OFFENSE
QB
NAU
Cole Bergquist and NAU quarterback Lance Kriesien are in a statistical dead heat headed into this contest. Bergquist averages more yards, but Kriesien has the edge in total offense. With Montana traveling to the Walkup Sky Dome, Kriesien and the Lumberjacks could be formidable opponents.
OL
Montana
NAU
Northern Arizona leads the conference in rushing offense and time of possession, thanks in large part to work up front by guards Tim Reader and Jon Toailoa. The Griz will have to win the battle in the trenches in order to corral the Jacks’ spread option attack.
RB
Montana
NAU
Bobby Hauck said following last week’s game against Northern Colorado that Lex Hilliard is finally feeling 100 percent after his mystery injury. Still, nobody in the Big Sky has been better running than football than NAU behind backs Lionel Scott and Alex Henderson.
WR/TE
Montana
NAU
The lack of a drop-back passing game hurts the Lumberjacks’ effectiveness at wideout, though receiver Alex Watson is in the top 10 in the conference. Montana’s talented receiving corps started to show some life last week, and the Griz actually threw some balls to tight ends.
DEFENSE
DL
Montana
NAU
Kroy Biermann is still way out in font for the league lead in sacks and UM remains first in rushing defense. Northern Arizona is in the bottom half in most defensive statistics, including rushing defense and total defense. How the Griz D-line handles the Lumberjack attack will be a key matchup.
LB
Montana
NAU
Tyler Joyce, Kyle Ryan and Loren Utterback will also have to carry the load behind Montana’s defensive front. The NAU offense can be tricky and, as the Grizzlies’ leading tackler, the onus will be on Joyce and his cohorts to bottle up Kriesien, Henderson and Scott. Forcing the Lumberjacks into long passing situations may be the best way for Montana to short-circuit NAU’s offense.
CB/SAFETY
Montana
NAU
The secondary has been the brightest spot for the Lumberjacks this season, behind leading tackler Cyrus Igono. NAU leads Division I FCS in interceptions. K.J. Gerard has six picks through eight games while Igono has three.
SPECIAL TEAMS
K/P/Returns
Montana
NAU
Robbie Dehaze is the only kicker in the conference with more points than Dan Carpenter, but the Jacks have also had three kicks blocked this year. It’s been an Achilles heel for NAU. Dehaze had a field goal blocked two years ago against Montana, and Jimmy Wilson returned it for a touchdown.
Intangibles
Montana
NAU
Still undefeated, the sputtering Grizzlies got on track last week against Northern Colorado, though its hard to tell what n if anything n a win over the hapless Bears does for the confidence of Griz Nation. A road win over NAU, however, would carry more weight indeed.
|
 |
 |
Add your comment now! Write your comment in the form below.
(Email address is for verification only. If you'd like to email a story, look for the link above)