East Tennessee Prepares For Montana’s Great Outdoors Buccaneers Leave Cozy Confines To Take On Defending Champions
East Tennessee State ventures out into the cold today to take on defending national champion Montana in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Division I-AA football playoffs.
“It’ll be about like climbing Mt. Everest. Without any snowshoes. Barefooted,” ETSU coach Mike Cavan said of the challenge his team faces at Washington-Grizzly Stadium, where the Grizzlies have won 25 straight games.
“Let me tell you what,” said Cavan. “Montana is the Marshall of the West. That’s the best way for me to describe it.”
Montana (12-0) is led by quarterback Brian Ah Yat, who threw for 363 yards and three touchdowns in Montana’s 48-3 first-round victory over Nicholls State. Joe Douglass and Mike Erhardt, who is expected to return after missing two games, are two of UM’s top receivers.
East Tennessee’s (10-2) balanced offense is led by quarterback Greg Ryan, who has thrown for 2,282 yards and 20 touchdowns, and halfback Brandon Walker, who has rushed for 1,244 yards and 13 touchdowns.
“There is no comparison between East Tennessee and Nicholls State in terms of performance and athletes,” said first-year UM coach Mick Dennehy. “I mean, these guys are legitimate.”
Legitimate, maybe, but used to playing on turf in a climate-controlled dome.
“The report is that it’s going to be about 30 degrees, which they say is a real warm front,” Cavan told the Great Falls Tribune. “So we’ll see how it goes.”
A crowd of more than 16,000 is expected for the game, which kicks off at 12:05 p.m.
“The crowd is right there,” Cavan said. “The only thing around (inside) the stadium is a big snowball, and their defense runs you up in the snow.”
Montana’s defense is led by Big Sky defensive MVP Jason Crebo, who is expected to play despite suffering a bruised knee last week. Montana held Nicholls State to 129 yards in total offense.
“Montana has an outstanding team. I haven’t seen a weakness in ‘em,” Cavan said. “I know ya’ll hear about their offense … but their defense is outstanding.”
East Tennessee may be without defensive end James Russell, who injured his ankle last Saturday.
And the Buccaneers lost receiver B.J. Adigun, who broke his wrist in his team’s 35-29 first-round victory over Villanova.