Griz defense dominates final fall camp scrimmage
8/23/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
MISSOULA ?C The University of Montana??s defense dominated today in the Grizzlies?? second and final football scrimmage of 2007 fall camp, Thursday morning in UM??s Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
The Griz ??D?? gave up just 156 total yards on 36 plays, allowing just 4.3 yards a play. The offense rushed for 88 yards on 27 carries (a 3.2-yard average) and completed 8-of-9 passes for 68 yards.
??I think we??ve got a decent defense,?? said Griz head coach Bobby Hauck. ??They flew around and played hard, and I was excited about the way they played.??
Senior halfback Reggie Bradshaw scored the only touchdown of the day on a 12-yard run. The only other score came on a 42-yard field goal by senior kicker Dan Carpenter, who had missed a 48-yarder earlier in the scrimmage.
The scrimmage ended on a negative note, as offensive lineman David Arndt, a 6-5 ?, 245-pound freshman from Highlands Ranch, Colo., was injured on the last play and was taken to the hospital via ambulance, for what Griz football athletic trainer J.C. Weida called ??precautionary measures.??
??Any time you have someone go down and you have to take them in an ambulance you worry about it,?? Hauck said. ??But, we are very hopeful everything will be okay.??
Once again, all four of UM??s quarterbacks saw action, including junior starter Cole Bergquist, redshirt freshman Andrew Selle, freshman ??greyshirt?? Jeff Larson, and sophomore Clint Stapp, although Larson and Stapp had the majority of the snaps.
Bergquist, who will get the starting nod against Southern Utah in UM??s opener a week from Saturday here in Missoula, completed 3-of-3 passes for 33 yards in the full-contact portion of the scrimmage. Stapp was 5-of-6 for 30 yards.
Bradshaw was the leading rusher with 9 carries for 29 yards, and he also had 2 receptions. Sophomore halfback Thomas Brooks-Fletcher had 6 rushes for 20 yards, while Larson gained 15 yards on 3 carries.
Senior halfback Lex Hilliard, a two-time All-Big Sky Conference pick who sat out last season with an injury, once again did not have a rushing attempt in the scrimmage, nor did junior running back Greg Coleman, who also sat out last year because of an injury.
Today??s defensive leader was linebacker Andy Gonzales, a freshman walk-on from Vancouver, Wash., who had 9 tackles. Redshirt freshman safety Houston Stockton, a walk-on from Spokane, had 6 tackles, two of which came on special teams.
There were some bright spots for UM in its return game.
Sophomore Marc Mariani had a 22-yard punt return, while junior Rob Schulte had a 20-yarder. Sophomore Tyler Palmer returned a kickoff 39 yards.
Montana??s final two-a-day practice is Friday. The Grizzlies are now practicing on campus at the Riverbowl, which is kitty-corner from Adams Center.
GRIZ GROWLS:
Sophomore receiver Bryan Riggs (Spokane, Wash.) had 2 catches for 17 yards to lead the receivers.
Senior wide receiver Craig Chambers, who was in Missoula for last Saturday??s scrimmage, has returned home and continues to rehab an injury and hopes to be able to play soon.
Junior safety Colt Anderson (Butte) and senior cornerback Chris Clark (Los Angeles) both had interceptions in the ??Thud?? portion of the scrim, and both would have taken those ??picks?? to the end zone had they not been stopped by an official??s whistle.
There are 90 players currently in fall camp practicing with the team, and that number will increase to around 105 or so starting Monday when ??invited walk-ons?? join the team.
A couple of new players who are expected to redshirt this season are Arndt, freshman wide receiver and Lyle Brown (Castle Rock, Colo).
This evening the UM??s coaches and players will attend the annual ??Great Griz Encounter?? at which they are introduced and the players sign 2007 Griz football posters. It is held at Caras Park in downtown Missoula. It will also include the unveiling of the Grizzlies?? new uniforms.
Two Big Sky Conference teams open their seasons next Thursday evening, as Weber State is at former league member and powerhouse Boise State and Northern Arizona hosts Western New Mexico. On Friday, August 31, Eastern Washington hosts the University of Montana-Western in an evening game.
Along with the Griz-Thunderbird match-up, other season openers for conference schools next Saturday, Sept. 1, include Montana State at Texas A&M, Northern Colorado at Hawaii, Sacramento State at Fresno State, and a key early-season FCS showdown featuring No. 13 Portland State at No. 10 McNeese State.
The Griz ??D?? gave up just 156 total yards on 36 plays, allowing just 4.3 yards a play. The offense rushed for 88 yards on 27 carries (a 3.2-yard average) and completed 8-of-9 passes for 68 yards.
??I think we??ve got a decent defense,?? said Griz head coach Bobby Hauck. ??They flew around and played hard, and I was excited about the way they played.??
Senior halfback Reggie Bradshaw scored the only touchdown of the day on a 12-yard run. The only other score came on a 42-yard field goal by senior kicker Dan Carpenter, who had missed a 48-yarder earlier in the scrimmage.
The scrimmage ended on a negative note, as offensive lineman David Arndt, a 6-5 ?, 245-pound freshman from Highlands Ranch, Colo., was injured on the last play and was taken to the hospital via ambulance, for what Griz football athletic trainer J.C. Weida called ??precautionary measures.??
??Any time you have someone go down and you have to take them in an ambulance you worry about it,?? Hauck said. ??But, we are very hopeful everything will be okay.??
Once again, all four of UM??s quarterbacks saw action, including junior starter Cole Bergquist, redshirt freshman Andrew Selle, freshman ??greyshirt?? Jeff Larson, and sophomore Clint Stapp, although Larson and Stapp had the majority of the snaps.
Bergquist, who will get the starting nod against Southern Utah in UM??s opener a week from Saturday here in Missoula, completed 3-of-3 passes for 33 yards in the full-contact portion of the scrimmage. Stapp was 5-of-6 for 30 yards.
Bradshaw was the leading rusher with 9 carries for 29 yards, and he also had 2 receptions. Sophomore halfback Thomas Brooks-Fletcher had 6 rushes for 20 yards, while Larson gained 15 yards on 3 carries.
Senior halfback Lex Hilliard, a two-time All-Big Sky Conference pick who sat out last season with an injury, once again did not have a rushing attempt in the scrimmage, nor did junior running back Greg Coleman, who also sat out last year because of an injury.
Today??s defensive leader was linebacker Andy Gonzales, a freshman walk-on from Vancouver, Wash., who had 9 tackles. Redshirt freshman safety Houston Stockton, a walk-on from Spokane, had 6 tackles, two of which came on special teams.
There were some bright spots for UM in its return game.
Sophomore Marc Mariani had a 22-yard punt return, while junior Rob Schulte had a 20-yarder. Sophomore Tyler Palmer returned a kickoff 39 yards.
Montana??s final two-a-day practice is Friday. The Grizzlies are now practicing on campus at the Riverbowl, which is kitty-corner from Adams Center.
GRIZ GROWLS:
Sophomore receiver Bryan Riggs (Spokane, Wash.) had 2 catches for 17 yards to lead the receivers.
Senior wide receiver Craig Chambers, who was in Missoula for last Saturday??s scrimmage, has returned home and continues to rehab an injury and hopes to be able to play soon.
Junior safety Colt Anderson (Butte) and senior cornerback Chris Clark (Los Angeles) both had interceptions in the ??Thud?? portion of the scrim, and both would have taken those ??picks?? to the end zone had they not been stopped by an official??s whistle.
There are 90 players currently in fall camp practicing with the team, and that number will increase to around 105 or so starting Monday when ??invited walk-ons?? join the team.
A couple of new players who are expected to redshirt this season are Arndt, freshman wide receiver and Lyle Brown (Castle Rock, Colo).
This evening the UM??s coaches and players will attend the annual ??Great Griz Encounter?? at which they are introduced and the players sign 2007 Griz football posters. It is held at Caras Park in downtown Missoula. It will also include the unveiling of the Grizzlies?? new uniforms.
Two Big Sky Conference teams open their seasons next Thursday evening, as Weber State is at former league member and powerhouse Boise State and Northern Arizona hosts Western New Mexico. On Friday, August 31, Eastern Washington hosts the University of Montana-Western in an evening game.
Along with the Griz-Thunderbird match-up, other season openers for conference schools next Saturday, Sept. 1, include Montana State at Texas A&M, Northern Colorado at Hawaii, Sacramento State at Fresno State, and a key early-season FCS showdown featuring No. 13 Portland State at No. 10 McNeese State.
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