Ah Yat’s Injury Not As Serious As First Thought

Montana quarterback Brian Ah Yat surprised coach Mick Dennehy and his Grizzly teammates Tuesday afternoon by showing up for practice and tossing around a football while showing few signs of discomfort in his heavily braced right knee.

Ah Yat, the Big Sky Conference’s co-offensive player of the year last season, sprained the medial collateral ligament in his knee during the first quarter of last Saturday’s 24-10 non-conference home win over Stephen F. Austin. He missed the rest of the game, but the injury is apparently not as serious as first feared.

Ah Yat, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound junior who threw for 3,615 yards and 42 touchdowns last season, threw on the sidelines in shorts and T-shirt during Tuesday’s practice and is still listed as questionable for Saturday’s home matchup against St. Mary’s.

Doctors are expected to re-examine the knee today and make a more definite statement about his status.

Coach apologizes for remark

First-year Idaho State coach Tom Walsh didn’t do much for his own image or that of his school’s when he went on a postgame radio show following last Saturday’s 43-0 home loss to Idaho and announced that his team played like “a bunch of paraplegics.”

But the former offensive coordinator for the Oakland Raiders tried to make amends Tuesday by issuing an apology through the university’s sports information office.

In a written statement released by the school, Walsh said his comments were “not meant to be construed as offensive to any person or group of people.

“I was trying to say that we made numerous mistakes in the game, that we played badly, and that we were our own worst enemy,” he added. “I sincerely apologize to anyone I may have inadvertently offended.”

Glenn Alford, ISU’s sports information director, said the school had received a number of complaints about Walsh’s remarks.

Big-play specialist

When Eastern Washington’s Maurice Perigo returned a fourth-quarter kickoff 84 yards for the game-breaking touchdown in last Saturday’s 38-14 win over Eastern Oregon, he completed a rare hat trick of sorts.

The senior free safety has now returned at least one kickoff, interception and punt 74 yards or more for a touchdown.

Eagles lose Grant

EWU defensive tackle Avont Grant, who sprained a knee while making his career-high seventh tackle during the third quarter of Saturday’s win over Eastern Oregon, will be sidelined for four to six weeks, according to Eagles coach Mike Kramer.

Kramer said Grant’s starting spot at right tackle will be filled by sophomore Dario Romero, a 6-foot-3, 285-pounder who sat out last season as an academic non-qualifier coming out of Lewis and Clark High.

Rankings roundup

The Big Sky Conference continues to dominate the rankings among Division I-AA teams.

Defending league champion Montana (1-0) is ranked No. 1 and Eastern Washington No. 21 in both The Sports Network and ESPN/USA Today polls. Northern Arizona (1-1) is ranked No. 6 by ESPN/USA Today and No. 7 by The Sports Network.

Quick kicks

After outscoring its first two NAIA opponents 101-21, Eastern Washington ranks No.1 in the nation among Division I-AA schools with an average of 615.5 yards of total offense per game… . In three games against Division I opposition, Cal State Northridge quarterback Aaron Flowers has thrown for 1,157 yards and nine touchdowns. … EWU quarterback Harry Leons ranks No. 3 in the nation in passing efficiency with a rating of 200.16, and Griffin Garske, his backup, ranks No. 4 at 188.12… . When Montana State’s Rob Compson completed 22 of 34 passes for 334 yards and three TDs in last Saturday’s 24-14 win over Chadron State, it marked the first time in 24 games that coach Cliff Hysell’s Bobcats passed the ball more often than they ran it. … Montana tailback Josh Branen, who prepped at Moscow High School, averaged 13.3 yards per carry in last Saturday’s win over Stephen F. Austin… . Six of EWU wide receiver Jeff Ogden’s nine pass receptions this fall have resulted in touchdowns.

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