#StittHappens has always been a kind of cute and sorta naughty Twitter hashtag. Now, the man behind that expression has put some D-I meat on the marketing bone.
Two-touchdown underdogs entering the regular season and home opener, No. 12 Montana dropped a stunning 38-35 loss on FCS powerhouse and top-ranked North Dakota State Saturday evening. The Bison had entered the opener as back-to-back-to-back-to-back champions of the Football Championship Series, with this defeat marking just their fourth regular-season loss since the end of the 2010 season.
This game, though, was all about #StittHappening.
Bob Stitt became a cult hero in the game of college football thanks to his stint as the innovative -- and flat-out unconventional -- head coach at the Colorado School of Mines. After 15 seasons at the Div. II school, Stitt jumped into his first-ever head-coaching job at the Div. I level, and made an immediate impact.
Trailing 35-28 and facing a fourth and goal from the 11-yard line with roughly 3:30 remaining in the fourth quarter, Stitt opted for a field goal that cut the lead to four. Needing a defensive stand, the Grizzlies got just that on the ensuing drive in forcing a three and out, handing the ball back to the offense with just under two minutes remaining and 80 yards away from the winning score.
Facing a fourth and 10 from the NDSU 44-yard line, Brady Gustafson completed a beautiful pass over the middle to Reese Carlson that went for 33 yards to set the Grizz up in the red zone. Five plays later, on a fourth and goal from the one, Joey Counts powered over through the left side of the line for the game-winning score with just two ticks of the clock remaining.
Don’t fret, though, Bison fan; I get the feeling that, in the end, NDSU will be right back where they’ve been the last handful of years.
Holy Stitt, though, that was a fun way to open the 2015 Div. I season.