2007 Griz football outlook
3/23/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
The University of Montana Grizzlies should once again find themselves as the favorite in the Big Sky Conference and why not?
The Griz have now won or shared nine Big Sky Conference championships in a row, and in 12 of the last 14 seasons. The Grizzlies have made a record 14 Football Championship Subdivision (formerly called Division I-AA) playoff appearances in a row. UM has been ranked in The Sports Network??s top 25 Division I-AA 198 of the past 202 weeks.
Put plain and simple, Montana has been the most dominant and consistent team in the FCS the past decade-and-a-half.
The Grizzlies return 19+ starters and 58 lettermen from a 12-2 team that was a perfect 8-0 en route to yet another title, and was ranked third in the Sports Network??s season-ending poll.
Two additional reasons for the high expectations of the team this season are the return of Walter Payton Award candidate Lex Hilliard at running back and Kroy Biermann, a finalist for the 2006 Buck Buchanan Award.
OFFENSIVE OVERVIEW
The Grizzlies lost only two players on offense: center Jeff Marshall and quarterback Josh Swogger, both second team all-league picks, who graduated. Hilliard, who returns from a redshirt season due to injury, is one of nine-plus starters, 25 lettermen, and nine players who received at least honorable mention all-league recognition who are back on offense
Hilliard (6-0, 235) begins his senior campaign ranked second in school history with 2,884 rushing yards for 34 touchdowns. Also back are senior Reggie Bradshaw (6-0, 215) and sophomore Thomas Brooks-Fletcher, who started 12 games between them last season. Sophomore Brandon Utterback (6-0, 195) is also vying for playing time.
Tackles Cody Balogh (14 starts), Brent Russum (10 starts) and Levi Horn (four starts) both return, as do guards Colin Dow (14 starts), Terran Hillesland (10 starts), and Eric Michel (four starts).
Talented sophomores Dan Beaudin and Steve Pfahler combined for 14 starts at tight end.
Last season Montana was ranked 20th in the nation in passing (227.2 yards a game), 22nd in total offense (366.57 yards a game), and 23rd in scoring (27.5 points a game).
QUARTERBACK: Junior Cole Bergquist (6-2, 207) is 6-3 as a starter the past two seasons, and has the inside track to replace all-league signal caller Swogger. Sophomore letterman Clint Stapp (6-3, 223), redshirt freshman Andrew Selle (6-2, 207), and ??greyshirt?? Jeff Larson (6-4, 220) are also in the mix.
Bergquist led UM to a 36-7 win over South Dakota State last season in his only start, while as a redshirt freshman he passed for 1,275 yards and eight touchdowns, and went 5-3 as a starter.
HALFBACK: Hilliard has been a unanimous first team All-Big Sky selection the past two seasons in a row and was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award in 2005, when he rushed for 1,322 yards and 12 touchdowns and was ranked 19th in the nation when he averaged 110.17 yards per game.
Bradshaw was UM??s leading rusher last season with 572 yards and a team-high 10 touchdowns, and an honorable mention all-conference pick. Brooks-Fletcher (5-10, 202) rushed for 479 yards and two scores. Junior Greg Coleman, a 6-0, 235-pound transfer from Iowa State, started UM??s season opener at Iowa, but was forced to redshirt last year when he was injured in that contest.
Veteran Brady Green (5-9, 195), who graduated, was second on the team with 520 yards rushing for seven TDs and honorable mention all-league last year.
OFFENSIVE LINE: This was an area of concern a year ago, but will be a major strength this season.
Senior Cody Balogh (6-7, 300) has started 26 games in a row at left tackle, and was a first team All-Big Sky choice last season and named a third team All-American by the Sports Network. Junior Brent Russum (6-4, 285) was honorable mention all-league last season, while sophomore Levi Horn (6-7, 300) started every game at the other tackle spot a year ago along with Russum.
Also at tackle are promising sophomore Chris Dyk (6-8, 287) and senior letterman Ryan Gustafson (6-5, 280) both missed last season with injuries and are still recovering, but will be ready to contribute in 2007.
The Griz will miss Marshall, a second team all-league pick the last two seasons, but this position should not miss a beat with the addition of Oklahoma transfer J.D. Quinn, a 6-4, 310-pound junior. Veteran Eric Michel (6-6, 285, Sr.) backs up Quinn and may start at left guard, something he did the last five games last season. Sophomore Dan Girard (6-4 ? , 285) and redshirt freshman Nick Lebsock (6-4, 240) provide solid depth.
Junior Colin Dow (6-5, 318) was a first team All-Big Sky selection at guard a season ago, while sophomore Terran Hillesland backs up Dow and will compete for the starting job with Michel at the other guard slot. Newcomer John Dapper (6-6, 270, RS, Fr.) is also vying for playing time.
WIDE RECEIVER: UM returns its top four receivers, as Eric Allen, Ryan Bagley, Craig Chambers, and Mike Ferriter combined for 175 catches, 2,521 yards and 17 touchdowns. Allen was a first team all-league pick last season and had a team-high 801 yards receiving. Unfortunately Bagley (6-4, 210, Sr.), who had a team-best 55 receptions, along with Chambers (6-4, 200, Sr.) suffered injuries early in spring drills and won??t return to the field until fall camp begins.
Depth at the wide receiver slots is provided by juniors Rob Schulte (5-8, 183) and Matt Troxel (5-9, 175), and sophomores Marc Mariani (6-0, 180) and Tyler Palmer (6-3, 210).
TIGHT END: Young, but talented best describes this position, with sophomores Dan Beaudin (6-5, 242) and Steven Pfahler (6-5, 250), who shared the starting duties a year ago and were both tabbed by Hauck as ??2007 Honors Candidates.?? Add to the mix talented redshirt freshman Robert Overton (6-6, 227).
H-BACK: Sophomore Kevin Klaboe (6-2, 227) was an honorable mention all-league pick at fullback a year ago, and is a capable receiver and solid blocker. All three of the tight end also play h-back on occasion.
KICKER: Senior Dan Carpenter (6-2, 207) was second team all-league for the second straight season in 2007, when he made 24-of-30 field goals and led the nation in that category, making 1.71 FGs a game. He also handled the punting duties and was honorable mention all-conference, averaging 41.9 yards an attempt.
DEFENSIVE OVERVIEW
The Griz return eight starters, all of whom were all-league selections at some level, along with 31 lettermen.
Defensively, Montana has first-team all-league choices Biermann, safeties Colt Anderson and Torrey Thomas back, as well as second team pick Jimmy Wilson at cornerback.
Also returning on ??D?? are UM??s three starting linebackers, Tyler Joyce, Kyle Ryan, and Loren Utterback, and tackle Craig Mettler -- all honorable mention All-Big Sky picks. Also returning for the defense is senior punter Tyson Johnson, a three-year starter who missed last season due to injury.
Joyce and Ryan tied for the team lead with 115 tackles each. They were followed by Utterback (103 total tackles), Anderson (92 TT), and Biermann (78 TT). Biermann had a team-high 13.5 stops for losses and 11 sacks. Thomas, who is sitting out spring drills with an injury, led UM with four interceptions.
Montana was ranked ninth in the country in total defense, allowing 266.4 yards a game. UM was also ranked among the national leaders in rushing defense (ninth, giving up 106.8 yards a game), scoring defense (14th, allowing 16.1 points a game, and 29th in turnover margin (+.50 a game).
DEFENSIVE END: Biermann (6-3, 238),a first team All-Big Sky pick, who finished 11th in the balloting for the Buck Buchanan Award (defensive player of the year) last season, had team-highs of 13.5 stops for loss and 11 sacks, and was fifth on the team with 78 tackles.
Junior Mike Stadnyk (6-3, 260) returns after a redshirt year due to injury and will be the other starter at D-end. Stadnyk??s return should offset the loss of seniors Mike Murphy and Dustin Dlouhy, two of UM??s all-time career sacks leaders, who both graduated.
Depth will come from the likes of junior Karl Pitcher (6-2, 233), sophomores Jace Palmer (6-3, 22), George Mercer (6-3, 219), and Austin Mullins (6-2, 255). That quarter could be pushed by up-and-coming redshirt freshmen Tyler Hobbs (6-4, 255) and Carson Bender (6-4, 265).
DEFENSIVE TACKLE: Junior ??Honors Candidate?? Craig Mettler (6-4, 265) started 11games last season, while senior Kelly Kain (6-4, 282) had three. Junior Jesse Carlson (6-3, 260) has seen a lot of playing time, but continues to be plagued by injuries. Dan Carter (6-5, 308) was moved from offense to defense two years ago and will contribute, as will fellow sophomore Jackson Ledgerwood (6-2, 236). Redshirt freshman Alex Verlanic (6-2, 266) also hopes to contribute.
LINEBACKER: Joyce, Ryan, and Utterback had 41 of 42 possible starts at linebacker, and the other start came from fellow senior Alex Hawthorne. Joyce (6-5, 227), Ryan (6-3, 225), and Utterback (6-2, 215) were all honorable mention all-league selections last season.
Depth will come from Hawthorne (6-1, 240), Muckie Foreman (6-1, 207, Sr.), along with juniors Tyler Corwin (6-3, 230), Shawn Lebsock (6-0, 218), and Tom Martin (5-10, 200). Sophomore Tyler Pelluer (6-2, 222) was slowed by injuries last season and vying for playing time.
CORNERBACK: Senior Tuff Harris (6-0, 197) started all 12 games a year ago, and junior Jimmy Wilson (5-11, 184) had six starts. Wilson had a team-high 10 pass deflections in 2005 and tied for the second most interceptions on the team with three. Harris had 30 solo tackles, which was the third most on the team. Both Harris and Wilson were honorable mention all-league picks in 2005.
Junior Quinton Jackson (5-11, 176) and sophomore Tim Parks (5-10, 178) add quality depth, while junior Brandon Dwyer, who was moved from wide receiver to corner, is vying for playing time. Junior Chris Clark (5-11, 165) saw considerable action last season before being sidelined with a leg injury and did not participate in spring drills as he recovered from that injury.
SAFETY: Junior Torrey Thomas (6-0, 190) started all 12 contests last year, as did his brother, Tyler, who graduated. Senior Matt Lebsock (5-11, 186) and junior Van Cooper Jr. (6-2, 200) have considerable experience. Torrey Thomas, an honorable mention All-Big Sky pick a year ago, had a team-best four interceptions and is the team??s fifth leading returning tackler with 47 stops.
Redshirt freshmen Brandon Fisher (5-10, 200) and Shann Schillinger (6-1, 193) each missed last season due to injury, and both will see playing time. Sophomore Colt Anderson (5-10, 182) is also in the mix.
SPECIAL TEAMS OVERVIEW
??When a guy gets on the field, you have a tendency to expect them to be perfect.?? Hauck said. ??It??s nice to have veterans back at the punter and kicker positions. We expect those two guys to be very productive and be a real strength for our football team.??
KICKER/PUNTER: At punter, senior Tyson Johnson has ranked among the Division I-AA leaders since his freshman season. He was second team all-league last season and ranked 17th in the country, averaging 41.03 yards a punt, and 20 of his 63 kicks were inside the opponent??s 20-yard line.
Junior kicker Dan Carpenter has been a second team All-Big Sky pick the past two seasons. Last year he made 14-of-21 field goal attempts, including a career-long 50-yarder at Northern Arizona.
RETURNS: Harris was a first team All-Big Sky pick at punt returner and was ranked 14th in the nation, averaging 12.6 yards on 25 returns, while Schulte was ranked 14th in the I-AA ranks by averaging 26.1 yards on 23 kickoff returns.
Schulte, Troxel, and Jackson are all working as punt returners, while Jackson, Reggie Bradshaw, and Troxel may return kickoffs.
The Griz have now won or shared nine Big Sky Conference championships in a row, and in 12 of the last 14 seasons. The Grizzlies have made a record 14 Football Championship Subdivision (formerly called Division I-AA) playoff appearances in a row. UM has been ranked in The Sports Network??s top 25 Division I-AA 198 of the past 202 weeks.
Put plain and simple, Montana has been the most dominant and consistent team in the FCS the past decade-and-a-half.
The Grizzlies return 19+ starters and 58 lettermen from a 12-2 team that was a perfect 8-0 en route to yet another title, and was ranked third in the Sports Network??s season-ending poll.
Two additional reasons for the high expectations of the team this season are the return of Walter Payton Award candidate Lex Hilliard at running back and Kroy Biermann, a finalist for the 2006 Buck Buchanan Award.
OFFENSIVE OVERVIEW
The Grizzlies lost only two players on offense: center Jeff Marshall and quarterback Josh Swogger, both second team all-league picks, who graduated. Hilliard, who returns from a redshirt season due to injury, is one of nine-plus starters, 25 lettermen, and nine players who received at least honorable mention all-league recognition who are back on offense
Hilliard (6-0, 235) begins his senior campaign ranked second in school history with 2,884 rushing yards for 34 touchdowns. Also back are senior Reggie Bradshaw (6-0, 215) and sophomore Thomas Brooks-Fletcher, who started 12 games between them last season. Sophomore Brandon Utterback (6-0, 195) is also vying for playing time.
Tackles Cody Balogh (14 starts), Brent Russum (10 starts) and Levi Horn (four starts) both return, as do guards Colin Dow (14 starts), Terran Hillesland (10 starts), and Eric Michel (four starts).
Talented sophomores Dan Beaudin and Steve Pfahler combined for 14 starts at tight end.
Last season Montana was ranked 20th in the nation in passing (227.2 yards a game), 22nd in total offense (366.57 yards a game), and 23rd in scoring (27.5 points a game).
QUARTERBACK: Junior Cole Bergquist (6-2, 207) is 6-3 as a starter the past two seasons, and has the inside track to replace all-league signal caller Swogger. Sophomore letterman Clint Stapp (6-3, 223), redshirt freshman Andrew Selle (6-2, 207), and ??greyshirt?? Jeff Larson (6-4, 220) are also in the mix.
Bergquist led UM to a 36-7 win over South Dakota State last season in his only start, while as a redshirt freshman he passed for 1,275 yards and eight touchdowns, and went 5-3 as a starter.
HALFBACK: Hilliard has been a unanimous first team All-Big Sky selection the past two seasons in a row and was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award in 2005, when he rushed for 1,322 yards and 12 touchdowns and was ranked 19th in the nation when he averaged 110.17 yards per game.
Bradshaw was UM??s leading rusher last season with 572 yards and a team-high 10 touchdowns, and an honorable mention all-conference pick. Brooks-Fletcher (5-10, 202) rushed for 479 yards and two scores. Junior Greg Coleman, a 6-0, 235-pound transfer from Iowa State, started UM??s season opener at Iowa, but was forced to redshirt last year when he was injured in that contest.
Veteran Brady Green (5-9, 195), who graduated, was second on the team with 520 yards rushing for seven TDs and honorable mention all-league last year.
OFFENSIVE LINE: This was an area of concern a year ago, but will be a major strength this season.
Senior Cody Balogh (6-7, 300) has started 26 games in a row at left tackle, and was a first team All-Big Sky choice last season and named a third team All-American by the Sports Network. Junior Brent Russum (6-4, 285) was honorable mention all-league last season, while sophomore Levi Horn (6-7, 300) started every game at the other tackle spot a year ago along with Russum.
Also at tackle are promising sophomore Chris Dyk (6-8, 287) and senior letterman Ryan Gustafson (6-5, 280) both missed last season with injuries and are still recovering, but will be ready to contribute in 2007.
The Griz will miss Marshall, a second team all-league pick the last two seasons, but this position should not miss a beat with the addition of Oklahoma transfer J.D. Quinn, a 6-4, 310-pound junior. Veteran Eric Michel (6-6, 285, Sr.) backs up Quinn and may start at left guard, something he did the last five games last season. Sophomore Dan Girard (6-4 ? , 285) and redshirt freshman Nick Lebsock (6-4, 240) provide solid depth.
Junior Colin Dow (6-5, 318) was a first team All-Big Sky selection at guard a season ago, while sophomore Terran Hillesland backs up Dow and will compete for the starting job with Michel at the other guard slot. Newcomer John Dapper (6-6, 270, RS, Fr.) is also vying for playing time.
WIDE RECEIVER: UM returns its top four receivers, as Eric Allen, Ryan Bagley, Craig Chambers, and Mike Ferriter combined for 175 catches, 2,521 yards and 17 touchdowns. Allen was a first team all-league pick last season and had a team-high 801 yards receiving. Unfortunately Bagley (6-4, 210, Sr.), who had a team-best 55 receptions, along with Chambers (6-4, 200, Sr.) suffered injuries early in spring drills and won??t return to the field until fall camp begins.
Depth at the wide receiver slots is provided by juniors Rob Schulte (5-8, 183) and Matt Troxel (5-9, 175), and sophomores Marc Mariani (6-0, 180) and Tyler Palmer (6-3, 210).
TIGHT END: Young, but talented best describes this position, with sophomores Dan Beaudin (6-5, 242) and Steven Pfahler (6-5, 250), who shared the starting duties a year ago and were both tabbed by Hauck as ??2007 Honors Candidates.?? Add to the mix talented redshirt freshman Robert Overton (6-6, 227).
H-BACK: Sophomore Kevin Klaboe (6-2, 227) was an honorable mention all-league pick at fullback a year ago, and is a capable receiver and solid blocker. All three of the tight end also play h-back on occasion.
KICKER: Senior Dan Carpenter (6-2, 207) was second team all-league for the second straight season in 2007, when he made 24-of-30 field goals and led the nation in that category, making 1.71 FGs a game. He also handled the punting duties and was honorable mention all-conference, averaging 41.9 yards an attempt.
DEFENSIVE OVERVIEW
The Griz return eight starters, all of whom were all-league selections at some level, along with 31 lettermen.
Defensively, Montana has first-team all-league choices Biermann, safeties Colt Anderson and Torrey Thomas back, as well as second team pick Jimmy Wilson at cornerback.
Also returning on ??D?? are UM??s three starting linebackers, Tyler Joyce, Kyle Ryan, and Loren Utterback, and tackle Craig Mettler -- all honorable mention All-Big Sky picks. Also returning for the defense is senior punter Tyson Johnson, a three-year starter who missed last season due to injury.
Joyce and Ryan tied for the team lead with 115 tackles each. They were followed by Utterback (103 total tackles), Anderson (92 TT), and Biermann (78 TT). Biermann had a team-high 13.5 stops for losses and 11 sacks. Thomas, who is sitting out spring drills with an injury, led UM with four interceptions.
Montana was ranked ninth in the country in total defense, allowing 266.4 yards a game. UM was also ranked among the national leaders in rushing defense (ninth, giving up 106.8 yards a game), scoring defense (14th, allowing 16.1 points a game, and 29th in turnover margin (+.50 a game).
DEFENSIVE END: Biermann (6-3, 238),a first team All-Big Sky pick, who finished 11th in the balloting for the Buck Buchanan Award (defensive player of the year) last season, had team-highs of 13.5 stops for loss and 11 sacks, and was fifth on the team with 78 tackles.
Junior Mike Stadnyk (6-3, 260) returns after a redshirt year due to injury and will be the other starter at D-end. Stadnyk??s return should offset the loss of seniors Mike Murphy and Dustin Dlouhy, two of UM??s all-time career sacks leaders, who both graduated.
Depth will come from the likes of junior Karl Pitcher (6-2, 233), sophomores Jace Palmer (6-3, 22), George Mercer (6-3, 219), and Austin Mullins (6-2, 255). That quarter could be pushed by up-and-coming redshirt freshmen Tyler Hobbs (6-4, 255) and Carson Bender (6-4, 265).
DEFENSIVE TACKLE: Junior ??Honors Candidate?? Craig Mettler (6-4, 265) started 11games last season, while senior Kelly Kain (6-4, 282) had three. Junior Jesse Carlson (6-3, 260) has seen a lot of playing time, but continues to be plagued by injuries. Dan Carter (6-5, 308) was moved from offense to defense two years ago and will contribute, as will fellow sophomore Jackson Ledgerwood (6-2, 236). Redshirt freshman Alex Verlanic (6-2, 266) also hopes to contribute.
LINEBACKER: Joyce, Ryan, and Utterback had 41 of 42 possible starts at linebacker, and the other start came from fellow senior Alex Hawthorne. Joyce (6-5, 227), Ryan (6-3, 225), and Utterback (6-2, 215) were all honorable mention all-league selections last season.
Depth will come from Hawthorne (6-1, 240), Muckie Foreman (6-1, 207, Sr.), along with juniors Tyler Corwin (6-3, 230), Shawn Lebsock (6-0, 218), and Tom Martin (5-10, 200). Sophomore Tyler Pelluer (6-2, 222) was slowed by injuries last season and vying for playing time.
CORNERBACK: Senior Tuff Harris (6-0, 197) started all 12 games a year ago, and junior Jimmy Wilson (5-11, 184) had six starts. Wilson had a team-high 10 pass deflections in 2005 and tied for the second most interceptions on the team with three. Harris had 30 solo tackles, which was the third most on the team. Both Harris and Wilson were honorable mention all-league picks in 2005.
Junior Quinton Jackson (5-11, 176) and sophomore Tim Parks (5-10, 178) add quality depth, while junior Brandon Dwyer, who was moved from wide receiver to corner, is vying for playing time. Junior Chris Clark (5-11, 165) saw considerable action last season before being sidelined with a leg injury and did not participate in spring drills as he recovered from that injury.
SAFETY: Junior Torrey Thomas (6-0, 190) started all 12 contests last year, as did his brother, Tyler, who graduated. Senior Matt Lebsock (5-11, 186) and junior Van Cooper Jr. (6-2, 200) have considerable experience. Torrey Thomas, an honorable mention All-Big Sky pick a year ago, had a team-best four interceptions and is the team??s fifth leading returning tackler with 47 stops.
Redshirt freshmen Brandon Fisher (5-10, 200) and Shann Schillinger (6-1, 193) each missed last season due to injury, and both will see playing time. Sophomore Colt Anderson (5-10, 182) is also in the mix.
SPECIAL TEAMS OVERVIEW
??When a guy gets on the field, you have a tendency to expect them to be perfect.?? Hauck said. ??It??s nice to have veterans back at the punter and kicker positions. We expect those two guys to be very productive and be a real strength for our football team.??
KICKER/PUNTER: At punter, senior Tyson Johnson has ranked among the Division I-AA leaders since his freshman season. He was second team all-league last season and ranked 17th in the country, averaging 41.03 yards a punt, and 20 of his 63 kicks were inside the opponent??s 20-yard line.
Junior kicker Dan Carpenter has been a second team All-Big Sky pick the past two seasons. Last year he made 14-of-21 field goal attempts, including a career-long 50-yarder at Northern Arizona.
RETURNS: Harris was a first team All-Big Sky pick at punt returner and was ranked 14th in the nation, averaging 12.6 yards on 25 returns, while Schulte was ranked 14th in the I-AA ranks by averaging 26.1 yards on 23 kickoff returns.
Schulte, Troxel, and Jackson are all working as punt returners, while Jackson, Reggie Bradshaw, and Troxel may return kickoffs.
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