Griz Game Day 10.17.15

BYE WEEK • SATURDAY, OCT. 17, 2015

Missoulian, Saturday, October 17, 2015 — A1

Quick-talking, slickfielding Nate Harris locks down the corner

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TOMMY MARTINO, Missoulian

Q&A: WR CALEB LYONS • PICKS: SPELTZ PICKS THE BIG SKY • NUMBERS: BIG SKY & GRIZ STATS Get Your SNOW TIRES EARLY! Don’t Wait, Shop Now

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A2 — Missoulian, Saturday, October 17, 2015

GRIZZLY GAME DAY | Q&A

Lyons’ share ‌Y

Wide receiver the next generation of Griz slot men

JOSH THOMAS for the Missoulian‌

ou may or may not have noticed that the Montana Grizzlies like to throw the football, especially this season, under gun-slinging head coach Bob Stitt.

The riverboat gambler of a coach is an offensive brainiac who isn’t afraid to take chances and goes with his foot smashed against the gas pedal on offense. With receivers like Ellis Henderson, Jamaal Jones, Chase Naccarato and Ben Roberts all touting true talent, it’s no wonder Montana wants to get the football in the sky.

When you’re an incoming underclassman for the Grizzlies, all this offense is enough to make you a little nervous.

There’s already little room for error in football as is, but when you’re operating as a runaway freight train, storming down the field quick play after quick play, you simply can’t mess up, or things aren’t going to work properly.

Such is the case for redshirt freshman Caleb Lyons. The Washington native is an up-and-coming wide out for the Montana receiving corps, and he’ll be one of the players responsible for the changing of the guard at WR after players like Jones graduate. A big challenge no doubt, but it’s an opportunity Lyons has been dreaming of as a competitor.

Expected to begin making his case for playing time this year, it will be intriguing to watch as Lyons and Montana’s other younger offensive players grow under Stitt as the seasons go on.

The Missoulian spoke with Lyons before an October practice fresh off a heartbreaking loss to Weber State, where he discussed his path into football, his hometown and how he stays ready to hear his number called on any given play for the speedy Griz passing threat:

Q: What’s your major and why’d you choose that field?

A: My major is communications with a business minor. I talked to my academic adviser about a lot of things and

CALEB LYONS No. 23 Position: Slot WR Class: R-Fr. Height: 5-9 Weight: 175 Hometown: Lakewood, Wash.

KURT WILSON, Missoulian‌

Caleb Lyons (23) looks for running room in the tangle of players during a scrimmage last spring. they were fields that drew me in.

Q: Where did you go to high school and what was your prep career like?

A: I went to Lakes High School in Lakewood, Washington. It’s a suburb of Tacoma. My junior and senior year was kind of difficult because Lakes was known for going undefeated every single year. My junior and senior year, my coach put together one of the toughest schedules Lakes has ever had. We played the top four AA teams. So it was a big challenge for a very young squad.

Q: How would you describe Lakewood as a town compared to Missoula?

A: Lakewood is a lot different. It’s in a bigger city; there was a bit of a culture shock. It’s more country out here and more city back home.

Q: When do you get into football?

A: Fourth grade football. My dad worked with someone who had a son who was just starting out in the sport as well who I knew from elementary

school, so I decided to give it a shot.

Q: Was football the first love as far as sports?

A: I’ve always been a big basketball guy. I used to watch all the And-One mixtapes and all that stuff. Hot Sauce, The Professor and all those guys. But football is another passion of mine, and I’ve always loved playing it as well.

Q: With Stitt’s offense being so quick and fast-paced, as a receiver, what is that like?

A: We are catching a lot of balls every day. Running lots of routes, there’s not really a day that’s easy for us. You have to try and be one hundred percent on every route all day long. But it builds toughness and at the end of the day, it’s gonna make us better football players.

Q: With a couple of tough, close losses behind you guys, how is the team looking to put things behind them and move forward?

A: It’s a new offense, a new coaching

staff. A completely new feel around our football team compared to some of the guys who were with Delaney for years. I think right now we are looking to change our mindset mentally and get going again.

Q: What are your thoughts heading into the game with North Dakota?

A: They are one of the top dogs in conference right now at second place, so we have to be looking to knock off people from their spots.

Q: Favorite spot around Missoula?

A: Desperados wing place. Not too many people know about it.

Q: What have you been watching on TV or what’s in your Netflix queue?

A: I love documentaries. I go back and watch all the 30 for 30s from ESPN. I also like South Park.

Q: If you could bring one store/business into Missoula, what would it be?

A: Sunny Seven is a little teriyaki place in Lakewood, so if you’re ever there, definitely check that out.

Q: Whoever ends up taking over the starting quarterback role, what do the receivers have to do to make his life easier?

A: We have to be perfect. No matter if it’s with Brady (Gustafson), Makena (Simis), Chad (Chalich) or (Eric) Prater, you gotta be perfect. The line has to be perfect, we have to be ready to go.

Q: If you were to give a piece of advice to the UM community, be it an athlete on or off the field, or to a student in the classroom grinding, what would it be?

A: Keep on going. If you’re going through hell, keep on going.

Missoulian, Saturday, October 17, 2015 — A3

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A4 — Missoulian, Saturday, October 17, 2015

GRIZZLY GAME DAY | CONFERENCE CAPSULES

AROUND THE BIG SKY Montana State at Portland State‌

Saturday, 1:35 p.m.

Portland, Oregon Providence Park (18,627 Field Turf) ROOT SPORTS/DirecTV’s Audience Network Series History: Montana State leads the series 19-9.

The Records: Montana State is 3-2, and is 2-1 in conference play. Portland State is 4-1, and is 1-1 in conference play.

Last Meeting: Dakota Prukop and Gunnar Brekke each scored two touchdowns and Montana State ran for 329 yards to down Portland State 29-22.

The Coaches: MSU’s Rob Ash is 68-34, and is 48-19 in Big Sky play. Bruce Barnum is 4-1, and is 1-1 in Big Sky play.

Notes: Portland State’s 66-7 win over North Texas last week set the record for margin of victory by an FCS team over an FBS team. The previous record was held by McNeese State, which defeated South Florida 53-21... The Vikings are just the third FCS team since 2000 to record two victories over FBS teams in one season. The last to do it was North Dakota State in 2007...

Portland State averaged 9.9 yards per play in a win over North Texas... Portland State kicker Jonathan Gonzales is 6-for-6 on field goals this season... This game features the top scoring offense against the top scoring defense.

UC Davis at Northern Colorado‌

Saturday, 1:35 p.m.

Greeley, Colorado Nottingham Field (8,500 Natural Grass) CET by XFINITY WatchBigSky.com Series History: UC Davis holds a 5-2 advantage in the series.

The Records: UC Davis is 1-5, and is 1-2 in conference. Northern Colorado is 3-2, and is 1-2 in conference.

Last Meeting: Sean Rubalcaba threw two touchdown passes and ran for another and Northern Colorado beat UC Davis 27-21.

The Coaches: The Aggies’ Ron Gould is 8-21, and is 7-12 in Big Sky play. UNC’s Earnest Collins is 12-38, and is 7-28 in Big Sky play.

Notes: Both teams enter this game on a winning streak... Northern Colorado leads the conference in yards-per-kickoff-return (32.1 yards per return)... UC Davis leads the conference in time of possession (34:56 per game)... The Aggies have one of the top red-zone offenses in the league,

TOM BAUER/Missoulian‌

Montana running back Jordan Canada rushes for yards as Montana State’s Cole Moore tackles last year at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. converting 94.1 percent of trips into scores (17 trips, 11 touchdowns, five field goals)... UC Davis kicker Brady Stuart is 8-of-9 on field goal tries this season... Northern Colorado running back Trae Riek is tied for the lead in the conference for most points scored in a game (18 points vs. Western State)... Manusamoa Luuga is UC Davis’ leading rusher, averaging 58.8 yards per game.

Eastern Washington at Idaho State‌ Saturday, 2:35 p.m.

Pocatello, Idaho Holt Arena

(12,000 Helas Turf) WatchBigSky.com Series History: Eastern Washington leads the all-time series 27-9.

The Records: Eastern Washington is 3-2, and is 2-0 in conference. Idaho State is 2-4, and is 1-2 in conference.

Last Meeting: Vernon Adams threw for four touchdowns and ran for two more

as Eastern Washington held off Idaho State 56-53.

Adams hit Cooper Kupp with a 35-yard strike with 7:19 to play, setting the Big Sky Conference record with his 99th career scoring pass.

The Coaches: EWU’s Beau Baldwin is 80-30, and is 53-13 in Big Sky play. Mike Kramer is 93-111, and is 62-70 in Big Sky play.

Notes: Idaho State running back Xavier Finney passed the 3,000-yard mark last week in a win over North Dakota... Bengals quarterback Michael Sanders won this week’s Offensive Player of the Week... Mike Kramer coached Eastern

See CAPSULES, Page A6

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A6 — Missoulian, Saturday, October 17, 2015

GRIZZLY GAME DAY | FROM PAGE A4

AROUND THE BIG SKY Capsules Continued Washington from 1994-99. He led the Eagles to a Big Sky title in 1997... Cooper Kupp leads the nation in receptions per game and receiving yards per game... This game features the conference’s top passing offense against the top passing defense... ISU is the least penalized team in the BSC. EWU is the most.

North Dakota at Weber State‌ Saturday, 6:05 p.m.

Ogden, Utah Stewart Stadium (17,500 Synthetic Turf) KJZZ 14 WatchBigSky.com Series History: Weber State leads the series 1-0.

The Records: North Dakota is 4-2, and 2-1 in conference. Weber State is 3-3, and is 2-1 in conference.

Last Meeting: Jadrian Clark had three touchdown passes and Weber State notched its first win of the season, a 24-12 victory.

The Coaches: UND’s Bubba Schweigert is 9-9 overall, and is 5-6 in Big Sky play. Jay Hill is 5-13 overall, and is 4-7 in Big Sky play.

Notes: Weber State earned its first victory at Montana last week since 1987, when Mike Price coached the Wildcats... Both Weber State and North Dakota lost at North Dakota State this season... Weber State safety Cordero Dixon and Weber State kicker Josh Kealamakia were both named Players of the Week... North Dakota’s John Santiago had a career-high 155 rushing yards in last week’s loss to Idaho State... Santiago is averaging 139.3 yards per game in conference, which leads the Big Sky... Jay Hill’s first career win came against North Dakota... North Dakota has the league’s top rushing defense, allowing just 66.5 rushing yards per game.

TOM BAUER/Missoulian‌

Montana’s Ben Roberts (center with ball) is swarmed by his teammates after he scored a touchdown against UC Davis at Aggie Stadium in Davis, California earlier this season.

Sacramento State at Southern Utah‌

Saturday, 6 p.m.

Cedar City, Utah Eccles Coliseum (8,500 Artificial Turf) WatchBigSky.com Series History: Sacramento State leads the series 8-7.

The Records: Sacramento State is 1-5, and 0-3 in conference. Southern Utah is 3-2, and is 2-0 in conference.

Last Meeting: DeAndre Carter had a

record-setting day, including 16 receptions for 273 yards and four touchdowns, to help Sacramento State beat Southern Utah 42-21. Garrett Safron passed for 425 yards and five scores for Sacramento State.

The Coaches: Sac’s Jody Sears is 11-29 overall, and is 7-20 in Big Sky play. Ed Lamb is 19-22 overall in SUU’s Big Sky tenure, and is 14-12 in Big Sky play.

Notes: Southern Utah is second in turnover

margin at plus-2.2 a game...

Sacramento State has had five different players take snaps at quarterback in games...

Sac State linebacker Darnell Sankey leads the conference with 13.3 tackles per game...

Sacramento State is last in the league in scoring offense, averaging just 18 points per game...

Southern Utah’s defense has 12 interceptions this season... The Thunderbirds have a new offensive coordinator, Justin Walterscheid. Previous OC Gary Crowton resigned in the bye week.

Missoulian, Saturday, October 17, 2015 — A7

GRIZZLY GAME DAY | MONTANA ROSTER No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Year Hometown 1 Treshawn Favors RB 5-9 190 R-So. Glendale, Ariz.

1 Markell Sanders CB 6-2 185 R-Fr. Renton, Wash.

2 Ryan McKinley CB 6-1 188 R-So. Anthem, Ariz.

3 Brady Gustafson QB 6-7 235 R-Jr. Billings, Mont.

3 Eric Johnson S 6-2 180 Sr. San Francisco, Calif.

4 Chris Parker CB 6-0 185 R-So. Sioux Falls, S.D. 4 Holden Ryan WR 6-3 225 Fr. Billings, Mont.

5 Chase Naccarato WR 5-7 166 R-Jr. Spokane, Wash.

5 Daniel Sullivan K 5-10 165 Sr. Mill Creek, Wash.

6 Jamaal Jones WR 6-1 191 R-Sr. Spanaway, Wash.

7 Ellis Henderson WR 6-0 195 R-Jr. Vancouver, Wash.

8 Jeremy Calhoun RB 6-0 190 Fr. Long Beach, Calif.

8 Manu Rasmussen S 6-0 180 R-Fr. Tigard, Ore. 9 Justin Calhoun WR 5-10 175 Fr. Long Beach, Calif.

9 Yamen Sanders S 6-4 210 R-Jr. Inglewood, Calif.

10 Eric Prater QB 6-2 205 R-Fr. Lake Havasu City, Ariz.

10 Connor Strahm LB 6-0 235 R-So. Eugene, Ore. 11 Chad Chalich QB 6-0 205 Jr. Coeur d’Alene, Idaho 11 Nate Harris CB 5-10 180 R-Sr. Chino, Calif.

12 Danny Peoples K 6-0 185 Fr. Butte, Mont.

12 Willy Pflug QB 6-0 185 Fr. Portland, Ore. 13 Josh Janssen WR 6-0 195 R-So. Missoula, Mont.

13 Josh Sandry S 6-1 190 Fr. Bigfork, Mont.

14 Will Weyer QB 6-5 208 R-Fr. Bozeman, Mont.

15 RETIRED IN HONOR OF DAVE DICKENSON 16 Dalton Daum WR 6-2 180 Fr. Butte, Mont.

17 Makena Simis QB 6-2 205 R-So. Boise, Idaho 18 Tyler Lucas WR 6-4 220 R-Sr. Bellefonte, Pa. 18 JR Nelson CB 6-2 177 R-Jr. Hacienda Heights, Calif.

19 Kobey Eaton WR 6-3 190 Fr. Hacienda Heights, Calif.

20 John Nguyen RB 5-7 180 Jr. Seattle, Wash.

21 Joey Counts RB 5-9 215 R-Jr. Mesa, Ariz.

22 RETIRED IN HONOR OF TERRY DILLON 23 Caleb Lyons WR 5-9 175 R-Fr. Lakewood, Wash.

24 Lorenzo Logwood RB 5-8 190 So. Oakland, Calif.

25 Shane Moody CB 5-8 160 R-So. Parker, Colo.

26 Carl Johnson RB 6-0 180 R-Fr. Hardin, Mont.

28 Jerrin Williams S 6-2 220 Fr. Vancouver, Wash.

29 Brody Martinez RB 5-10 196 Fr. Federal Way, Wash.

30 Evan Epperly S 5-10 180 R-Fr. Kalispell, Mont.

31 Justin Whitted S 6-1 195 R-Sr. Los Angeles, Calif.

32 Zach Vis LB 6-3 205 R-So. Lyden, Wash.

33 Connor Lebsock LB 6-2 205 R-Sr. Billings, Mont.

34 Jamal Wilson DT 5-11 270 R-Sr. Fontana, Calif.

35 Kendrick Van Ackeren LB 6-1 220 Sr. Bellevue, Wash.

36 Herbert Gamboa LB 6-1 215 Sr. San Clemente, Calif.

37 Caleb Kidder DT 6-5 275 R-Jr. Helena, Mont.

38 Tyrel Garner CB 6-2 190 Jr. Henderson, Nev. 38 Jeffrey Salamon WR 5-11 180 Fr. Riverside, Calif.

39 Jake Dallaserra S 5-11 180 R-Sr. Butte, Mont.

40 David Fa’atuiese LB 6-3 240 Fr. Vista, Calif.

41 Mick Delaney S 6-0 193 R-So. Bozeman, Mont.

42 Josh Buss LB 6-2 203 R-Fr. Boise, Idaho 43 Nate Bradley DT 5-10 260 R-So. Billings, Mont.

44 Nolan Timmons S 6-1 250 Fr. Billings, Mont.

45 Jeremiah Kose MLB 6-2 230 Sr. Oceanside, Calif.

46 Austin Chadderdon DE 6-2 200 R-Fr. Coeur d’Alene, Idaho 47 Derek Crittenden DE 6-3 240 R-Sr. Whitefish, Mont.

48 Donald Bedell DE 6-4 245 R-Sr. Fair Haven, N.J. 49 Jesse Sims DE 6-4 235 Fr. Stevensville, Mont.

50 Aaron Held Snaps 6-1 193 R-Jr. Sacramento, Calif.

51 Tucker Schye DE 6-4 225 R-So. Malta, Mont.

52 Nick Mertes DE 6-3 235 R-Fr. Edina, Minn.

53 Dante Olson LB 6-3 220 Fr. Medford, Ore. 54 Gage Smith LB 6-3 215 R-Fr. Whitefish, Mont.

55 Kyle Davis DT 6-1 245 R-Fr. San Diego, Calif.

56 Alex Thomas LB 6-0 215 R-Fr. Great Falls, Mont.

57 Shayne Cochran LB 6-1 210 R-Fr. Culbertson, Mont.

58 Tyler Richtmyer DE 6-2 215 R-Fr. Missoula, Mont.

59 Cy Sirmon LB 6-3 225 Fr. Wenatchee, Wash.

60 Jackson Thiebes OL 6-5 280 R-Jr. Kalispell, Mont.

64 Colin McGillivray OL 6-7 278 Fr. Portland, Ore. 65 Cody Meyer OL 6-3 270 Fr. San Marcos, Calif.

66 Dallas Hart OL 6-5 295 Fr. Cypress, Calif.

67 Joe Paolina OL 6-7 290 Fr. Poway, Calif.

68 McCauley Todd OL 6-7 295 R-Jr. Cedar Rapids, Iowa 69 Jared Clark OL 6-6 270 Jr. San Diego, Calif.

70 Ben Weyer OL 6-4 270 R-Jr. Bozeman, Mont.

71 Devon Dietrich OL 6-4 270 R-Jr. Woodinville, Wash.

72 Cooper Sprunk C 6-4 250 R-So. Tigard Ore. 73 Angel Villanueva OL 6-5 310 Fr. Duarte, Calif.

74 John Schmaing OL 6-7 290 R-Sr. Billings, Mont.

75 Robert Luke C 6-4 315 So. Tacoma, Wash.

76 David Reese OL 6-7 270 So. Happy Valley, Ore. 77 Cameron Rokich OL 6-5 245 R-So. West Jordan, Utah 78 Clint LaRowe OL 6-5 290 R-Jr. Miles City, Mont.

79 Max Kelly OL 6-7 290 R-Jr. Spokane, Wash.

80 Josh Horner WR 6-5 220 So. Great Falls, Mont.

81 Zach Hollenback WR 5-11 185 R-Fr. Missoula, Mont.

82 Keenan Curran WR 6-2 200 Fr. Federal Way, Wash.

82 Jerry Louie-McGee WR 5-9 170 Fr. Coeur d’Alene, Idaho 83 Ryan Burke WR 6-4 190 R-Jr. Billings, Mont.

84 Donovan Rooks WR 6-4 185 Fr. Yuma, Ariz.

85 Reese Carlson WR 6-4 215 R-Fr. Gig Harbor, Wash.

86 Ben Roberts WR 6-4 205 R-Sr. Missoula, Mont.

87 Chris Lider K/P 6-1 199 R-Sr. Bellevue, Wash.

88 Colin Bingham WR 6-3 220 Fr. Missoula, Mont.

89 Tim Semenza K 5-7 155 Fr. San Diego, Calif.

91 Tyrone Holmes DE 6-4 245 Sr. Eagle Point, Ore. 93 Zach Peevey DT 6-3 255 R-Jr. Missoula, Mont.

94 Harrison Greenberg K 5-8 170 R-Jr. Lake Oswego, Ore. 95 Andrew Harris DE 6-4 215 Fr. Kalispell, Mont.

96 Patrick LeCorre K 6-0 190 Fr. Edina, Minn.

97 Ryan Johnson DE 6-3 255 R-Jr. Vancouver, Wash.

98 Mike Ralston DE 6-5 245 R-So. Eugene, Ore. 99 Reggie Tilleman DE 6-4 195 R-Fr. Genesee, Idaho

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A8 — Missoulian, Saturday, October 17, 2015

GRIZZLY GAME DAY | STAT PACK

BIG SKY STATISTICS TEAM LEADERS‌ SCORING OFFENSE

G TD XP 2XP DXP FG Saf Pts Avg Montana St. 5 30 25 1 0 3 0 216 43.2 E. Washington 5 29 26 1 0 0 0 202 40.4 Portland St. 5 22 22 0 0 6 0 172 34.4 Cal Poly 6 26 23 0 0 3 0 188 31.3 S. Utah 5 18 16 0 0 8 0 148 29.6 N. Arizona 6 22 22 0 0 7 0 175 29.2 Montana 6 17 14 1 0 9 2 149 24.8 N. Colorado 5 16 15 0 0 4 0 123 24.6 Idaho St. 6 20 13 2 0 1 0 140 23.3 UC Davis 6 16 16 0 0 8 0 136 22.7 N. Dakota 6 16 15 0 0 8 0 135 22.5 Weber St. 6 14 13 0 0 6 0 115 19.2 Sac State 6 12 12 0 0 8 0 108 18.0

SCORING DEFENSE

G TD XP 2XP DXP FG Saf Pts Avg Portland St. 5 6 6 0 0 5 0 57 11.4 S. Utah 5 9 9 0 1 4 0 77 15.4 Montana 6 17 17 0 0 6 0 137 22.8 N. Dakota 6 18 13 1 0 6 1 143 23.8 N. Colorado 5 15 15 0 0 9 0 132 26.4 Weber St. 6 19 19 0 0 10 0 163 27.2 UC Davis 6 24 22 0 0 7 0 187 31.2 Montana St. 5 22 21 0 0 2 0 159 31.8 Sac State 6 25 23 0 0 6 0 191 31.8 Cal Poly 6 28 23 1 0 2 1 201 33.5 N. Arizona 6 28 25 1 0 5 1 212 35.3 E. Washington 5 28 24 0 0 6 0 210 42.0 Idaho St. 6 34 33 0 0 6 0 255 42.5

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

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

RUSHING OFFENSE

G Att Yds Avg TD Yds/G 6 449 2322 5.2 20 387.0 5 236 1190 5.0 16 238.0 5 221 1138 5.1 15 227.6 6 258 1075 4.2 9 179.2 5 180 797 4.4 9 159.4 6 232 919 4.0 5 153.2 6 242 874 3.6 5 145.7 5 183 653 3.6 7 130.6 5 154 643 4.2 7 128.6 6 200 755 3.8 4 125.8 6 195 750 3.8 3 125.0 6 216 746 3.5 6 124.3 6 224 698 3.1 5 116.3

RUSHING DEFENSE

G Rushes Yards Avg. TD Yds/G 6 173 399 2.3 3 66.5 5 173 528 3.1 1 105.6 6 205 860 4.2 12 143.3 5 213 752 3.5 5 150.4 6 252 1041 4.1 6 173.5 6 307 1074 3.5 6 179.0 6 225 1084 4.8 13 180.7 5 218 1007 4.6 7 201.4 6 229 1246 5.4 11 207.7 6 252 1283 5.1 15 213.8 5 227 1191 5.2 6 238.2 6 326 1939 5.9 22 323.2 5 285 1755 6.2 17 351.0

PASS OFFENSE

G Att Cmp Int Pct. Yds Avg TD Yds/G E. Washington 5 208 151 4 72.6 2089 10.0 22 417.8 Montana St. 5 162 102 3 63.0 1686 10.4 15 337.2 Montana 6 293 171 6 58.4 1858 6.3 11 309.7 Idaho St. 6 263 150 9 57.0 1746 6.6 16 291.0 N. Arizona 6 158 103 4 65.2 1605 10.2 17 267.5 UC Davis 6 209 129 6 61.7 1457 7.0 11 242.8 Sac State 6 228 125 5 54.8 1384 6.1 7 230.7 N. Colorado 5 160 89 5 55.6 1102 6.9 5 220.4 S. Utah 5 175 106 2 60.6 943 5.4 5 188.6 Weber St. 6 175 85 9 48.6 952 5.4 6 158.7 Portland St. 5 87 45 1 51.7 746 8.6 5 149.2 N. Dakota 6 128 66 3 51.6 792 6.2 7 132.0 Cal Poly 6 71 34 2 47.9 351 4.9 6 58.5

Idaho St. Montana Portland St.

PASS DEFENSE

G Att Cmp Int Pct. Yds Avg TD Yds/G 6 122 69 3 56.6 785 6.4 10 130.8 6 145 78 3 53.8 1059 7.3 10 176.5 5 188 97 8 51.6 943 5.0 5 188.6

UC Davis 6 172 S. Utah 5 144 E. Washington 5 140 Weber St. 6 191 Montana St. 5 120 N. Colorado 5 184 N. Dakota 6 199 N. Arizona 6 222 Sac State 6 196 Cal Poly 6 226

99 2 57.6 1160 72 12 50.0 968 86 2 61.4 1032 109 5 57.1 1248 76 1 63.3 1050 109 3 59.2 1154 120 1 60.3 1591 136 3 61.3 1637 115 3 58.7 1660 147 6 65.0 1789

6.7 12 6.7 3 7.4 10 6.5 10 8.8 16 6.3 7 8.0 15 7.4 13 8.5 9 7.9 15

193.3 193.6 206.4 208.0 210.0 230.8 265.2 272.8 276.7 298.2

TOTAL OFFENSE

G Rush Pass Plays Yards Avg/P TD Yds/G Montana St. 5 1138 1686 383 2824 7.4 30 564.8 E. Washington 5 643 2089 362 2732 7.5 29 546.4 Cal Poly 6 2322 351 520 2673 5.1 26 445.5 Montana 6 746 1858 509 2604 5.1 17 434.0 Idaho St. 6 750 1746 458 2496 5.4 19 416.0 N. Arizona 6 874 1605 400 2479 6.2 22 413.2 Portland St. 5 1190 746 323 1936 6.0 21 387.2 UC Davis 6 698 1457 433 2155 5.0 16 359.2 Sac State 6 755 1384 428 2139 5.0 11 356.5 N. Colorado 5 653 1102 343 1755 5.1 12 351.0 S. Utah 5 797 943 355 1740 4.9 14 348.0 Weber St. 6 919 952 407 1871 4.6 11 311.8 N. Dakota 6 1075 792 386 1867 4.8 16 311.2

TOTAL DEFENSE

G Rush Pass Plys Yards Avg TD Yds/G Portland St. 5 528 943 361 1471 4.1 6 294.2 N. Dakota 6 399 1591 372 1990 5.3 18 331.7 S. Utah 5 752 968 357 1720 4.8 8 344.0 Montana 6 1074 1059 452 2133 4.7 16 355.5 Weber St. 6 1041 1248 443 2289 5.2 16 381.5 UC Davis 6 1246 1160 401 2406 6.0 23 401.0 Sac State 6 860 1660 401 2520 6.3 21 420.0 N. Colorado 5 1007 1154 402 2161 5.4 14 432.2 Montana St. 5 1191 1050 347 2241 6.5 22 448.2 Idaho St. 6 1939 785 448 2724 6.1 32 454.0 Cal Poly 6 1084 1789 451 2873 6.4 28 478.8 N. Arizona 6 1283 1637 474 2920 6.2 28 486.7 E. Washington 5 1755 1032 425 2787 6.6 27 557.4

TURNOVER MARGIN

Gained Lost

G Fum Int Tot Fum Int Tot Mar Per/G S. Utah 5 2 12 14 1 2 3 +11 2.20 Portland St. 5 4 8 12 2 1 3 +9 1.80 Cal Poly 6 4 6 10 2 2 4 +6 1.00 N. Colorado 5 5 3 8 2 5 7 +1 0.20 Montana St. 5 2 1 3 0 3 3 +0 0.00 E. Washington 5 2 2 4 2 4 6 -2 -0.40 Weber St. 6 2 5 7 1 9 10 -3 -0.50 Montana 6 6 3 9 6 6 12 -3 -0.50 Sac State 6 3 3 6 5 5 10 -4 -0.67 N. Arizona 6 0 3 3 3 4 7 -4 -0.67 UC Davis 6 4 2 6 5 6 11 -5 -0.83 N. Dakota 6 3 1 4 6 3 9 -5 -0.83 Idaho St. 6 2 3 5 6 9 15 -10 -1.67

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

FIRST DOWNS

G Rush Pass Pen Total 6 130 18 3 151 6 40 85 12 137 5 61 65 7 133 6 46 73 13 132 6 40 72 11 123 5 29 82 10 121 6 43 68 7 118 6 43 56 8 107 6 55 39 9 103 5 39 50 8 97 5 43 49 5 97 6 53 36 6 95 5 58 26 7 91

3RD-DN CONVERSIONS

Montana St. Cal Poly E. Washington N. Colorado UC Davis N. Dakota Sac State Portland St. Idaho St.

G Conv Att Pct 5 39 76 51.3 6 52 115 45.2 5 29 67 43.3 5 34 79 43.0 6 40 95 42.1 6 35 89 39.3 6 34 89 38.2 5 24 67 35.8 6 30 94 31.9

Montana N. Arizona Weber St. S. Utah

6 6 6 5

34 108 31.5 24 83 28.9 25 87 28.7 22 78 28.2

OPP 3RD-DN CONVERT

G Conv Att Pct 5 21 86 24.4 6 33 103 32.0 6 23 70 32.9 6 30 87 34.5 6 29 84 34.5 5 32 87 36.8 6 39 97 40.2 5 30 73 41.1 5 37 89 41.6 6 42 100 42.0 5 30 71 42.3 6 40 93 43.0 6 45 89 50.6

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

SACKS BY

G Sacks Yards Montana 6 23 133 N. Dakota 6 17 110 Weber St. 6 13 83 N. Arizona 6 12 80 Sac State 6 11 68 Idaho St. 6 10 72 N. Colorado 5 10 58 Montana St. 5 9 37 Portland St. 5 9 51 UC Davis 6 8 47 E. Washington 5 7 34 S. Utah 5 7 32 Cal Poly 6 6 35

SACKS AGAINST

G Sacks Yards Montana St. 5 4 38 Idaho St. 6 5 25 Cal Poly 6 5 13 E. Washington 5 6 22 Weber St. 6 7 35 Sac State 6 8 45 N. Colorado 5 9 66 Portland St. 5 11 74 S. Utah 5 11 71 UC Davis 6 12 87 N. Dakota 6 13 77 Montana 6 18 115 N. Arizona 6 18 84

4TH-DN CONVERSIONS

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

G Conv Att Pct 5 7 8 87.5 6 23 32 71.9 5 9 15 60.0 6 5 9 55.6 6 6 11 54.5 5 3 6 50.0 5 2 4 50.0 6 2 4 50.0 6 11 23 47.8 6 6 14 42.9 6 3 8 37.5 5 2 8 25.0 6 1 5 20.0

TIME OF POSSESSION

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

G Total Time Avg/G 6 209:40 34:56 6 204:45 34:07 6 191:56 31:59 5 159:00 31:48 6 189:18 31:33 5 155:55 31:11 6 177:04 29:30 5 138:53 27:46 5 136:47 27:21 6 163:53 27:18 6 159:57 26:39 5 132:55 26:35 6 154:31 25:45

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS‌ RUSHING

Team Cl G Att Yds Avg TD Long Yds/G Chris Brown CP SR 6 127 702 5.5 9 60 117.0 Casey Jahn NAU SR 5 103 579 5.6 2 56 115.8 Joe Protheroe CP SO 5 128 554 4.3 4 36 110.8 John Santiago UND FR 6 107 597 5.6 6 52 99.5 Jordan Robinson SAC JR 6 104 558 5.4 3 69 93.0

PASSING AVG/GAME

Team Cl G Att Cmp Int Pct. Yds TD Avg/G Jordan West EWU JR 5 169 124 3 73.4 1767 19 353.4 Dakota Prukop MSU JR 5 153 96 3 62.7 1625 14 325.0 Michael Sanders ISU JR 6 210 121 7 57.6 1500 15 250.0 Case Cookus NAU FR 6 134 89 2 66.4 1414 15 235.7 Ben Scott UCD JR 6 200 123 6 61.5 1377 11 229.5

RECEIVE YDS/GAME

Team Cl G Rec Yds TD Long Avg/C Yds/G Cooper Kupp EWU JR 5 50 780 10 73 15.6 156.0 Emmanuel Butler NAU SO 6 30 697 9 62 23.2 116.2 Kendrick Bourne EWU JR 5 34 514 7 98 15.1 102.8 Jamaal Jones UM SR 6 38 579 3 70 15.2 96.5 Madison Mangum ISU SR 6 39 543 6 47 13.9 90.5

TOTAL OFFENSE

Team Cl G Rush Pass Plays Total Yds/G Dakota Prukop MSU JR 5 424 1625 238 2049 409.8 Jordan West EWU JR 5 24 1767 188 1791 358.2 Case Cookus NAU FR 6 133 1414 189 1547 257.8 Michael Sanders ISU JR 6 -40 1500 215 1460 243.3 Ben Scott UCD JR 6 -34 1377 225 1343 223.8

INTERCEPTIONS

Team Cl G Int Yds TD Long Int/G P. Onwuasor PSU SR 5 3 98 0 61 0.60 Xavier Coleman PSU JR 5 3 33 0 33 0.60 Mike Needham SUU SR 5 3 28 1 27 0.60 B.J. Nard CP JR 6 3 40 0 40 0.50 Kyle Hannemann SUU SO 4 2 -6 0 0 0.50

PUNTING

Team Cl G Punt Yds Long Avg Mitch Meindel UND SO 6 32 1497 74 46.8 Ryan Hawkins NAU SR 6 32 1467 71 45.8 Tate Lewis SUU JR 5 43 1828 81 42.5 Josh Kealamakia WSU SR 6 36 1480 56 41.1 Zak Johnson ISU SO 6 18 734 63 40.8

SCORING

Team Cl G TD XPT FG 2XP Pts Pts/G Cooper Kupp EWU JR 5 10 0 0 0 60 12.0 Chris Brown CP SR 6 9 0 0 0 54 9.0 Emmanuel Butler NAU SO 6 9 0 0 0 54 9.0 Chad Newell MSU JR 5 7 0 0 0 42 8.4 Jabari Wilson EWU JR 5 7 0 0 0 42 8.4

FIELD GOALS

Team Cl G FG FGA Daniel Sullivan UM SR 6 9 12 Keita Calhoun SUU SO 5 7 8 Brady Stuart UCD SR 6 8 9 Reid Taubenheim UND SO 6 8 10 Brad Cornish SAC SR 6 8 11

Pct. FG/G 75.0 1.50 87.5 1.40 88.9 1.33 80.0 1.33 72.7 1.33

TACKLES

Team Cl G Pos Solo Ast Total Avg/G Sack Darnell Sankey SAC SR 6 LB 27 53 53.5 8.9 2.0 K. Van Ackeren UM SR 6 LB 30 44 52.0 8.7 0.0 Mac Bignell MSU SO 5 LB 28 19 37.5 7.5 0.0 Will Ratelle UND JR 6 LB 33 23 44.5 7.4 2.5 Tu’uta Inoke CP SR 6 LB 29 29 43.5 7.2 0.0 Miles Killebrew SUU SR 5 DB 26 20 36.0 7.2 0.0 Cody Sorensen ISU SR 6 DB 31 23 42.5 7.1 1.0 Tyler Kuder ISU SR 6 DL 31 23 42.5 7.1 2.0 Jeremy Lutali PSU SR 5 26 18 35.0 7.0 0.0 Eddie Horn NAU SR 6 35 12 41.0 6.8 0.0

SACKS

Team Cl G Pos Solo Ast Yds Total Avg/G Tyrone Holmes UM SR 6 DE 9 2 47 10.0 1.67 Kyle DeVaughn UCD SR 6 DL 4 0 25 4.0 0.67 Caleb Kidder UM JR 5 DT 2 1 24 2.5 0.50 George Obinna SAC FR 6 DL 3 0 21 3.0 0.50 Zach McDonnell NAU SR 6 DL 3 0 18 3.0 0.50

Missoulian, Saturday, October 17, 2015 — A9

GRIZZLY GAME DAY | STAT PACK

BIG SKY SKY CONFERENCE CONFERENCE STATISTICS BIG STATISTICS Team comparisons for games through Oct. 10, 2015 SCORING

POINTS ALLOWED

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

149 148 140 136 135 123 115 108

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

1,138

643 746 750 874 698 755 919 653 797

1,190 1,075

175 172

188

202

216

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

Total 1,686 2,824 2,089 2,732 YARDS 2,322 351 2,673 1,858 2,604 1,746 2,496 Rushing 1,605 2,479 1,457 2,155 Passing 1,384 2,139 746 1,936 952 1,871 *Through 5 792 1,867 games. Others 1,102 1,755 have played 943 1,740 6 games.

57

77

132 137 143

159 163

187 191 201 210 212

255

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

528 399

752

943

1,074 1,007 1,191 1,041 1,246 860 1,084 1,283

968

1,591 1,059 1,154 1,050 1,248 1,160 1,660 1,939 785 1,755 1,032 1,789 1,637

Total 1,471 1,720 1,990 2,133 2,161 2,241 2,289 2,406 2,520 2,724 2,787 2,873 2,920

Missoulian staff

Griz Opp Scoring average 24.8 22.8 First downs 132 109 Rushing yards 746 1074 Avg./Rush 3.5 3.5 Passing 171-293-6 78-144-3 Passing yards 1858 1059 Average per pass 6.3 7.4 Total offense 2604 2133 Plays per game 84.8 75.2 Average per play 5.1 4.7 3rd-down conv.

34-108 33-102 4th-down conv.

11-23 9-17 Time of possession 25:45 34:15 Fumbles-lost 10-6 14-6 Kick returns 15-20.1 23-21.4 Punt returns 12-7.7 9-0.9 Punting 33-39.5 44-39.9 Sacks by-yards 23-133 18-115 Penaltied 32-40.7 39-56.3 Montana 48 43 21 37 0 – 149 Opponents 41 52 24 17 3 – 137

Offensive leaders Rushing John Nguyen 73-318 (4.4 ypc), long 41, 2 TDs Joey Counts 22-104 (4.7), long 45, 1 TD Chad Chalich 46-84 (1.8), long 20, 1 TD Lorenzo Logwood 14-58 (4.1), long 15, 0 TDs Treshawn Favors 15-54 (3.6), long 17, 0 TDs Makena Simis 9-39 (4.3), long 19, 0 TDs Brady Gustafson 14-33 (2.4), long 6, 1 TD Jeremy Calhoun 10-27 (2.7), long 8, 1 TD Chase Naccarato 3-20 (6.7), long 8, 0 TDs Caleb Lyons 1-15 (15.0), long 10, 0 TDs Jamaal Jones 2-8 (4.0), long 10, 0 TDs Herbert Gamboa 1-0 (0.0), long 0, 0 TDs

‌MONTANA (3-3) STATISTICS

Passing Chalich 86-141-2, 908 yards, long 70, 6 TDs Gustafson 77-132-4, 841 yards, long 62, 4 TDs Simis 8-16-0, 109 yards, long 44, 1 TD Receiving Naccarato 40-240 (6.0 ypc), long 25, 1 TDs Jones 38-579 (15.2), long 70, 3 TD Ellis Henderson 26-408 (15.7), long 62, 3 TD Ben Roberts 25-290 (11.6), long 44, 4 TD Nguyen 17-90 (5.3), long 19, 0 TDs Reese Carlson 7-80 (11.4), long 31, 0 TDs Ryan Burke 7-49 (7.0), long 10, 0 TDs Lyons 3-11 (3.7), long 6, 0 TDs Josh Horner 2-75 (37.5), long 44, 0 TDs Logwood 2-12 (6.0), long 13, 0 TDs Counts 2-11 (5.5), long 7, 0 TDs Calhoun 1-15 (15.0), long 15, 0 TDs Gustafson 1-minus-2 (-2), long -2, 0 TDs

Defensive leaders Tackles Kendrick Van Ackeren 74, 30 solo Jeremiah Kose 58, 17 solo Tyrone Holmes 51, 17 solo Caleb Kidder 35, 8 solo Herbert Gamboa 33, 10 solo Jamal Wilson 31, 5 solo Derek Crittenden 30, 6 solo Yamen Sanders 28, 12 solo JR Nelson 26, 18 solo Justin Whitted 23, 9 solo Nate Bradley 22, 4 solo Eric Johnson 20, 8 solo Connor Lebsock 19, 8 solo Nate Harris 19, 13 solo Ryan Johnson 17, 5 solo Tucker Schye 10, 4 solo

Tackles for loss Holmes 11.5-50 Gamboa 4.0-17 R. Johnson 3.0-14 Kidder 2.5-24 Whitted 2.5-16 Schye 2.5-14 Wilson 2.0-3 Y. Sanders 1.5-6 Connor Strahm 1.5-6 Kose 1.5-5 Bradley 1.0-6 Crittenden 1.0-5 Nelson 1.0-1 Van Ackeren 0.5-2 Harris 0.5-1 Markell Sanders 0.5-0 Sacks Holmes 10.0-47 Kidder 2.5-24 R. Johnson 2.0-13 Schye 1.5-12 Kose 1.5-5 Gamboa 1.5-5 Whitted 1.0-12 Bradley 1.0-6 Wilson 1.0-2 Crittenden 0.5-4 Strahm 0.5-3 Interceptions Y. Sanders 1-0 Kidder 1-0 R. Johnson 1-0 Fumbles forced-recovered Henderson 1-1 Holmes 1-0 E. Johnson 1-0 Wilson 1-0 Van Ackeren 0-2

Kidder 0-1 M. Sanders 0-1 Schye 0-1 Pass breakups Nelson 4 Harris 4 Kidder 2 Whitted 2 Van Ackeren 1 Gamboa 1 Y. Sanders 1 E. Johnson 1 Blocked kicks Van Ackeren 1 Schye 1 Connor Strahm 1 Safeties Crittenden 1 Team 1

Special teams leaders PATs/Field goals Daniel Sullivan 14-16/9-12, long 28, 0 blocked, 41 points Punting Chris Lider 33-39.5, long 60, 9 inside 20, 0 touchbacks, 0 blocked Punt returns Nguyen 8-7.0, long 16, 0 TDs Strahm 1-18.0, long 18, 0 TDs Henderson 1-5.0, long 5, 0 TDs Kickoff returns Henderson 12-21.4, long 40, 0 TDs Jones 2-16.0, long 17, 0 TDs Counts 1-13.0, long 13, 0 TDs

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hat are the three most common words Nate Harris hears?

High among those listed could be, “Nate, shut up,” the Montana senior cornerback can admit with a laugh.

“Sometimes my peers, they might get annoyed,” added the loquacious, though affable 22-year-old.

It’s part of what makes Harris, a three-year starter at corner, so good at his job for the Griz. He’s got all the physical check marks (speed, strength, anticipation), but there’s a mental warfare that goes on when opposing offenses take the field.

The best defense is diversion and distraction.

“That’s just who he is and he likes to try and get in the opponent’s head,” said Griz receiver Jamaal Jones, a frequent target of friendly barbs during practices.

“Other than just locking ‘em down, he’ll talk to ‘em too.

That’s his game and he’s gotten really good at it.”

Harris’s talkative ways started early, growing up in Chino, California, an inland suburban Los Angeles city about midway between LA proper and San Bernardino.

But rather than becoming the class clown and acting out, Harris was instead more a class conversationalist.

He walked a nice line between troublemaker for teachers and an outgoing pleasure to have in class.

“My mom raised me in the right way to learn that,” said Harris, the middle child of mother Monique and father Michael Harris. “She realized that very early in my life. I haven’t gotten in too much trouble with my mouth since.”

Football was another early starter for Harris and he picked up the game around age 7, following in the footsteps of his brother, Michael Harris II, who was 3 years his senior.

It wasn’t so much cornerback back then, though.

Harris craved the ball and the spotlight. Running back was his fix.

Montana’s Nate Harris breaks up a pass intended for Eastern Was “I wanted the ball in my hands, wanted the

Missoulian, Saturday, October 17, 2015 — A11

DAY / NATE HARRIS

shington’s Cooper Kupp last season.

BIGGEST JACKPOT PAYOUT IN THE REGION

We had kind of a bond and I sat down with my parents and felt like Montana was a better program for me. At first I thought I would never come to Montana and I would never be this far away from California. ...

But defense, growing up and understanding football more and understanding my purpose more, I fell in love with defensive back. I love stopping guys. It was challenging.”

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— Nate Harris touchdowns,” he remembered. “I wanted all the fame and all the glory.”

And there was plenty of recognition. He rushed for 1,100 yards and 14 scores as a senior at Chino Hills High School in 2010, earning all-league and all-California Interscholastic Federation recognition.

The 5-foot-10, 180-pounder drew scholarship offers from colleges around the western United States to play running back and slot receiver. Harris very well could have been a collegiate running back playing in Washington-Grizzly Stadium.

Just not as a Grizzly.

He committed to Montana’s Big Sky Conference foe Portland State as a RB. Yet the more he thought about it, the more contrition he felt. His initial commitment had been, admittedly, rushed. And the relationship Harris had built with Aric Williams, the former CBs coach at Montana under head men Robin Pflugrad and Mick Delaney, was awfully comforting.

Before national signing day in February 2011, Harris changed his decision. He’d be heading to the hills of Montana, the snow and the defensive side of the ball for good.

“We had kind of a bond and I sat down with my parents and felt like Montana was a better program for me,” Harris said. “At first I thought I would never come to Montana and I would never be this far away from California. “... But defense, growing up and understanding football more and understanding my purpose more, I fell in love with defensive back. I love stopping guys. It was challenging.”

Harris appeared in 10 games as a redshirt freshman in 2012, starting two, and kicked off a long stretch as a staple of the defensive secondary. Harris started 13 games in each of the past two seasons and has reprised his role at field cornerback in five of six games so far in 2015.

Even when he’s not on the field, Harris is making an impact, said current Griz corners coach JB Hall Jr. KURT WILSON/Missoulian‌

See HARRIS, Page A12

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GRIZZLY GAME DAY | FROM PAGE A11

Harris Continued

“The week he was out with that concussion deal, he was still involved as far as game planning,” Hall said, “getting the younger guys behind him ready and taking them under his wing. He does that week in, week out whether he’s NATE HARRIS playing or not. That’s a big No. 11 part of what we ask him to do.”

Year: R-Sr. Harris drew an all-Big Sky honorable mention Positions: CB last season after totaling 55 Height: 5-10 tackles and one interception, down a bit from three Weight: 180 picks as a sophomore.

Hometown: The interceptions have been few for Montana’s Chino, Calif. defense this fall — three total with just one among the DBs (safety Yamen Sanders) — but Harris still covets the chance to get the ball in his hands as much as he did during his runningback days.

“I need to get some more (interceptions),” he chuckled. “... (The defensive line), they’re putting pressure on the quarterbacks and we’re locking down and letting them get sacks. I always mess with Tyrone (Holmes, UM’s senior passrushing defensive end), tell him this time get to the quarterback but don’t sack him. Let him throw the ball.

“I’ve got to get some balls my way and TOMMY MARTINO, Missoulian get some opportunities.”

Senior Nate Harris is a three-year starter at cornerback for the Montana Grizzlies football team.

Senior strong safety Justin Whitted, a fellow Southern California native in March and a shot at turning his foot- classes, there’s law school, where Harris The behind-the-scenes aspects of and UM classmate of Harris’s, called ball propensity into a career in the NFL. could thrive using his gab and charisma football — film review and scheming, the cornerback the communicator of Secondly, perhaps after a year off from — his other unique set of skills. play calling and strategizing — might be the defense.

Harris’s favorite thing about the game.

“He always handles his business,” It’s as true during video game rounds of Whitted said.

That gets easier to do over time, Har- NFL Madden on Xbox — “He likes to talk smack, but when you’re up two touchris added. The game slows down once on nFL PACKAGE noW In THE BoWL DoG LoUnGE! downs he finally silences up,” Whitted you’ve been in it for years and years. joked — as it is for live action Saturdays.

Football is football, whether it’s at the The passion may lead to the defender pee-wee parks in Chino or within boiswww.missoulabowling.com NEW AT WESTSIDE LANES...12 FOOT SCREENS TO one day becoming Coach Harris, though terous Washington-Grizzly.

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Karaoke will be r sociology, Harris has two main targets before we give it to him (each week),” Wed, Thurs in mind.

Hall said. “He’s very good at being a and Fri First there’s a chance for an extended student of the game, knowing where @ 8:30pm and 2nd and last football life — the goal of most college he needs to be. He’s always gonna Sat @ 9:00 players — training for Montana’s pro day study tape.”

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Missoulian, Saturday, October 17, 2015 — A13

GRIZZLY GAME DAY

The spread infiltrating even traditional SEC KURT VOIGT AP Sports Writer‌

‌FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Kliff Kingsbury did more than just draw a line around the fertile high school football fields of Texas when he called out Arkansas coach Bret Bielema last month.

The Texas Tech coach also fired a shot heard across the country by noting that Arkansas had lost consecutive games to teams using a spread offense after Bielema allegedly favored pro offenses over the spread during a summer convention.

It was a flashpoint in what has become nothing short of philosophical battleground over the evolution of offense in college football.

It’s difficult to watch high school football and not buy into Kingsbury’s assertion that 90 percent of Texas high schools — and far beyond — use some form of spread offense every week. And while that number hasn’t quite reached such heights in the land of Bear Bryant, even the Southeastern Conference has started to resemble its prep counterparts in recent years.

From Auburn to Kentucky to Mississippi, with a dash of Alabama and others in between, the spread has become more than just a way of life for some coaches.

It’s the ultimate tool to counter the defensive talent so abundant in the SEC. “In this league, it’s so difficult to just line up and say, ‘We’re going to block these guys and run the ball,’” Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said. “The spread gives you some smoke and mirrors and some ways to maybe neutralize some of the talent we face on the defensive side of the ball. I think there’s some evidence out there now that other (coaches) are starting to feel the same way.”

Freeze knows as much as anyone in the SEC about the league’s slow adaptation to the spread. Like Auburn coach Gus Malzahn, Freeze’s start came in the high school coaching ranks. The two have helped changed the perception that the spread was an offense best left to other leagues long thought of as breeding grounds for high-scoring innovation, including Conference USA, the American Athletic Conference, Big 12 or Sun Belt — which makes use of the hashtag “FunBelt” on its Twitter account.

BRYNN ANDERSON, AP Photo‌

Auburn wide receiver Ricardo Louis reaches for a pass against San Jose State cornerback Jimmy Pruitt during the first half of an NCAA college football game Oct. 3 in Auburn, Ala. Both Freeze and Malzahn have had immediate success in the SEC, with Ole Miss leading the league with an average or 46.8 points per game this season and Auburn having reached two national championship games under Malzahn. But his Tigers also serve as a cautionary tale.

No position is more critical to a spread offense’s success than quarterback, and lacking a playmaker at that position — whether because of youth, injury or lack of talent — can lead to the kind of turmoil Auburn is going through this season.

It’s a point not lost on former Arkansas and Alabama defensive coordinator Joe Kines, who retired following the 2009 season after a career that saw him prepare to face everything from the wishbone to the spread. He said the

spread “took a while to cross the Mississippi” before eventually making its way into the SEC. “The fact that you line up in the spread doesn’t mean anything, and the fact you try to go fast doesn’t mean anything,” Kines said. “You can draw that stuff up on the blackboard until you’re blue in the face, but if you can’t throw it and catch it, it (doesn’t) really make a lot of difference.”

The difficulty in finding skill-position depth, specifically at wide receiver, is one of the reasons Georgia coach Mark Richt has stayed with a pro-style offense in his 15 seasons with the Bulldogs. It’s also why he was forced to target former NFL coaches following last season while searching for an offensive coordinator, simply because there are “so many teams

that are just spread.”

Georgia eventually hired Brian Schottenheimer, setting a school record by averaging 41.3 points per game last season.

“We’ll get into the spread to some degree, but we still want to have a physical running game to complement a play-action passing game and complement our ability to spread and do those kinds of things,” Richt said. “It’s kind of hard to find (enough wide receivers to play in four- and five-receiver sets in the college ranks.”

That link to the professional ranks is also a key point for pro-style teams such as Georgia, LSU and Arkansas as they recruit against spread teams selling wide-open offensive fun to skill-position talent across the country.

A14 — Missoulian, Saturday, October 17, 2015

GRIZZLY GAME DAY / P ICKS

HOW WE SEE THE BIG SKY

AJ MAZZOLINI

BOB MESEROLL

KYLE SAMPLE

BILL SPELTZ

30-16

30-16

30-16

29-17

No. 16 Montana State at No. 17 Portland State: This is a terrific matchup pitting the most prolific offense in the Big Sky (Bobcats) against ‌Last place. the most stingy defense (Vikings). My Not last best place, with all its glorious connotations for our beloved Trea- co-workers may disagree but I like Portland State at home, with its surging sure State. Just plain ol’ last place. offense squaring off against a Montana That’s where yours truly sits among his colleagues after last week’s round of State defense that has allowed an average of 36.5 points per game. AJ: MSU Big Sky Conference football picks. It’s 35, PSU 22. Bob: Montana State 45, frankly a humbling place.

Portland State 42. Kyle: Portland State Fortunately, there’s time to regroup.

With a little luck I could even be in first 35, MSU 24. Bill: Portland State 38, Montana State 35. place by next week. It’s that close.

No. 8 Eastern Washington at The bad news for Montana Griz fans is Idaho State: The Bengals came out of there will be no redemption this week.

North Dakota with a nice win last week.

The Grizzlies are idle and their coach, But here’s a funny thing about this Bob Stitt, is feeling even more humble than me after my ill-fated prognostica- team: Idaho State has this reputation of racking up big scoring numbers, but tion last week that North Texas would it hasn’t really happened this season. beat Portland State.

The Bengals average 20.6 points per The Vikings won that game, 66-7.

Then right after it was over, North Texas game, which ranks 10th in the 13-team Big Sky. The Eagles, on the other hand, axed its coach, Dan McCarney. are a juggernaut, averaging 40 points Geez, those Mean Green don’t per game. AJ: EWU 72, ISU 49. Bob: mess around.

BILL SPELTZ bill.speltz@missoulian.com‌

Every minute. Every day.

Bill: T-birds 31, Hornets 21.

North Dakota at Weber State: So what the heck are we to make of these Wildcats? Beating the Griz in Missoula must count for something. After all, defending national champion North Dakota State couldn’t accomplish that feat back in August. About the only thing we might safely say at this point is they’re inconsistent. Just like this week’s opponent, NoDak. AJ: UND 20, Weber 16. Bob: Weber State 27, North Eastern Washington 56, Idaho State 53.

Dakota 24. Kyle: UND 24, Weber 13.

Kyle: Eastern 45, ISU 35. Bill: Eagles Bill: Mildcats 28, Domers 21.

56, Bengals 24.

UC Davis at Northern Colorado: Sacramento State at Southern This is a tussle between two inconUtah: The last time the Thunderbirds took the field was Oct. 2 when they blew sistent teams coming off their biggest out Weber State in Ogden, 44-0. That’s wins of the season. Davis beat Northern the same Wildcats team that beat Mon- Arizona last week. UNC beat Sac State tana last week in Missoula. So how good in Greeley two weeks ago. So which is this SUU team that shares the Big Sky team truly turned a corner? Your guess is as good as mine. I’m picking the lead with EWU at 2-0? Hard to say at Bears to win because they’re celebrating this point, but definitely good enough to beat the struggling Hornets, who lost homecoming. AJ: UC Dave 14, NoCo 13.

Bob: Northern Colorado 2, UC Davis 0.

35-13 at MSU last week. AJ: SUU 44, Kyle: UNC 17, Davis 13. Bill: Bears 21, Sac 6. Bob: Southern Utah 27, SacraAggies 17. mento State 18. Kyle: SUU 28, Sac 7.

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Missoulian, Saturday, October 17, 2015 — A15

GRIZZLY GAME DAY | LAST WEEK

AROUND THE BIG SKY Montana quarterback Chad Chalich avoids a tackle from Emmett Tela against Weber State last week.

TOMMY MARTINO, Missoulian‌

‌Weber State earns first win in Missoula since 1987: Before Saturday, the Weber State Wildcats hadn’t won in Missoula in 28 seasons. Well, secondyear head coach Jay Hill and the 2015 Wildcats changed that theme, as Weber State used a 27-yard field goal by Josh Kealamakia to pick up a 24-21 overtime win over 12th-ranked Montana. The Wildcats scored first in the game, as Eric Wilkes scored on a three-yard run.

The Grizzlies scored two consecutive touchdowns to take a 14-7 lead, but then Weber found some momentum in the

second quarter. First, Wildcats quarterback Jadrian Clark found Cameron Livingston for a 15-yard touchdown, and then Cordero Dixon intercepted a Chad Chalich pass, returning it 30 yards for a touchdown that gave Weber State a 21-14 halftime lead. Montana tied the game in the fourth quarter as backup QB Makena Simis found Ben Roberts on a 44-yard pass. The Grizzlies initially had the ball in the overtime period, but a Simis fumble was recovered by Filipe Sitake to set the Wildcats up.

Portland State downs second FBS North Texas, 66-7: Getting one FBS upset in a season is a reason for celebration, but getting two in one season?

Portland State is having to deal with the success, as the Vikings dominated the North Texas Mean Green in a recordsetting way. Yes, the Vikings set the record for largest margin of victory of an FCS team over an FBS team. Alex Kuresa completed 11-of-19 passes for 269 yards and three touchdowns, while David Jones rushed for 134 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries. The Vikings held a 45-0

lead at halftime, and didn’t allow a score until there was 1:02 remaining in the game. Portland State is the third different FCS team to register two wins over FBS opponents in a season, and the first since North Dakota State did it in 2007.

UC Davis earns first win of season, 38-24, over Northern Arizona: UC Davis earned its first victory of the season by overcoming a rough start.

Northern Arizona led 7-0 after See BIG SKY, Page A18

A16 — Missoulian, Saturday, October 17, 2015

GRIZZLY GAME DAY

BEAR HUG

A Grizzly ball carrier is gang tackled by Weber State defenders last week.

TOMMY MARTINO, Missoulian‌

Missoulian, Saturday, October 17, 2015 — A17

GRIZZLY GAME DAY

I CAN DO THIS SITTING DOWN

Montana’s Tyrone Holmes (91) works to tackle Weber State running back Eric Wilkes last week against Weber State.

TOMMY MARTINO, Missoulian‌

A18 — Missoulian, Saturday, October 17, 2015

GRIZZLY GAME DAY | FROM PAGE A15

Big Sky

Associated Press‌

Eastern Washington tight end Zach Wimberly catches a Jordan West touchdown pass Saturday in Cheney, Wash. The Eagles beat the Mustangs in overtime.

touchdown pass of the day, Eastern Washington quarterback Jordan West found Kendrick Bourne for a 25-yard Continued touchdown pass in overtime. Cal Poly came back to score on a Chris Brown quarterback Case Cookus found run, but the two-point conversion found R. J. Rickert for a touchdown, failed. Cal Poly held a 28-13 lead after but the Aggies responded with two Joe Protheroe scored on a six-yard touchdowns to take a 14-7 lead at run with 1:30 left in the third quarter, the end of the first quarter. Cookus but Eastern Washington went on would tie the game at 17-17 on a touchdown late in the second quarter a 21-7 run in the fourth quarter to send the game to overtime. The last to Emmanuel Butler, but UC Davis scored 21 straight points in the second touchdown came on a 16-yard pass half to put the game out of reach. UC from West to Nic Splendorio. Bourne finished with 10 catches for 84 yards Davis quarterback Ben Scott comand two touchdowns. pleted 20-of-35 passes for 289 yards

and three touchdowns, while running Montana State prevails back Manusamoa Luuga rushed for over Sacramento State, 35-13: 96 yards and two touchdowns.

Montana State registered 511 yards

of offense in a Big Sky win. Bobcats Eastern Washington outduels quarterback Dakota Prukop comCal Poly in overtime, 42-41: pleted 12-of-22 passes for 277 yards The other overtime game in Big Sky and a touchdown, while also rushing football came down to a clash of one for 69 yards and two touchdowns. of the nation’s top passing offenses Prukop opened the game by finding and its best rushing offense. Eastern Washington’s passing offense allowed Mitchell Herbert for a 79-yard touchdown less than a minute into the the Eagles to overcome a massive game. After a Justin Paige touchdown 503-yard rushing performance by run, MSU held a 14-0 lead. However, the Mustangs, earning an overtime victory that lifts Eastern Washington Sacramento State responded with a 2-0 in conference play. On his fourth touchdown and a field goal to trail

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14-10. A Prukop touchdown run gave Montana State a 21-10 halftime lead.

Idaho State ends long road trip with win over North Dakota: On the back end of a four-game road trip, the Idaho State Bengals weren’t expected to close out the trip with a win over a nationally-ranked North Dakota team. Thankfully for the Bengals, expectations don’t always come true, as the Bengals used a second-half surge to pick up a 37-31 victory over North Dakota at the Alerus Center. Idaho State scored the last 21 points of the game, as Bengals quarterback Michael Sanders threw two touchdown passes, and Jakori Ford scored on receiving and rushing touchdowns. North Dakota held a 31-15 lead with 1:21 to go in the third quarter, after a 27-yard touchdown run by John Santiago. UND had held a 21-15 halftime lead. Santiago rushed for 155 yards and two scores. Idaho State running back Xavier Finney didn’t have gaudy rushing numbersjust 17 carries for 36 yards- but he passed the 3000-yard mark for his career in the game. Sanders completed 32-of-49 passes for 427 yards and four touchdowns.

Missoulian, Saturday, October 17, 2015 — A19

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‌1. Griz linebacker Kendrick Van Ackeren is averaging 12.3 tackles per game through six games for 74 total stops. KVA is on pace to break the school single-season mark of 129 held by which two players? a) Colt Anderson

d) Matt Hermanson

b) Tim Hauck

e) Tyler Joyce

c) Vince Huntsberger

f) Jordan Tripp

2. Montana’s loss to Weber State last week dropped the Griz to 3-3, matching UM’s start to the 2012 season. Prior to 2012, when was the last time Montana went 3-3 to open a year? a) 2011

c) 1997

b) 1998

d) 1986

3. Griz defensive end Tyrone Holmes has 10 sacks so far this season. How many Big Sky Conference teams have less than 10 total? a) 2

c) 6

b) 4

d) 8 Answers: 1. a and b; 2. b; 3. c.

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A20 — Missoulian, Saturday, October 17, 2015

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