L'aura del Campo

61-48 final "football" score for SDSU at UM game

61-48...

Sounds like a good basketball score to me!

The Grizz came out flat like they often do. Unfortunately, the Jackrabbits of South Dakota State were wide awake on this sunny 38º day. They had a taste for bear meat. Nasty little rabbits. The big eared herbivores had turned carnivorous.

The bears were still hibernating with the score 17-0 ...in the big-toothed rodent's favor. The fans were getting concerned. Now... Grizz fans ... although they expect a win, are used to their furry friends out on the field waking up late and making it interesting. Too interesting. The Grizz had no offense and no defense against the running rabbits. It got ugly. At the half it was 34-14 and the rabbits were having a good time running around the half-asleep teddy bears.

Now it is true that things sometimes turn around after the couch has a little talk with the teddies. Not! The fans were losing hope and when the fans give up their isn't much hope. Attendance was over 19,000 and the energy of the stadium gives the Grizz an amazing home filed advantage. Yep, lose them and you lose. And they were losing. 41-14, then 48-21 going into the 4th quarter.

Then a minor miracle... they scored! And it was 48-27 Ouch. Missing a point after isn't bright when you're down by 21 points. Would this come back to haunt them? Well.. only if they figured out how to score again. And they did. 48-34. A few flags waving their way in the second half didn't hurt. Before now, the Grizz were playing as sloppy as they had at Idaho State and the beginning of their games with Northern Colorado and Montana State. What! Did I miss something? 48-40 as the cannon went off signaling touchdown. This time they didn't miss the p.a.t. 48-41. The team was actually alive and the bears were hungry. There was nothing to eat... ...but jackrabbits. The fans were worked up into a frenzy as there was still time. The defense must've known that too as SDSU could do nothing right. On 4th down and 21 yards to go the Jackrabbits had to punt from their own 15. The Grizz were expecting good field position and the weren't disappointed. It was 1st and 10 Montana at their own 48 yard line. 1st down at the 36 of SDSU, 1st down on the 7, 2nd at the 1. TOUCHDOWN. And the cannon went off for the seventh time. 48-47. Now pesky little point-after-touchdowns may not seem like much but they really needed this one as there wasn't much time left. Goood! 48-48 and with little time on the clock it was looking like overtime. Nailbiting is the main choice of food during OT . But... could the Grizz stop SDSU who decided to abandon the run and air out the ball? Yep. The poor pitiful Jackrabbits were stuffed back into their hole. 4th and 15 from their own 16 yard line. Unlike UM last week they decided to kick and hold on to a tied score and pray for overtime. Marianni caught the ball and returned it to the 41 yard line of SDSU. By now the Grizz and the Grizz fans were believing in miracles. 2nd at the 41. 3rd at the 31. 1st on the 21. Flags! But against SDSU; the rabbits were getting desperate. 1st on the 6 yard line. 2nd on the 4. Touchdown! The crowd went nuts! 55-48 in favor of Montana. Was there still time left for SDSU to come back? Yes...

SDSU started on their own 26, had a 1st on their 43. Had a pass tipped and intercepted and run in for another Grizz touchdown. 61-48! The p.a.t. was blocked. (no one cared )

Must give credit to the Jackrabbits. They didn't give up with very little time left. They had a 1st on their own 40, 1st on the 46, 1st on the 36, 1st on the 20 yard line of Montana. And threw to the endzone...

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...where the pass was caught by a Grizz. Game over with 4 seconds left. Final score 61-48. The Montana Grizzlies had scored 40 unanswered points in one of the greatest comebacks in their history.

10 @ 10 sports link: http://www.abcmontana.com/sports/local/78031112.html?video=YHI&t=a

At the end of every game, the team goes to the North-east corner of the endzone to pump their helmets and sing "Up with Montana boys" to the fans (a cappella).

This is a video-link of them singing it at a previous game. #34 is their star runner, Chase Reynolds and #80 is Marianni their kick return specialist and receiver.

http://www.abcmontana.com/sports/blog/75123632.html?video=YHI&t=a

Now... I had trouble with the video above. So... if you don't mind watching a child this may tickle your cute-bone:



Up with Montana boys, ♫ ♫ ♫ down with the foe ♫ ♫ ...

Next week's game: Stephen F. Austin visits Montana. They defeated Eastern Washington 44-33 today in a game with no defense whatsoever (60 1st downs, 1,158 combined yards, 132 passes with 86 caught for 893 yards and 4 interceptions).

Other winners: Villanova, William & Mary (a rout), Appalachian State, Southern Illinois (another rout), Richmond (barely) and New Hampshire in an upset.

So why do teams fear coming to Missoula?

Attendance today:

19k Montana*
12k Appalachian State (NC)
10k McNeese State (LA)
8k Stephen F Austin (TX)
6k William & Mary (MD)
6k Southern Illinois*
6k Richmond (VA)*
4k Villanova (PA)*

(*4 games at these venues next week)

Hmmm... cold, possible snow, far away from their hometown fans and 20 thousand crazy fans wearing maroon and blue jeans, duh. Next game should be better attended and if Richmond wins and Montana wins too it's a rematch on the 12th of last year's championship game that Richmond won. I suspect if that comes true, there will be well over 20k fans in the stands.

So... it was a nice game...

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