On Wednesday the Montana Grizzly football team, bolstered by a couple dozen seniors and the usual high expectations, start fall camp for the 2007 season at 2:30 p.m. on the South Campus Fields.
“Can't wait to get out there,” said running back Lex Hilliard, his senior season delayed until now by an Achilles injury suffered early in the 2006 fall camp. “It's been a long time for me - almost a year. They didn't let me do too much in spring ball. I've just got to get back to hitting.”
Montana lost a handful of players off last year's team that went 12-2 and posted the school's seventh unbeaten league slate (8-0). The Grizzlies advanced to the Division I Football Championship Subdivision semifinals, losing at home to Massachusetts, 19-17. They were ranked No. 3 in the final 2006 Sports Network Poll, and are No. 2 in the preseason polls released thus far.
“It seems like that loss to UMass was just yesterday,” senior offensive tackle Cody Balogh said Tuesday. “Everybody is really looking to redeem that. It starts tomorrow.
“Lex coming back is only going to make us better. You give him an inch, he's going to take 5 yards.”
“We've definitely got a loaded team,” said Hilliard, second on UM's career rushing list with 2,884 yards. “We're stacked with quality players all the way around. I can't wait to play with these guys.
“We have to focus in on the job at hand, definitely,” he added. “It don't work if you don't win.”
Montana has questions, having lost two defensive ends, a center, a defensive tackle, a cornerback and its quarterback to graduation, and two more corners to off the field problems.
But Balogh anchors an offensive line that is seasoned and strong, and junior Michael Stadnyk appears ready to step in at defensive end opposite Buck Buchanan candidate Kroy Biermann. Thirty-two Grizzlies who made at least a tackle a year ago return.
“If we've done anything well around here, we have developed depth and played into it,” said fifth-year coach Bobby Hauck, 41-13 in his tenure with the Griz. “Particularly on the defensive side of the ball. The only place we don't have extreme depth is corner, with our offseason troubles. We'll have to work on that at fall camp, and that's why we've got August.”
Three defensive backs are transferring in, including Mike Vandenberg from the University of New Mexico. Hauck said he couldn't comment on the transfers until drills began.
Those drills will end a long offseason for the Griz, who want to leave the summer troubles of Jimmy Wilson and Qwenton Freeman behind.
“I think as a community - the tension's going to be relieved,” said senior receiver Eric Allen. “Because now you just go out and play on Saturdays. It was unfortunate what happened, but you just move forward from that as best you can.”
The season opener, Sept. 1 against FCS non-conference foe Southern Utah, is 23 days away.
“I think pretty much everybody's looking forward to it, after a disappointing loss last year by two points,” said Allen, an all-league pick in 2006 after catching 51 passes, five for touchdowns. “This year we don't want to (stop) that close to going to the national championship.”
Quarterback will be a focal point this month, with Cole Bergquist having the most experience among the Grizzlies' four candidates. He is 6-3 as a starter, and was named to the preseason all-Big Sky team. But Hauck is waiting, and keeping sophomore Clint Stapp and freshmen Andrew Selle and Jeff Larson in the hunt.
“We had good competition in the spring, and we'll probably play several quarterbacks this season, regardless of who is named starter for game one,” Hauck said. “Cole is the guy with experience as starter. I'm hopeful that one of those players will jump up and make the job his, early.”
Hilliard can figure to share the ball with Reggie Bradshaw, Greg Coleman and Thomas Brooks-Fletcher. Hauck preaches that competition at each position is ongoing. The end result, he hopes, is another deep playoff run.
The schedule is favorable, with three non-league home games followed by two more home games against Weber State and Eastern Washington. Yet four of the Grizzlies' last six games are on the road. They finish up at Idaho State Nov. 10 and at Montana State - the 107th Griz-Cat game - on Nov. 17.
“The Big Sky seems pretty tough this year. Portland State looks good, and throughout the conference is pretty even,” Allen said. “X's and O's are what's going to win the games. I think as a team we need to focus on that - being precise in everything we do.”
NOTES: Hilliard is weighing in at 230 pounds. He weighed 237 at the start of last year's fall camp, and 242 at the end of winter conditioning. He feels his Achilles is 100 percent. “Oh, yeah. I'd say so,” he said. “Fast as ever.” Š Hauck said the prospect of getting smoked out of Missoula, which happened in 2003, is a possibility. “We're day-to-day,” he said of dealing with the fire season. “I would anticipate we'll at least get a few days into camp before we make any decision on that.” Š The Griz go without pads Wednesday and Thursday, half-pads Friday and Saturday and have their first full-pads practice Sunday. Two-a-days begin Monday, and are every other day for two weeks. ... The first scrimmage is tentatively set for 10:10 a.m. on Aug. 18. Another is set for Aug. 23, a Thursday, at 9:15 a.m. ... Hauck said he expects offensive linemen J.D. Quinn and Colin Dow to participate in fall camp. Quinn had his own legal problems, and Dow suffered a leg injury in a motorcycle accident. “I anticipate we'll have everybody for the majority of fall camp,” Hauck said. “A lot of Colin Dow is wait and see, but I anticipate he'll be ready to go soon.” Š Dow reportedly has a motorcycle for sale. “That's one of the first things he told me after he tipped it over,” Hauck said.
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