Butler and Snow Will Match up December 3 in Salt Lake City
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ZIONS BANK TOP OF THE MOUNTAINS BOWL INVITES TWO PERENNIAL POWERS FOR SECOND ANNUAL GAME Butler and Snow will Match up December 3 in Salt Lake City EPHRAIM, Utah—November 15, 2005-The Zions Bank Top of the Mountains Bowl announced today that Butler College, ranked sixth in the NJCAA, will meet Snow College, 13th in the NJCAA, in the second annual Zions Bank Top of the Mountains Bowl. The game will be played at 12:00 p.m. Saturday, December 3 in Rice-Eccles Stadium located on the University of Utah campus in Salt Lake City. "We are elated to have two teams perennially among the NJCAA Top 20 face off," said Kevin White, chairman of the Zions Bank Top of the Mountains Bowl Committee. "This game will be one of the year's best match ups in one of football's finest facilities - Rice-Eccles Stadium, home of the 2004 BCS-busting Utes and the 2002 Winter Olympics." Butler is the dominant NJCAA football team in the last decade. The Grizzlies won national championships in 1998, '99 and 2003. In 2004, Butler was the runner up to Pearl River College. They also won the national championship in 1981. Since 2000, when Coach Troy Morell took the helm, Butler is 62-8. They spent eight weeks this season at the top of the NJCAA polls before falling to Dodge City in their conference semifinals and finishing 9-1. Snow College is commemorating the 1985 national championship with this bowl invitation. The Badgers have one national championship and have been listed for three decades as an NJCAA Top 20 program. This season, Snow finished second to Glendale College, currently number one in the NJCAA, in the Western States Football League with a 9-2 record. Butler Tale of the Tape Both teams rank among the statistical leaders this season with Butler having an edge both offensively and defensively. The Grizzlies are the second best offense in the NJCAA this season averaging 491 yards a game. They rush for 287 yards per game - third best in the NJCAA. Grizzly running back, Kenny Wilson, leads the NJCAA in rushing with 1,229 yards on 112 carries (154 ypg) for 14 touchdowns. Paul Eck, Butler's quarterback, has completed 99 of 211 passes for 1,840 yards and 23 touchdowns - good for the ninth ranking among NJCAA passers. Butler's defense isn't far behind the offense ranking 16th nationally and giving up 252 yards per game. Butler's opponents have average just 11 points a game. The Grizzly defense is particularly stout against the run allowing only 110 yards while the pass defense allows only 142 yards. Butler's top tacklers are Vernon Smith with 75 and Toddrick Verdell with 68. Elton Shackelford leads Butler with nine sacks and Jonathan Warren has seven interceptions. Snow Tale of the Tape Snow's offense is 13th nationally averaging 385 yards per contest. The Badgers rush for 191 yards (17th NJCAA) and pass for 194 yards (14th NJCAA). Matt Asiata, a freshman running back, has 781 yards on 144 carries and five touchdowns and ranks 16th among NJCAA rushers. The Badger defense is top in the WSFL and ranks 18th in the NJCAA allowing 262 yards per game. Snow opponents have averaged just 13 points. Badger opponents have averaged 120 yards passing and 140 yards rushing. Badger safeties, Ryan Jensen and Chase Palmer, lead Snow with 86 and 80 tackles this season. Palmer has three interceptions. Brett Madsen, a sophomore linebacker, leads Snow with 8.5 sacks and has 68 tackles. Derrick Brown is Snow's interception leader with four. Tickets Tickets are $5 and may be purchased in advance by dialing (435) 283-7020 or visiting www.topofthemountainsbowl.com. Tickets will be sold on game day beginning at 10:00 a.m. at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Zions Bank Top of the Mountains Bowl Classic The Zions Bank Top of the Mountains Bowl provides a first class bowl experience for two junior college football teams with preference given to Snow College located in Ephraim, Utah. Proceeds from the game will go to the Snow College Foundation for general scholarships and to children needing organ transplants through the National Kidney Foundation of Utah. www.snow.edu Page - 1.