Game #8 Information
Date: Saturday, October 20, 2007
Kickoff: 1:05 p.m. MT
Location: Missoula, Montana
Stadium: Washington-Grizzly
Capacity: 23,183
Series: Montana leads, 6-1
Last Meeting: November 11, 2006; UM 53-21
Promotions: NA
Radio: Northern Colorado Radio Network
Greeley: 1310 KFKA
Troy Coverdale, play-by-play
Chris Ott, color analyst
Internet Video Streaming: bigskytv.org
TV: KPAX, Missoula
Tough Task
Northern Colorado looks towards its fourth Big Sky Conference game of the year, a match-up with the third-ranked team in the nation, Montana, on its home turf at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula. Montana, despite being undefeated and beating Sacramento State by two touchdowns last week, fell two spots in the Sports Network poll this week to number three after spending the previous three weeks at the top spot. This will be the second straight year the Bears have faced the Griz when they are ranked among the top five in the nation, as last year in Greeley, UM was ranked second.
The Bears hit the road for the sixth time in eight weeks and are currently in the midst of a 15-game losing streak. The game on Saturday will be televised on KPAX, the CBS affiliate in Missoula. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.
Series Record
Saturday will mark the eighth meeting between Montana and Northern Colorado with the Bears winning just one contest between the two clubs. Last season, the Griz defeated NC 53-21 in Greeley. All time, NC is 0-4 in Missoula and sports a 1-2 record in Greeley. In the previous three meetings between the teams, Montana has been ranked among the top 10 each time, as they were ranked second last year, seventh in 2004 and first in 2002.
2006: Greeley L, 21-53 1978: Missoula L, 14-31
2004: Missoula L, 16-27 1977: Missoula L, 13-34
2002: Missoula L, 14-31 1976: Greeley W, 27-19
1979: Greeley L, 10-20
The Northern Colorado Connection
Montana's roster sports seven Colorado players, including senior wide receiver Eric Allen, who prepped at Palmer High School in Colorado Springs alongside junior tight end Ryan Chesla. UM senior linebacker Tyler Joyce played at Overland High School in Aurora with cornerback Myles Hayes, while senior Van Cooper Jr. played with sophomore defensive back Stephen Michon, sophomore offensive lineman James Zapp and redshirt freshman Joe Silipo at Cherry Creek High School. UM linebacker Severin Campbell and NC linebacker Matt King both attended Golden High School and David Arndt and senior defensive back D.J. Craft both went to Arapahoe, but missed each other by one year. UM wide receiver Lyle Brown played alongside running back Andy Muns and offensive linemen Tim McGraw and Joel Fassler at Douglas County.
Montana associate head coach Mike Hudson spend the 1994 season at New Mexico, one of the season's NC offensive coordinator Dennis Darnell was offensive coordinator for the Lobos. Rob Phenicie, the current offensive coordinator at Montana began his playing career as a tight end at Nebraska in 1984, the same season head coach Scott Downing was the head freshman coach for the Huskers.
2007 Montana Schedule
Sep. 1 SOUTHERN UTAH W, 37-17
Sep. 8 FORT LEWIS W, 49-0
Sep. 22 ALBANY W, 35-14
Sep. 29 *WEBER STATE W, 18-10
Oct. 5 *EASTERN WASHINGTON W, 24-23
Oct. 13 *at Sacramento State W, 17-3
Oct. 20 *NORTHERN COLORADO 1:05 p.m.
Oct. 27 *at Northern Arizona 3:05 p.m.
Nov. 3 *PORTLAND STATE 12:05 p.m.
Nov. 10 *at Idaho State 3:05 p.m.
Nov. 17 *at Montana State 12:05 p.m.
*Indicates Big Sky Conference Game
Catch This
A total of 15 different players have caught at least one pass for the Bears through the first seven games of the season. Junior tight end Ryan Chesla and senior wide receiver Andy Birkel lead with 25 catches each, while junior wide receiver Cory Fauver is right behind them with 24 receptions. All three players are averaging over 10 yards a reception, as is junior wide receiver Brian Barmann who has seven catches for 75 yards (10.7 per catch). Chesla is leading the team with 12.6 yard per catch, while Birkel is averaging 10.4 and Fauver is at 10.1.
Now Showing
Eric Brown now appears in the Northern Colorado record books. The junior has 421 yards of kickoff returns this season, which ranks him 10th on the single-season charts. He needs just two more yards to take possession of ninth place and with five more yards will move into eighth place. The single season record for kickoff return yardage is 663 by Johnny Watkines in 1984. Brown's 20.0 yards per return average ranks him eighth in the Big Sky Conference, while junior David Woods ranks 10th on the same list averaging 19.1 per return.
Inching Closer
Senior wide receiver Andy Birkel now has 1,167 total career receiving yards with the Bears. It is believed to be the second-most receiving yards by any two year player in Northern Colorado history behind the 1,734 by Dillan Micus (1997-98). Birkel is also now just 417 yards shy of cracking the school's top 10 list for career receiving yards (Graham McDaniel, 1,584, 1992-95).
Standing Tough
The Bears scoring defense continues to improve every contest, as the team surrendered just 23 points against Weber State, the lowest opponent scoring output of the season. The team also held Weber State to a season low 476 all purpose yards. The previous best was 502 yards against Idaho State. This is the second straight week the defense has recorded lows in both categories.
Every Snap
For the first time this season and the first time in the last eight games, Northern Colorado had just one quarterback under center for the entire contest. Senior quarterback Dominic Breazeale played the entire game for the Bears, marking the first time since Nov. 11, 2006 against Montana only one quarterback has played the whole game. The last time Breazeale played an entire game was against Western Illinois on Sept. 23, 2006 - a span of 12 games in which he played (14 overall).
Big Offensive Plays
After not having any plays for 20 or more yards in the first two games of the year, the Bears have put together 15 (14 pass, 1 rush) plays from scrimmage that have covered at least 20 yards. Six of those 14 passing plays have been to junior tight end Ryan Chesla, with five coming from senior quarterback Dominic Breazeale and one coming from junior quarterback Mike Vlahogeorge. Last year, the Bears had 34 plays (23 pass, 11 rush) for 20 or more yards.
Right Place, Right Time
True freshman Max Hewitt intercepted the second pass of his young career on Saturday against Weber State. Hewitt returned the interception 20 yards and he also had a pick against Hawai'i just one day after his 18th birthday. The Bears now have five interceptions through the first seven games of the season, with three of the five being returned for at least 20 yards (Mark Rodden, 25 yards; D.J. Craft, 24 yards).
Taking Care Of The Ball
For the first time all year, Northern Colorado recorded fewer turnovers in the game than the opponent. The Bears had just one turnover (interception) against Weber State, while the Wildcats had two (fumble, interception). In three contests this year, NC has had the same number of turnovers as the opposition and they currently rank fifth in the league with a -0.43 turnover margin.
Going Streaking
Senior wide receiver Andy Birkel has caught at least one pass in all 18 games he has played for Northern Colorado... Senior defensive tackle Vinny Pallone started in his 25th consecutive game against Weber State, the longest active streak on the team... Saturday marked the first time in six games junior Eric Brown did not have a kick return of at least 20 yards. His longest return against Weber State was 19... Junior wide receiver Cory Fauver has had multiple receptions in all seven games this year... Junior linebacker Joe Kenney has had three or more tackles in 20 straight games and in 26 of the 27 in his career, while junior linebacker Cristian Sarmento has notched four or more tackles in 18 straight.
Hitting It Hard
Junior linebacker Cristian Sarmento has now been in double figures in tackles in the last four games, notching 11 tackles each against Weber State and at Cal Poly, 14 against Northern Arizona and 13 at Idaho State. The last time a Northern Colorado player had four straight games with double figure tackles was Reed Doughty in 2005, as he was in double figures in all but one game.
By The Numbers
Senior quarterback Dominic Breazeale is now just two yards shy of 1,500 career passing yards, sitting at 1,498... Junior running back David Woods surpassed the 500 yard barrier for season rushing yards and now has 501 in seven games (71.6 per game)... Junior Eric Brown needs 79 yards to reach 500 kickoff return yards for the season... Northern Colorado has yet to score a point at home this season, getting shut out in both home contests... Senior punter Rafael Mendoza tied his career high with 10 punts in the game against Weber State. Mendoza now has 53 punts on the year for 2,116 yards.
Double Trouble
For the second time this season, two Bears broke the 100-yard barrier in all purpose yards in the same game. Junior defensive back Eric Brown notched 104 yards all coming in kickoff returns, while junior running back David Woods tallied 101 yards (98 rushing, 3 receiving) at Idaho State. The Bears also had two over 100 at San Diego with Woods gaining 180 all-purpose yards, while senior wide receiver Andy Birkel garnered 101 yards.
Playing Smart
Northern Colorado remains the lowest penalized team in the Big Sky Conference, averaging just 49.6 yards of penalties per game, just ahead of Montana State (50.0). The Bears have been whistled 49 times for 347 yards in the seven games this season. Last year the Bears were also the least penalized team in the league, being called for just 64 penalties (521 yards) while opponents were whistled for 90 penalties (736 yards).
A Rare Sighting
Northern Colorado has attempted just two field goals this season, the fewest attempts of any team in the Big Sky Conference (Weber State & Sacramento State next with eight attempts each). The fewest attempts in a season since the team moved to FCS was 10 last season (2006 - 10; 2005 - 13; 2004 - 21; 2003 - 15).
Tight End Tandem
The Bears feature tight ends junior Ryan Chesla and senior Clint Wright. Last season, the two combined to average 0.81 catches per game (9 catches, 89 yards, 0 touchdowns). Thus far in 2007, they're averaging 4.71 catches per game (33 catches, 394 yards, 5 touchdowns) and have all five receiving touchdowns on the year.
Run Or Pass?
After 10 touchdowns on the season, the Bears have five of the rushing variety and five passing. Junior running back David Woods has four of the five rushing touchdowns, with junior quarterback Mike Vlahogeorge running in the other, while junior tight end Ryan Chesla has four of the five receiving touchdowns and senior tight end Clint Wright has the other. Vlahogeorge has thrown for three of the five, while senior quarterback Dominic Breazeale has thrown the other two.
Injury Update
Senior defensive back Aaron Henderson is out for the season after sustaining a knee injury during preseason camp. Sophomore defensive end Scott Allen injured his knee at Cal Poly and is out for this week against Montana, as is sophomore cornerback Korey Askew, who injured his knee at Idaho State.
Woods Does It All
He can run, that we knew, but now we know he can throw too. Junior running back David Woods rushed for a career-best 130 yards against Cal Poly, posting the longest rush of the season with a 20-yard gain in the first quarter. In the second quarter, Woods completed a 35-yard pass to senior wide receiver Andy Birkel, setting up the Ryan Chesla touchdown. The pass by Woods is the longest for the team this year. Woods tallied 173 all-purpose yards in the game, gaining 43 yards off two kickoff returns. His 173 all-purpose yards are the most for a Northern Colorado player since the Bears joined the Big Sky Conference and the most since Andre Wilson tallied 220 against Southern Utah on Oct. 22, 2005.
Top Marks
Junior running back David Woods had 25 rushing attempts against Cal Poly, tying him for the most attempts in the Big Sky this year (O. Sobomehin, Portland State; J. Barnett, Idaho State).
Frequent Flier Miles
The Bears have amassed 12,244 travel miles already this season, according to the Mileage Calculator, which measures the distance between cities in nautical miles. The season opener to Honolulu was 3,358 miles, while it was 869 to San Diego, 523 to Flagstaff, 938 to San Luis Obispo and 434 miles to Pocatello, Idaho. The Bears' trip to Missoula this weekend will add 642 miles each way and there is still a trip to Cheney, Washington remaining on the schedule.
Five And Twenty
Against Northern Arizona, five different receivers caught passes for 20 or more yards. Junior tight end Ryan Chesla caught four passes for 60 yards and a long of 34 yards, while junior wide receiver Cory Fauver caught three for 41 yards and a long of 20. Senior wide receiver Andy Birkel snagged three passes for 37 yards and a long of 22, while junior running back David Woods caught two for 47 yards and a long of 28. Senior tight end Clint Wright also caught two passes for 26 yards with a touchdown and a long reception of 23 yards. Last season, the Bears never had more than three players catch a pass for 20 or more yards in the same game, in fact, the last time NC had five players with receptions or 20 or more came back on Oct. 18, 2003 at Florida Atlantic, a 21-19 loss.
New Look Bears
Freshman Josh Mack made his first career start against Cal Poly, becoming the 14th different player to start this season for the Bears. Freshman defensive tackle Amal Gumbs started against Northern Arizona, while at San Diego, both junior wide receiver Cory Fauver and freshman running back Dan Freismuth made their first starts. DT Martin Awachie, WR Jeff Vaden and QB Mike Vlahogeorge started for the first time against Chadron State and WR Jason Caprioli, OL Eric Christensen, DE John Eddy, DE Joe Silipo, CB Quincy Wofford, RB David Woods and OL James Zapp all started against Hawai'i.
All New Conference Call
For the first time in Big Sky Conference history, the league will sponsor a weekly conference call with the nine head coaches. The call will take place on Wednesdays from 10:30 a.m. to noon (Mountain) beginning Sept. 5. Northern Colorado head coach Scott Downing will fill the fifth time slot from 10:02 to 10:10.
10:30-10:38 John Zamberlin, Idaho State 11:10-11:18 Jerome Souers, Northern Arizona
10:38-10:46 Bobby Hauck, Montana 11:18-11:26 Paul Wulff, Eastern Washington
10:46-10:54 Ron McBride, Weber State 11:26-11:34 Marshall Sperbeck, Sacramento St.
10:54-11:02 Rob Ash, Montana State 11:34-11:42 Jerry Glanville, Portland State
11:02-11:10 Scott Downing, No. Colorado 11:42-noon (if needed) Commissioner Fullerton
All In The Family
The Bears sport two pair of brothers currently on the roster in Matt (Fr-LB) and Mike (Jr-QB) Vlahogeorge, and Justin (So-RB) and Korey (So-DB) Askew but there are several other members of the team who had brothers on previous year's teams. Senior linebacker Asa Matthew's brother Adam played for the Bears from 1999-2003, while senior nose guard Vinny Pallone's brother Dominic played for the Bears from 1996-00.
Ahoy, Captain
In a vote by the players, Northern Colorado named three defensive players and one offensive player as their captains for 2007. Senior defensive back Aaron Henderson, junior linebacker Joe Kenney and senior nose guard Vinny Pallone represent the defense, while senior center Jake Gable represents the offense.
Colorado's Team
There are 90 players on the 2007 roster and 70 of them attended high school in Colorado. California and Oklahoma both have four players representing those states for the next most on the roster. There are also two players each hailing from Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska.
Now Eligible
The Northern Colorado football team is now eligible to compete in postseason play in 2007 after successfully making the transition to Division I. This year marks the first year the Bears are also eligible to win the Big Sky Conference Championship, though the Bears are looking to start with the first win over a Big Sky opponent.
Fountain Of Youth
The Northern Colorado roster, which consists of 90 players, has 63 players that are either true freshmen, redshirt freshmen or sophomores on it. There are 11 seniors on the roster, eight of which have been with the team throughout their entire careers.
True Freshmen: 25
Redshirt Freshmen: 19
Sophomores: 19
Juniors: 16
Seniors: 11
Thank You Fans
Northern Colorado had 6,684 fans in attendance at the season home opener against Chadron State. It is the third-best attended home opener at a Big Sky stadium this season (23,599 - Montana vs Southern Utah; 12,022 - Portland State vs UC Davis) and bests the stadiums all-time average attendance of 5,202.
