Montana coach Bobby Hauck expects return men Levander Segars and Jefferson Heidelberger will get their chances from the Vikings, who host the Griz at 4:35 p.m. Mountain time at PGE Park.
"Yes I do," said the Grizzlies' second-year head coach. "They're going to kick it to us. They'll be the first ones since Sam Houston."
Portland State is among six Big Sky Conference teams allowing 18.0-18.9 yards per kickoff return (the Vikings are third at 18.0; Montana is sixth at 18.3). The Vikings have also allowed the eye-catching average of just 4.4 yards per punt return.
"They're good on everything, and they'll kick to everybody," Hauck said. "So that fires me up."
After the Hofstra game Heidelberger was averaging 57 yards a return. Since then he's returned seven kickoffs in five games, for a total of 101 yards. That's a 14.4-yard average, and that is mainly because teams have conceded decent field position with a pooch, rather than risk a game-breaker. But the Vikings may take that risk.
"It's exciting for us because we feel we're good at what we do," said Heidelberger, who is averaging 23.9 yards a return overall. "On the other hand, the reason they'll (kick to Montana) is they're good. No one's hit them yet. We need just to be solid, and if they do kick it back there and give us a chance - which a lot of teams haven't - we need to try and get something good out of it and help our offense out."
A highly-touted high school quarterback who left the University of Oregon in September confirmed Thursday he is going to visit the Montana campus.
Johnny DuRocher, a 6-foot-4, 220-pounder out of Bethel High School in Spanaway, Wash., said he'll visit UM two weekends from now - when Sacramento State also hits town - but that he is far from deciding where to continue his college career.
"I really haven't kind of sat down and narrowed it down," he said. "I'm interested in Montana, I know the reputation they have for throwing the ball, and that's what I like to do. But as far as where I'm going to end up next fall, it's a little too early to tell."
He committed to Oregon during his junior year at Bethel High, then graduated early and went through spring drills in 2003 with the Ducks. When true freshman Dennis Dixon outperformed him in this year's fall camp to take the No. 2 quarterback spot behind Kellen Clemens, DuRocher, a redshirt freshman, transferred out.
He's now at Pierce College in Lakewood, Wash., not far from his parents' home in Graham. He's not playing football, instead concentrating on getting his associate arts degree. After that, he plans to play three years at another school.
"Things weren't going the way I planned, and I felt if I was going to do what I wanted to do with my career, it wasn't going to be there," DuRocher said. "I'm not 100 percent sure I'm going to drop down to the I-AA level. I'm just going to have to kind of see what's up."
DuRocher ended his prep career ranked ninth on Washington's all-time passing list with 6,781 yards. He threw for 67 touchdowns. He also reportedly turned down scholarship offers from Stanford and Washington.
"I committed in May of my junior year and didn't take any other trips," he said. "This time I want to be more patient, look around and not jump the gun this time around."
Oregon coach Mike Bellotti reportedly granted DuRocher a "conditional" release, meaning he could have final say over where he transfers. Other Pac-10 schools are in the picture, but current league rules require such a transfer to sit out two seasons before playing.
When Craig Ochs was picked off at Eastern Washington on Oct. 16, it snapped a streak of 117 passes without an interception. Montana's senior quarterback had his second pass at Sam Houston State intercepted, then went through the Northern Colorado, Weber State and Idaho State games without a pickoff.
And he did it with a soft cast on his right (throwing) thumb. Now that cast is gone. In fact, Ochs will be free of all training room residue when he hits the field Saturday - his calf injury has healed to the point where he doesn't need it wrapped.
"I won't look like 'Robocop' out there," Ochs said Thursday. "I'm 99 percent. I feel good."
If Ochs has rated any poor marks this season, it's been on deep throws that ended up off-target. The bandaged thumb might have hurt those throws.
"Well, it hasn't helped him, that's for sure," Hauck said. "He threw the ball well this week without it."
"The hand's feeling great," Ochs said. "It's nice to be out of that cast. I couldn't get the velocity on the ball with that wrap on it, and now this week I feel I have been able to."
Ochs has completed 62.9 percent of his throws (129-for-205) this season, for 1,651 yards and 12 touchdowns. He's been intercepted four times.
Quick kicks: Montana's turnover margin of plus-11 ranks the Griz third in Division I-AA. Š Portland State's 4.4 yards allowed per punt return ranks 10th nationally. Š To MSU quarterback Travis Lulay's long list of laurels, add another I-AA national player of the week award, this one from Don Hansen's Football Gazette. Lulay shared the award with Appalachian State receiver DaVon Folkes and Samford quarterback Ray Nelson. Š Montana is ranked 14th nationally in passing efficiency, while Portland State checks in at No. 88.
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