Griz 6-0 despite low performance numbers

By: Bill Oram
GameDay Kaimin

The University of Montana football team is ranked No. 3 in the nation. Yet when compared to teams in their own conference, the Griz have put up numbers that could best be described as middle-of-the-road.
The Griz have been out-gained nearly 2-to-1 each of the last two weeks in total offense, and have been forced to rely on big, game-saving plays in the fourth quarter to squeeze out wins against Eastern Washington and Sacramento State.
Despite having arguably the most talented group of running backs in the conference, the Griz are ranked second to last in rushing yards per game in the Big Sky, and their pass offense ranks dead last in the nine-team league.
Against Eastern Washington, the Eagles posted a gaudy 565 offensive yards, while the Griz mustered just 289. As an encore, the Grizzlies were doubled-up offensively when Sac State had 346 yards – exactly twice as many as the Griz – in the 17-3 Montana win.
Despite the lack of offensive productivity, the Griz stand at 6-0 with their sights set on a probable playoff berth, barring a late-season meltdown.
“I’m not into numbers other than the ‘W’ in the left-hand column,” Montana head coach Bobby Hauck said Tuesday.
Today the Griz will look to improve on their marginal numbers when they host a team that is also familiar with futility. The Northern Colorado Bears are winless on the season, but also played a grueling preseason schedule that included games at Hawaii, San Diego and Cal Poly. But the Bears also lost a home game to Division II Chadron State, who also knocked off Montana State last season in Bozeman.
The highly regarded Grizzlies can expect a challenge from the Bears, Hauck said.
“Northern Colorado will come in hungry, they’re playing hard,” he said. “I’ve watched every game in some form or fashion that they’ve played this year. Their coaches have them playing hard, that’s what we expect. They have not come out in the win column like they wanted to in numerous games.”
Despite concerns surrounding the Montana offense, Northern Colorado coach Scott Downing doesn’t see where the Griz have a lot of holes.
“I don’t think they have a lot of problems,” he said. “I would tell you this, I think their scheme is good, they’re very well coached, they’re technically very sound.”
Downing said he didn’t think the Grizzlies had been under-producing in recent weeks, rather that other teams were playing up to Montana’s level.
“I think one of the things that probably catches up with a team like Montana, like I’ve said before, they’ve got a big target on their chest,” he said. “They’re the top team in the league and one of the top teams in the nation.”
Senior offensive tackle Cody Balogh said the Grizzly offense was planning to spend this week in practice regrouping and trying to find a rhythm.
“Northern Colorado’s a good team, but we’re going to focus on us this week,” Balogh said. “We’ve got some stuff we’ve got to take care of, and hopefully it will end up in a good way on Saturday.”
Hauck cautioned that the Griz couldn’t overlook the Bears.
“They’re a team that we can beat if we go out and play well,” he said.
Downing said he’s been pleased with the team’s effort, and that even though the wins haven’t happened yet this year, the Bears have a positive attitude.
“Our kids are tired of losing. Our coaches are tired of losing, but it’s not from a lack of effort,” he said.
Just a week removed from being ranked No. 1 in The Sports Network’s top 25, the Grizzlies are in a completely opposite situation.
“That team at Montana knows how to win,” he said. “Sometimes maybe they don’t win by the point margin that people want them to win by, but we don’t get any style points for margin of victory.”