| 2023 Montana Grizzlies football | |
|---|---|
| | |
Big Sky champion | |
| Conference | Big Sky Conference |
| Ranking | |
| STATS | No. 2 |
| FCS Coaches | No. 2 |
| Record | 13–2 (7–1 Big Sky) |
| Head coach |
|
| Offensive coordinator | Brent Pease (1st season) |
| Offensive scheme | Multiple |
| Defensive coordinator | Ronnie Bradford (1st season) |
| Base defense | 4–3 |
| Home stadium | Washington–Grizzly Stadium |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 2 Montana $^ | 7 | – | 1 | 13 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 8 Idaho ^ | 6 | – | 2 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 9 Montana State ^ | 6 | – | 2 | 8 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Arizona | 5 | – | 3 | 5 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 24 UC Davis | 5 | – | 3 | 7 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 13 Sacramento State ^ | 4 | – | 4 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Portland State | 4 | – | 4 | 5 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weber State | 4 | – | 4 | 6 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Eastern Washington | 3 | – | 5 | 4 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Idaho State | 3 | – | 5 | 3 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cal Poly | 1 | – | 7 | 3 | – | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northern Colorado | 0 | – | 8 | 0 | – | 11 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2023 Montana Grizzlies football team represented the University of Montana as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 2023 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Grizzlies were led by head coach Bobby Hauck in the sixth season of his current stint and the thirteenth overall, as he was head coach from 2003 to 2009. [1] The team played their home games at Washington–Grizzly Stadium in Missoula, Montana. The Montana Grizzlies football team drew an average home attendance of 26,269 in 2023.
On July 23, 2023, during the virtual Big Sky Kickoff, the Grizzlies were predicted to finish sixth in the Big Sky by the coaches and third by the media. [2]
The Grizzlies had five players selected to the preseason all-Big Sky team. [3] [4]
Offense Hunter Mayginnes – OL | Defense Alex Gubner – DT Levi Janacaro – LB | Special Teams Junior Bergen – PR Trevin Gradney – ST |
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2 | 12:00 p.m. | Butler * | No. 14 | KTMF/ESPN+ | W 35–20 | 25,430 | |
| September 9 | 7:00 p.m. | at Utah Tech * | No. 13 | ESPN+ | W 43–13 | 5,766 | |
| September 16 | 6:00 p.m. | No. 1 (D-II) Ferris State * | No. 12 |
| KTMF/ESPN+ | W 17–10 | 26,978 |
| September 23 | 2:00 p.m. | at Northern Arizona | No. 13 | KPAX/ESPN+ | L 14–28 | 6,428 | |
| September 30 | 2:00 p.m. | Idaho State | No. 18 |
| KPAX/ESPN+ | W 28–20 | 26,678 |
| October 7 | 5:00 p.m. | at No. 20 UC Davis | No. 17 | KPAX/ESPN+ | W 31–23 | 9,576 | |
| October 14 | 8:30 p.m. | at No. 3 Idaho | No. 16 | ESPN2 | W 23–21 | 14,218 | |
| October 28 | 1:00 p.m. | Northern Colorado | No. 7 |
| KPAX/ESPN+ | W 40–0 | 25,463 |
| November 4 | 6:00 p.m. | No. 7 Sacramento State | No. 4 |
| KPAX/ESPN+ | W 34–7 | 25,888 |
| November 11 | 8:00 p.m. | at Portland State | No. 3 | KPAX/ESPN+ | W 34–10 | 4,578 | |
| November 18 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 4 Montana State | No. 3 |
| KPAX/ESPN+ | W 37–7 | 27,178 |
| December 2 | 7:00 p.m. | No. 11 Delaware * | No. 2 |
| ESPN+ | W 49–19 | 20,580 |
| December 8 | 7:00 p.m. | No. 7 Furman * | No. 2 |
| ESPN2 | W 35–28 OT | 20,884 |
| December 16 | 2:30 p.m. | No. 8 North Dakota State * | No. 2 |
| ESPN2/ESPN+ | W 31–29 2OT | 26,544 |
| January 7, 2024 | 12:00 p.m. | vs. No. 1 South Dakota State * | No. 2 | ABC | L 3–23 | 19,512 | |
| |||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulldogs | 3 | 3 | 14 | 0 | 20 |
| No. 14 Grizzles | 10 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 13 Grizzles | 14 | 22 | 7 | 0 | 43 |
| Trailblazers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 13 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bulldogs | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| No. 12 Grizzlies | 3 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 17 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 13 Grizzles | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Lumberjacks | 7 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 28 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bengals | 7 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 20 |
| No. 18 Grizzles | 7 | 0 | 14 | 7 | 28 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 17 Grizzles | 7 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 31 |
| No. 20 Aggies | 7 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 23 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 16 Grizzles | 10 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 23 |
| No. 3 Vandals | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bears | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No. 7 Grizzles | 0 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 40 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 7 Hornets | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| No. 4 Grizzles | 7 | 14 | 0 | 13 | 34 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 3 Grizzles | 7 | 17 | 10 | 0 | 34 |
| Vikings | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 4 Bobcats | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| No. 3 Grizzles | 14 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 37 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 12 Blue Hens | 0 | 12 | 7 | 0 | 19 |
| No. 2 Grizzles | 10 | 25 | 14 | 0 | 49 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 7 Paladins | 14 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 28 |
| No. 2 Grizzles | 14 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 7 | 35 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | 2OT | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 8 Bison | 3 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 29 |
| No. 2 Grizzles | 0 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 31 |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 2 Grizzles | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| No. 1 Jackrabbits | 7 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 23 |
| Week | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Final |
| STATS FCS | 14 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | |
| Coaches | 14 | 13 | 11т | 11 | 16 | 13 | 10 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | |