By CHRIS WALTERSKIRCHEN
It was fifty years ago Saturday (October 25, 1964) that Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jim Marshall made one of the most famous plays in NFL history. In the waning minutes of a game between the Vikings and San Francisco 49ers Marshall intercepted a Jon Brodie pass and returned it 76 yards the wrong way resulting in a safety and 2 points for the Niners, Minnesota however won the game 27-22.
In going to Cal-poly this weekend the Montana Grizzlies face a Mustangs team that has one of the most explosive rushing attacks in the country. Cal Poly averages 63 rushes a game while the Grizzlies average 31 rushing plays a game. The Mustangs offense is second in the Big Sky in third down conversions at 45% The Mustangs are tops in the Big Sky at fourth down conversions at 67 %.
The Grizzly defense continues its dominance of the Big Sky at the top of most defensive team stats. Cal Poly is mostly ranked in the Middle of the Big Sky defense stats or towards the bottom. However, one stat where Cal Poly outshines the Griz is fourth down defense. The Griz have given up first down yards 6 of the 7 times an opponent has gone for it on fourth down. Cal Poly has held out their opponent 4 of the 7 times they have been in a fourth down position.
Like several Big Sky teams the Mustangs rely heavily on their mobile quarterback. Cal Poly’s Chris Brown is far away the team’s top rusher and is third in the Big Sky in passing efficiency. Brown lists in his player profile that his main hobbies are “acting and singing and playing the drums.”
The last time the Kansas City Royals were in the World Series the Montana Grizzly football team had lost their last 3 meetings with the MSU Bobcats.
With the Royals reaching the Series it makes 10 different American League teams that have played in the World Series in the last 20 years, over the same span 9 different National Teams have gone to the World Series.
A Giants Series win would give them 3 titles in the last 5 years marking the first time in 70 years that a National League team has won 3 World Series in such a short span. The St. Louis Cardinals won 3 Series between 1942 and 1946 (like the Giants winning in three consecutive Even-numbered years.)
If the Giants can win the series in 4 or 5 games it will mark the first time in 92 years that the franchise has clinched a World Series title on their home field.
Between 1953 and 1979 the World Series went the full 7 games 16 times. Only 4 times in the last 21 World Series have the teams need all 7 games to crown a Champion. The last 9 times that there has been a seventh game the home team has won.
It was 20 years ago this week that the Montana Grizzlies were No.1 in FCS for the first time in the School’s history. The Griz beat Weber State in Ogden and Marshall lost to Appalachian state to put the Griz on top in the poll.
With their win over Weber State Saturday the MSU Bobcats have now own at least 6 games in season for the 13th consecutive year. From 1980 to 2001 the Cats won 6 games in a season 5 times.
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Chris Walterskirchen has been an observer of Montana sports for nearly half a century. A Kalispell native, Chris has worked in various capacities for professional and college sports organization of at various times: ranging from announcing and statistical work to the concessions and even a stint as a costumed mascot.
Chris has academic degrees in communications and elementary education. His style of sports trivia involves more than just who won and who lost, but also focuses on the obscure or human side of sports. In this blog you will learn things like the Grizzly football team has won 210 games over the 19 seasons since they have had Monte as their mascot or that UNLV is the only school that both the Griz and Lady Griz have both faced in the NCAA basketball tournament
When not following sports Chris enjoys taking care of animals of all kinds (a peacock rescue?) and reading to pre-schoolers.