One minute, you're romping in your birthday suit on a crisp October afternoon: unstoppable, intoxicated, possessed - knowing you have all the cojones in the world. The roar of the stadium is a heady drug. The incredible lightness of being is everywhere. You're footloose and fancy free, following your bliss.
Then?
It doesn't pay to get too high, or too low, and for Grizzly fans that's probably the best development that came out of Saturday's 36-27 nonconference victory over third-ranked Cal Poly at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. One minute Montana was up, and the next it was down. But the Grizzlies persevered through what Coach Bobby Hauck rightly called "a roller coaster ride," and, unlike the streaker who made his mad fourth-quarter dash, they refused to be caught.
Montana committed a season-high five turnovers, four in the third quarter. The Griz played the entire game without leading receiver Jon Talmage or defensive anchor Alan Saenz. Starting wideout Mike Ferriter was carted off the field early in the second half after being knocked cold. Penalties erased one UM touchdown and what could've been a game-changing fumble recovery, and handed Cal Poly a do-over field goal.
The Griz trailed 24-17 early in the second half, and 27-24 with 12fi minutes remaining.
In the end, it didn't matter. What did matter was that the Grizzlies had stared into the abyss of a season on the brink and refused to blink.
A second straight home loss, coming on top of last week's 34-20 decision to Eastern Washington, would've left the Griz 4-3 overall and hanging by their claws in the chase for a 13th straight Division I-AA playoff berth. Instead, UM rallied for a victory that, should it advance, will look mighty nice when the final seedings are decided.
A good day became even better when news arrived of Weber State's 28-23 upset win at EWU, once again giving the Griz the chance to control their own destiny in the Big Sky.
"Those are the highs and lows, right there," said UM offensive guard Chris Orwig, who helped pave the way for a career-high 237 rushing yards by junior Lex Hilliard. "There's nothing like coming out of a game with a win, like that. There were so many chances where we could've folded up, or not responded to adversity. And we came up and punched them right in the mouth."
Unfortunately, Orwig wasn't just speaking metaphorically. Griz defensive end Kroy Biermann was ejected in the closing minute for punching a Cal Poly player, an ugly coda to a thrilling contest that gave the 23,565 sun-splashed fans plenty of bang for their entertainment buck.
You want streaking?
There was Hilliard, the former Kalispell standout. The 225-pound junior ravaged Cal Poly's vaunted "Flex" defense all afternoon behind an offensive line that not only opened holes, but permitted only one sack of freshman quarterback Cole Bergquist. Chris Gocong, Cal Poly's Buck Buchanan candidate, was hardly a factor as Hilliard moved past Rocky Klever into second place on UM's career rushing list.
You want cojones?
There was UM's fake field-goal call late in the third quarter, which saw holder Tyson Johnson, harkening back to his prep quarterbacking days at Stevensville, knot the score 24-24 on a 4-yard option run. Johnson made Hauck's roll of the dice come up seven, cutting past a couple of defenders who were seemingly in position, but couldn't wrap up the tackle. A trick play failed last week in a critical juncture against EWU. This time, audacity came up golden.
You want the incredible lightness of being?
There was UM cornerback Jimmy Wilson, all 5-foot-11 of him, leaping alongside 6-6 receiver Ramses Barden and somehow, some way, tipping the ball to hustling safety Van Cooper Jr. for a critical end-zone interception with 3:43 remaining.
"There were a lot of instances, in the course of the day, where both teams had people in position to make plays," said Cal Poly coach Rich Ellerson. "Montana made more plays, whether it was Hilliard with the ball, or the quarterback making a great choice, or that holder (Johnson) pulling that thing down and knifing it, when we've got him dead to rights.
"There's a big swing in the ballgame. Good players make plays and, son of a gun, they did."
Montana has endured plenty of growing pains this season, particularly on offense. Saturday's win was the most impressive evidence yet that UM's attack is, indeed, growing the way Hauck had hoped.
Facing a team that ranked sixth in the nation in defensive scoring, Montana forged scoring drives of 82, 77, 62, 53 and 83 yards - without Talmage. That would've been inconceivable a few weeks ago, when UM edged South Dakota State 7-0.
"We are maturing," Hauck said.
The streaker still has a ways to go.
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