Five keys to watch for as the Griz face South Dakota

The No. 25-ranked Montana Grizzlies board a plane for the Midwest on Friday afternoon for the team's first road opener since 2014, and just it's third of the last decade when UM heads to Vermillion to take on South Dakota.

Any time Big Sky and Missouri Valley Conference teams square off, there is a feeling of post-season implications despite it being so early in the calendar. But for the Griz and Coyotes – both teams looking to return to the post-season following down years – the ramifications of Saturday's game could play a significant factor come selection time in late November.

It's a big game for both teams, and Montana head coach Bobby Hauck likes where his Grizzlies are at following a strong offseason.

To get you primed, here are five keys to a Grizzly victory.

THE STREAKS: While past records will amount to a hill of beans when the Griz and Coyotes kick off at 1 p.m. Mountain Time on Saturday, streaks will be on the line in the outcome. The DakotaDome has been a notoriously difficult place to play for visiting teams in recent history, with the Coyotes coming out winners of 16 consecutive home openers since 2003. But in the last 20 years, the Griz are 4-0 against FCS teams in road openers, and themselves hold one of the nation's top home-opener streaks at 15-straight games.

The Grizzlies have their own history in Vermillion, however, as winners of five-straight over the 'Yotes and holding an overall 12-6 series lead, with the last game played between the two at the DakotaDome in 2013 – a dramatic come-from-behind 31-27 win.

TBT to when the Griz last played at South Dakota.

You remember how good @Ellis_Henderson was!?
He won the game with this 98 yard kickoff return in final minutes. Also had 4 catches for 188 yards and two TD's this game. Fun watching highlights from years ago. pic.twitter.com/tOtCIqePjK
— Shaun Rainey (@ShaunRainey) August 29, 2019

The atmosphere in the dome will be slightly different in 2019 though, with half the facility still undergoing a multi-million-dollar expansion, meaning the listed 10,000-fan capacity will be cut in half, and there will be no fans on the Montana sideline.

This year's game is part of the Big Sky/Missouri Valley Challenge Series, a 10-game nonconference slate between the two FCS powerhouse conferences now entering its second season. The Big Sky jumped out to an early lead in the series on Thursday night thanks to a 37-23 home win for Northern Arizona over Missouri State. "The Valley" won the inaugural challenge series last year 5-3.

FINISHING STRONG: Montana finished the 2018 season at 6-5 overall, a mark that doesn't sit well with the Grizzly players, coaching staff, or fans. It's interesting to note, however, that in that stretch the Grizzlies entered the fourth quarter with a lead in 10 different games, but only came away with six wins.

The argument could be made that UM was only three plays away (a punt return at Western Illinois, a dropped ball against Portland State, and fumble against MSU) from potentially being a nine-win team in control of its own playoff destiny.

It was not to be though, and head coach Bobby Hauck has made no bones about the fact the Grizzlies need to finish strong and execute for all four quarters in 2019 to put Montana where it wants to be after Saturday's game and at the end of the season.

"I think it's really about us. If we're sharp and we execute in all three phases of the game, we'll have a really good chance of winning. I don't think it needs to go beyond that. Like I've said, we've had good work, we have a quality opponent, but it's about us playing well," said Hauck during an interview in the premiere episode of Montana's new weekly podcast, "Inside the Den" with Riley Corcoran.

SIGNAL CALLERS: The Griz and the 'Yotes offenses will be led by a pair of similarly dangerous dual-threat quarterbacks in seniors Dalton Sneed and Austin Simmons. Sneed, the Big Sky's Newcomer of the Year, ranked No. 9 in the nation last year in total offense, averaging 308.9 yards per game.

Meanwhile, Simmons led the Missouri Valley in total offense and ranked sixth nationally averaging 314 yards per contest… all while being sacked a total of 35 times.

With two proven QBs under center, the game figures to be high scoring, and the player with the hot hand could make the difference down the stretch for either team. Montana's wide receivers are an insanely deep group and give Sneed plenty of options with all six listed on the two-deep capable of striking a defense where it hurts. Similarly, the 'Yotes return All-MVFC receiver Dakarai Allen who led USK with 48 catches for 703 yards last season.

That being said, either quarterback will have a difficult time executing if he doesn't have the time, so…

IT ALL STARTS UP FRONT: Montana's offensive line has been (literally) immensely improved in the offseason, with the average weight of the expected starters hovering around 306 pounds. The group is more mature as well, with four of the five predicted starters now upperclassmen, and positions like center and guard fortified with the likes of Cy Sirmon and Kordell Pillans.

Led by junior all-conference guard Mason Scheidegger, South Dakota's expected starting offensive front checks in at a whopping average of 313 pounds, but is an extremely young group with eight of the ten players listed on the two-deep underclassmen, and starting left tackle Alex Jensen checking in at 260 pounds.

The competition between the 'Yotes O-line and Montana's D-line could prove decisive, with the Grizzlies themselves bringing a somewhat unknown group to Vermillion. Senior Jesse Sims is the most veteran member of the group on paper, set to start at Nose Tackle for the 28th start of his career, and Braydon Deming is returning for his sophomore campaign. There are some unknown quantities from there out though, with freshman Alex Gubner impressing in fall camp and set to make his first start at D-end, and upperclassmen transfers Ryder Rice (senior) of Rocky Mountain College and Joe Babros (junior) of N.C. State making their debut for the Griz.

NEW COYOTE DEFENSE: While the Grizzly offensive line is more experienced in 2019, the entire offensive group will also be dealing with the unknown on Saturday as South Dakota plays its first game under new defensive coordinator Travis Johansen. Johansen spent the previous six seasons at Grand View where the Vikings went 61-11 in that time, including an undefeated 2013 season where they claimed an NAIA national championship.

What is known about the Coyote defense is returning All-American D-end Darin Greenfield, who enters the game sitting fourth on USD's career sacks list with 19. Greenfield is the leader of a defense that features four seniors.

Containing Greenfield and the 'Yotes defense will be priority one for the Grizzly offense that is as potent as it has ever been when Sneed is able to operate.

The Grizzlies and Coyotes game can be seen in the state of Montana on your local ABC station (SWX in Billings) or streamed online via ESPN+ or GoYotes.com.

University of Montana Athletics

Five keys to watch for as the Griz face South Dakota

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Players Mentioned

Joe Babros

Braydon Deming

Alex Gubner

Kordell Pillans

Ryder Rice

Jesse Sims

Cy Sirmon

Dalton Sneed

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