Editor’s Note: This is the third installment in Skyline Sports’ ELEVATED EXPECTATIONS series profiling Griz football player who are likely to see elevated roles this season for Montana.
PART I: Local walk-on tackle Keintz continues rapid improvement
PART II: Eastwood follows Hauck north to Montana
The uncertainty surrounding Montana senior linebacker Josh Buss’s injury status has been matched only by the uncertainty about who his replacement in the middle of the Grizzly defense might be.
There was no update on Buss’s readiness Thursday, a day before Montana’s second, and last, scrimmage of fall camp and just nine days before the Grizzlies open the season against Northern Iowa.
Buss’s absence has given a number of lesser-known linebackers the chance to step up and claim a bigger role. Junior Dante Olson is almost certain to start and take over Buss’s role as the leader of the linebackers.
Another player who will be counted on to replace the missing production is Jace Lewis,a third-year sophomore from Townsend. The former state champion quarterback had 16 total tackles last year while playing in 10 of Montana’s 11 games as a redshirt freshman.
He’s gotten plenty of looks this fall as a steady linebacker who should see his playing time shoot way up.
“It’s just the next man up,” Lewis said about dealing with Buss’s injury. “Everybody pushes themselves to be the best we can be, and if someone goes down, that person is there helping. We’re a pretty close group, so we’re all in it together.”
Like many kids growing up in Montana, Lewis always had dreams of playing for the Griz. Despite Townsend being closer to Bozeman, his family favored the maroon and silver over the Bobcats.
He got his opportunity to play for the Griz after a stellar career at Broadwater High School, where he was team captain for three years and won a state title in 2014. All told, he earned nine letters in high school. In football, he was a three-time Class B all-state selection who accounted for more than 6,500 yards of total offense, 84 touchdowns, 344 tackles, 17 sacks and 43 tackles for loss.
It’s likely that he was seen as more of depth option coming into the year. But now with Buss just now starting to practice but senior Shayne Cochran suddenly banged up, Lewis will have to mature quicker than expected.
Buss, who’s remained a central figure on the defensive sideline even through his injury, has helped with that.
“He’s always helped me, and he’s always there for me when I have questions and stuff,” Lewis said. “He’s a really smart guy, and his football IQ is just through the roof, so it’s been great having him. I look up to him since I was a freshman, he was a sophomore starter.”
Ironically, he’s following the same career path as Buss, who redshirted a year, saw sporadic action as a freshman, and then burst onto the scene with an all-conference campaign that included 22 tackles for loss as a redshirt sophomore.
If Lewis even comes close to Buss’s sophomore production, when he was named third-team All-Big Sky, the Griz should be happy, but the opportunity is there.
“We’re just out here grinding every day, just working on the little things to get better for that Saturday,” Lewis said. “The guys around me push me to be the best I can be, and I push myself for them.”
GRIZ FALL CAMP NOTEBOOK
With the Grizzlies scrimmaging Friday and kickoff against Northern Iowa just over a week away, it’s a good time for another round of practice observations. First, Bobby Hauck said Thursday that the team is “still in camp mode” and that even the coaches don’t know who’ll be starting against the Panthers. “We have a good idea, obviously, but we’ve still got some good competitions going on,” Hauck said.
Junior Justin Calhoun has adjusted well to his new position at cornerback, and impressed with his physicality. He’s listed at just 5-foot-10 and 176 pounds, the same size as placekicker Brandon Purdy, and one of the lightest weights on the team. Coming over from the offense came with questions about his willingness and ability to hit. Calhoun has shown no hesitation going in for tackles and has made some impressive plays in one-on-one situations, slinging receivers out of bounds. His transition going as well as it has should relieve some of the questions around the Grizzlies’ depth at cornerback, and that position is now looking like less of a trouble spot than some others.
Speaking of position changes, Vika Fa’atuiese has been back on the defensive side of the ball at linebacker, where he played in the spring before switching to fullback. The redshirt junior didn’t look like he’s missed much, as he was in position for an interception but had it slip through his hands during one of his first reps with the defense Tuesday. He had another near-interception Thursday. Fa’atuiese showed a nose for the ball in his limited reps at linebacker in the spring as well, which could make him an interesting addition to the depleted linebacker corps.
Junior Dalton Sneed is still zinging the ball around the field with confidence and looking more and more like the dual-threat quarterback that Montana fans have been dreaming on since his transfer was announced. His highlight Thursday was a beautiful touch throw down the right sideline that sophomore Samori Toure dropped. Sophomore Cam Humphrey has also been good and it’s still a legitimate competition, but Sneed has exceeded expectations. Either way, the quality of the two quarterbacks leaves the Grizzlies some margin of error and ability to ride out an injury.
Lastly, the punter battles between incumbent Eric Williams and Arizona transfer Adam Wilson have been some of the best action to watch at practices. Both can really boom the ball. Wilson is a former rugby player at Arizona who transferred to Montana on the recommendation of his former high school classmate Tim Semenza. He probably has a little bit higher ceiling, but Williams has been slightly more consistent. “Who’s going to be the punter?” is not the most pressing question at Griz camp, but either way, that part of the kicking game will be in good hands.
