Anderson, Dow earn All-American honors

The Daily Inter Lake

Montana seniors Colt Anderson and Colin Dow were named Associated Press FCS All-Americans on Wednesday.

The pair of Grizzlies pulled in first-team national honors a few days before Montana (14-1) collides with the Richmond Spiders (12-3) in the FCS national championship Friday at 6 p.m.

Anderson, a safety and the team's defensive captain out of Butte, recorded 121 tackles, three interceptions and a forced fumble this season. Anderson is currently tied for fifth place all-time on the school's career tackles list with 305 with Tim Hauck, the brother of Grizzly head coach Bobby Hauck.

Dow, a 6-foot-5 offensive lineman from Billings, helped the Grizzlies establish the best rushing attack in the Big Sky Conference.

The bevy of current Griz players have been apart of the most winning dynasty in college football in recent history. The Grizzlies have won more games this decade -105 - than any other FBS or FCS school. The Oklahoma Sooners are second with 102 wins.

Two other players from the Big Sky earned All-American honors: Eastern Washington's defensive end Greg Peach and Northern Arizona defensive back K.J. Gerard.

Peach led the nation with 18 sacks and is a finalist for the Buchanan Award given to the best FCS defensive player.

The Spiders had one player named to the first team - offensive lineman Matthew McCracken- and one named second team - Tim Silver.

The Spiders upset three-time defending national champs Appalachian State in the second round of the FCS playoffs.

Mountaineers quarterback Armanti Edwards, a finalist for the Walter Payton award, earned AP honors after throwing for 2,902 yards and 30 touchdowns and running for 941.