Griz Game Day 091716

NO. 7 MONTANA • BYE WEEK • SATURDAY, SEPT. 17, 2016

SNAPPED

Aaron Held at the center of Griz special teams TOMMY MARTINO, Missoulian

Q&A: LB JOSH BUSS • PICKS: SPELTZ PICKS THE BIG SKY • STATS: LEAGUE LEADERS

! z i r G Go

E2 — Missoulian, Saturday, September 17, 2016

GRIZZLY GAME DAY | Q&A

Griz defense riding Buss to early success

J

NICK PUCKETT for the Missoulian

osh Buss is everywhere.

Ever since his huge sack against Saint Francis two weeks ago, fans, sportswriters and Twitterers alike have rattled their brains to coin the most clever Buss pun (He got hit by a Buss, the Buss stops here, Josh Buss-ted through the line) they could think of.

The Montana pass rusher earned his first career start this season as a redshirt sophomore, and is already making noise.

Against Northern Iowa last week, he and the Montana defense disrupted the read option multiple times and silenced quarterback Aaron Bailey for only 8 rushing yards.

What fans can’t see from the stands is Buss’ hairdo. The mohawk has become a source of pride for the linebacker and his teammates (depending on how into their looks they may be). Seeing as Buss and teammate Connor Strahm have reloaded Montana’s acclaimed defense, it looks like the mohawk is here to stay. After all, 16 total tackles, three for a loss, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble this early in the season speak for itself.

The Missoulian talked to Buss about his new starring role in coach Jason Semore’s defense, what he’ll be working on this bye week and his feelings toward AstroTurf.

And, of course, we had to know about the ‘do.

Q: How close are the linebackers?

A: We’re all pretty close. I hate (Connor) Strahm — just kidding (laughs). We’re all really close.

Group of younger guys, no seniors or anything. We kind of push each other. Strahm is one of the older guys in the group.

JOSH BUSS No. 42 Year: LB Positions: So. Height: 6-2 Weight: 204 Hometown: Boise, ID Q: What are you personally working on for this bye week?

TOMMY MARTINO, Missoulian

Montana’s Josh Buss (42) sacks UNI quarterback Aaron Bailey (15) last Saturday in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

A: We thought we were trying Q: Tell me about the mohawk man. You and Strahm both have to get the whole defense to do it, them. What’s the deal with that? maybe bring in a little swagger, but it didn’t happen. Some of the guys weren’t feeling it.

A: Before we did the video introductions, we were kind of Q: Why not? just messing around. We were going to shave our heads before, A: They were too worried kind of clean up. Strahm wanted about how they looked for all the girls or something, I don’t to do a mohawk and I was like, know (laughs).

“If you do it, I’ll do it.” So we both did it, and convinced some Q: Is it here to stay? of the other guys to do it.

A: I think so. I think we’ll keep it Q: How did you convince the going for the rest of the season. other guys to do it?

A: I really don’t know (laughs).

Dante (Olson) was the one who did it and I really didn’t think he would. So he did it, and we kind of got it going.

Q: Does it bring a swagger to your team a little bit?

plays. It’s been an awesome experience and I’m looking forward to the rest of the season.

Q: What’s working for you as a player?

A: I’m not a super heavy guy, or a super huge dude, so I try to use my speed as much as I can, whether it’s pass rushing or closing to the ball or something like that.

Q: How many hours a week do you spend game planning?

Q: After lighting it up two weeks A: I don’t even know what to guess. A lot. These next two in a row, how does it feel being weeks, we have this bye week in the spotlight? and next week to prepare so that’ll be really good. Film on A: It’s been fun, really a great our own, with coaches, as a two weeks. It’s really about the defense, total, going over the team doing everything. It’s not just one person. Everyone’s doing scouting reports, it pays off their jobs, executing and making on Saturdays.

A: Personally, just getting the mental side down of Cal Poly’s triple option. Body feels really good after that game; I’m real happy about that especially with that turf. Body feels really good. It’s more just the mental side of it, getting the game plan down so we can go into next Saturday and always know what we’re doing — fly around and make plays.

Q: How was the AstroTurf to play on?

A: It was interesting. It was hard and not very forgiving.

Q: How was it not forgiving?

A: Every time you’re under a pile — I’m not a big guy — but you get under a big pile, it’s like laying on concrete. You dive or something and you bounce right off of it. Turf burns everywhere (motions to his arms).

But for the most part, equipment staff provided us with the AstroTurf cleats. I prefer our turf, I guess.

Missoulian, Saturday, September 17, 2016 — E3

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E4 — Missoulian, Saturday, September 17, 2016

GRIZZLY GAME DAY | CONFERENCE CAPSULES

AROUND THE BIG SKY Western Oregon at Montana State

Saturday, 2 p.m.

Bozeman Bobcat Stadium (17,777 FieldTurf) Cowles Media Series History: This is the first meeting between the two teams.

The Coaches: Montana State coach Jeff Choate is 1-1, in his first season with the Bobcats.

Western Oregon coach Arne Ferguson is 73-48, in his twelfth season.

Notes: Western Oregon’s mascot is the Wolves, and they play in the Division-II Great Northwest Athletic Conference...

Western Oregon had a 41-20 loss to Central Washington in week two... Western Oregon defeated Big Sky member Sacramento State in week one, 38-30... The Wolves rushed for 152 yards against the Hornets, and had two interceptions... Western Oregon had four sacks in the win over Sac State... Former New York Giants tight end Kevin Boss is an alumnus of Western Oregon.

Boss played on the Giants’ Super Bowl XLII winning team... Montana State forced five turnovers in a 27-24 win over the Northeast Conference’s Bryant... The Bobcats’ offense produced only 265 yards of offense in the home opener... MSU quarterback Tyler Bruggman threw two touchdowns in his home debut... Montana State leads the nation in interceptions, as the Bobcats have earned four interceptions this season... Bobcats defensive back John Walker had two interceptions in the home win over Bryant.

UC Davis at Wyoming

Idaho State at Oregon State

AP photo

Montana State kicker and former Missoula Sentinel standout Gabe Peppenger kicks an extra point against Bryant in Bozeman. against FBS opponents in 2016, after a 53-28 loss to Oregon in the opening week of the season...

UC Davis’ rushing defense ranks last in the Big Sky Conference, surrendering 349.5 yards per game... Aggies quarterback Ben Scott passed for 381 yards and four touchdowns in a 52-35 win over Southern Oregon... UC Davis running back Manusamoa Luuga has rushed for multiple touchdowns in both games this season... This will be the Aggies’ second FBS game of the season...

UC Davis receiver Ramon Vargas caught six passes for 208 yards.

Northern Colorado at Colorado State

Saturday, 2 p.m.

Fort Collins, Colorado Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium (32,500 FieldTurf) ROOT SPORTS Rocky Mountain Series History: Colorado State leads the alltime series, 17-1.

Last Meeting: Colorado State beat the Bears in the last matchup, 33-14, in 2011.

The Coaches: Northern Colorado coach Earnest Collins is 17-41, in his fifth season with the Bears. Colorado State coach Mike Bobo is 8-7, in his second season with the

Rams.

Notes: Colorado State’s mascot is the Rams, and they play in the Mountain West Conference...

Notable alumni of Colorado State University include Academy Award-winning actor Keith Carradine, San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon, Idaho basketball coach Don Verlin, and former NBA coach Mike Montgomery...

Notable members of the Big Sky football fraternity have gone on to success in Fort Collins, with former MSU coach Sonny Lubick coaching for the Rams from 1993-2007, and former EWU quarterback Jim McElwain coached the Rams

Saturday, 3 p.m. (MT) Corvallis, Oregon Reser Stadium (45,674 FieldTurf) PAC-12 Network Series History: Oregon State leads the all-time series, 1-0.

Last Meeting: Oregon State beat the Bengals in 2007, 61-10.

The Coaches: Idaho State coach Mike Kramer is 94-117, in his 20th season as a head coach. Oregon State coach Gary Andersen is 51-49 in his ninth season, and is 2-11 in his second season in Corvallis.

Notes: Oregon State’s mascot is the Beavers, and they play in the Pac-12 Conference...

Beavers coach Gary Andersen has ties to the Big Sky Conference, coaching at Idaho State from 1993-94, and Northern Arizona from 1995-96...

Andersen also was the head coach at Southern Utah, in 2003... Notable alumni of Oregon State University include former NBA guard Gary Payton, chemist Linus Pauling, and MLB star Jacoby Ellsbury... Idaho State is winless against FBS opponents in the Kramer era, and hasn’t won an FBS game since 2000, when the Bengals defeated Utah State, 27-24... Oregon State fell to Minnesota, 23-20, in week one of the season...

Idaho State trailed 49-0 at halftime, but matched Colorado in the second half, 7-7... The Bengals had only 96 yards of offense in their week two loss to Colorado.

See CAPSULES, Page E6

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Saturday, 2 p.m.

Laramie, Wyoming War Memorial Stadium (29,181 FieldTurf) Mountain West Network Series History: This is the first meeting between the two teams.

The Coaches: UC Davis coach Ron Gould is 10-26, in his fourth season with the Aggies.

Wyoming coach Craig Bohl is 7-19, in his third season with the Cowboys.

Notes: Wyoming’s mascot is the Cowboys, and they play in the Mountain West Conference...

Wyoming coach Craig Bohl previously coached at FCS North Dakota State, where he won three consecutive FCS national championships (2011, 2012, 2013)... Notable alumni of Wyoming include former Los Angeles Lakers owner Jerry Buss, sportscaster Curt Gowdy, former NFL tight end Jay Novacek, and Big Sky Conference Deputy Commissioner Ron Loghry... UC Davis is 0-1

from 2012-14... Northern Colorado quarterback Kyle Sloter threw for 408 yards and six touchdowns... Sloter is this week’s ROOT SPORTS Offensive Player of the Week... Northern Colorado is attempting to go 3-0 for the first time in the Division-I era.

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E6 — Missoulian, Saturday, September 17, 2016

GRIZZLY GAME DAY | FROM PAGE E4

Capsules Continued

South Dakota at North Dakota

Saturday, 3 p.m. (MT) Grand Forks, North Dakota Alerus Center (12,283 Field Turf) Midco Sports Network/WatchBigSky Series History: North Dakota leads the all-time series, 60-29-5.

Last Meeting: North Dakota defeated South Dakota in a Great West Conference game in 2011, 38-37.

The Coaches: North Dakota coach Bubba Schweigert is 12-13, in his third season with the Fighting Hawks.

South Dakota coach Bob Nielsen is 1-1, in his first season with the Coyotes.

Notes: South Dakota is a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference, and their mascot is the Coyotes... South Dakota and North Dakota were both charter members of the Division-II North Central Conference... Both institutions were also members in the Great West Conference...

Notable alumni of South Dakota include longtime NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw, former Montana coach Joe Glenn, and former sports journalist Pat O’Brien... This is the second consecutive week of Big Sky competition for South Dakota... The Coyotes earned a 52-49 double-overtime victory over Weber State in week two. South Dakota trailed by 21 points twice in the game, outscoring the Wildcats 21-0 in the fourth quarter to force extra time.

Portland State at Washington

Saturday, 4 p.m. (MT) Seattle, Washington Husky Stadium (70,083 FieldTurf) PAC-12 Network Series History: Washington leads the all-time series, 1-0.

Last Meeting: Washington won the last matchup, 52-13, in 2012.

The Coaches: Portland State coach Bruce Barnum is 10-5, in his second season with the Vikings. Washington coach Chris Petersen is 17-12, in his third season with the Huskies.

Notes: Washington is a member of the Pac-12 Conference, and their mascot is the Huskies... Portland State was 1-0 against Pac-12 Conference teams in 2015, after a season-opening win over Washington State... Notable alumni of Washington include NCAA president Mark Emmert, multiple members of the Nordstrom family, NBA star Detlef Schrempf, actor Patrick Duffy, and saxophonist Kenny G...

Washington is 2-0 on the season, and defeated Idaho, 59-14, in week two of the season... The Huskies are a consensus top-10 team in the AP

South Dakota’s Riley Donovan catches a touchdown behind Weber State’s Arnold Lopez last week in Vermillion, S.D. and Coaches’ Polls, coming in at No. 8 in the AP Poll, and No. 9 in the Coaches’ Poll... Portland State fell to San Jose State, 66-35... In the loss to the Spartans, Portland State gave up the most points since a 69-loss to Oregon in 2010... This is the second of three consecutive weeks the Vikings will be on the road... The Vikings have five sacks in 2016.

Cal Poly at South Dakota State Saturday, 5 p.m. (MT) Brookings, South Dakota Dana J. Dyckhouse Stadium (19,340 Turf) Midco Sports Network/ESPN 3

Series History: Cal Poly leads the all-time series, 5-3.

Last Meeting: South Dakota State defeated Cal Poly in 2014, 44-18.

Kori Garcia rushed for 86 yards and a touchdown.

The Coaches: Cal Poly coach Tim Walsh is 92-79, in his eighth season with the Mustangs. South Dakota State coach John Steigelmeier is 129-91, in his 20th season with SDSU. Notes: South Dakota State’s mascot is the

AP Photo

Jackrabbits, and they are a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference... Cal Poly and South Dakota State were both members of the Great West Conference, from 2004-07... Notable alumni of South Dakota State include former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, NFL kicker Adam Vinatieri, and NFL Hall-of-Famer Jim Langer... South Dakota State nearly upset Big 12 TCU in week one, before falling 59-41... South Dakota State fell to Montana in the opening round of the 2015 FCS playoffs, 24-17... Cal Poly had 484 yards of offense in a 38-16 win over San Diego... The Big Sky went 1-3 against the Missouri Valley in week two of the season, with two of the games being decided in overtime... Cal Poly quarterback Dano Graves threw for 130 yards, and rushed for 98.

Missoulian, Saturday, September 17, 2016 — E7

GRIZZLY GAME DAY | AROUND THE BIG SKY

TIFFANY RUSHING, Waterloo Courier

Eastern Washington quarterback Jordan West (5) tries to get away from Northern Iowa’s Adam Reth during the team’s game last year in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The teams play again Saturday in Cheney, Washington.

New Mexico Highlands at Northern Arizona

Saturday, 5 p.m. (MT) Flagstaff, Arizona Walkup Skydome (10,000 Field Turf) FOX Sports Arizona/WatchBigSky Series History: Northern Arizona leads the all-time series, 17-5-2.

Last Meeting: Northern Arizona earned a 41-5 win over the Cowboys. Case Cookus threw for 296 yards and three touchdowns. Emmanuel Butler also had a touchdown catch.

The Coaches: Northern Arizona coach Jerome Souers is 107-99, in his 19th season with the Lumberjacks. New Mexico Highlands coach Jeff Mills is 2-11, in his second season.

Notes: New Mexico Highlands is a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, and their mascot is the Cowboys... Notable alumni of New Mexico Highlands include former NBA player Bill Dinwiddie, and WWE wrestler Eddie Guerrero...

NAU quarterback Case Cookus is the reigning FCS Freshman of the Year... Northern Arizona is coming off a 34-20 loss to Western Illinois... The Lumberjacks surrendered 539 yards of offense to the Lumberjacks, including 336 passing yards...

New Mexico Highlands is 0-2 on the season, falling to Dixie State and Colorado School of Mines...

This game will be Northern Arizona’s Hall-of-Fame game...

Northern Arizona has two receivers that have games of above 100 receiving yds.

Northern Iowa at Eastern Washington

Saturday, 5 p.m. (MT) Cheney, Washington Roos Field (8,600 Red SprinTurf) SWX/WatchBigSky Series History: Northern Iowa leads the all-time series, 6-0.

Last Meeting: Northern Iowa picked up a 38-35 win over the Eagles in 2015. Cooper Kupp had 179 yards and two receiving touchdowns.

The Coaches: Eastern Washington coach Beau Baldwin is 74-31, in his ninth season with the Eagles. Northern Iowa coach Mark Farley is 130-62, in his 16th season with the Panthers.

Notes: Northern Iowa is a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference, and their mascot is the Panthers... Northern Iowa opened the season with a 25-20 win over Big 12-Iowa

State... Eastern Washington receiver Cooper Kupp had two touchdown grabs in a 50-44 overtime loss at North Dakota State, giving him 61 career touchdowns... Kupp is the all-time leader in Division I football for touchdowns scored... Notable alumni of Northern Iowa include former NFL quarterback Kurt Warner, North Dakota State coach Chris Klieman, and television personality Mark Steines... Northern Iowa was defeated at home by Montana, 20-14, in week two... Eastern Washington went 1-0 in home non-conference games in 2015...

EWU quarterback Gage Gubrud threw for 450 yards.

Sacramento State at Weber State

Saturday, 6 p.m.

Ogden, Utah Stewart Stadium (17,500 Synthetic Turf) KJZZ/WatchBigSky.com Series History: Weber State leads the all-time series, 11-8.

Last Meeting: The Wildcats captured a 32-14

victory, in 2015. Jadrian Clark threw for 246 yards, and a touchdown for WSU. SAC’s Jordan Robinson rushed for 106 yards.

The Coaches: Sacramento State coach Jody Sears is 12-35 all-time, and is in his third season with the Hornets.

Weber State coach Jay Hill is 8-17, in his third season with the Wildcats.

Notes: Sacramento State coach Jody Sears was the head coach at Weber State, from 2012-13, compiling a 4-19 record... Weber State coach Jay Hill is 1-1 against Sacramento State, with a loss in 2014, and the 2015 win... Notable alumni of Sacramento State include actor Tom Hanks and NBC News anchor Lester Holt... Notable alumni of Weber State include NBA star Damian Lillard and hotel magnate J. Willard Marriott... Weber State held a 42-21 lead in the fourth quarter, before falling in double-overtime on the road... Weber State leads the Big Sky Conference in pass defense, allowing just 140.5 yards per game... The Wildcats are last in the Big Sky Conference in scoring defense, surrendering 48.5 points per game.

E8 — Missoulian, Saturday, September 17, 2016

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first-to-practice reliability and on-field performance have carried him from a middling high school team in Sacramento, California to a walk-on shot with the Grizzlies and then a AJ MAZZOLINI scholarship position and ajmazzolini@missoulian.com four-year gig as UM’s long The padding around the snapper of choice.

“He isn’t even close to 13-yard line along the west the most talented football sideline of WashingtonGrizzly Stadium has taken player we’ve had,” began Adam Neinking, Held’s a beating since Aaron high school coach at El Held joined the Montana Camino Fundamental, football program. “but his work ethic and Held is among the desire and his intrinsic first few players on the motivation to be the best field every day before at what he does — it kinda Griz practice. Each day goes to show that if you he trots to the same spot want it bad enough and are in the shadow of the willing to put in the work, north end zone. First he you can achieve anything.” stretches, then he plants And Held has never his feet on each side been one to shy away of the 13 hash mark. A from work. dozen paces out from the stands toward the center The first few years of the field, he crouches of organized football, be over a football. With his it flag or tackle, there’s head tucked between his not much differentiating knees, Held fires a tight players by size. There’s spiral backward. no weight-lifting among He punishes the advertisement painted on 10-year-olds and puberty has yet to separate the the silver pads with swift future athletes from those snaps that echo through the northwest quadrant of less blessed.

It was in this environthe empty stadium. The “O” in “Providence Health ment that Aaron Held got his first taste of snapping. & Services” makes for a He played center on his perfect target. youth team, learning For years now Held has lived the same routine. His the difference between a

Missoulian, Saturday, September 17, 2016 — E9

Prosuodr of Spon idz GrizK

“It’s pretty much like being a quarterback — except you’re upside down and backwards.”

– Aaron Held, Griz long snapper shotgun snap and one to a quarterback under center.

He couldn’t stay there for long as those around him hit their growth spurts, adding inches vertically and pounds horizontally. With the El Camino Eagles he became a wide receiver, but he never forgot his roots.

When the Eagles graduated their long snapper and held open tryouts for the position, the player who hikes the ball on field goal and punt formations, Held impressed his coaches. He had the strength to fling the football the distances they needed and enough accuracy to be dependable doing so.

And El Camino relied on him a lot in the next few seasons.

“I was one of the more athletic people on my team, but that’s because my team was awful,” said Held, now a fifth-year senior at Montana. “I shouldn’t say awful. We had a winning record, but barely. We punted a lot, so I got a lot of punt snap experience.”

Held began to realize he had a football future if he honed his craft, this tiny if invaluable detail in the midst of a giant roaring football machine.

He spent his summers at camps getting better — he attended the Rubio Long Snapping Camp and Kohl’s Football Kicking Camps — and soon earned

national rankings.

The exposure brought in interest from major FBS schools like Washington and Colorado State. He could come and try out during fall camp, they offered, but a walk-on spot with Montana felt more secure.

Held redshirted his first year at Montana in 2012, but he’s played in each of the 40 games since across three seasons and change. All that despite being just 6 feet, 1 inch and 190 pounds.

Based on games started, no other Grizzly comes close to his 40, though Held knows that number doesn’t tell the full story.

Most every player has him covered on total snaps, considering he plays just a handful each game, but the 21-year-old has seen every up and down of Montana’s last five years.

“He’s been in a lot of battles,” said Travis Niekamp, Montana’s firstyear linebackers coach and special teams coordinator.

“Nothing really fazes him and that’s a good calming effect for not just the other long snappers, setting a precedent, but also with the kickers and the punters.”

They know the ball will be delivered on time and with precision. Held has spent the better part of a decade at this point

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CENTER: Montana long snapper Aaron Held practices snapping before the game against UNI last Saturday.

TOMMY MARTINO, Missoulian

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E10 — Missoulian, Saturday, September 17, 2016

GRIZZLY GAME DAY | STAT PACK

BY THE NUMBERS TEAM STATISTICS

SCORING OFFENSE G TD XP 2XP DXP FG Saf Pts Avg N. Colo.

2 16 15 0 0 0 0 111 55.5 E. Washington 2 12 11 0 0 2 0 89 44.5 UC Davis 2 11 11 0 0 1 0 80 40.0 Portland St. 2 11 10 1 0 0 0 78 39.0 Cal Poly 2 8 8 0 0 3 0 65 32.5 Montana 2 7 7 0 0 4 0 61 30.5 Weber 2 8 7 0 0 0 0 55 27.5 Idaho St. 2 7 7 0 0 1 1 54 27.0 Montana St. 2 6 5 0 0 1 0 44 22.0 N. Dakota 2 4 3 0 0 2 1 35 17.5 Sac State 2 4 1 1 0 2 0 33 16.5 NAU 2 4 3 0 0 2 0 33 16.5 S. Utah 2 4 4 0 0 0 0 28 14.0 RUSHING OFFENSE G Att Yds Avg TD Yds/G Cal Poly 2 131 737 5.6 6 368.5 N. Colo.

2 88 529 6.0 8 264.5 Portland St. 2 90 488 5.4 7 244.0 S. Utah 2 86 331 3.8 1 165.5 UC Davis 2 64 315 4.9 7 157.5 Weber 2 75 268 3.6 3 134.0 Montana 2 78 255 3.3 2 127.5 Montana St. 2 73 244 3.3 3 122.0 N. Dakota 2 79 227 2.9 2 113.5 E. Washington 2 59 216 3.7 3 108.0 Idaho St. 2 55 200 3.6 4 100.0 Sac State 2 69 191 2.8 1 95.5 NAU 2 64 181 2.8 0 90.5 SCORING DEFENSE G TD XP 2XP DXP FG Saf Pts Avg N. Dakota 2 6 4 0 0 0 0 40 20.0 Montana St. 2 5 5 0 0 3 0 44 22.0 Montana 2 6 6 0 0 1 0 45 22.5 Cal Poly 2 6 4 0 0 2 0 46 23.0 S. Utah 2 6 5 0 0 2 0 47 23.5 Idaho St. 2 8 8 0 0 1 0 59 29.5 Sac State 2 9 9 0 0 2 0 69 34.5 NAU 2 9 7 1 0 5 0 78 39.0 N. Colo.

2 10 10 0 0 3 0 79 39.5 UC Davis 2 12 7 3 0 1 0 88 44.0 Portland St. 2 13 11 0 0 1 0 92 46.0 E. Washington 2 13 11 0 0 1 0 92 46.0 Weber 2 13 13 0 0 2 0 97 48.5 RUSHING DEFENSE G Rushes Yards Avg. TD Yds/G N. Dakota 2 67 152 2.3 2 76.0 Montana 2 77 226 2.9 2 113.0 Idaho St. 2 80 240 3.0 4 120.0 S. Utah 2 69 274 4.0 2 137.0 N. Colo.

2 74 296 4.0 7 148.0 Cal Poly 2 62 299 4.8 2 149.5 Montana St. 2 66 309 4.7 3 154.5 Sac State 2 84 352 4.2 3 176.0 E. Washington 2 72 377 5.2 6 188.5 UC Davis 2 76 476 6.3 6 238.0 NAU 2 89 479 5.4 7 239.5 Portland St. 2 94 533 5.7 7 266.5 Weber 2 110 738 6.7 8 369.0 PASS OFFENSE G Att Cmp Int Pct. Yds Avg TD Yds/G E. Washington 2 82 61 4 74.4 946 11.5 9 473.0 UC Davis 2 78 50 1 64.1 694 8.9 4 347.0 NAU 2 67 50 0 74.6 669 10.0 4 334.5 N. Colo.

2 53 37 2 69.8 619 11.7 8 309.5 Portland St. 2 50 28 3 56.0 478 9.6 4 239.0 Montana 2 73 42 2 57.5 471 6.5 4 235.5 Sac State 2 83 43 4 51.8 459 5.5 3 229.5 Idaho St. 2 81 45 1 55.6 439 5.4 3 219.5 Weber 2 61 37 3 60.7 350 5.7 3 175.0 N. Dakota 2 61 34 0 55.7 333 5.5 1 166.5 Montana St. 2 65 34 1 52.3 321 4.9 3 160.5 S. Utah 2 48 25 1 52.1 264 5.5 3 132.0 Cal Poly 2 21 10 0 47.6 192 9.1 2 96.0 TOTAL OFFENSE G Rush Pass Plays Yards Avg/P TD Yds/G E. Washington 2 216 946 141 1162 8.2 12 581.0 N. Colo.

2 529 619 141 1148 8.1 16 574.0 UC Davis 2 315 694 142 1009 7.1 11 504.5 Portland St. 2 488 478 140 966 6.9 11 483.0 Cal Poly 2 737 192 152 929 6.1 8 464.5 NAU 2 181 669 131 850 6.5 4 425.0 Montana 2 255 471 151 726 4.8 6 363.0 Sac State 2 191 459 152 650 4.3 4 325.0

Idaho St. Weber S. Utah Montana St. N. Dakota

2 2 2 2 2

200 439 136 639 4.7 7 319.5 268 350 136 618 4.5 6 309.0 331 264 134 595 4.4 4 297.5 244 321 138 565 4.1 6 282.5 227 333 140 560 4.0 3 280.0 PASS DEFENSE G Att Cmp Int Pct. Yds Avg TD Yds/G Weber 2 57 34 1 59.6 281 4.9 5 140.5 Cal Poly 2 50 32 0 64.0 316 6.3 4 158.0 Montana 2 63 29 1 46.0 378 6.0 3 189.0 Sac State 2 67 37 1 55.2 463 6.9 5 231.5 N. Dakota 2 73 40 3 54.8 486 6.7 3 243.0 Montana St. 2 66 34 4 51.5 496 7.5 2 248.0 NAU 2 58 42 1 72.4 516 8.9 2 258.0 Portland St. 2 58 33 0 56.9 554 9.6 6 277.0 S. Utah 2 70 41 2 58.6 573 8.2 4 286.5 Idaho St. 2 75 43 2 57.3 590 7.9 4 295.0 N. Colo.

2 90 57 0 63.3 673 7.5 3 336.5 E. Washington 2 79 58 1 73.4 675 8.5 6 337.5 UC Davis 2 81 46 4 56.8 699 8.6 6 349.5 TOTAL DEFENSE G Rush Pass Plys Yards Avg TD Yds/G Montana 2 226 378 140 604 4.3 5 302.0 Cal Poly 2 299 316 112 615 5.5 6 307.5 N. Dakota 2 152 486 140 638 4.6 5 319.0 Montana St. 2 309 496 132 805 6.1 5 402.5 Sac State 2 352 463 151 815 5.4 8 407.5 Idaho St. 2 240 590 155 830 5.4 8 415.0 S. Utah 2 274 573 139 847 6.1 6 423.5 N. Colo.

2 296 673 164 969 5.9 10 484.5 NAU 2 479 516 147 995 6.8 9 497.5 Weber 2 738 281 167 1019 6.1 13 509.5 E. Washington 2 377 675 151 1052 7.0 12 526.0 Portland St. 2 533 554 152 1087 7.2 13 543.5 UC Davis 2 476 699 157 1175 7.5 12 587.5 TURNOVER MARGIN Gained Lost G Fum Int Tot Fum Int Tot Mar Per/G UC Davis 2 3 4 7 0 1 1 +6 3.00 Montana St. 2 3 4 7 0 1 1 +6 3.00 N. Dakota 2 2 3 5 2 0 2 +3 1.50 NAU 2 1 1 2 0 0 0 +2 1.00 S. Utah 2 1 2 3 1 1 2 +1 0.50 Weber 2 2 1 3 0 3 3 +0 0.00 Idaho St. 2 2 2 4 3 1 4 +0 0.00 Montana 2 2 1 3 2 2 4 -1 -0.50 Cal Poly 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 -1 -0.50 N. Colo.

2 2 0 2 1 2 3 -1 -0.50 E. Washington 2 1 1 2 0 4 4 -2 -1.00 Sac State 2 1 1 2 1 4 5 -3 -1.50 Portland St. 2 0 0 0 4 3 7 -7 -3.50 FIRST DOWNS G Rush Pass Pen Total E. Washington 2 14 35 6 55 N. Colo.

2 25 24 4 53 Cal Poly 2 39 7 0 46 UC Davis 2 16 21 6 43 Portland St. 2 23 17 3 43 Montana 2 16 20 6 42 Idaho St. 2 11 22 3 36 S. Utah 2 17 14 4 35 Montana St. 2 13 17 4 34 NAU 2 7 24 3 34 Weber 2 11 19 2 32 Sac State 2 12 17 2 31 N. Dakota 2 13 15 3 31 3RD-DN CONVERSIONS G Conv Att Pct E. Washington 2 12 22 54.5 Cal Poly 2 17 33 51.5 N. Colo.

2 12 25 48.0 Portland St. 2 12 26 46.2 Weber 2 16 36 44.4 NAU 2 13 32 40.6 S. Utah 2 9 27 33.3 UC Davis 2 8 26 30.8 Sac State 2 11 36 30.6 Montana St. 2 9 31 29.0 Montana 2 9 31 29.0 Idaho St. 2 8 28 28.6 N. Dakota 2 8 32 25.0 OPP 3RD-DN CONVERT G Conv Att Pct Montana 2 8 32 25.0 Montana St. 2 6 23 26.1 N. Dakota 2 11 31 35.5

Portland St. Sac State Idaho St. Cal Poly N. Colo.

S. Utah NAU UC Davis Weber E. Washington Montana N. Dakota Sac State Portland St. NAU Idaho St. E. Washington UC Davis S. Utah N. Colo.

Montana St. Cal Poly Weber UC Davis Cal Poly Portland St. NAU S. Utah N. Colo.

Weber Montana St. Idaho St. Montana E. Washington Sac State N. Dakota S. Utah Montana St. Weber Sac State Montana N. Dakota Cal Poly UC Davis Idaho St. NAU Portland St. E. Washington N. Colo.

2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2

10 28 12 31 15 36 11 26 15 35 13 30 17 31 18 31 25 40 19 29 SACKS BY G Sacks 2 7 2 7 2 5 2 5 2 4 2 4 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 2 SACKS AGAINST G Sacks 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 3 2 3 2 4 2 4 2 5 2 5 2 7 2 7 2 8 PENALTIES G No Yds 2 8 65 2 9 79 2 9 85 2 12 105 2 13 111 2 13 119 2 14 129 2 17 141 2 15 158 2 19 161 2 17 166 2 21 185 2 23 218

4TH-DN CONVERSIONS TIME OF POSSESSION G Total Time Cal Poly 2 68:09 UC Davis 2 67:36 N. Dakota 2 66:17 Weber 2 64:09 Montana St. 2 62:28 Sac State 2 59:31 NAU 2 56:50 Montana 2 56:07 Portland St. 2 56:04 N. Colo.

2 55:41 E. Washington 2 53:47 S. Utah 2 53:16 Idaho St. 2 50:11

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS Team Protheroe CP Luuga UCD Graves CP Garrett WSU Brown SUU Riek UNCO Santiago UND Penn PSU Tago PSU Kuresa PSU

Cl JR SR SR SO FR SO SO SR SR SR

35.7 38.7 41.7 42.3 42.9 43.3 54.8 58.1 62.5 65.5 Yards 61 37 37 30 29 29 17 12 24 16 16 19 16 Yards 19 11 17 16 20 22 22 17 23 26 45 37 52 Avg/G 32.5 39.5 42.5 52.5 55.5 59.5 64.5 70.5 79.0 80.5 83.0 92.5 109.0

Avg/G 34:04 33:48 33:08 32:04 31:14 29:45 28:25 28:03 28:02 27:50 26:53 26:38 25:05

RUSHING G Att Yds Avg TD Long Yds/G 2 45 250 5.6 3 37 125.0 2 35 241 6.9 5 90 120.5 2 40 238 5.9 3 33 119.0 2 44 237 5.4 2 71 118.5 2 42 195 4.6 0 25 97.5 2 37 190 5.1 2 26 95.0 2 34 170 5.0 2 32 85.0 2 19 164 8.6 1 36 82.0 2 35 159 4.5 3 43 79.5 2 26 152 5.8 1 36 76.0

INTERCEPTIONS Cl G Int Yds TD Long Int/G JR 2 2 61 1 61 1.00 SR 2 2 0 0 0 1.00 SO 2 1 63 1 63 0.50 FR 2 1 53 0 53 0.50 JR 2 1 24 0 24 0.50 SO 2 1 15 0 15 0.50 FR 2 1 4 0 4 0.50 JR 2 1 2 0 2 0.50 JR 2 1 2 0 2 0.50 SO 2 1 0 0 0 0.50 PASSING Team Cl G Att Cmp Int Pct. Yds TD Avg/G Gubrud EWU SO 2 80 60 4 75.0 924 9 462.0 Scott UCD SR 2 76 49 1 64.5 684 4 342.0 Cookus NAU SO 2 66 49 0 74.2 632 3 316.0 Gustafson UM SR 2 73 42 2 57.5 471 4 235.5 Ketteringham SAC SO 2 83 43 4 51.8 459 3 229.5 Sloter UNCO SR 2 35 25 2 71.4 408 6 204.0 Gueller ISU SO 2 71 42 1 59.2 397 3 198.5 Kuresa PSU SR 2 48 26 3 54.2 357 3 178.5 Clark WSU SR 2 60 36 3 60.0 344 2 172.0 Studsrud UND JR 2 61 34 0 55.7 333 1 166.5 TOTAL OFFENSE Team Cl G Rush Pass Plays Total Yds/G Gubrud EWU SO 2 126 924 110 1050 525.0 Scott UCD SR 2 -12 684 84 672 336.0 Cookus NAU SO 2 9 632 75 641 320.5 Kuresa PSU SR 2 152 357 74 509 254.5 Gustafson UM SR 2 19 471 90 490 245.0 Ketteringham SAC SO 2 7 459 99 466 233.0 Sloter UNCO SR 2 32 408 48 440 220.0 Graves CP SR 2 238 192 60 430 215.0 Gueller ISU SO 2 -15 397 78 382 191.0 Clark WSU SR 2 11 344 75 355 177.5 RECEIVING Team Cl G Rec Yds TD Long Avg/C Yds/G Kupp EWU SR 2 17 268 5 75 15.8 134.0 Marks NAU JR 2 12 264 2 87 22.0 132.0 Bourne EWU SR 2 15 220 0 34 14.7 110.0 Stiles EWU SO 2 10 197 1 37 19.7 98.5 Butler NAU JR 2 11 196 1 39 17.8 98.0 Miller UNCO SR 2 8 179 2 45 22.4 89.5 Vollert WSU JR 2 11 156 1 25 14.2 78.0 Doss UCD SO 2 10 153 1 50 15.3 76.5 Hill EWU SR 2 9 134 0 36 14.9 67.0 Williams ISU SR 2 7 134 2 63 19.1 67.0 PUNTING Team Cl G Punt Yds Long Avg Dascalo EWU JR 2 6 297 58 49.5 Cheney ISU SO 2 11 508 62 46.2 Lewis SUU FR 2 14 628 59 44.9 Vega CP SO 2 6 262 56 43.7 Glau UNCO SO 2 9 387 64 43.0 FIELD GOALS Team Cl G FG FGA Pct. FG/G Semenza UM FR 2 4 4 100.0 2.00 Sublette CP SO 2 3 3 100.0 1.50 Medeiros SAC SO 2 2 2 100.0 1.00 Roehler NAU FR 2 2 2 100.0 1.00 Taubenheim UND JR 2 2 4 50.0 1.00 TACKLES Player Team Cl G Pos Solo Ast Total Avg/G Sack Johnson WSU SR 2 LB 17 7 24 12.0 0.0 SticeWSU SO 2 LB 10 13 23 11.5 0.0 BruceEWU SR 2 DB 12 9 21 10.5 0.0 BignellMSU JR 2 LB 16 4 20 10.0 1.0 NelsonSUUFR 2 12 7 19 9.5 0.0 MartinISU SO 2 LB 11 7 18 9.0 0.0 McNicholsPSU SR 2 LB 15 3 18 9.0 2.0 Thomas NAU SR 2 13 5 18 9.0 0.0 BurtonWSUSR 2SAF 7 11 18 9.0 0.0 Calhoun EWU SO 2 LB 10 8 18 9.0 0.0 StrongUM JR 2 12 6 18 9.0 0.0 Anderson SAC SO 2 DB 9 7 16 8.0 0.0 BussUM SO 2 LB 11 5 16 8.0 1.5 SACKS Team Cl G Pos Solo Ast Yds Total Avg/G Obinna SAC SO 2 DL 2 0 18 2.0 1.00 Ebukam EWU SR 2 DL 2 0 15 2.0 1.00 McNichols PSU SR 2 LB 2 0 14 2.0 1.00 Buss UM SO 2 LB 1 1 20 1.5 0.75 Strahm UM JR 2 LB 1 1 14 1.5 0.75 Razor ISU SO 2 DL 1 1 9 1.5 0.75 Greely UND JR 2 1 1 8 1.5 0.75 Dorsey NAU FR 2 1 0 14 1.0 0.50 Snowden WSU SR 2 CB 1 0 14 1.0 0.50 Harris Walker Stice Shields McCabe Baumgart Needham Graham Mckinley Strong

Team UND MSU WSU ISU MSU UCD SUU UCD UM MSU

Missoulian, Saturday, September 17, 2016 — E11

GRIZZLY GAME DAY | STAT PACK

BIG SKY CONFERENCE CONFERENCE STATISTICS STATISTICS Team comparisons for games through Sept. 10, 2016 SCORING

POINTS ALLOWED

Northern Colorado Eastern Washington UC Davis Portland State Cal Poly Montana Weber State Idaho State Montana State North Dakota Sacramento State Northern Arizona Southern Utah

28

55 54

44

35 33 33

65 61

80 78

RUSHING/PASSING YARDS Eastern Washington Northern Colorado UC Davis Portland State Cal Poly Northern Arizona Montana Sacramento State Idaho State Weber State Southern Utah Montana State North Dakota

216 315

529 488

737

181

255 191 200 268 331 244 232

459 439 350 264 321 333

471

669

111

89

694 478 192

Total 946 1162 619 1148 1009 966 929 850 726 650 639 618 595 565 565

North Dakota Montana State Montana Cal Poly Southern Utah Idaho State Sacramento State Northern Arizona Northern Colorado UC Davis Eastern Washington Portland State Weber State

40

44 45 46 47

59

69

RUSHING/PASSING YARDS ALLOWED YARDS Rushing Passing Through two games.

Montana Cal Poly North Dakota Montana State Sacramento State Idaho State Southern Utah Northern Colorado Northern Arizona Weber State Eastern Washington Portland State UC Davis

226 152

378 316 486

299

309 352 240 274 296 377

479

496 463 590 573 738

533 476

78 79

88

92 92

97

Total 604 615 638 805 815 830 847 673 969 516 995 281 1,019 675 1,052 554 1,087 699 1,175 MISSOULIAN STAFF

MONTANA (2-0) Scoring average First downs Rushing yards Avg./Rush Passing Passing yards Average per pass Total offense Plays per game Average per play Kick returns Punt returns Fumbles-lost Penalties Punting Time of possession 3rd-down conv.

4th-down conv.

Sacks-yards Red zone scoring Red zone TDs Montana Opponents

13 7

Griz 30.5 42 255 3.3 42-73-2 471 6.5 726 75.5 4.8 6-19.7 6-23.3 4-2 13-111 14-39.5 28:03 9-31 1-3 7-61 6-6 4-6 13 10

14 7

Opp 22.5 32 226 2.9 29-63-1 378 6.0 604 70.0 4.3 10-29.1 7-10.6 3-2 17-150 16-39.0 31:57 8-32 0-4 5-26 4-7 3-7 21 – 61 21 – 45

OFFENSIVE LEADERS

Rushing John Nguyen 38-129 (3.4 ypc), long 24, 0 TDs Treshawn Favors 8-53 (6.6), long 21, 0 TDs Jeremy Calhoun 14-47 (3.1), long 10, 0 TDs Brady Gustafson 17-19 (1.1), long 20, 2 TDs Jerry Louie-McGee 1-11 (11.0), long 11, 0 TDs Passing Gustafson 42-73-2, 471 yards, long 75, 4 TDs Receiving Louie-McGee 11-93 (8.5 ypc), long 22, 0 TDs Justin Calhoun 7-62 (8.9), long 14, 1 TD Josh Horner 6-104 (17.3), long 34, 1 TDs Nguyen 5-50 (10.0), long 35, 0 TDs Keenan Curran 4-107 (26.8), long 75, 1 TD Colin Bingham 4-27 (6.8), long 9, 0 TDs Lane Hovey 1-16 (16.0), long 16, 1 TD Je. Calhoun 1-4 (4.0), long 4, 0 TDs James Homan 1-4 (4.0), long 4, 0 TDs Favors 1-3 (3.0), long 3, 0 TDs Caleb Lyons 1-1 (1.0), long 1, 0 TDs

DEFENSIVE LEADERS

Tackles S Justin Strong 18, 12 solo LB Josh Buss 16, 11 solo S Josh Sandry 13, 4 solo LB Connor Strahm 12, 2 solo

CB Ryan McKinley 11, 9 solo DE Ryan Johnson 10, 5 solo DE Caleb Kidder 10, 5 solo LB James Banks 10, 3 solo CB Markell Sanders 7, 5 solo DT Jesse Sims 6, 3 solo Tackles for loss DE Kidder 3.5-8 LB Buss 3.0-24 LB Strahm 2.0-16 DT Sims 2.0-9 DE Tucker Schye 2.0-6 DE Johnson 1.5-9 S Strong 1.5-8 DT Myle McKee Osibodu 1.0-2 S Sandry 0.5-5 LB Banks 0.5-2 Sacks LB Buss 1.5-20 LB Strahm 1.5-14 DE Johnson 1.0-8 DT Sims 1.0-6 DE Kidder 1.0-4 S Sandry 0.5-5 DE Schye 0.5-4 Interceptions CB Ryan McKinley 1-2 Fumbles forced-recovered LB Buss 1-0

S Strong 0-1 S Sandry 0-1 Pass breakups CB Sanders 4 S Strong 1 LB Buss 1 S Sandry 1 LB Strahm 1 DE Schye 1 Blocked kicks DE Kidder 1 Safeties none Defensive touchdowns none

SPECIAL TEAMS LEADERS

PATs/Field goals Tim Semenza 7-7/4-4, long 47, 0 blocked, 19 points Punting Eric Williams 14-39.5, long 48, 0 inside 20, 0 touchback, 0 blocked Punt returns Louie-McGee 3-39.3, long 81, 1 TD Nguyen 3-7.3, long 24, 0 TDs Kickoff returns Caleb Lyons 4-24.5, long 29, 0 TDs Louie-McGee 1-17.0, long 17, 0 TDs Bingham 1-3.0, long 3, 0 TDs

E12 — Missoulian, Saturday, September 17, 2016

GRIZZLY GAME DAY / PICKS

HOW WE SEE THE BIG SKY With the Montana football team taking the weekend off, Griz fans have a chance to scout future foes Saturday.

I know, I know, it pales in comparison to watching the Grizzlies. But it beats watching re-runs of the “Lawrence Welk Show.”

It’s also way better than cutting the grass.

The Montana State Bobcats will host Western Oregon in a game that will be televised at 2 p.m.

The only problem there is Western Oregon is an NCAA Division II team, so it’s harder to get a read on just how good or bad the Cats (1-1) may be from watching that one.

If you’re feeling really adventurous, you could scout next week’s opponent for the Grizzlies, Cal Poly, on ESPN3. The unranked Mustangs have a tough road test at No. 9 South Dakota State (1-1) in a 5 p.m. (Mountain) kickoff.

If you’re not opposed to watching on your computer, you may want to watch one of the four games offered for free at watchbigsky.com. The list includes No. 10 Northern Iowa and No. 8 Eastern Washington, South Dakota at North Dakota, Sacramento State at Weber State and New Mexico Highlands at Northern Arizona.

The best game this week is Eastern versus Northern Iowa. The Panthers laid an egg against Montana. The Eagles lost a heartbreaker at defending national champion North Dakota State.

Which team is better at rebounding? We’ll see.

WESTERN OREGON AT MONTANA STATE:

BILL SPELTZ bill.speltz@missoulian.com 1-3 against the Missouri Valley last week. AJ: South Dakota State 35, Cal Poly 14. Bob: South Dakota State 38, Cal Poly 21 .

Greg: South Dakota State 36, Cal Poly 24. Kyle: South Dakota State 24, Cal Poly 13. Bill: Jackrabbits 35, Mustangs 28.

AJ MAZZOLINI

BOB MESEROLL

GREG RACHAC

KYLE SAMPLE

BILL SPELTZ

16-5

15-6

13-8

16-5

18-3

The Fighting Gregoraks (he’s the Cats’ defensive coordinator, plucked from rival Montana) slipped past the Bryant Bulldogs in Bozeman last week, 27-24. I had to laugh at that matchup because the name of my grade school in eastern Iowa was Bryant and our nickname was the Bulldogs. This week the Bobcats will be out to prove they can win big, but they’ll need to be careful because Western Oregon (1-1) won at Sac State, 38-30, two weeks ago. AJ: MSU 24, Western Oregon 21. Bob: Montana State 27, Western Oregon 24. Greg: Montana State 28, Western Oregon 23. Kyle: Montana State 28, W. Oregon 20. Bill: Montana State 31, Western Oregon 21.

NO 10 NORTHERN IOWA AT NO. 8 EASTERN WASHINGTON: Say this for the Panthers and Eagles: They’re not afraid to to play tough nonconference schedules. The Panthers won at Iowa State and lost to Montana. The Eagles won at Washington State and lost at North Dakota State. I’ll give the edge to the home team — with or without

star receiver Cooper Kupp (shoulder injury). AJ: EWU 20, UNI 14. Bob: Eastern Washington 20, Northern Iowa 14 . Greg: Eastern Washington 42, Northern Iowa 31. Kyle: Eastern 42, Northern Iowa 39. Bill: Eags 28, Panthers 21.

IDAHO STATE AT OREGON STATE: There should be a rule against a Pac-12 team scheduling an FCS foe that went 2-9 last season. There’s not, so we’ll just go ahead and congratulate the Beavers ahead of time for beating up on Little Brother. AJ: Oregon State 66, Idaho State 12. Bob: Oregon State 45, Idaho State 42.

Greg: Oregon State 47, Idaho State 10. Kyle: Oregon State 57, Idaho State 10. Bill: Beavers 49, Bengals 17.

UC DAVIS AT WYOMING: Do you ever wonder if Cowboys coach Craig Bohl wishes he had stayed at North Dakota State? I wondered last week in watching his team get destroyed at Nebraska, 52-17. Bohl says he needs to find diamonds in the rough to make the Cowboys a success story.

In the mean time, he needs to grab any win he can get. He’ll do that Saturday against out-manned Davis.

AJ: Cowboys 35, UC Dave 10. Bob: Wyoming 35, UC Davis 24. Greg: Wyoming 39, Davis 20. Kyle: Wyoming 38, UC Davis 17.

Bill: Cowboys 42, Aggies 21.

picks the Bears to score two points almost every week. Geez, he has a lot of faith in the UNC defense to get a safety. So does Kyle Sample this week. I have a little more faith in the Bears’ offense after it put up 55 points at Abilene Christian last Saturday. AJ: Colorado State 39, NoCo 6. Bob: Colorado State 56, No. Colorado 2. Greg: Colorado State 41, Northern Colorado 21. Kyle: Colorado State 56, UNC 5.

Bill: Rams 45, Bears 17.

SOUTH DAKOTA AT NORTH DAKOTA: The Coyotes earned a 52-49 double-overtime victory over Weber State last week.

They trailed by 21 points twice in the game before rallying. Winning in Grand Forks will be even more difficult. AJ: NoDak 21, SoDak 20. Bob: North Dakota 21, South Dakota 18 . Greg: North Dakota 34, South Dakota 27. Kyle: North Dakota 17, South Dakota 16. Bill: Fighting Hawks 30, Coyotes 24.

NO. 19 PORTLAND STATE AT NO. 8 (FBS) WASHINGTON: The Vikings surrendered 66 points in last week’s loss at San Jose State. So winning in Seattle against a big-time top-10 team (Associated Press) is hard to envision. AJ: Washington 50, Portland State 20.

Bob: Washington 69, Portland State 14 . Greg: Washington 52, Portland State 24. Kyle: Washington 47, Portland State 13. Bill: Huskies 66, Vikings 21.

SACRAMENTO STATE AT WEBER STATE: Considering the Hornets lost to D-II Western Oregon in their debut and then managed just a field goal at Fresno State last week, they certainly have a lot to prove. The Wildcats are the smart choice this week with an offense that put up 49 points last week. AJ: Weber 37, Sac State 23. Bob: Weber State 27, Sac State 26. Greg: Weber 38, Sac 7.

Kyle: Weber State 19, Sac State 12. Bill: Wildcats 34, Hornets 24.

NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS AT NO. 24 NORTHERN ARIZONA: The Lumberjacks are still in the FCS rankings despite their 0-2 record. This week they’re going to show why.

AJ: NAU 49, Highlanders CAL POLY AT NO. 9 7. Bob: Northern Arizona SOUTH DAKOTA STATE: 56, New Mexico Highlands The Griz Game Day pickers 17. Greg: Northern Arizona NORTHERN COLORADO just don’t have much love 44, New Mexico Highlands AT COLORADO STATE: for the Mustangs this week. 17. Kyle: Northern Arizona I find it funny that my Maybe it has something to 63, NMH 3. Bill: Jacks 45, do with the Big Sky going co-worker, Bob Meseroll, Cowboys 14.

Missoulian, Saturday, September 17, 2016 — E13

GRIZZLY GAME DAY

Montana’s Jerry Louie-McGee evades UNI defenders Preston Woods (61) and Duncan Ferch (39) during his 81-yard punt return on Saturday.

TOMMY MARTINO, Missoulian

Missoulian, Saturday, September 17, 2016 — E14

GRIZZLY GAME DAY | FROM PAGE E9

Held Continued

honing his long snapping skills to ensure that.

It starts with the legs, he said, where the power is derived.

Almost like you’re jumping. The arms whip through like you’re wiping the ground clean and the wrists snap back toward the holder to give the ball its spiral — easy for catching.

“It’s pretty much like being a quarterback,” Held said. “Except you’re upside down and backwards.”

Montana fans may not know Held’s No. 50 jersey by memory but they can undoubtedly appreciate his work. Without him, kicker Tim Semenza doesn’t make last week’s 47-yard field goal at Northern Iowa. Without him, punter Eric Williams doesn’t flip the field against the Panthers over and over again.

“It’s kind of a forgotten game of football,” said Makena Simis,

Held’s holder on field goals the past two years. “It just goes unnoticed when it’s done right.

When it goes bad is when people pay attention.”

That hasn’t been very often for Held, who worked his way to a scholarship covering tuition last spring. The Griz coaching staff saw his dedication during practices — and before practices — as well as in games. At the center of the punt-formation offensive line, composed of guys with a hundred pounds more beef than him, Held beats them down the field trying to make tackles on the ensuing returns.

No. 50 flashes across the screen all the time in special teams film reviews, Niekamp said.

“If you go back and watch the film, we punted 10 times Saturday and I’d betcha Aaron was the first one down on six or seven of ‘em,” he said. “Snapping the ball between your legs and then running like heck down the field to go tackle somebody, a lot of people wouldn’t qualify

AARON HELD No. 50

Position: Long snapper Year: Senior Height: 6-1 Weight: 190 Hometown: Sacramento, Calif.

TOMMY MARTINO, Missoulian

Montana long snapper Aaron Held looks on and smiles on the Griz sidelines during the win over Northern Iowa on Saturday. that as fun. But he embraces it and does a phenomenal job.”

Held’s work ethic isn’t constrained to the football field.

He came to Montana not just for the game but to earn the first of many college degrees.

The double-major student in exercise science and human biology is a three-time all-Big Sky Conference academic team selection. A member of the University of Montana’s Davidson Honors College, Held’s focus is in pre-medicine.

But before enrolling in medical school after graduation, a day fast approaching as his time at Montana winds down, Held thinks he might pick up a master’s degree in bioethics after coursework at UM covering end-of-life care recently intrigued him.

And then?

“Goal right now is to be a neurosurgeon,” Held said, “but they say if you go into medical school wanting to be one thing, you’ll come out another. So I’ll keep my options open.”

Until then the closest he’ll be to working in the medical field is back at practice — with a football and an ad for Providence’s western Montana chapter.

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GRIZ TRIVIA 1. Prior to Montana’s 20-14 win over North3. The Griz will try to start the season 3-0 ern Iowa, the Grizzlies’ last win over a nation- when they face Cal Poly next Saturday? When ally ranked top-5 team on the road came in was the last time UM made it that deep into a what year? season unbeaten? a) 2015 a) 2013 b) 2011 b) 2011 c) 2008 c) 2009 d) 2001 d) 2007 2. Griz Eric Williams punted 10 times against the Panthers, the most since Brody McKnight’s program-record-tying 11 against Portland State in 2010. Who holds the Griz punting record for single-game yards at 501? a) Brody McKnight b) Mike Rice c) Jody Farmer d) Scott Gurnsey

4. The Griz have lost two straight at San Luis Obispo, Calif., the last win there in 2008. Poly missed a game-winning field goal attempt from 27 yards that day. Who led UM in rushing with 145 yards in that 30-28 win? a) Lex Hilliard b) Chase Reynolds c) Thomas Brooks-Fletcher d) Andrew Schmidt Answers: 1. b (Montana State), 2. c (9 punts), 3. a, 4. d.

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wamsleyrealtymt.com

Mike Wamsley • 406-360-6362

E16 — Missoulian, Saturday, September 17, 2016

Fall On Sale Passenger

On Sale

Passenger

GREAT BUY!

Starting at

Passenger

ECLIPSE

Starting at

P155/80TR-13

All-Season Traction Affordable Pricing

ULTRA Z900

Starting at

P155/80SR-13

175/65HR-14

All-Season Traction 70,000 Mile Warranty

All-Season Tread 65,000-80,000 Mile Warranty*

Your size in stock; call for size & price.

*Depending on tire size. Your size in stock; call for size & price.

Tread design may vary. Your size in stock; call for size & price.

On Sale Pickup & SUV

Pickup & SUV

GREAT BUY!

Starting at

Pickup & SUV

BACK COUNTRY SQ-4 OPEN COUNTRY M/T Starting at

Starting at

P235/75TR-15

All-Season Traction Affordable Pricing

235/75TR-15

All-Season Design Wear-Resistant Tread

Tread design may vary. Your size in stock; call for size & price.

31/1050QR-15/6

Outstanding Traction Aggressive Tread

Your size in stock; call for size & price.

Introducing BACK COUNTRY QS-3 TOURING HT

Your size in stock; call for size & price.

Starting at

The Back Country QS-3 Touring HT is an all-season, hybrid highway tire for light trucks, SUVs and crossovers.

It merges the ride qualities of a highway tire with highly reliable traction in most weather conditions, on and off blacktop.

225/75TR-16

PRICES GOOD THROUGH 10/31/16

MISSOULA NORTH 2800 W. Broadway 721-1770

www.LesSchwab.com

MISSOULA SOUTH 2605 Brooks 721-0888

HAMILTON 211 North 1st 363-3884

RONAN 63360 Hwy 93 S. 676-7800

STEVENSVILLE 4026 Hwy 93 N. 777-4667

POLSON 36030 Memory Ln 883-1099