Lightning sparks a high-energy practice to cap week one of fall camp

The Montana Grizzlies capped the first week of fall camp with a memorable Sunday practice that seemed more like spring camp than mid-August in Missoula.

Early in the day, head coach Bobby Hauck and his staff made the call to move the sixth practice of the fall from the open expanse of Dornblaser Field inside confines of Washington-Grizzly Stadium, with weather reports predicting up to 100% chance of rain and widespread lightning.

Every once in a while, the weatherman gets it right.

About 20 minutes into practice the skies over the University of Montana opened up, and torrential rain and even dime-sized hail started pouring down.

Unfortunately for the Griz though, lightning strikes associated with the storm put a halt to practice about 30 minutes in, and the team was forced indoors as the worst of the storm passed.

After a roughly 35-minute lightning delay, the team once again emerged from the Washington-Grizzly Champions center. While it was still pouring the rain didn't dampen any spirits, with the energy inside the stadium palpable as the Grizzlies pushed through the remaining practice schedule, which included four team periods and was punctuated by a Bryson Deming touchdown catch in the final minutes.

Gallery: (8/11/2019) FB:: Fall Camp Practice 6

It was a soggy finish to the week, but despite sore bodies from a full-pads practice on Saturday the rain seemed to wash away the dog days of summer.

"I think you need to have an understanding that you're never going to be a hundred percent after the first day. So, they were told on day two the best you're going to feel was yesterday and we need to continue to fight through it and perform when we're not a hundred percent," said Hauck.

"That's the football player mentality and approach to the game that all good players have."

With the abbreviated practice, the Grizzlies will now take Monday off to rest the bodies before getting back to work on Tuesday for a full-pads practice that is scheduled to return to Dornblaser Field at 2:30.

The Grizzlies open the regular season in 20 days when UM hits the road to Vermillion to take on South Dakota in an important nonconference matchup. Montana then returns to Missoula for the home opener against North Alabama under the lights on Sept. 7.

University of Montana Athletics

Lightning sparks a high-energy practice to cap week one of fall camp

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