Mountaineers prepping for Montana noise

In preparation for his team's visit to Washington-Grizzly Stadium Saturday to face top-ranked Montana in the FCS playoff semifinals, Appalachian State football coach Jerry Moore is having noise piped in during practice sessions this week.

The outdoor stadium in Missoula has a capacity of 25,200 and is expected to be nearly full Saturday on what is expected to be a 28-degree afternoon.

"We've been out there before (in 2000) and we experienced some of that at Richmond (last Saturday)," Moore said. "We're just trying to get the players indoctrinated to the environment.

"We're a team that doesn't huddle so two or three days of that should help us. It helps the process of communicating. It doesn't have anything to do with the game itself but we do a lot of talking at the line and (the noise) makes it difficult."

Beyond the noise factor, Appalachian State must find a way to contain a Montana offense that has scored 91 consecutive points in its two playoff games. The Grizzlys scored the last 40 in a comeback win over South Dakota State then bumped off Stephen F. Austin 51-0 last Saturday, holding the top offense in the FCS scoreless while forcing 10 turnovers.

Moore also said Appalachian State and Montana, the two winningest FCS programs over the past 10 years, will begin a home and home series in 2011.
-- Ron Green Jr.