Grizzlies out to prove a point on the road

The Montana Grizzlies proved they could bounce back. Now they need to prove they can be a top-tier team on the road in the Big Sky Conference.

After an embarrassing loss at Northern Arizona two weeks ago, Montana returned to the friendly confines of Washington-Grizzly Stadium where the Griz throttled Portland State 55-27 last Saturday.

Now however, the No. 11 Griz (1-1, 4-1) go right back on the road for a game against the U.C. Davis Aggies (2-0, 2-4) Saturday night in David, Calif. Back in August, the matchup looked like a favorable one for Montana as Davis was picked to finish last in the Big Sky. But after an 0-4 start to the season, the Aggies have won their first two in Big Sky play and are tied with Montana State atop the league standings.

So with the way the Aggies are playing recently, last Saturday, U.C. Davis went on the road an knocked off previously unbeaten Southern Utah, 21-3, Saturday’s tilt is no longer a pushover win for the Griz, who are in a five-way tie for fifth place in the league standings.

“It’s their (Aggies) conference championship game, it’s their Super Bowl,” UM head coach Mick Delaney said. “I think we probably play in more homecoming games than anybody in America on the road. That’s the nature of the way it is.”

While the Aggies, and their homecoming crowd will be amped up for Montana’s first trip to Davis since 2009 when Montana won a thriller 17-10, the two defenses will play a key role in the outcome.

While Montana’s offense ranks tops in scoring (41 ppg) in the Big Sky behind Jordan Johnson leading the FCS in passing efficiency, and Travon Van and Jordan Canada coming off their third outing of the season in which they both rushed for over 100 yards, it’s the Grizzly defense which needs to make a statement on the road.

The Griz lead the Big Sky in scoring defense and are first against the run. But Montana sags to near the bottom of the conference in passing defense, and though the Griz won handily, they gave up nearly 400 yards passing against the Vikings last Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Aggies’ offensive numbers don’t jump off the page. They average just 14 points and 318 yards of offense per outing, but they’ve found ways to win in recent weeks, and running back Gabe Manzaneres is as good as they come. He’s a strong, downhill runner who reminds Griz fans of Dan Moore. The Aggies also have a veteran quarterback in 6-4 senior Randy Wright, who started for two seasons, and has been re-inserted into the lineup to spark their two-game win streak.

“We’ve got to do a great job of stopping the run and then also getting pressure on the quarterback and making him get out of rhythm,” Delaney said. “We’ve got to be very stingy on first down on defense.”

The Davis defense will also present challenges to Montana. The Griz have looked nearly unstoppable on offense, save the NAU debacle. But Davis is much in the mold of the Lumberjacks on defense, with a stout group of linebackers and a fast and physical secondary.

However, if Montana can build on its momentum it gained in last week’s crushing win over PSU, the Griz should play well again Saturday night. The tilt in Davis is a crucial one for the Griz, who can’t afford to fall any farther behind in the big Sky standings, especially with home games against Cal Poly and Eastern Washington coming up in the next two weeks.

“Momentum is everything in athletics,” Montana defensive end Derek Crittenden said. “Our team, we’re so tightly knit. The energy and the way everybody is feeling ... I mean if one person is down, it’s almost like the whole team is down. We’re so tight.

“With U.C. Davis coming off two wins, I’m sure they’re hyped up.”

Saturday’s game between Montana and U.C. Davis will kick off at 5 p.m. M.S.T. in David, Calif. The television coverage for the game has been changed. The game was originally slated to air on Max Media in Montana, but the game has been moved to Root Sports Northwest due to Max Media deciding to air the Major League Baseball playoffs.

The No. 7 Montana State Bobcats have a bye this week before traveling to Weber State Oct. 19.