University of Montana athletic director Jim O’Day admitted he wasn’t expecting the Grizzlies’ to gain the No. 1 seed for the 2009 Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.

O’Day, who served on the selection committee that chose the 16-team bracket Sunday, said things fell into place just right for the 11-0 Griz, who were eventually granted the top spot and will host South Dakota State in the first round on Saturday.

“I think the committee looked at Montana being the only unbeaten team, and that was important,” O’Day said. “As I was listening to the discussions, I felt that a lot of the committee members thought highly of Montana and very highly of the play of the Big Sky Conference.”

Conspiracy theorists need not gripe, because O’Day had nothing to do with UM gaining the top seed. As the Griz AD, he was not allowed to vote on that particular matter.

But O’Day, who has two years remaining on his four-year term on the selection committee, played a role in Eastern Washington and Weber State getting into the postseason as the second and third teams from the Big Sky.

 Still, he said those selections were a matter of esteem by the committee, too.

“There is more and more respect for the way football is being played out west,” O’Day said. “(Montana’s) win over James Madison last year was big. People remembered that. And the way (western) teams have competed when they have been in playoffs the last few years was another big reason for it.”

O’Day said Eastern Washington’s victory at Northern Arizona cinched up an at-large bid for the Eagles, while Weber State, which trounced Cal Poly, got help from losses by Northern Iowa and Liberty.

Weber State’s close losses to FBS teams Wyoming and Colorado State went a long way for the Wildcats, too.

O’Day also said Montana State was still being considered despite the Bobcats’ 33-19 loss to Montana.

“Our league had some teams that were peaking at the right time and playing extremely well,” O’Day said. “Four of them were playing very well. Had Montana State beaten Montana, there was probably a good chance they would have gotten in over one of the other teams.”

 

Mariani honored

 

Montana receiver and punt returner Marc Mariani was chosen as the league’s special teams player of the week for his efforts in the Grizzlies’ win over MSU.

Mariani, a senior from Havre, returned three punts for 87 yards and caught two touchdown passes against the Bobcats.

Mariani’s long punt return was a 53-yarder. He also helped set up a touchdown with another long return. Mariani caught six passes for 63 yards, including TD catches of 9 and 6 yards.

It was Mariani’s second player of the week nod this season and the fifth of his career.

 

Surgery for Bignell

 

Montana State linebacker and leading tackler Clay Bignell missed the Cat-Griz game after undergoing emergency surgery Thursday for an infection in his lower back.

MSU officials said Bignell had surgery again on Sunday for a condition coach Rob Ash called “serious.”

Sophomore defensive end Brad Smith, who has missed most of the season with a shoulder injury and also did not play, wore Bignell’s No. 42 on the sideline Saturday.

Smith said Bignell had been looking forward to the game all season, and he thought Bignell deserved to at least have his jersey on the field.

 

MSU looks forward

 

The dejection from a fourth-straight loss to Montana was especially palpable Saturday afternoon for Montana State, but the Bobcats already have an optimistic outlook for next season.

MSU will bring back several key players to a team that made considerable strides in coach Rob Ash’s third season.

Offensively the Bobcats are expected to return eight starters including quarterback Cody Kempt, receivers Elvis Akpla, Everett Gilbert and Julius Lloyd and four offensive linemen.

Kicker Jason Cunningham, one of the top performers in the league at his position, is also set to come back, as are running backs C.J. Palmer and Blayde Becksted.

The numbers are just as reassuring defensively, as lineman Dan Ogden, linebackers Jody Owens and Brad Daly and defensive backs Mike Rider, Jordan Craney and Darius Jones are among those expected to be back.

The defense will also likely get a boost from some players who missed considerable time due to injury, including defensive end Brad Smith and defensive backs Arnold Briggs and Zach Coleman. Bignell’s return would be welcomed with open arms, too.

The Bobcats lose just 13 seniors, among them quarterback Mark Iddins, defensive end Dane Fletcher, guard Jeff Hansen, running back Aaron Mason, linebacker Jeff Price, defensive back Kevin Retoriano and punter Eric Fisher.

 

Around the league

 

Eastern Washington QB Matt Nichols and Northern Arizona QB Michael Herrick shared the Big Sky’s offensive player of the week honor. Nichols threw for 408 yards and five TDs as EWU beat NAU 49-45. Not to be outdone, Herrick tied a single-game conference record with 47 completions in 65 attempts for a school-record 574 yards and four TDs. Herrick also took home the national player of the week award from The Sports Network. … Weber State LB Nick Webb took home the defensive player of the week award. Webb had nine tackles, forced a fumble and recovered a fumble in a 47-14 win over Cal Poly.