March 2001

The Griz made 'em sweat, but it wasn't to be. When the clock ran out in rainy Chattanooga Dec. 16, UM was on the wrong end of a 27-25 score.

"(GSU) beat a good football team, a team with a lotta heart, a lotta spirit, a lotta desire, and no quit," Glenn said after the game. "I'm very proud of our football team. We gave a great team effort, the old college try."

Getting There
Few fans would have predicted a trip to Chattanooga for the 2000 Griz after their first game of the season, a disheartening 10-9 home loss against Hofstra. People muttered that the usual Griz offensive juggernaut had been hamstrung by a new coaching staff and tentative play-calling.

But fans were lured back into the fold the following week when the Griz toppled the Division I Idaho Vandals 45-38 on the road. The offensive floodgates had been opened, and the wins piled up -- 53-3 against Cal Poly, 41-31 vs. Eastern Washington. The Griz proved they could come from behind during the Homecoming game against Sacramento State, when they were losing 20-0 at halftime only to rally for a 24-20 win.
UM knew their Griz were for real, especially after they downed Portland State 33-21 and Weber State 30-28 -- both on the road. During the 100th Griz/Cat game, the Bobcats were bombed 28-3, and the Griz rampaged into the playoffs.

The UM team was fueled by a unique cast of characters. There was Drew Miller, the strong-armed quarterback with the laser-like accuracy; Jimmy Farris, the speedy redheaded receiver with the amazing hands; Andy Petek, the soft-spoken defensive end sackmaster who became an All-American; Yo Humphery, the running back who ran all over the UM record books; Thatcher Szalay, the intimidating lineman who was named to the I-AA Sports Network first team; and Adam Boomer, the bruising linebacker whose fans delighted in yelling "boooommm" whenever he made a tackle. Every player on the team contributed to the unique chemistry -- Glenn calls it "heart" -- that propelled the Griz through the playoffs.

As the No. 1-ranked team going into the post-season, the Griz earned three home playoff games. They knocked off Eastern Illinois 45-13 and Richmond 34-20, only to wind up in a real dogfight against Appalachian State, a team that finally submitted 19-16 in overtime. Video of Farris making the winning catch and being carried around by jubilant fans made all the networks. And coach Joe Glenn had silenced all the doubters by being named the NCAA I-AA Coach of the Year.

The Chattanooga Charter
Thousands of fans lined the street leading to the airport as the Griz departed for their title shot. Grandmas and small children waved "Go Griz" and "We Believe" signs. Glenn said the sendoff left him teary eyed.

But in Chattanooga, as the Griz practiced and attended an awards luncheon, they learned few Southerners gave them much of a chance against GSU. At a pep rally the night before the game - attended by about 2,000 Griz fans - Farris said, "A lot of people don't respect the type of football we play around these parts. But these guys aren't all they're cracked up to be. They'll find out tomorrow."

Many Chattanoogans were rooting for UM to knock off GSU, a team that routinely trods on their University of Tennessee Mocs, and many Griz fans commented on the Southern hospitality.

Take this example: UM financial aid director Mick Hanson said he cracked one of his contact lenses before the big game and hurried to get replacements from one Dr. Murray Porter. When Hanson tried to pay, Porter said, "I don't need your money -- your smile and thank you are more than enough. Welcome to Chattanooga and enjoy the game!"

Soggy, Boggy Football
Griz fans couldn't have enjoyed the first half of the championship game. On GSU's first play from scrimmage, an Eagle slotback went on a 73-yard romp that set up a Georgia touchdown three plays later.

UM responded by driving to the GSU 6-yard line, but a penalty moved them back. Then Miller threw into double coverage, and GSU picked off the ball.

The day was gray and drizzly, and the field was quickly churned into mud. The gloom deepened for Griz fans near the end of the first quarter, when Miller was sacked for a 7-yard loss. As he was dragged down, his leg bent at a funny angle, and he left the game with a sprained knee.

That thrust sophomore quarterback John Edwards into the game. "Johnny Montana" had served the Griz admirably in a backup role during the year, and UM fans knew they still had a shot. But it was tough for Edwards to get heated up, especially when the heavens opened in the second quarter to drop monsoon-like rain on Finley Stadium.

When the Griz left the field at halftime, they were losing 20-3. A Fox Sports writer on the sideline commented, "I really thought Montana would make it more of a game."

The Comeback
The Griz came out growling in the second half, especially the defense, which allowed the Eagles only 72 total yards of offense the rest of the game. Edwards also got rolling by completing 20 of 31 passes.

Hope started glimmering for the Griz when Edwards engineered an 11-play, 79-yard drive that culminated in a screen pass to junior wide receiver Etu Molden, who rambled 17 yards for the score. At last the soaking Griz fans in the stands had something to cheer about. The extra point went wide, so the score was 20-9 GSU.

A Griz drive bogged down to start the fourth quarter, but then coach Glenn went into his bag of tricks for a fake punt. The next snap became a play for the ages, when junior safety Vince Huntsberger dropped the snap, recovered the ball, got hung up in the line and then sprinted 65 yards for a score.

The rowdy GSU crowd became quiet as a tomb; the Griz fans went ballistic. The smiles and energy among the players, coaches and crowd became electric. It was going to happen! The football gods were smiling! UM momentum was an avalanche, and GSU had better get out of the way!

The extra point was missed, but the Griz were suddenly within a touchdown, trailing 20-15. The Eagles fumbled on their next possession, giving the Griz the ball on the GSU 18-yard line. UM spectators reached new heights of ecstasy when Humphery punched it in from 2 yards out and the 2-point conversion was good.

The Griz led 23-20. The aforementioned Fox Sports writer muttered, "Wow, you just never know." The comeback in the national championship game had been one of the greatest moments in Griz football history.

Fans got to savor it for all of 24 seconds.

Horseshoes, Hand Grenades
After the kickoff, the Eagles gave the ball to their premier running back, Adrienne Peterson, a tough, single-minded running machine who had something like 11 tacklers bounce off him on one play during the 1999 championship against Youngstown. ESPN dubbed that play "The Run."

Against UM, Peterson broke a dive play up the middle for a 57-yard score to give the lead back to GSU for good. ESPN dubbed it "Son of the Run."

But there were still 11 minutes left in the game, and UM fans chanted "We still believe." The Griz still had plenty of time, and the team drove deep into Eagle territory three times. The first time, the Griz couldn't covert a fourth-and-3. Then Edwards was picked off in the GSU end zone with 6:45 to play. On the third drive, UM made it to the GSU 14 with 1:15 to play, but UM couldn't covert a fourth-and-6 play.

They say close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, and the Griz found that out as the Eagles took a safety to run the clock down to 15 seconds. UM tried a few last, desperate passes, but the final score was 27-25 GSU.

Homecoming
The Griz had won respect from most Georgia Southern fans, but they were still understandably subdued on the plane ride home. Back in Missoula, they were taken directly to a welcome-back ceremony in the Adams Center where thousands of fans greeted them.

Governor-elect Judy Martz, one of several speakers, said, "They really did represent us well. There's no way I could be any more proud of this young group of athletes."

The Tatanke Oyate Singers, an American Indian singing group from Poplar, sang the Griz an honor song. Roughly translated, it said: "Look at me, I had a hard time, but we did well."

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