’95 Griz make historic return to Missoula

COMPLETE HITORICAL RECORD OF '95 CHAMPIONSHIP

For those who were in or around Missoula in December of 1995, they remember the Grizzlies remarkable run to the program's first National Championship like it was yesterday. Who could forget it?

The '95 Griz will be forever etched into Montana sporting lore. A scrappy program on the rise, dominates its way through the national playoffs with an undersized QB, ending up in its first-ever national championship game.

Montana's reward for reaching the title game? A home game against Marshall University, at the time a juggernaut of D1-AA (now FCS) football. The rest, as they say, is history.

The '95 Grizzlies took home the program's first National Championship, spring boarding Montana Football into decades of success. It was a remarkable group of players that gave their heart and soul to the Grizzlies and the fans back in Missoula.

Now, 20 years later, they are giving back again.

2015 marks the 96^th Homecoming in Montana history. It's also the 20th anniversary of that famous season when Don Read's Griz put Montana on the college football map.

"A Tradition of Champions" is the official theme of this year's celebration, and for the first time, the '95 champions are returning home. Roughly 55 members of the 1995 National Championship Grizzlies return to Missoula this weekend to help celebrate Homecoming, but to also give back to the program they represented as student-athletes.

Led by a tireless effort from former Grizzlies Andy Larson and Mike Bouchee, the '95 National Championship team has come together and raised their own personal funds to make a historic gift of $300,000 toward the construction of a team room in the Washington-Grizzly Champions Center.

"It's been so fun to reconnect with these guys, and everyone is so excited, said Andy Larson, kicker from the '95 Griz. "Everyone is doing everything they can to get here. I think its perfect timing as far as a culmination of a gift and our 20-year reunion. I think it was a long time coming, so it feels good to give back and have a celebration at the same time."

Coach Read will return to Missoula with his '95 squad as well, leading the team as the grand marshal in the annual Homecoming parade, set to start at 10 a.m. in downtown Missoula.

For first year Montana head coach Bob Stitt, having the '95 champs back on campus gives his current squad a level of greatness to aspire to that they may not know about, with some current Griz not even being born in '95.

"It's good to honor a group of guys who were the first to get it done right. It's going to be a lot of fun," said Stitt on having the '95 team back home. "It's a great opportunity for our football team, in front of a great crowd, with everybody excited to get this ship righted and get going in the right direction."

There certainly are a lot of high points for the 2015 Griz to emulate from the '95 team, with a laundry list of accolades a mile long.

Consider these stats:

In '95 the Griz went 13-2, and Montana outscored its opponents in the playoffs by a total of 185-34, capped off by the 22-20 win over Marshall.

Dave Dickenson set 26 Montana, Big Sky Conference, and NCAA offensive and passing records in his career at UM, totaling 11,080 yards in the air, accounting for 96 touchdowns. In 30 career starts, he had a record of 27-3.

Nine '95 players were named All-Americans: Dickenson, Matt Wells, Jason Crebo, Mike Agee, Eric Simonson, David Kemfert, Eric Manzanarez, Mike Bouchee and Blaine McElmurry. They were leaders on team that ranked first in the nation in total offense, averaging 512.5 yards per game 42.5 points per game.

Dickenson won the Walter Payton Award in '95, and also won the President's award for the student with the highest GPA at UM (he carried a 3.9 GPA in Molecular Biology). Dickenson, Matt Wells, Josh Branen, and Blaine McElmury were also named Academic All-Americans. Unfortunately Dickenson can't be here this weekend, due to his coaching duties in Canada, but he'll be here in spirit.

Don Read took home the Big Sky Coach of the Year award in '95, and 10 other players were named first-team All-Big Sky Conference.

Amazing numbers.

Another amazing number is $300,000. A gift 20 years in the making that will help build a facility that will easily last another 20 years, provided by a team that left Griz Nation a lifetime of memories.

'95 Grizzlies RSVP'd for Homecoming.

Andy Larson
Brian Toone
Casey Robinson
Corey Falls
Dallas Neil
Damian Khoury
Darren Rowell
Dave Kempfert
David Henkel
David Reeves
Di' Onte Smith
DJ Colter
Don Read
Doug Betters
Eric Buehler
Eric Manzanarez
Greg Fitzgerald
James Tribble
Jason Baker
Jason Crebo
Jerome Souers
Jim Hamilton
Joe Douglass
Joe Lehman
Josh Laslovich
Josh Paffhausen
Justin Gaines
Justin Olsen
Kelly Stensrud
Larry Tofanelli
Marc Bebout
Mark Hampe
Marty Duffin
Matt Wells
Mick Dennehy
Mike Agee
Mike Bouchee
Mike Temple
Nate Dolan
Nate Sanders
Paul Jenkins
Paul Mocko
Randy Allik
Randy Riley
Ryan Palma
Ryan Thompson
Rylan Jollymore
Scott Curry
Scott Spraggins
Sean Goicoechea
Sue Dickenson
Tory Richtmyer
Trevor Woods
Yohanse Manzanarez

University of Montana Athletics

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