Griz host SDSU in FCS first-round matchup

Brackets: Interactive | |

THE GAME: The top-ranked (FCS Coaches??? Poll) University of Montana Grizzlies (11-0/8-0 Big Sky Conference) host the 11th-ranked South Dakota State Jackrabbits (8-3/7-1 Missouri Valley Football Conference) in the first round of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision playoffs, Saturday, Nov. 28th. Kickoff is at 12:05 p.m. (Mountain) in UM???s Washington-Grizzly Stadium (25,200, Sprinturf) at John Hoyt Field.

WHAT???S NEXT?: The winner of the Montana-SDSU game will play the winner of the Eastern Washingon at Stephen F. Austin first-round contest. With a win UM would host that game.

FIFTH PERFECT SEASON FOR GRIZ: Montana went undefeated in the regular-season for the fifth time in school history, and the second time in the past two years. The Griz went 10-0 in 1969 and 1970, 11-0 in 1996, 11-0 in 2007 and 11-0 this season.

MONTANA???S FCS RECORDS: Montana continues to add to its current record by advancing to the playoffs for the 17th consecutive season. The Griz are making their 20th playoff appearance, also a record. The old records were 17 playoff berths and 10 straight FCS playoff appearances, both held by Eastern Kentucky. Montana???s 27 playoff victories are the second most all-time behind Georgia Southern (38). The Grizzlies are 27-17 in the playoffs.

GRIZ IN 11TH CONSECUTIVE FIRST-ROUND HOME GAME: Montana will be hosting a first-round FCS game for the 11th year in a row, dating back to 1999, when it hosted Youngstown State. The Grizzlies are 6-4 in those home playoff games. This is SDSU???s first playoff berth.

12TH IN A ROW: It is the 12th straight Big Sky championship for the Grizzlies. Montana has gone 30-1 in conference games the last four seasons and won 42 of its last 43 regular-season games.

COACH HAUCK WINS 77TH: Seventh-year Griz head coach Bobby Hauck picked up career win number 77 at MSU, tying him for third all time in Big Sky history. He tied former Eastern Washington and MSU mentor Mike Kramer who went 77-75 in 12 seasons from 1994-2006.

TEAM OF THE DECADE: Montana now has 116 victories since the start of the 2000 season and will finish the decade with the most wins of any Division I team. Appalachian State is the closest pursuer at the FCS level with 99 victories and can finish with no more than 104 wins.

DOUBLE-DIGIT ???W???S???: Montana has won 10 or more games 15 times in school history -- five times in the past six years under the tuteledge of Coach Hauck.

24 STRAIGHT WINNING SEASONS: Montana???s victory over Eastern Washington on Oct. 17th gave the Grizzlies their 24th winning season in a row (the streak started in 1986).

GRIZ LAST WEEK: Montana 33, at Montana State 19: Quarterback Andrew Selle was 17-of-22-0 for three touchdown passes; tight end Dan Beaudin and wide receiver Marc Mariani had two TD receptions each; and the Grizzly defense held MSU to 242 total yards.

CHASE HITS 1,000 AGAIN: Junior running back Chase Reynolds now has 1,159 yards rushing for 15 touchdowns this season. It is the 10th time in school history a player has rushed 1,000 or more yards in a season. He is the third UM player to rush for more than 1,000 yards twice. He joins Yohance Humphery (1,658 yards in 2001 and 1,277 yards in 1999) and Lex Hilliard (1,322 yards in 2005 and 1,132 yards in 2007) to accomplish that feat. Reynolds, who rushed for 1,583 yards last season, is the first Griz player to exceed 1,000 rushing yards in consecutive seasons.

JACKS LAST WEEK: SDSU 27, at Western Illinois 7: Junior halfback Kyle Minett rushed 23 times for 147 yards and two TDs. (SDSU received an at-large berth into the FCS playoffs, as Southern Illinois was the MVC???s automatic qualifier).

SERIES: Montana leads the series with SDSU 6-0. The last meeting was in 2006, a 36-7 Grizzly win in Missoula. SDSU joined the FCS ranks in 2004. They are making their first postseason appearance since 1979.

RADIO/TV: UM???s flagship stations are KGVO Radio (1290-AM) and KVWE Radio (101.5 FM) and the 2009 Grizzly Football Network. Mick Holien calls the play-by-play, Scott Gurnsey provides color, and Greg Sundberg works the sidelines. Television coverage TBA.

University of Montana Athletics

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