Depth of Grizzly safeties could be group’s biggest asset in 2019

Depth of Grizzly safeties could be group’s biggest asset in 2019

8/19/2019 7:04:00 PM | Football

By: Montana Sports Information

One of the deepest positions on the Montana football roster has put together an impressive fall camp so far. The safeties under head coach Bobby Hauck are a tough bunch, and they have come together as a solid unit.

There are plenty of stories for how the Grizzly safeties ended up at Montana. Gavin Robertson, a key player in last year's defense, transferred from Arizona. Nash Fouch and Gavin Crow arrived at UM out of Washington high schools. Robby Hauck began his collegiate career at Big Sky rival Northern Arizona, and there are also several small-town Montanans in the position group, including Josh Sandry and Michael McGinnis.

McGinnis went to high school in Sidney, Montana. It may be a nearly Nine-plus hour drive away from Missoula, but McGinnis said he was born and raised a Grizzly. He suited up in every game last year, primarily taking on a role as a special teams player.

Now the redshirt sophomore is looking to crack into the rotation and see some time at safety this season. But for McGinnis, the chance to put on the Grizzly jersey and represent Montana is better than his wildest dream.

"It's been pretty surreal, honestly. I never really expected it growing up," McGinnis said. "Honestly, (playing at Montana) never really crossed my mind. This is a really high standard, and it's always been a high standard, and coming from high school in small-town Sidney, Montana - the last guy to go from there was Terran Hillesland - so it had been a while. I came up to camp one time just for fun and ended up getting an offer and was pretty ecstatic to come here for sure."

He is part of a unit that could be very special this season. Hauck was a finalist for FCS Freshman of the Year and was fifth in the Big Sky with 95 tackles. Sandry had 61 tackles and two interceptions. Robertson had 48 tackles in 2018. All three return and should see significant playing time.

But there are plenty of other guys biting at their heels. Despite the competition, McGinnis says they are a very tight group. He credited Sandry, a redshirt senior, and safeties coach Shann Shillinger for leading the unit.

"We don't even think about it as a battle. It's more of a brotherhood. We help each other out, every single time," McGinnis said. "We ask each other questions, and it's more of a how can I support you. We don't really care too much because we all know that your time comes eventually and you just learn as much as you can from each other."

Robertson and Hauck were named co-recipients of the Golden Helmet Award, which honors the team's hardest hitter. The physicality is something that the group embraces.

"I feel like we just play physical and we want to be the toughest group on the defense," Robertson said. "We're out there giving it our all, and we're all ready to go."

Now in the back half of fall camp, the team has said that everything has been much crisper in year two under Coach Hauck. Despite some interference by the Montana weather, the work has been put in.

"I feel like we've had a good camp so far," Robertson said. "We've put in a lot of work. There have been hot days and thunderstorms, all that and we've just fought through it. We're just out here getting after it, so I think it's been good so far."

After waiting so long to take the field for real, though, Robertson and his teammates are getting amped up for the season opener against South Dakota on August 31.

"I'm excited, we're excited, it's time to get up and go."

Gallery: (8/19/2019) FB:: Fall Camp Practice 12

Montana returned to the practice field Monday after a day off on Sunday to rest the bodies. They also spent time Saturday afternoon helping UM freshmen move into the dorms on campus ahead of the first day of classes.

But it was back to full pads to start the week, a day that saw more action on the ground than any before it in camp. Still, the first major highlight of the day came through the air when Garrett Graves found Samuel Akem over the top for a long touchdown.

During drills in the redzone, Mitch Roberts flashed his strong hands with a touchdown grab through traffic. Malik Flowers also had an impressive play, rising high and reaching over his own head for a touchdown.

Big Sky Preseason Defensive MVP Dante Olson had an interception during skeleton, and then in full team play Justin Calhoun jumped a route for a pick. Then the ground game got going, led by transfer Marcus Knight, who busted off a long run on the outside for a touchdown. Graves then kept it himself for a touchdown around the edge, and Cam Humphrey also got in on the action with a TD scramble of his own.

Adam Eastwood put an exclamation point on practice with by smashing through the line for a goal line touchdown.

The Grizzlies will hold three more practices at Dornblaser Field this week before moving into Washington-Grizzly Stadium for the first game-prep week of the season on Monday, Aug. 26.

The team will also be in Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Friday, Aug. 23 for the annual Great Griz Encounter and Family Movie Night, where fans can meet the UM football and volleyball teams, get autographs, enjoy great food, and watch a movie on the Griz Vision big screen.

Remaining Fall Camp Schedule
Tuesday, Aug. 20: Practice 13
Wednesday, Aug. 21: Practice 14
Thursday, Aug. 22: Practice 15 (10:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m.)
Friday, Aug. 23: Closed Practice / Great Griz Encounter
Saturday, Aug. 24: Closed Practice
Sunday, Aug. 25: OFF
Monday, Aug. 26: Practice 18 (Washington-Grizzly Stadium)
Tuesday, Aug. 27: Practice 19 (Riverbowl)
Wednesday, Aug. 28: Practice 20 (Riverbowl)
Thursday, Aug. 29: Closed Practice
Friday, Aug. 30: Travel
Saturday, Aug. 31: vs South Dakota, 1 p.m. (MT) on ABC Montana.
** Schedule subject to change