Despite some outstanding performances—junior wide receiver Marc Mariani snagged seven passes for yards and junior linebacker Shawn Lebsock tallied thirteen tackles—the Griz left the stadium frustrated, finishing the season The team is now in FCS championship games.
Despite the steady leadership of senior quarterback Cole Bergquist and a monstrous O-line, many folks thought the running game and defense needed a little seasoning. Would the Griz finish ? Was the string of fifteen straight playoff appearances in jeopardy?
The Griz squeaked out a road win to open the season against nationally ranked Cal Poly and then dominated Southern Utah at home. A turning point came the next week when the Griz defense took on a new, tougher identity during a stifling of Eastern Washington in Cheney. Suddenly the wins piled up. During the th Brawl of the Wild, Griz players clad in throwback copper and gold jerseys sent the Montana State Bobcats yowling back to Bozeman with a spanking. Some wonderful plotlines emerged during the season.
Bergquist, from San Clemente, Calif. Mariani, a Havre product, had 1, receiving yards—the second-most ever for a Grizzly. But perhaps the most exciting story was the emergence of Chase Reynolds, the sophomore running back from Drummond, who set single season records for touchdowns 23 and points The Griz roared into the playoffs with a No.
Texas State went down , and then UM avenged its only loss of the season with a mauling of talented Weber State. Even the biggest doubters had to admit that something special was happening with the Griz.
