Griz back in championship game
Jimmy Wilson jumps in celebration after the Grizzlies defeated Sam Houston State 31-13 to advance to the Division 1-AA championship. The Griz will face James Madison on Friday in Chattanooga, Tenn. Chris Jordan/Daily Inter Lake
MISSOULA - Pack your bags Montana fans, your Griz are Chattanooga-bound.
Keyed by two first-half interceptions by Tuff Harris, two big runs by quarterback Craig Ochs in the second half and backed by the largest crowd to ever watch a Division I-AA semifinal game, the Montana Grizzlies defeated Sam Houston State 34-13 Saturday, exacting revenge for a 41-29 loss to the Bearkats in Huntsville, Texas, in Spetember and advancing to the championship game against James Madison in Chattanooga, Tenn., on Friday.
After it was over, several hundred of the 23,607 at Washington Grizzly Stadium stormed the field and made short work of both goal posts.
"I think it's special to be able to play for a championship," UM coach Bobby Hauck said. "We're playing our best football right now. It's fun to be on a roll like we are."
Hauck, in his second year as Griz head coach, has accomplished what each of his three predecessors - Joe Glenn, Mick Dennehy and Don Read - did, make the championship game. Read and Glenn both won titles.
It wasn't easy for Montana on Saturday, at least not early. Sam Houston was able to move the ball with ease on offense and stifled the Griz on defense.
But Harris' two picks, one at the goal line he returned 75 yards and another at the Bearkat 39 he took down to the 4, set up both Montana touchdowns in the first half.
Then Ochs took over in the second half, scrambling his way to a game-high 77 yards. The Griz scored on each of their first three drives of the second half to put the game away.
Montana is in the I-AA title game for the fifth time in the last 10 years. The Griz won it all in 1995 and 2001. Montana will leave for Chattanooga on Tuesday afternoon.