Griz showdown with Salukis in national quarterfinal
11/29/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
GRIZZLIES vs. SALUKIS: The second-ranked The University of Montana Grizzlies (11-1 overall/8-0 Big Sky) host the 10th-ranked Southern Illinois Salukis (9-3 overall/4-3 Gateway Conference) in a ??NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Quarterfinal Game (formerly known as Division I-AA).??
GAME SPECIFICS: Date: December 2, 2006; Time: 12:35 p.m. (Mtn.); Site: Missoula, Mont.; Stadium: Washington-Grizzly; Capacity: 23,183; Surface: SprinTurf; TV: Live on Altitude Sports & Entertainment, KPAX-TV & MTN Network Stations in Montana, and on ESPN GamePlan on a delayed basis (7:30 p.m., MST, Dec. 2) - Announcers: (ESPN??s Dave Armstrong (play-by-play) & Kelly Stouffer (color); Grizzly Radio Network: Mick Holien (play-by-play) and Scott Gurnsey (analyst); Live stats: montanagrizzlies.com; Web Streaming: www.bigskytv.org; Series History: First Meeting.
SATELLITE COORDINATES: SATELLITE: Galaxy 11-C TRANSPONDER 18; FEED: This is a C-band feed; POSITION: Position 91?? W; POLARIZATION: Vertical; DOWNLINK FREQUENCY: 4060 MHZ; AUDIO: 6.2 mhz Full Mix Stereo Left | 6.8 mhz Full Mix Stereo Right
WHAT IF?: The winner of the Griz-Salukis game plays the winner of the No. 9. New Hampshire (9-3) at No. 3 Massachusets (11-1) game. Other quarter-final games: No. 18 Montana State (8-4) at No. 1 Appalachian State (11-1) and No. 11. Illinois State (9-3) at No. 5 Youngstown State (10-2).
WHAT??S A SALUKI?: ??The oldest pure-breed dogs in the world with records dating back to 3600 B.C., the Saluki is an ancient Egyptian hunting dog known for its speed and hunting prowess.?? -- Found on page 12 of the SIU football media guide.
FIRST MEETING IN THE PLAYOFFS: This will be the first time the Griz and Salukis have ever played against each other in football.
GRIZ LAST GAME: at Montana 31, McNeese State 6: Senior quarterback Josh Swogger passed for a career-high four touchdowns to lead the second-ranked Grizzlies over the 22nd-ranked Cowboys in a NCAA Division I Football Championship first-round game.
11TH WIN A ROW: The win over McNeese was the 11th win in a row for the Grizzlies (11-1). Montana has won 11 straight games four times1996, 2000, 2001, and 2006.
GRIZ OFFENSE SHINES: Swogger was 18-of-26-1 for 259 yards and four touchdowns in three quarters of action. Wide receiver Ryan Bagley led UM with 5 catches for 59 yards, while fellow junior wideouts Craig Chambers had 4 for 43 and two scores and Eric Allen added 3 grabs for 42 yards and a TD. Montana had 514 total yards.
GRIZ DEFENSE TOUGH AGAIN TOO: Junior end Kroy Biermann led Montana with 10 tackles and 1.5 sacks, while senior end Dustin Dlouhy added 5 tackles and 1.5 sacks. Sophomore safety Colt Anderson and junior linebacker Kyle Ryan each had 7 tackles for UM. UM out-gained MSU 514 to 224 in total yards, had a 25 to 14 edge in first downs, and held the Cowboys scoreless in the second half.
REDSHIRT FROSH HAS CAREER DAY: Redshirt freshman halfback Thomas Brooks-Fletcher, who had his first career start against MSU, rushed for a game and career-high 113 yards on just 12 carries. Brooks-Fletcher missed last season with an injury.
CAREER TACKLES LIST UPDATE: Junior linebacker Tyler Joyce has moved up to 20th on UM??s career tackles list with 217.
1. Vince Huntsberger, SS...393...1998-01
19. Blaine McElmurry, FS...233...1993-96
20. Tyler Joyce, LB...217...2004-current
SINGLE-SEASON SCORING LIST UPDATE: Junior kicker Dan Carpenter has moved up to 7th on UM??s single-season scoring list with 100 points. He needs just three points to pass Lex Hilliard and move up to sixth.
1. Chris Snyder, K...124...2003
5. Chris Snyder, K...107...2002
6. Lex Hilliard, RB...102...2004
7. Dan Carpenter, K...100...2006
CARPENTER NOW SECOND ON CAREER SCORING LIST: Carpenter had 10 points against McNeese State and stays second on UM??s career scoring list.
1. Chris Snyder, K...394...2000-03
2. Dan Carpenter, K...299...2004-current
3. Yohance Humphery, RB...290...1998-01
CAREER SACKS/TFL LIST UPDATE: Senior end Mike Murphy stays third on UM??s career sacks list and moved up to third on the tackles for loss list. Dlouhy is tied for 10th in sacks and is tied for 11th in tackles for loss. Biermann is tied for ninth in tackles for loss and is eighth in sacks.
1. Tim Bush, DE...34.5...2000-03
2. Andy Petek, DE...29...1997-00
3. Mike Murphy, DE...26...2003-current
7. Jay Turner, DE...19...1991-94
8. Kroy Biermann, DE...17.5...2004-current
9. Ciche Pitcher, DE...15.5...2000-03
10. Dustin Dlouhy, DE...15...2003-06
Randy Riley, DE...15...1993-96
SWOGGER 17TH ON SINGLE-SEASON PASSING YARDS LIST: Swogger has passed for 2,288 yards this year, ranking him 17th in single-season history. He trails Drew Miller by 151 yards to move up to 16th on the list.
1. Dave Dickenson, QB...4,176...1995
16. Drew Miller, QB...2,439...2000
17. Josh Swogger, QB...2,288...2006
SCOUTING THE SALUKIS
SIU LAST GAME: SIU scored on a 45-yard pass from junior quarterback Nick Hill to junior wide receiver Alan Turner with 57 seconds remaining to defeat visiting Tennessee-Martin 36-30. Saluki??s senior running back Arkee Whitlock, one of three recently named finalists for the 2006 Payton Award, rushed 28 times for 207 yards and four touchdowns. Hill was 8-of-14-1 for 129 yards and the game-winning TD. SIU rushed 45 times for 221 yards. Tennessee-Martin led 21-7 at halftime.
KEY SALUKIS: Whitlock (5-10, 195) has rushed 296 times for 1,748 yards and 25 touchdowns. Hill (6-3, 205) is 116-of-185-4 for 1,684 yards and 15 TDs. Tight end Braden Jones (6-4, 260, Sr.) has a team-high 32 catches for 521 yards and 7 TDs. He is followed by junior wideout Phil Goforth (6-2, 205) with 19 catches for 312 yards and a score, and Turner, who has 18 grabs for 385 yards and 6 TDs.
On defense, SIU top two tacklers are middle linebacker Brandin Jordan (5-10, 220, Fr.) with a team-high 96 tackles, including 9 for losses, and outside linebacker Trevor Moe (6-1, 210, Jr.) with 79 tackles. Lorenzo Wims (6-2, 260) has 13.5 tackles for losses and 5.0 sacks, while fellow senior defensive end Micah King (5-10, 200) has 9.5 stops for losses and 5.5 sacks.
Junior returner Craig Turner (5-10, 195) averages 15.0 yards per punt return and 22.1 per kickoff return. Senior kicker Craig Coffin has made 14-of-15 field goal attempts.
HEAD COACH: Head coach Jerry Kill (Southwestern, Kansas, 1983) is 43-29 in his sixth year at SIU.
OF NOTE: The Saluki??s have the second longest playoff appearance streak with four, while UM has the longest, which is a record 14 in a row.
GAME SPECIFICS: Date: December 2, 2006; Time: 12:35 p.m. (Mtn.); Site: Missoula, Mont.; Stadium: Washington-Grizzly; Capacity: 23,183; Surface: SprinTurf; TV: Live on Altitude Sports & Entertainment, KPAX-TV & MTN Network Stations in Montana, and on ESPN GamePlan on a delayed basis (7:30 p.m., MST, Dec. 2) - Announcers: (ESPN??s Dave Armstrong (play-by-play) & Kelly Stouffer (color); Grizzly Radio Network: Mick Holien (play-by-play) and Scott Gurnsey (analyst); Live stats: montanagrizzlies.com; Web Streaming: www.bigskytv.org; Series History: First Meeting.
SATELLITE COORDINATES: SATELLITE: Galaxy 11-C TRANSPONDER 18; FEED: This is a C-band feed; POSITION: Position 91?? W; POLARIZATION: Vertical; DOWNLINK FREQUENCY: 4060 MHZ; AUDIO: 6.2 mhz Full Mix Stereo Left | 6.8 mhz Full Mix Stereo Right
WHAT IF?: The winner of the Griz-Salukis game plays the winner of the No. 9. New Hampshire (9-3) at No. 3 Massachusets (11-1) game. Other quarter-final games: No. 18 Montana State (8-4) at No. 1 Appalachian State (11-1) and No. 11. Illinois State (9-3) at No. 5 Youngstown State (10-2).
WHAT??S A SALUKI?: ??The oldest pure-breed dogs in the world with records dating back to 3600 B.C., the Saluki is an ancient Egyptian hunting dog known for its speed and hunting prowess.?? -- Found on page 12 of the SIU football media guide.
FIRST MEETING IN THE PLAYOFFS: This will be the first time the Griz and Salukis have ever played against each other in football.
GRIZ LAST GAME: at Montana 31, McNeese State 6: Senior quarterback Josh Swogger passed for a career-high four touchdowns to lead the second-ranked Grizzlies over the 22nd-ranked Cowboys in a NCAA Division I Football Championship first-round game.
11TH WIN A ROW: The win over McNeese was the 11th win in a row for the Grizzlies (11-1). Montana has won 11 straight games four times1996, 2000, 2001, and 2006.
GRIZ OFFENSE SHINES: Swogger was 18-of-26-1 for 259 yards and four touchdowns in three quarters of action. Wide receiver Ryan Bagley led UM with 5 catches for 59 yards, while fellow junior wideouts Craig Chambers had 4 for 43 and two scores and Eric Allen added 3 grabs for 42 yards and a TD. Montana had 514 total yards.
GRIZ DEFENSE TOUGH AGAIN TOO: Junior end Kroy Biermann led Montana with 10 tackles and 1.5 sacks, while senior end Dustin Dlouhy added 5 tackles and 1.5 sacks. Sophomore safety Colt Anderson and junior linebacker Kyle Ryan each had 7 tackles for UM. UM out-gained MSU 514 to 224 in total yards, had a 25 to 14 edge in first downs, and held the Cowboys scoreless in the second half.
REDSHIRT FROSH HAS CAREER DAY: Redshirt freshman halfback Thomas Brooks-Fletcher, who had his first career start against MSU, rushed for a game and career-high 113 yards on just 12 carries. Brooks-Fletcher missed last season with an injury.
CAREER TACKLES LIST UPDATE: Junior linebacker Tyler Joyce has moved up to 20th on UM??s career tackles list with 217.
1. Vince Huntsberger, SS...393...1998-01
19. Blaine McElmurry, FS...233...1993-96
20. Tyler Joyce, LB...217...2004-current
SINGLE-SEASON SCORING LIST UPDATE: Junior kicker Dan Carpenter has moved up to 7th on UM??s single-season scoring list with 100 points. He needs just three points to pass Lex Hilliard and move up to sixth.
1. Chris Snyder, K...124...2003
5. Chris Snyder, K...107...2002
6. Lex Hilliard, RB...102...2004
7. Dan Carpenter, K...100...2006
CARPENTER NOW SECOND ON CAREER SCORING LIST: Carpenter had 10 points against McNeese State and stays second on UM??s career scoring list.
1. Chris Snyder, K...394...2000-03
2. Dan Carpenter, K...299...2004-current
3. Yohance Humphery, RB...290...1998-01
CAREER SACKS/TFL LIST UPDATE: Senior end Mike Murphy stays third on UM??s career sacks list and moved up to third on the tackles for loss list. Dlouhy is tied for 10th in sacks and is tied for 11th in tackles for loss. Biermann is tied for ninth in tackles for loss and is eighth in sacks.
1. Tim Bush, DE...34.5...2000-03
2. Andy Petek, DE...29...1997-00
3. Mike Murphy, DE...26...2003-current
7. Jay Turner, DE...19...1991-94
8. Kroy Biermann, DE...17.5...2004-current
9. Ciche Pitcher, DE...15.5...2000-03
10. Dustin Dlouhy, DE...15...2003-06
Randy Riley, DE...15...1993-96
SWOGGER 17TH ON SINGLE-SEASON PASSING YARDS LIST: Swogger has passed for 2,288 yards this year, ranking him 17th in single-season history. He trails Drew Miller by 151 yards to move up to 16th on the list.
1. Dave Dickenson, QB...4,176...1995
16. Drew Miller, QB...2,439...2000
17. Josh Swogger, QB...2,288...2006
SCOUTING THE SALUKIS
SIU LAST GAME: SIU scored on a 45-yard pass from junior quarterback Nick Hill to junior wide receiver Alan Turner with 57 seconds remaining to defeat visiting Tennessee-Martin 36-30. Saluki??s senior running back Arkee Whitlock, one of three recently named finalists for the 2006 Payton Award, rushed 28 times for 207 yards and four touchdowns. Hill was 8-of-14-1 for 129 yards and the game-winning TD. SIU rushed 45 times for 221 yards. Tennessee-Martin led 21-7 at halftime.
KEY SALUKIS: Whitlock (5-10, 195) has rushed 296 times for 1,748 yards and 25 touchdowns. Hill (6-3, 205) is 116-of-185-4 for 1,684 yards and 15 TDs. Tight end Braden Jones (6-4, 260, Sr.) has a team-high 32 catches for 521 yards and 7 TDs. He is followed by junior wideout Phil Goforth (6-2, 205) with 19 catches for 312 yards and a score, and Turner, who has 18 grabs for 385 yards and 6 TDs.
On defense, SIU top two tacklers are middle linebacker Brandin Jordan (5-10, 220, Fr.) with a team-high 96 tackles, including 9 for losses, and outside linebacker Trevor Moe (6-1, 210, Jr.) with 79 tackles. Lorenzo Wims (6-2, 260) has 13.5 tackles for losses and 5.0 sacks, while fellow senior defensive end Micah King (5-10, 200) has 9.5 stops for losses and 5.5 sacks.
Junior returner Craig Turner (5-10, 195) averages 15.0 yards per punt return and 22.1 per kickoff return. Senior kicker Craig Coffin has made 14-of-15 field goal attempts.
HEAD COACH: Head coach Jerry Kill (Southwestern, Kansas, 1983) is 43-29 in his sixth year at SIU.
OF NOTE: The Saluki??s have the second longest playoff appearance streak with four, while UM has the longest, which is a record 14 in a row.
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