Griz open season with first time matchup with Butler

Saturday, September 2

Missoula, Mont.

Noon

Montana

Butler

Griz open season with first time matchup with Butler

8/29/2023 6:39:00 PM | Football

UM NOTES BUTLER NOTES

By: Montana Sports Information

The Montana Grizzlies officially knock the lid off the 2023 season Saturday with a first-ever matchup against the Butler Bulldogs of the Pioneer Football League at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Saturday, with kickoff set for high noon.

The #14 Griz return to the field looking to build on last year's 8-5 record as a relative unknown in the FCS landscape this season after graduating three All-Americans on defense and two quarterbacks still vying for the starting position.

Saturday will also be the first chance fans have to see new, but vastly experienced offensive coordinator Brent Pease call a game, with Ronnie Bradford calling his first game as UM's defensive coordinator.

Montana will host a Butler team that took the PFL by surprise in 2022 under first-year head coach Mike Uremovich, who racked up 7 wins a year ago and had the Bulldogs knocking on the door to the playoffs with a dynamic QB in Bret Bushka.

Excitement for Griz football is at an all-time high, with Montana setting a new record for season tickets sold with 18,667 last week, a number that will be updated before kickoff.

KNOW BEFORE YOU #GOGRIZ: Griz Football is back coach Bobby Hauck's 12th season as head coach at Montana. Get game-ready with these helpful tips:

MOBILE TICKETS - Download your tickets to the wallet app on your mobile device now, before you get to the game. TRANSFER YOUR TICKETS to friends and family via your GrizTix account.

MOBILE DEVICE - Charge the battery on your mobile device so you're sure to have plenty of power to get your tickets scanned and for all those selfies you'll be taking!

FAN ADVISORY NOTICE - Temperatures are expected to be in the 80's on Saturday. Stay hydrated, wear proper attire and use sunscreen. Plenty of water will be available in fountains and at concession stands around the stadium.

TRANSPORTATION – Double-check your transportation and parking options ahead of time.

GAMEDAY POLICY REMINDERS – Visit the Gameday Central page on GoGriz.com to make sure you're caught up with clear bag policies and other important gameday info.

GAMEDAY TIMELINE – Get to your seats early and enjoy the pregame festivities without missing a minute of action.
7:30 a.m. - Parking Lots Open
9 a.m. - Ticket Office Open
10:30 a.m. - Stadium Gates Open
Noon - Kickoff

WATCH: ABC/Fox Montana stations will carry a statewide, free-to-air broadcast of Saturday's game, with ESPN+ streaming the action nationwide with no blackouts.

Ron Davis will serve as the play-by-play man for the broadcast, with former Grizzly QB and current Kalispell Glacier High School head coach Grady Bennett serving as analyst. Shaun Rainey will report from the sidelines.

LISTEN: "Voice of the Griz" Riley Corcoran is in his eighth season behind the mic at Montana and is once again set to bring you all the Grizzly action over the airwaves on the Grizzly Sports Radio Network and its fifteen affiliate stations around the state.

Your "Grizzly Gameday" starts two hours before kickoff each Saturday with the official pregame radio show before Corcoran and long-time color commentator Greg Sundberg take over 30 minutes to kickoff.

Griz fans outside the radio footprint can stream all of Montana's broadcasts on their mobile device LIVE and FREE of charge with the Varsity Network App, powered by Learfield and Sidearm Sports.

THE SERIES: While Montana and Butler have never squared off on the gridiron, the Griz have had several matchups against teams from the Pioneer Football League in recent memory.

Montana hosted Drake in 2018, the second game of Hauck's return to UM, taking a 48-16 win over those Bulldogs. The year before, the Griz opened the 2017 season with a 45-23 win over Valparaiso in Missoula.

UM has faced the University of San Diego more than any other Pioneer League team, and by more we mean twice. The first matchup came in 1958 before the advent of the PFL. The Griz then hosted San Diego again in the 2014 FCS playoffs in a memorable snow game, which saw UM take a 52-14 win.

Montana will host another PFL team next season, with Morehead State coming to Missoula on Sept. 14, the second of seven home games for the Griz in 2024.

// GRIZ TRACKS //

CAPTIAN THIS SHIP: Hauck announced Monday that senior standouts TraJon Cotton (S), AJ Forbes (C), Braxton Hill (LB), Levi Janacaro (LB) and Chris Walker (OT) have been named the 2023 season team captains following a vote from the players.

FIRST UP: While the depth chart is not a sure sign a player will start, several Grizzlies are slotted to take the first rep for the first time in their career on Saturday.

Quarterbacks Clifton McDowell and Sam Vidlak are still competing for the Starting job and both will see game action this week – their first in a Grizzly uniform. The two will target receivers Keelan White and Aaron Fontes, who bring plenty of experience to the field but are also slated to make their first start for the Griz.

Butte native Jake Olson, a tight end who checks in at 6-foot-7 is scheduled to get his first start. A primarily O-line-focused position, the tight end will also be joined by Kukila Lincoln, set to make his first start at left guard.

Eli Gillman impressed in four games as a true freshman at running back last season, retaining his redshirt status. He gets the starting nod in a deep room that will see plenty of rotation among ball-carriers.

Defensively, Riley Wilson, a transfer from Hawaii, is set to make his first start at linebacker at Patrick O'Connell's old position. He's joined by Missoula native Ryan Tirrell, who makes his first career start as a junior.

Hayden Harris of UCLA is scheduled to start at D-end after an impressive spring game where he led the team with seven tackles. Across from his will be Kale Edwards, a Coeur d'Alene native making his first start at D-end as a junior.

In the defensive secondary, Trevin Gradney, a long-time special teams standout from Billings, cracks the starting lineup at corner as a junior, opposite of Corbin Walker who tallies 16 career starts to his name.

Punter Travis Benham from San Jose State and Kicker Grant Glasgow from Kansas are also fresh faces to the team set to make an impact in the kicking game.

GRIZ IN THE POLLS: Montana was picked No. 14 in the preseason Stats Perform FCS media poll on Monday, the same spot the Griz were in at the conclusion of the 2022 season in January. The Griz are one of six Big Sky Conference programs ranked in the media's preseason top-25, with Montana State (No. 3), Idaho (No. 8), Sacramento State (No. 10), Weber State (No. 13), and UC Davis (No. 16) all represented.

Montana will face five of the six Big Sky teams in this year's conference slate, having to travel to face UC Davis and Idaho but getting home-field advantage against Sac State and MSU. Weber State. Due to an unbalanced league schedule, the Griz won't face Weber State again in the regular season until 2024.

• Montana has been ranked in the FCS media top-25 for 28 consecutive weeks, tied for the third-longest streak in the subdivision. Only North Dakota State (173 weeks) and South Dakota State (145 weeks) have been in longer.

• The Griz were picked to finish third by the league's media and sixth by the coaches at the annual Big Sky Kickoff in the league's annual preseason polls, announced in July from the Big Sky Kickoff in Spokane. Montana State was selected to win the title race in both polls.

GRIZ IN THE RATINGS: Montana enters the season as the No. 10 FCS team in the Sagarin Ratings at No. 126 in the nation. The Massey Ratings pick the Griz at No. 5 in the FCS, however, with both computer ratings playing a small part in the playoff and league tiebreaking process.

PRESEASON HONOREES: Montana placed five players on the preseason All-Big Sky list in July. Returning first-team all-conference guard Hunter Mayginnes earned a spot on the preseason all-league offensive line, and fellow returning first-team tackle Alex Gubner was named to the D-line.

Senior Levi Janacaro of Missoula – UM's leading returning tackler this season – earned a place on the preseason all-conference as a linebacker, the second pick for the Grizzly defense.

Junior Bergen and Trevin Gradney – a pair of Billings natives and returning All-Big Sky picks – complete Montana's preseason honorees for special teams.

WATCH OUT FOR WALKER: Senior offensive tackle Chris Walker has earned a couple big-time preseason NFL looks, with a place on both the East-West Shrine Game 1,000 and the Reese's Senior Bowl Watch List. The 6-6, 304-pounder also earned a place among college football's most NFL-ready prospects earlier in August when Bruce Feldman, one of the nation's top analysts, included Walker in his annual "College Football Freaks" list.

HOME SWEET HOME: The Grizzlies have not lost a season-opener at Washington-Grizzly Stadium for more than 20 years, with the last home-opener loss occurring back in 2002 when NDSU upset the Griz when it was still a D-II program.

Thanks in large part to an upset over No. 20 Washington in Seattle in 2021, the Griz haven't lost any season opener, home or on the road, since a 2014 loss at Wyoming. UM's last season-opening loss against an FCS team was way back in 2000 when Joe Glenn's Griz lost to Hofstra to start the year, eventually advancing to the national title game.

BEAT THE EAST: Montana is 34-7 all-time against teams from east of the Mississippi River inside Washington-Grizzly Stadium. The Griz host two teams this nonconference season from east of "the big muddy." Butler University is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, while Ferris State is out of Big Rapids, Michigan, north of Grand Rapids by about an hour.

The last game UM played against a team from "back east" at home was Western Illinois in 2021, a 42-7 win for the Griz.

HISTORY OF SUCCESS: With 624 wins across 123 years of Grizzly football since 1897, Montana ranks as one of the top-20 all-time winningest FCS programs currently playing in the subdivision, and the winningest Big Sky Conference team in league history. Mostly comprised of Ivy League teams that have been in existence for more than 20 years longer than UM, there are only five other teams from west of the Mississippi with more all-time wins than the Griz.

MONTANA TOUGH: The Griz boast 47 total players on this year's roster that hail from the Treasure State. A robust 12 of those Montanans are home-grown out of Missoula. In-state recruitment has always been a cornerstone of the Grizzly program, and continues to be so in Hauck's second tenure.

THE "U" x 2: Montana has a long and proud history of producing NFL talent at the linebacker position and, under Hauck, have consistently produced some of the most elite special teams in FCS football. Earlier this year FCS news site The Analyst updated its list of "The new U. in FCS college football" and Montana got the nod as the tops at each position out of all teams in the subdivision.

• Linebacker U: With NFL Draft picks like Caleb McSurdy and Jordan Tripp, along with greats like Brock Coyle, Josh Buss, Patrick O'Connell, and 2019 Buck Buchanan Award winner Dante Olson (not to mention the likes of Kroy Biermann and Tyrone Holmes, who played D-end at UM before switching to linebacker in the NFL).

That lineage looks to be in good hands going forward as well. Missoula's Levi Janacaro, who earned preseason all-conference honors as the team's leading returning tackler, and Anaconda's Braxton Hill are poised to have big seasons in their senior year. Carson Rostad from Hamilton and Ryan Tirrell of Missoula are juniors who will be looking for a breakout season, and Riley Wilson is also one to watch at the position.

• Special Teams U: With two straight FCS Punter of the Year honorees on the Grizzly roster over the past two seasons, It's no wonder Montana has been dubbed "Special Teams U," but those accolades don't tell the whole story. Montana's special teams have always been a strength under Hauck (see: Dan Carpenter, Marc Mariani, and the like). Anyone who has followed knows their success depends on more than just a guy with a big boot.

Freshman Grant Glasgow won the starting kicker job with his strong leg, and punter Travis Benham, who brings an average of nearly 40 yards per attempt with him as a transfer from San Jose State, has also shown his ability in camp. Montana has also broken records in the return game in recent years. Malik Flowers set an NCAA record for kickoff return TDs last season. While he's gone to graduation, Junior Bergen of Billings has earned several preseason All-America awards for his return ability.

It's the coverage teams that really make an impact for the Griz, however, with UM being near the top of the nation in net punt average. Missoula's Tyler Flink, an all-conference pick a year ago, and Trevin Gradney of Billings, an all-conference honoree from two years ago and preseason all-conference this season, will also be key to UM's prowess as "Special Teams U."

CHAMPS IN THE CLASSROOM: Montana's goal is to always be champions on the field, but last year the Griz were Big Sky champs in the classroom as well. The Griz had a Big Sky-best GPA of 3.31 for the 2022-23 academic year, with 43 players earning Academic All-Big Sky honors.

// BULLDOG BITES //

Known for its astronomical success on the basketball court, Butler advanced to back-to-back national title games in 2010 and 2011, finishing as the runners-up in each season.

In 2010, Butler eventually fell to Duke 61-59 in the title game after upsets over Kansas State and Michigan State. In 2011 they returned to the championship game after wins over Old Dominion, Pitt, Wisconsin, Florida, and VCU, eventually falling to UCONN in the final.

In total the program, which competes in the Big East for basketball, has made 16 tournament appearances and won 18 regular-season conference titles.

• Butler football was picked fifth in the 2023 Pioneer League Preseason Coaches Poll. They were picked 10th in 2022 but finished fourth in the standings with a 5-3 league record.

• At 7-4 overall in 2022, the Bulldogs were knocking on the door of the FCS playoffs. Coach Mike Uremovich guided them to seven wins in his first season as head coach helping BU reach their highest win total since the 2013 season.

• Preseason All-PFL pick QB Bret Bushka was named the 2022 PFL Offensive Player of the Year after throwing for 2,377 yards last year, the eighth-most in Butler program history. The Walter Payton Award watch list member ranks eighth all-time at Butler in career passing yards with 4,135 to date.

• Butler first fielded a football team in 1884, a full 13 years before Montana's first program started in 1897.

• The Bulldogs were No. 1 in the nation last year in red zone offense, converting possession to points 97 percent of the time. They were also No. 1 in sacks allowed with just 7 on the year.