Cats, Griz ranked high in FCS Coaches Poll

The Montana State Bobcats and Montana Grizzlies were separated by just one spot in the Football Subdivision Championship rankings when they met last November in Missoula. Now, they’ll start the season in exactly the same place.

On Wednesday, the FCS Preseason Coaches Poll was released and the Bobcats came in at No. 11 while the Grizzlies were ranked No. 12.

MSU, which finished 8-5 a year ago and in third place in the Big Sky, was picked to win the conference this season by the league’s coaches, while Montana was picked third in the coaches poll. The Bobcats, under veteran head coach Rob Ash, open fall camp Sunday afternoon in Bozeman and will open the season Sept. 3 with a night game at home against NCAA Division II Fort Lewis.

The Griz, under first-year head coach Bob Stitt, went 9-5 a year ago, advancing to the FCS quarterfinals, opened fall camp Tuesday. Montana has a highly-anticipated showdown with four-time FCS champion North Dakota State Aug. 29 in Missoula. That game will be nationally televised on ESPN and is the first of three straight non-conference FCS game for Montana. The Griz play Cal Poly, which received votes in the coaches poll, Sept. 5 in Missoula, and travel to No. 14 Liberty Sept. 19.

Two-time defending Big Sky champion Eastern Washington was rated No. 6 in the poll, while Idaho State came in at No. 24. In addition to Cal Poly, Northern Arizona also garnered votes in the preseason poll.