MISSOULA – Montana’s young football team has hit a losing streak over the past month. This week the Grizzlies take on another young team that has suffered a skid since the season kicked off.
Defending Big Sky Conference champion Southern Utah now finds itself at the bottom of the league. The Thunderbirds are 1-7, but offensively they still put up decent numbers, particularly on the ground. Southern Utah rushes for more than 200 yards per game, good for fourth in the league.
“They are a really good rushing team,” said Griz defensive end Reggie Tilleman. “They’ve got some really good experienced O-linemen up there, so as a D-line, we know that we’re going to have to bring it and stop the run.”
“We’ve got to account for a lot of different personnel groups and formations,” said Montana head coach Bobby Hauck. “Wildcat has been a big part. A couple weeks ago at Idaho, they played most of the game in a Wildcat look and ran the ball well that way.”
The Grizzlies’ rushing defense ranks in the middle of the pack in the Big Sky, so it will be tested. This will be only Montana’s second-ever trip to Cedar City, Utah. They’ll kick off at 1 p.m. Saturday.
