“I've never been in that stadium,” said Jerry Glanville, a former NFL coach who otherwise has been all over Montana - including a season (1959) on the Montana State freshman team. “I hope the crowd stands as one and boos us and gets us going.”
The “Man in Black” is playing the angle of underdog for his team, which battles the No. 4 Grizzlies at 12:05 p.m. That's even though at his first press conference upon his hiring at PSU he stated that the Vikings were “going after the Griz.”
“I'll ask everybody to get drunk in the parking lot and to boo us when we come in and get us fired up. That's our only shot,” he said.
Given that the Vikings are leading the Football Championship Subdivision in passing, they have more ammo than that. Bobby Hauck, Montana's head coach, certainly expects Portland State to play well.
“This is a big game for them,” he said. “They've been pointing toward this game. Their coach, when he took the job, talked about this game.”
Freshman quarterback Drew Hubel made a stunning starting debut last week, with nine touchdown passes against Weber State.
With receiver Tremayne Kirkland around, Hubel seems destined to keep his feet on the ground.
“He's not a scary kid,” said Kirkland. “He looks like a nerd. He's got an old, beat-up Orioles hat, short-sleeved shirt with the pocket torn. Š I've seen a lot of kids and a lot of older guys, but that kid is a genuine kid.”
Hubel already owns a school record. Glanville said the freshman will start Saturday, but also hoped senior Brian White, who started six games before getting hurt against Idaho State, would be available.
“He's not healthy yet,” Glanville said Wednesday of White, a Colorado transfer who played against the Grizzlies a year ago. “We'll pregame warm up White and see how he looks.”
Kirkland, a native of Sacramento, Calif., was home visiting family when the Grizzlies played Sacramento State on Oct. 13 and watched UM's 17-3 victory.
“I didn't know much about the program, how good you guys are,” said the Vikings' leading receiver. “I don't know why you guys are I-AA. You should be in the WAC or Mountain West or Sun Belt or something.
“You guys are talented, you guys play the hardest, and you're well-coached.”
Glanville agrees. Montana has made a habit of winning close games - or doing just enough to win, in some views.
“This is a very well-coached team,” said Glanville, whose offense will battle the toughest team to score on in what was formerly I-AA and is now the FCS. “It probably gets overlooked because they win all the time. You go to set your game plan, and they give you problems that you don't normally see.”
The Vikings have had their problems on defense, though their 3-man front is led capably by Casey Tyler and Cole Smith, and their linebacker corps of Jordan Senn, K.J. McCrae, Ryan Pederson and Andrew Schantz has done well.
“I think what's hurt is we never get to start the same secondary,” said Glanville, who lost another corner, Jordan Brown, last week. “Our line and linebackers have been pretty good. We have no chemistry of all the same people playing in the secondary.”
Montana's secondary has been rounding into shape after losing Jimmy Wilson following his arrest this summer, then Qwenton Freeman and Tim Parks to legal problems of their own.
Seniors Chris Clark and Quinton Jackson have played nicely - Jackson had two picks at Sac State - and true freshman Jamaine Olson had a solid game last week with three tackles and a forced fumble.
QUICK KICKS: The satellite coordinates are unchanged for the PSU game: Galaxy 26 09K Digital; 93 Degrees West; Downlink frequency 11890.000; SR 6.148936; FEC þ. For support call Bob Bonner at 702-648-7775. Š Portland State's Kenneth Mackins returned a kickoff for a TD against the Griz a year ago in UM's 26-20 victory. The Vikings have blocked three kicks this season as well. Š Kirkland and Montana's Ryan Bagley each caught TD passes in last year's game.
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