Central Arkansas (9-3)
at Montana (9-2)
Saturday, Dec. 3, 12:05 p.m. MST, Missoula, Mont.
Washington-Grizzly Stadium (25,217, SprinTurf)
Internet: ESPN3
The Records: Montana brings a 9-2 record into the contest. The Grizzlies have won seven straight games. UM finished 7-1 in the Big Sky, claiming the automatic bid to the playoffs. UM was co-Big Sky champions along with Montana State. The Grizzlies’ losses came to Tennessee (42-16) and Sacramento State (42-28)…Central Arkansas is 9-3 following a 34-14 first-round win over Central Arkansas. Central Arkansas lost three of its first four games, including to FBS Louisiana Tech and Arkansas State. The Bears’ other loss was to Sam Houston State 41-10. Central Arkansas has won eight in a row. The Bears earned an at-large bid out of the Southland Conference.
The Series: First Meeting:
The Coaches: Montana’s Robin Pflugrad is 16-6 in his second season, and is coaching in the playoffs for the first time. Pflugrad has been an assistant coach at Portland State, Montana, Northern Arizona, Arizona State, Washington State and Oregon.…Central Arkansas’ Clint Conque is 89-50 in his 12th season with the Bears. He guided the Bears to the Division II playoffs in 2001 and 2005. Conque was an assistant coach at the collegiate level at Louisiana Tech, Samford, McNeese State, and Nicholls State.
Big Sky vs. Southland Conference: The Big Sky is 24-10 all-time against the Southland in the playoffs. Southland teams are 4-20 in the playoffs in Big Sky stadiums. Montana is 12-0 at Washington-Grizzly Stadium against Southland Conference teams in the playoffs, and has won those games by an average score of 45.25 to 12.25. Montana’s last matchup against a Southland Conference team in the playoffs came in a 2009 quarterfinal, a 51-0 win over Stephen F. Austin.
Up Next: Saturday’s winner advances to the quarterfinals against the winner of Saturday’s second-round game between Northern Iowa and Wofford. If Montana wins, it will host a quarterfinal game.
Notes: Montana is 27-6 all-time in playoff games at WGS, with five of the losses coming in the first round…Jordan Johnson, Peter Nguyen, Dan Moore and Jordan Canada all have rushed for at least 100 yards in a game this season for UM…UCA QB Nathan Dick completes 64.1 percent of his passes for 3,010 yards with 30 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Dick, the Southland Conference First-Team All-Conference QB, started two games at Arkansas in 2008. His top targets are Jesse Grandy (46 catches, 731 yards, 8 TDs) and Dominique Croom (38-518-7)…UCA has nine FBS transfers on its roster…Montana is 169-21 all-time at WGS. Since the start of the 2008 season, UM is 29-1 at home…UCA is 4-3 on the road this season...Central Arkansas is in the Division I playoffs for the first time. Montana is making a record 21st playoff appearance...Central Arkansas is located in Conway, and has an enrollment of 13,863...UCA DE Jermayne Lett has 5 sacks and 16.5 tackles for loss...Montana has played just once since Nov. 13...Central Arkansas was idle prior to its first-round game...Central Arkansas has never played a Big Sky Conference team. The Bears did play Portland State in the 1993 Division II playoffs, prior to Portland State joining the Big Sky. PSU won 45-31...Montana LB Caleb McSurdy was named the Big Sky Defensive MVP...Montana kicker Brody McKnight has made 14 straight field-goal attempts...UM’s Jabin Sambrano averages 141.1 all-purpose yards per game.
Team Breakdown
National Rank in Parentheses
UM Category UCA
213.91 (16) Rushing Offense 126.50 (83)
123.00 (23) Rushing Defense 147.42 (57)
206.73 (58) Passing Offense 282.08 (14)
198.55 (40) Passing Defense 260.58(112)
420.64 (24) Total Offense 408.58 (28)
321.55 (22) Total Defense 408.0 (98)
32.45 (24) Scoring Offense 33.75 (18)
20.36 (23) Scoring Defense 27.67 (73)
.73 (24) Turnover Margin 1.08 (12)
37.22 (13) Net Punting 32.35 (T91)
9.77 (45) Punt Returns 4.17 (109)
20.98 (T-50) Kick Returns 21.24 (45)
2.73 (18) Sacks 2.25 (42)
7.82 (12) Tackles for Loss 7.42 (24)
.73 (7) Sacks Allowed 1.17 (18)