eGriz
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Joined: 27 Mar 2002
Posts: 3620
Location: Missoula, Montana
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Heat will be on for Griz-Bearkats game (Missoulian).
Griz come under air attack vs. Bearkats (Great Falls Tribune).
Now it's the Grizzlies turn to see if they can hang on to No. 1 (Daily Inter Lake).
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Extra Point - Week Three: Separation Saturday (Dougherty, TSN).
I-AA West: Southeastern Louisiana Shows They Belong (Schmidt, I-AA.org).
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Missoula native returns to 'mockument' football (Missoulian).
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Heat will be on for Griz-Bearkats game
By FRITZ NEIGHBOR of the Missoulian
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2004/09/15/sports/sports02. txt
This Saturday in Huntsville, Texas, the heat will be on.
Not only because the Montana Grizzlies are ranked No. 1 in Division I-AA for the first time since Nov. 11, 2002, but because the forecast is 93 steamy degrees for Montana's game at Sam Houston State. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. Mountain time in Bowers Stadium.
As of 9 p.m. Tuesday the Web site Weather.com predicted the western edge of Hurricane Ivan will hit the Gulf Coast where Louisiana meets Mississippi, early Thursday. That's some 350 miles west of Huntsville, which sits 70 miles up I-45 from Houston.
That means conditions will likely remain hot and humid in south Texas. The Grizzlies will take their cooling fans and set them up behind the Bowers Stadium bench. There's not much more they can do beyond that.
"That's just something we'll have to deal with no matter what it is, or where we go," linebacker Shane MacIntyre said. "Weather is something we can't control."
"I know it's going to be different," defensive end Lance Spencer said. "Different than some of us have ever played in before in our lives. But I'm not too worried about it. There's only so much you can do about it. I'm making sure I'm hydrated."
Continued…
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2004/09/15/sports/sports02. txt
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Griz come under air attack vs. Bearkats
By GEORGE GEISE, Great Falls Tribune
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/news/stories/20040915/localsp orts/1236342.html
The Montana Grizzlies have faced two pretty good quarterbacks already this season, but they may not see a better passer all year than the guy throwing the football Saturday night in Huntsville, Texas.
Dustin Long, a 6-3, 210-pound senior for Sam Houston State (1-1), has thrown for 560 yards and five touchdowns this season. He ranks 11th in the nation in passing efficiency, and his team ranks third among I-AA schools in passing offense (404 yards per game), and eighth in scoring (45.5 points per game).
"I thought the guy they had last year was pretty decent," said UM coach Bobby Hauck, whose top-ranked Grizzlies (2-0) make their first trip to Texas in six years. "This guy obviously is way better, since their old starter is now fourth-string."
The Bearkats' starting quarterback a year ago, Travis Tobaben, threw for 168 yards and one touchdown last year in Missoula against UM in a 38-24 loss. He's currently No. 4 on the depth chart.
Long was Texas A & M's regular quarterback two years ago, when he threw for 2,509 yards and 19 TDs in the Big 12. When Dennis Franchione became the Aggies' head coach, Long's playing time decreased. He passed for only 709 yards and four TDs in 2003, then transferred to Sam Houston last spring.
Continued…
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/news/stories/20040915/localsp orts/1236342.html
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Now it's the Grizzlies turn to see if they can hang on to No. 1
By Andrew Hinkelman, The Daily Inter Lake (Kalispell)
http://www.dailyinterlake.com/NewsEngine/SelectStory_AD.tpl?co mmand=search&db=news.db&eqskudata=0-733034-22
The Montana Grizzlies are back on top this week, ascending to No. 1 in Division I-AA in the latest Sports Network poll.
But to avoid becoming the third straight No. 1 team to lose - Delaware started the year on top and lost its opener, then last week's No. 1, Southern Illinois, dropped a close game at I-A Northern Illinois - the Grizzlies will have to be careful.
"It's nice to get that respect," said UM coach Bobby Hauck during a phone interview from his office Tuesday.
"I'm just hoping we can hold up under the burden. There's a lot of expectations being the No. 1 team in the country. Your opponents step up their play, I believe.
"And you have to guard against complacency. We're not ready to play our best yet."
Montana claimed No. 1 after a 41-23 win over Hofstra at home last Saturday, one week after opening the season with a 27-20 over No. 15 Maine.
It's Hauck's first stint as coach of a No. 1 team and the Grizzlies' first visit to the top since Nov. 11, 2002.
Montana's first defense of its new ranking comes Saturday at Sam Houston State in Huntsville, Texas.
- EX-BRAVE GIVES GRIZ A BOOT: Former Flathead Brave Pete Sloan made his Montana debut against Hofstra, handling kickoff duties.
"He walked on the team and did a nice job last spring," Hauck said. "He was beat out as the field goal kicker last spring, but he's our best kickoff guy and he did a great job last week."
Continued…
http://www.dailyinterlake.com/NewsEngine/SelectStory_AD.tpl?co mmand=search&db=news.db&eqskudata=0-733034-22
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Extra Point - Week Three: Separation Saturday
By Matt Dougherty, The Sports Network
http://www.sportsnetwork.com/default.asp?c=sportsnetwork&page= cfoot2/news/AGN3498452.htm
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - The preseason polls are great for media members, coaches, sports information directors and fans. Everyone gets to examine who's coming back, who has graduated or left the team, which teams will be improved and which teams might not be as good as the year before. Then, the coaches and those of us in the media get to give our opinions weeks before the season even starts.
When the polls are released, 25 lucky teams get to place that little number next to their name and gain instant respect as one of the best in the nation. Fans can proclaim their team's rank with pride, or dispel all the pollsters as idiots who will be proved wrong.
And in the end, those preseason polls mean absolutely nothing. Last year, Colgate wasn't even ranked and Delaware was only No. 17 in the preseason. Pretty soon, the 2004 preseason polls will be exposed for the guessing game they are and the top 25 will actually be based on this year's performance, not expectations or accomplishments from years past.
Saturday was the first step toward separating the contenders from the pretenders. In the season's first week, a majority of top 25 teams either played up or played down and it was difficult to gauge who was for real and who was overrated. Last week, five games pitted ranked teams and other top teams either stepped up or wilted to tough challenges.
The end result was plenty of movement within the polls. Appalachian State moved up from No. 24 to 20 after pasting Eastern Kentucky. Massachusetts went up five spots and sent Colgate back eight with a 30-20 win over the Raiders. Stephen F. Austin dealt Northern Arizona a loss, an 0-2 record, and a drop to No. 19 in the polls.
The holders of the No.1 ranking have been especially unfortunate in the first two weeks. Delaware dropped to New Hampshire in the opener, and Southern Illinois fell to Northern Illinois on a missed two-point conversion Saturday. Now, Montana ascends to the No. 1 position for the first time since November of 2002.
It's easy to envision the Grizzlies holding on to the top spot. Montana plays at Sam Houston this week, hosts Northern Colorado next week, and doesn't play a ranked opponent until a Nov. 6 contest at home against Northern Arizona. The toughest Big Sky road games are at Weber State and Eastern Washington, and neither the Wildcats or Eagles have shown a whole lot in the first couple games.
But the Grizzlies still have some challenging contests, including this week's matchup at Sam Houston State. Going through the regular season undefeated is a daunting task for any team, and the Montana game will be circled in red on every opponent's schedule.
Should the Grizzlies drop a game, which of the preseason favorites will still be around to move into the No. 1 spot? Well, there are a few candidates. Note, however, that these are not playoff or championship predictions, but rather the teams with the best shot of claiming the No. 1 ranking based on talent and, importantly, upcoming schedule. And, of course, preseason ranking doesn't hurt.
1. Southern Illinois- The Salukis still received 26 first-place votes this week, and the chances of losing the next two weeks are slim to none. Southern Illinois will have to face Northern Iowa, Western Kentucky and Western Illinois in the Gateway, but every one of those contests is at home. The toughest remaining road game is at Illinois State.
2. Georgia Southern- If the Eagles can knock off No. 3 Wofford at home this weekend, they shouldn't have another imposing challenge until Appalachian State comes to town on October 16. The toughest road game doesn't come until a November 6 trip to Furman, though games at Chattanooga and Western Carolina are potential traps. The Eagles showed they are back as an elite team in a tough loss to Georgia, and could run the table until the visit to Furman.
3. Wofford- The Terriers have Georgia Southern Saturday, but then play six of the next eight games at home with one of the road trips at Southern Conference lightweight Elon. A visit to Appalachian State on October 23 and home date with Furman on November 13 are the only real tests left after Georgia Southern.
4. Furman - The Paladins have a pretty tough road with games at Pittsburgh (Sept.25) and at Appalachian State (Oct. 9) both coming in the next month. However, Furman appears to be the most talented team in the Southern Conference, and won't face Georgia Southern or Wofford until November.
5. Villanova- Though the Atlantic 10 has been the most competitive conference from top to bottom, the Wildcats have a favorable schedule that does not include top 25 teams Maine and Massachusetts. There really aren't any easy games on the list, but four of the next six are at home and one of the road games is within a half hour in Philadelphia. Three of the next four opponents are ranked, however, so running the table will be tough.
Continued…
http://www.sportsnetwork.com/default.asp?c=sportsnetwork&page= cfoot2/news/AGN3498452.htm
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I-AA West: Southeastern Louisiana Shows They Belong
Kent Schmidt, I-AA Western Columnist, I-AA.org
http://www.i-aa.org/article.asp?articleid=60502
If there were any naysayers in the Southland for inviting the Southeastern Louisiana Lions to the Southland Conference (SLC) for football after just two years of Independent play, they can now be quiet.
With SLU's 51-17 thumping of Southland and national power, McNeese State Saturday, Head Coach Hal Mumme's squad showed why they should be included in one of I-AA's top conferences.
The Lions are just in their second year of football after the sport was restarted after eighteen years being without football. They are currently a I-AA Western football Independent team but will join the Southland Conference next fall--where all their other sports are currently.
How did SLU defeat McNeese State on the road in Lake Charles?
SLU was coming off a win over D-II Arkansas-Monticello the prior week and had an awesome performance by sophomore quarterback Martin Hankins, when he threw for four touchdowns to lead the Lions to a total of 46 points.
So coming into the McNeese game, an outside observer would say that the offense would be fine. The area of concern, however, would likely be the defense. Against the D-II school, the Lions allowed 32 points so most would have expected the Lions would give up at least the same number to the #6 ranked team in I-AA.
Mumme said, "McNeese is probably the toughest team on our schedule. They are the class of the Southland Conference."
In addition, McNeese State played at Hammond, LA (SLU's home) last year and defeated the Lions soundly, 58-20.
There is no way the Lions could even keep this game close, could they?
As we know now, the Lions not only kept it close, but they actually turned the tide and in turn, blew out the Cowboys.
The Lions defense used a bend but don't break strategy, mixing in some occasional blitzes and it all seemed to work. The secondary played a great game in keeping up with the McNeese receivers all game long.
And like we thought, Hal Mumme's pass friendly offense was "on" most of the game. Martin Hankins used eleven different receivers to compile 439 yards on 38 of 54 passing for five touchdowns.
Continued…
http://www.i-aa.org/article.asp?articleid=60502
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Missoula native returns to 'mockument' football
By JOE NICKELL of the Missoulian
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2004/09/15/news/local/news0 8.txt
Like most Missoula natives, Casey Kriley grew up immersed in Montana Grizzly football. When she went away to California for graduate school, she remembered the Griz. Even as she immersed herself in Hollywood, working as a producer on films and television shows in a region of California that's pretty well known for its own college football teams, Kriley kept thinking about her hometown team.
"I'm just fascinated with the Griz and how everybody here is just so crazy for this team," says Kriley, 33.
When Kriley decided it was time to produce her first full-length feature film, her thoughts soon wandered home once again. Inspired by the so-called "mockumentary" filmmaking style of Christopher Guest (writer and director of "Best in Show" and "A Mighty Wind"), Kriley decided to make a film about a fictitious junior college football team that loses its funding just two weeks before its first game of the season.
The team is called the Mavericks, and it hails from the fictitious town of Golden Valley.
But to the people of Missoula, it'll probably be hard to separate the team from their beloved Grizzlies. That's because Kriley is filming the movie here in Missoula, at some of the most familiar locations around town, including Washington-Grizzly Stadium, Ruby's Cafe, Red's Bar and Hoagieville.
Even Hoagieville's signature dish will make an appearance.
"We rewrote a scene to talk about the cheese fries," said Kriley. "I always come back for those."
Kriley decided to employ the mockumentary style for the film because it fit both her comic intentions and her limited budget.
"Shooting it like a documentary allows us to shoot a lot quicker, and it allows for a lot of improvisation from the characters," explained Kriley. "It's definitely a comedy, kind of exaggerating the stock characters that you would expect - the cheerleader, the booster club president, the coach."
Kriley brought several actors from Hollywood to play the lead roles in the film. They include Eddie Pepitone (known for his role as Archer in "Old School," as well as his role in last year's "Last Comic Standing" TV series) and Todd Glass (of "Last Comic Standing II"). Kriley is also involving several students and faculty members from the University of Montana, both as actors and technical crew.
Kriley and company began shooting last Wednesday, and expect to wrap up production by Tuesday. She then expects
to complete the editing of the film in approximately three months.
Continued…
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2004/09/15/news/local/news0 8.txt
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