[TH Spangler]

http://www.sbnation.com/college-footbal ... na-preview

Your favorite team probably doesn't kick off until September 5 (or if you're lucky, September 3). But your eyes should turn to Missoula, Montana this Saturday, August 29, for the true start of the season.

[Cider Jim]

It's a 3:30 kickoff on ESPN.

[Sly Fox]

Great opportunity for us to scout the new look Grizz.

[badger74]

Fun game so far. Great to have real football back. Grizz will be a real challenge for LU.

[LUDad]

28-28 4th qtr. If Montana pulls this out, we could be playing two top five teams & two bowl div. teams this season

[Cider Jim]

LU will have its hand full with Montana, but I have faith in Gill and his crew.

[LUDad]

MONTANA WINS. 38-35. Liberty will certainly be playing a top 5 team in a few week.

[TH Spangler]

Great game! Can't wait to play'em!

[flameshaw]

Great win for the Griz. FWIW, My observations:
They are pretty small up front on D and can be run on. However, they are fast and have very good football instincts.
When NDSU rolled the pocket, it threw the defense off some. The QB for Montana was very good under pressure.
NDSU blew the game on their last offensive series by not running the ball and taking time off the clock. Montana did not have to use their time outs and got a 3 and out.
Montana has a bye week before they play us. Should be an interesting game, we will have our hands full for sure. It will boil down to our OL and D backfield playing extremely well to pull this one off.
Their coach is a high-stakes gambler doesn't like to punt.
Most of their kickoffs were returnable.

[Cider Jim]

I kept getting the coaches confused because they were both wearing GREEN ball caps. Any idea why the Montana coach was wearing a green hat?

[TH Spangler]

Great win for the Griz. FWIW, My observations:
They are pretty small up front on D and can be run on. However, they are fast and have very good football instincts.
When NDSU rolled the pocket, it threw the defense off some. The QB for Montana was very good under pressure.
NDSU blew the game on their last offensive series by not running the ball and taking time off the clock. Montana did not have to use their time outs and got a 3 and out.
Montana has a bye week before they play us. Should be an interesting game, we will have our hands full for sure. It will boil down to our OL and D backfield playing extremely well to pull this one off.
Their coach is a high-stakes gambler doesn't like to punt.
Most of their kickoffs were returnable.

Need to be ready for their hurry up offense.

[Chippy]

I kept getting the coaches confused because they were both wearing GREEN ball caps. Any idea why the Montana coach was wearing a green hat?

Visibility - I think he was calling the offensive. The HC for NDSU wore a yellow hat.

[Rooster Cogburn]

I kept getting the coaches confused because they were both wearing GREEN ball caps. Any idea why the Montana coach was wearing a green hat?

Visibility - I think he was calling the offensive. The HC for NDSU wore a yellow hat.

I hope he wears it when they are here for the TV Crew.

[jlread]

So does it seem likely that we could have 2 #1 Ranked teams play us at home throughout the season in Montana and Coastal Carolina(if Montana slips up and loses a game) with their gravy schedule( of course that is if we don't take #1 ourselves after the montana game?!?!?)?

[D-ZasterLU]

What I think is so impressive (and thus for us so worrisome) is not that they beat NDSU. We know the Griz are good, they were at home, it was a close game, and the first of the season.
But they did it with a first year coach that is a offensive innovator.
I knew they would be good but I thought: they'll be in the first year of a unique coach. It will take a year or two for him to build the team he wants and get his unique offense in place. But they came out in the first game of the season (a week before the rest of us on top of that) and beat the top ranked, 4 time national champions.
This is going to be a close game. The good news is we get them at home, we will have just as potent an offense, and our D is looking better than expected.

[olldflame]

So does it seem likely that we could have 2 #1 Ranked teams play us at home throughout the season in Montana and Coastal Carolina(if Montana slips up and loses a game) with their gravy schedule( of course that is if we don't take #1 ourselves after the montana game?!?!?)?

lol We could beat Montana by 50 and we wouldn´t be voted number one that early in the season. The Montana win is also a win for us. It shouldn´t affect our mental approach to the game much. We knew they were going to be good. If anything, if the Bison had steamrollered over the Griz, it might have caused us to let up a bit. At this point there is no way of knowing if Montana is THAT good, or if NDSU has come back to the field a bit in their second year after Bohl´s departure, but the bottom line is they beat the mighty Bison, and if we can get a win over them it will send a huge message to the football world that we are for real.

[forbidden]

if Im correct NDSU was playing with some very young freshmen in the secondary on either one or both corners. I think we are a little more experienced than they are so that along with playing at home should hopefully work in our favor.

[olldflame]

I should put a disclaimer on my earlier statement about not being number 1 if we beat Montana. It could happen. All we would have to do is beat WVU first.

[BJWilliams]

So does it seem likely that we could have 2 #1 Ranked teams play us at home throughout the season in Montana and Coastal Carolina(if Montana slips up and loses a game) with their gravy schedule( of course that is if we don't take #1 ourselves after the montana game?!?!?)?

I chortle audibly. We could beat Montana by 50 and we wouldn´t be voted number one that early in the season. The Montana win is also a win for us. It shouldn´t affect our mental approach to the game much. We knew they were going to be good. If anything, if the Bison had steamrollered over the Griz, it might have caused us to let up a bit. At this point there is no way of knowing if Montana is THAT good, or if NDSU has come back to the field a bit in their second year after Bohl´s departure, but the bottom line is they beat the mighty Bison, and if we can get a win over them it will send a huge message to the football world that we are for real.

This...not to mention, a win over Montana would be a huge Q-rating win for us when it comes to the committee, especially with the Griz winning yesterday. pair that with an FBS win and we would be in very good standing for an at-large berth. If we sweep our FBS games (a longshot of that one happening), we would be about as much of a lock for the field of 24 as there can be even with a loss to SIU in my opinion.

[LUDad]

I think turnovers may be the difference in the game. Could come down to an App. State type shootout with the last team having the ball winning.

[flameshaw]

Montana was playing without their best LB and probably best athlete on the defensive side of the ball. We will have our work cut out for us.

[Rooster Cogburn]

Remember what we did to JMU? Slow down the game by eating clock on offense. I'll bet we try the same. If it works, it will not be that high scoring. Depends on the Oline.

[Chippy]

Remember what we did to JMU? Slow down the game by eating clock on offense. I'll bet we try the same. If it works, it will not be that high scoring. Depends on the Oline.

That will be critical since their coach wants to run 50 plays by halftime which will not allow for substitutions. Our defense will have to respond with speed and endurance.

[badger74]

Just hope Montana goes for it in their own territory all day. Kinda dumb that.

[SuperJon]

I love the way that dude coaches.