Journal ISU football beat reporter Andrew Houghton did a Q&A with Montana beat reporter Frank Gogola of the Missoulian to preview Saturday’s game between the Bengals and No. 8 Grizzlies.

AH: Montana shot up to No. 8 in the STATS poll after beating UC Davis last week. Would you agree with that ranking, based on what you’ve seen from them so far this season?

FG: Yes, Montana looks like a top-10 team. Montana came into the season No. 25, 11 spots behind Montana State, which was just one play better than the Griz last year. Montana is now at No. 8 and MSU at No. 6, more appropriate.

Last week, the Griz went into UC Davis and straight-up beat the then-No. 4 team that had nearly defeated No. 1 North Dakota State the week before. They didn’t need any gimmicky plays or anything like that. That performance has some people saying Montana is back. But coach Bobby Hauck is never going to let the team believe that until they’re holding the FCS championship trophy.

Their offense has been lighting up teams, averaging 46 points against FCS teams. The defense has been salty, limiting FCS teams to 20.3 points. And the special teams have been electric with two scores.

AH: The offensive line was pretty clearly the Grizzlies’ big question mark last season. Have they improved that, and how? If it’s not the O-line, what would say is the biggest weakness on the team now?

FG: Hauck has challenged his offensive line by rotating starters each week based on who’s playing the best. They’ve also rotated players throughout the games. Both of those are things he said will continue throughout the year. Recently, they’ve gone with a line that features three returning starters (center Cy Sirmon, left guard Angel Villanueva and left tackle Conlan Beaver), a junior college transfer (right guard Moses Mallory) and an NAIA transfer (right tackle Dylan Cook).

They played their best game against UC Davis, helping the offense show a balance with 268 yards passing and 260 yards rushing. They also didn’t give up a sack, the first time Montana did that this year and just the third time in the past two seasons. With time in the pocket, quarterback Dalton Sneed has put the ball on the money to a deep group of receivers. He also hasn’t had to scramble as much, keeping him healthier and not banged up. Montana has also created running lanes and established a ground game with junior college transfer Marcus Knight and freshman Nick Ostmo, two guys who aren’t afraid of contact.

As for the biggest weakness right now, it could be a combo between the pass defense and establishing more of a pass rush, especially without blitzing, two things that go hand in hand. The Griz are 116th out of 124 FCS teams with 317.6 passing yards allowed per game. While they’ve given up yards, they’ve been able to make stops in the red zone, and their seven interceptions are the most in the Big Sky. The Griz didn’t blitz as much against UC Davis as they did the week before, and they actually got to quarterback Jake Maier. The hope is that’s a somewhat consistent thing, especially since they’ve played young guys on the line as they deal with undisclosed injuries to returner Braydon Deming and NC State dropdown Joe Babros.

AH: At times, Montana has played a lot of freshmen and other players who might have been unknown before this season. Out of that group, who’s impressed you the most, and who should we be watching out for?

FG: Sophomore linebacker Patrick O’Connell has flashed with a continuous motor in his pursuit of players during his first season playing for the Griz. He was an in-state kid who went to play Division II football and baseball but decided to leave when those coaches were fired, walked on at Montana and had to sit out last season. If O’Connell continues to show the improvement he has, Matt Struck could see him in the backfield a bit since he leads the team with three sacks.

On the D-line, redshirt freshman Alex Gubner has made his way into the backfield but surprisingly had an interception before he had his first sack. Gubner’s pick came on a leaping grab when he dropped into coverage, a move Montana has done when bringing pressure with its linebackers. Not a younger guy, but NAIA grad transfer Ryder Rice has started every game, and the former six-man football player forced and recovered a fumble last week. Junior linebacker Jace Lewis, playing alongside All-American linebacker Dante Olson, looks like he’s been a starter before and has made them a fearsome duo.

Offensively, Marcus Knight has been a revelation at running back. He brings speed but also has physicality. Against North Alabama, he spun out of a horse collar tackle attempt and kept his balance to keep running toward the end zone.

AH: What does Montana have to do to win this game? What are the main matchups you’ll be watching from a Griz point of view?

FG: One part of it’s mental. Montana can’t let the win over UC Davis linger and produce a hangover effect. They also can’t be looking ahead to the bye week and feel like they can sleepwalk to a win after the blowout. I’ll be watching to see if Montana’s secondary can play the ball better downfield to limit the deep ball, something Idaho State has shown an ability to do. Getting pressure on Struck could help with that. The Griz will also need to win in the red zone, getting their touchdowns when they’re on offense and stopping Idaho State, which has scored on every trip into the red zone. I’d also like Montana to continue to show its offensive balance. The Griz are averaging 477.8 yards per game, while Idaho State is holding teams to 365 yards.

AH: What’s your score prediction for the game? Why?

FG: Montana 38, Idaho State 21. Montana and Idaho State have two of the top wide receiver units in the Big Sky, if not the top two. I think the Griz are just deeper across the board. Montana will bring its regular physicality, but Idaho State and former Griz coach Rob Phenicie won’t be caught off guard by that, like it appeared UC Davis was last week. The home-field advantage of Washington-Grizzly Stadium should play into Montana’s favor, especially since most of Idaho State’s player haven’t played there. Idaho State has started strong in first quarters, while the Griz have been a second-half team, so the Bengals could hang around early on but may not have enough to keep pace.