There are 15 starters from inside the state for the host Grizzlies, who are 10-1 and ranked No. 5 in the latest Sports Network Top 25. Montana State has 12 “homegrown” starters, counting punter Eric Fisher out of Billings West.
“It should be 13,” noted Montana State coach Rob Ash, whose club is 7-4 and receiving votes in the Top 25. He was referring to Missoula Big Sky product Brandon Bostick, a tight end who suffered a catastrophic knee injury a month ago, but who says he'll try to play Saturday.
“I'd like to get them both in there,” said Ash.
“This game means a lot to every Montana kid on the team,” he added. “It doesn't matter if you're a starter, because you're a Bobcat and when you go home at Thanksgiving or after the semester, that's all anybody is going to talk about it.”
Grizzly receiver Mike Ferriter is another in-state recruit who sees the game as larger than life.
“Especially being a Montana kid and being a Grizzly fan my whole life growing up,” said the Helena High product. “My parents being Grizzlies, my cousin (former safety Vince Huntsberger) playing here - I've always been a Grizzly fan.
“This rivalry is huge, especially because now I have one last opportunity to put my stamp on it - where I can actually have an impact. I'm really excited for this game.”
Montana coach Bobby Hauck said his memories of the series go back to its pre-TV days, while he was growing up in Big Timber.
“I'm so old we used to listen to it on the radio,” he said Tuesday. “I just remember my brother Tim and me shooting baskets in the backyard with our dad, and listening to it on the radio, every year.
“Unless it was blowing 80 miles and hour and it was snowing. Which it had a tendency to do.”
Montana State's Bobby Daly is no longer in the running for the 2008 Buck Buchanan Award, which honors the Football Championship Subdivision's top defensive player.
Daly, who leads the Bobcats in tackles with 69, is the second-leading tackler in Big Sky Conference history with 369, though such records have only been kept since 2000.
He and fellow Big Sky linebacker Cyrus Mulitalo of Sacramento State were dropped from the 16-player list and replaced by Central Arkansas defensive end Larry Hart and Appalachian State free safety Mark LeGree.
Four Big Sky Conference players remain finalists: Montana strong safety Colt Anderson, Eastern Washington defensive end Greg Peach, Northern Arizona cornerback K.J. Gerard and Portland State linebacker Andy Schantz. The 14th Buchanan Award winner will be announced Dec. 18 on the eve of the FCS title game.
Eastern's Matt Nichols, the reigning Big Sky offensive MVP, was dropped from the final Walter Payton Award list that also released Thursday.
There are four new finalists for the Payton Award, for the top offensive player in the FCS: Running back William Ford of South Carolina State, receiver John Matthews of San Diego, quarterback Chris Pizzotti of Harvard and running back Larry Warner of Southern Illinois.
Weber State quarterback Cameron Higgins remains the only Big Sky player up for the 22nd Payton Award. Among those dropped was Massachusetts QB Liam Coen.
QUICK KICKS: MSU ranks 17th in the FCS in attendance, averaging 13,406 fans per home game. The Griz are second with an average of 24,768 fans. A record crowd is expected at Washington-Grizzly Stadium Saturday. Š MSU running back Demetrius Crawford has 2,709 career all-purpose yards. Š UM's Rob Schulte has 2,959 all-purpose yards, tying him with Jody Farmer (1986-89) for ninth all-time. Š A mix of rain and snow is possible Saturday in Missoula, with a high of 38 degrees. Š The Bobcats have not allowed a punt return for a touchdown in 63 games, dating back to Cal Poly in 2003. Š There are new coordinates for the Griz-Cat game: AMC 15, K01 Slot D9; frequency 11733.5; SR 6.148936; and FEC þ. These are different from the last several weeks.
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