The bye week has officially arrived for the No. 11 Montana Grizzlies after seven games this season.
Montana holds a record of 5-2 and 2-1 in Big Sky Conference play, recently coming off a victory against then-No. 24 Northern Arizona this past weekend, allowing the Grizzlies to regain momentum before the break.
This marks Montana’s third top-25 matchup of the season, with the team standing at 2-1 in those encounters, which also included a win over then-No. 24 Western Carolina and a loss to then-No. 20 North Dakota on the road.
The UM offense has been performing exceptionally well, fulfilling the preseason expectations with a top-five ranking in both scoring and total offense in the FCS. Quarterback Logan Fife appears to have firmly taken on the role of starter.
“I think that resilience and competitiveness are attributes that every football player should have, and you know he’s got it,” UM head coach Bobby Hauck said. “Doesn’t go in a shell when he makes a mistake. He hasn’t started a ton of football games in his college career, and so he keeps growing.
“I think that’s an acquired skill at quarterback. I watched this defense that we played against rattle some other quarterbacks that they played against, and didn’t happen to this guy, so I’m proud of him.”
The skill players surrounding Fife have also been excelling, and the Grizzlies appear to have found their rhythm on offense.
Montana’s defense has had an inconsistent year; after a tough three-week span against Western Carolina, Eastern Washington, and Weber State, they rebounded against NAU by containing the Lumberjacks’ offense.
The Griz executed a couple of red zone stands to prevent touchdowns and force field goals. Besides an 88-yard touchdown in the third quarter, they kept NAU largely in check, allowing only 43 passing yards after that score and limiting them to 3 for 13 on third down conversions.
“I think this defense responds well to adversity. Last week, we had a bad taste in our mouth (against Weber State),” said UM junior linebacker Riley Wilson. “Throughout this season, we’ve had a target on our back. On Saturday, we stepped up, executed our assignments, and showed what this defense can do. The sky’s the limit for us.”
Despite some challenges, the Griz remain in the top tier of the FCS and Big Sky Conference standings as they head into the break after a demanding start to the season.
With five games remaining, including two against current top-10-ranked opponents—home against No. 6 UC Davis (6-1, 3-0) and away at No. 3 Montana State (7-0, 3-0)—Montana still has a lot to face as the push for the playoffs approaches.
Their next game is a road matchup against Northern Colorado (1-6, 1-2) next Saturday, followed by another road game at Cal Poly (2-4, 1-2) and a home game against Portland State (1-5, 1-2).
“I’m happy about today. I believe our best football is likely ahead of us,” said Hauck. “We still have work to do, so we’ll practice this week, have a great week of practice, and then prepare for the next game.”
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