No. 2 Griz set to host Delaware in FBS playoffs
The No. 2 Montana Grizzlies learned their first opponent of the 2023 FCS Playoffs Saturday, with the No. 11/12 Delaware Blue Hens now set to travel to Missoula for a second-round showdown.
Delaware (9-3, 6-2 CAA) came from behind to defeat Lafayette 36-34 in Newark, Delaware, to advance to the second round of the playoffs.
The Blue Hens will now face the Grizzlies on Saturday, Dec. 2, at 7 p.m. in Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
Information on playoff tickets for season ticket holders, the general public, and University of Montana students can be found at GoGriz.com/FCSPlayoffs.
Montana will enjoy the home field advantage throughout the 2023 playoffs after defeating Montana State to earn the program's 19th Big Sky championship and the No. 2 overall seed in the postseason tourney.
The Grizzlies have not faced Delaware since the 1993 postseason when the Blue Hens came to Missoula and defeated UM 49-48, despite Dave Dickenson throwing completing 37 of 44 passes for 409 yards.
Griz coach, players earn Big Sky accolades
After winning the program's first conference title since 2009, the Montana Grizzlies dominated the 2023 All-Big Sky postseason honors, sweeping four of the five individual awards and 13 players earning 14 spots on one of three all-conference teams, the league announced Tuesday.
Head Coach Bobby Hauck was named the Big Sky Coach of the Year for the fourth time in his illustrious career, a unanimous selection as voted by his peers across the league.
Tackle Alex Gubner capped another dominant regular season at UM as the conference's Defensive MVP and a second-straight first-team all-conference pick, which was also unanimous.
After leading the Griz to seven straight wins as a starter in his first season under center, quarterback Clifton McDowell was named the league's Newcomer of the Year.
Running back Eli Gillman posted more rushing yards than any other freshman in the FCS this season and the third-most overall in the conference with 857 yards and 10 touchdowns to date, earning him the league's Freshman of the Year award.
Montana was also well-represented on the two all-conference teams and the honorable mention list with 13 total players earning 14 selections.
The Griz had a total of seven players earn eight spots on the All-Big Sky first-team, the most for UM since the last championship season in '09, with Junior Bergen landing on the first team for offense and special teams.
Four offensive linemen also earned recognition, with tackle Brandon Casey landing on the first team, center AJ Forbes on the second team, and Chris Walker and Journey Grimsrud earning honorable mentions.
The Griz also had a pair of cornerbacks earn first-team defensive honors. Billings native Trevin Gradney led the nation in interceptions per game with five on the season, despite missing two games to injury. Corbin Walker led the team in pass breakups and picked off a pass to land on the first team.
Montana, known around the FCS as "Linebacker U", had three earn all-conference honors, with Braxton Hill, a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, landing on the first team, and Levi Janacaro and Riley Wilson landing on the second team.
Hauck has now won Coach of the Year four times in his 12 seasons at Montana, more than any other coach in Grizzly history passing greats Don Read and Joe Glenn with three each.
He is just the third coach in Big Sky Conference history to win Coach of the Year four times in his career. College Football Hall of Famer Chris Ault won in 1983, 1986, and back-to-back years in 1990 and 1991. Mike Kramer was a four-time winner with three different teams starting at EWU in 1997, MSU in 2002 and 2005, and Idaho State in 2014.
With a current record of 126-35, Hauck is the all-time winningest coach in Montana and Big Sky Conference history. On Monday he was named a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award that goes to the FCS Coach of the Year for the second time in his career.