Montana, Montana State Finally Open Their Seasons Grizzlies Entertain Sfa; Bobcats Take On Chadron State

Montana and Montana State warm up for the 1997 Big Sky Conference wars with belated home openers against non-conference foes this weekend.

The Grizzlies, defending league champions, host Southland Conference representative Stephen F. Austin on Saturday. The last time Montana met the Lumberjacks was in the 1995 I-AA semifinals, winning 70-14.

Grizzlies coach Mick Dennehy is eager to finally get started.

“It’s been such a long camp. Everyone else has started and I’ve already watched several college games on TV and I know that the kids have too,” he said.

Dennehy also insists SFA is a better team that 1995’s playoff blow-out suggests.

“That last game was a lot closer than the score indicates,” he said. “We scored a couple of touchdowns right before halftime and kind of put the nail in the coffin.”

MSU opens in Bozeman against Chadron State, defending champion of the Division II Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. Playing the opener in Reno H. Sales Stadium should help: MSU has an eight-game winning streak in home openers.

Bobcats coach Cliff Hysell can hardly wait to see if his Bobcats’ extended training camp pays off.

“The offensive line has improved pass protection a ton, but now it has to be able to hold up during a game,” he said, though he characterized his defensive front as “still something of a question mark.”

MSU expects a boost from the return of 240-pound fullback Travis Cormaney, back three weeks earlier than expected after he broke an ankle.

Northridge (1-1) tries to make it two in a row over New Mexico State (0-2) of the Division I-A Big West. Last year, the Matadors beat NMSU 33-0 in Las Cruces.

Leading Northridge, a 34-21 loser at Hawaii last week, will be Big Sky offensive player of the week Aaron Flowers. The senior quarterback was 22 of 39 for 311 yards and two touchdowns in the air at Honolulu.

Added incentive for the Matadors, who won their opener at the Big West’s Boise State 63-23, is the potential to go 2-1 against I-A opponents this year.

Idaho State (0-1) plays host to another Big West team, in-state rival Idaho (1-1). The Bengals will try to rebound from a 41-7 pounding last week at Utah State by making it two in a row over the Vandals.

ISU coach Tom Walsh warned the visitors will be looking to avenge a 26-21 loss to the Bengals in 1995, the last time the teams played in Holt Arena.

Last week, Idaho beat Portland State 46-0 in Moscow.

“They do have a lot of weapons,” Walsh said, noting Idaho started 11 offensive series inside PSU’s 50-yard line. “That speaks highly for their special teams and defense.”

In other games involving Big Sky schools, Eastern Washington plays Eastern Oregon in Cheney, and Weber State tries to extend its winning streak over I-AA independent Southern Utah to 11 in Ogden.