Griz riding prolonged momentum into fall season

When the Montana Grizzlies take the field for the start of fall camp Monday, it will mark the culmination of 600-plus days of waiting to prepare for a full season with a clear plan of action and clear mandate: Return To Dominance.

All those 600 days ago, the Griz had just walked off the field following a narrow FCS playoff loss in the team's first quarterfinal appearance in a decade.

The loss stung, but the team returned to Missoula with a good taste in its mouth, knowing Montana football was on the rise once again.

After a productive but game-less fall of 2020, the Griz got a small sample of the team's potential during the spring of 2021 when UM took apart perennial D-II power Central Washington and Big Sky foe Portland State.

Now with a solid majority of both those teams returning this season (14 starters from 2019 and 20 from the spring), Montana enters the fall full of confidence and an eagerness to get back on the field and improve on 2019's playoff run.

"The performance in the spring could not have been any better. I don't know how anyone could expect it to be any better than it was," said head coach Bobby Hauck.

"We've got momentum, and It's had an impact on our training this summer, I'm hoping it has an impact on our training in camp, and I think we'll be ready to go this fall."

Another reason to be excited about the 2021 Griz? Off-season gains made in the early morning hours at the Washington-Grizzly Champions Center over the summer that have the team chomping at the bit.

"I think we had a really good summer. I can feel the excitement, and the enthusiasm level is high on our team," said Hauck.

"The attitude and effort level has been high. I think our players are enthused just at the opportunity to play football again."

When Montana officially opens camp on Monday evening, it will look slightly different than years past.

Gone are the days when time at training camp was spent doing just that, training and getting back into game shape.

Now with year-round strength and conditioning, a state-of-the-art facility, and new strength coach Dan Ryan providing a boost of off-season energy, the Griz will focus on fine-tuning the details.

"A lot of the physical part of fall camp has changed. It's more game preparation through August, working on fundamentals, working on the advanced football knowledge, and then practice time is spent preparing for the game," Hauck adds.

Hauck and his staff will have more tools to work with this fall camp as well, with the 10-year (overall) UM coaching veteran harkening this team to his championship teams of the early aughts.

That is to say, he thinks the team is talented in key areas up and down the depth chart. Add that talent with the almost two years of combined "offseason" training, and iron will be sharpening iron for UM in this fall camp.

"I think it's a complete team. We have good players at every position and into our two deep, said Hauck.

"Time will tell, but I think it's a team that can withstand some hits to our depth and lost game time due to injury or whatever. Plus, it's a team that plays well together because they have an understanding of the scheme."

The Griz will undergo an 18-practice fall camp before taking on the University of Washington in Seattle for the season opener, followed by the home opener against Western Illinois a week later on Sept. 11 in Missoula.

Season ticket packages and single-game tickets are on sale now at GrizTix.com.

University of Montana Athletics

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