Montana, NAU set for tight battle

Throw away the record books.

Forget the Montana Grizzlies' three-game winning streak.

Never mind the loss Northern Arizona suffered at the paws of Montana State last weekend.

When the Griz and Lumberjacks meet, it's always tight. 

The 12th-ranked Grizzlies (5-2, 4-1 Big Sky Conference) expect a close battle with the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (2-4, 1-3 BSC) on Saturday at 4 p.m. inside NAU's J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome in Flagstaff, Ariz.

"As far as going down to Flagstaff," head coach Robin Pflugrad said, "that's always been a tough trip."

After three straight conference wins to keep within striking distance of Big Sky leader Montana State, Pflugrad says there is no time to slow up.

 "I think our challenge to our team is to stay hungry," Pflugrad said. "There's not a team talented enough in this league that can exhale."

Though Montana has won 33 of 44 contests with Northern Arizona -— and 22 of the last 23 — the last couple of clashes have come down to the wire.

Last year in Missoula, the Lumberjacks held a 21-17 lead with 1:59 left to play after an 11-yard touchdown scamper, but NAU failed to convert a two-point conversion after an incomplete pass.

With five seconds left, wide receiver C.J. Atkins, who is sidelined this year with a knee injury, scored on a 1-yard pass from quarterback Justin Roper, pushing the game out of reach for NAU and recording a 24-21 Griz victory.

"As we all know, that really came down to the last play of the game," Pflugrad said. "C.J. made a tremendous catch to help us win that football game.

"You want to take that memory down there and try to expand on it."

Last weekend, the Grizzlies rode a stellar performance from the defense and running back Jordan Canada, to mount a second half comeback win 30-24 over Portland State.

 The Grizzlies allowed a mere 109 total yards, six first downs, and limited the Vikings' shifty rushing attack to 38 yards in the second half after being down 21-10 at halftime. Montana out-scored the Vikings, who entered the game ranked third in the nation in rushing, 20-3 in the second half.

 "Everybody did their job," senior defensive end Ryan Fetherston said. "One-eleventh."

After missing last year with an injury, junior defensive end Josh Harris used last weekend's game to showcase his return. Harris tallied a career-high nine tackles, along with 2.5 tackles for a loss and a sack to pace Montana's defense.

"We just got to keep fighting, everybody doing their individual part of the big piece of the puzzle," Pflugrad said.

 Senior cornerback Houston Roots played off Harris' pressure up front to snatch two game-changing interceptions, continuing to build the defense as the Grizzlies' pillar.

"The defense has been kind of like chicken soup; it's a ‘feel good' situation," Pflugrad said. "It's kind of like a settling force."

In the second half of the PSU win, Montana's offense racked up 254 yards of total offense, along with 11 first downs.

Canada, a redshirt freshman from Duarte, Calif., racked up some mileage after rushing 13 times for 160 yards and a touchdown in the second half, including a 75-yard run.

Sophomore quarterback Jordan Johnson was 10-of-18 for 128 yards. Senior kicker Brody McKnight hit all three of his field goal attempts, splitting the uprights from 27, 24 and 42 yards out, earning a second-straight Big Sky Player of the Week honor.

The Lumberjacks head into Saturday's matchup off a 41-24 loss at Montana State. NAU junior quarterback Cary Grossart was 10-of-20 for 249 yards and two scores and was sacked five times.

NAU sophomore running back Zach Bauman continues to lead the Jacks, and Pflugrad said the Grizzlies remain wary of him after last year's breakout game.

"Zach Bauman—great running back out of Phoenix," Pflugrad said. "Wish he was here, I really do. He had 127 yards against us last year as a true freshman. In this stadium, that is very, very impressive."

Before taking the helm at Northern Arizona, head coach Jerome Souers coordinated the defense for the Grizzlies for 12 years.

He and Pflugrad were childhood buddies. 

 "(Souers) is a pretty good friend of mine, having grown up together since sixth grade," Pflugrad said. "I know he'll have his guys ready."

daniel.mediate@umontana.edu