By ERIC TABER
With a first-place vote in each, the Montana Grizzlies have been selected to finish fourth by the Big Sky Conference’s coaches and fifth by the media in the league’s annual preseason polls, announced Monday at the football kickoff event in Spokane, Wash.
In tight voting, the Griz picked up 104 points and one first-place vote in the coaches’ poll to come in fourth, just 20 points behind Weber State and four points ahead of Montana State. Montana earned a total of 396 points and one first-place vote to come in fifth in the media poll, just 21 points behind MSU in fourth place.
As he gets set to enter year two of his second tenure at UM, head coach Bobby Hauck‘s mind is not fixed on the preseason polls but rather where the Grizzlies stand at the end of the season.
“I’m not overly interested in preseason polls. However, I am excited to start what looks to be a particularly difficult schedule and see if we can be at the top of those standings at the end of November,” said Hauck.
As a young team, Montana finished 6-5 in Hauck’s first season back in Missoula but returns 20 starters in 2019 (12 offense/8 defense) and seven All-Big Sky performers.
Montana’s defense will be led by senior linebacker and preseason All-American Dante Olson, and the offense will be led by senior dual-threat quarterback and Big Sky Newcomer of the Year Dalton Sneed.
Eastern Washington, coming off a 12-win season and a trip to the FCS championship game was picked to finish first in both the media (536 points and 25 first-place votes) and coaches’ polls (140 points and 10 first-place votes).
The Grizzlies open the 2019 season at South Dakota on Aug. 31 before returning to Missoula for the home opener on Sept. 7 against North Alabama.
Montana will also host the preseason favorite EWU Eagles on Oct. 26 and defending co-conference champion Weber State on Nov. 16.
The Griz renew their traditional rivalry with the Idaho Vandals as well in 2019 and will compete for the “Little Brown Stein” in Missoula on Nov. 9.
Montana caps the regular season on Nov. 23 against the team it swapped places with in the preseason polls, taking on MSU in Bozeman.
Single-game tickets for the 2019 season go on sale Monday, July 15 at the Adams Center Box Office or at GrizTix.com.
2019 Big Sky Football Preseason Polls
Coaches Poll
1. Eastern Washington (10) – 140
2. UC Davis (2) – 127
3. Weber State – 124
4. Montana (1) – 104
5. Montana State – 100
6. Northern Arizona – 88
7. Idaho State – 72
8. Idaho – 65
9. Cal Poly – 56
10. Portland State – 42
11. Sacramento State – 40
12. Southern Utah – 38
13. Northern Colorado – 19
( ) Denotes First-Place Votes
Media Poll
1. Eastern Washington – 536 (25)
2. UC Davis – 510 (13)
3. Weber State – 472 (4)
4. Montana State – 417
5. Montana – 396 (1)
6. Northern Arizona – 302
7. Idaho State – 285
8. Idaho – 248
9. Cal Poly – 196
10. Portland State – 178
11. Southern Utah – 160
12. Sacramento State – 125
13. Northern Colorado – 90
( ) Denotes First-Place Votes