Photo by: Tommy Martino
Sunday Notebook: Griz sink Viking ship for key road win
11/3/2019 4:42:00 PM | Football
The Montana Grizzlies and their boisterous band of supporters invaded Hillsboro Stadium in Oregon on Saturday and picked up and all-important 38-23 win over the upstart Portland State Vikings to improve to 7-2 on the season, officially placing them in the FCS playoff conversation.
It was yet another dominant second-half showing for the Griz, beating the Vikings 24-6 after the halftime break thanks to a balanced offensive output of 464 yards and a defense that kept the PSU rushing game in check for just 43 net yards.
Strong second-halves have been Montana's forte this season, with the Griz now outscoring their opponents 206-73 in the second half so far this season.
With three higher-ranked teams ahead of them in the national polls losing this week, the No. 8 Griz are poised to move up the rankings when they are released on Monday.
As winners of five of the last six games (with a backup QB leading UM to two-straight wins) the Griz return home for two of their final three games in the regular season against longtime foes Idaho and Weber State.
ROOT Sports Big Sky and STATS FCS National Player of the Week nominations:
Offense: Filling in for three-time Big Sky Player of the Week Dalton Sneed for a second-straight week, super-sub Cam Humphrey proved to be every bit as capable as his predecessor, completing 75-percent of his passes (21-28-0) for 335 yards and four touchdowns at Portland State.
Leading a balanced Grizzly attack that saw the Grizzlies rack up 464 yards of total offense with 129 yards rushing, Humphrey was the only backup QB in the Big Sky to lead his team to a win on week 10 with a career-high day in Oregon.
While his 335 yards in the air and 75-percent completion rate was the second-highest in the league on Saturday, Humphrey's four TD passes were more than any Big Sky QB, and he dissected the conference's (then) second-best overall defense on their home field to do it.
Humphrey's 75-percent completion rate was also tied for the best percentage of any Grizzly QB since Dalton Sneed was named the ROOT Sports Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week with the exact same rate (30-40-1, 75%, 334 yards, 4 TDs) against Monmouth on Sept. 21.
His performance also caught the eye of the national media, with Humphrey being named the College Sports Madness Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week on Sunday.
Other Humphrey notes:
• Humphrey's 76-yard touchdown pass to Samuel Akem on the first play of the fourth quarter was the longest play from scrimmage for the Grizzlies this season, second only to Malik Flowers' 100-yard kickoff return TD against Monmouth.
• That same 76-yard score is the longest TD pass for any Grizzly since 2017 when Samori Toure (who was Humphrey's favorite target with a career-high three TD catches in his hometown of Portland) caught an 81-yard touchdown pass at Weber State.
• The 76-yard pass was a career-long pass and catch for both Humphrey and Akem.
Defense: Junior linebacker Jace Lewis posted yet another dominant game against Portland State's clinical offense with nine tackles (seven solo), a Big Sky-best and career-high three sacks, and a quarterback hurry as well.
Lewis was a key part of a Montana defense that held the Vikings to just 43 net rush yards, the fewest of any Grizzly opponent this season.
In the past five games Lewis has totaled 60 tackles and is ranked No. 7 in the league with an average of 8.9 this season.
Special Teams: While his efforts on special teams might not have shown up on the stat sheet with one tackle, sophomore safety Michael McGinnis showed up in a big way blocking on Montana's special teams, with accounted for 99 return yards against PSU.
A force on UM's special teams all season, McGinnis has totaled 10 tackles (six solo) and one pass breakup to date.
Freshman: Alex Gubner, a redshirt-freshman from California who has worked his way into a starting position at defensive end for the Grizzlies, dropped back in coverage, picked-off his third pass of the season, and returned it 17 yards against Portland State. The 285-pound lineman's three INTs on the season are tied for the second-most in the conference.
In addition to his picked-off pass, Gubner was a menace to the Viking offense all day Saturday with a career-high five tackles (two solo) and a half-sack for a loss of four yards during a second-half siege by the Grizzly defense.
UP NEXT: The Griz return home to face the rival Idaho Vandals in a battle for the Little Brown Stein in Missoula for the first time since 2003, and the first time since Idaho returned to the Big Sky Conference in 2018. This year's meeting also marks the first time the two have clashed in Missoula as co-members of the Big Sky since 1994.
Montana enters the game riding a five-game win streak over the Vandals that dates back to 1999, and winners of nine of the last 11 meetings between the two traditional foes. The Montana/Idaho rivalry is the second-oldest in Grizzly history, dating back to the first meeting in 1903.
The Grizzlies will give a salute to service at Washington-Grizzly Stadium this week on Military Appreciation Day, with service members holding a valid military or veteran ID able to purchase tickets for $20 – more than half off the regular price.
Visit the Adams Center Box Office or call 1-888-Montana to purchase your military discount tickets.
The Montana/Idaho contest will be broadcast nationwide on ROOT Sports.
It was yet another dominant second-half showing for the Griz, beating the Vikings 24-6 after the halftime break thanks to a balanced offensive output of 464 yards and a defense that kept the PSU rushing game in check for just 43 net yards.
Strong second-halves have been Montana's forte this season, with the Griz now outscoring their opponents 206-73 in the second half so far this season.
With three higher-ranked teams ahead of them in the national polls losing this week, the No. 8 Griz are poised to move up the rankings when they are released on Monday.
As winners of five of the last six games (with a backup QB leading UM to two-straight wins) the Griz return home for two of their final three games in the regular season against longtime foes Idaho and Weber State.
🎯 Cam Humphrey was out in Portland throwin' darts!
— Montana Griz Football (@MontanaGrizFB) November 3, 2019
👀 QB2 completed 75% of his passes, going 21/28 for 335 yards and 4 TDs... Good enough to make him the @CSMadness #BigSkyFB Offensive Player of the Week!
Congrats Cam! 👏👏👏#GoGriz // #RTD // #UpWithMontana pic.twitter.com/0AKDOL7ybz
ROOT Sports Big Sky and STATS FCS National Player of the Week nominations:
Offense: Filling in for three-time Big Sky Player of the Week Dalton Sneed for a second-straight week, super-sub Cam Humphrey proved to be every bit as capable as his predecessor, completing 75-percent of his passes (21-28-0) for 335 yards and four touchdowns at Portland State.
Leading a balanced Grizzly attack that saw the Grizzlies rack up 464 yards of total offense with 129 yards rushing, Humphrey was the only backup QB in the Big Sky to lead his team to a win on week 10 with a career-high day in Oregon.
While his 335 yards in the air and 75-percent completion rate was the second-highest in the league on Saturday, Humphrey's four TD passes were more than any Big Sky QB, and he dissected the conference's (then) second-best overall defense on their home field to do it.
Humphrey's 75-percent completion rate was also tied for the best percentage of any Grizzly QB since Dalton Sneed was named the ROOT Sports Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week with the exact same rate (30-40-1, 75%, 334 yards, 4 TDs) against Monmouth on Sept. 21.
His performance also caught the eye of the national media, with Humphrey being named the College Sports Madness Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week on Sunday.
Other Humphrey notes:
• Humphrey's 76-yard touchdown pass to Samuel Akem on the first play of the fourth quarter was the longest play from scrimmage for the Grizzlies this season, second only to Malik Flowers' 100-yard kickoff return TD against Monmouth.
• That same 76-yard score is the longest TD pass for any Grizzly since 2017 when Samori Toure (who was Humphrey's favorite target with a career-high three TD catches in his hometown of Portland) caught an 81-yard touchdown pass at Weber State.
• The 76-yard pass was a career-long pass and catch for both Humphrey and Akem.
Defense: Junior linebacker Jace Lewis posted yet another dominant game against Portland State's clinical offense with nine tackles (seven solo), a Big Sky-best and career-high three sacks, and a quarterback hurry as well.
Lewis was a key part of a Montana defense that held the Vikings to just 43 net rush yards, the fewest of any Grizzly opponent this season.
In the past five games Lewis has totaled 60 tackles and is ranked No. 7 in the league with an average of 8.9 this season.
How 'bout Jace Lewis yesterday?!
— Montana Griz Football (@MontanaGrizFB) November 3, 2019
9️⃣ Tackles (7 solo!), 3️⃣ Sacks, 1️⃣ QBH
Dude was playing with his hair on fire!#GoGriz // #RTD // #UpWithMontana pic.twitter.com/8hX8cOhfUy
Special Teams: While his efforts on special teams might not have shown up on the stat sheet with one tackle, sophomore safety Michael McGinnis showed up in a big way blocking on Montana's special teams, with accounted for 99 return yards against PSU.
A force on UM's special teams all season, McGinnis has totaled 10 tackles (six solo) and one pass breakup to date.
Freshman: Alex Gubner, a redshirt-freshman from California who has worked his way into a starting position at defensive end for the Grizzlies, dropped back in coverage, picked-off his third pass of the season, and returned it 17 yards against Portland State. The 285-pound lineman's three INTs on the season are tied for the second-most in the conference.
In addition to his picked-off pass, Gubner was a menace to the Viking offense all day Saturday with a career-high five tackles (two solo) and a half-sack for a loss of four yards during a second-half siege by the Grizzly defense.
PICKED-OFF!
— Montana Griz Football (@MontanaGrizFB) November 3, 2019
Alex Gubner with his THIRD interception of the season! THIRD! He's a D-Lineman!#GoGriz // #UMvsPSU // #UpWithMotnana pic.twitter.com/s9Vt39hry5
UP NEXT: The Griz return home to face the rival Idaho Vandals in a battle for the Little Brown Stein in Missoula for the first time since 2003, and the first time since Idaho returned to the Big Sky Conference in 2018. This year's meeting also marks the first time the two have clashed in Missoula as co-members of the Big Sky since 1994.
Montana enters the game riding a five-game win streak over the Vandals that dates back to 1999, and winners of nine of the last 11 meetings between the two traditional foes. The Montana/Idaho rivalry is the second-oldest in Grizzly history, dating back to the first meeting in 1903.
The Grizzlies will give a salute to service at Washington-Grizzly Stadium this week on Military Appreciation Day, with service members holding a valid military or veteran ID able to purchase tickets for $20 – more than half off the regular price.
Visit the Adams Center Box Office or call 1-888-Montana to purchase your military discount tickets.
The Montana/Idaho contest will be broadcast nationwide on ROOT Sports.
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