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Show Monday, October 6,2008 ir T H E SIGNPOST SPORTS Rainy weather? Even better for Wildcats Standing Out By Jon McBride sports editor The Signpost Cats run over No. 3 Griz WSU snaps Montana's 25-game win streak, dominating 45-28 By Matt Gerrish asst. sports editor I The Signpost PHOTOS BY MATT CLASS I TUt SICNPOST Weber State University wide receiver Tim Toone (top) tries to get around a defender, and WSU running backTrevyn Smith (above) turns the corner on a defender during Saturday's game at Stewart Stadium. The Wildcats beat the No. 3 team in the country, the University of Montana, 45-28. The Weber State University Football Team had a lor to celebrate about this weekend. On Saturday, the Wildcats mauled the previously unbeaten University of Montana in a 45-28 victory at Stewart Stadium. "It's not a shock," said WSU safety Scotty Goodloe. "We didn't barely beat them. We beat them convincingly." Dark clouds and pouring rain set the tone in a pivotal game for the Wildcats, who started the game ugly. WSU was flagged for multiple penalties on their first drive, and Mo n t a n a responded by marc h i n g down the field and WSU 45 drawing Montana 28 first blood, 'Oils take advantage of on a 10-yard four Grizzly turnovers, touchdown move lo 2-0 in Big Sky run by Griz' tailback Chase Reynolds. After a WSU field goal, Wildcat nose guard Derek Johnson forced a fumble on the Montana offense, which Goodloe recovered. After See Run Over page 7 Wildcat rugby loses big to University of Utah 'Cats blown out 43-0, coach unhappy with team's 'bad all over' performance By Kyle Gover correspondent I The Signpost Nothing could go right for the Weber State University Rugby Team in its match against the University of Utah two weekends ago, which ended in a 43-0 mauling of the Wildcats. "We got killed," said Craun Fansler, head coach of the Wildcats. "It's hard for me to find any real positive about the game. Truthfully, It was just bad all over. Playing a team like that, their defense is so good that we made a lot of mistakes that were forced because of their defense." With the 24-0 score at the half, the lead was just too much for the Wildcats to overcome "They are a Division I team," Fansler said. "It doesn't count for our standings. It's like playing a non-conference team. It counts against your overall record but not within the conference." With the 'Cats competing at the Division II level, this game gave them an opportunity to match their skills with a top level competitor and find out where their team needs work. "They learned one thing: We are in terrible shape," Fansler said. "That's the one thing they did learn." Fansler has been harping on his team all semester about getting in better shape. "We like playing U of U," said Scott Allen, a third-year member and vice president of the rugby team. "They are good guys. They like playing us too because it gives their B side a chance to come up to par with their Division I team, and it's good for us because we are Division II team, and we play against a good team." The 'Cats now have an overall record 2-2. Losing to both U of U and Utah State University. With only one game remaining on their fail schedule, the Wildcats will need a big win against Utah Valley University on Oct. 11 to end their fall season with a winning record. UVU has been a powerhouse in the conference since their No. 2 finish in the Division II National Championships last year. "We have never actually played UVU before, so I haven't seen a whole lot of them," said Jared Jurkowski, a third year member of the rugby team. "Rugby is one of the major club sports at that university, and they have C E MORTIMER | THE SiGNrO A Weber State University rugby player tackles an Idaho State University opponent in a matchup at WSU earlier this year. The WSU Rugby Team is now 2-2 after a 43-0 loss to the University of Utah. a really good coach, and its just something they do really well." The upcoming match between the two teams is being sponsored by the American Red Cross and being labeled as the "Blood Bath" game. Members of the 'Cats will be participating in a blood drive on Oct. 27 on the WSU campus. Players expect this game to live up to the hype of its name, as the Wildcats and Wolverines do battle on WSU's home field. The game will take place Oct. 11 at 1 p.m. The Weber State University Football Team's 45-28 victory over the No. 3 University of Montana Grizzlies was one of the biggest wins in recent history. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, very few fans were there to see it because of the daunting, monstrous raindrops falling from the sky. What those intimidated fans didn't realize is that the extremely wet weather made for some extremely exciting football. Thegamestartedwithplayer after player mishandling the ball. There were also a lot of players losing their footing, and some huge hits that sent players sliding across the field like it was a Slip 'N Slide. Occurrences early in the game made it clear that this game was going to be about which team could take care of the seemingly buttercovered football, and which team could not. WSU's Mike Phillips had the ball slip out of his hands for what would have been a huge reception early in the game. WSU's Scottie Goodloe, on the next Montana possession, had the ball squirt out of his fingertips for what would have been a key interception. Instead, Montana scored a touchdown in the same offensive series. Montana had every advantage early in the game. A team doesn't become No. 3 in the country without proving its experience in key situations like Saturday's. The Grizzlies closed the first half with a 14-3 lead, showing what they were made of. Montana appeared poised for its 10th straight victory over the Wildcats in the past 10 years, as the Grizzlies looked to keep their 25-game winning streak intact. But as the weather got worse, somehow the Wildcats got better. "We play well in wet weather," said WSU running backTrevyn Smith who ran for a season-high 158 yards in the rough conditions. "We always have. I don't know why." The Wildcat defense went on to force four turnovers - two fumbles and two interceptions - in the game. The Wildcat offense only turned the ball over once. Still, the Montana players and coaches didn't blame their poor performance on the weather. "There's 11 guys on our team and 11 guys on their team playing in the same conditions," said Montana safety Colt Anderson. "So if we're gonna be slower, they're going to be slower." The natural consequence of wet-weather football is the demolition of the field. Stewart Stadium's turf hasn't exactly been the most resilient over the past few seasons, even without conditions like Saturday's. By the time halftime hit, there was a crew of groundskeepers walking around the field, replacing divots twice the size of those produced by Tiger Woods' nine iron - and that's pretty big. The freezing temperature didn't dampen the importance of this win for the Wildcats, evidenced by the Gatorade getting dumped on WSU Head Coach Ron McBride in the closing minute of the game. Comment on this story at Comment on this story at wsusignpost.com. wsusignpost.com. |