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For the second consecutive season, the North Dakota football team will get to play a Big Sky Conference team as part of their tune-up for league play. That will take place on Saturday at the Alerus Center as No. 11/15 Montana visits for a 6:05 p.m. kickoff.

UND defeated Big Sky foe Portland state 45-37 in a non-conference game in 2012, but will face a resurgent Griz team that will be seeking revenge for a 40-34 setback handed to them by the Green and White last October in the same building.

THE BLITZ
• UND’s remaining nine games will all be against Big Sky Conference foes, but this Saturday’s matchup against league foe Montana will be counted as a non-conference contest. This tilt concludes a home-and-home series between the two programs that pre-dated UND’s arrival in the Big Sky.
• Montana took the front end of the home-and-home series with a 27-17 victory in 2010 at Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
• This game will be the second of a three-year stretch where the Griz will play at the Alerus Center each of those seasons. UND won a 40-34 thriller last season in what was the first meeting between the two programs as conference foes.
• In last year’s wild victory over Montana, UND set a school record with 704 total yards, while quarterback Braden Hanson and wide receiver Greg Hardin both set Big Sky and UND single-game records as well. Hanson threw for 660 yards, while Hardin caught a career-high 12 passes for 333 yards.
• After its late rally fell just short against No. 6/7 South Dakota State, some national voters took notice in the Sports Network poll, casting 24 votes for UND.
• The Griz, who are No. 11 in the Sports Network poll and No. 15 in the FCS coaches’ poll, are the second straight ranked opponent to visit the Alerus Center. UM knocked off No. 6 Appalachian State in its season opener on Aug. 31 before having last Saturday off.
• UND opens the season with four straight home games; the last time that happened was in 1955. Mercer is the only other FCS school that opens with its first four games at home.

DMoo531 wrote:You gotta respect the Griz for the OOC schedule they have. Well except for OK Panhandle. But ASU & UND. UND is an unknown. They could be an ISU or they could be a NDSU. Who knew when this game was scheduled? But I'd like to see a Saints or Tech game instead of an OK Pan. If we have to pay someone to come to MT, it might as well be a MT team.

With a rookie quarterback conundrum and a real problem stopping the run, North Dakota looks ripe for the picking for No. 11 Montana on Saturday.

But not so fast.

The Green and White showed last week they’re capable of playing with just about anyone, putting a scare into No. 6-ranked South Dakota State before dropping a 35-28 home decision. UND played particularly well in the fourth quarter – it scored twice before a turnover at midfield with 1:31 left killed a potential game-tying drive – and will take momentum into its game against the Grizzlies.

kalm wrote:

DMoo531 wrote:You gotta respect the Griz for the OOC schedule they have. Well except for OK Panhandle. But ASU & UND. UND is an unknown. They could be an ISU or they could be a NDSU. Who knew when this game was scheduled? But I'd like to see a Saints or Tech game instead of an OK Pan. If we have to pay someone to come to MT, it might as well be a MT team.

This post and the one describing ND as "Eastern Minnesota" ...

It's hubris like this that leads to let downs and OOC FCS losses. It was nice knowin' ya Griz.

kalm wrote:

DMoo531 wrote:You gotta respect the Griz for the OOC schedule they have. Well except for OK Panhandle. But ASU & UND. UND is an unknown. They could be an ISU or they could be a NDSU. Who knew when this game was scheduled? But I'd like to see a Saints or Tech game instead of an OK Pan. If we have to pay someone to come to MT, it might as well be a MT team.

This post and the one describing ND as "Eastern Minnesota" ...

It's hubris like this that leads to let downs and OOC FCS losses. It was nice knowin' ya Griz.

Brock Landers wrote:

kalm wrote:
This post and the one describing ND as "Eastern Minnesota" ...

It's hubris like this that leads to let downs and OOC FCS losses. It was nice knowin' ya Griz.

Our team is going to lose because of the "hubris" of a Montana State fan on the internet?

Grizalltheway wrote:

Brock Landers wrote: Our team is going to lose because of the "hubris" of a Montana State fan on the internet?

He's a directional school grad; you can't assume he even knows what that word means.

In an effort to contain North Dakota’s dangerous senior receiver, Greg Hardin, Montana coach Mick Delaney is mulling a new approach for Saturday.

“I think we better back up another four or five yards so he doesn’t run right by us,” joked the coach.

“He had more yards in our game last year than most guys have in a career. And that’s not just the University of Montana. He’s done that to most every team he’s played.”

Hardin, a preseason All-American whose team plays host to the Grizzlies in the Alerus Center, is going to have a hard time topping last year’s monster performance in a 40-34 win over the Griz. He piled up a Big Sky Conference single-game record 333 receiving yards on 12 catches, three of which went for touchdowns.

If you think Montana has forgotten, think again.

On one hand, they offer a terrific opportunity to rest bruised and battered troops. On the other, they can kill momentum for a sky-high squad like 11th-ranked Montana, who ripped through Appalachian State on Aug. 31 but hasn’t played since.

Saturday’s tilt at North Dakota may feel a little like starting over again for the Grizzlies. Will they be rusty out of the gate against an upset-minded foe that played last week? Will they be so fresh that dinged-up NoDak is out of it by halftime?

We’ll soon find out.

Grizalltheway wrote:Helmets for the game:



No word on unis just yet.

EWURanger wrote:

Grizalltheway wrote:Helmets for the game:



No word on unis just yet.

Nice improvement over the maroon helmets. Those were a little OTT.

Grizalltheway wrote:

Grizzlies1982 wrote:

EWURanger wrote:
Nice improvement over the maroon helmets. Those were a little OTT.

Says the guy with the blood red field from hell.

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The last thing any football team wants is to be featured in a record book for futility.

That’s the ball and chain North Dakota wrapped around Montana’s ankle last October with a Big Sky Conference-record 660 passing yards in a 40-34 win at the Alerus Center. The Griz are back at the scene of the crime and they’ll be out for revenge Saturday at 5 p.m. Mountain in a nonconference tussle.

Count NoDak coach Chris Mussman among those concerned with the Grizzlies’ intentions.

“Montana is a very good-looking football team,” he said. “They look to me like an FBS team.

“They’re different from last year. The quarterback is a big difference-maker for them. They’ve got a new running back and receiver. I mean they’re huge up front. Defensively they return pretty much most of the guys from last year. I think this is a much better football team than even what we played last week, across the board. It’s scary to watch these guys.”

Grizalltheway wrote:Griz ready for shot at redemption in Grand Forks



(sums up last year's game perfectly.)

Grizalltheway wrote:Sweet Jesus, SSH is starting!!

Screamin_Eagle174 wrote:

Grizalltheway wrote:Sweet Jesus, SSH is starting!!

JJ stick it in someone else? Hey, at least it's not SH starting for you guys.