Griz focus on Rennie:Montana Defense knows it can't let slippery UNI QB run wild

 

No. 2 Northern Iowa at No. 5 Montana

Kickoff: 6 p.m. MST.
Venue: Washington-Grizzly Stadium (25,217, SprinTurf)
Forecast: 25 degrees and clear at kickoff.
Tickets: Blocks of tickets remain at $26; as of 5 p.m. Thursday 21,688 had been sold. The Adams Center ticket office opens at 8:30 a.m. Friday.
TV: ESPN, which is channel 35 for Bresnan/Optimum, Ch. 140 for Dish Network and Ch. 206 for DirecTV (Justin Kutcher and Tom Lugenbill).
Radio: KGVO-AM 1290 (Mick Holien, Scott Gurnsey and Greg Sundberg).
On the net: www.espn3.com, montanagrizzlies.com and gogriz.com.
Records: UM is 10-2; UNI is 10-2.
Series history: Montana leads 4-0.
Coaches: Robin Pflugrad is 17-6 in his second season at Montana. Mark Farley is 99-39 in his 11th season at Northern Iowa.

When the lights go on Friday - on the ESPN cameras, on the Musco Lighting trucks, on the "M" - a lot of people are going to get their first real look at Northern Iowa quarterback Tirrell Rennie.
That includes the No. 5-ranked Montana Grizzlies, who host Rennie and the UNI Panthers in a Football Championship Subdivision quarterfinal game at Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
In a matchup of quick and aggressive defensive lines, huge offensive lines, monster middle linebackers and great corners on each team - good thing these guys will sport different colors Friday - Rennie would seem to be the key.
The fleet senior quarterback has thrown for 13 touchdowns and run for nine, and he's the leading rusher for the No. 2-ranked Panthers.
"You look at their line, they're huge," said Caleb McSurdy, UM's answer to UNI middle linebacker L.J. Fort. "They're physical guys. They have great skill people on the perimeter and their tailbacks are awesome.
"And the quarterback makes it all go, and he's a really good passer. He takes care of the ball. He doesn't cough it up running."
Rennie runs a lot more than Montana quarterback Jordan Johnson, who is responsible for 19 TDs for the 10-2 Grizzlies. The closest thing UM has seen to Rennie is Portland State's Connor Kavanaugh.
That was in a 30-24 UM victory in which the Griz trailed 21-10 at halftime. Back then slow starts were the norm, but Montana comes in on a pretty decent four-quarter roll.
UNI coach Mark Farley has noticed.
"I see guys that play hard and I see a unit," said Farley, who guided the Panthers against the Griz in 2001, a 38-0 FCS semifinal loss in Missoula. "They don't make mental errors and they play hard and they look like they really enjoy the game.
"Those are the tough ones to beat. Those are the guys that can line up and sustain winning."
Three current UNI offensive assistants coached in the 2001 game alongside Farley; so, of course, did Montana defensive coordinator Mike Breske.
Farley hopes a good run game will keep Breske's defense from dictating things in front of what will be large and boisterous home crowd.
"When you play at Montana, with the elements and things like that, you need a balanced attack," he said. "You need to be sound in what you do because they'll know how to attack you."
Northern Iowa trailed Wofford 14-7 at halftime last week, but survived 466 rushing yards by the option-based Terriers and won, 28-14. Rennie ran for 88 yards in the second half to spark the Panthers.
"Once we started moving the football I thought we did a good job ... of keeping that balance," Farley said.
He sees that same balance from the Griz.
"They're kind of what I call, ‘Montana good,' " Farley said. "They've got a great running back, a great quarterback. The O-line is big, physical. They're what I envisioned Montana to be when I watched them on film."
Johnson's play has grown consistent while the Grizzlies' running game has flourished. He went 152 passes without an interception before throwing a pair in UM's 41-14 second-round playoff win over Central Arkansas.
Similarities between the teams are everywhere: Jabin Sambrano leads UM with 32 catches and Jarred Herring shares the UNI lead with running back David Johnson at 31.
Sambrano has 13 TDs this season for UM, nine receiving; Jarred Herring has five TD catches this season and 17 for his career.
Houston Roots and All-American Trumaine Johnson man the corners for UM, and Griz coach Pflugrad calls UNI corners Varmah Sonie and J.J. Swain the best Montana has played in 2011.
"And I know we've played Tennessee," Pflugrad said. "One of them (the 5-foot-9 Sonie) is not very big, but I tell you what, he gets around blocks and he blows up the bubble screens."
The Panthers' defensive leaders are Buck Buchanan Award candidates Ben Boothby, a defensive tackle, and Fort.
"Their defensive line is a lot like ours," Pflugrad said. "Not overly big but extremely quick, and they play with great passion. They do a lot of line games, where they're twisting and spinning and crossing, which can cause some havoc as far as your pass protections."
Something would seem to have to give Friday. Both teams are sack-happy, but UM has allowed few. Both teams are way up in turnover margin. Both have spot-on place-kickers - Tyler Sievertsen for UNI, Brody McKnight for the Griz.
So all things being equal, Rennie could be the key.
"He's their guy, and can you stop a guy like that? Probably not," said McSurdy. "But we're going to try to limit him as much as we possibly can on Friday, because he is such a threat running the ball and throwing the ball."

Panthers, Montana prepare for national stage

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Northern Iowa's Ben Boothby celebrates after recording a sack against Indiana State. / BILL NEIBERGALL / REGISTER PHOTO

 

QUARTERFINALS
Friday, Dec. 9
7:00 -- Northern Iowa (10-2) at Montana (10-2), 8 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 10
11 a.m. -- Montana State (10-2) at Sam Houston State (12-0)
1:00 -- Maine (9-3) at Georgia Southern (10-2)
3:00 -- Lehigh (11-1) at North Dakota State (11-1)

SEMIFINALS
Friday, Dec. 16 or Saturday, Dec. 17
-- Northern Iowa-Montana winner vs. Montana State-Sam Houston State winner
-- Maine-Georgia Southern winner vs. Lehigh-North Dakota State winner

CHAMPIONSHIP
Friday, Jan. 7 at Pizza Hut Park; Frisco, Texas
Noon -- Semifinal winners

The Northern Iowa football team normally plays on busy Saturdays when there are dozens of games on television.

Not this time.

The second-ranked Panthers and fifth-ranked Montana Grizzlies will have the national stage all to themselves Friday night when they clash in the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs.

The battle at Washington-Grizzly Stadium is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. (Central time) and will be televised by ESPN. If you want to watch a college football game on TV Friday night, this is the one.

All of the major college teams in the country have the weekend off, and all the other quarterfinal games in the FCS playoffs will be held Saturday.

“It’s great for our program and it’s awesome for our university,” Northern Iowa coach Mark Farley said. “To me, every sports bar in the country will have that football game on, because I believe it’s the only game that night.”

Northern Iowa will get three hours of free exposure on the most prominent sports network in the country.

“For our university and for our program, we can’t simulate that,” Farley said. “That’s why this is not only a great opportunity for our players, but also for us to demonstrate about the University of Northern Iowa. So it’s a neat deal for everybody.”

It also could be a tough deal for the Panthers, because Montana has an imposing 18-1 record in home playoff games in December. Overall, the Grizzlies are 28-6 in home playoff games and 2-8 in road games, which is why the seeding for the FCS playoffs was so important.

Northern Iowa (10-2) is ranked No.2 and No.3 in the major polls, yet drew the No.5 seed for the playoffs. Montana (10-2) is ranked No.5 in the polls, but drew the No.4 seed. The Grizzlies got the home game because they have the higher seed.

Farley has refused to complain, but admitted he found the whole thing “very odd.”

It will be cold in Missoula, Mont. on Friday night, with the temperature possibly dropping into the teens, and the Grizzlies will have a vocal crowd of more than 25,000 fans.

Northern Iowa will be battling the elements, battling the crowd, battling the home-field advantage and battling an extremely good football team. Montana beat then-No.1 Montana State in its final game of the regular season to claim a share of the Big Sky Conference title.

“They’re actually better than I anticipated, and I anticipated a great football team,” Farley said.

Montana linebacker Caleb McSurdy and defensive back Trumaine Johnson were named to the FCS All-America team this week. McSurdy was named the Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year.

Northern Iowa counters with defensive tackle Ben Boothby, who also was named an FCS All-American, and linebacker L.J. Fort, who was named the Defensive Player of the Year in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Montana quarterback Jordan Johnson has passed for 1,927 yards and 17 touchdowns. He likes to spread the ball around, and 11 different Grizzles have caught at least nine passes this season. Peter Nguyen leads their running attack with 768 yards.

Northern Iowa relies heavily on quarterback Tirrell Rennie, who has passed for 1,709 yards and run for a team-best 834 yards. Rennie has accounted for 22 touchdowns with his arm and legs.

The winner of Friday’s game will advance to the FCS semifinals next weekend against Sam Houston State or Montana State. If Northern Iowa wins, it would host Montana State in the semifinals but would travel to Sam Houston State.
Northern Iowa's scores and game stats

Montana's season scores and game stats

FRIDAY'S GAME

WHAT: Northern Iowa (10-2) at Montana (10-2) in quarterfinals of FCS playoffs.

WHEN: 7:05 p.m. (Central time), ESPN.

WHERE: Washington-Grizzly Stadium (25,200), Missoula, Mont.

THE MATCHUP: Northern Iowa is 0-4 all-time against Montana, including 0-3 on the road and 0-2 in the playoffs. The Panthers are 7-4 in the FCS quarterfinals, but 1-3 on the road. Northern Iowa linebacker L.J. Fort leads the nation in tackles (167) and is four stops away from setting a school record. The Panthers have been outgained by 450 yards in their last two games, yet managed to defeat Illinois State (23-20 in 2 OTs) and Wofford (28-21). Northern Iowa coach Mark Farley is seeking his 100th victory in 11 years with the Panthers. Montana coach Robin Pflugrad is 16-6 in two years with the Grizzlies and was named the Big Sky Coach of the Year.
Northern Iowa's individual stat leaders

Montana's individual stat leaders

QB Rennie makes difference for Northern Iowa

  

Wofford's Bryan Youman is surrounded and pulled down for no gain by University of Northern Iowa's James Conley (32), L.J. Fort (24), Jordan Smith (46) and Varmah Sonie (4) in the first quarter at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls, Iowa, last Saturday.

Up next: No. 2 Northern Iowa at No. 5 Montana

Friday, 6 p.m. (MST)
Washington-Grizzly Stadium (25,217, SprinTurf)
Location: Cedar Falls, Iowa. Enrollment: 13,168.
Series history: Montana leads 4-0.
Man in charge: Mark Farley (Northern Iowa 1987) is 99-39 in his 11th season at UNI.
The Panthers continue to recruit, practice hard and win under Coach Farley, who is guiding his alma mater to its seventh postseason in 11 years.
Ones to watch:
10 Tirrell Rennie (6-0, 201, sr., North Lauderdale, Fla.): The Panthers' quarterback and Walter Payton Award candidate has four 100-yard rushing games this season and is responsible for 22 touchdowns, 13 of them through the air.

24 L.J. Fort (6-1, 232, sr., Waynesville, Mo.): The middle linebacker has an FCS-leading 167 tackles - 8.5 for losses - and is the Missouri Valley Football Conference defensive player of the year.
43 Ben Boothby (6-0, 280, sr., Clinton, Iowa): It's hard to find a defensive tackle who gets to the QB more - he has 16 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks and six quaterback hits. Like Fort, he's a Buck Buchanan candidate.


Read more: http://missoulian.com/up-next-no-northern-iowa-at-no-montana/article_0e8a3b8e-209a-11e1-8e7a-0019bb2963f4.html#ixzz1fs6KbRfO

Northern Iowa football coach Mark Farley knew of Tirrell Rennie when Rennie was in high school in Florida, and learned more when he attended Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls, Iowa.
But even when Rennie signed with UNI in 2010, Farley wasn't sure he'd found his QB.
"We thought he had the ability to be quarterback," said Farley. "But we felt also if he could not play quarterback, he could be a receiver for us.
"But when he came in here he was determined, and worked his way into that starting role. He did everything he needed to become the starter and gain the respect of his teammates."
The result has been another standout season for the UNI Panthers, who bring a No. 2 ranking into Missoula for a Football Championship Subdivision quarterfinal playoff game against No. 5 Montana on Friday at 6 p.m.
Rennie has been a difference maker for the 2011 Panthers, who again have a stingy defense and confidence bred from a tough schedule. They're in the FCS playoffs for the 17th time, which puts them in the neighborhood of the Grizzlies (a record 21).
Their QB has run for more than 100 yards four times this season and came close two other times, including a 95-yard performance in UNI's 28-21 home playoff win over Wofford last week.
Farley has a nice mix of young and old, brawn and skill. But UNI also trailed 14-7 at halftime last week, before Rennie ran for 88 yards after intermission. Rennie also rushed for 127 yards while the Panthers lost 20-19 to the team that beat Oklahoma State: Iowa State.
Farley didn't spend a lot of time on Rennie during a Tuesday teleconference (UNI also didn't make players available to the Missoulian), because he has a truly balanced team.
Two Buck Buchanan Award candidates, linebacker L.J. Fort and tackle Ben Boothby, lead the defense. Both are seniors and Fort is the Missouri Valley Football Conference defensive MVP.
Fort was on the radar of the Big 12 schools but his grades needed work; UNI won out over schools like Central Michigan and Arkansas State.
"It was a battle," said Farley. "But I think what really sold him was the opportunity to win and the opportunity to be in the playoffs, and be in a national championship hunt.
"The difference was UNI offers the track record or the potential to play at the national level, if (players) perform week in and week out during the season."
That's what the Panthers have done, while working through some scrapes. Rennie twisted an ankle late in their lone league loss, 27-19 at North Dakota State, but backup Jared Lanpher filled in nicely the next week, when UNI beat Youngstown State 34-21 in Cedar Falls.
"I think the difference in this team is it's a nice mix of experienced players," said Farley, the renowned "Walk-on from Waukon" who became a star linebacker at UNI in the early 80s. "They're a great group, senior-leadership-wise, and there's a great mix of youth.
"There was one game we played with five freshmen on offense and we ended up beating Youngstown."
One freshman, running back David Johnson, is among the best in the country. At 754 yards (and nine TDs) he is the second-leading rusher behind Rennie, who has 834 yards and another nine touchdowns on the ground.
The offensive line is fairly young, though anchored by 6-foot-7, 328-pound senior Jay Teply at left tackle.
Defensively the Panthers have speed, size and a certain way of doing things. Safety Garrett Scott and linebacker Jordan Smith each have four of UNI's 18 interceptions; all-MVFC corner Varma Sonie has three.
The Panthers haven't been to Missoula since 2001, when the MVFC was the Gateway Conference and Farley was in his first year as a head coach.
That team probably over-achieved, advancing to the FCS semifinals before losing 38-0 at Montana. This team just achieves: It's the sixth UNI squad since '01 to make the playoffs, including a run to the 2005 title game.
The formula remains the same.
"We really are more concerned with how we play and how we prepare than with who we play," Farley said. "We say that because we feel like you get in our league, everybody is good. Everybody's got a chance to beat us.
"We're just trying to put a program together where the players are responsible for their assignments and are responsible to prepare. We have a vision of where we want to be, and we just try to work toward that."
It's tough to do every year. In 2010 the Panthers went 7-5 (including a playoff loss), with a quarterback who threw eight TD passes but 11 interceptions.
It was Rennie, who this year has thrown 13 TDs and just two picks - and the Panthers are 10-2.

UNI Tops Wofford 28-21, Advances to Quarterfinals

 
Jarred Herring

The University of Northern Iowa football team used 21 second-half points to overcome a halftime deficit and defeat Wofford 28-21 in an NCAA Football Championship Subdivision second round playoff game on Saturday evening in the UNI-Dome.
With the win, UNI will travel to Montana on Dec. 9 or Dec. 10 to make its 12th appearance in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division I Football Championship.
The Panthers took advantage of three Wofford fumbles, including one in the endzone recovered for a touchdown, to overcome a 478-238 deficit in total offense.
UNI senior quarterback Tirrell Rennie rushed for 95 yards on 19 carries. He was 7-of-12 passing for 67 yards and had two touchdown passes to senior receiver Jarred Herring. Herring caught four passes for 54 yards on the night. Junior running back Carlos Anderson gained 52 yards on 11 carries.
Senior linebacker L.J. Fort posted 16 tackles to run his season total to 167 and move into No. 2 on UNI's all-time list for tackles in a season. Fort also jumped to fifth on UNI's career tackles leaderboard.
Jordan Smith had 14 stops for the Panther defense, and defensive tackle Ben Boothby and safety Wilmot Wellington each tallied a career-high 12 tackles.
Wofford (8-4) gained 457 of their 478 total yards on the ground, rushing 73 times for 6.3 yards per carry. Wofford quarterback Mitch Allen had 156 yards rushing and fullback Eric Breitenstein added 131 yards and three touchdowns.
UNI (10-2) received the opening kickoff and drove 72 yards on six plays to score first. Rennie found Herring over the middle for a 23-yard scoring strike, and UNI led 7-0 with 12:09 left in the first quarter.
Wofford responded with a 16-play, 81-yard drive that resulted in a three-yard touchdown run by Breitenstein to tie the contest at 7-7 with 3:30 left in the first quarter.
Breitenstein broke loose for a 46-yard touchdown run with 5:45 left in the second quarter that gave the Terriers a 14-7 lead at halftime.
With Wofford driving into UNI territory on the opening drive of the second half, Panther linebacker James Conley forced a fumble by Terrier wide receiver Brenton Bersin, and Wellington scooped it up for a 12-yard return. From there, Rennie led the Panthers down the field and hit Herring once again for a seven-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 14-14 with 10:21 left in the third quarter.
UNI scored on the first play of the fourth quarter with a one-yard touchdown run by David Johnson, taking a 21-14 lead.
On the following kickoff, Wofford returner Stephon Shelton fumbled in his own endzone and UNI's Phil Wright recovered for a Panther touchdown. With 14:56 left in the game, UNI held a 28-14 lead.
Wofford put together a 15-play, 88-yard drive and a three-yard touchdown run by Breitenstein to cut the lead to 28-21 with 2:00 remaining. UNI's Brett LeMaster recovered the Terriers' onside kick, but when Tyler Sievertsen missed a 47-yard field goal attempt to ice the game, Wofford had one more chance to score with 0:53 on the clock.
The Panther defense stopped Wofford on four consecutive plays, with senior defensive tackle August Hadenfeldt notching a sack on fourth down to seal the victory.
UNI will travel to Missoula, Mont., to face the No. 4-seeded Montana Grizzlies in a quarterfinal game on either Fri., Dec. 9, or Sat., Dec. 10. Game time is still to be determined.