Analysis

Griz style through 1st month has been like a freight train – and that’s the plan

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MISSOULA, Montana — During the most recent season of Hard Knocks, Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell became a cult hero of sorts.

The hulking specimen of a man endeared himself to fans because of his passion and his participation (he does about 100 up-downs with the players in the first episode of the popular annual HBO mini-series). He’s hard not to like, even if his attempts at inspiration speeches turns unintentionally comical.

At one point in the show, Campbell references the Metallica song “No Leaf Clover”, using the chorus as motivation for how he wants his defense to play this season.

Then it comes to be that the soothing light at the end of your tunnel
Was just a freight train comin’ your way”

“We want to be that freight train,” Campbell exclaimed so enthusiastically, it’s hard not to root for the guy.

If Dan Campbell saw the 2022 Montana Grizzlies, at least through four games, he would be mighty proud.

Montana has been a freight train when the Griz have been able to swing the momentum of games in their favor. Unlike the previous few seasons in Bobby Hauck’s second go leading his alma mater, when opportunities to seize and then carry the momentum within games present themselves, Montana has been able to erase the soothing light at the end of the tunnel for their opponents and instead bury the opposition.

“Once we start rolling, it’s just plain fun,” Montana senior defensive tackle Eli Alford said. “When we get the momentum, everyone on the defense is having a fun time.”

In the 2022 opener against Northwestern State, UM looked innovative and downright modern in building a quick 13-0 lead as senior Mitch Roberts doubled his career touchdown catch total in the first two possessions of the game.  Then the innovation disappeared and many wondered if the Griz defense would have to carry the day like was so often the case during last year’s 10-3 campaign.

But Montana gave a glimpse of how the collection of driven veterans plan on blowing open games this season by the way the Griz closed the first half against the Demons. After seeing that Northwestern State had little desire to adjust on special teams, particularly in punt protections, Hauck showed his special teams brilliance once again.

Levi Jancaro annihilated a NSU punt attempt, his fellow former Big Sky Eagle Tyler Flink scooped the block and was off to the races scoring his first career touchdown as a Griz and all of a sudden, Montana was up four scores (26-0) heading into halftime.

Montana linebacker Marcus Welnel (37) and safety Robby Hauck (17) secure a tackle for loss vs. South Dakota/by Brooks Nuanez

In the second half, splice in a little Junior Bergen (twice the spice was nice in this case) and you have the first example of UM seizing and then carrying the momentum in a dominant win.

In a 24-7 win over South Dakota State, Montana jumped out to a two-score lead with touchdown drives on its first two possessions, then suffocated the visiting Coyotes. The game had less of a drastic momentum swing that UM’s other three wins during its 4-0 start.

Against Indiana State, Patrick O’Connell’s fifth sack of the year turned into a sack-strip that Kale Edwards recovered and took to the house for his first career touchdown. After ISU’s Justin Dinka gashed the Griz defense for the first big play they had given up all season — a 54-yard touchdown run to tie the game 7-7 — Montana turned the game on its head.

Bergen, who was an all-state wide receiver at Billings Senior High as sophomore and junior before performing as an all-state quarterback as a senior, showed he can still spin it. On a wide receiver reverse pass, he threw a strike to senior Malike Flowers for a go-ahead touchdown that ensured UM would never trail on the way to a 49-14 win.

That reverse pass helped UM seize the momentum. An 18-yard touchdown strike from savvy senior quarterback Lucas Johnson to superbly talented sophomore tight end Cole Grossman to cap an 11-play, 89-yard drive gave breathing room. And a barrage of first-time touchdowns — Ryan Simpson, Keelan White and Colter Janacaro all got their first fall scores — helped the Griz sprint through the finish line to finish non-conference undefeated.

Last week served as the best example of how Montana’s ability to ride the lightning (Metallica and Dan Campbell rejoice!) can make survival almost impossible for its opponents.

Montana wide receiver Mitch Roberts (80) celebrates a first down vs. Northwestern State/by Brooks Nuanez

Portland State stole the first possession by securing a pooch kick and turning it into a touchdown. The Vikings came in to Washington-Grizzly Stadium for homecoming with a plan to let it all hang out. And even though Montana tied the score 7-7 midway through the first quarter on Bergen’s electrifying 72-yard punt return, Portland State didn’t let UM erase the soothing light of hope just yet.

Beau Kelly’s 13-yard touchdown catch with 5:19 left int eh first half helped PSU pull within three, 17-14. But 17 seconds later, Xavier Harris ripped off a 64-yard touchdown run. Five seconds after that, Alex Gubner and the Griz defensive line notched a safety, their second of the season. Roberts scored his third touchdown of his career less than three minutes later to give UM 16 unanswered points in less than 200 seconds of game time.

The Vikings were so frazzled, head coach Bruce Barnum trotted out his sophomore kicker Gianni Smith for a 54-yard field goal attempt before halftime to try to get some semblance of momentum back on the sides of the visitors.

Instead, the kick was way short. UM senior safety Robby Hauck, who would set the school record for tackles in a career before the game was over, secured the missed kick and showed great patience, vision and burst on the way to a 99-yard return for the first touchdown of his Griz career. Montana entered the locker room up 39-14.

“It’s the way we prepare,” Robby Hauck said. “Portland State came in here prepared. They play hard, they don’t quit. Coach Barny (Bruce Barnum) gets em ready to go each week. It’s always tough when we play them.

“How we train how we practice, that’s a key. The scores on special teams are huge. Those are big body blows to teams. We work hard on that stuff during the week and when we are able to score on special teams and cause turnovers, that’s a big-time advantage for us.”

Montana head coach Bobby Hauck in 2022/by Brooks Nuanez

The insane run of 22 straight points took five minutes, 11 seconds and included just eight offensive plays. Montana beat Portland State 53-16 while amassing 396 yards. UM’s yardage totals have been skewed because the Griz have been playing on a little more than half the football field for most of the first month of the season.

“Getting the momentum back in your favor, it’s simply about staying calm and fighting your way back,” Bobby Hauck said. “Adversity is part of the game. Success in life is dealing with adversity. Our guys are trained to do that.

It’s all part of the plan if you are Bobby Hauck. And if Campbell could only see the freight train Montana has been in September.

“We have a team that believes in the team concept – offense, defense, kicking and they are going to compliment each other,” Hauck said. “When we get rolling, it’s fun and it certainly was on Saturday.”

About Colter Nuanez

Colter Nuanez is the co-founder and senior writer for Skyline Sports. After spending six years in the newspaper industry with stops at the Missoulian, the Ellensburg Daily Record and the Bozeman Daily Chronicle, the former Washington Newspaper Association Sportswriter of the Year and University of Montana Journalism School graduate ('09) has cultivated a deep passion for sports journalism during his 13-year career covering the Big Sky Conference. In August of 2014, Colter and brother Brooks merged their passions of writing and art to found Skyline Sports.

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