By BILL SPELTZ of the Missoulian | Posted: Saturday, September 17, 2011 10:31 pm
What was hyped as a high-flying circus turned out to be a trip to the hardware store.
We packed into Washington-Grizzly Stadium in record numbers Saturday expecting to see pass-happy superlatives - the gridiron equivalent of Lady Gaga live. What we got was Merle Haggard, replete with run-oriented intentions on both sides.
But how sweet it must've felt to be a Montana Grizzly defender Saturday night. To know you took the reigning Division I football champions and their scary-good offense to the woodshed, holding Eastern Washington quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell's unit to one touchdown for the first time in 14 games.
Griz 17, Eagles 14. Suddenly those Big Sky Conference preseason polls that listed Eastern at No. 1 and Montana at No. 3 look like my backyard after a winter of special attention by my black lab.
Two years from now, I'll look back on Saturday and smile at the memory of Montana's goal-line stand late in the first half. It defined the afternoon. Eastern had three chances from three inches away and couldn't seal the deal.
Holding strong in that situation is as much about attitude as ability. It's about embracing an uphill climb and digging in. On Saturday it was also about boisterous fans stirring up so much noise the feeling of Griz pride was palpable.
Hey Timmy Hauck, we heard you were in the crowd Saturday. How'd you like that one?
"Your mindset is you have to beat the man in front of you," Griz defensive tackle Bryan Waldhauser said of Montana's stand. "You have to get that surge backwards, not forward. The mindset is to not give an inch."
As in second and inches: No gain.
Third and inches: No gain.
Fourth and inches: Mike McCord interception.
"When you play against a great defense, especially a defense with a lot of seniors like Montana's, you can't get away with much margin for error," asserted Eastern coach Beau Baldwin. "Even against Tennessee, you saw that on film, Montana's discipline and ability to keep offenses in check.
"I had a feeling we might be in a grinder of a game. When you're facing a team that has 10 seniors on defense, you're in a grinder of a game."
If Saturday's win in and of itself wasn't satisfying enough for you, permit me to offer a little icing on the cake.
Eastern had one last shot at victory when it took possession at its own 16-yard line with 58 seconds left. Two plays later its hopes were dashed when sophomore reserve linebacker John Kanongata'a picked off a tipped pass.
If the name sounds familiar, maybe it's because Kanongata'a originally committed to Montana State because the Griz were slow to offer a scholarship. Then the Washington native got a taste of playoff football inside Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
"He went to the (2009) Appalachian State game and he saw the crowd and environment and he switched allegiances, which is awesome obviously," Montana coach Robin Pflugrad said. "He has a big heart and plays with courage."
Sounds like he'll fit in quite nicely. And if things keep going the way they are, he too will get a shot to show what he can do in December.
Bill Speltz can be reached at 523-5255 orbill.speltz@lee.net.
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