Griz picked No. 2 in AFCA Preseason Poll

The FCS football coaches around the nation have tabbed the Montana Grizzlies as the No. 2 team in the nation with the release of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) preseason top-25, the organization announced Monday.

It's the highest preseason ranking the Grizzlies have received in the leadup to the 2022 season, having been picked No. 3 in the preseason media poll in recent weeks.

The Griz were also once again the highest ranked out of six Big Sky Conference teams in the AFCA poll, having received 567 total points in the voting. Montana edged out South Dakota State by a single point, with the Jackrabbits receiving 566 points.

With The South Dakota Coyotes sitting just outside of the AFCA's top 25 with 49 points, Montana is slated to face five of the top 26 teams in the nation during the regular season, three of which will be on the road.

Montana State slotted in at No. 4 on the poll, with Sacramento State at No. 7, Eastern Washington at No. 12, Weber State at No. 20, and South Dakota at No. 26.

Defending national champions North Dakota State were picked to repeat at No. 1 in the poll with 24 first-place votes. South Dakota State sits just behind Montana at No. 3, with Montana State and Villanova rounding out the top five.

Montana returns 18 starters from the 2021 FCS quarterfinal squad, nine on offense and nine on defense, with 38 total returning lettermen. The Griz also return seven All-Big Sky performers, including Newcomer of the Year and unanimous All-American cornerback Justin Ford. Buck Buchanan Award finalist linebacker Patrick O'Connell also returns for his senior campaign.

Earlier in the summer, Ford, O'Connell, and Robby Hauck were each named to the 2022 preseason watch list for the Buck Buchanan Award that goes to the nation's top defender.

Montana opens its highly-anticipated 2022 season on Sept. 3 at home against Northwestern State.

Season and single-game tickets are available now at GrizTix.com.

American Football Coaches Association FCS Coaches' Top 25 Poll – August 15, 2022
                                               2021             2021
Rank School (1st votes)            Rec.    Pts. *Rank     Season Opener                                                          Head Coach
   1.   North Dakota St. (24)          14-1    624         1     Sept. 3 vs. Drake                                                               Matt Entz
   2.   Montana                           10-3    567         6     Sept. 3 vs. Northwestern St.                                           Bobby Hauck
   3.   South Dakota St. (1)           11-4    566         5     Sept. 3 at Iowa                                                      John Stiegelmeier
   4.   Montana St.                      12-3    560         2     Sept. 3 vs. McNeese St.                                                  Brent Vigen
   5.   Villanova                          10-3    493         8     Sept. 2 vs. Lehigh                                                       Mark Ferrante
   6.   Kennesaw St.                    11-2    453       10     Sept. 1 at Samford                                                    Brian Bohannon
   7.   Sacramento St.                   9-3    452       11     Sept. 3 vs. Utah Tech                                                      Troy Taylor
   8.   Missouri St.                        8-4    405       14     Sept. 1 at Central Arkansas                                           Bobby Petrino
   9.    Southern Illinois                   8-5    379       17     Sept. 3 at No. 14 UIW                                                          Nick Hill
10.   Stephen F. Austin                8-4    362       18     Aug. 27 vs. Jacksonville St.                                           Colby Carthel
11.   East Tennessee St.            11-2    352         7     Sept. 1 vs. Mars Hill                                                  George Quarles
12.   Eastern Washington           10-3    337         9     Sept. 3 vs. Tennessee St.                                                 Aaron Best
13.   Chattanooga                       6-5    294      NR     Sept. 3 vs. Wofford                                                        Rusty Wright
14.    UIW                                10-3    277       13     Sept. 3 vs. No. 9 Southern Illinois                                        G.J. Kinne
15.   UT Martin                         10-3    257       12     Sept. 1 vs. Western Illinois                                          Jason Simpson
16.   Southeastern Louisiana        9-4    254       15     Sept. 3 at Louisiana                                                       Frank Scelfo
17.   Jackson St.                       11-2    245       19     Sept. 4 vs. Florida A&M                                               Deion Sanders
18.    Holy Cross                        10-3    184       22     Sept. 2 at Merrimack                                                    Bob Chesney
19.   Delaware                           5-6    172      NR     Sept. 3 at Navy                                                               Ryan Carty
20.   Weber St.                           6-5    141      NR     Sept. 1 vs. Western Oregon                                                   Jay Hill
21.   Northern Iowa                     6-6    119       25     Sept. 3 at Air Force                                                        Mark Farley
22.   UC Davis                           8-4    101       16     Sept. 3 at California                                                      Dan Hawkins
23.   Mercer                               7-3      78      NR     Aug. 27 vs. Morehead St.                                               Drew Cronic
24t.   Rhode Island                      7-4      66      NR     Sept. 1 at Stony Brook                                                    Jim Fleming
24t. Richmond                          6-5      66      NR     Sept. 3 at Virginia                                                     Russ Huesman

*– Ranking in final AFCA FCS Coaches Spring Poll of 2021

Others Receiving Votes: South Dakota, 49; Florida A&M, 44; Harvard, 38; South Carolina St., 38; Princeton, 29; Central Arkansas, 23; Eastern Kentucky, 18; Dartmouth, 17; Nicholls, 8; Furman, 6; North Carolina A&T, 6; William & Mary, 6; Murray St., 5; Davidson, 3; Fordham, 3; Southeast Missouri St., 3; North Dakota, 2; Utah Tech, 2; Austin Peay, 1; Elon, 1.

University of Montana Athletics

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Justin Ford

Robby Hauck

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