Lewis embracing his opportunity at fall camp
8/7/2019 7:58:00 PM | Football
Last fall camp, Jace Lewis saw plenty of action with the number one defense in the lead-up to the season opener. But when that game came around, Josh Buss - the preseason Defensive Player of the Year in the Big Sky - took to the field in the starting role.
For many players, going through camp as the number one only to serve as a backup when gameday came around may have been a hard pill to swallow. But for the redshirt junior out of Townsend, he only saw it as an opportunity to learn behind one of the best.
"Being a backup to Buss was huge for me, just learning under him," Lewis said. "He was a great player, and he was not scared to help me. Most people would maybe be a little bitter about splitting time with an underclassman, but he was right there for me helping me and cheering me on."
Lewis continued to work hard throughout the season, splitting time with Buss and finishing fifth on the team with 62 tackles to his name. Now the lead man at 2019 camp, Lewis and his fellow linebacking group is ready for a big season. Coach Bobby Hauck is expecting improvement out of Lewis in his junior season.
Gallery: (8/7/2019) FB:: Fall Camp Practice 2
"Jace split time with Josh (Buss) last year and was a productive player, and he needs to keep going," Hauck said. "We expect guys to be better as juniors than they were as sophomores, so hopefully he plays even better."
Dante Olson, this year's Big Sky Conference Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, played alongside both Buss and Lewis last year. He got to witness the fantastic career that Buss put together, and said that Lewis is more than ready to step into the starting role.
A player from a smaller high school, Lewis has made his name known in his first two seasons at Montana. This year, as offenses look to avoid Olson, the leading tackler in all of D-I football last season, Lewis will have a significant role to play. And his partner in the middle knows that Lewis is up for the task.
"I think Jace is a great player and he is just relentless," Olson said. "He's a good learner and is fun to play with. He listens to coach, and he encourages the other guys around him. He's a great athlete, I've just got high praise for him."
The Grizzlies have a tradition of strong linebackers, and this year should be no exception. Buss cemented his legacy, alongside names like Caleb McSurdy and Jason Crebo, as some of the all-time best in Montana history.
And while Lewis says he is just one of 11 and that his goal is to help the team win as many games as they can, it is hard to ignore the history, especially for a native Montanan. The chance to play the same position as so many who have gone on to the next level is an exciting opportunity.
"It's a huge honor," Lewis said of playing linebacker at Montana. "Growing up, you are seeing all of these guys come through here that are making it to the NFL, and it's just an honor to be here and maybe leave my legacy one day."
Lewis and his teammates took to Dornblaser Field for day two of fall camp on Wednesday, and the defense certainly made its presence felt, forcing multiple turnovers and playing at high speed. One of those turnovers came from Lewis, who hauled in his own tipped pass for an interception during a team period.
Returning for a second year under Hauck has made things easier as far as the playbook is concerned, and the team knows what defensive coordinator Kent Baer is expecting of them. The results were clear on day two of camp, where the defense dominated.
Lewis said that there is still a lot of progress to be made for the defense and that the team is working on cutting out little mistakes. But a group of guys that enjoys being around each other and wants to work hard for their teammates is making the task easier.
"It's always fun when the defense is out there getting turnovers and stuff," Lewis said. "Coach Baer always holds us to the high expectations of high intensity every play and never taking a play off. I feel like last year we did a great job of running to the ball every play and playing hard so hopefully we will carry that over to this year and keep it up."
That isn't to say that things went perfectly for the defense early in camp, as the offense had its moments as well.
Sophomore receiver Gabe Sulser looked sharp in the receiving game, making some nice catches on the day, and fellow sophomore Mitch Roberts made perhaps the catch of the day, fully extending for a catch and big gain on a pass from QB Cam Humphrey. Freshman quarterback Kris Brown also connected with fellow freshman Jesse Owens for a deep touchdown bomb on a post route, showing a glimpse of what the future holds.
The team will be back on Dornblaser Field for the third practice of the fall Thursday at 2:30.
For many players, going through camp as the number one only to serve as a backup when gameday came around may have been a hard pill to swallow. But for the redshirt junior out of Townsend, he only saw it as an opportunity to learn behind one of the best.
"Being a backup to Buss was huge for me, just learning under him," Lewis said. "He was a great player, and he was not scared to help me. Most people would maybe be a little bitter about splitting time with an underclassman, but he was right there for me helping me and cheering me on."
Lewis continued to work hard throughout the season, splitting time with Buss and finishing fifth on the team with 62 tackles to his name. Now the lead man at 2019 camp, Lewis and his fellow linebacking group is ready for a big season. Coach Bobby Hauck is expecting improvement out of Lewis in his junior season.
"Jace split time with Josh (Buss) last year and was a productive player, and he needs to keep going," Hauck said. "We expect guys to be better as juniors than they were as sophomores, so hopefully he plays even better."
Dante Olson, this year's Big Sky Conference Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, played alongside both Buss and Lewis last year. He got to witness the fantastic career that Buss put together, and said that Lewis is more than ready to step into the starting role.
A player from a smaller high school, Lewis has made his name known in his first two seasons at Montana. This year, as offenses look to avoid Olson, the leading tackler in all of D-I football last season, Lewis will have a significant role to play. And his partner in the middle knows that Lewis is up for the task.
"I think Jace is a great player and he is just relentless," Olson said. "He's a good learner and is fun to play with. He listens to coach, and he encourages the other guys around him. He's a great athlete, I've just got high praise for him."
The Grizzlies have a tradition of strong linebackers, and this year should be no exception. Buss cemented his legacy, alongside names like Caleb McSurdy and Jason Crebo, as some of the all-time best in Montana history.
And while Lewis says he is just one of 11 and that his goal is to help the team win as many games as they can, it is hard to ignore the history, especially for a native Montanan. The chance to play the same position as so many who have gone on to the next level is an exciting opportunity.
"It's a huge honor," Lewis said of playing linebacker at Montana. "Growing up, you are seeing all of these guys come through here that are making it to the NFL, and it's just an honor to be here and maybe leave my legacy one day."
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Lewis and his teammates took to Dornblaser Field for day two of fall camp on Wednesday, and the defense certainly made its presence felt, forcing multiple turnovers and playing at high speed. One of those turnovers came from Lewis, who hauled in his own tipped pass for an interception during a team period.
Returning for a second year under Hauck has made things easier as far as the playbook is concerned, and the team knows what defensive coordinator Kent Baer is expecting of them. The results were clear on day two of camp, where the defense dominated.
Lewis said that there is still a lot of progress to be made for the defense and that the team is working on cutting out little mistakes. But a group of guys that enjoys being around each other and wants to work hard for their teammates is making the task easier.
"It's always fun when the defense is out there getting turnovers and stuff," Lewis said. "Coach Baer always holds us to the high expectations of high intensity every play and never taking a play off. I feel like last year we did a great job of running to the ball every play and playing hard so hopefully we will carry that over to this year and keep it up."
That isn't to say that things went perfectly for the defense early in camp, as the offense had its moments as well.
Sophomore receiver Gabe Sulser looked sharp in the receiving game, making some nice catches on the day, and fellow sophomore Mitch Roberts made perhaps the catch of the day, fully extending for a catch and big gain on a pass from QB Cam Humphrey. Freshman quarterback Kris Brown also connected with fellow freshman Jesse Owens for a deep touchdown bomb on a post route, showing a glimpse of what the future holds.
The team will be back on Dornblaser Field for the third practice of the fall Thursday at 2:30.
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