Sam Houston State's quest for a national championship continues Friday night when it plays Montana in the Football Championship Subdivision semifinals at Bowers Stadium.
But to reach the pinnacle, the top-seeded Bearkats (13-0) will have to get past a program that has been among the best in the FCS for two decades.
The fourth-seeded Grizzlies (11-2) are making their 11th appearance in the FCS semifinals; Sam Houston State is playing in only its second semifinal - the first was a loss to Montana in 2004. The Grizzlies have made 18 trips to the playoffs in the last 19 years, while the Bearkats have only five postseason appearances.
Montana has had 26 consecutive winning seasons. Sam Houston State had back-to-back losing seasons before coach Willie Fritz replaced Todd Whitten at the helm in 2010. The Grizzlies have played in the national title game seven times, winning championships in 1995 and 2001. The Bearkats are in search of their first national title-game berth.
Friday's game offers Sam Houston State another shot at reaching the national championship game and its strongest challenge to date.
"It signifies where we need to be as a program and where coach Fritz anticipated this program being," senior center Travis Watson said. "We're on our way up.
"(Montana) is a premier program in the FCS. Every year, they're always in the playoffs and always pretty deep. … They're a great team, and they've made it this far for a reason. They're sound in what they do, and they don't make a lot of mistakes. It's going to be a great challenge."
The teams are evenly matched. The Bearkats lead the FCS in scoring (39.8 points per game) and are sixth in rushing offense (258.5 yards per game). They also are tops in rushing defense (67.4 ypg), second in total defense (275.7 ypg) and second in scoring defense (13.8 ppg).
The Grizzlies aren't far behind in those categories, coming in 15th in scoring (34.3 ppg), 14th in rushing offense (219.2 ypg), 13th in scoring defense (19.1 ppg), 18th in rushing defense (117.6 ypg) and 19th in total defense (314.2 ypg).
Sam Houston State's offense is more slanted toward the run with its version of the read option. Montana is more balanced between the run and the pass.
Montana State coach Rob Ash, whose squad lost to both teams this season, can't decide which team is better.
"They're built differently," Ash said after his team's 49-13 loss to the Bearkats in Saturday's quarterfinal matchup. "Montana's very big and strong … and Sam Houston State's strong also but very quick. I think it'll be a fantastic football game."
The Bearkats have made great strides in just two seasons under Fritz. Before his arrival, they went 25-28 under Whitten from 2005-09 and didn't reach the postseason. In the two years since, Sam Houston State is 19-5 and has matched the program's deepest run into the playoffs since its last appearance in 2004.
A victory Friday night would go a long way toward helping the Bearkats become more like their opponent.
"One of the things I talk to our guys about is us building a football program," Fritz said. "That means a program that's strong year after year after year like Montana's done."
ronnie.turner@chron.com
When/where: 7 p.m.; Bowers Stadium.
TV: ESPN.
Records: Montana 11-2; Sam Houston State 13-0.
Series: Montana leads 3-1.
Last meeting: Montana won 34-13 in 2004 at Missoula, Mont.
Story line: Sam Houston State so far has lived up to the expectations of being the No. 1 seed in the FCS playoffs. A win over Montana would send the Bearkats to their first national title game and move them a step closer to being the best program in the FCS.
By the numbers: Sam Houston State has won 15 consecutive games dating to the 2010 season; Montana is on a nine-game winning streak. … The Bearkats are 8-0 at home this season. … Montana is 7-3 all-time in the national semifinals.
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