The Game Vitals
Game Time – 2:30 CT
Opponent – Montana Grizzlies @ Washington-Grizzly Stadium, Missoula, MT
Game Notes – UND
TV – Root Sports Radio – UND Radio Network
Online Streaming – None
Spread – Griz -13 Total = 43
Montana (3-3) Breakdown
— Offense = Spread, Shotgun/Pistol. 4 WR’s.
— Defense = 4-3
Offensively, the Griz are a shotgun, spread team in every sense of the term. They like to spread the field as wide as possible and throw it around very quickly. They employ 4 WR’s and 1 RB most of the time.
On the year the Griz are averaging 25 pts/ game and 434 yards of total offense. They are a “hurry-up” offense and it shows as they run about 85 plays/game.
The strength of the Griz offense is the passing game, at least on paper. They are averaging 310 yards/game through the air. However, that included games when starter Brady Gustafson was running the show. He is injured as is backup QB Chad Chalich.
Montana will be starting redshirt sophomore QB Makena Simis (6’2-205) vs. UND on Saturday. Simis started the year as the #3 QB on the depth chart but has been thrust into the starting role. He did get a bye week to get acclimated so that will help him vs. UND. On the year, Simis is 8-16 for 109 yards and a TD.
The Griz have two outstanding WR’s in #6 Jamaal Jones (38-579-3TD) and #7 Ellis Henderson (26-408-3TD). Both have very good quickness and will be tough to defend for UND’s inexperienced cornerbacks. There will need to be underneath help from the linebackers to slow down those two.
We fully expect the Griz to run a bit more than usual being they are down to their 3rd QB. But, depending on the score that could change. As we have seen the past two weeks, when teams get up on UND they turn to an all-out aerial attack to get back in it. The Griz have that style as their main offense so pretty much expect it if UND is winning come 2nd half.
There is a good chance that safety Cole Reyes plays tomorrow. That will be huge. Also, freshman OLB Dylan Harmston should get some reps due to Dayo Idowu being slowed by injury.
Defensively, Montana is a base 4-3 team. They have been playing pretty well in 2015, as the statistics show. They are surrendering 23 pts/game and 355 yards of offense. They are, however, allowing 179 rushing yards per game, which bodes well for UND.
By all accounts, the Griz defense has actually been carrying this team lately as the offense has struggled for various reasons. They did not play well at all vs. Weber State at home, giving up 250+ rushing yards. They appeared to have some issues at ILB in that game. It will be interesting to see if they shored that up over the bye week.
The main man on the Griz defense is All-American DE #91 Tyrone Holmes. He has been terrorizing Big Sky offenses all season to the tune of 13 TFL’s and an astounding 10 sacks already in six games. UND is going to need to give their tackles help with Holmes via a TE or FB. The best thing they can do is get the running game going and go at Holmes to try and slow him down.
We fully expect to see more man-free coverage tomorrow from the Griz. Every team UND played this season has employed that version of coverage due to UND’s WR’s inability to beat them for the big play.
That means it’s up to Ryan Bartels to sit in the pocket and let the play develop as best he can. He has flushed the pocket for little reason too many times this year. On the flip side, Bartels has also been blitzed untouched a few times as well. Not much he can do but go down in those situations.
North Dakota (4-3) Keys to the Game
- Stop turning the ball over in your own end, UND. Once again last week vs. Weber State, UND setup the Weber offense on the 10 yard line, leading to an easy TD. Make the Griz go 80 yards throughout the game. Nothing easy on the road.
- Break a long one…or two. RB John Santiago got loose last week for a long TD run. WR Miguel Cerriteno caught a long TD, also. UND needs to replicate that again this week. Showing some explosive plays will loosen things up for the offensive line.
- Keep up the solid special teams. Coverage has been good, returns have been solid. Punting has been excellent.
- UND secondary needs to get better each week, starting this week. They are going against two dynamic WR’s once again in Jones and Henderson. It’s time to show some improvement and aggressiveness in getting after these Big Sky WR’s.
Prediction
