#12 QB Cameron Higgins QB Weber St. 6'2" 210

There's no doubt that Higgins is one of the elite quarterbacks in the country, much less the FCS level.  It is important not to forget that he averaged 290 yds passing vs. two FBS opponents earlier this season (Wyoming, Colorado St.).  What is equally impressive is that he nearly led his team to victories in both games, losing 29-22 to Wyoming and 24-23 to Colorado State. 

What was the problem?  Higgins.  He produced slightly below average in both games and threw a combined seven interceptions in the two contests.  In order for Weber State to have pulled off an upset, he needed to revert to the form he displayed over the seven games prior to the Montana matchup Saturday.  In those games, Higgins tossed 19 touchdowns compared to only four interceptions.

Here's a snippet of my scouting film review of Higgins going into the game:

Has smooth delivery but brings ball up from hip area to above shoulder before release...quick delivery.  Nice touch on short fades (20-30 yards downfield).  Higgins is also adept on his timing on quick 3 and 5 step drops, although his feet tend to float at the top of his drops.  He lacks a feel for timing when it comes to setting up screens.  Has a live arm and can make a variety of throws.  Has somewhat of a slingshot type release.  Streaky passer who makes mistakes in bunches.

Game Result:  

The Grizzlies dominated the game by picking off the mistake-prone Higgins four times.  After having settled down in recent weeks, Higgins' erratic play was on display as he was victimized on a 57 yard interception return for a score early in the game.  Behind junior running back Chase Reynolds' 241 yard rushing performance, Montana went on to dominate the Wildcats 31-10 in what could be a potentially defining team moment in 2009.

In large contrast to Higgins was the play of Montana junior QB #12 Andrew Salle, a 6'2" 210 lb. junior.  He has been a steady hand all year for the Grizzlies and now sports a 14 TD/1 INT ratio for the season.  He, along with fellow 6'6" junior QB Justin Roper, gives the team a chance to return to the FCS Championship game this year after the departure of Cole Berquist from last year's squad.  If Salle were to go down to injury, Roper should serve as a viable option.  This position is representative of the team's overall depth.

Salle's biggest supporting actor is junior RB #34 Chase Reynolds, a 6'0" 195 lb. former wide receiver.  He, along with a few of Montana's huge offensive linemen, are featured in snippets from the following individual scouting reports coming soon at DraftNasty.com.   

Montana

RB #34 Chase Reynolds 6'0" 195 Junior

Tough runner who plays bigger than size in short yardage and goal-line situations.  Lacks creativity as a runner and is a little stiff in the hips.  Has solid vision and doesn't waste time getting north and south.  Exhibits good contact balance and runs with a forward lean.  A little erect in running style but does lower pad level when initiating contact.  Looks to set his feet in pass pro but has a tendency to drift back once engaged.  Can track the ball down the field as a receiver and will high point.  Has been very productive and while not a blazer, has good play speed.  Should get a training camp invite in 2011.

#80 Marc Mariani WR 6'0" 185 4.5 Senior

Mariani is an efficient big play threat for the Grizzlies due to his play speed.  He is a dual threat return specialist who averaged over 16 yards/PR in 2008.  Catches many of his punts moving forward, which is a reflection of his relative ease when tracking the flight of balls.  Hands catcher who will immediately turn up field after making grabs.  Strength in the lower body shouldn't be underestimated and he will break arm tackles.  Has a nice feel for how to set up a defender with head and shoulder fakes when running seven routes outside.  Lacks hip flexibility...but gets north and south immediately after pulling in balls and tough enough to venture over middle.  Effective blocker who is pesky in this area.  Has averaged nearly 20 yards/reception over the last two years and is a constant scoring threat.  Will at least get a training camp invite, likely as a high priority free agent.

#72 Levi Horn LT 6'7" 305 Senior  

The angular left tackle may be best suited for inside duties or a move to the right tackle spot at the next level.  While he exhibits nice overall growth potential at the tackle spot, his footwork needs major improvement to be able to compete outside in space.  He displays efficient range to get to the second level, but will struggle to get in position versus LBs, DBs with wiggle.  He will dip his head versus inside movement and likes to quick set vs. DL.  This will not be effective moving forward and his biggest area of refinement will have to be the depth he gets with his initial kick step.  Opponents with first step quickness too easily climb a shoulder on the talented senior tackle.  He shows the arm length to ride DEs around the arc of the QB, but this tendency forces his hips to be parallel with the sidelines, leaving him vulnerable to inside movement.  Horn has a nice get-off in short yardage/GL situations and can cut off opponents in their zone blocking schemes.  The Spokane, Washington native's overall balance has to be evaluated more.

#77 Terran Hillseland OG 6'7" 310 Senior

Hillseland really came on strong in the run blocking aspect of his game as Montana made its deep playoff run in 2008. Hides team's pulling blocking schemes with little variance in pre-snap looks.  You can often get a good pre-snap key on a team's running game by looking to see if the guards are set back deeper than the rest of the offensive line.  If so, this alerts LBs and DBs to the potential running play the team has designated.  Hillseland can get out of his stance and pulls effectively.  He doesn't give away plays in his pre-snap alignments.  Able to wall off and control defensive linemen who pick a side.  Not sure if he will be effective hitting moving targets in space when facing better competition, but he has gotten it done over the course of the last two seasons.  I'm not as comfortable with his pass pro.  The false step (with outside foot) he sometimes displays in the run game doesn't appear as visible here, but he does struggle to sit and anchor versus the bull rush.  3-techniques with lower body strength will walk him back into QBs at the next level. Hand speed needs to improve.  Could be a developmental type for a team with patience.