eGriz
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Joined: 27 Mar 2002
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Location: Missoula, Montana
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TSN I-AA Top 25.
I-AA Ballot of the Czar (Otto Fad).
Griz earn player of the week honors; Hilliard suspended (Independent Record).
Former local prep stars shine for the Griz (Independent Record).
Maine looks to refocus; Black Bears solid in loss (Bangor Daily News).
Opening loss to Southern Utah leaves Weber St. coach fuming (Missoulian).
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Anchorage football team anxious for Friday's game vs. CMR (Great Falls Tribune).
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Hankins, Williams and Zaitz honored as TSN I-AA Players of the Week Upset proves a point (The Republic).
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Griz move up to second spot courtesy of Delaware's loss By the Missoulian
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2004/09/07/sports/sports03. txt
The Montana Grizzlies moved up one notch to No. 2 in the Division I-AA football poll released by the Sports Network on Monday. Montana received 17 first-place votes after a 27-20 season-opening victory over Maine, which fell from No. 11 to 17.
Southern Illinois took over the top spot for the first time in school history with a 42-3 victory over Southeast Missouri, coupled with No. 1 Delaware's 24-21 upset loss to unranked New Hampshire. Southern Illinois, ranked second in the preseason, received 56 first-place votes.
Rounding out the top five were Wofford, Colgate and Furman. Defending national champion Delaware slipped to No. 7.
Montana State (No. 12) and Northern Arizona (No. 13) were the other Big Sky Conference schools to make the top 25. Montana State opens its season Saturday at home against Adams State, while NAU dropped its opener at Arizona, 21-3.
Delaware coach K.C. Keeler said he still has faith in his Blue Hens, despite giving up 340 yards in a home loss to New Hampshire.
Continued…
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2004/09/07/sports/sports03. txt
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Southern Illinois captures number one ranking
http://www.sportsnetwork.com/default.asp?c=sportsnetwork&page= cfoot2/news/AGN3481156.htm
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - For the first time in school history, the Southern Illinois Salukis have earned the No. 1 ranking in The Sports Network Top 25 poll. Jerry Kill's club, which was ranked No. 2 in the preseason, ascended to the top spot after it defeated Southeast Missouri, 42-3, and former No. 1 Delaware lost, 24-21, to unranked New Hampshire. The Salukis earned 56 first-place votes and 2,050 total points in this week's balloting.
Montana moved up a spot to No. 2 after defeating then No. 11 Maine, 27-20. The Grizzlies captured 17 first-place votes and 1,979 points. Wofford and Colgate each moved up a spot to No. 3 and No. 4, respectively, after both were idle for the weekend. Furman climbed two spots to round out the top five after a 52-7 triumph over Presbyterian.
McNeese State moved up two spots to No. 6 after defeating Southern, 35-17. After losing to New Hampshire, defending national champion Delaware fell from the top spot all the way to No. 7. Villanova knocked off Bucknell, 20-14, to move up a spot to No. 8. The Wildcats are one spot ahead of Northern Iowa, which fell three places after falling to Iowa State, 23-0. Georgia Southern remains at No. 10.
Continued…
http://www.sportsnetwork.com/default.asp?c=sportsnetwork&page= cfoot2/news/AGN3481156.htm
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I-AA Ballot of the Czar
Otto Fad, CFAA/I-AA.com
http://www.i-aa.com/news/article_4860.shtml
Check the Czar's official weekly ballot for The Sports Network I-AA Top 25 poll.
SEPTEMBER 5, 2004
1. (3) S. Illinois 1-0. After big opening win over SEMO, easy top pick; MAC power NIU is next.
2. (4) Montana 1-0. Griz' defeated toughest I-AA foe of any winner. Hofstra is 2nd A-10 visitor.
3. (5) McNeese St 1-0. Topped talented SWAC foe on Southern's home turf; Mumme & Co. this week.
4. (6) E. Kentucky 0-0. Idle. Now head for the mountains to face App State in Boone.
5. (7) Woff-woff-wofford Terriers 0-0. Idle. Travel to tussle with intrastate foe SC State.
6. (2) Ga So 0-1. Gave BCS' #3 team all it wanted most of the game; next: breather vs. JC Smith.
7. (8) Villanova 1-0. 'Cats took their time putting Bucknell away; face Lehigh.
8. (1) Delaware 0-1. 10-game home streak broken (non-league loss); Towson visits this week.
Continued…
http://www.i-aa.com/news/article_4860.shtml
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Griz earn player of the week honors
By The Helena Independent Record, 09/7/04
http://www.helenair.com/articles/2004/09/07/sports/b01090604_0 5.txt
OGDEN, Utah (AP) - Montana quarterback Craig Ochs and kicker Dan Carpenter received Big Sky Conference player of the week honors Monday, the league announced.
Ochs, a senior from Boulder, Colo., was named the offensive player of the week. He completed 22-of-33 passes for 217 yards and three second-half touchdowns and no interceptions in third-ranked Montana's 27-20 victory over No. 11 Maine on Saturday.
Ochs had TD passes of 25 yards to Jefferson Heidelberger, 12 yards to Jon Talmage and 2 yards to Willie Walden and also rushed for 33 yards.
Carpenter, a freshman from Helena, kicked field goals of 32 and 47 yards and made all three of his extra points in his first game for the Grizzlies.
Portland State defensive end Andrew Dorsey was named the league's defensive player of the week.
Sollmann's hot streak noticed by Parent club
Continued…
http://www.helenair.com/articles/2004/09/07/sports/b01090604_0 5.txt
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Former local prep stars shine for the Griz
By Tom Stuber, Helena Independent Record, 09/7/04
http://www.helenair.com/articles/2004/09/07/sports/b01090604_0 3.txt
It was quite a debut for the University of Montana's true freshman kicker Dan Carpenter. All the Helena High product did was make all five of his kicks and drill one kickoff into the end zone in the Grizzlies season opening 27-20 win over Maine.
Carpenter's effort earned the Big Sky's Special Team's player of the week award. He connected on field goals of 32 and 47 yards, and made three extra points.
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Capital High grad and starting outside linebacker Shane McIntyre led the Grizzlies with eight tackles. McIntyre is one of three new linebackers for UM.
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While Carroll College had the weekend off, they may have taken some solace in watching Notre Dame and Idaho State get dumped in their season openers. The Irish (20-17 losers to Brigham Young) and Bengals (38-24 losers to San Diego State) were part of a multi-team conspiracy that rubbed out the Saints scheduled game with ISU.
"I understand Notre Dame wants to start playing seven home games a year, so I'm thinking about calling coach (Tyrone) Willingham to get something scheduled for 2006," Carroll coach Mike Van Diest joked. "They don't even have to come back out here. Seriously, I know how things can trickle down in that situation, but it was a bit of let down for our kids, because it's always a challenge to play a team from the Big Sky Conference."
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Maine looks to refocus
Black Bears solid in loss
By Pete Warner, Bangor Daily News
http://www.bangornews.com/editorialnews/article.cfm?ID=433761
The University of Maine football team would certainly have preferred to open its season with a victory Saturday at Montana.
Instead, on the heels of a 27-20 loss, coach Jack Cosgrove's Black Bears will turn their attention to the next opponent. Northern Colorado (1-0) visits Orono for a 6 p.m. game Saturday at Alfond Stadium.
It is UMaine's only home game during the first five weeks of the 2004 season.
Sophomore quarterback Ron Whitcomb, who completed 24 of 32 passes for 234 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions at Montana, said UMaine can't be sidetracked by the setback.
"I think win or loss this game has no effect on our season," said Whitcomb, who completed nine straight passes from late in the second quarter through the first two minutes of the fourth.
"We're going to play every week, each game. We still have to win the Atlantic 10, that's priority No. 1," said Whitcomb, referring to the NCAA automatic playoff berth that goes with the conference title.
Whitcomb, who was picked off only 10 times in 11 games last season, has thrown five interceptions in his last two outings, including three in the 2003 season finale at New Hampshire.
UMaine played a solid game against the Grizzlies, but was plagued by penalties and failed to demonstrate the ability to make plays in key situations. Even so, it's a game the Bears will remember.
Continued…
http://www.bangornews.com/editorialnews/article.cfm?ID=433761
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Opening loss to Southern Utah leaves Weber St. coach fuming
By BOB MESEROLL, Missoulian
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2004/09/07/sports/sports02. txt
Weber State football coach Jerry Graybeal has never been one to mince words.
"I'm mad, real mad," Graybeal told the Ogden Standard-Examiner following the Wildcats' 34-31 season-opening loss to Southern Utah last Saturday in Ogden. "Bottom line: I know one thing about teams I've coached here, they don't take themselves out of ballgames because of a lack of discipline. We lost our composure tonight. Our lack of discipline tonight cost us the ballgame."
Southern Utah's offense averaged nearly 7 yards per snap behind quarterback Casey Rehrer, who threw for 266 yards and four touchdowns. The T-Birds piled up 490 yards of total offense, knifing through Weber's defense to score on their first three possessions. Each time, Weber responded with a field goal and found itself down 21-9 at the half.
"We had a couple of guys out there on the field in their maiden voyage and they got the deer-in-the-headlights look," Graybeal said.
Weber was able to cut the lead to 27-24 with a couple of third-quarter touchdowns, including a 4-yard run by Nick Chournos, who rushed for 119 yards. But Weber could never get over the hump.
"As bad as we played, we had chances to win the game and we just didn't do it," Chournos said. "I had a chance to take over the game and I didn't do it."
A silly penalty might have been all that stood between Northern Arizona and an upset of in-state rival Arizona of the Pac-10.
Arizona, playing its home opener under new coach Mike Stoops, led just 7-3 late in the third quarter. NAU running back Roger Robinson broke loose for 30 yards to the Arizona 5, but apparently celebrated too much for the Pac-10 officiating crew's liking and was penalized 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct, a call the Arizona Republic termed "charitable" for Arizona. On the next play, NAU receiver Kory Hahr took a hard hit from safety Darrell Brooks and fumbled. Arizona recovered. The Wildcats tacked on two fourth-quarter touchdowns to win 21-3.
Continued…
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2004/09/07/sports/sports02. txt
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Anchorage football team anxious for Friday's game vs. CMR
By Mike Towne, Great Falls Tribune
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/news/stories/20040907/localsp orts/1190805.html
Nine years ago, the Robert Service High Cougars of Anchorage, Alaska, suffered a 20-14 defeat to the Helena High Bengals at Vigilante Stadium in Helena.
The Service football team returns to Montana this week, hoping for a better result when it meets the C.M. Russell High Rustlers Friday night at Great Falls' Memorial Stadium. And while coach Jason Caldarera and his Cougars are "really looking forward" to playing CMR, they know it will be a difficult task.
"We've heard a lot about CMR and its rich football tradition. We're interested in seeing how Alaska football stacks up with Montana football," said Caldarera via phone last Friday afternoon.
Russell has won 11 state Class AA championships and six runner-up trophies, all during coach Jack Johnson's tenure.
Service has a rich football tradition of its own, having won four state titles since 1994. The Cougars, however, are off to a shaky start, with three straight losses following a season-opening victory. Anchorage's South High blocked an extra point to preserve a 21-20 win over Service on Saturday night.
Not only was Service hit hard by graduation, but the team lost more than 50 players to South, a brand new school. "We're in a transition year. We were the largest high school in the state, but we've gone from 2,500 students to about 1,500," Caldarera said. "We're the first sport to feel the effects (of the new school).
"We've had a lot of success in the past, but we've gone from 130 kids in the program to 75. It's one of those years, and we have to deal with the circumstances."
Continued…
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/news/stories/20040907/localsp orts/1190805.html
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Hankins, Williams and Zaitz honored as TSN I-AA Players of the Week
Matt Dougherty, The Sports Network
Southeastern Louisiana quarterback Martin Hankins, Gardner-Webb safety Mario Williams and Northern Colorado placekicker Justin Zaitz have been honored as national I-AA players of the week by The Sports Network, the division's most widely recognized information service.
Hankins threw for an amazing 588 yards in Southeastern Louisiana's 46-32 win over Arkansas-Monticello, Williams nearly single-handedly kept Gardner-Webb in the game against Tennessee Tech, and Zaitz accounted for all of Northern Colorado's scoring in a 15-13 win against North Dakota State.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Martin Hankins, Southeastern Louisiana- Sophomore, Quarterback, 6-0, 205, Hattiesburg, MS
Threw for 588 yards and four touchdowns to lead Lions past Arkansas-Monticello, 46-32 -- also ran for a score -- finished the night 30-41 (73.2 percent) and completed passes to nine different receivers -- connected on touchdown passes of 76, 78 and 74 yards -- 74-yard touchdown gave the Lions a 14-point edge with 6:11 left in the fourth quarter -- 588-yard total was just 36 yards short of the I-AA record of 624, held by Weber State's Jaime Martin -- became the only Lion quarterback to ever throw for over 500 yards in a game
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Mario Williams, Gardner-Webb -- Senior, Safety, 6-2, 212, Ninety-Six, SC
Scored all of the Bulldogs second-half points with an interception return and fumble return for touchdowns in a 32-26 loss to Tennessee Tech -- Made a game-high 15 tackles -- Came back from injury in third quarter with a 65-yard interception return to put Gardner-Webb up, 19-16 -- recovered a fumble in the endzone for second touchdown
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Justin Zaitz, Northern Colorado -- Junior, Placekicker, 6-3, 200, Boulder, CO
Five field goals accounted for all the scoring in the Bears' 15-13 win over North Dakota State -- tied single-game school record with five field goals -- went 5-6 on the night with a long of 38 -- 21-yard kick with 9:41 left in the fourth proved to be the game-winner
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Upset proves a point
By JEFF THOMAS, The Republic
http://www.masslive.com/sports/republican/index.ssf?/base/spor ts-0/1094543288209321.xml
And so it starts.
New Hampshire, a team picked to finish fourth in the Atlantic 10's North Division, opens the season with a 24-21 road victory over top-ranked defending national champion Delaware.
One week into the season and it may already be time to throw out the preseason predictions and go with what every coach in the A-10 repeats ad nauseam - any team can beat any other team in the A-10.
"What an amazing atmosphere, the ninth largest crowd in Delaware football history at just under 23,000," Blue Hens coach K.C. Keeler said. "It was a great night for football and they just flat out outcoached us and outplayed us."
And the Wildcats did it without second-team All-Conference quarterback Mike Granieri, who left the contest in the second quarter with a torn ACL. He was replaced by freshman Ricky Santos, who completed 10 of 11 passes for 146 yards and the deciding touchdown, a 44-yard completion to wide out David Bell.
"The biggest thing we had to overcome was Mike's injury and obviously Ricky Santos came in and did a great job," said New Hampshire coach Sean McDonnell.
For his efforts, Santos was named the A-10 rookie of the week as the Wildcats earned their first win over a No. 1-ranked team.
It doesn't get much easier for the Wildcats, who travel to Piscataway, N.J. this weekend for a game with Rutgers, a team that knocked off Michigan State on Saturday.
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