Grizzlies Host Similar Style Team
Big Sky Conference champion Montana hosts Eastern Kentucky Saturday in the first round of the NCAA Division I-AA football playoffs.
“If I had my druthers, I would not have picked a good passing team to play in the playoffs, especially this year,” said EKU coach Roy Kidd.
But that’s exactly what they got.
Montana (9-2) is led by Dave Dickenson, who has passed for 4,176 yards and 38 touchdowns this season for the Grizzlies, seeded sixth in the 16-team playoff. Dickenson averages 379 yards per game.
Matt Wells has 1,008 receiving yards this year, followed by Joe Douglass with 832 and Mike Erhardt with 792.
Eastern Kentucky (9-2) quarterback Tommy Luginbill averages 146 yards passing and his 1,608 yards this season set a school record.
Tailback William Murrell has rushed for 982 yards and 16 touchdowns while Daymon Carter has 698 yards and 10 rushing touchdowns for the Colonel.
“We did see (Murrell) on film,” while we were scouting another team, said UM coach Don Read. “He just jumped out at us and we said we were glad we weren’t playing them, and now we are playing them.”
Read said he will learn more after the two schools exchange three game films on Monday.
“Traditionally they’ve been a great team,” Read said. “They’ve won more games than anybody in I-AA football. The coach is one of the winningest coaches in football. They put lots of guys in the pros, they’ve a very physical football team.”
Eastern Kentucky has been in the playoffs the last 10 years and in 16 of the last 18 years.
“They’re a team that’s been in the playoffs so much and been in the top of the league I can’t imagine them being awed by coming to Montana,” Read said.
“They’re going to be well-prepared. I’m sure we’ll be playing a good, solid, ready football team,” he said.
Tickets for Saturday’s noon game went on sale Sunday for $13 and $9.
xxxx NCAA Division I-AA glance The first round of the NCAA Division 1-AA playoffs Saturday: Hofstra (10-1) at Delaware (10-1) Jackson State (9-2) at Marshall (9-2) J. Madison (8-3) at Appalachian St. (11-0) Northern Iowa (7-4) at Murray St (11-0) E. Illinois (10-1) at Stephen F. Austin (9-1) Eastern Kentucky (9-2) at Montana (9-2) Georgia Southern (8-3) at Troy St. (11-0) Idaho (6-4) at McNeese St. (11-0), 5 p.m.