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Nov. 22, 2013
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Cat-Griz nearly as old as football itself Montana and Montana State will meet for the 113th time Saturday in Bozeman George Ferguson Havre Daily News sports editor gferguson@havredailynews.com On Saturday afternoon, the Montana State University Bobcats and Montana Grizzlies will meet on the football field inside Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman. It happens every year, and every year the game seems to get bigger and bigger, and take on more meaning. This year’s Brawl of the Wild will be no different. The No. 13 Bobcats are fighting for their playoff lives after back-to-back losses, while the No. 5 Griz, with a win, could gain a top seed in the FCS playoffs, and truly have a chance to put last year’s losing season to bed forever. However, as great as Saturday’s game is shaping up to be, it’s also the 113th time the Cats and Griz will have met on the gridiron, and with a rivalry that old, there are so many magical moments, it will be hard for the lat-
est game to top many of them. Yes, the 31st oldest rivalry in college football has provided the state of Montana with a treasure trove of memories, of great games, of legendary players and some amazing moments. And the 20,000-plus fans that will pack Bobcat Stadium on Saturday, as well as the hundreds of thousands of viewers who will watch nation, and worldwide, can only up, the 113th meeting lives up to the high standard the rivalry has set over the years.
Montana State 27, Montana 20 – 2003, Bozeman
Nov. 22, 2013
No. 13 Montana State Bobcats
No. 5 Montana Grizzlies
7-4, 5-2
9-2, 5-2
def. Monmouth 42-24 lost to SMU 31-30 def. CSU Mesa 26-0 lost to S.F. Austin 52-38 def. North Dakota 63-20 def. Northern Arizona 36-7 def. Weber State 34-16 def. UC Davis 34-17 def. Northern Colorado 35-28 lost to Eastern Washington 54-29 lost to Southern Utah 22-14 MSU Offense
Two costly mistakes doom Montana in a game where the Griz dominate almost all of the statistics. Montana State’s Corey Smith returns the opening kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown, and safety Kenneth Qualls intercepts a Craig Ochs pass and races 54 yards for a score to give the Cats a 13-10 halftime lead.
Cats average 35 points per game, 190 yards rushing/240 yards passing. MSU converts 44 percent of its third downs. MSU scores touchdowns on 87 percent of its redzone opportunities. MSU is third in the Big Sky with a +8 turnover margin. MSU averages 45 yards per game in penalties.
■ See History Page 12
Montana Grizzlies at Montana State Bobcats Montana State University Location: Bozeman Nickname: Bobcats Colors: Blue/Gold Enrollment: 15,924 2013 record: 7-4 (5-2)
2012 record: 10-3 (7-1) Head coach: Rob Ash (57-19) Stadium: Bobcat Stadium Streak: The Bobcats beat the Grizzlies 16-7 in 2012 and have won two straight times in Missoula. They bring a two-game losing streak into Saturday's game in Bozeman
Saturday, November 23, 2013 Bobcat Stadium ~ 12:07 pm University of Montana Location: Missoula Nickname: Grizzlies Colors: Maroon/Silver Enrollment: 14,964 2013 record: 9-2 (5-2)
2012 record: 5-6 (3-5) Head coach: Mick Delaney (14-8) Stadium: WashingtonGrizzly Stadium Streak: The Griz have won three straight meetings in Bozeman. They also bring a three-game winning streak into Saturday's contest.
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2013 Cat-Griz By the Numbers 8/29 9/7 9/14 9/21 9/28 10/5 10/19 10/26 11/2 11/9 11/16
Hereʼs a historic look at the last 10 meetings between UM and MSU, of which the Griz hold a 6-4 edge.
AP Photo Photo right: Montana State players celebrate with the Divide Trophy after winning last year's Brawl of the Wild, 16-7 in Missoula. Saturday's Cat-Griz game is the 113th meeting between the rivals.
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Star Watch: QB DeNarius McGhee averages 193 yards passing per game; RB Cody Kirk averages 95 yards per game and has 1,039 yards and 18 touchdowns. Kirk is the all-time TD leader in MSU history; RB Shawn Johnson gains 54 yards per game and has five TD’s; WR Tanner Bleskin averages 93 yards per game, has 909 yards on 59 receptions and three touchdowns; WR Brian Floetketter has 519 yards on 34 catches and three TD’s. WR Jon Ellis has 32 catches for 374 yards and a team-high five TD’s. Bleskin averages 15 yards per catch as does Floetketter. MSU Defense Cats allow 25 points per game, 151 rushing/222
passing. Montana State has five INT’s and a Big Sky best 28 sacks. MSU is +8 in turnover margin. Montana State stops opponents on third down 40 percent of the time. Star Watch: DE Brad Daly leads the FCS with 14 sacks. He also has 19.5 tackles for loss and 61 tackles; LB Alex Singleton has 100 tackles and 16.5 tackles for loss and a team-high three INT’s; LB Cole Moore has 63 tackles and two INT’s; LB Michael Foster has 63 tackles; S Steven Bethley has 60 tackles and one INT; C Deonte Flowers has 35 tackles and 13 pass breakups. MSU Special Teams Cats average a Big Sky best 26 yards on kickoff returns, but only 9.4 yards on punt returns; Cats convert 50 percent of their field goals and 87 percent of their PAT’s. Star Watch: Shawn Johnson has 668 yards on kick returns, including 100-yard and 98-yard TD’s. Johnson is fourth in the Big Sky with 1,630 all-purpose yards. K/P Rory Perez has made 7-of-14 field goals with a long of 48 yards. He averages 46 yards per punt.
8-31 9/14 9/21 9/28 10/5 10/12 10/19 10/26 11/2 11/9 11/16
def. Appalachian State 30-6 def. North Dakota 55-17 def. Panhandle State 47-14 lost to Northern Arizona 34-16 def. Portland State 55-27 def. UC Davis 42-7 def. Cal Poly 21-14 OT lost to Eastern Washington 42-37 def. Sacramento State 51-48 OT def. South Dakota 31-27 def. Weber State 42-6 UM Offense
Griz average 39 points per game, 193 yards rushing/259 yards passing; Griz convert 43 percent on third down; Griz score touchdowns 68 percent of the time in the redzone; UM is a Big Sky best +16 in turnover margin; UM averages a Big Sky best 39 yards per game in penalties. Star Watch: QB Jordan Johnson averages 250 yards passing per game, has thrown for 27 TD’s with just four INT’s. He completes 59 percent of his passes; RB Jordan Canada has rushed for 887 yards and a team-high 14 TD’s; RB Travon Van has rushed for 491 yards on 79 carries; WR Ellis Henderson has 882 yards on 35 catches with 14 TD’s. He averages
an FCS best 25 yards per catch; WR Jamaal Jones had 537 yards on 31 catches; WR Cam Warren has 428 yards on 32 catches: TE’s Clay Pierson and Jordan Harper have a combined eight TD’s on the season. UM Defense Griz allow 22 points per game, 134 yards rushing/248 yards passing; UM has a Big Sky best 16 INT’s and nine fumble recoveries to go along with 22 sacks; Griz stop opponents on third down 42 percent of the time. Star Watch: LB Brock Coyle has 99 tackles, nine TFL’s, two sacks and two INT’s; LB Jordan Tripp has 82 tackles, three INT’s, five forced fumbles and a field goal block; LB J.P. Kanongata’a has 78 tackles, four sacks and two INT’s; S Matt Hermanson has 83 tackles; DE Zack Wagenmann has 50 tackles, seven sacks and 15 TFL’s. UM Special Teams Griz average 22 yards per kickoff return and 11 yards per punt return; UM convert on 60 percent of its field goal tries. Star Watch: Ellis Henderson leads the Big Sky with a 13.1 yard per average on punt returns. He also has a 98-yard kickoff return for a TD, and is fifth in the Big Sky with 1,620 all-purpose yards. K Ben Worst leads the league in kicking, going a perfect 39-39 on PAT’s and 9-of-16 on field goals with a long of 51 yards. P Stephen Shawn averages 44 yards per punt.