Montana returns to the road for clash with Portland State

REMINDERS: GRIZZLY SPORTS HALL OF FAME BANQUET TICKETS: Grizzly Athletics will honor two Montana legends on Nov. 15 when football great Vince Huntsberger is inducted into the Grizzly Sports Hall of Fame, and longtime team doctor Robert "Doc" Curry receives the Grizzly Lifetime Honors Award. Tickets to the banquet are on sale now for $40 each, and can be purchased at the Adams Center Box Office, or at GrizTix.com.

THE COACH HAUCK RADIO SHOW: The Coach Hauck Radio Show returns to the Press Box, the "Official Fan Headquarters of Grizzly Athletics" this week on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. with a full hour of analysis of last week's game and an exclusive preview of the upcoming game.

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Call it stop number two on a short, but important, 2019 revenge tour.

The Montana Grizzlies travel to the state of Oregon for the second time this year on Saturday, looking to avenge a 2018 home loss to Portland State, one of three teams to pull off the rare feat of beating the Grizzlies in Washington-Grizzly Stadium last year.

On coach Bobby Hauck's quest to return the Griz to dominance, Montana has already earned one reprisal from last year's three-game home skid, running over a then fourth-ranked UC Davis 45-20 in California. After this week's game, Montana will get the chance to complete the revenge tour just three weeks later at Montana State.

Now at 6-2 overall, and sitting in sole possession of third place on the Big Sky table at 3-1 after a critical win over Eastern Washington. Now the No. 8 Grizzlies must first turn their attention to an upstart Vikings squad picked to finish tenth in the preseason league polls, but has proven to be the same salty bunch that knocked-off the Griz on homecoming last year and is seeking a move to the top of the league table.

"They beat us here last year. They're well-coached, they're athletic, and they're undefeated at home this year," said Hauck at his weekly press briefing. "We know we've got our hands full, and they do a nice job."

Portland State (5-4, 3-2) enters this week's game at Hillsboro Stadium seeking a little redemption of their own after dropping a 29-31 heartbreaker at Northern Arizona last week on a late Lumberjack field goal.

Despite the loss, the Vikings have turned heads around the Big Sky early this season with a big-time defensive performance in their season opener at Arkansas (yes, the SEC's Arkansas Razorbacks), falling just short of one of the biggest upsets in league history in a 20-13 loss. After a 70-7 home rout over Division-II Simon Fraser, PSU once again went toe-to-toe with an FBS opponent, hanging with Boise State early before falling 45-10. Other wins include an NAIA win over Eastern Oregon (59-9) at home, a decisive home win over Southern Utah (52-31), a home shutout of the Idaho Vandals, 24-0, and a 38-30 win at Northern Colorado.

This week's contest will go a long way toward the Grizzlies' return to the FCS playoffs, with a win putting them over the requisite seven-win threshold needed to advance.

Standing in their way is a clinical PSU offense ranked fourth in the country in time of possession led by an NFL prospect at tight end, the league's third-best rushing attack, and a defense that has picked off the fifth-most passes in the country and is No. 16 in rush defense.

It will be a battle of comparably efficient offenses too, with both topping the conference in total first downs and both sitting top-three in third-down conversions. Defense might be the difference, however, with PSU's throwback "flex" defense allowing the fewest yards in the conference on the ground at 108.6, and the second-fewest total yards at 359.

Kickoff from Hillsboro Stadium is set for 3:05 p.m. MT (2:05 p.m. PT).

TAILGATE TOWN: With a traditionally large crowd of Griz fans and Montana alumni expected in Portland, the Grizzly Scholarship Association will host its third and final road-game tailgate party this week at Hillsboro Stadium.

The GSA tailgate will be located along the first base line at Ron Tonkin Field, the home of Hillsboro Hops Minor League Baseball team, directly adjacent to Hillsboro Stadium. The tailgate opens two hours prior to kickoff and is open to all Griz fans and alumni with food and beverages available for purchase. Links to maps of the tailgate area can be found at GoGriz.com.

WATCH: Saturday's UM/PSU game will be broadcast statewide on your local ABC Montana station and SWX in the Billings market. Thanks to a contract dispute resolution, the game will also be available to DirecTV subscribers on the local ABC Montana channel. The broadcast will be produced on location by SWX Montana, with local commentators calling the game. Ron Davis will have the play-by-play, with color from former Grizzly QB Grady Bennett. Shaun Rainey will report from the sidelines.

Because this is a Big Sky Conference game not shown on ROOT Sports, the UM/PSU broadcast can also be streamed for FREE worldwide on Pluto TV channel 532 and at WatchBigSky.com.

LISTEN: "Voice of the Griz" Riley Corcoran and long-time analyst Greg Sundberg will bring you the action live from Hillsboro Stadium on KGVO Missoula, the flagship station of the Grizzly Sports Radio Network, and its thirteen affiliates around the state. Live audio web streams can also be found at GoGriz.com/Listen or on the TuneIn app.

POLLS: Montana moved up to No. 8 in both the STATS FCS media poll and AFCA FCS Coaches' poll this week following the win over Eastern Washington.

The Griz are one of three Big Sky teams in this week's top-10, with Weber State bumping up to No. 3 after a South Dakota State loss to NDSU and Sacramento State in at No. 6 following their hot start the season.

This marks the sixth-straight week Montana has stayed in the media poll top-10 after starting the season at No. 25 and being unranked in the coaches' poll.

Around the Big Sky and FCS, all eyes will be on Sacramento this week as the No. 6 Hornets play host to the No, 3 Weber State Wildcats in a top-10 clash of the lone undefeated teams in the conference. A win for the Griz would move UM into a tie for second place in the conference standings with the loser of the Wildcats/Hornets game.

SERIES HISTORY: Since the first meeting between the two programs in 1965, the Grizzlies hold a 30-13 overall lead in the series, a 13-9 advantage in Portland, and a 16-4 lead since the Vikings joined the Big Sky in 1996.

Despite overall success, the Vikings have come away as winners of two of the last three meetings going back to 2015 when PSU defended its turf in a torrential downpour at Providence Park in a game that snapped an eight-game win streak for the Griz.

LAST MEETING: The then 14th-ranked Griz were upset in Missoula 22-20 when freshman kicker Cody Williams slotted a 52-yard field goal with seconds remaining, giving the Vikings their first win over the Griz in Missoula since 1987.

Montana was held scoreless in the first half of that game, falling behind 13-0 before touchdowns from Adam Eastwood and Samori Toure put UM up 14-13 heading into the final stanza.

Viking QB Davis Alexander for 170 yards, and starting senior running back Sergio Hoffman ran for 80 yards and a touchdown in the PSU win. Both Alexander and Hoffman return for the Vikings this year.

Missing from the UM/PSU game last year? Viking All-America tight end Charlie Taumoepeau, who recorded five catches for 127 yards against NAU for his second 100-yard day this season.

"Touchdown Charlie is the best tight end I've seen in a while, certainly the best one we've seen this year to date," said Hauck. "He's got great playmaking ability, he's big, and he's fast. That's what the great tight ends look like."

LAST TIME AT HILLSBORO: Montana last played PSU at Hillsboro Stadium in 2017 and came away with a 45-33 win thanks to an offensive performance where the Griz scored on their first four possessions, and huge defensive effort from safety Justin Strong.

Strong was named FCS national Defensive Player of the Week and even earned a cameo on SportsCenter after a career day with three interceptions (four if you count a picked-off extra point), one of which he returned for a touchdown.

SCOUTING THE VIKINGS: Led by fifth-year head coach Bruce Barnum (named both FCS and Big Sky Coach of the Year in 2015 after leading PSU to a best-ever 9-3 record), the Vikings are averaging more than 35 points and 458 yards per game under the former offensive coordinator.

• Barnum is 2-1 against the Griz in his career, while Hauck enters the game at 6-2 all-time against Portland State.

• QB Davis Alexander enters the game a career-high 15 passing touchdowns and 2,046 yards this season, and had the fifth 300+ yard game of his career at NAU, despite the loss. Alexander is also the team's second-leading rusher with 432 yards and four TDs. He ranks second in the Big Sky in yards per pass attempt (8.39) and is 22nd nationally in passing yards.

• RB Sirgeo Hoffman is ranked second in the Big Sky and 21st nationally in rushing touchdowns behind Marcus Knight with eight this season.

• Hoffman has rushed 129 times for 697 yards and eight touchdowns this season to lead the Vikings, ranking seventh in the Big Sky Conference in rushing (77.4 yards per game).

• Sophomore safety Anthony Adams leads all of FCS football with 18 passes defended this season, and his four interceptions and 14 pass breakups are both Big Sky-bests as well.

• The Vikings have a +5 turnover margin with 15 takeaways this season and have scored 48 points off turnovers. Montana, meanwhile, enters the game with a +4 turnover margin and 14 takeaways on the year that led to 52 combined points.

HEAD-TO-HEAD: Montana and Portland State are both ranked among the top-five in the Big Sky in 10 of the 32 team statistical categories with considerably even stats up and down the team chart.

• The Griz have outscored opponents by exactly 100 points so far this season (302-202), while Portland State has outscored its opponents by 95 points, 319-224. The bulk of Montana's points (182) have been scored in the second half where the Griz have been dominant, outscoring opponents 182-67.

"I think the mindset of our guys is that we're going to play better in the second half and be stronger as the game goes on, and I think we're good at that part," said Hauck.

• The third quarter has been especially strong for both teams, with the Griz and the Vikings scoring exactly 105 points each in the period this season.

• Montana is 6-0 when leading after the third quarter.

• Montana's league-best first down total of 211 is closely followed by PSU, who has 207 so far this season. The Griz set a new school record for first downs against Idaho State with 35 total.

• PSU's ground game has totaled 1,915 yards this season compared to UM's 1,397, but the Griz and Viks are close in yards per carry, with UM at 4.6, and PSU at 4.8.

• Despite the use of two quarterbacks, Montana's is averaging more than 50 yards passing per game more than PSU, with the Griz at 300.1 and Viks at 246.

• One category the two teams are not close in? Penalties. PSU has been flagged 71 times this season, nearly double Montana's total of 44 penalties.

GRIZ TRACKS

FAMILIAR FACES: The state of Oregon has historically been fertile recruiting grounds for Montana, and this year's squad is no different with six Grizzlies hailing from the Beaver State, and four hailing from the greater Portland area.

Two of UM's biggest offensive weapons, junior receiver Samori Toure and freshman Nick Ostmo are natives of Portland, while guard Tyler Ganoung and D-end RJ Nelson hail from just down the road from where Saturday's game will be played in Hillsboro. Then there's Dante Olson from Medford and Alex Hurlburt from Salem to round out the Oregon Griz.

Four more Grizzlies might as well be locals too, hailing from just across the Columbia River from Portland in Vancouver, Wash. Senior cornerback Kobey Eaton and sophomore guard Skyler Martin are from Vancouver, as are freshmen Cole Grossman and Dumitru Salagor.

Montana's D-line coach Barry Sacks (a UM alum) coached at Portland State from 1987-1992, helping lead the Vikings to back-to-back D-II championship appearances under head coach Pokey Allen, who himself was a Montana native, born in Superior and a graduate of Missoula's Hellgate High.

600 AND COUNTING: Saturday's win over Eastern Washington marked the 600th win in program history for the Grizzlies, becoming the only school in Big Sky Conference history, and only the fifth FCS team located west of the Mississippi, to accumulate that many wins (others: NDSU, UNI, Drake, SDSU).

It's only fitting that - in the same year the nation celebrates 150 years of college football – Montana becomes one of just 22 FCS teams to accumulate 600 wins, joining the ranks of historic programs like Princeton, who played in the first intercollegiate football game in 1869, nearly 30 years before Montana started its program in 1897.

OLSON KEEPS CLIMBING: All-everything linebacker Dante Olson continued his march to the top of the UM record book with 14 tackles last week, making him No. 7 on the all-time tackler list with a total of 317.

• To get there, Olson passed several legends on the way, including Kyle Ryan, and long-time NFL veterans Tim Hauck and Colt Anderson.

OTHER CLIMBERS: With 19 yards receiving against EWU, Jerry Louie-McGee moved passed Mike Ferriter on UM's all-time receiving yards list to No. 14 with 2,097 yards in his prolific career.

• Samuel Akem added a touchdown catch to his career total against EWU as well, tying him with Jabin Sambrano and Grizzly Sports Hall of Famer Matt Wells at No. 13 with 19 TD grabs.

GOOD KNIGHT: With 12 rushing and 13 total TDs this season and four regular-season games left to play, Marcus Knight is entering the conversation for one of the most prolific scoring seasons in UM history.

With four more rushing TD's, he'll tie Jordan Canada's 2013 total of 16 rushing scores and will be chasing Chase Reynolds' record of 22 in both 2008 and 2009. He needs just one more overall TD to enter UM's top-20 total TD list and has two more years left to climb higher.

• Knight posted the second 100-yard rushing game of his career against EWU with 131, and the third three-TD rushing performance of his career as well.

• His 26 rushing attempts last week were a career-high, and his 45-yard break for a TD was the longest of his career as well.

• Knight wasn't alone in accounting for UM's 254 rushing yards last week. Freshman (and Portland native) Nick Ostmo didn't lose a yard on 18 carries for 79 yards, both career highs. Had he picked up 21 more yards in that game, it would have been the first time two Griz rushed for 100+ in a game since Travon Van and Jordan Canada combined for 238 yards against Portland State in 2013.

THE GRIZ WHEN: Montana is 4-0 when outrushing its opponents this season, and, unsurprisingly, 6-0 when producing more total yardage.

UP NEXT: Montana returns home for two of its final three regular-season games in the friendly confines of Washington-Grizzly Stadium, where the home-field advantage could be mean the difference between returning to the postseason and not.

On Nov. 9, the rival Idaho Vandals return to Missoula for the first time since 2003 to play for the Little Brown Stein. The No. 3 ranked Weber State Wildcats then come to town for the final regular-season home game of the year on Nov. 16 when the Griz will celebrate the induction of Montana legend Vince Huntsberger to the Grizzly Sports Hall of Fame. The Griz close out the regular season on Nov. 23 in Bozeman for the annual Brawl of the Wild.

Montana returns to the road for clash with Portland State

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Players Mentioned

Samuel Akem

Adam Eastwood

Kobey Eaton

Tyler Ganoung

Cole Grossman

Alex Hurlburt

Marcus Knight

Jerry Louie-McGee

Skyler Martin

RJ Nelson

Dante Olson

Nick Ostmo

Dumitru Salagor

Justin Strong

Samori Toure

University of Montana Athletics