Cat-Griz Matchups

THE MATCHUPS: Griz offensive line vs. Bobcat defensive line

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Editor’s Note: Leading up to the 118th edition of the fierce football rivalry between the Bobcats and the Grizzlies, Skyline Sports will provide features on five of the game’s key matchups between Montana and Montana State.  

PART I — THE MATCHUPS: Troy Andersen vs. Griz defense

Montana State starts six seniors. Three of those are three or four-year starters on the defensive line. The fourth Montana State defensive lineman is a Pac 12 transfer who is currently second in the Big Sky Conference in sacks.

Montana is expected to start two former walk-ons, one who is a redshirt freshman, along with a converted defensive lineman, an additional redshirt freshman and a sophomore left tackle along its offensive line when the Griz host rival MSU on Saturday.

On paper, a Bobcat defensive front featuring senior honors candidates end Tyrone Fa’anono, nose tackle Tucker Yates and defensive tackle Zach Wright along with former Washington transfer Bryce Sterk at Buck end has a decided advantage over a Griz offensive line that has been a glaring weakness for most of the season.

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Brooks Nuanez contributed to the reporting of this story. Photos by Brooks Nuanez. 

THE MATCHUPS: Troy Andersen vs. Griz defense

About Colter Nuanez

Colter Nuanez is the co-founder and senior writer for Skyline Sports. After spending six years in the newspaper industry with stops at the Missoulian, the Ellensburg Daily Record and the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, the former Washington Newspaper Association Sportswriter of the Year and University of Montana Journalism School graduate ('09) has cultivated a deep passion for sports journalism during his 13-year career covering the Big Sky Conference. In August of 2014, Colter and brother Brooks merged their passions of writing and art to found Skyline Sports.

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