Montana Grizzlies take perfect 11-0 record into playoffs

The University of Montana Grizzlies defeated their cross-state rival, the Bobcats of Montana State University, 33-19, on a cold, blustery day in Bozeman.

The Football Championship Series will begin this next Saturday, with the Grizzlies of Missoula hosting a first-round playoff game.  The Grizzlies grabbed the number ONE seed, which I believe they deserve, but must have surprised many of the Eastern Conferences.  The Grizzly opponent will be South Dakota State.

Here is a schedule for the First Round of the FCS Playoff games on November 28, 2009:


November 28 at Missoula, Montana
South Dakota St. (8-3) at No. 1 Montana (11-0)
November 28 at Nacogdoches, Texas
Eastern Wash. (8-3) at Stephen F. Austin (9-2)
November 28 at Richmond, Virginia
Elon (9-2) at No. 4 Richmond (10-1)
November 28 at Boone, North Carolina (ESPNU/ESPNUHD at Noon ET)
South Carolina St. (10-1) at Appalachian St. (9-2)
November 28 at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Holy Cross (9-2) at No. 2 Villanova (10-1)
November 28 at Lake Charles, Louisiana
New Hampshire (9-2) at McNeese St. (9-2)
November 28 at Carbondale, Illinois
Eastern Ill. (8-3) at No. 2 Southern Ill. (10-1)
November 28 at Williamsburg, Virginia
Weber St. (7-4) at William & Mary (9-2)

This is a link to the 2009 NCAA FCS Playoff Brackets.




In over 100 years of Grizzly football, only five teams have gone undefeated through the entire regular season.  The Grizzlies have been undefeated in Big Sky Conferenc play, but usually their has been a Division 1-A BCS team on the pre-season schedule that ruined a potential undefeated season right from the start.

The 2009 UM Grizzlies are now ready to match up against the best of the FCS teams.  The top 16 will be chosen for the playoffs.  The Griz anticipate being one of the top FOUR seeds, which will guarantee them two home playoff games, assuming they continue to win.  They were ranked #3 prior to the Bobcat game, and it is unlikely that the Bobcat game will change any of the voters minds about the Grizzly team power.  Many voters seem to believe that the Big Sky Conference does not provide as tough a schedule as some of the other teams face, thus even though the Grizzlies are the ONLY undefeated team, they remained a big question mark for voters back East for the entire season.  Now, however, with FCS Conference leaders doing the voting and seeding, the Montana team may finally be recognized as deserving of the Number One Ranking.  

The Montana Grizzlies will now have an opportunity to prove themselves on the football field against the best that the FCS Division has to offer.

Brawl of the Wild Set for Saturday High Noon

UPDATE: Grizzlies win 33-19  to finish 2009 regular season undefeated at 11-0.

University of Montana Grizzlies vs Montana State Bobcats.

This Saturday is the "Brawl of the Wild" and will be the 109th meeting of the two teams--and their fans.

The game is in Bozeman and kick-off is at 12:05 pm.

The UM Grizzlies have won 20 of the last 23 meetings, including the last three.  A Grizzly win would give them a perfect 11-0 season and will be important for the FCS playoff seedings.
Bobcat Stadium was full of snow a couple of days ago, and you can see that the crews were in the stands clearing the seats.  They were also on the field.  As you can see from the photo at bottom, taken from a webcam today, which I zoomed in to the stadium, the seats are now clear.

The weather forecast is for snow and a high temperature of 30.  I think, maybe, a good day to watch on television at home or in a Missoula Sports Bar.

Another NaNo Effort Reaches Mid-point

Progress on my novel is at fifty percent.  This is half-way, on a 50,000 word journey to complete a novel in 30 days, during the month of November.

By now, there have been numerous posts about National Novel Writing Month, abbreviated as NaNoWriMo, and United States participation this year is in the THOUSANDS! 

There are so many aspiring novelists in the United States, all of us competing for the reading audience, one has to have self-doubts about ever writing a "best-seller."

Most of us would settle for far less than a best-seller.  Just publishing something without having to PAY a publishing house would be a pretty fair success.

There are many genre to choose from, and for NaNoWriMo 2009, I have chosen the Young Adult and Youth Fiction category.  I am writing for the 4th grader through 8th grader market.  Some would say that I have found the appropriate mental capacity for me to connect with.  Ah so...doubters.

Taylor Swift Charming and Gracious in Victory

Taylor Swift's album "Fearless" has gone Gold or Platinum in 14 countries.  That garnered her a FIFTH award at the Country Music Awards show this past Wednesday night.

Brooks and Dunn, who won the award last year, presented her with the award backstage at the CMA's.

She had quite a night.  In sports, they would call it a "career" night, one in which she won as many awards as a successful star might win in an entire career.  She did it in one night, representing just one year of what will become an even more amazing career as she progresses.  She is 19 years old.  Album of the Year (Fearless), Female Vocalist of the Year, Video of the Year (Love Story), and ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR!

How can she have accomplished so much at such a young age? (She also hosted Saturday Night Live last week, just before the CMA's.)  There are few others who have achieved so much at so young an age.  None, now that I try to think of one, at least in the professional music business.   

Traits that young stars seem to have in common include incredible energy, creativity and an almost unbearable need to express it in as huge a manner as possible.  They are ambitious, true, but, in the beginning at least, huge success and money is NOT what seems to motivate them.

Miley Cyrus seems to be that way too.

Both of these young women began their incredible careers at a very young age.  Miley had the advantage of a fairly well-known Father, Billy Ray, plus the Disney organization as a launching pad.  (Hannah Montana)

Taylor Swift moved herself (with her adult family) to Nashville, where she launched herself, at what, about age 13?  Launched herself. No other way to put it.

I have seven grandchildren; and all are girls.  I hope that my grandkids will develop just HALF the drive and ambition of these two.  I wish them both continued success.