The MSU Men have had nothing short of a surprising start to their season. Picked relatively low in both the Big Sky Preseason Coaches and Media Polls, the Cats are 7-5 so far after their non-conference schedule (plus one Big Sky loss at Eastern Washington). Three of those wins have come in overtime. Three of those wins have been in second half comebacks. Two of those wins are against Big 12 and Pac 10 opponents.

Like I said -- definitely surprising considering the Cats were returning a grand total of one starter, and four total players with significant playing experience from last season.

That one starter is senior center Divaldo Mbunga. After being "protected" from the television media last year, we intrepid sports reporters have already interviewed Divaldo twice this season, and he's a very well spoken guy, especially given English is his second language. He's definitely stepped up this year in terms of being a leader -- being a bit more vocal in practice and games is the clearest indication of that leadership coming out.

M-V-P of the young season definitely goes to Great Falls native, sophomore Bobby Howard. Howard leads the Cats with over 29 minutes and 13.8 points per game. He started the season as the sixth man, playing behind Brandon Johnson, but Coach Brad Huse says he couldn't keep Howard on the bench with his hot start.

In order to have such a good start, the Cats knew they'd have to get some output from their seven newcomers, and none of them has been more important than junior guard Will Bynum. Bynum is third on the team in scoring behind Howard and Mbunga, but his greatest addition to the team so far has been his defensive intensity. Bynum leads the Cats with nine steals on the season.

---------------------------------

The Lady Cats are 6-6, playing their first conference game Saturday in Missoula, and hoping to forget the last time they visited Dahlberg Arena, a 101-65 loss in last year's Big Sky Championship game to the Lady Griz.

MSU's greatest strength is offensive diversity, as coach Tricia Binford literally has six players who could lead the team in scoring any night. Here they are:

1) Nubia Garcia - Senior Forward
Garcia plays in the Post and leads the Cats with 12.2 points per game. She's greatly improved her offensive game this season, shooting over 50 percent, but also stands out on the defensive end. Garcia has eight blocks through 12 games, averages over eight boards per game, and is second on the team with 17 steals.

2) Erica Perry - Junior Guard
Perry runs the Point for the Lady Cats, and is actually shorter than me at 5'4". I don't get many BBall starts shorter than I am, so bear with me on that one. Perry averages nearly 11 points per game, and she gets them mostly from driving the lane and finishing or getting to the free throw line; however, last week against Albany, Perry was four for four from three point land, and had 19 total points. Could be a sign of things to come. We shall see.

3) Jenny Heringer - Junior Guard
Heringer is a big guard at 5'11", but can handle the ball very well, and even fills in at the point when Perry needs a break. She shoots the three very well, and tends to score in bunches. If she's hot, her teammates look for her each time down the court.

4) Katie Bussey - Freshman Guard
Bussey is a freshman from Colorado, and actually looks exactly like a girl I knew in elementary school named Katie. So that's weird, but completely irrelevant. Bussey averages nine points per game, and is capable of scoring a lot. She'll learn over the next few months/years at MSU to be a bit less erratic in her drives, and should develop into an electric player with more playing time.

5) Sarah Strand - Sophomore Forward
Strand is a 6'1" forward with a knack for hitting big three pointers. I'm always surprised when she hits them too, cause it seems like her defenders are never guarding her closely. You'd think opposing coaches would pick up on the fact that she can hit those shots in film sessions.

6) Anne Phippard - Senior Guard
Phippard is the dark horse here -- if you decide to focus on the bigger names above, she can kill you with her jumper. Phipppard leads the Lady Cats in three point percentage, up near 39, but is a bit more selective with those shots than some other long ballers on the team.

------------------------------------------------

This weekend's Cat/Griz games should be great tests for both the MSU Men and Women, especially being on the road. We should get a glimpse of the Cat's Big Sky prospects by Saturday's end.

Check out 10@10 for your highlights!

Also, should you want another outlet to satiate your desire for Bobcat Basketball, check out the blogs of the two coaches!

Coach Huse: http://bradhusebasketball.blogspot.com/

Coach Binford: http://coachbinford.blogspot.com/

~ Dave
dave@maxmontana.com

Hey Cat fans!

I wish you could still be watching and I could still be covering MSU Football on Saturdays for a few more weeks, but it's basketball season now, so look for some BBall content over the next few months from both MSU and the local high schools.

Anyway, football isn't over yet for Demetrius Crawford. I just spoke with him today, and he says his agent will be sending video onto several NFL teams who've shown interest in him, including the Atlanta Falcons and the Denver Broncos (that should excite a few people in Bozeman at least, as I've seen more Broncos fans here than I have for any other team).

Here's a highlight package I put together of Crawford's two years at Montana State.

Enjoy!
~ Dave

WAYNE TINKLE RECEIVING A MAJOR VOTE OF CONFIDENCE 4 DAYS BEFORE THE MONTANA GRIZZLIES MENS BASKETBALL TEAM OPENS THE SEASON. .

THE GRIZ AGREEING ON A 3 YEAR CONTRACT EXTENSION WITH THE THIRD YEAR HEAD COACH - WHICH WOULD KEEP HIM IN CHARGE THROUGH THE 2011-2012 SEASON.

THE DEAL EXPECTED TO BE APPPROVED BY THE MONTANA BOARD OF REGENTS WHEN THEY MEET IN MISSOULA ON THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20.

(http://mus.edu/board/meetings/2008/Nov08/StaffComp/ITEM141-1000-R1108.pdf)

TINKLE IS IN THE FINAL SEASON OF HIS ORIGINAL 3 YEAR CONTRACT - WHICH PAYS HIM $122,596 PER YEAR. HE'S 31-31 IN TWO SEASONS WITH THE GRIZ.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MY THOUGHTS:

Pending the approval of this deal (which should happen, as it is being recommended by President George Dennison and AD Jim O'Day) this makes all the sense in the world for the Griz.

I don't know if the whole "lame-duck coach in the final year of his contract" phenomenon exists as much in college as it does in the pros.
A pro athlete is far more likely to quit on his coach if he's in the final year of a contract than a college kid is. I do know that while Tinkle would have absolutely given it his all this year regardless of what happened, this agreement has to ease his mind. He can feel comfortable knowing the administration has the same positive feelings about the direction of the program and the players he's been able to recruit that he does.

This is the first season in Tinkle's time at Montana where he's had a team full of HIS guys. I asked him if he felt that way a couple weeks ago. He was very careful not to speak ill of any of the guys who have been here in the past, but pointed out that everyone on this year's team other than Kyle Sharp and Jordan Hasquet was recruited by him and his staff. As an assistant under Larry Krystkowiak, he was instrumental in recruiting Hasquet and Sharp, so they might as well be his guys.

This team clearly has some very exciting potential. The nucleus of Jack McGillis, Michael Taylor, Brian Qvale, Ryan Staudacher, and Derek Selvig is going to be here for a couple years. Add a bunch of the other new faces who will be around for a couple more seasons and the talent pool looks pretty deep. It's good for these guys to know they are going to have the continuity of Tinkle and his system for the next few years.

There was a lot of behind the scenes stuff that went on last season that Tinkle is taking the high road about. He keeps the specifics in-house, but has mentioned several times over the last few weeks how good a group of guys it is this year and how good the chemistry on this team is. In basketball more than any other sport, having that good chemistry goes a long way. He's also talked about how he's grown as a coach over the last couple years. With this decision, the Griz are saying they're confident that growth will continue.

~Varun
varun@maxmontana.com

Hard to believe the prep football playoffs are already here. Class AA wraps up it's regular season tomorrow, while all of the other classes will be playing first round playoff games this weekend.

8 out of the 14 teams in AA make the playoffs. Here's a look at the standings for the teams who have already clinched a playoff birth or are still alive heading into tomorrow's action, as well as who they play in their final game. Teams with a "C" next to them have already clinched.

CLASS AA FOOTBALL STANDINGS (AS OF 10/30/08)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
1. C- HELENA CAPITAL 9-0, Flathead
2. C- BILLINGS WEST 8-1, Skyview
3. C- GREAT FALLS CMR 8-1, Great Falls
4. C -HELENA HIGH 6-3, @ Bozeman
5. C -KALISPELL FLATHEAD 6-3, @ Capital
6. C -BILLINGS SKYVIEW 5-4, West
7. C -GREAT FALLS 5-4, CMR
8. MISSOULA BIG SKY 5-4, Glacier
9. MISSOULA SENTINEL 4-5, Hellgate

Helena Capital is the only team to have clinched it's seed. Let's take a look at the possibilities for the teams in our viewing area:

FLATHEAD
The Braves have already clinched their 11th postseason trip in the last 13 years, thanks to the current 6 game winning streak they're riding. They could end up as high as the #4 seed with a win @ Capital and a Helena loss @ Bozeman. That would put the Braves at 7-3 and the Bengals at 6-4. Helena holds the tiebreaker over Flathead thanks to a week 2 victory over the Braves. Flathead can't end up any lower than a #6 seed.

BIG SKY
The formula for the Eagles is pretty simple. Win and you're in. No team has a wider range of possibilities. Losses by Great Falls, Skyview, Flathead, and Helena combined with a Big Sky win tomorrow would vault the Eagles all the way up to the #4 seed. Big Sky would win tiebreakers over Flathead and Helena since they beat both teams head-to-head.

However, a loss to Glacier could spell disaster for the Eagles if Sentinel wins. Head-to-head losses to Skyview, Great Falls, and Sentinel mean the Eagles would lose every tiebreaker if they end up losing to Glacier and finishing with a 5-5 record. If they lose, they'd either be the #8 seed (If Sentinel loses) or out of the playoffs (If Sentinel wins).

SENTINEL
It's been a great season for the resurgent Spartans, but the clock may strike midnight on this Cinderella story tomorrow. The loss to Great Falls two weeks ago was a killer, hurting the Spartans in the tiebreaker scenarios.

Ties are broken first by head-to-head record, and then by point differential against common opponents. According to the MHSA, the highest point differential from a single game is 14 points, no matter how much a team won or lost by. This is done to prevent teams from running up the score. For example, Sentinel's 34 point win over Butte only counts as a +14, while the 35 point loss to Capital only counts as a -14.

We know that the Spartans can get in with a win and a Big Sky loss, but is there any way they can get in if the Eagles win? Let's take a look at the possible scenarios::

1) TIE BETWEEN SKYVIEW, GFH, AND SENTINEL (ALL 5-5)

COMMON OPPONENTS: WEST, SENIOR, CMR, BIG SKY,

POINT DIFFERENTIALS: SENTINEL (-9), SKYVIEW (+14), GFH (-2)

IN THIS SCENARIO, THERE IS NO WAY FOR SKYVIEW TO BE ELIMINATED BECAUSE OF THE 14 POINT CAP ON +/-. SENTINEL STAYS AT -9 REGARDLESS OF WHAT HAPPENS IN THEIR GAME BECAUSE HELLGATE ISN'T A COMMON OPPONENT FOR ALL THREE TEAMS. IF SKYVIEW WINS THIS THREE TEAM TIEBREAKER, THE TIE BETWEEN SENTINEL AND GREAT FALLS WOULD BE BROKEN BY HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD. THE BISON BEAT THE SPARTANS, AND WOULD GET THE #8 SEED, WHILE SENTINEL WOULD BE ELIMINATED.

2) TIE BETWEEN SENTINEL AND SKYVIEW (BOTH 5-5, GREAT FALLS 6-4)

COMMON OPPONENTS: WEST, BUTTE, CMR, BIG SKY, SENIOR,
CAPITAL, GFH, HELLGATE

POINT DIFFERENTIALS: SENTINEL (-23), SKYVIEW (+10)

IN THIS SCENARIO, SENTINEL HAS NO WAY OF CATCHING SKYVIEW BECAUSE OF THE 14 POINT CAP ON POINT DIFFERENTIALS. EVEN IF THEY BEAT HELLGATE BY 14 AND SKYVIEW LOSES TO WEST BY 14, SENTINEL WOULD BE A -9 AND SKYVIEW WOULD BE A -4. SKYVIEW WOULD WIN THE TIEBREAKER AND GET THE #8 SEED, WHILE THE SPARTANS WOULD BE ELIMINATED.

3) TIE BETWEEN SENTINEL AND GFH (BOTH 5-5, SKYVIEW 6-4)

IN THIS SCENARIO, SENTINEL WOULD BE ELIMINATED BECAUSE THEY LOST HEAD-TO-HEAD TO GREAT FALLS. THE BISON WOULD GET THE #8 SEED


To sum it all up, Sentinel needs a win and a Big Sky loss to earn it's first playoff birth since 1989. Big Sky is in with a win, and can only be eliminated if they lose and Sentinel wins. Should be a great day of football!

~Varun
varun@maxmontana.com

BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) - Montana State wide receiver DeSean Thomas
will miss the Weber State game with a concussion.
Coach Rob Ash called the injury a fluke that happened during a
no-pad, no-contact practice on Thursday. He says the freshman went
to catch a punt and hit his chin on another player's shoulder.
Ash says Thomas will be re-evaluated next week.

"You just gotta treat it like its a PAT. If you think about the 25,000 fans, you are going to miss."

-Griz kicker Brody McKnight after the game.

If before the game I told you the Griz would win on a walk-off 42 yard field goal, who would think I had one too many at the tailgate? But there was Sophomore Brody McKnight jogging onto the field with 5 seconds left, and a chance to erase all prior kicking woes. Talk about erasing the past - nailing a no doubter - and extending the Griz' regular season winning streak to 25 games.

Some pros and cons from today's game:

PROS

Cole Bergquist:
The senior torched the Central Washington D for a career high 377 yards and 3 TD's. On the final drive - 4th and 4 at the 37 yard line - he fit the ball in an area the size of my pinky for the first down that set up the game winning field goal. There were a few mistakes - including a costly interception in the endzone and a fumble returned for a touchdown - but all in all a career day for Cole. We keep saying it, this team will go as far as Cole takes them. If he throws like he did today and cuts out some mistakes, that could be all the way to a National Title.

Marc Mariani:
Where did this guy come from? Only 1 TD in his career coming into the year, and in 4 games he has 7. He just gets open. You can't single cover him or he will burn you. On his 2nd TD today they recognized the Safety blitz and just tossed one up for him. The corner had pretty good coverage - but he just catches the football. When both him and Ferriter are on their game, the Griz passing game is going to put up some points.

Brody McKnight:
What a kick. 25,000 screaming fans, a 24 game win streak on the line, and he nails it just like any other kick. The confidence that he takes from making a kick like that will pay off big down the line. Because I can almost guarantee the Griz need him to make another game winner with the way they are playing his year.

The Running Game:
154 yards - 88 coming from Chase Reynolds on just 16 carries. It hurt a lot to lose Schmidt. But if Reynolds can keep this up, and they sprinkle in a little more Rob Schulte, the Griz will be just fine on the ground. I know this was against a D2 school, but they still looked pretty good.

CONS

Turnovers:
It is rare to see a team turn the ball over 5 times and still win the game. The Griz had some beyond terrible turnovers: Cole's INT in the endzone, the fumble returned for a TD, and the fumble on the 20 yard line. Coach Hauck said after the game that he had never been a part of a team that had 5 TO's, much less won the game. If this had been an FCS opponent, no way the Griz pull it out. They dominated in every aspect of this game: more passing yards, more rushing yards, way more time of possession. It should not have been close. But if you turn the ball over 5 times and walk away with a win, its time to count your blessings.

Pass Defense:
Mike Reilly is a good quarterback. Still, the Griz should have been able to contain him more. I don't care if Chase Daniel is out there, 280 yards and 3TD's with no interceptions is a terrible day for the D. There are some legit passing attacks in the Big Sky: including Portland St. and Eastern Washington. In order to not lose at least 2 games in conference, they need to fix things quickly.

FINAL THOUGHTS

All in all, obviously not the prettiest game for the Griz. Against a better opponent, they lose. But the important thing is they walked away with a W and gained some much needed confidence in their kicking game. I'm still not convinced this is a Big Sky Championship caliber team. They really need to shore up that passing D, and stop playing to the level of their opponents. But if Cole throws like he did today, and McKnight can keep making big kicks, this team has a chance to take the conference.

~Greg
greg@maxmontana.com

Some thoughts on Friday nights games:

Sentinel vs Senior:
Two teams heading in the opposite direction. Its pretty obvious that the defending State runners up just don't have it this season. Losing AJ Paine, Mo Burrough and Sam Gratton makes for a pretty tough rebuilding project.
Meanwhile, the Sentinel Spartans seem to have finally put things together. 2-2 so far this season after ending their 34 game losing streak at the end of last year. Senior QB Steven Rominger and Sophomore WR Ben Roberts are a scary combo - so look for them to come out throwing early and often. This is almost a must win game for the Spartans - with their next two against Flathead and Capital - and I expect them to be up for the challenge.

Prediction: Sentinel 35 - Senior 14

Big Sky vs Skyview:
When you lose the top RB in the state - its going to be tough to replace him. But Jordan Tripp is filling in just fine for Beau Donaldson. Its still tough to gauge how good the Eagles are this season. They looked sluggish in their opener in Great Falls, came back with two solid performances against Senior and Flathead, then dropped a tough one to crosstown rival Sentinel last Friday. Both Skyview and Big Sky sit at 2-2 - and with the top 4 playoff spots pretty much already reserved - the winner of this game has an inside track to the postseason.

Prediction: Big Sky 14 - Senior 10

Glacier vs Great Falls
When the season began nobody gave Glacier a shot to do anything. But on the eve of their 1st official Homecoming, here they are at 2-2. The Wolfpack have probably had the easiest schedule so far this season with their wins coming against Butte and Hellgate, but you still have to give them credit in just their 2nd season. The road gets much tougher from here on out - facing 4 straight playoff teams from 2007. The Pack certainly have the talent on offense to pull off a couple upsets. People say Shay Smithwick-Haan is the next best QB in the state behind Brock Osweiler. But in reality - I cant see them winning any of these next 4 games. Great Falls QB Trylan Wassman lost his 1st game as a starter since Freshman year last week - and I don't see him losing #2.

Prediction: GFH 31-Glacier 14

Bozeman vs Flathead
In my opinion, this is the most intriguing match up of the week. Flathead started out the season 0-3 - but looked pretty good against Butte last week. Offense has not been a problem for the Braves this year - but they cannot seem to stop anybody. If Flathead wants any shot at making the playoffs - this is beyond a must win. On the other hand - the Hawks have looked great against lesser competition and mediocre against two of Montana's best. They blew out Glacier and Billings Senior - but lost by 20 to both Capital and Great Falls. If they want to prove they can hang with the big boys - they need to show it tomorrow night. Overall I think Bozeman has a better team - but I think Brock has some tricks up his sleeve.

Prediction: Bozeman 35- Flathead 42

Butte vs Helena

The Bulldogs don't look good at all this year losing by an average of 22 points per game. If they beat Helena tomorrow night - it would be the upset of the year. I just don't see it happening - Helena's defense is just too good.

Prediction: Helena 24-Butte 0

Hellgate vs CMR
Hellgate may be the worst team in AA this season. They have been shut out three times and lose by an average of over 25 points per game. CMR has one of the top teams in the state - only losing to Billings West - and should roll all over Hellgate tomorrow.

Prediction: CMR 35-Hellgate 0

~Greg
greg@maxmontana.com

With their 29-24 win over UC Davis on Saturday, the Montana Grizzlies set Big Sky Conference and school records by winning their 24th straight regular season game. The last time the Griz lost in the regular season was on September 2, 2006, when they dropped a 41-7 decision at Iowa. In honor of the record, here are 24 random thoughts, observations, and predictions about the Griz:


24. For running back Thomas Brooks-Fletcher. #24 has led the Griz in rushing in 2 of 3 games this year. He finished with 12 carries for 38 yards to lead the team in last week's game against UC Davis. As the schedule gets tougher, the Griz will look for TBF to improve on that yards-per-carry average.

23. The previous school and conference record for the number of consecutive regular season games won, accomplished by the Montana Grizzlies from 1969-1971 The Griz went a perfect 10-0 under legendary head coach Jack Swarthout in both the 1969 and 1970 regular seasons,

22. The number of points the Griz scored in their last loss. That, of course, was in the first round of last year's playoffs. The Wofford Terriers came into Missoula and ended the perfect season, beating the Griz 23-22 after Dan Carpenter's field goal sailed wide left.


21. The number of first downs UC Davis had against the Griz D last week. Bobby Hauck pointed to the third down defense as a point of emphasis in practice this week. The Aggies converted more than half of their 3rd downs (8 of 15), which played a large part in their ability to drive up and down the field most of the game. The 3rd down D will be critical in stopping 4-0 Central Washington's explosive passing attack this weekend.

20. The number of games the Griz have lost all-time at Washington Grizzly Stadium. They're 142-20 at WGS. Ironically, two of those losses have come during this current 24 regular season game winning streak. They're both painful memories for Griz Fans. The first, a 19-17 loss to the University of Massachusetts in the 2006 semifinal playoff game on December 8th. The second, the aforementioned loss to Wofford in last year's playoffs.

19. It's impossible not to reserves this spot for the heart and soul of the Griz defense, safety Colt Anderson. #19 is a Buck Buchanan Award candidate and has taken on an increased leadership role this season with so much inexperience in the secondary. He is the second leading tackler on the team with 21 stops in the first 3 games.

18. The number of touchdown passes Central Washington senior quarterback Mike Reilly needed to tie Jon Kitna's (starting QB for Detroit Lions) school record entering this season. Reilly, who played at Flathead High School in Kalispell for one year with former Griz great Lex Hilliard (2002), is being projected as a late round NFL draft prospect. He's thrown 11 TD's this year to give him 92 in his career, and is now just 7 short of Kitna's record 99.

17. The number of consecutive regular season home games the Griz have won. The Griz are 17-0 at home in the regular season since beating Cal Poly 36-27 in Missoula on October 22, 2005.

16. The number of consecutive Big Sky conference games the Griz have won. Since their current 24 game regular season winning streak began in 2006, the Griz are a perfect 16-0 in conference play,

15. For October 15, 2005. That's the last time the Griz lost a regular season game at Washington Grizzly Stadium. They fell 34-20 to Eastern Washington on that day.

14. For quarterback Cole Bergquist. The senior is 30-6 in games he's participated in as a member of the Griz. He showed his toughness by playing through a left shoulder injury and leading the Griz on an 8 play 72 yard scoring drive in the final minutes against UC Davis, capped off by the game winning touchdown pass to Marc Mariani.

13. The number of 10 + win seasons the Griz have had heading into this, their 108th season. I can't see them losing more than one game this year. More on that later, but that number will be up to 14 after this year.

12. For backup quarterback Andrew Selle (#12). The sophomore from Billings West HS deserves a huge shoutout for his play against Southern Utah in relief of Bergquist (4 TD's, 0 INT's). Hauck called him the best backup quarterback in America, which is some serious hyperbole, but the Griz look to be in great shape with Selle under center the next two years.

11. For October 11th, when the Griz head to Cheney to face Eastern Washington. I think this is the game that determines which team ends up winning the conference this year. The Eagles are just 1-2, but opened the year by playing at BCS teams Texas Tech and Colorado. The Eagles nearly upset the Buffaloes, losing 31-24 after being outscored 17-3 in the fourth quarter. It's a shame this showdown isn't later in the season. Expect a shootout.

10. For junior linebacker Shaw Lebsock. #10 is one of three new starting LB's for the Griz and has been terrific all season. He had a team high 12 tackles against UC Davis, and leads the Griz with 24 tackles this year.

9. Bergquist's ranks on both the Griz career passing yards and career TD passes lists. With 36 career TD passes, he needs just 3 to move past Marty Mornhinweg for 8th. His 4,896 passing yards is 523 behind Craig Ochs.

8. For #8 Rob Schulte. The senior is Mr. Everything for the Griz. His underwhelming numbers don't reflect his true importance. The scrappy receiver is a good blocker from the slot position, returns punts and kickoffs, and even found time to carry the ball 3 times for 8 yards against UC Davis.

7. The difference between the number of rushing touchdowns the Griz had through three games a year ago (11) compared to this year (4). Last year Lex Hilliard led the team with 6 rushing TD's through 3 games and Bergquist was second with 2. This season, Andrew Schmidt, Chase Reynolds, TBF, and Bergquist each have 1 TD on the ground.

6. Conversely, the Griz have 6 more passing touchdowns this year (10) than they did through 3 games a year ago (4). Interestingly enough, the run/pass balance hasn't been all that different from a year ago. Through three games this season, the Griz have run the ball 56% of the time and thrown it 44%. For the season last year they ran it 59% and threw it 41%.

5. The number of touchdown catches by wide receiver Marc Mariani. The junior caught just 1 TD all of last year, but he's shown himself to be one of the most improved players on the roster so far this season. He's already topped his totals in receptions (17 to 15) and yardage (344 to 231) from a year ago, and came up with the two biggest plays of the game in the win over UC Davis. Of course, there's also that record tying 4 TD game against Southern Utah. Hauck raves about his ability as a blocker.

4. The number of losses Bergquist has as the starting quarterback for the Griz. He's 20-4 in games started since his freshman year in 2005.

3. The number of wins the Griz have this season. Also the number of losses the Griz have since the start of the 2006 season. They are 26-3 since that time.

2. For freshman cornerback Trumaine Johnson. #2 already has 3 interceptions this season, and his INT before halftime against UC Davis set up a Griz touchdown and ended up being one of the biggest plays of the game.

1. The maximum number of games I think the Griz will lose during the 2008 regular season. The only game I think they might drop is the aforementioned one against EWU. The Eagles nearly beat the Griz in Missoula last year, but a miraculous catch by Ryan Bagley and a Dan Carpenter field goal allowed the Griz to hold on 24-23. The Griz don't have the luxury of Carpenter this year and the kicking game has looked suspect the last two weeks. I think the kicking game and the Griz as a team will improve greatly by the end of the year, but if I were forced to pick this game right now I'd give the nod to the Eagles because I think their offense is a little more potent.



~Varun

varun@maxmontana.com

BERGQUIST INJURY UPDATE
Finally got some clarification on the exact nature of the injury starting quarterback Cole Bergquist suffered against Southern Utah. After the game, the senior said he bruised his left shoulder after getting hit on two consecutive quarterback keepers against the Thunderbirds. Bergquist added, "If the game was on Wednesday I probably wouldn't have played. I had some x-rays and a CAT scan and they figured it was just a bruise. I mean, you can play with a bruise. It may hurt, but people play with bruises all the time. It's football."

CB14 finished the game 19-29 for 255 yards and 2 touchdowns, including the game winner to Marc Mariani capping a 8 play 72 yard drive in the closing minutes.

CAN GRIZ WIN TWO CONFERENCES?
Head Coach Bobby Hauck opened his postgame press conference by joking the Griz were in good shape to win the Great West Athletic Conference (GWAC). All three teams the Griz have beaten (Cal Poly, Southern Utah, and UC Davis) are from the GWAC.

RESPECT FOR CAL POLY
Hauck was very emphatic in pointing out his belief that Cal Poly is the class of the GWAC. He said he considers the Griz beating the Mustangs on the road in Week 1 an upset, but didn't consider the Griz victory over UC Davis to be one. He also added about Cal Poly, "You better really strap it on when you play those guys."


A THORN IN HIS SIDE
When asked to comment on having an extra point and field goal blocked for the second straight week, Hauck seemed to place the blame on the protection, saying "Brody (McKnight) came in and hit the ball well on field goals. Russ Schey hit the ball well on kickoffs. I was pretty sure we were going to hit the ball well with the kickers, But the protection, that's another thorn in my side. When I have a thorn in my side then somebody
else is going to have a thorn in their side. ...I guarantee it'll be good next week. Mark my words. I don't guarantee much, but I guarantee our field goal protection will be good next week."

McKnight went 2/3 on PAT tries and 1/2 on field goal attempts. He hit a 46 yard field goal in the second quarter, but had a field goal blocked in he 4th that would have put the Griz up by 9 points. UC Davis defemsive tackle John Faletoese blocked both the extra point and field goal, and said, "Our special teams coach pointed out their right guard might have been a weak link, and I got through twice on him." Hauck responded with, "Central Washington is going to see something on tape - that we suck...But we have the wherewithal and resources around here to get that fixed.

BOZEMAN, Mont. -- Montana State defensive end Dylan Kinkelaar
underwent surgery on his ankle Wednesday, knocking him out of the Bobcat
lineup indefinitely.
Kinkelaar injured his ankle in Saturday's 35-23 loss at
Minnesota. MSU coach Rob Ash indicated that redshirt freshman Brad Smith
is slated to start for Kinkelaar, with sophomore Dustin O'Connell moving
to defensive end behind Smith. Redshirt freshman John Laidet, a transfer
from Oregon, moves into the depth chart at Bandit as Dane Fletcher's
backup.
Kinkelaar, a former walk-on from Winifred who started MSU's
first three games this season, underwent surgery on his ankle Wednesday.
He is second on the team with three tackles-for-loss, in spite of
exiting the Minnesota game after the first play.