Griz continue Big Sky season at NAU

THE GAME: The fourth-ranked (Sports Network) University of Montana Grizzlies (3-0/1-0) continue their Big Sky Conference season, playing the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (1-1/0-0) on Saturday, Sept. 26th. It is the Big Sky opener for NAU.

KICKOFF: The game starts at 4:05 p.m. (mountain time) in NAU???s Walkup Skydome (15,000, Real Grass Field Turf).

RADIO/TV: The game can be heard on flagship stations KGVO Radio (1290-AM) and KVWE Radio (101.5 FM) of Missoula and throughout the state of Montana on Grizzly Football Network stations. Mick Holien calls the play-by-play, Scott Gurnsey provides color, and Greg Sundberg serves as the sideline announcer.

The game will be televised on KPAX-TV and its Montana affiliates, with KPAX-TV???s Phil Buck calling the action, Bob Hermes, also of KPAX-TV, provides in-booth color, and UM???s Dave Guffey is on the sidlelines.

GRIZ LAST WEEK at Montana 49, Portland State 17: Montana opened its 2009 Big Sky Conference season with a come-from-behind (14-0) win over the Vikings. PSU jumped to a 14-0 lead with 3:41 to go on a 38-yard pass from Drew Hubel to Lavonte Kirven. Montana came right back, though, and tied it 14-all when the PSU deep snapper hiked the ball over the punter???s head and it sailed all the way back into the end zone, and Montana linebacker Jordan Tripp, a ???true??? freshman, jumped on it for a touchdown at the 12:58 mark in the second quarter.

Exactly five minutes later sophomore fullback Beau Donaldson plowed over the goal-line for a 1-yard touchdown, the first of his career, that coming with 7:58 left until halftime, giving Montana a 21-14 lead, and they led the rest of the way.

Montana dominated the second half, as the offense displayed a solid running game (28 rushes for 157 yards and a score) and mixed that in with a good passing game (214 yards and two touchdowns), outscoring the Vikings 21-0, and added a superb effort by the "D," which shut out PSU and held the Vikings to 160 total yards and seven first downs.

10 IN A ROW: The Grizzlies won their 10th straight conference opener dating back to 1999, and have now won 15 of their last 17 Big Sky openers.

RECORD ATTENDANCE: With the 25,726 fans at the PSU game, UM broke its Washington-Grizzly Stadium record for the second time this season, as three weeks ago there were 25,698 at the season opener against Western State.

HAUCK WINS 40TH BIG SKY GAME: The victory was the 40th conference win for head coach Bobby Hauck, who is now 69-16 overall in his seventh season at Montana.

JACKS LAST WEEK: at NAU 42, Southern Utah 39: Senior running back Alex Henderson ran for 168 yards and three TDs to lead NAU. The Jacks scored four times in the first half and built its lead to 35-14 on a 57-yard run for a score by Henderson on the first drive of the second half. SUU fought back with four second-half scores to pull within three points at 42-39, but NAU was able to run down the clock and hold off a final play by the T-Birds. NAU quarterback Michael Herrick was 15-for-21 for 306 yards and a touchdown, while the running backs gained 248 yards. Senior wide receiver Conrad Meadows had his third 100-yard receiving game with four receptions for 121 yards. Linebacker Reid Worthington had a game-high 11 tackles. SUU quarterback Cade Cooper was 33-for-48 passing for 425 yards and four TDs.

THE SERIES: Montana leads the series 30-11 and has won the last 11 in a row and 20 of the last 21 contests. The last NAU win was 27-24 in Flagstaff in 1997. NAU is 7-12 in Flagstaff and 4-18 in Missoula versus the Grizzlies.

GRIZ TRAVEL PLANS: The team will depart for Flagstaff via charter aircraft on Friday, Sept. 25. Lodging is at the Radisson-Woodlands Plaza (928-774-0609) in Flagstaff. The team will return to Missoula ASAP after the game.

University of Montana Athletics

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