Griz looking for bounce back against Bengals

WHERE TO WATCH | UM NOTES | ISU NOTES | LIVE STATS

Following a pair of road losses, the Montana Grizzlies (5-3, 2-3 BSC) return to the happy hunting grounds of Washington-Grizzly Stadium this week in an important conference game against the Idaho State Bengals (2-6, 1-4 BSC) on Nov. 5.

Kickoff against the Bengals is set for 5:10 p.m. MT. With the sun scheduled to set at 6:14 p.m. on Saturday, the game will be UM's second night game of the season.

It's also the annual Military Appreciation Game at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. Specially licensed Grizzly military appreciation apparel at the University of Montana Bookstore is available before the game.

THE GAME: Montana, currently sitting at No. 8 on the Big Sky table, is looking to get back to the winning ways that produced back-to-back 60-plus point wins, and built the eighth-best total offense in the FCS, and the sixth-best scoring defense in the nation.

Standing in the way of a crucial conference win are the Big Sky's No. 9 ranked Bengals, whose only conference win of the season came on Sept. 24 over Sacramento State in Pocatello, 42-34.

ISU enters the game on the heels of two-straight home losses to Southern Utah (27-52) and league leaders North Dakota (21-28).

The Griz also return home after two-straight losses, but those coming on the road to the team picked to win the conference (NAU) and the current No. 3 ranked EWU Eagles.

WATCH: The Griz/Bengals game will be the Big Sky's featured game of the week on the ROOT Sports Network and DIRECTV's Audience Network. Tom Glasgow will provide the play-by-play on the broadcast, with Jason Stiles serving as the color commentator and Jen Mueller on the sidelines.

ROOT Sports is available to Charter Communications customers on channel 60 or 122 and HD channel 560. DIRECTV customers can see the game on channels 687, 688 and 687, 688(HD). DISH Network customers can see the game on channels 426 and 426(HD).

Due to the media rights agreement between ROOT Sports and the Big Sky Conference, no web stream is available for this game.

To find ROOT Sports on your cable or satellite package, visit the Where to Watch page on GoGriz.com.

LISTEN: The "Voice of the Griz" Riley Corcoran brings you the call on the Montana Grizzlies Radio Network with longtime color commentator Greg Sundberg in the booth and Adam Painter on the sidelines. Fans can tune in worldwide to hear the audio only stream of the game at GoGriz.com.

WEEKLY POLLS: Montana dropped three spots to No. 19 in the STATS FCS media poll after the loss at No 3 EWU, picking up 891 votes. The Eagles maintained their No. 3 ranking with just one loss on the year to NDSU in Fargo. Sam Houston State retains the No. 1 spot as one of only two undefeated teams in the top-25.

Cal Poly comes in at No. 14 at 6-2, followed by North Dakota at No. 16 as the only other ranked Big Sky teams.

In the FCS coaches' poll, the Griz come in at No. 20 with 151 votes, down from No. 16. EWU stays at No. 3, while UND moves to No. 11 and Cal Poly replaces Montana at No. 16.

IMPLICATIONS: They're all "must wins" from here on out. At 5-3, the Griz are not eliminated from playoff contention by any stretch of the imagination, but another loss could prevent UM from extending the program's record of 24 all-time appearances in the FCS/D1-AA playoffs.

If the Grizzlies win out, the most likely scenario will see UM host a first-round game at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Nov. 26. Anything can happen in FCS football, however, and with only three losses, the playoff committee could still award the first-round bye.

Montana has made three-straight appearances in the playoffs and returned for the 23rd time in program history under first-year head coach Bob Stitt in 2015.

CAN THE CATS: The annual "Can the Bobcats" food drive competition against Montana State begins this Saturday at the Griz/Bengals game, and the Griz are looking for a repeat victory.

The competition will run through Saturday, Nov. 19 when the winner will be announced at the Brawl of the Wild game.

The "Can the Cats" food drive is once again sponsored by Karl Tyler Chevrolet will once again raise much-needed stock for the Missoula Food Bank. Karl Tyler Chevrolet trucks and UM volunteers will collect canned food at the gates of Washington-Grizzly Stadium during home games on Nov. 5 and Nov. 19.

Designated canned food boxes for "Can the Cats" will be located on campus in UM residence halls and at The Source in the University Center. Collection boxes also will be available at the Good Food Store, Karl Tyler Chevrolet, Orange Street Food Farm, the YMCA, Worden's Market and the Swift Building in Missoula.

Canned food donations can be made directly to the Missoula Food Bank during the collection period, but donors must specify that their donations are for "Can the Cats."

Since winning the inaugural "Can the Cats" food drive, Montana had not won the annual contest until the 2015 season when Griz fans donated 281,633 pounds of food to beat MSU's 260,237 pounds.

That year, Griz fans made the largest single donation in program history - 40,000 pounds of potatoes – to ensure a Montana victory. More information is available at canthebobcats.com.

GRIZ FOR KIDS: 'Tis the season for holiday giving. In addition to the "Can the Cats" food drive, the Montana Grizzlies are helping make the holiday's bright for local kids in the annual Griz for Kids toy drive at the game on Nov. 5.

Fans can bring a new, unwrapped toy to the Griz/Bengals game for donation to local families in need. Seven drop-off locations will be situated around Washington-Grizzly Stadium, including in the tailgate area near the footbridge, in front of the Adams Center, at the north, west and east entrances to the stadium, and near Aber Hall.

SERIES HISTORY: Montana leads the all-time series with Idaho State 43-13, and also leads the series 39-14 since ISU joined the Big Sky Conference in 1963.

Thirty years ago, Montana played its first game in Washington-Grizzly Stadium against Idaho State. Montana won that game 38-31 and has not lost a game to the Bengals at home since, riding a perfect 16-0 record against ISU at home heading into Saturday's game.

LAST MEETING: In one of the wildest finishes in Montana football history, the Griz snatched victory from the jaws of defeat to keep UM's playoff hopes alive with a 33-27 overtime win in Pocatello.

With Idaho State lined up for a potential game-winning 34-yard field goal in OT, a few plays after Griz quarterback Makena Simis appeared to fumble away Montana's chances, the Grizzlies' season was saved with one bad snap.

ISU's long snapper sailed the ball over the holder's head and bouncing down the turf at Holt Arena. Griz cornerback JR Nelson and the Idaho State holder raced for it, and both fell on it. The ball bounced up, right to UM's Eric Johnson, who went 40 yards for the game-winning touchdown.

FIRST AND TEN WITH THE GRIZ: Saturday's UM/ISU matchup will be a special reunion for Griz redshirt freshman wide receiver Jerry Louie-McGee. Louie-McGee's older brother Tucker, a redshirt sophomore wide receiver, will suit up for the Bengals this weekend in Missoula.

Jerry, the Coeur d'Alene high school product who commuted from his family's home in Worley, Idaho, to play football has always been on the same team as his brother Tucker. It will be the first time the two have lined up across from one another. Jerry wears No. 16 for the Griz; Tucker wears No. 17 for the Bengals.

Despite a string of two losses, the Grizzlies have still produced some of the nation's biggest offensive numbers with 1,082 yards of total offense in the last two games. The Grizzlies 540 yards of offense at EWU was the fourth-highest output for the team this season.

Montana passed the 4,000-yard mark of total offense so far on the season in Cheney and now sits on 4,008. The Griz are on pace to pass last season's total of 5,490 total yards by the end of the regular season, a mark the 2015 Griz hit in 13 games last year.

Brady Gustafson has now thrown for 4,617 career yards and 36 touchdowns. The senior from Billings needs 803 yards to pass Craig Ochs (5,419) UM's all-time list. Gustafson's 36 career passing touchdowns put him at No. 12 on UM's all-time list.

"Gus" has now played in 25 games as a Griz QB, averaging 184.6 yards-per-game over his career, tying him with John Edwards on UM's all-time YPG list at No. 9. However, during his 15 games as a starter, Gustafson has averaged 305.1 yards-per-game, placing him at No. 3 on the YPG list.

His pass completion percentage so far this season sits at 66.8, currently the fifth most efficient season in Montana history.

Against EWU, Gustafson completed 45 passes, which would have been good enough to break Dave Dickenson's old school record of 43 completions in a game and was just three passes shy of breaking his own record of 47, a mark he set at Cal Poly earlier this season.

Around the Big Sky, Gustafson has had the second-most 300+ yard passing games with five so far this season, with his high game of 418 coming at Cal Poly.

FOUR DOWNS WITH IDAHO STATE: Bengal linebacker Mario Jenkins is currently tied at No.11 in all of FCS football, averaging 10.3 tackles-per-game.

Fifth-year Idaho State coach and Big Sky Conference stalwart Mike Kramer is 95-122 overall with the Bengals and is 63-79 in Big Sky play.

Idaho State is last in the Big Sky Conference in total offense, gaining just 346.5 yards per game, while Montana ranks No. 3. The Bengals rank 10th in total defense, allowing 479 yards per game, and 38.4 points per game, while Montana ranks No. 1 in that category.

ISU battled through one of the most difficult nonconference schedules in the Big Sky this season, squaring off against two Pac-12 schools in consecutive weeks, falling to Colorado 56-7 on Sept. 10 then falling to Oregon State 37-7 the following week.

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Players Mentioned

Brady Gustafson

Eric Johnson

Jerry Louie-McGee

JR Nelson

Makena Simis

University of Montana Athletics