Eastern Faces Unbearable Fans Against Grizzlies

FROM SPORTS REPLAY page C3 (Thursday, October 16, 1997): Correction Montana defeated Eastern Washington 63-7 in 1995 at Cheney, not Missoula as reported in Wednesday’s Big Sky football notebook.

Despite the countless hours of preparation, on the part of both teams, that will go into Saturday afternoon’s crucial Big Sky Conference matchup between Eastern Washington and Montana, the game could be decided by something as intangible as the atmosphere inside UM’s Washington-Grizzly Stadium.

Montana, 4-1 overall and atop the Big Sky Conference standings at 2-0, hasn’t lost at home since the final game of the 1993 season when it was edged by Delaware 49-48 in the first round of the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs.

That’s 30 consecutive wins for the Grizzlies in Washington-Grizzly Stadium, and EWU coach Mike Kramer is convinced the boisterous fans who regularly fill the 18,845-seat complex have played a key role in helping build the impressive streak.

“It’s an unbelievable place to play,” Kramer said earlier this week while preparing his Eagles (5-1 and 3-1) for Saturday’s 12:05 matchup that will determine sole possession of first place in the Big Sky. “A stadium is built by its people, and the people in that stadium make it their 12th man.”

The hostile environment encountered by visiting teams is intensified by the closeness of fans to the field, Kramer explained, adding that players on past EWU teams have endured everything from ugly racial slurs to unflattering comments about their mothers from noisy fans seated directly behind their bench.

Eagles’ offensive line coach Paul Wulff remembers trying to sketch out a blocking scheme for his linemen on the sidelines and having his oral instructions drowned out by the fans.

“They were leaning over the rail and almost over our guys’ shoulders screaming ‘No way that’s gonna work, coach. You can’t block our guy like that, he’s an All-American,”’ Wulff recalled with a grin. “It was amazing.”

Surprisingly, Eastern has had better luck against the Grizzlies this decade than most visiting opponents. The Eagles handed Montana its last Big Sky home loss, 27-21, on Sept. 26, 1992, and was one of two teams to beat the Grizzlies at home in 1990.

It might help this time around that most of Kramer’s key players have experienced the atmosphere inside Washington-Grizzly, having been a part of the 63-7 whipping Montana put on the Eagles in 1995.

“Its a tough place to play, no doubt about it,” admitted senior offensive tackle Jim Buzzard last Saturday, just moments after the Eagles had dusted off Cal State Sacramento 30-17 in front of a disappointing Woodward Stadium crowd generously estimated at 2,445. “The crowd’s right on top of you, and it’s loud.

“It kind of makes you wish they were your fans.”

Grand return

Marcus Jackson has made a grand return to Idaho State, where he plans to finish his business degree.

Jackson, an All-American defensive back, was paralyzed from the neck down while making a tackle against Western Montana early last season. But last Saturday he served as grand marshal of the Bengals’ homecoming game against Montana.

Jackson was introduced at halftime of ISU’s 48-0 loss to Montana, giving Bengal fans one of their few reasons to stand and cheer.

Block party

There was understandable concern among Portland State followers when tailback Charles Dunn limped out of last Saturday’s 35-21 non-conference win over St. Mary’s.

Dunn, a redshirt freshman, has been a major offensive weapon for the Vikings all season and was coming off a 250-yard rushing performance just a week earlier against Cal State Northridge.

But the concern quickly vanished, thanks to senior blocking back Josh McVeigh, who took over the balltoting duties on PSU’s last scoring drive by carrying five consecutive times for 80 yards - the last 43 coming on the touchdown run that capped the drive.

On the year, McVeigh has carried just 20 times, but he has rushed for 156 yards and boasts an average of 7.8 yards per carry.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Home cooking Montana’s home record the past eight seasons, plus its home losses over that span. 1990: 4-2 (Lost to EWU 36-35 and UI 35-14) 1991 4-1 (Lost to Nevada 35-28 in double OT) 1992: 5-1 (Lost to EWU 27-21) 1993: 6-1 (Lost to Delaware 49-48 in first round of I-AA playoffs) 1994: 9-0 1995: 9-0 1996: 9-0 1997: 3-0

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