Saturday, November 9
Missoula, Mont.
1 PM
Montana
vs
Idaho
No. 5/6 Griz look to retain “Little Brown Stein” hosting Idaho
11/5/2019 8:29:00 PM | Football
The Montana Grizzlies return to Missoula this week to defend their undefeated home record and to defend the "Little Brown Stein" with the Idaho Vandals invading Washington-Grizzly Stadium for the first time since 2003, and the first time as Big Sky Conference rivals in 25 years.
Coming off a pair of big wins and sitting in second place on the league table at 4-1 (7-2 overall), the Griz enter this week's game in a prime position to achieve one of head coach Bobby Hauck's primary goals with three games remaining: compete for a Big Sky Championship.
Standing in Montana's way is the team the Griz have a long history against, having faced them more than almost anyone else in a series that dates back to 1903.
For years the Montana/Idaho game was circled on the calendar as THE rivalry game, with bragging rights for the neighboring states at a premium for the winner before the Vandals left the Big Sky Conference for greener pastures.
Now, Idaho (4-5, 2-3 Big Sky) comes to Missoula seeking some redemption after Montana spoiled their return to the league 2018 with a 46-27 demolition of the Vandals in Moscow where Hauck became the winningest coach in program history.
With five losses the Vandals are likely out of postseason contention, but that doesn't make them any less dangerous, riding a two-game win streak and having big wins over Eastern and Central Washington on their record, along with a tight loss to Wyoming.
On Saturday, the Griz and Vandals meet for the 86th time in program history on the gridiron, and records will be thrown out the window when a renewed conference rivalry kicks off at 1 p.m.
"This has been a big game in these parts for decades, for a long time. They're playing well. They had a big win last weekend against Cal Poly, they had a tough loss to Weber State, and they beat Idaho State fairly handily, so they've been playing really well lately," said Hauck.
"They're really well-coached. These coaches at Idaho know what the heck they're doing, so they'll have their team ready. We know they spent time on us in spring ball and fall camp, so they'll be well prepared, they'll be fired up to play this weekend in Missoula, and we know that we'd better be the same."
HAPPENINGS: The Grizzlies give a salute to service this week as they celebrate Military Appreciation Day at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. As a thank you to those who have served, discounted tickets are available at the Adams Center Box Office to anyone with a valid Military or Veteran ID.
Fans can help make the holidays a little brighter for Western Montana families in need this week with the annual Griz For Kids Toy Drive happening at Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
Bring new, unwrapped toys to the game and drop them off in donation boxes located at each entrance to the stadium, in front of the Adams Center, and south of the Van Buren Street walking bridge.
GRIZ WALK: Fans are encouraged to gather on Memorial Row (outside the Adams Center) at 10:45 a.m. to cheer on the Griz as they make their way from final meetings to the locker room prior to kick off.
WATCH: The Griz/Vandals game marks the fourth of six Griz games this season to be broadcast nationwide on ROOT Sports. Veteran broadcaster Tom Glasgow will have the play-by-play, with analysis from Taylor Barton.
ROOT Sports and its regional affiliates (AT&T Rocky Mountain, Las Vegas, and Southwest) are available on DirecTV, Dish Network, and Spectrum Cable. The game will also be shown nationwide on DirecTV's Audience Network, part of the satellite provider's basic channel lineup.
A web stream of the game is also available via AT&T Now and AT&T TV (subscription required) via the Audience Network.
LISTEN: "Voice of the Griz" Riley Corcoran and longtime analyst Greg Sundberg will bring you the action live from Washington-Grizzly 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.
LIVE STATS: Live stats can be found at GrizStats.com
GRIZ IN THE POLLS: Montana climbed to No. 5 in the AFCA FCS Coaches' Poll this week and No. 6 in the STATS FCS Media Poll following a 38-23 win at Portland State.
With the requisite seven wins needed for a berth in the FCS playoffs and a top-five ranking under their belts, the Grizzlies are on track to return to the postseason for the first time since 2015 this season.
The Griz will get the first indications as to where the Division I Football Championship Committee thinks they will land when it announces its top-10 ranking, Wednesday, Nov. 6, during halftime of the 8 p.m. (ET) Miami (OH) vs. Ohio game on ESPN2.
IMPLICATIONS: With seven wins, Montana is now in the postseason conversation, but the Griz still have everything to play for in front of them, with three crucial weeks of football ahead.
First though: The Vandals. A rivalry win Saturday would keep the No. 5/6 Grizzlies in the top of the national rankings, setting up a top-10 showdown with the No. 3 Weber State Wildcats, followed by an ever-important Brawl of the Wild game with No. 12/14 Montana State. Win them all, and UM is looking at a first-round bye. Lose them, and the playoffs might not be in the cards.
SERIES HISTORY: The Grizzlies and Vandals series dates all the way back to 1903, and for decades Idaho held the upper hand, building a large series lead through the 1980's that now has Idaho with a 55-28-2 lead. But since then, the Griz have been dominant, winning nine of the last 11 meetings, including five wins after the Vandals had moved to the I-AA/FBS level in 1999-2003.
Montana improved its all-time Big Sky record against Idaho last season in Moscow to 11-20-1 and will look to improve its 5-3 record inside Washington-Grizzly Stadium this week.
THE LITTLE BROWN STEIN: Montana and Idaho have played for a traveling trophy dubbed the "Little Brown Stein" by a former school newspaper reporter at UM since 1938. Carved of wood, the Little Brown Stein has resided in Missoula for the last 19 years since the Griz beat the Vandals 45-38 in Moscow in 2000.
Inspired by the Little Brown Jug trophy that goes to the winner of the Michigan/Minnesota game each year, Montana has won the stein in nine of the last 11 meetings between Montana and Idaho. Idaho holds a 36-23-1 all-time advantage in Little Brown Stein games since 1938.
LAST MEETING: Dalton Sneed picked Idaho apart both through the air and on the ground as the Grizzlies rolled to a 46-27 road win over the Vandals at Idaho. Sneed threw for 220 yards and three touchdowns on just a dozen completions and ran for another 129 yards and one more score.
The Griz outscored the Vandals 36-6 in the first half in an offensive explosion that saw Samuel Akem account for the bulk of his 130 yards receiving with two scores, one a 52-yard bomb on a post route on the first play of the second quarter.
Defensively, Dante Olson unsurprisingly led the Griz with 10 tackles and Josh Sandry picked off a Mason Petrino pass and returned it 29 yards during Montana's first-half onslaught. Robby Hauck came up with perhaps the defensive play of the day just before the half, too. With Idaho driving and the first-half clock in its final seconds, Petrino spotted David Ungerer alone in the end zone. Score there, and the Vandals maybe take a spark into the locker room.
Hauck was having none of it. Looking like he was out of the play, the then-freshman closed the gap and got enough of a finger -- in all-out dive -- on Petrino's pass to bat it off its intended course, and Montana retained the momentum.
LAST TIME IN MISSOULA: In 2003 the Vandals came to Missoula as an FBS team to face the Griz in a nonconference tie in late September, and with an injured starting QB, the Hauck-led Grizzlies pulled out a triple-option offense and Jefferson Heidelberger took off 80 yards for a score on the first play of the game.
The triple-option vexed the Vandals all day, with the Griz racking up 344 yards rushing with five touchdowns from five different ball carriers, including one from current running back coach Justin Green, who had a personal haul of 122 yards in the 41-28 UM win.
SCOUTING THE VANDALS: Head Coach Paul Petrino, now in his seventh season with the Vandals, has led Idaho to some marquee wins this season, including a 35-27 win over then No. 11 ranked EWU and two-straight wins over Idaho State (45-21) and Cal Poly, 21-9. Idaho has also suffered some tough losses, including a 79-7 drubbing at Penn State, a 21-16 loss at Northern Colorado, and 24-0 shutout at Portland State.
• Petrino's son Mason leads the offense at quarterback, where he's accounted for 192.8 yards of total offense per game this year, the tenth-most in the league.
• The younger Petrino has a dangerous target at his disposal, however, in senior receiver Jeff Cotton, who leads the league in receiving yards with an average of 101 per game in the five games he's played. Cotton led the Vandals with 65 yards receiving last week against Cal Poly.
• Montana's No. 3 rush defense will be put to the test as well, with Idaho eclipsing 200 rushing yards in three of its four wins this season. The Vandals beat Cal Poly at their own game last week, outrushing the Mustangs 244 yards to 145 thanks to running back Aundre Carter returning from injury and going for 179 yards and a pair of TDs.
• While Montana's Dante Olson leads the Big Sky in tackles with 107 this season, Vandal sophomore linebacker Tre Walker is not far behind, sitting second in the league with 103.
GRIZ TRACKS
CAM'S THE MAN: Junior QB Cam Humphrey's number was called for injury replacement in Montana's last two games, and the former Boise State walk-on answered the call tremendously. The Grizzlies haven't missed a beat with Sneed out of the lineup, earning important Big Sky wins over EWU and PSU by an average of 16 points.
Humphrey has been staggeringly accurate in his first two career starts, completing 41 of 57 passes (72%) for a combined 511 yards and five TDs.
But it's been his orchestration of the ground game that has helped dictate the wins for Montana, with the Griz outrushing the Eagles and Vikings by a combined 418-195. In fact, Montana has been effective all season with the ground game going, running to a 5-0 record when outrushing opponents.
ACCOLADES FOR SNEED: Incumbent starting QB Dalton Sneed earned accolades for his gaudy numbers in the first half of the season, being named to the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) midseason FCS National Performer of the Year watchlist despite missing the last two games.
Sneed has thrown for 2,019 yards in 2019, already one of the top 30 seasons by any QB in Montana history in just seven games. He's currently ranked No. 12 on UM's all-time passing yards list as well with 4,742 yards to date. His career total of 37 passing TDs is also the twelfth-best in UM history.
He's also currently ranked third in UM history in total offense per game with an average of 313 YPG, close behind Dave Dickenson's career average of 329.2 YPG and Drew Miller's 327.8 YPG. Sneed is also currently third all-time at Montana in passing yards per game with 263.4 YPG, trailing Miller's Big Sky record 327.8 YPG and Dickenson's 316.6 YPG.
Sneed has missed Montana's last two games against Eastern Washington and Portland State but is expected to practice this week in hopes of returning to action on Saturday when the Griz host Idaho.
GOOD KNIGHT: Marcus Knight continued to impress in his first season at tailback for the Griz, turning the corner for a 45-yard touchdown run at PSU en route to his third 100-yard rushing day of the season.
Knight's first quarter scamper against the Vikings was his fourteenth overall TD of the year, now with 13 rushing and one receiving touchdown to his credit.
With three regular-season games to play, he's now listed among some elite company on Montana's single-season total touchdown leader list, tied for the 10th-best season in UM history with Jabin Sambrano, Lex Hilliard, Justin Green, Dave Dickenson and Greg Iseman at 14. Knight will be chasing Chase Reynolds' two leading TD totals of 24 and 23.
Most total touchdowns – Single season
24 Chase Reynolds, RB, 2009
23 Chase Reynolds, RB, 2008
19 Joe Douglass, WR, 1996
17 Lex Hilliard, RB, 2004
17 Yohance Humphery, RB, 2001
16 Lex Hilliard, RB, 2007
16 Yohance Humphery, RB, 1999
15 Ellis Henderson, WR/Ret, 2013
Marc Marinai, WR, 2009
14 Marcus Knight, RB, 2019
Jabin Sambrano, WR/Ret., 2011
Lex Hilliard, RB, 2005
Justin Green, RB, 2003
Dave Dickenson, QB, 1993
Greg Iseman, RB, 1982
SECOND HALF SURGE: You could say it's become the 2019 Grizzlies' calling card: Win the second half. The Griz have outscored their opponents 340-225 this season. But in the second half it's a glaring 206-73 advantage for UM. It's been paying off for UM too, with the Griz now 7-0 when leading after the third quarter.
A BIG MAN'S DREAM: Every defensive lineman dreams of getting his hands on the ball for a turnover, and intercepting a pass is probably the rarest form of D-line steal. Not for Montana Freshman Alex Gubner. Picking off his third, yes third, interception of the year at Portland State, Gubner now leads the Grizzlies in interceptions and is tied for the third-most of anyone in the Big Sky Conference.
LEWIS EMERGES: Junior linebacker Jace Lewis posted a career day at PSU with three sacks, nine tackles and a QB hurry. He's been one of Montana's biggest defensive contributors with 80 tackles on the season now, good enough to place him seventh in the Big Sky with an average of 8.9 per game. He's now had six games this season with seven tackles or more.
LIKE UNCLE LIKE NEPHEW: Robby Hauck continued his torrid defensive pace at PSU as well with a game-high 10 takedowns. With 183 career tackles to date, Hauck is 19 shy of entering Montana's top-40 tacklers of all-time list, a list that also contains his uncle Tim Hauck, who racked-up 305 tackles in his career from 1987-89.
OLSON FOR THE CAMPBELL TROPHY: Dante Olson was named as one of 12 finalists for the prestigious William V. Campbell Trophy, the National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced Wednesday.
Known as the "Academic Heisman" award, The William V. Campbell Trophy recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance, and exemplary leadership.
As a member of the NFF's 2019 National Scholar-Athlete Class and one of 12 finalists for the Campbell Trophy, Olson will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship, and will travel to New York City for the 62nd NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Tuesday, Dec. 10, where his accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports.
QUICK HITS: • Samori Toure grabbed a career-high three TD passes last week at Portland State. The last Grizzly to get three in one game? Jamaal Jones against Montana State in 2015.
• Toure and Akem each totaled more than 100 yard receiving at PSU, and Jerry Louie-McGee had a big game with 68 yards. If Louie-McGee had 32 more yards that day, it would have been the first time UM had three, 100-yard receivers since Etu Molden (156), Jimmy Farris (149), and Tanner Hancock (127) did it against Idaho in Pullman, Wash., in 2000.
• Akem's one touchdown reception at PSU brings his career total to 20 and moves him up Montana's all-time TD reception leader list, now tied at No. 11 with Jeremy Watkins (1996-99) and his former teammate Keenan Curran.
• With a relatively quiet eight tackles at PSU, Dante Olson improved his career mark to 325 total tackles, just one shy of Mike Rankin's career total at No. 6 on UM's all-time list. Olson has 107 tackles this season to lead the Big Sky, currently the second-most in the FCS.
• Senior tackle and D-line stalwart Jesse Sims is expected to make his 30th-straigth start for the Grizzlies this weekend, and his 36th overall start.
UP NEXT: The Griz stay in Washington-Grizzly Stadium for the first and only two-game homestand of the season next week hosting the No. 3, and first place Weber State Wildcats in a game that could have major Big Sky title and postseason implications for Montana. Tickets are still available at the Adams Center Box Office or online at GrizTix.com
Coming off a pair of big wins and sitting in second place on the league table at 4-1 (7-2 overall), the Griz enter this week's game in a prime position to achieve one of head coach Bobby Hauck's primary goals with three games remaining: compete for a Big Sky Championship.
Standing in Montana's way is the team the Griz have a long history against, having faced them more than almost anyone else in a series that dates back to 1903.
For years the Montana/Idaho game was circled on the calendar as THE rivalry game, with bragging rights for the neighboring states at a premium for the winner before the Vandals left the Big Sky Conference for greener pastures.
Now, Idaho (4-5, 2-3 Big Sky) comes to Missoula seeking some redemption after Montana spoiled their return to the league 2018 with a 46-27 demolition of the Vandals in Moscow where Hauck became the winningest coach in program history.
With five losses the Vandals are likely out of postseason contention, but that doesn't make them any less dangerous, riding a two-game win streak and having big wins over Eastern and Central Washington on their record, along with a tight loss to Wyoming.
On Saturday, the Griz and Vandals meet for the 86th time in program history on the gridiron, and records will be thrown out the window when a renewed conference rivalry kicks off at 1 p.m.
"This has been a big game in these parts for decades, for a long time. They're playing well. They had a big win last weekend against Cal Poly, they had a tough loss to Weber State, and they beat Idaho State fairly handily, so they've been playing really well lately," said Hauck.
"They're really well-coached. These coaches at Idaho know what the heck they're doing, so they'll have their team ready. We know they spent time on us in spring ball and fall camp, so they'll be well prepared, they'll be fired up to play this weekend in Missoula, and we know that we'd better be the same."
HAPPENINGS: The Grizzlies give a salute to service this week as they celebrate Military Appreciation Day at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. As a thank you to those who have served, discounted tickets are available at the Adams Center Box Office to anyone with a valid Military or Veteran ID.
Fans can help make the holidays a little brighter for Western Montana families in need this week with the annual Griz For Kids Toy Drive happening at Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
Bring new, unwrapped toys to the game and drop them off in donation boxes located at each entrance to the stadium, in front of the Adams Center, and south of the Van Buren Street walking bridge.
GRIZ WALK: Fans are encouraged to gather on Memorial Row (outside the Adams Center) at 10:45 a.m. to cheer on the Griz as they make their way from final meetings to the locker room prior to kick off.
WATCH: The Griz/Vandals game marks the fourth of six Griz games this season to be broadcast nationwide on ROOT Sports. Veteran broadcaster Tom Glasgow will have the play-by-play, with analysis from Taylor Barton.
ROOT Sports and its regional affiliates (AT&T Rocky Mountain, Las Vegas, and Southwest) are available on DirecTV, Dish Network, and Spectrum Cable. The game will also be shown nationwide on DirecTV's Audience Network, part of the satellite provider's basic channel lineup.
A web stream of the game is also available via AT&T Now and AT&T TV (subscription required) via the Audience Network.
LISTEN: "Voice of the Griz" Riley Corcoran and longtime analyst Greg Sundberg will bring you the action live from Washington-Grizzly 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.
LIVE STATS: Live stats can be found at GrizStats.com
GRIZ IN THE POLLS: Montana climbed to No. 5 in the AFCA FCS Coaches' Poll this week and No. 6 in the STATS FCS Media Poll following a 38-23 win at Portland State.
With the requisite seven wins needed for a berth in the FCS playoffs and a top-five ranking under their belts, the Grizzlies are on track to return to the postseason for the first time since 2015 this season.
The Griz will get the first indications as to where the Division I Football Championship Committee thinks they will land when it announces its top-10 ranking, Wednesday, Nov. 6, during halftime of the 8 p.m. (ET) Miami (OH) vs. Ohio game on ESPN2.
IMPLICATIONS: With seven wins, Montana is now in the postseason conversation, but the Griz still have everything to play for in front of them, with three crucial weeks of football ahead.
First though: The Vandals. A rivalry win Saturday would keep the No. 5/6 Grizzlies in the top of the national rankings, setting up a top-10 showdown with the No. 3 Weber State Wildcats, followed by an ever-important Brawl of the Wild game with No. 12/14 Montana State. Win them all, and UM is looking at a first-round bye. Lose them, and the playoffs might not be in the cards.
SERIES HISTORY: The Grizzlies and Vandals series dates all the way back to 1903, and for decades Idaho held the upper hand, building a large series lead through the 1980's that now has Idaho with a 55-28-2 lead. But since then, the Griz have been dominant, winning nine of the last 11 meetings, including five wins after the Vandals had moved to the I-AA/FBS level in 1999-2003.
Montana improved its all-time Big Sky record against Idaho last season in Moscow to 11-20-1 and will look to improve its 5-3 record inside Washington-Grizzly Stadium this week.
THE LITTLE BROWN STEIN: Montana and Idaho have played for a traveling trophy dubbed the "Little Brown Stein" by a former school newspaper reporter at UM since 1938. Carved of wood, the Little Brown Stein has resided in Missoula for the last 19 years since the Griz beat the Vandals 45-38 in Moscow in 2000.
Inspired by the Little Brown Jug trophy that goes to the winner of the Michigan/Minnesota game each year, Montana has won the stein in nine of the last 11 meetings between Montana and Idaho. Idaho holds a 36-23-1 all-time advantage in Little Brown Stein games since 1938.
LAST MEETING: Dalton Sneed picked Idaho apart both through the air and on the ground as the Grizzlies rolled to a 46-27 road win over the Vandals at Idaho. Sneed threw for 220 yards and three touchdowns on just a dozen completions and ran for another 129 yards and one more score.
The Griz outscored the Vandals 36-6 in the first half in an offensive explosion that saw Samuel Akem account for the bulk of his 130 yards receiving with two scores, one a 52-yard bomb on a post route on the first play of the second quarter.
Defensively, Dante Olson unsurprisingly led the Griz with 10 tackles and Josh Sandry picked off a Mason Petrino pass and returned it 29 yards during Montana's first-half onslaught. Robby Hauck came up with perhaps the defensive play of the day just before the half, too. With Idaho driving and the first-half clock in its final seconds, Petrino spotted David Ungerer alone in the end zone. Score there, and the Vandals maybe take a spark into the locker room.
Hauck was having none of it. Looking like he was out of the play, the then-freshman closed the gap and got enough of a finger -- in all-out dive -- on Petrino's pass to bat it off its intended course, and Montana retained the momentum.
LAST TIME IN MISSOULA: In 2003 the Vandals came to Missoula as an FBS team to face the Griz in a nonconference tie in late September, and with an injured starting QB, the Hauck-led Grizzlies pulled out a triple-option offense and Jefferson Heidelberger took off 80 yards for a score on the first play of the game.
The triple-option vexed the Vandals all day, with the Griz racking up 344 yards rushing with five touchdowns from five different ball carriers, including one from current running back coach Justin Green, who had a personal haul of 122 yards in the 41-28 UM win.
SCOUTING THE VANDALS: Head Coach Paul Petrino, now in his seventh season with the Vandals, has led Idaho to some marquee wins this season, including a 35-27 win over then No. 11 ranked EWU and two-straight wins over Idaho State (45-21) and Cal Poly, 21-9. Idaho has also suffered some tough losses, including a 79-7 drubbing at Penn State, a 21-16 loss at Northern Colorado, and 24-0 shutout at Portland State.
• Petrino's son Mason leads the offense at quarterback, where he's accounted for 192.8 yards of total offense per game this year, the tenth-most in the league.
• The younger Petrino has a dangerous target at his disposal, however, in senior receiver Jeff Cotton, who leads the league in receiving yards with an average of 101 per game in the five games he's played. Cotton led the Vandals with 65 yards receiving last week against Cal Poly.
• Montana's No. 3 rush defense will be put to the test as well, with Idaho eclipsing 200 rushing yards in three of its four wins this season. The Vandals beat Cal Poly at their own game last week, outrushing the Mustangs 244 yards to 145 thanks to running back Aundre Carter returning from injury and going for 179 yards and a pair of TDs.
• While Montana's Dante Olson leads the Big Sky in tackles with 107 this season, Vandal sophomore linebacker Tre Walker is not far behind, sitting second in the league with 103.
GRIZ TRACKS
CAM'S THE MAN: Junior QB Cam Humphrey's number was called for injury replacement in Montana's last two games, and the former Boise State walk-on answered the call tremendously. The Grizzlies haven't missed a beat with Sneed out of the lineup, earning important Big Sky wins over EWU and PSU by an average of 16 points.
Humphrey has been staggeringly accurate in his first two career starts, completing 41 of 57 passes (72%) for a combined 511 yards and five TDs.
But it's been his orchestration of the ground game that has helped dictate the wins for Montana, with the Griz outrushing the Eagles and Vikings by a combined 418-195. In fact, Montana has been effective all season with the ground game going, running to a 5-0 record when outrushing opponents.
ACCOLADES FOR SNEED: Incumbent starting QB Dalton Sneed earned accolades for his gaudy numbers in the first half of the season, being named to the College Football Performance Awards (CFPA) midseason FCS National Performer of the Year watchlist despite missing the last two games.
Sneed has thrown for 2,019 yards in 2019, already one of the top 30 seasons by any QB in Montana history in just seven games. He's currently ranked No. 12 on UM's all-time passing yards list as well with 4,742 yards to date. His career total of 37 passing TDs is also the twelfth-best in UM history.
He's also currently ranked third in UM history in total offense per game with an average of 313 YPG, close behind Dave Dickenson's career average of 329.2 YPG and Drew Miller's 327.8 YPG. Sneed is also currently third all-time at Montana in passing yards per game with 263.4 YPG, trailing Miller's Big Sky record 327.8 YPG and Dickenson's 316.6 YPG.
Sneed has missed Montana's last two games against Eastern Washington and Portland State but is expected to practice this week in hopes of returning to action on Saturday when the Griz host Idaho.
GOOD KNIGHT: Marcus Knight continued to impress in his first season at tailback for the Griz, turning the corner for a 45-yard touchdown run at PSU en route to his third 100-yard rushing day of the season.
Knight's first quarter scamper against the Vikings was his fourteenth overall TD of the year, now with 13 rushing and one receiving touchdown to his credit.
With three regular-season games to play, he's now listed among some elite company on Montana's single-season total touchdown leader list, tied for the 10th-best season in UM history with Jabin Sambrano, Lex Hilliard, Justin Green, Dave Dickenson and Greg Iseman at 14. Knight will be chasing Chase Reynolds' two leading TD totals of 24 and 23.
Most total touchdowns – Single season
24 Chase Reynolds, RB, 2009
23 Chase Reynolds, RB, 2008
19 Joe Douglass, WR, 1996
17 Lex Hilliard, RB, 2004
17 Yohance Humphery, RB, 2001
16 Lex Hilliard, RB, 2007
16 Yohance Humphery, RB, 1999
15 Ellis Henderson, WR/Ret, 2013
Marc Marinai, WR, 2009
14 Marcus Knight, RB, 2019
Jabin Sambrano, WR/Ret., 2011
Lex Hilliard, RB, 2005
Justin Green, RB, 2003
Dave Dickenson, QB, 1993
Greg Iseman, RB, 1982
SECOND HALF SURGE: You could say it's become the 2019 Grizzlies' calling card: Win the second half. The Griz have outscored their opponents 340-225 this season. But in the second half it's a glaring 206-73 advantage for UM. It's been paying off for UM too, with the Griz now 7-0 when leading after the third quarter.
A BIG MAN'S DREAM: Every defensive lineman dreams of getting his hands on the ball for a turnover, and intercepting a pass is probably the rarest form of D-line steal. Not for Montana Freshman Alex Gubner. Picking off his third, yes third, interception of the year at Portland State, Gubner now leads the Grizzlies in interceptions and is tied for the third-most of anyone in the Big Sky Conference.
LEWIS EMERGES: Junior linebacker Jace Lewis posted a career day at PSU with three sacks, nine tackles and a QB hurry. He's been one of Montana's biggest defensive contributors with 80 tackles on the season now, good enough to place him seventh in the Big Sky with an average of 8.9 per game. He's now had six games this season with seven tackles or more.
LIKE UNCLE LIKE NEPHEW: Robby Hauck continued his torrid defensive pace at PSU as well with a game-high 10 takedowns. With 183 career tackles to date, Hauck is 19 shy of entering Montana's top-40 tacklers of all-time list, a list that also contains his uncle Tim Hauck, who racked-up 305 tackles in his career from 1987-89.
OLSON FOR THE CAMPBELL TROPHY: Dante Olson was named as one of 12 finalists for the prestigious William V. Campbell Trophy, the National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Hall of Fame announced Wednesday.
Known as the "Academic Heisman" award, The William V. Campbell Trophy recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance, and exemplary leadership.
As a member of the NFF's 2019 National Scholar-Athlete Class and one of 12 finalists for the Campbell Trophy, Olson will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship, and will travel to New York City for the 62nd NFF Annual Awards Dinner on Tuesday, Dec. 10, where his accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports.
QUICK HITS: • Samori Toure grabbed a career-high three TD passes last week at Portland State. The last Grizzly to get three in one game? Jamaal Jones against Montana State in 2015.
• Toure and Akem each totaled more than 100 yard receiving at PSU, and Jerry Louie-McGee had a big game with 68 yards. If Louie-McGee had 32 more yards that day, it would have been the first time UM had three, 100-yard receivers since Etu Molden (156), Jimmy Farris (149), and Tanner Hancock (127) did it against Idaho in Pullman, Wash., in 2000.
• Akem's one touchdown reception at PSU brings his career total to 20 and moves him up Montana's all-time TD reception leader list, now tied at No. 11 with Jeremy Watkins (1996-99) and his former teammate Keenan Curran.
• With a relatively quiet eight tackles at PSU, Dante Olson improved his career mark to 325 total tackles, just one shy of Mike Rankin's career total at No. 6 on UM's all-time list. Olson has 107 tackles this season to lead the Big Sky, currently the second-most in the FCS.
• Senior tackle and D-line stalwart Jesse Sims is expected to make his 30th-straigth start for the Grizzlies this weekend, and his 36th overall start.
UP NEXT: The Griz stay in Washington-Grizzly Stadium for the first and only two-game homestand of the season next week hosting the No. 3, and first place Weber State Wildcats in a game that could have major Big Sky title and postseason implications for Montana. Tickets are still available at the Adams Center Box Office or online at GrizTix.com
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/ FootballMontana vs E. Washington Highlights
Sunday, November 09
Griz Football Weekly Press Conference 11/3/25
Monday, November 03
Montana vs Weber St. Highlights
Sunday, November 02
Griz Football at Sacramento State Highlights - 10/24/25
Tuesday, October 28
