Griz record means that once again it's all good

[Eastcoastgriz]

Griz record means that once again it's all good
By GEORGE GEISE
Tribune Sports Editor


If you're a fan of the Montana Grizzlies' football program, the 2006 season has been packed with good stuff.

Pretty good offense.

Darn good defense.

Good enough kicking game.

It's all added up to a great record — 7-0 in Big Sky Conference play entering Saturday's Bobcat-Grizzly showdown in Missoula, and 9-1 overall.

It's good enough for a No. 2 ranking in the Sports Network poll of NCAA Division I-AA schools.

It's good enough for at least a share of the conference championship for a record ninth straight year, and it's good enough to secure a I-AA playoff spot for a record 14th straight year.

Montana is second in the league in scoring offense at 30.4 points per game, and second in defense at 19 points per game.

By any standards, those numbers are either good, or maybe great.

Well, that depends on your definition of "good" vs. "great."

Serious students of Griz football — and there are thousands of them scattered across the Treasure State — see a few warts among the signs of goodness (greatness?). Some demanding, often skeptical "analysts" wonder why the Grizzly offense doesn't always score 59 points (as it didn't against Sacramento State), or at least 36 (as it did against South Dakota State).

And against "mediocre" teams like those, the Griz should dominate, right?

Fact is, Sac State went 4-4 in the Big Sky this season, the Hornets' best showing in many years.

Fact is, South Dakota State is 7-3 overall and 3-0 in the Great West Football Conference, and plays for the league championship Saturday against North Dakota State.

Those early-season romps over presumably easy foes are looking a little better now.

But the critics also point to narrow wins against teams like Idaho State (23-10), Northern Arizona (24-21) and Weber State (33-30), who won't be confused with I-AA playoff teams.

This has been an odd season in some ways for coach Bobby Hauck's Grizzlies. It's not unusual that Montana is 5-0 at home — the program has won 90 percent of its home games the past 21 years, after all. But it's undeniable that UM has played worse on offense before 24,000 fans at home than it has played before much smaller crowds on the road.

A few boobirds — not many, but loud enough to be heard — have been spotted in recent weeks. If the Grizzlies don't move the football against the Bobcats Saturday, they might be heard again.

Here's one observer's report card on the 2006 Grizzlies as they get ready for their biggest game of the season:

OFFENSE: B
A year ago, 225-pound junior Lex Hilliard was the one constant the Grizzly offense could count on. Even when the passing game fizzled, the Grizzlies could always hand the ball to the big, swift halfback from Kalispell and he would get his 110 yards, and probably two touchdowns.

Hilliard was the main offensive reason UM scored 28 points per game despite have the team's worst passing game (154 yards per outing) in more than 20 years.

With a bigger, stronger offensive line coming back, it was expected that Hilliard would carry just as big a load this season. But the talented rusher never got the chance, going down with an Achilles tendon injury in August. The UM staff is hopeful that Hilliard will return in 2007, as good as ever, those injuries are tough to bounce back from.

Fortunately, Hauck brought in two I-A transfers — Reggie Bradshaw from Louisville and Greg Coleman from Iowa State — to back up Hilliard. That tandem, along with senior Brady Green, performed well the first few games before Coleman was lost to a season-ending injury.

Green emerged as a solid No. 2 back — he even gained 100 yards at Weber State — but he missed last week's contest at Northern Colorado with an injury. Hauck brought in redshirt freshman Thomas Brooks-Fletcher, who responded with a 100-yard, two-TD effort.

The running game (139 yards per game) still isn't as good as it was a year ago, but it's good enough to complement a much-improved passing attack.

The addition of former Washington State starting quarterback Josh Swogger has improved the Griz passing game by about 70 yards per game. The strong-armed Swogger completes about 54 percent of his passes, and has the ability to throw the deep ball — something Cole Bergquist and Jason Washington didn't do well a year ago.

Swogger, a 6-5, 235-pounder, has been sacked often, and he's had games where his accuracy has been off. But Swogger has shown an ability to keep drives alive with his arm and his legs, and he has the confidence of his teammates and the coaching staff.

Bergquist has improved greatly in limited action (58 percent accuracy) and has run a little option as a change-of-pace offensive maneuver.

The Griz offensive line, when healthy, has been solid. But tackle Brent Russum and center Ryan Wells have been hurt much of the year, forcing freshmen Terran Hillesland and Levi Horn to play a lot. Junior tackle Cody Balogh (6-7, 320) has emerged as one of the top linemen in the league.

The UM receiving corps is much more talented with Washington transfer Craig Chambers (26 catches, 4 TDs in eight games) in the lineup. He combines with CMR graduate Ryan Bagley (38 catches), much-improved Eric Allen (36) and Mike Ferriter (25) to give Swogger lots of options.

DEFENSE: A-

The Grizzlies are actually giving up more points per game this year (19) than they did a year ago (18.2), but they've played a stronger schedule, with no games against sub-I-AA opponents.

Just about every opponent the Grizzlies have faced has pointed at the UM defense as the best they've seen.

Indeed, when the Griz defense plays well — as it did against Idaho State — it's perhaps the best unit the school ever fielded in at least 30 years. UM limited Idaho State to only 92 total yards, more than 300 under the Bengals' average.

The Griz also held nationally rnaked Cal Poly without a touchdown, and limited South Dakota State to only seven points.

Seventy-five of the 190 points allowed by the Griz have come in the fourth quarter, when reserves have taken over.

Defensive coordinator Kraig Paulson rotates veterans Mike Murphy of Great Falls, Kroy Biermann of Hardin and Dustin Dlouhy at ends, and it's been a strong position again. Both Murphy and Biermann have been on the list for the national Buck Buchanan Award, given to the best defensive player in I-AA.

The linebackers — Loren Utterback, Kyle Ryan and Tyler Joyce — are quick and sure tacklers.

The cornerbacks, Jimmy Wilson and Tuff Harris, are among the team's best athletes. Safety Torrey Thomas has three interceptions and Colt Anderson is among the hardest hitters — for his size — in the league.

The Grizzlies have good depth at every defensive position except tackle, and veterans Kerry Mullan and Craig Mettler have been solid against the run.

SPECIAL TEAMS: B

When you've got the most productive placekicker in the nation, the No. 6 punt returner, and the second-best punting unit, your special teams are pretty special.

That's what Montana has to offer, along with a solid kickoff-coverage unit and a good kickoff-return team sparked by Great Falls native Rob Schulte.

Helena native Dan Carpenter leads I-AA with 1.8 field goals per game, and he punts the ball well enough that UM is No. 2 nationally in net punting average (38.3 yards per boot).

Harris is a swift and dangerous returner who has brought two punts back for touchdowns.

But the Grizzlies have shown some kicking-game flaws the second half of the season. Carpenter has had three field goals blocked, and has missed four extra points. Both Harris and Schulte have fumbled the ball away on kick returns. UM also has given up two touchowns on kickoff returns.

One factor Montana State has to account for is Hauck's penchant for calling trick plays out of kick formations. Montana has tried fake punts and fake field goals, and Carpenter is adept at rugby-style punts with either foot.

COACHING: B-plus

The Grizzlies improved themselves at quarterback, running back and wide receiver, and Hauck and his staff deserve credit for their offseason recruiting. The offense is more talented than it was a year ago, but the Grizzlies are still among the more predictable teams around.

UM rarely throws the ball to tight ends (20 catches all season) or running backs (four receptions), and that allows defenses to stack up the wide receivers.

Offensive coordinator Rob Phenicie earned kudos for his draw-play call that set up the winning field goal against Cal Poly, but he also is frequently criticized for sending wideouts 1-on-1 against the opponents best defenders.

Defensive coordinator Paulson has been praised by his boss — and his players — for making great halftime adjustments. The Griz have outscored their opponents by a whopping 111 to 13 in the third quarter this season.

Hauck still coaches the special teams and he loves to keep opponents guessing. Look for Montana to try some kind of gimmick play out of kick formation Saturday — just to keep the Bobcats honest.

[Weltercat]

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