Still Savoring Sweet Comeback, Montana Griz Prep for Round 2
The Montana Grizzlies are still basking in the joy from Saturday's unbelievable comeback in the first round of the FCS playoffs.
But the UM coaching staff will be working to get the team to dig right into prep for the challenge of taking on the defending FCS champions in just a few days.
The Griz staged one of the most powerful comebacks in years on Saturday, as they rallied from a 21-point hole in the 3rd quarter, scoring 31 points without being challenged on their way to a 34-24 win over Southeast Missouri under the lights in Washington Grizzly Stadium.
UM notes it was the strongest comeback since Montana rallied to score 47-second half points to beat South Dakota State in 2009, "nearly 13 years ago to the day."
And that's an ironic data point since the Grizzlies must now prepare for a trip to the Dakotas, this time to take on the third-ranked North Dakota State Bison on December 3rd. The Bison are the defending national champs and are always a tough challenge at home in Fargo.
This year NDSU has averaged 34.8 points per game, while allowing opponents to average just 17.4, averaging over 6 yards per play on offense.
UM has their own record-breakers coming into the game.
Senior Malik Flowers chalked up his seventh kickoff return for a TD in the third quarter, tying the FCS record for the most ever by a single player. And senior safety Robby Hauck is now the all-time leading tackler in the history of the Big Sky Conference, with 474 stops.
"Guts are not in short supply with that bunch, man. They've got a lot of guts, they've got a lot of heart, courage, and they're tougher than nails," said Coach Bobby Hauck at the post-game press conference.