For most of the 24,607 fans sitting in Washington-Grizzly Stadium for Montana’s 67-7 romp over Mississippi Valley State, these Keenan Curran plays did not get noticed like his two touchdown catches.
Back in his natural position at ‘X receiver’, Curran locked up the defensive back across from him and drove him out of the way as ‘Z’ receivers James Homan and Caleb Lyons caught swing passes that gained positive yardage each time.
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“I like blocking. I like when my teammates score,” said Curran, a sophomore who transferred from the Air Force Prep Academy prior to the 2015-16 season. “I like when I’m springing a bigger play because it’s something that goes unnoticed.”
Even if blocking on the perimeter doesn’t grab headlines, it catches the most important eyes watching each play. Certainly Montana head coach Bob Stitt and outside receivers coach Nolan Swett appreciated Curran’s two touchdowns as the Griz improved to 4-1. But it was the blocks — the unselfish plays — that showed the two coaches that if Curran hadn’t fully learned his lesson, he was certainly making strides.
Curran was just a week removed from standing on the sidelines for every offensive snap of Montana’s 43-20 homecoming win over Southern Utah. He watched as his replacement, Homan, caught six passes for 103 yards and a touchdown.
He could have responded negatively, could have dropped his head, could have refuted the criticism of those two plays at Cal Poly that may have cost the Grizzlies the win. Instead, he came back onto the field against MVSU and helped Montana to an easy win.
“I was really proud of him of how he responded in the game,” Stitt said of Curran’s two-catch, two-score day. “The team appreciates how he came back. Some guys can go in the tank and say, ‘The heck with it, I’m not starting anymore.’ No, he was just waiting for his opportunity and he took advantage of it.”
Added Swett, “The way he responded was exactly what any coach in America would want a guy to respond.”
Two plays in Montana’s 42-41 loss at Cal Poly caused Swett to keep Curran on the sidelines against Southern Utah. Just two of the Grizzlies 83 plays. But as Swett reiterated Tuesday afternoon, two plays aren’t usually a big deal, but they can be.
In this case they were.
Curran’s setbacks were a dropped pass and a missed signal on an interception in the second quarter.
“I felt like against Cal Poly I let our team down a lot,” said Curran, who leads the Griz with three touchdown catches. “We could be rolling right now and maybe top five in the country, but because I made some mistakes, we are where we’re at.”
Which at 10th in the nation isn’t bad, but Curran isn’t letting that influence his response. He said all the right things in the meetings following the loss, Swett said. But that’s no surprise to Montana’s second-year coach.
“He’s going to do whatever it takes to help the team,” Swett said. “If that’s sit on the bench for 100 plays and play one, that one play is going to be the best of his ability. If it’s play 100 plays, it’s to the best of his ability. He does a great job with that.”
Added Curran, “I think I needed that to be benched that game. I think it cleared my head up and it made me work a lot harder.”
So Curran sat and watched — and cheered. It was shortly after Montana evened its Big Sky record at 1-1, that Curran went on Twitter and lauded Homan’s effort. It’s an extension of the leadership role he assumed during the offseason. He displayed it on social media, in the weight room and on the field during spring drills.
“He was the grizzled vet with four catches,” Swett joked, making light of the inexperience in the Grizzlies’ wide receivers corps.
And just as he received his greatest test since arriving in Missoula, Curran used it as a way to show leadership, too.
“I think it was good by coach Stitt and coach Swett to do that and let all the other guys know that it’s just because you start a game or two, your place isn’t set on the depth chart,” Curran said. “There is always a next guy up. There is always a guy who can come in and do what you’re doing if not better.”
Photos by Jason Bacaj. All Rights Reserved.
