Superfan Season Preview: Bobcats and Grizzlies
Opening kickoff to Big Sky football is just around the corner, with the University of Montana Grizzlies kicking off the college football season at home against top ranked North Dakota State on Saturday, 8/29 (the game will be televised on ESPN), and the Montana State Bobcats taking on the Fort Lewis Seahawks on Thursday, 9/3.
The Montana Mint gathered three superfans of each school in an email chain to talk about the upcoming season.
The Montana Mint: Let’s start with Cats. How are they going to be and what’s going on with their roster?
Bear Tycoon (Griz fan): The media picked them to finish second behind Eastern Washington in the Big Sky, but the coaches picked them to finish first. The biggest question is can the Cats put last year’s disastrous Brawl of the Wild behind them this season? Not only did they lose to the Griz 34-7, but also they had seven turnovers. Backup QB Jake Bleskin turned in one of the worst performances in Montana history.
Coach (Cats fan): I think they can. The Cats are legitimately loaded on offense this year. First, our offensive coordinator is one of the best in the FCS, hands down. Second, they are as deep and talented at both RB and WR as they’ve ever been. Look for Chad Newell (Jr. RB) and Mitch Herbert (So. WR) to be frequent contributors for QB Dakota “as long as he stays healthy” Prukop.
They have two other soph receivers who are speedy with sure hands (Jayshawn Gates and Justin Paige), and you can’t sleep on senior Mitch Griebel, a tough possession receiver that was once a QB for Air Force.
Gunnar Brekke (Jr. RB) will be the lightning to Newell’s thunder and provides a legit threat in the return game. Outside of Brekke and Newell, MSU has two young, talented RB’s in Nick Lasane and Tavon Dodd, who are both more than capable.
The o-line is solid and laden with experience. Their depth is a concern, but they have talented youngsters waiting if they’re needed. Tight end Beau Sandland (6’6, 260) has a huge frame and will be a threat in the red zone.
Scotty Mint (Cats fan): More than a huge frame, Beau Sanderland is a former Miami Hurricane! He left Miami before last season, but they were expecting him to compete for a starting job. Other former starting tight ends for Miami include Jeremy Shockey, Bubba Franks, and Jimmy Graham. Sandland is not in that elite class, but the dude has huge upside.
Coach (Cats fan): Exactly. And on defense I really believe our linebackers will be the best in the league. Mac Bignell smacks the shit out of people and loves to let people know about it. Grant Collins could be a four-year All-Big Sky performer and has a knack for the game similar to former Bobcat Bobby “Cobra Slayer” Daly.
The secondary added some transfers with speed and experience and they have nowhere to go but up. Along with the d-line, this group has been the weak link for several years. Does Joey Thomas have any more eligibility? The d-line hasn’t been the same since Brad Daly and Caleb Schreibeis. We need more solid beef eaters inside like Zack Minter and Aaron “Lunch Pail” Papich. Pronounced pap-ITCH.
Most importantly, Ash made the best decision of his tenure in promoting Kane Ioane to co-defensive coordinator. He has swagger and he knows his shit. His promotion alone will make the defense light-years better. Don’t be fooled by the co- in front of his title; he calls the shots and Jamie Marshall was demoted.
Bear Tycoon (Griz fan): I almost fell out of my chair when I looked up that this is going to be Coach Rob Ash’s ninth season with the Cats. Cannot believe the Kramer days are that far behind us.
Football is a game that rewards consistency, but also demands results. Ash doesn’t need to win a national championship, or frankly, even the Big Sky Conference, but you have to think a win against the Griz is a must in order to guarantee a tenth season.
Montana Mint: Speaking of the Grizzlies, they are the consensus third place team going into the season, behind both MSU and Eastern Washington.
They have a new coach in Bob Stitt who will be running a new system: the fly-sweep. Stitt’s system utilizes wide receivers in motion to be potential ball carriers, but out of the fast-paced pro set.
Do the Grizzlies have the personnel to pull this off?
Z-Train (Griz fan): I am actually worried about the Griz. I looked through their roster and saw at least 40 wide receivers that are 5’9″ and 160. Most of the lineman were my size, which might say more about me, but I remember a time when our line featured 6’7″ 300 lb. sequoias, not 6’4″ 245 lb. lodge poles.
I actually added it up and the current average weight is 280 and only two on the roster top 3 bills (which should be Coach’s nickname- 3 bills). That’s 12 pounds lighter than the 2007 average, where we had five 300 lb-plus hogs. And that doesn’t even take into account 2007 fan favorite J.D. Quinn’s bad attitude and non-ironic number 69 jersey. You’ll remember Quinn played for the University of Oklahoma, but was dismissed after taking money from a donor through a fake job at a car dealership. He was literally Billy Bob from Varsity Blues. That’s big-time and that’s intimidating. And while the comparison isn’t exactly sabermetrics, I don’t think our already-depleted O-line is going to intimidate anyone nor do I see any standouts with the swagger necessary to score fake jobs from OU boosters. That has to mean something.
J.D. Quinn – The good old days…
Clarence Toole (Griz fan): Too much is being made of size. You know who was small? Marc Mariani. Hell, rumor has it Dave Dickenson borrowed shoulder pads from Missoula’s Little Grizzly program (okay, I made that up). In Bob Stitt’s fast-paced offense, lumbering sequoias are as useful as a trophy cases in the MSU athletic department hall of champions.
Just how fast is Stitt’s offense? His 2013 team ran more than 89 plays per game. That’s the fastest offense in the nation- faster than Texas Tech, Oregon, and my Madden Football 49ers dynasty squad (I of course play on All-Madden). Stitt’s reputation has NFL coaches flying to Missoula to pick up tips. He knows football offense better than (insert Bobcat’s mascot name) knows Monte’s shadow. The creativity and pace is tailored to the agile build of the o-line. While defenses are sucking wind and trying to remember where to stand, his offense will fly into the end zone.
Speaking of TDs, I’m excited about the return of Ellis Henderson at WR. The Big Sky Conference standout was granted a medical redshirt for last year, and he’s once again paired up alongside All Big Sky Conference WR Jaamal Jones.
On the Defensive side, the Griz return their 1st (Van Ackeren), 2nd (Kose), and 4th (Gamboa) leading tacklers from last season.
While losing Wagenmann to the NFL should leave giant shoes to fill, you need to put Wags’s back-up, Dereck Crittenden, on your radar. Critt is an absolute monster/workhorse from Whitefish who used to bang weights with me when he was gray-shirting. He’s about the only guy I would trust to spot me when I’d go tilt on the decline presses. If there was ever a case to be made for the back up having an edge on the starter, it is this kid. I want to be on record saying he’s heading to the League next year …but that’s just if he doesn’t win the Rhodes Scholarship. Oh yeah, the dude was nominated for the freaking Rhodes Scholarship! His major is Chemistry too, not some fluffy Liberal Arts degree like Poli Sci. CLUB CRITT!
Z-Train (Griz fan): I mostly fear that this Griz team is like my sophomore football team in high school–just a bunch of guys that want to catch passes, wear unvelcro’d Newman gloves, and skip tackling drills. With our glut of receivers running tricky plays, I just see us getting our tits lit up by some Big South team full of FBS drop-down man-children. If the Griz start running the Annexation of Puerto Rico I am out.
Coach 3-Bills (Cats fan): I’m curious how this fly sweep nonsense will really pan out. Does Stitt think Big Sky coordinators won’t know how to defend it? Does he think there isn’t enough speed in the league to contain it? I seriously doubt both. I look for the offense to struggle the first few games finding an identity. Their defense has and will continue to be their strength as long as Gregorak is around. And as long as their LB crew can stay out of jail.
Z-Train (Griz fan): I don’t really share Coach 3-Bills’ skepticism of the Stitt offense. I think it mainly relies on a smart QB, which Brady definitely sounds like. I’ve also seen UM get rolled by enough “tricky” wishbone/option teams (looking at you Georgia Southern, Cal Poly, and Wofford) to realize that FCS defenses are susceptible to complicated offenses. Also, remember that while it’s cited a lot as evidence of Stitt’s success, WVU rolled up 70 in a bowl game against Clemson using the fly sweep. It’s not doomed for failure against faster defenses. I don’t think Stitt’s spread offense will be as gimmicky as we expect and I do think Griz fans are hangrying (angrily hungering) for a return to something like the wide open offense of Don “Air” Read.
Don Read wrote a book!!
No more draws on 3rd and 8 to set up a better punt. That excitement will buy him enough good will to carry him over any early bumps in the road.
Clarence Toole (Griz fan): I’m concerned about how the weather will effect a tempo offense in November. We all have at least one testicle-frost bite story from braving a Cat-Griz game.
Hot Take Nate (Cats fan): Weather… overrated. A good team with a good scheme wins no matter what the weather. Example: November 15, 2014 – Idaho State visits Montana State in the second coldest game in Bobcat Stadium history (7 degrees at game time). Cat’s put up 44 points with a backup QB.
Z-Train (Griz fan): I agree weather is overrated. Every year we get irrationally excited that some southern team has to come play in MT for the playoffs, and they generally brush it off with special warming lotions.
Scotty Mint (Cats fan): Honestly, the biggest thing working against the Griz this year is their schedule.
Montana Mint: Let’s talk about schedules. Here are the schedules for both teams. How will this effect these teams?
Z-Train (Griz fan): Do the Griz have the toughest schedule in the country? Probably. Am I going to look that up to research whether it’s true? No. Although I don’t/won’t/can’t believe Liberty is actually good at football. I just can’t get behind what looks like a creepy degree mill that refuses to teach biology (they have 110,000 students if you count online!!!!).
Bear Tycoon (Griz fan): Liberty is a sneaky tough game. We can joke about their shitty academics and lame mascot but let’s not forget that (1) they are ranked #14 in the country and, (2) the Griz have to fly 4-5 hours across the country for the game. I’m wrecked after a two hour plane ride and these guys have 100 pounds and 8 inches on me.
Hot Take Nate (Cats fan): That Griz schedule is tough. I’ve made fun of the Griz before for their cupcake scheduling but they definitely didn’t do that this year. Check out their last three games – Eastern, Idaho State, and then Montana State. If preseason predictions hold true, that’s about as tough of an end of year schedule that you’re going to have in the whole FCS.
Coach 3-Bills (Cats fan): Look for the Griz to finish the season with three consecutive loses folks. The Stitt will hit the fan. Also, don’t appreciate the nickname.
Bear Tycoon (Griz fan): We can’t forget to mention that the Griz start out against defending champ North Dakota State. It is kind of telling that the programs when you see that Griz open the season against #1 NDSU, Eastern Washington opens against the University of Oregon (!) and MSU opens against Fort Lewis, who I legit never heard of until I saw the MSU schedule this year.
Hot Take Nate (Cats fan): Weird that you haven’t heard of them, you know, since the Griz opened with them in 2005 and beat them 55-0. See my previous comment about the Griz and their cupcake schedule. That same day back in 2005 the Cats damn near upset Oklahoma State – only lost by 5.
Bear Tycoon (Griz fan): Whenever Hot Take Nate starts losing an argument, he brings up stuff from ten years ago.
Clarence Toole (Griz fan): Everyone knows steel is used to sharpen steel, and that’s why the Grizzlies filled their non-conference schedule with teams alloyed from talent and tradition. I’m not surprised to see the Bobcats chose to sharpen their spear with cupcakes. Who the hell is East Tennessee State? And Fort Lewis? It wouldn’t surprise me if Fort Lewis gives MSU the ole Chadron State 2006 treatment, especially coming off MSU’s TurnoverPalooza, otherwise known the 2014 Brawl of the Wild.
Hot Take Nate (Cats fan): Seriously… the Griz played Fort Lewis in 2005. You guys should have heard of this team. Do I love that the Cats have Fort Lewis and East Tennessee State on their schedule? No. It doesn’t do much for me as a fan. But I also was 10 yards away from McGhee when he hurt his shoulder on the last play of the game against SMU in Dallas two years ago. It changed the whole course of a season for a mean-nothing game.
When it comes down to it – the Big Sky is the toughest conference in the FCS. It doesn’t really matter who you play out of conference when you have to prove it in the Big Sky anyway.
Coach 3-Bills (Cats fan): Fort Lewis and East Tennessee State are cupcakes for sure. We always struggle with Eastern and even without Big Play VA I’m not sure we’ve found the formula for beating the Eagles at the Inferno. It is nice that our game against EWU is non-conference this year.
The Brawl could go either way. MSU has shit its pants in November in previous years and could do the same this year. However, if Dakota Prukop is healthy I put my money on the Cats. If we lose to UM again we’ll have a new head coach next year. My guess is that Ash wants the Brawl more than he ever has and he needs it. Bobcat supporters around the state are tired of the recent string of letdowns.
Scotty Mint (Cats fan): Cats finish the season 10-1, but it all depends on Prukop staying on the field. I still have a lazy eye from that salty load of a performance Bleskin gave us in the Brawl of the Wild last year. If Dakota goes down, so do we with a 7-4 season including a loss at home to the Griz.
I just don’t see any major obstacles in the schedule of a healthy Bobcats team. Without Big Play VA the Cats will Moses their way through that god awful red field with a big road victory thus propelling their momentum toward another offense-heavy year.
This year the Cats are hungry and will once again hoist the bronze turd known as the great divide trophy while the Griz fade away into the story line of a Jon Krakauer sequel.
Z-Train (Griz fan): I say Griz go 8-3 overall. That means I say UM is going 2-3 against the preseason ranked teams on its schedule. I don’t think that’s outlandish, in fact i think it’s fairly pessimistic. I will also say the Cats go 9-2, but mostly because I want to set expectations unreasonably high. I think their offense will be very good, but, as we saw in last year’s brawl of the wild disaster these Cats are one injury away from being neutered.
Hot Take Nate (Cats fan): I think every team in the league is a QB injury away from being neutered. Take away an All American and your team is going to get worse. I don’t think it’s a Cat problem.
I remember that year when Jordan Johnson didn’t play for the Griz (and never should have again). Yikes.
Montana Mint: I think most Montanans really start tuning into the Cats and the Griz once the season kicks off. What are some other storylines these fans need to be aware of?
Z-Train (Griz fan): How are we this many emails in and we haven’t talked about Kash Perry from MSU? Perry is a 6’6″ 310 lb frosh lineman from Utica, MT. This GF Tribune has some fun tidbits:
- He’s already got the MTV Cribs game down by coolly watching “Scarface” when the reporter shows up.
- MSU’s roster bio reports he had one catch for a 35 yd touchdown as a HS senior. Given his size, you are probably thinking it was a one yard middle screen and where he bulldozes, players while yelling “train’s coming, get off the tracks.” Perry blazed a corner route at 310 lbs to straight pay-dirt.
- The Trib even reports that his dad burned down his childhood home because he was tired of looking at it. That sort of unsentimental hard ass molds men. Those’re the type of players the Griz used to get before we got all cerebral and tricky.
Kid is an animal.
Clarence Toole (Griz fan): Nothing is more predictable than young college men falling in love with Scarface. It’s a short-lived phase that lasts 1.6 viewings of that unwatchable movie. Even the mountain of coke scene is slow. Smart money says he has a “Pulp Fiction” or “Reservoir Dogs” poster on his wall too.
Bear Tycoon (Griz fan): A real gem. Somehow, his name is Kash and that doesn’t even crack the top 5 list of most interesting things about him. I might quit the Mint and start a website devoted to this guy (Sorry, Scotty).
Z-Train (Griz fan): Not to mention he looks like cousin Mose from the Office. Check it:
Kash + Mose = Cousin Kash
Scotty Mint (Cats fan): Excellent Cousin Kash identification.
Coach 3-Bills (Cats fan): How about the LB from Huntley Project MSU has? Koni Dole. Has a prosthetic leg, beefed up other than that. Think he has a legit career at MSU? He’s more athletic with half a leg than JZ has ever been with two.
Z-Train (Griz fan): ummmm this isn’t fair. Kash and Koni? this video from FOX Sports on Koni is insane.
Side Note: Kind of a racist team name for Koni’s high school? The Red Devils????? Worden used to be part of the Crow Reservation but what do I know. There’s a high school in Aniak, Alaska, called the “Halfbreeds.” People get mad when they hear about it but don’t realize that the Aniak students apparently picked that name in the 1970s as a nod to their past.
Montana Mint: The Griz Kick off on 8/29 and the Cats kickoff the season 9/5. What do you expect to happen?
Bear Tycoon (Griz fan): Montana starts out against NDSU, the defending national champ and the #1 team in FCS. Last year NDSU beat the Big 12’s Iowa State by 20 points on the road. Vegas has Montana as a 15.5-point underdog against North Dakota State for a game that is being played in Missoula. To put that in perspective, the Jacksonville Jaguars were 15 point or greater underdogs ZERO times in 2014.
I think the line is high four a couple reasons. First, Montana played NDSU tough last year in Fargo, losing 22-10. Second, the home crowd in Missoula is going to be going bananas – the game will be nationally televised and there are rumors of attendance surpassing 27k, which would be a Montana record. Third, we have mentioned that Montana is playing with a new offensive system, and that might cause them problems, but this cuts both ways. NDSU is going to have a limited sample of film to use in preparation for the game, which in theory will keep the defense on their toes for the first half of the game. That being said, NDSU is a FCS juggernaut. I think Montana beats the spread but loses the game.
Hot Take Nate (Cats fan): Wait, Wait, Wait. I thought it was impossible for the Griz to be underdogs at home. Washington-Grizzly Stadium is the greatest manmade structure in America. It is like louder than, like, three Century Link Fields in Seattle AND they have Monte! The Griz will get rolled by NDSU on ESPN.
Bear Tycoon (Griz fan): For the Cats, their first game against Fort Lewis should be a cakewalk. Fort Lewis isn’t just a Division II team; they are a terrible Division II team. Over the past five seasons, they have put together season records of 3-7, 3-8, 0-10, 4-7, and 3-8. During the same period, they suffered losses of 25+ points to teams like Nebraska-Kearney University, University of New Mexico – Highlands, and University of Colorado – Mesa. A win is guaranteed for the Cats in this game. Anything less than a 50 point victory is a disappointment.
Hot Take Nate (Cats fan): Do we really have to talk about the MSU game? Cakewalk opening night Thursday game that makes me even more jealous the Griz will be on ESPN.
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Cover image found on wikimedia from user BelgradeBobcat.
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