Grizzlies Galled By A Yellow Flag

Key play

When redshirt freshman Raul Pacheco hauled in a 16-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, Montana thought it had trimmed Washington State’s lead to three points.

Until the yellow flag fell to the Martin Stadium turf.

Montana quarterback Dave Dickenson looked skyward in disgust as officials explained that Montana wide receiver Chase Greene was whistled for an illegal pick, thereby erasing the potential momentumbuilding play.

“I’m anxious to see the film on that one,” Montana coach Don Read said.

That was one of Montana’s three blown opportunities in the second half before WSU finally silenced the Grizzlies 38-21 on Saturday.

Read said Greene lined up to the right side and cut back toward the middle. Pacheco came from the left to catch the pass in the right side of the end zone.

According to Dickenson, Greene was jammed by a Cougars defender near the line of scrimmage and thrown into a WSU linebacker.

“I thought it was a weak call. It had no bearing on the play,” Dickenson said. “The play was 20 yards beyond that.”

Greene, of Deer Park, declined comment, saying he has a policy against talking to the media.

WSU coach Mike Price felt the call was justified.

“I thought it was a pick,” said Price, quickly correcting himself to say “screen.” “I’m sure Don (Read) wouldn’t run a pick play.”

The play was a crusher mentally, Read said.

“Psychologically, that one would have helped us physically finish the game,” Read said.

The penalty pushed Montana back to the 31. Two plays later, David Henkel’s 38-yard field-goal attempt was tipped by defensive tackle Gary Holmes.

“I got some push up (the middle), so Gary could block it,” said WSU end Dwayne Sanders. “I told Gary, ‘You’re going to block this one.’ And the (Montana) guy in front me, he laughed.”

Instead of seven or three points, Montana came away empty, just as it had done on two other promising drives.

Late in the third quarter, Dickenson’s low pitch on an option play was recovered by WSU’s Shane Doyle at the Cougars 9.

“Dave was trying to make something happen and you can’t second-guess him when he’s trying to do that,” Read said.

Dickenson said he was hit as he tried to get to the corner and didn’t see the play after pitching the ball. He said it was hard for him to squeeze the football because of a swollen left hand, suffered from a previous hit.

Early in the fourth quarter, facing fourth-and-3 at WSU’s 32, Dickenson was intercepted by Cougars cornerback Brian Walker.

“I jammed their receiver (Greene) at the line and made him lose his footing,” Walker said.

That destroyed the play’s timing. Dickenson threw a fade route into Walker’s arms as Greene ran an out pattern.

, DataTimes