2015 Cat-Griz Preview: Talented Grizzlies begin a new era

When it comes to Montana Grizzly football, the cliché has always been, the Grizzlies don’t rebuild, they reload. However, as the dawn of the 2015 season approaches, the Grizzlies may not be rebuilding, but they’re certainly starting over.

Bob Stitt was announced as Montana’s new head coach back in December. Stitt, who had a successful 15-year stint at NCAA Division II Colorado School of Mines, replaced Mick Delaney, who had an up-and-down three-year run with the Grizzlies, a run that ended in a second-round playoff loss at Eastern Washington last season, a season in which the Griz went 9-5 overall and tied for second in the Big Sky Conference.

But while Stitt has changed plenty about the UM football program, including a new, fast-paced, no-huddle offense, one designed to run up to 90 plays per game, the expectations in Missoula haven’t wavered. At Montana, 9-5 isn’t good enough, not winning the Big Sky in four years isn’t enough and losing early in the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs just isn’t good enough.

“This fan base is hardcore, and I want to be a part of it,” Stitt said earlier this year about Montana. “There’s no doubt that we have high expectations.”

Expectations are for Stitt’s innovative offense, one that has caught the attention of FBS and NFL head coaches, and one he’s credited with inventing, to chew up the Big Sky, a league not so dependent on defense these days. On that side of the ball, Stitt was handed a team with playmakers, but no proven quarterback, as three-year starter Jordan Johnson, along with star running backs Jordan Canada and Travon Van graduated.

And after an intense spring and fall battle, red-shirt junior Brady Gustafson, a former Billings West standout, has emerged as Stitt’s man to lead his innovative offense. Gustafson, who’s taken only a few live snaps in FCS games, has always had the talent and especially, the arm strength. And now he has a chance to run a fun-and-gun offense.

Gustafson is also surrounded with wide receiver talent, especially with the return of junior Ellis Henderson. A 2013 FCS All-American, Henderson missed much of last season with an illness. Also back is senior Jamaal Jones, who had over 1,000 yards and led UM in touchdowns last fall. But, that tandem, which may be the best in the Big Sky, isn’t enough for Stitt’s offense, one in which he says he’ll regularly use 10 receivers in a game. So, the likes of Chase Naccaratto, Josh Janssen, Ryan Burke, Caleb Lyons, Reese Carlson and transfer Ben Roberts will also see plenty of balls coming their way.

But, Stitt isn’t all about passing. Every year at Mines, he coached at least one 1,000-yard rusher. And those duties will fall to junior John Nyguen, who gained nearly 500 yards a season ago, as well as talented sophomore Lorenzo Logwood. The offensive line will be UM’s big question mark on offense, but the return of left tackle John Schmaing, who missed last season with academic issues, bolsters an otherwise inexperienced front five.

“We’re going to put an offense out there nobody has ever seen,” Stitt said. “Our offense will be dictated by the defense. We live to throw it. We need to score more point.”

What Stitt doesn’t do is live to kick the ball much. He talks of loving to go for it on fourth down instead of punt, and of not really liking to try long field goals much. Still, the Griz have a strong kicker in senior Daniel Sullivan, while Chris Lider is back for a second year as Montana’s punter.

One other thing Stitt doesn’t do is coach defense. He’s left that up to veteran defensive coordinator Ty Gregorak. And, Gregorak says he has a good one returning this fall. Despite the loss of star defensive end Zack Wagenmann and a pair of All-Conference tackles, Montana, which led the Big Sky in scoring and total defense a season ago, is loaded with talent.

Up front, senior Tyrone Holmes had 6.5 sacks last season, while tackle Caleb Kidder, the new No. 37, will be called upon to pick up the slack for the departed Tonga Takai. Senior Derek Crittendon is also experienced at end, while Malta’s Tucker Scheye should see an increased roll as well. UM is also looking very good in the secondary. Safety Justin Whitted was All-Conference last season, as was corner Nate Harris. J.R. Nelson will play the other corner, while transfers Yamen Sanders, from Arizona and Markell Sanders, from Washington State, as well as freshman Manu Rassumussen give the Griz depth in an athletic secondary.

But as good as UM is up front and in the back on defense, the heart of the Grizzlies is their linebackers. Montana returns all three starters, led by preseason All-American Kendrick Van Ackeren. Fellow seniors Jeremiah Kose, Herbert Gamboa and Connor Lebsock give the Griz one of, if not the best linebacker groups in the entire country.

And Montana will need that stout defense to help the Grizzlies’ transition to Stitt’s offense, especially early, when the Griz play as tough an FCS schedule as any team has ever embarked on. UM’s first game is, of course, the huge showdown with four-time national champ North Dakota State Saturday on ESPN. But seven days later, Montana is right back in Washington-Grizzly Stadium to host a Cal Poly squad that blasted the Grizzlies a year ago. After a bye, the Griz go cross country to face No. 15 Liberty, then come home to host arch rival Northern Arizona in the Big Sky opener. The back end of Montana’s schedule is brutal too. The Grizzlies last three games, at Idaho State, home against Eastern Washington, and the annual Brawl of the Wild Nov. 21 in Bozeman, are all games against teams ranked nationally in the FCS Preseason Poll.

Still, as tough as the schedule is, the Stitt era is about to finally begin. It’s a new Montana Grizzlies’ football program, one which has gone through a tumultuous last five seasons. And the man now in charge of it all couldn’t be more excited.

“Like Joe Glenn said,” Stitt said. “‘You can go to a bigger program but not a better one than Montana.'”

No. 12 Montana

Grizzlies

Head Coach: Bob Stitt (1st season)

2014: 9-5, 6-2 T2nd in Big Sky, lost to E. Washington in FCS 2nd rd.

2015 Grizzly Schedule

Aug. 29 vs NDSU, 1:30 p.m.

Sept. 5 vs Cal Poly, 7 p.m.

Sept. 19 at Liberty, 5 p.m.

Sept. 26 vs N. Arizona, 2 p.m.

Oct. 3 at UC Davis, 2 p.m.

Oct. 10 vs Weber State, 2 p.m.

Oct. 24 vs North Dakota, 1:30 p.m.

Oct. 31 at Portland St., 3 p.m.

Nov. 7 at Idaho St., 2:30 p.m.

Nov. 14 vs E. Washington, 1:30 p.m.

Nov. 21 at Montana St., 12 p.m.