Montana Grizzlies
Big Sky Conference
Last year Montana finished with a disappointing 7-4 record and missed the playoffs. All they needed to do at the end of the 2010 campaign was win a road game at Weber State or knock off Montana State in the finale at home. A win in either of those games would have likely earned the Grizzlies a spot in the 20 team field. That disappointment was put to an end in 2011. Montana rebounded with second year head coach Robin Pflugrad and emerged as a very balanced team that could make a run in the playoffs this year.
2011 Record: 9-2, 7-1
Last Playoff Appearance: 2009
Coach: Robin Pflugrad (16-6 at Montana, 16-6 overall)
Big Wins: 10/15 Portland State (30-24), 11/19 at Montana State (36-10)
Bad Losses: 9/3 at Tennessee (16-42), 9/24 at Sacramento State (28-42)
Strengths:
Montana boasts a very balanced offense with a plethora of potential playmakers. No individual player stands out and that makes the Grizzlies tough to prepare for. A whole host of players could emerge as the top back or receiver on any given day. The one constant is quarterback Jordan Johnson. Behind a stellar offensive line, Johnson has done a decent job keeping the offense moving. He will make some mistakes and his passing accuracy is nothing great, but Johnson is an elusive quarterback who can also make some big plays with his arm. Jabin Sambrano is the big play receiver, but Sam Gratton and Antwon Moutra are also threats. In the backfield, Montana will run three backs on most days. Peter Nguyen will usually get the most carries, but Jordan Canada and Dan Moore have a majority of the touchdowns. Like the offense, the defense is not great at any particular thing, but they are not bad at anything either. Caleb McSurdy is the leader from his linebacker spot. Leading the team in tackles, McSurdy is the player who makes this defense so sturdy. Defensive tackle Bryan Waldhauser is a great lineman who can stuff the run and get to the quarterback. His dominance of the front line has made things easier for the secondary that is led by cornerback Trumaine Johnson.
Weaknesses:
Montana has had a pretty tough time on the road. Losing at Tennessee is understandable. However, a loss at Sacramento State and a near loss at Northern Arizona is a cause for concern. That may catch up to Montana sooner or later in the playoffs. This is a very good team, but they have not proven that they can beat a playoff caliber team on the road. Even at home some games have been surprisingly close. That could be a double edged sword for Montana. On the bad side, Montana’s schedule turned out to be a little easier than it looked before the season and they still had some close games against some less than stellar teams. The good news though is that this team has been through the grind and played in a lot of close games. More importantly, they won most of those games.
Statistical Leaders:
Rushing: Peter Nguyen, RB, 689 yards
Passing: Jordan Johnson, QB, 1,792 yards
Receiving: Jabin Sambrano, WR, 493 yards
Tackles: Caleb McSurdy, LB, 114
Sacks: Bryan Waldhauser, DT, 6.0
Interceptions: Matt Hermanson, S, 3: Mike McCord, S, 3; Houston Roots, CB, 3
2011 Team Stats:
Rushing Offense: 213.91 (16th in nation, 3rd in conference)
Passing Offense: 206.73 (58, 7)
Total Offense: 420.64 (22, 5)
Scoring Offense: 32.45 (25, 3)
Rushing Defense: 123.00 (23, 1)
Pass Defense: 198.55 (41, 2)
Total Defense: 321.55 (22, 1)
Scoring Defense: 20.36 (23, 1)
Turnover Margin: .73 (24, 1)
Sacks: 2.73 (18, 2)
Sacks Allowed:.73 (7, 1)
