Memo on the Project Friday, December 8, 2006 p.m. at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. The temporary lights are up and aimed. The ESPN2 crew, presumably, has Semifinal Game Day brushed up on the pronunciations of “Ihedigbo (ee-HEAD- dee-BOO)” and “Beaudin (BOW-den).” Grizmas lights: Second-ranked Griz primed to battle No. 3 Minutemen (Missoulian). Seniors make last stand at Washington-Griz (Missoulian). The teams are primed. The stadium will be packed. Big crowd to send off Griz seniors (Missoulian). Griz host UMass tonight in semifinals (Billings Gazette). The winner of the first semifinal, in what can be called the Diehard UM fans make the trip (Billings Gazette, Montana Standard). Another big-time runner tests determined Griz defense (Great Falls Tribune). Division I-AA playoffs for a few more days, earns a trip to Are these teams twins, or what? (Great Falls Tribune). the Division I Football Championship next Friday in ASUM favors smaller stadium (Billings Gazette). --- Chattanooga, Tenn. GAME DAY MISSOULIAN They might be the best — Griz D ranks 6th in I-AA and possibly best in school “I think it'll be a great game,” fourth-year Grizzlies' coach history. How We See The Playoffs. Bobby Hauck said. “Probably, like most of them, down to The Edge. the wire.” Grizzly Game Day / Stat pack. Grizzly Q & A: Dan Carpenter on the hero end of the spectrum. In I-AA, the real national champion will stand up. The teams match excellent defenses and balanced offenses. From the desk of the AD: Griz faithful rise to the occasion. Both teams have had one less day to game-plan, Montana Where is Garrett Venters now? 'Doctor Doom' finds his true calling as fireman. --- for Massachusetts' gambling, pressure D and the Drum line keeps the beat in Washington-Grizzly Stadium (Missoulian). Minutemen for the Grizzlies' gap-sound, run-conscious 4- Note to ‘Muzzoola': UMass is in ‘Ammerst' (Missoulian). 3. Skybox beneficiary / Jim Caras gives former caretaker live view of semifinal (Missoulian). Grizzly-UMass game hottest ticket in town (Missoulian). “They'll be all over the place,” Hauck said of the --- Minutemen defenders, who line up 4-3, then 3-4, and keep UMass meets Montana (The Republican). Going in blind: UMass, Montana know very little about each other (Daily changing things up from there. “They'll be even, they'll be Hampshire Gazette). odd (up front), lots of line games. There will be guys He's more than worth it (Daily Hampshire Gazette). To UMass, gridiron success worth the price (Boston Globe). running all over the place, is what they'll be.” UMass's Baylark is a brush with greatness (Boston Globe). Air up there could be a problem for UMass (Boston Herald). “Their two defensive ends, I really love their foot speed,” They’re catching on: Tight end duo emerges (Boston Herald). Massachusetts draws on artful Baylark (USA Today). UMass coach Don Brown said of the Grizzlies, who --- haven't allowed a playoff touchdown. “They are very solid Brown denies interest in BC head coaching job (The Daily Hampshire Gazette). inside. Their three linebackers all can run and cover. I Facing the elements: UMass plays in a tough Montana atmosphere for shot at NT (DH Gazette). really like both the safeties. I think they have good C'mon huh? (The Daily Hampshire Gazette). coverage skills and are great tacklers. The bottom line (The Boston Globe). A leg to stand on: Hatchells put heart in UMass defense (The Boston Globe). “And their corners, again, complement their safeties extremely well.” Grizmas lights: Second-ranked Griz But Brown's biggest concern seems to be the play of Montana quarterback Josh Swogger, who has gotten primed to battle No. 3 Minutemen healthy and been on target down the stretch. By FRITZ NEIGHBOR of the Missoulian “They're playing very, very good defense right now,” Brown said. “But we're easily as concerned about the http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2006/12/08/sports/spor matchup of their offense against our defense. It looks like ts01.txt they're kind of functioning on all cylinders. It isn't No. 1 vs. No. 2, but in the NCAA Division I “I don't know if there's a throw that Josh can't make.” Football Championship Subdivision, No. 2 vs. No. 3 ain't bad. Swogger, the Washington State transfer, has six touchdown passes in two playoff games after throwing for eight TDs in The stage is set for the second-ranked Montana Grizzlies to the Grizzlies' previous eight outings. The Griz lost junior battle the No. 3 Massachusetts Minutemen Friday at 5:35 receiver Mike Ferriter to a broken arm early in the Memo on the Project – Confidential McNeese State game; Craig Chambers, Ryan Bagley and “If the run game doesn't work out, I know the receivers Eric Allen have kept it dangerous for opponents to blitz. will step up,” he said. “Once they start making plays, I just know I have to be patient, and the run game will open up.” Balancing them is a run game that is currently led by redshirt freshman Thomas Brooks-Fletcher, averaging 5.6 A sellout crowd figures to have more of an impact than the yards a carry. One telling statistic may be who has the most usual December weather in western Montana. yards by the final gun Friday - Brooks-Fletcher or UMass tailback Steve Baylark, a 220-pound senior. “I've been hearing a lot about Montana's crowd out there, and the stadium and how loud it gets,” Baylark said. “It's December, you've got to stop the run,” Hauck said. “You've got to try to drown out all that stuff and stay “And you've got to run it. That's the way of the world.” focused. It's win or go home. Right now we just want to get that win.” Baylark has 5,030 career rushing yards, 1,658 of those coming this season. He's a load, though he is impressed by Of course, so do the Grizzlies. the Griz, who held down Payton Award finalist Arkee Whitlock of Southern Illinois last week. “Regardless of what happens this will be our last game here,” said defensive end Dustin Dlouhy, one of eight “There's some big boys out there,” Baylark said. “I didn't seniors winding up their Griz careers. “This is something know they had such big boys out there in Montana.” you think about, and you do want to take everything in this week and next week, and make the most of it. And pray Baylark figures to be the key, since UMass likes the play- that everything is positive.” action pass. Yet when he's been slowed, the Minutemen have won. Mostly, he hasn't been; he ran for 198 yards against New Hampshire last week. Seniors make last stand at Washington- Maine did the best job, holding him to 50 yards on 17 Griz carries. By FRITZ NEIGHBOR of the Missoulian “Maine knows what they're doing,” Hauck said Thursday. “They're solid. But they didn't beat 'em (UMass won 10-9). http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2006/12/08/sports/spor It's one of those deals where they couldn't get it done.” ts02.txt Add in super sophomore Liam Coen at quarterback, a trio Twelve straight wins have led the Montana Grizzlies' of receivers that UM defensive coordinator Kraig Paulson seniors to the brink of another championship game really likes and another all-world tight end (Brad Listorti), appearance. and the Minutemen are a handful. Much more so than SIU, which found little room to operate in a 20-3 loss to Griz Not to mention the twilight of their collegiate careers. last week. “It's crazy to think time has gone so fast,” said senior The Minutemen won't have a fullback out there all the defensive end Mike Murphy, who'll lead the second-ranked time. Griz up against visiting Massachusetts on Friday, in the I- AA semifinals at 5:35 p.m.. “I remember being a freshman “They do a little more,” said Paulson. “They're not so playing out here and thinking, ‘Oh, I've got a couple more dead-set on staying two-back until they have to go one- years.' It just goes so fast. back. They can switch gears. “Hopefully we can end it right. We've got it rolling right “They're the best team we've seen. They just are.” now and it's just really fun to get these wins and extend our season. Hopefully, we can do that Friday night.” Baylark is confident. Of the eight Montana seniors playing - running back Lex Hilliard, quarterback Jason Washington and punter Tyson Grizzly News, Semifinal Game Day, December 8, 2006 2 Memo on the Project – Confidential Johnson were lost to injury and are taking medical redshirts Montana coach Bobby Hauck described Southern Illinois - seven have been in the program five years. The eighth is tight end Braden Jones as the best one the Griz had seen transfer quarterback Josh Swogger. since the Iowa game. For the record, Swogger doesn't want to see it end either. Now there is UMass tight end Brad Listorti, a Rutgers transfer who is third on the Minutemen with 31 catches, for “There are a lot of positive things,” said the former 514 yards. Washington State starter. “Being a 12-1 team and playing the way we have the last couple weeks in the playoffs - you “I was shocked when our defensive coaches were yelling know, it'd be exciting no matter what.