By DAVE GUFFEY | Photos by MARK MESENKO
The 3rd/4th-ranked University of Montana Grizzlies (2-1) play the defending three-time national champion and No. 1-ranked North Dakota State University Bison (3-0), Saturday, Sept. 20 in Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome (18,700). Kickoff is slated for 1:37 p.m. (Mountain).
SERIES/LAST MEETING: The series is tied 3-3. The last meeting was in Missoula in the 2003 season, a 25-24 NDSU win (head coach Bobby Hauck’s debut). The Griz went 9-4 in 2003, losing a first round FCS playoff game, while, the Bison went 8-3 that season, which was the first for former mentor (and current Wyoming head coach) Craig Bohl. The Bison have won three in a row. (Scores and NDSU quick facts and season leaders on add 18).
LAST WEEK: (At Montana 28, South Dakota 20): UM’s Jordan Canada, Jordan Johnson, and Zack Wagenmann led the way as the Grizzlies defeated the Coyotes in front of a Washington-Grizzly Stadium record crowd of 26,303. Canada rushed 16 times for 114 yards, while Johnson passed for 2 touchdowns, and Wagenmann had 3 sacks. UM’s defense held USD to 134 yards rushing on 37 attempts – a 3.6-yard average. (Griz-Coyote game stats and story on add 17).
POW NOMINEES vs. USD: Offense: Canada; Defense: Wagenmann; Special Teams: DNA.
WAGENMANN TABBED POW: Wagenmann was named the ROOT Sports Big Sky Conference Player of the Week for the second time in his career for his outstanding play against USD.
JOHNSON UPDATE: Johnson in now seventh in career passing yards with 6,143; fourth in career TD passes with 56; and he’s tied for sixth in TDs responsible for with 60.
CANADA UPDATE: Canada’s 2,448 career rushing yards rank him fourth on the career list. He is also ranked fourth with 29 career scoring runs. Canada has now rushed for 100 or more yards in nine games.
HENDERSON UPDATE: Junior wide receiver Ellis Henderson is now 26th in career receiving yards with 1,426, and remains 10th in career receiving TDs with 16.
WAGENMANN UPDATE: Wagenmann has moved up to fifth in career sacks with 26, and is also sixth in career tackles for loss with 36.
JJ PAYTON WATCH LIST UPDATE: Johnson, a 6-1, 195-pound senior from Eugene, Ore., and Walter Payton Award candidate, is 40-of-72-0 for 312 yards and 3 TDs so far this season.
WAGS BUCHANAN WATCH LIST UPDATE: Wagenmann, a 6-3 ½, 255-pound senior defensive end and Buck Buchanan Award candidate from Missoula, Mont., has 22 tackles and 6.0 sacks this season. His 2.0 sacks a game tie him for first in the nation with three other players.
**MEDIA COVERAGE**
GRIZ RADIO: Mick Holien is in his 22nd season as the voice of Griz football and his 30th year overall. Scott Gurnsey is in his 17th year serving as the in-booth analyst, while Greg Sundberg is the sideline reporter for his fourth season. (FB Radio Network is on add 6).
TELEVISION: The Grizzly-Bison game will be televised by Cowles Montana Media stations. Brian Shawn calls the play-by-play, Kevin Feeney and Lee Timmerman serve as the color analysts, and Jamal Spencer and Beth Hoole are the sideline reporters. The game will be available on Charter channels 11/511; DirecTV channel 23, and Dish Network channel 23. In Billings: SWX is channel 8.2 in Billings. The game will not be running on KULR, channel 8.1. It is also available on the internet on ESPN3 at web site link:. http://espn.go.com/watchespn/index/_/id/1963888/College-Football-Montana-vs-North-Dakota-State.
Photo From Last Week’s game vs South Dakota by Mark Mesenko | CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE
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