Griz return home for first-ever meeting with North Alabama

Everyone knows the winning tradition that the University of Alabama has on the football field.

This week the Montana Grizzlies will have to face the second-winningest college football team in the state of Alabama since 1990, and one of the most decorated teams in all of college football, the North Alabama Lions.

Fresh off a statement-making win in South Dakota, the No. 22/23 Montana Grizzlies return to the den on Saturday, Sept. 7 for the 2019 home-opener - a first-time meeting with the up-and-coming Lions. It will be the first and only regular-season night game at Washington-Grizzly Stadium, with kickoff set for 7 p.m.

While the Grizzly offense hummed along for 510 yards and the defense allowed the favored Coyotes to convert just two third downs in UM's 31-17 upset road win, Montana will once again need to be ready for a tall task when the FCS newcomer Lions visit Missoula.

Situated in the heart of southern football territory, North Alabama enters Saturday's game at UM coming off an upset of its own, a season-opening 26-17 home win over Western Illinois. The same Western Illinois that defeated the Grizzlies 27-31 in 2018 in Macomb.

The Lions also enter the game with one of the richest football traditions of any program at any level, as three-time D-II National Champions and 17-time conference champions. Now in their first full FCS schedule as a member of the Big South Conference, the Lions picked up a win over Southern Utah in 2018, and hung tight with North Dakota State in a 31-7 loss in Fargo as an independent to prove they belong.

"It's not lost on us that we have to play a team that just beat Western Illinois, who got us last year," said Montana head coach Bobby Hauck.

"They look very athletic. They're big and fast. That's what they are. I thought Western Illinois a year ago was a physical team, and they got shoved around a little bit by these guys."

WHERE TO WATCH: The Montana/North Alabama game will be broadcast statewide on your local ABC Montana station (NBC in Billings), and regionally on the Altitude 2 Network.

Ron Davis will provide the play-by-play for the broadcast, with former Grizzly QB Grady Bennett serving as the color commentator. Shaun Rainey will report from the sidelines.

Fans around the globe can tune in to a web stream of the game at GoGriz.com/watch, available for a nominal fee.

HAPPENINGS: One-stop shopping for events and festivities surrounding this week's game.

MAROON OUT: Wondering what to wear to Saturday's game? Worry no longer. Join the other 26,000 expected fans in attendance and drape yourself in Montana maroon from head to toe for the team's annual MAROON OUT game. Tickets to the game are still available, and can be purchased at GrizTix.com, or at the Adams Center Box Office.

GRIZ WALK: The traditional pre-game pep rally that lines UM's Memorial Row to welcome the Grizzlies into the locker room prior to kickoff, is set to return in 2019.

With kick slated for 7 p.m., this week's Griz Walk will start at 4:40 p.m. as the team makes their way from their final pre-game meetings to the Adams Center. The Griz Walk features the Montana Grizzly Marching Band, and runs between McGill Hall and the Adams Center.

CLEAR BAGS: A reminder to Griz fans making the trip to Washington-Grizzly Stadium: Grizzly Athletics will implement a new Clear Bag policy and screening process at the entrance to the stadium that mirrors major college venues in Montana and around the nation.

Fans are encouraged not to bring any types of bags inside Washington-Grizzly Stadium; however, the following outlines bags that are approved:

Bags that are clear plastic, vinyl or PVC and do not exceed 12" x 6" x 12", and have a single snap closure in the center
One-gallon clear plastic freezer bags (Ziploc bag or similar)
Small clutch bags, with or without a handle or strap that do not exceed 4.5" x 6.5" (approximately the size of a hand)
Seat cushions and seat cushions with a back measuring no larger than 18" x 18" are also permitted

INSTAGRAM TAKEOVER: The Montana Grizzlies will take the nation behind the scenes at this weekend's game, with UM taking over the NCAA's FCS Instagram feed @ncaafcs. Grizzly football will also give you an exclusive look at the game on the team's new Instagram feed @montanagrizfootball.

GRIZ TRACKS:

MOVIN' ON UP: Montana's win over South Dakota bumped the Grizzlies up in the weekly national polls on Monday, with UM improving to No. 22 (up from 25) in the STATS FCS Media Poll. The Griz also entered the AFCA FCS Coaches' Poll for the first time this season to come in at No. 23.

FRESH STARTS: While Montana returns a vastly more experienced team overall in 2019, a total of five Grizzlies made their first-ever starts in maroon & silver at South Dakota in last week's season-opener.

On offense, freshman guard Tyler Ganoung started after a strong fall camp. After starting nine times at guard last year, senior Cy Sirmon made his first start at center in Vermillion as well.

There were more new faces on the defensive side of the ball, however, with three of the starting front-four getting their first run-out, and one linebacker who might be the biggest surprising first-time starter on the team.

Preseason All-Big Sky pick Jace Lewis made his first-ever start for the Griz, despite being a key performer at UM in his sophomore season. Rocky Mountain College Graduate Transfer Ryder Rice also picked up a start in his first game a senior for the Griz. Also getting his first start after transferring to Montana was Joe Babros, who joined the team earlier this summer out of N.C. State. The only freshman to earn a start for the defense was Alex Gubner, who turned plenty of heads during fall camp as well.

MISSISSIPPI MUD: The North Alabama Lions mark the first of two teams set to travel to Montana from east of the Mississippi River this season. Hailing from Florence, Ala. (right across the Tennessee River from musical Mecca Muscle Shoals), the Lions will make their first trip to UM this week. Following close behind are the Monmouth Hawks, who make the trek all the way from the east coast out of West Long Branch, New Jersey.

Washington-Grizzly Stadium has not been kind to teams traveling from east of the Mississippi to the Rocky Mountains, historically. Since 1989, Montana holds a 30-7 record against teams from the other side of "old man river," with a 7-1 record in the past decade.

STREAKS ALIVE: The Grizzlies spoiled South Dakota's 16-game home opener streak last week, one of the nation's longest. Montana will enter Saturday's game against North Alabama with a chance to extend its own long-standing home-opener streak, now sitting at 15-straight games and dating back to 2004 – tied for the sixth-longest in the country.

After week one, only one other team with a longer home-opener streak improved on that mark, with NDSU beating Butler in the (kind of) home-opener at Target Field in Minneapolis to go to 21 wins in a row.

Heading into this week's home game, the Griz are now tied at No. 6 on longest home-opener win-streaks with McNeese State, who picked up a home win last week as well.

ACTIVE FCS HOME-OPENER WIN STREAKS
1:         21 – North Dakota State (1999-pres)
2:         19 – Central Arkansas (2000-pres)
3:         18 – Wofford (2001-pres)
            18 – Harvard (2001-pres)
5:         16 – James Madison (2003-pres)
6:         15 – Montana (2004-pres)
            15 – McNeese (2005-pres)

RECORD WATCH: Receiver Jerry Louie-McGee enters Saturday's game against UNA on the edge of Grizzly history, needing just nine more catches to tie Raul Pacheco's all-time school record for pass receptions.

With eight grabs against South Dakota, "JLM" moved up three spots on UM's career catch list, passing John Talmage and Shalon Baker to sit at 183 heading into the weekend. Louie-McGee needs just one more catch to tie Jamaal Jones on the list, six more to tie Grizzly Sports Hall of Famer Matt Wells, and nine more to tie Pacheco's record of 192.

The senior from Coeur d'Alene is also inching his way up the career receiving yards list, currently sitting at No. 21 with 1,850 to date.

QB Dalton Sneed's 427-yard passing performance at USD brought his career total past the 3k mark, now sitting at 3,150 passing yards as a Grizzly, good enough to sit at No. 14 on UM's all-time passing yards list. Sneed needs just 506 more passing yards to pass current Montana wide receiver coach Brent Pease, who threw for 3,655 yards in his time as a Grizzly.

Sneed's three TD passes at USD also placed him in the top-15 of all UM QBs in career passing touchdowns with 25 to his name.

BIG DAYS: Montana receivers Samuel Akem and Samori Toure both posted new career-high receiving yards at South Dakota, with Akem hauling in 158 yards and Toure adding 142 yards – both off nine catches each.

LAST TIME IT HAPPENED:
• Something about the Dakotas… Last time a Grizzly QB threw for 400+ yards was in 2017 when former UM signal caller Gresch Jensen tossed for 423 yards against North Dakota in a 41-17 UM win.

• While Sneed set a new career-high in passing yards with 427 last week, he was just three yards shy of setting a new career-high in total offensive production, a mark (440) he set in his record-breaking performance against Sacramento State in 2018. That game was also the last time any Grizzly QB threw for more than 400 yards.

• With a league-best 13 touchdown catches in 2018, Akem is used to piling on big numbers. Against MSU in last season he was one of two Grizzlies to catch passes for 100-plus yards with his previous career high of 147, alongside Keenan Curran who posted 111 yards in the same game.

RANKINGS: After one game, here are categories Montana now ranks in the national top-10 in:

• 5: The Griz converted an efficient 11 of 17 third down opportunities against USD, the fifth-best mark in the nation so far this season.

• 7: The Griz also allowed just two third down conversions by the 'Yotes vaunted offense, the seventh-best mark nationally.

• 3: Montana picked up a total of 30 first downs in Vermillion, the most in the Big Sky and the third-most nationally.

• 8: On the home soil of a Missouri Valley Conference Team, Montana beat South Dakota at its own game, dominating the time of possession battle (especially in the fourth quarter) to hold the ball for 35:27 – the eighth-longest ToP in the FCS so far this year.

• 3: QB Dalton Sneed ranks third in the country and first in the Big Sky with 37 pass completions.

• 1: Sneed ranks first in the nation in passing yards per game with his 427. He's also ranked second in total offense with 4328 yards.

• 8: Sophomore receiver Malik Flowers ranks eighth in the nation with an average of 29 yards per kick return against USD.

• 4: Akem ranks fourth in the FCS and first in the Big Sky in receiving yards with his 158-yard haul. Toure ranks tenth and third, respectively.

THE 600 CLUB: With a 595-501-26 all-time record, the Montana Grizzlies are set to enter the prestigious "600 Club" of FCS football, and become one of just 20 teams to collect over 600 wins in program history.

SCOUTING THE LIONS:

2019 Key Returners
• Jakobi Byrd, WR - Named 2019 preseason All-Big South team (48 catches, 517 yards, 5 touchdowns, 57.44 AVG/G in 2018)

• Christian Lopez, QB - Named 2019 preseason All-Big South honorable mention (2184 yards, 218.4 AVG/G, 14 touchdowns in 2018)

•Christon Taylor, LB (62 total tackles, 9.5 TFL, 2.5 Sacks)

Wide receiver, Jakobi Byrd was named preseason All-Big South, along with quarterback Christian Lopez, who earned an All-Big South honorable mention.

The Lions bolstered their strong 2018 season with transfers Wallace Cowins from Costal Carolina (defensive end) and Kendric Haynes from Holmes Community College (linebacker).

Lopez, a native of Henderson, Nevada, is already setting passing and accuracy records for UNA, setting a new school-best 253 consecutive passes with no interceptions. He was not picked off in his final 21 passes of 2018, and started 2019 with no INTs and 32 more complete passes for a streak of 53.

"He's a competitive guy. He loves to play, that's how he wound up all the way out in Alabama after being a sort of West Coast guy," said Hauck, who was familiar with Lopez during his tim at UNLV.

"He's a smart player, he does things right, he'll keep plays alive, he moves around in the pocket really well. He's not afraid to send it down field, he's got the ability to throw it down the field, as well as finding the check down, and he's pretty patient in the pocket. He's a guy that's really comfortable in their offense it appears to me, and he'll be hard to deal with."

Griz return home for first-ever meeting with North Alabama

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Samuel Akem

Joe Babros

Keenan Curran

Malik Flowers

Tyler Ganoung

Alex Gubner

Gresch Jensen

Jamaal Jones

Jace Lewis

Jerry Louie-McGee

Ryder Rice

Cy Sirmon

Dalton Sneed

Samori Toure

University of Montana Athletics

Griz return home for first-ever meeting with North Alabama

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Samuel Akem

Joe Babros

Keenan Curran

Malik Flowers

Tyler Ganoung

Alex Gubner

Gresch Jensen

Jamaal Jones

Jace Lewis

Jerry Louie-McGee

Ryder Rice

Cy Sirmon

Dalton Sneed

Samori Toure

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