2012 Big Sky Conference Countdown: Montana

It's time to conclude the countdown with defending Big Sky Conference champion Montana.  After missing the FCS playoffs for the first time since the first George Bush was in the White House, the Grizzlies made it back to the postseason, which in large part was aided by a huge win over in-state rival (and top-ranked) Montana State in Bozeman.  They made a deep run with playoff wins at home over Central Arkansas and Northern Iowa, only to come up one win short of the FCS championship game to eventual FCS runner-up Sam Houston State. 

This offseason has been a tumultuous one in Griz Nation.  It all began when University of Montana president Royce Engstrom, out of the blue, fired athletic director Jim O'Day and head coach Robin Pflugrad.  Then on July 31st, starting quarterback Jordan Johnson was charged with sexual assault without consent, and has since been suspended from the team indefinitely.  While the athletic director position has yet to be filled, former assistant coach Mick Delaney was brought out of retirement to serve as head coach for this season and the 2013 campaign.  This will be Delaney's first head coaching gig since serving the same position at UM-Western in the early 1990s.

With Jordan Johnson now out of the picture at quarterback, redshirt freshman Trent McKinney has earned the starting job out of fall camp.  The dual threat quarterback from Hawaii had the best camp out of the other three quarterbacks on the Grizzly roster, beating out sophomore Shay Smithwick-Hann, true freshman Brady Gustafson, and redshirt freshman transfer Adam Brzczek.  At running back, there's three different threats back this season: seniors Peter Nyguen and Dan Moore, and standout sophomore Jordan Canada.  The trio combined to rush for 1,845 yards and 19 touchdowns last season.  The top returning receiver is senior Sam Gratton, who shared a three-way tie for the team lead in receptions with 36.

The defensive side of the ball is very young, as only two starters from last season return.  Among those are junior linebackers John Kanongata'a and Jordan Tripp (pictured).  Kanongata'a was second in total team tackles last season and lead the team in tackles for loss, but Tripp is coming off a redshirt season after a shoulder injury sidelined him after only three games in 2011.  Before fall camp, Tripp gave up the #44 his father Bryan wore for the Grizzlies in 1989 and 1990, and switched over to Montana's trademark #37, which is worn by a defensive player from Montana (true freshman defensive lineman Caleb Kidder now dons #44 for the Griz).  Also back for the Grizzlies (and expected to be a starter) is sophomore safety Matt Hermanson, who shared the team lead in interceptions with three.

MY THOUGHTS: After an offseason filled with turmoil and change, all will be forgotten when the Grizzlies hit the field against South Dakota and former Griz head coach Joe Glenn.  The expectations to win the Big Sky Conference and make the FCS playoffs are still high, as they are every year.  But if all the distractions from the offseason can be forgotten, it will be business as usual for the Grizzlies.

And that's your countdown, everybody.  Thanks for reading, and enjoy the season!  My next conference countdown should come around October, when basketball season is around the corner.

Image credit: University of Montana athletics