Big Sky teams bear down in hunt to catch Grizzlies
An abundance of young, untested talent and four new head coaches make this year’s Big Sky Conference football race as difficult to forecast as any in recent memory.
As usual, though, Montana heads into the 2007 season as nearly everyone’s pick to win a 10th consecutive regular-season conference championship and extend its streak of postseason playoff appearances to 15.
The Grizzlies, after running the table against conference opponents last fall, return 18 starters from last year’s team, which finished 12-2 and advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs before losing to Massachusetts 19-17.
“They’re definitely the front-runner,” Eastern Washington coach Paul Wulff said of the Griz, who play their first seven games at home. “They’ve got something like 24 seniors on their roster, and this team – on paper, at least – might be the best they’ve ever had.”
That doesn’t bode well for the other eight teams in the conference, who will try to push their way in line behind the Grizzlies.
“It’s tough to say what’s going to happen after that,” said Wulff, who hopes his Eagles can rebound from last year’s 3-8 season. “So many teams are young, with young quarterbacks, so I think you’re going to see everyone getting a lot better as the season progresses.”
Fortunately for Wulff, he is not among those coaches trying to break in a new quarterback. Sophomore Matt Nichols won the job early last fall as a redshirt freshman and seems ready to put the inconsistencies and poor decision-making that plagued his rookie season behind him.
Nichols threw for 229 yards and tied a single-game school record with six touchdown passes in a season-opening rout of Montana-Western. Wulff is hoping his young QB – and the rest of his team – can build on that success.
“I think we’re a team that can go a long way – provided our kids keep working hard to get better and learn to deal with the adversity that is inevitably a part of each new season,” he said. “Right now, we seem to have the right attitude, so who knows?”
Among the other teams that are considered to have a chance at reeling in Montana are Montana State and Portland State, which both have new coaches. Rob Ash replaced Mike Kramer at MSU, while former NFL coach Jerry Glanville took over for Tim Walsh at PSU. Both inherited some decent talent, but need to convince their players to buy into their systems.
In addition, Northern Arizona returns, perhaps, as much offensive firepower as any team in the Big Sky. Sacramento State seems poised to become a contender behind a veteran defensive that Wulff says is the “most talented” in the conference.
“I think they have a chance to surprise some people,” he said of the Hornets.
Sacramento State will operate under first-year coach Marshall Sperbeck, and former Central Washington coach John Zamberlin has taken over for Larry Lewis at Idaho State. All of the coaching changes could make game-week preparation interesting, at least early in the year.
“It might be a little more difficult for us against Idaho State, which we play (Sept. 22),” Wulff said. “But after that, by the time we play anyone else, we should have at least two games (of video) to watch, so there shouldn’t be that many surprises.”
Big Sky Conference
(In predicted order of finish)
Montana Grizzlies
2006: 12-2, 8-0 Big Sky, 1st
Head coach: Bobby Hauck, 43-13, 5th year, same overall
Returning starters: 18, 9 offense, 7 defense, punter, kicker
When they play the Eagles: Oct. 6 in Missoula
Outlook: The Grizzlies, after extending their string of consecutive postseason playoff appearances to 14 last fall, appear to be a lock to earn a 10th consecutive Big Sky title. Among Hauck’s impressive stable of returning senior standouts is All-American defensive end Kroy Biermann, running back Lex Hilliard, a Payton Award candidate in 2005 before missing last year with an injury, and place-kicker Dan Carpenter, who needs just 63 points to become the school’s career scoring leader. The Griz lost last year’s starting quarterback Josh Swogger to graduation, but in a preseason media vote, Swogger’s former backup, Cole Bergquist, was a first-team All-Big Sky pick.
Northern Arizona Lumberjacks
2006: 6-5, 5-3 Big Sky, 4th
Head coach: Jerome Souers, 50-55, 10th year, same overall
Returning starters: 14, 9 offense, 4 defense, kicker
When they play the Eagles: Nov. 10 in Flagstaff, Ariz.
Outlook: The loss of quarterback Jason Murrietta, last year’s Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year, will hurt, but the Lumberjacks remain capable of competing with the Big Sky’s top teams thanks to the vast number of experienced players returning. Murrietta’s replacement, converted wideout Lance Kriesien, will operate behind a senior-laden offensive line that returns five starters and throw to a speedy group of tested receivers that includes senior All-American Alex Watson, who caught 82 passes from 1,017 yards and 15 touchdowns last fall. The ‘Jacks defense, with only four starters back, might seem to be a bit short-handed, but junior end Blair Boynton and junior defensive back K.J. Gerard, who both suffered season-ending injuries in last year’s opening game against Arizona State, are healthy and ready to resume their leadership roles in Souers’ defense.
Montana State Bobcats
2006: 8-5, 6-2 Big Sky, tie for 2nd
Head coach: Rob Ash, 0-1, 1st year, 176-100-5, 28th overall
Returning starters: 13, 6 offense, 6 defense, kicker
When they play the Eagles: Oct. 12 in Cheney
Outlook: The Bobcats’ defense will be solid up front, thanks to the return of senior tackle Aaron Papich and all three of last year’s starting linebackers. The secondary remains a concern, however, especially at the safety positions, which were manned by seniors last fall. MSU entered fall camp with a pair of tested quarterbacks in senior Jack Rolovich and Cory Carpenter, who shared starts last season. Rolovich has emerged as the Bobcats’ trigger man after throwing for 267 yards and the Cats’ only touchdown in a season-opening 38-7 loss at Texas A&M. The receiving corps and O-line are young but talented, and if they mature as quickly as Ash hopes, look for MSU to be in the thick of the Big Sky race.
Eastern Washington Eagles
2006: 3-8, 3-5 Big Sky, tie 6th
Head coach: Paul Wulff, 45-36, 8th year, same overall
Returning starters: 13, 8 offense, 5 defense
Outlook: The Eagles are still extremely young at the skill positions, but they have grown up a lot since last fall when they posted their first losing season since 1998. Still, sophomore quarterback Matt Nichols and his quartet of classmates at wide receiver have some big strides to make if they hope to rejoin the Big Sky’s elite. Nichols, and a deep and talented group of running backs led by juniors Dale Morris and Alexis Alexander, will operate behind a veteran offensive line that includes preseason All-American Matt Alfred and Rocky Hanni. Wulff liked his defense heading into fall camp, but a rash of injuries at the strong safety position will challenge the Eagles’ ability to defend against the pass.
Portland State Vikings
2006: 7-4, 6-2 Big Sky, tie for 2nd
Head coach: Jerry Glanville, 0-2, 1st year, same overall
Returning starters: 10, 6 offense, 4 defense
When they play the Eagles: Sept. 29 in Cheney
Outlook: The arrival of Glanville set off a celebration among PSU followers, but the Vikings are already 0-2 – having been outscored 61-29 by McNeese State and UC Davis in their first two games under the former NFL coach. The early-season problems have centered on inconsistency on both sides of the football and especially with Glanville’s run-and-shoot offense, which is being coordinated by former Vikings coach Mouse Davis. Glanville had 14 first-time starters on the field during his PSU debut and added four others the following week. If the Vikings can find the right fit at quarterback between senior Brian White and sophomore Tygue Howland, they have to potential to put up some big offensive numbers.
Sacramento State Hornets
2006: 4-7, 4-4 Big Sky, 5th
Head coach: Marshall Sperbeck, 0-1, 1st year, same overall
Returning starters: 13, 3 offense, 9 defense, kicker
When they play the Eagles: Oct. 27 in Sacramento, Calif.
Outlook: Sperbeck will build his first Sacramento State team around a veteran defense that might be the Big Sky’s best. A trio of seniors and two-year starters – James Henderson, Chris Hurts and Dallas Mauga – anchors the Hornets’ defensive front, and the starting secondary also returns intact from 2006. On offense, however, Sperbeck faces some challenges, not the least of which is finding a quarterback to replace last year’s starter, Marcel Marquez. The front-runner is redshirt freshman Jason Smith, but the issue remains far from settled. Factor in the graduation losses of three starters on the offensive line and three of last year’s top receivers and it would seem safe to assume that the Hornets will go only as far as their defense can carry them.
Weber State Wildcats
2006: 4-7, 3-5 Big Sky, tie for 6th
Head coach: Ron McBride, 10-13, 3rd year, 99-76, 16th overall
Returning starters: 11, 7 offense, 2 defense, punter, kicker
When they play the Eagles: Nov. 17 in Cheney
Outlook: McBride heads into his third season in Ogden, Utah, in desperate need of a quarterback. The duo of Ian Pizarro and Shawn Woods, which shared time under center in 2006, has departed, leaving Alabama transfer Jimmy Barnes, a 6-foot-5, 240-pound sophomore, as the only QB in fall camp who has taken a snap beyond the junior college level. The highly touted Barnes, who became eligible immediately after transferring last summer, started in Weber’s 56-7 season-opening loss at Boise State but competed only 9 of 23 passes for 67 yards and one touchdown. If he figures things out, the Wildcats have a chance to be effective on offense, but trying to replace nine starters on the other side of the football might be asking too much.
Idaho State Bengals
2006: 2-9, 1-7 Big Sky, 8th
Head coach: John Zamberlin, 0-0, 1st year, 63-41, 11th overall
Returning starters: 14, 5 offense, 7 defense, punter, kicker
When they play the Eagles: Sept. 22 in Pocatello, Idaho
Outlook: Like so many other teams in the Big Sky, the Bengals are untested at the quarterback position, where redshirt freshman Russell Hill has earned the starting job over sophomore Luke Butler and three other freshmen. That lack of experience under center could be offset by a veteran offensive line that is anchored by all-conference center George Yarno and the return of senior running back Josh Barnett, who ran for 1,117 and six touchdowns as a junior. The defense is also well-tested, especially up front, where three of last years starters return. In addition, three of four starters in the secondary – including cornerbacks D.J. Clark and Anthony Melvin – return in hopes of leading the Bengals to their first winning season since 2003.
Northern Colorado Bears
2006: 1-10, 0-8 Big Sky, 9th
Head coach: Scott Downing, 1-12, 2nd year, 14-16-1, 4th overall
Returning starters: 11, 5 offense, 5 defense, punter
When they play the Eagles: Nov. 3 in Cheney
Outlook: Look for the Bears to continue to struggle as they attempt to figure things out in the conference. During last year’s initial venture into one of the nation’s toughest Football Championship Subdivision (Division I-AA) conferences, UNC was outscored 280-110. In their first two non-conference game this fall, the Bears lost to Hawaii 63-6 and to Chadron State 31-0, indicating there are still some major problems to shore up. Returning starter Dominic Breazeale and first-year transfer Mike Vlahogeorge have shared snaps in the early going, but neither has generated much offense. The Bears’ defense is still searching for an identity after losing six starters from last season.