“Log rolls,” said Cole Bergquist, Montana's senior quarterback, gasping but smiling. “I got the ball stripped (against NAU). Fifty yards a turnover. The quarterback's responsible for everything.”
Bergquist's fumble last Saturday gave NAU a breath of life. It lasted 19 seconds, because UM's Colt Anderson came up with an interception and long return on NAU's next snap.
That's second only to Jonathan Dally of Cal Poly, whose rating is 203.5 (third is Appalachian State's Armanti Edwards, at 173.6). Bobby Hauck, the Grizzlies' sixth-year head coach, notices.
“He's been playing great,” he said of his QB. “He's been very efficient, which in my mind is critical.”
It will be this Saturday as well, when the Griz travel to play a Portland State squad that likes to blitz and ball-hawk. The Vikings' sack total (15) is pedestrian, but heading into the 2:05 p.m. (MST) kickoff at PGE Park their 12 picks leads the Big Sky Conference.
“You don't know what to expect from these guys except that they'll bring pressure and they're going to keep bringing it,” said Bergquist. “We always say, ‘Hey, you beat the blitz a couple times, they're going to stop bringing the pressure.' But those guys didn't stop bringing it.”
Mike Ferriter caught two touchdown passes from Bergquist a year ago in a game the Grizzlies won, 34-31. One covered 69 yards, not even 10 minutes into the game. But the Vikings, who trailed 24-10 in the first half, kept coming.
They drew to three points when Condrew Allen took a Bergquist interception 24 yards for a score. Montana then ran the final 6 minutes and change off the clock.
Bergquist has thrown for 470 yards and two touchdowns but three interceptions in two games against PSU. All the TDs and picks came last year, along with 305 yards. As a freshman he threw for 165 yards in UM's 37-16 home win over the Vikings.
Portland State coach Jerry Glanville figures the pressure will stay on Saturday.
“I can remember two plays when we didn't blitz,” he said Monday evening.
Asked who they were against, he responded, “Somebody who beat us.”
Glanville then admitted that was an old line, from back when he was with the Atlanta Falcons and they hosted the Joe Namath-led Los Angeles Rams in 1977. Atlanta blitzed all day and won 16-7.
“I felt bad - they had to pack him in ice and sent him home and he never played again,” added Glanville. “Well, I didn't feel too bad; we won.”
Namath actually played four games that season, and then retired at the end.
Glanville lost the same amount of seniors from his 2007 Portland State squad as did the Grizzlies: 24. But he has a ready answer for the 8-1 Grizzlies' continued success.
“Everybody plays hard,” he said. “When everybody plays hard, good things happen to you. You don't find anybody in that state who doesn't play hard.”
Another story was imminent.
“It reminds me of when I lived in Texas and they had a hanging tree I drove by every day on the way to work,” Glanville said. “I always used to stop and look in that tree to make sure I wasn't in it.
“I wasn't, but I think if you didn't play hard in Montana, somebody would put you in the hanging tree. They play like you're supposed to play.”
QUICK KICKS: In the Gridiron Power Index, a leading indicator of an FCS team's postseason hopes, the Griz are No. 3 this week. Weber State is ranked No. 7, and Portland State stands at No. 53. Š In the Sagarin ratings UM is No. 4, Weber is No. 6 and PSU is No. 50. Š With 6,364 yards, Bergquist is 340 from catching John Edwards at No. 5 on UM's career passing list. Š UM has two Oregon players on its roster, both freshman offensive linemen: Matt Lipski of Ashland and Jon Opperud of Milwaukie. Š Montana slipped to third in the FCS in net punting, but still leads the Big Sky with a 37.2-yard average. Š The satellite coordinates for Saturday's game remain the same as previous weeks.
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