Cohesive Griz look to pass early test against No. 3 Panthers

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Cohesive Griz look to pass early test against No. 3 Panthers

When the Montana Grizzlies take the field at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa, on Saturday, the players will have their choice of three-different pairs of shoes to wear during the game.

The artificial surface at the dome was installed in 2009, and those who have played on it say it can have an effect on the outcome of a game if you're not prepared.

So the Grizzlies are preparing.

"We've heard from a bunch of people that it's more similar to the old AstroTurf than the new FieldTurf stuff that we have," said Montana head coach Bob Stitt during his weekly radio show on the Montana Grizzlies Radio Network.

"We are taking three different pairs of shoes for every player. We're going to go to the field early and let them try those out, and hopefully they will find something that will work. It's probably going to be more like the rubber studded shoes you used to wear back in the day, back when I was playing."

What equipment to wear is just part of the puzzle Stitt and the No. 14/15 Grizzlies are putting together in preparation for Saturday's "FCS Game of the Week" showdown at No. 3 Northern Iowa.

Many of the other puzzle pieces focus on one thing: stopping Aaron Bailey and the UNI rushing attack.

The Panther's dual-threat senior quarterback is one of the most dangerous weapons in the FCS, who led the team in rushing with 128 yards and passed for 135 more in last week's season-opener upset over Iowa State.

"He can do a lot of things. He can run, he's got a very strong arm, he can run the option, he can scramble, he can spread out. He can do all these things, so you've got to try to contain him," said Stitt.

Baily is the "one" UNI's "one-two" punch in their ground game. The Panther's also boast another 1,000-yard rusher in senior Tyvis Smith who rushed for 114 yards and also led the team in receiving yards with 43 against the Cyclones.

"He's big, but he's fast too. He can pound on you and then he can take it to the house," added Stitt.

While the Panthers can pound the rock offensively, they are also a force to be reckoned with on the defensive side of the ball. Ask Iowa State.

Northern Iowa held the Cyclones to just 51 yards rushing on 25 attempts last Saturday, and forced four turnovers, three of which came in the last five minutes of the game, to seal the 25-20 upset.

The Panther "D" is led by preseason All-America defensive end Karter Schult who left his mark in the ISU win with a pair of sacks.

"They're aggressive, and they're good up front," added Stitt. "They're a typical Missouri Valley team. They don't make mistakes and they don't give up big plays."

Stitt and the Grizzlies know a thing or two about winning against Missouri Valley Conference teams. Montana is 7-2 against the MVFC since 2009, with the only two losses coming at the hands of North Dakota State.

One of those seven wins also comes over NDSU, but it was played in the friendly confines of Washington-Grizzly Stadium. Stitt plans on finding that winning game plan, and applying it to the hostile environment at the UNI-Dome. It's an early-season test for his troops, in preparation for a long conference battle in October and November.

"I think this team is very comparable to the team that we saw twice last year," said Stitt. "It's a great test for us, it allows us to see where our young football team is, as far as the mental side of it goes.

"When you schedule teams you know you can beat early; it doesn't help you when it comes time to play the tough teams in the Big Sky. We've got to be able to go there and face a little adversity."

With a potent offensive attack to stop and a stifling defense to get past, the Grizzlies game plan is coming together. Stitt and defensive coordinator Jason Semore will have the X's and O's dialed in after hours of reviewing tape and analyzing that UNI puzzle.

But the one game plan that is coming together at the right time for Montana is one that Stitt has been working on since he arrived in 2014. Taking a team of Grizzlies, and turning them into road warriors. And for Stitt, that all starts in the offseason.

"You've got to be a really close-knit football team so you can depend on each other on the road. When you have no team chemistry and you go into a hostile environment, you're alone. You have nobody to trust and count on, and that's what we worked on in the offseason and that's what's going to help us."

University of Montana Athletics

Cohesive Griz look to pass early test against No. 3 Panthers

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