Griz rise in polls setting up Top-5 showdown with Weber State
11/11/2019 11:26:00 AM | Football
The Montana Grizzlies rose to No. 4 in the NCAA FCS Coaches' Poll and No. 5 in the STATS FCS Media Poll on Monday, setting up a top-5 showdown with No. 3 Weber State on Saturday at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula.
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The Griz defeated their rival Idaho Vandals 42-17 last week to rise one place in both polls, up from No. 5 in the coaches' poll and up from No. 6 in the media poll. In a tight vote, Montana (8-2, 5-1 BSC) picked up 561 points in the coaches' poll (14 points shy of Weber State's total of 575), and 3,161 points in the media poll, 85 points shy of No. 4 Northern Iowa.
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Montana's position was also improved due to previous No. 4-ranked South Dakota State falling 27-18 to Illinois State, and a narrow 17-9 home win Northern Iowa Panthers over an unranked Indiana State. Also falling on Saturday was Central Arkansas, who was ranked ahead of Montana at No. 7 in the first top-10 poll of the year by the Division I Football Championship Committee.
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The move in this week's national rankings sets up a top-5 showdown for the No. 4/5 Grizzlies against No. 3 Weber State (8-2, 6-0 BSC) on Saturday, with Big Sky championship implications on the line as well.
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The Griz and Wildcats currently sit at No. 1 and 2 on the Big Sky table with two games each remaining. The Wildcats advanced to the FCS quarterfinals in 2018, where they fell to Maine, 23-18.
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Saturday's game marks the first time since 2017 the Griz have faced the Wildcats. Montana enters the game leading the all-time series between the Big Sky Conference founding members 39-15. Montana has won two of the last four meetings but has dropped the previous two matchups. One, a 24-21 overtime loss in Missoula in 2015, the other a 41-27 loss in Ogden in 2017.
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The Grizzlies have had one of the toughest schedules in FCS football this season, ranked fifth-strongest in the Massey Ratings. Weber State has faced an equally tough schedule, ranked the third-strongest by Massey.
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Tickets to see the No. 4 Griz take on the No. 3 Wildcats start at $40 and are available online at GrizTix.com, over the phone at 1-888-Montana, or in person at the Adams Center Box Office.Â
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AFCA FCS Coaches' Poll
1Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â North Dakota State
2Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â James Madison
3Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Weber State
4Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Montana
5Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Northern Iowa
6Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Sacramento State
7Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Furman
8Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Illinois State
9Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â South Dakota State
10Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Montana State
11Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Kennesaw State
12Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Dartmouth
13Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Central Arkansas
14Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Florida A&M
15Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Monmouth (N.J.)
16Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Villanova
17Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Southeast Missouri State
18Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Central Connecticut State
19Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Princeton
20Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Wofford
21Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Towson
22Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Austin Peay
23Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Southeastern Louisiana
24Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Nicholls
25Â Â Â Â Â Â Â North Carolina A&T
Others receiving votes: North Dakota, 38; Southern Illinois, 27; San Diego, 19; New Hampshire, 18; The Citadel, 14; Sam Houston St., 11; Richmond, 10; South Carolina St., 8; Campbell, 6; Albany, 5; Eastern Washington, 4; Yale, 4; Robert Morris, 2; Tennessee Tech, 1; UT Martin, 1.
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STATS FCS Media Poll
1Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â North Dakota State
2Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â James Madison
3Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Weber State
4Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â UNI
5Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Montana
6Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Sacramento State
7Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Illinois State
8Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â South Dakota State
9Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Furman
10Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Montana State
11Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Dartmouth
12Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Florida A&M
13Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Villanova
14Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Central Arkansas
15Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Southeast Missouri State
16Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Kennesaw State
17Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Monmouth
18Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Princeton
19Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Central Connecticut State
20Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Towson
21Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Wofford
22Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Austin Peay
23Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Southeastern Louisiana
24Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Nicholls
25Â Â Â Â Â Â Â North Carolina A&T
Others: North Dakota (342) , Sam Houston State (264) , New Hampshire (179) , Southern Illinois (159) , Citadel (146) , Yale (90) , UC Davis (58) , San Diego (54) , UT Martin (32) , Albany (32) , Alcorn State (29) , Richmond (20) , Maine (11) , South Carolina State (10) , Eastern Washington (3) , McNeese (3)
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The Griz defeated their rival Idaho Vandals 42-17 last week to rise one place in both polls, up from No. 5 in the coaches' poll and up from No. 6 in the media poll. In a tight vote, Montana (8-2, 5-1 BSC) picked up 561 points in the coaches' poll (14 points shy of Weber State's total of 575), and 3,161 points in the media poll, 85 points shy of No. 4 Northern Iowa.
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Montana's position was also improved due to previous No. 4-ranked South Dakota State falling 27-18 to Illinois State, and a narrow 17-9 home win Northern Iowa Panthers over an unranked Indiana State. Also falling on Saturday was Central Arkansas, who was ranked ahead of Montana at No. 7 in the first top-10 poll of the year by the Division I Football Championship Committee.
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The move in this week's national rankings sets up a top-5 showdown for the No. 4/5 Grizzlies against No. 3 Weber State (8-2, 6-0 BSC) on Saturday, with Big Sky championship implications on the line as well.
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The Griz and Wildcats currently sit at No. 1 and 2 on the Big Sky table with two games each remaining. The Wildcats advanced to the FCS quarterfinals in 2018, where they fell to Maine, 23-18.
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Saturday's game marks the first time since 2017 the Griz have faced the Wildcats. Montana enters the game leading the all-time series between the Big Sky Conference founding members 39-15. Montana has won two of the last four meetings but has dropped the previous two matchups. One, a 24-21 overtime loss in Missoula in 2015, the other a 41-27 loss in Ogden in 2017.
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The Grizzlies have had one of the toughest schedules in FCS football this season, ranked fifth-strongest in the Massey Ratings. Weber State has faced an equally tough schedule, ranked the third-strongest by Massey.
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Tickets to see the No. 4 Griz take on the No. 3 Wildcats start at $40 and are available online at GrizTix.com, over the phone at 1-888-Montana, or in person at the Adams Center Box Office.Â
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AFCA FCS Coaches' Poll
1Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â North Dakota State
2Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â James Madison
3Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Weber State
4Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Montana
5Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Northern Iowa
6Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Sacramento State
7Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Furman
8Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Illinois State
9Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â South Dakota State
10Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Montana State
11Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Kennesaw State
12Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Dartmouth
13Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Central Arkansas
14Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Florida A&M
15Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Monmouth (N.J.)
16Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Villanova
17Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Southeast Missouri State
18Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Central Connecticut State
19Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Princeton
20Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Wofford
21Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Towson
22Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Austin Peay
23Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Southeastern Louisiana
24Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Nicholls
25Â Â Â Â Â Â Â North Carolina A&T
Others receiving votes: North Dakota, 38; Southern Illinois, 27; San Diego, 19; New Hampshire, 18; The Citadel, 14; Sam Houston St., 11; Richmond, 10; South Carolina St., 8; Campbell, 6; Albany, 5; Eastern Washington, 4; Yale, 4; Robert Morris, 2; Tennessee Tech, 1; UT Martin, 1.
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STATS FCS Media Poll
1Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â North Dakota State
2Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â James Madison
3Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Weber State
4Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â UNI
5Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Montana
6Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Sacramento State
7Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Illinois State
8Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â South Dakota State
9Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Furman
10Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Montana State
11Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Dartmouth
12Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Florida A&M
13Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Villanova
14Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Central Arkansas
15Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Southeast Missouri State
16Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Kennesaw State
17Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Monmouth
18Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Princeton
19Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Central Connecticut State
20Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Towson
21Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Wofford
22Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Austin Peay
23Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Southeastern Louisiana
24Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Nicholls
25Â Â Â Â Â Â Â North Carolina A&T
Others: North Dakota (342) , Sam Houston State (264) , New Hampshire (179) , Southern Illinois (159) , Citadel (146) , Yale (90) , UC Davis (58) , San Diego (54) , UT Martin (32) , Albany (32) , Alcorn State (29) , Richmond (20) , Maine (11) , South Carolina State (10) , Eastern Washington (3) , McNeese (3)
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