Walk-on earns the fruits of determination

Copyright Tim Kupsick 2007

By: Jake Grilley
GameDay Kaimin

Marc Mariani stood just in front of the Montana end zone inside Washington-Grizzly Stadium. The 6-foot, 174-pound sophomore from Havre nervously awaited the kickoff. His blond crew cut and thin frame were all but hidden beneath his helmet, pads and the number 80 University of Montana jersey he had worked so hard to wear.
Just two years prior, Mariani had enrolled at the University of Montana with intentions of making the Grizzlies as a walk-on.
Mariani said his first day stepping on the practice field was an overwhelming experience.
“It was a quick transformation from being a big fish in a small pond to being a small fish in a huge pond,” he said.
Week one of practice made Mariani wonder what exactly he had gotten himself into.
“The first week was real scary,” he said. “Being out there, coaches yelling at you, guys getting beat up, doing tackling drills you have never done before.”
After seeing all the talent that Montana had, Mariani knew his journey wouldn’t be easy.
“There was a lot of question marks, lots of hard work in front of me,” Mariani said.
Mariani was willing to put in the hard work. He participated in the team’s freshman lifting program that began at 5:30 a.m. four days a week.
He tried not to worry about what he couldn’t control.
“I just had fun with it, I didn’t know where it was going to go,” he said. “I just worked as hard as I could and waited to see where it would take me.”
Although he was uncertain where his hard work would take him, Mariani never doubted his decision to walk-on for the Griz.
“I felt like I could play, I thought I could play and I wanted to prove it to myself,” he said.
Growing up in Havre he envisioned himself playing at Montana someday.
“For me it was just the top goal,” Mariani said. “I am from small town Montana and this has been the biggest goal that I was shooting for as soon as I started playing football. This is what I dreamed of, this is the place I wanted to be.”
As sure as he was about his dream, he was just as uncertain about it ever happening.
“I was more of a basketball player growing up,” he said. “I was always the small guy (on the football team.)”
But Mariani was determined not to let his size stand in the way of his aspirations and by his junior year of high school he was emerging as a standout football player.
Mariani was a first-team All-state free safety his junior season. It was during his senior year that Mariani broke out as a wide receiver, setting the Havre High record in single-season receiving yards.
These kinds of performances garnered Mariani calls from various Division II and NAIA programs. But the one school he wanted to take a look at him didn’t seem to notice.
“I wasn’t getting recruited hard by (Montana),” Mariani said. “I kinda thought at one point I should look around. I didn’t think I would be able to do it.”
Despite not being heavily sought after by the Grizzlies, Mariani decided to take his best shot at playing for the two-time national champs.
“I just wanted to push myself,” Mariani said. “I didn’t want to settle for something and regret not giving this a shot. I didn’t want to go somewhere and always wonder ‘what if I could have made it?’ ”
Mariani was among a handful of walk-ons competing for a roster spot that fall.
“There is not a difference between walk-on and scholarship really,” Mariani said. “You just have to earn respect and earn your spot on the team.”
Part of earning that respect was taking some knocks.
“I remember me and a few walk-on guys got thrown in (a drill),” Mariani said. “We were getting screamed at and yelled at and had no clue what was going on. I think in the first week I got absolutely taken out by Mike Murphy.”
Sophomore wide receiver and fellow walk-on at the time Bryan Riggs was impressed by Mariani’s determination and focus.
The things that made Mariani successful then and now are his hard work ethic and ability to keep a level head, Riggs said.
Junior wide receiver and fellow punt and kick returner Rob Schulte said Mariani put in the time he needed to be a success.
“You can put in lots of time or you can choose not to,” Schulte said. “He is the kind of guy that puts in the time.”
Mariani said other players on the team kept him motivated.
“The thing is you never stop working,” Mariani said. “As soon as you stop working, someone else is going to pass you by.”
He said although he is very self-motivated it helped to have friends and family encouraging him.
“I made all the decisions,” Mariani said. “But the support I get from my friends and family is everything. When times get hard you need someone to fall back on and that is what I have for sure.”
It wasn’t until after spring meetings that Mariani would get to know if all his hard work had paid off.
“Those last few weeks of spring were nerve-racking as heck,” he said. “I mean you’ve gone through a year of practicing and it all comes down to that, whether you will be on the team next year or not.”
He said he tried to walk into the meeting with the confidence of knowing that he had given it his best shot.
“I didn’t know what to expect,” Mariani said. “I was pretty nervous. I thought I had done as well as I could have but it was all up in the air.”
As he sat down for his final meeting with head coach Bobby Hauck, Mariani crossed his fingers and wished to himself that he had made the team, but he didn’t get his hopes up because he said “there is always that chance.”
The butterflies Mariani was feeling were quickly eliminated when Coach Hauck asked him back for the fall.
Mariani’s dream of becoming a Montana Grizzly had become a reality.
“I hadn’t done anything yet,” Mariani said. “But I made the team and that was my first goal.”
Now, a year and a half after making the team, Mariani is making an impact.
He is the team leader in both punt return and kick-off return average with 13.4 and 40 yards respectively. Mariani’s punt return average is also the highest in the conference and his 40-yard average on kick returns would eclipse the conference high of 26.5 if Mariani had more returns.
Mariani also has the title of being the team’s fastest man.
He clocked in at a 4.49 in the 40.
The ever-modest Mariani downplayed his achievement.
“I probably cheated, it probably wasn’t right,” he said.
Schulte believes the sky is the limit for Mariani.
“He is the people’s favorite,” Schulte said. “He is the kind of guy you want to see succeed. He has done that and will continue to.”
Mariani understands that Grizzly fans expect big plays from their returners.
“Everyone in Montana is used to a big time punt returner,” he said. “We’ve had (Levander Segars) and (Tuff Harris) those are some big, big shoes to fill.”
Although Mariani has met his goals, don’t think he hasn’t set more for himself.
“My next goal is to help the team win,” he said. “Anything I can do, special teams, returns, receiver, whenever my number is called. That is what it comes down to and that is my immediate goal right now.”
Riggs was impressed by Mariani’s determination and focus.
The things that made Mariani successful then and now are his hard work ethic and ability to keep a level head, Riggs said.
Junior wide receiver and fellow punt and kick returner Rob Schulte said Mariani put in the time he needed to be a success.
“You can put in lots of time or you can choose not to,” Schulte said. “He is the kind of guy that puts in the time.”
Mariani said other players on the team kept him motivated.
“The thing is you never stop working,” Mariani said. “As soon as you stop working, someone else is going to pass you by.”
He said although he is very self-motivated, it helped to have friends and family encouraging him.
“I made all the decisions,” Mariani said. “But the support I get from my friends and family is everything. When times get hard you need someone to fall back on and that is what I have for sure.”
It wasn’t until after spring meetings that Mariani would get to know if all his hard work had paid off.
“Those last few weeks of spring were nerve-racking as heck,” he said. “I mean, you’ve gone through a year of practicing and it all comes down to that, whether you will be on the team next year or not.”
He said he tried to walk into the meeting with the confidence of knowing that he had given it his best shot.
“I didn’t know what to expect,” Mariani said. “I was pretty nervous. I thought I had done as well as I could have but it was all up in the air.”
As he sat down for his final meeting with head coach Bobby Hauck, Mariani crossed his fingers and wished to himself that he had made the team, but he didn’t get his hopes up because, he said, “there is always that chance.”
The butterflies Mariani was feeling were quickly eliminated when Hauck asked him back for the fall.
Mariani’s dream of becoming a Montana Grizzly had become a reality.
“I hadn’t done anything yet,” Mariani said. “But I made the team, and that was my first goal.”
Now, a year and a half after making the team, Mariani is making an impact.
He is the team leader in both punt return and kick-off return averages, with 13.4 and 40 yards, respectively. Mariani’s punt return average is also the highest in the conference and his 40-yard average on kick returns would eclipse the conference high of 26.5 if Mariani had more returns.
Mariani also has the title of being the team’s fastest man.
He clocked in at a 4.49 in the 40.
The ever-modest Mariani downplayed his achievement.
“I probably cheated, it probably wasn’t right,” he said.
Schulte believes the sky is the limit for Mariani.
“He is the people’s favorite,” Schulte said. “He is the kind of guy you want to see succeed. He has done that and will continue to.”
Mariani understands that Grizzly fans expect big plays from their returners.
“Everyone in Montana is used to a big time punt returner,” he said. “We’ve had (Levander Segars) and (Tuff Harris) those are some big, big shoes to fill.”
Although Mariani has met his goals, don’t think he hasn’t set more for himself.
“My next goal is to help the team win,” he said. “Anything I can do special teams, returns, receiver whenever my number is called. That is what it comes down to and that is my immediate goal right now.”

Griz 6-0 despite low performance numbers

By: Bill Oram
GameDay Kaimin

The University of Montana football team is ranked No. 3 in the nation. Yet when compared to teams in their own conference, the Griz have put up numbers that could best be described as middle-of-the-road.
The Griz have been out-gained nearly 2-to-1 each of the last two weeks in total offense, and have been forced to rely on big, game-saving plays in the fourth quarter to squeeze out wins against Eastern Washington and Sacramento State.
Despite having arguably the most talented group of running backs in the conference, the Griz are ranked second to last in rushing yards per game in the Big Sky, and their pass offense ranks dead last in the nine-team league.
Against Eastern Washington, the Eagles posted a gaudy 565 offensive yards, while the Griz mustered just 289. As an encore, the Grizzlies were doubled-up offensively when Sac State had 346 yards – exactly twice as many as the Griz – in the 17-3 Montana win.
Despite the lack of offensive productivity, the Griz stand at 6-0 with their sights set on a probable playoff berth, barring a late-season meltdown.
“I’m not into numbers other than the ‘W’ in the left-hand column,” Montana head coach Bobby Hauck said Tuesday.
Today the Griz will look to improve on their marginal numbers when they host a team that is also familiar with futility. The Northern Colorado Bears are winless on the season, but also played a grueling preseason schedule that included games at Hawaii, San Diego and Cal Poly. But the Bears also lost a home game to Division II Chadron State, who also knocked off Montana State last season in Bozeman.
The highly regarded Grizzlies can expect a challenge from the Bears, Hauck said.
“Northern Colorado will come in hungry, they’re playing hard,” he said. “I’ve watched every game in some form or fashion that they’ve played this year. Their coaches have them playing hard, that’s what we expect. They have not come out in the win column like they wanted to in numerous games.”
Despite concerns surrounding the Montana offense, Northern Colorado coach Scott Downing doesn’t see where the Griz have a lot of holes.
“I don’t think they have a lot of problems,” he said. “I would tell you this, I think their scheme is good, they’re very well coached, they’re technically very sound.”
Downing said he didn’t think the Grizzlies had been under-producing in recent weeks, rather that other teams were playing up to Montana’s level.
“I think one of the things that probably catches up with a team like Montana, like I’ve said before, they’ve got a big target on their chest,” he said. “They’re the top team in the league and one of the top teams in the nation.”
Senior offensive tackle Cody Balogh said the Grizzly offense was planning to spend this week in practice regrouping and trying to find a rhythm.
“Northern Colorado’s a good team, but we’re going to focus on us this week,” Balogh said. “We’ve got some stuff we’ve got to take care of, and hopefully it will end up in a good way on Saturday.”
Hauck cautioned that the Griz couldn’t overlook the Bears.
“They’re a team that we can beat if we go out and play well,” he said.
Downing said he’s been pleased with the team’s effort, and that even though the wins haven’t happened yet this year, the Bears have a positive attitude.
“Our kids are tired of losing. Our coaches are tired of losing, but it’s not from a lack of effort,” he said.
Just a week removed from being ranked No. 1 in The Sports Network’s top 25, the Grizzlies are in a completely opposite situation.
“That team at Montana knows how to win,” he said. “Sometimes maybe they don’t win by the point margin that people want them to win by, but we don’t get any style points for margin of victory.”

Plenty of action around the Big Sky Conference

Copyright Tim Kupsick 2007

By: Amber Kuehn
GameDay Kaimin

While the Griz try to stay undefeated, several other conference teams will vie to move up the Big Sky standings.
Meanwhile, Eastern Washington takes a break from league play to face BYU.

Northern Arizona at Weber State (1:05 p.m.)
These two teams first met in 1964 and they’ve met every year since, with the Wildcats holding a one-game advantage in the series.
The Lumberjacks sit at 3-1 in Big Sky action and are alone in second place. NAU managed 588 total yards in their 45-24 victory over Idaho State last Saturday. Today they face a Wildcats squad that is on a two-game win streak and beat Northern Colorado 23-0 for their first shutout in 27 years. NAU quarterback Lance Kriesien received Player of the Week honors after his 320 yards of total offense and trio of touchdowns. He completed 75 percent of his passes and was dangerous on the ground with 17 carries. Kriesien has played both quarterback and wide receiver in his two seasons. As a quarterback, he has rushed for 390 yards and five touchdowns to rank eighth in the conference in total rushing yards.
NAU leads the league in rushing offense. Leading the Lumberjacks attack is Lionel Scott, who is averaging 107.2 yards in conference competition. Last Saturday he was responsible for three touchdowns.
The Jacks are also strong on the defensive side of the ball. NAU leads the league in interceptions with 13. K.J. Gerard leads the FCS in interceptions with six this season and leads the Lumberjacks in total tackles with 38.
For the Wildcats, Bryant Eteuati is one to watch out for. He had eight receptions for 146 yards and two touchdowns against the Bears. Eteuati is also the best in the Big Sky at kickoff returns.
The Wildcats are league-leaders in scoring defense and pass defense.
NAU has won three of its last four games in Stewart Stadium. For that reason, and their numbers so far this season, I’m taking the Lumberjacks.

Sacramento State at Montana State (1:05 p.m.)
Sac State managed to double Montana’s offensive output last Saturday but the Griz defense was too much for the Hornets. They now must face another strong defensive unit from the same state.
Both Sac State and MSU are coming off losses. The Bobcats suffered their first Big Sky loss of the season to Eastern Washington, 35-13. MSU only managed 22 rushing yards in that contest.
Sac State should beware of Bobcats linebacker Bobby Daly. He has had double-digit tackles in four straight games and was named to the Buck Buchanan Award watch list this week.
As far as the Cats’ offense, Demetrius Crawford leads the team in rushing yards. Wide receiver Josh Lewis also has over 100 yards receiving in two games in the past three weeks.
The Hornets have only posted one win this season and the Cats have only two losses (their other was to Texas A&M), which were both respectable considering the tough teams they were facing. I don’t see MSU losing this one.

Portland State at Idaho State (3:05 p.m.)
The Vikings haven’t won in Pocatello since 1999, and are coming off a bye week that followed a heartbreaking 44-43 loss to NAU.
Idaho State is also coming off a loss to the Lumberjacks, falling 45-24 last weekend.
Both squads sit at 2-4 in the Big Sky.
The Bengals are averaging 403.5 yards of offense but are guilty of 16 turnovers in six games. Freshman Russel Hill and sophomore Luke Butler have split time under center, and have combined to complete 58 percent of their passes. Tailback Josh Barnett currently leads the league with 548 rushing yards. Receiver Eddie Thompson is the league leader in receptions with 50 in six games, which is also third in the nation.
Portland State is banged up, with 10 players suffering injuries this season. But the athletes they have playing have been playing extremely well.
PSU quarterback Brian White has played spectacularly lately and has led the Vikings to two come-from-behind victories. He has thrown for over 1,500 yards in the past four games.
Vikings senior fullback Olaniyi Sobomehin leads the team and the Big Sky with nine touchdowns in six contests. He has 72 carries for 344 yards.
Want my opinion? Jerry Glanville and crew are going to get their first win in Pocatello in seven years.

Eastern Washington at BYU (3:35 p.m.)
The Eagles may get a break from conference action, but that doesn’t mean they are getting a break.
The Cougars are dangerous on both offense and defense and Brigham Young University is one of the most powerful college teams in the country. BYU ranks 16th in the FBS in total offense with 462.8 yards and is only allowing 313.3 yards per game. Quarterback Max Hall ranks sixth in the nation.
Both teams sit at 4-2. EWU has never beaten a Mountain West Conference member, and BYU is undefeated in the MWC this season.
The Eagles win over MSU last weekend moved them up to No. 22 in the Sports Network FCS Poll.
It would be nice of me to pick the Eagles since they are a fellow conference member. But football isn’t about being nice, so I’m going to play it safe and say BYU wins.

Where are they now: Marty Mornhinweg

By: Bill Oram
GameDay Kaimin

Great quarterbacks are as much a staple in Montana football history as tourists are in Glacier National Park during summer.
Dave Dickenson, Brian Ah Yat, Drew Miller, John Edwards and Craig Ochs have all taken their place in the spotlight for the Grizzlies. But it’s a quarterback often forgotten in discussions of great Griz gridiron generals who has had arguably the most successful professional career.
Marty Mornhinweg is better known for his career calling plays from NFL sidelines than from under center for the Grizzlies in the early 1980s.
He was the head coach of the Detroit Lions in 2001 and 2002, and for the past five years has been with the Philadelphia Eagles, currently as offensive coordinator. Stops in San Francisco, Green Bay, Chicago, Detroit and Philadelphia make his NFL passport an enviable one.
Long before Dickenson and Edwards, two national championships, and nine straight Big Sky Conference titles, Montana football had its up and down years. Before 23,000-plus fans packed into Washington-Grizzly Stadium, Griz games were played at Dornblaser Field with its wooden bleachers. Fans were just the toss of a beer – especially when Montana State was in town – from the action.
Former Montana coach Joe Glenn said the Mornhinweg-led teams of the ’80s were largely responsible for the transition from middle-of-the-pack to top-of-the-heap.
“The times weren’t as good as they have been since they moved into the stadium,” said Glenn, who was an assistant coach during Mornhinweg’s tenure and now coaches the Wyoming Cowboys.
“(Mornhinweg) was amazing to watch. He probably played with a cast of less talented players than have been there since Marty.”
In his years as Griz quarterback, Mornhinweg’s teams were 22-30-1, a record that would likely make modern-day Griz fans cringe.
Yet, Mornhinweg’s teams were the first to prove the Grizzlies could contend, a fact that is consistent with recent Montana history.
“I think the fellows that I played with were tough. They were the types of guys (who) didn’t make excuses,” Mornhinweg said. “We didn’t whine or cry, we got better every day. Tough guys usually rise to the occasion. I don’t think we were quite the most talented team, but we won it.”
After Mornhinweg and his potent crop of receivers – highlighted by Brian Salonen and Bob McCauley – the Grizzlies didn’t win another Big Sky title for 11 years.
“I was happy for the teammates I had because they put a lot of time, effort, sacrifice and many of them were upstanding citizens and great students,” Mornhinweg said.
The San Jose, Calif., native came to Montana highly regarded, but major schools shied away from him and his 5-foot-9, 185 pound frame. But not the Griz.
“He played quarterback position like a linebacker,” said Daryl Gadbow, former Missoulian sports editor. “He was really tough. If he ran the ball there was no sliding; he ran right smack into somebody.”
Mornhinweg’s social life exuded the same zeal as on the field. He was a presence in the bar scene and was known for frequently dealing poker at the Stockman Bar.
“He was a partier and he liked to gamble,” Gadbow said. “The Grizzlies used to play down at (the University of Nevada) Reno and I heard they couldn’t drag him out of the casinos at night.”
Prior to his senior season in 1983, Mornhinweg was suspended after being accused of cheating on an exam. He sat out the year before returning in 1984.
“I think that most fans thought he was a good player and I think people thought he made a mistake and he paid for it,” he said. “And he stuck around.”
Mornhinweg’s stats at Montana were good, but not great. He threw for 6,083 career yards, sixth most all-time, and averaged 169 passing yards per game. However, even then he had the mind of a coach, Glenn said
He was introduced to great coaching early in his career. At Oak Grove High School in San Jose, one of his coaches was Mike Holmgren, coach of the Packers when they won the 1997 Super Bowl and currently coach of the Seattle Seahawks.
Mornhinweg’s first shot to run an NFL team came in 2001 when he was hired by the mercurial Matt Millen to guide the hapless Lions. However, he was fired after two years and a 5-27 record.
Glenn said although Mornhinweg’s stretch at the top of an NFL team was short-lived, he has redeemed himself in Philadelphia. The Eagles have produced record-setting offensive numbers in his tenure, and he deserves another shot.
“He’ll get another chance,” Glenn said. “The first one didn’t work out so well as a head coach. People like him, players like him.”
Mornhinweg didn’t rule out coaching in the college ranks, at least once his four kids – the youngest is 8 years old – are out of the house.
“I’ve got a little time left here, but my wife and I have discussed some of those things,” he said. “It would be nice to get to a university setting one of these days.”
Mornhinweg, with his wife and kids, visited Missoula for the first time in 15 years this past summer, and said he frequently chats with former teammates.
Despite his extensive and lucrative career in the pros, Mornhinweg insisted the NFL isn’t as glamorous as it is portrayed by Hollywood.
“It may seem like that to some people, but we work hard, we prepare,” he said. “We do everything we can to have success that next week. You got to do it day-to-day, week-to-week. And we did this at the University of Montana.”

'All-American guy'

Bill Oram
GameDay Kaimin

Under the fluorescent lights of the University Center Commons, Kyle Ryan looks just like any other University of Montana student cramming for a midterm exam. He sports a blue zip sweatshirt and a white Notre Dame ball cap backwards. The hat is a nod to his Irish Catholic roots and his love of Fightin’ Irish football – a religion of its own.
Huddled in a corner of the room, little about him stands out.
Ryan is used to blending in. Of the three senior starting linebackers for the top-ranked Griz – Ryan, Loren Utterback and Tyler Joyce – the Billings West High School product is the one who has flown the most under the radar.
His No. 46 holds little prestige compared to the hallowed No. 37 Utterback wears, and he’s not as brash or, frankly, as violent as Joyce.
“Kyle’s kind of quietly put together a great career,” said Griz linebackers coach Ty Gregorak. “In my opinion Kyle’s been unbelievably consistent.”
As a three-year starter, Ryan has accumulated 234 tackles. But just a year removed from tying the team high with 115 stops, he has recorded only 23 to start this season.
“This year I’ve kind of struggled to make the plays I have in years past, but I just have to be patient and it will come,” Ryan said.
One of those plays in which patience paid off came last weekend.
In the third quarter, with Weber State clinging to a 10-9 lead, Ryan stepped in front of a Cameron Higgins pass for his first interception of the season. He stuck out a hand, first tipping the ball and finally corralling it.
The Washington-Grizzly Stadium crowd, restless and anxious for a reason to cheer, exploded.
Gregorak was planted on the sideline near where the play happened.
“His eyes just got huge because there was nothing but green in front of him and it looked like he probably thought he could score and next thing you know he gets whacked from the side,” Gregorak said. “I was just so happy he didn’t fumble the ball.”
The interception led to Montana’s lone touchdown of the game, a one-yard run by Greg Coleman.
“It was a heckuva play,” Gregorak said. “It was a game-changing play. It set up a score and ultimately we ended up winning the game.”
It’s fitting that Ryan has spent his college career at Montana, though it might have been more so had he landed at Notre Dame.
His father was a rugby player for the Irish, and Ryan grew up a Notre Dame fan. His bedroom in Billings was equally plastered in Notre Dame and Montana posters, he said.
His brother Casey played offensive line for the Griz in the late ‘90s, and his brother Pat was a reserve linebacker for Notre Dame from 1999-2002.
Naturally, the youngest Ryan wanted to play for the Irish too.
He saw how hard Pat worked in high school to earn a chance at Notre Dame, so he said he tried to put in that same effort. He attended a camp at Notre Dame his junior year. Future Irish players, including current Cleveland Brown quarterback Brady Quinn, surrounded him there.
But when the recruiting period got into full swing, Notre Dame showed little more than cursory interest in Ryan.
“Kyle thought he was going to be a teammate with those guys, but it just didn’t work out that way,” his father, Bill Ryan, said.
Other schools showed interest – Montana State, of course, Colorado State, Stanford and a handful of Ivy League schools – but Kyle Ryan had essentially already pared his list to two.
“I’m glad it ended up that I’m a Griz,” he said. “I don’t regret that for a second. Growing up, I had thought about it (playing for the Irish), but when my brother played at Notre Dame, I kind of realized that I’d be better off at Montana.”
The Grizzlies offered Ryan the opportunity to play closer to home, and, as he said, to have a greater chance of success.
Ryan made his splash with the Griz as a sophomore in 2005 when Utterback broke his foot at Oregon. Ryan started the rest of the season at middle linebacker.
Ryan would not have likely had the opportunity to start as a sophomore at Notre Dame or another big school.
Pat Ryan said he is happy that his brother ended up with the Griz.
“I loved my experience (at Notre Dame); Kyle’s loving his experience,” he said. “I don’t think he’d give up what he has now. I think he’s in a perfect spot for him.”
Even if Notre Dame had offered him a shot, Kyle Ryan isn’t certain he would have taken it.
“I would have had to think about it,” he said. “It wouldn’t have been the clear choice that it would have been earlier in my life.”
Kyle Ryan was not the prototypical star-to-be. He was “mushy-faced little four-eyed guy,” Bill Ryan said.
However, continuing in the mold of Casey and Pat, Kyle Ryan slowly developed into a force, the biggest of the football-playing brothers, his dad said.
According to Bill Ryan, his son’s offer to join the Griz came the spring of his sophomore year of high school. The season was highlighted by a game against Flathead High School when Ryan recorded an eyebrow-raising tackle against another future Grizzly standout – running back Lex Hilliard.
One Ryan brother never played football, but Kyle Ryan looked up to him as well. Bill Jr., who his father said was actually the best athlete of the group, went to Stanford for his undergraduate degree and is a lawyer in Billings.
“Kyle kind of went down that road academically,” Bill Ryan Sr. said. “And then with Casey and Pat right in front of him, that was a huge motivator (to play football).”
Gregorak said Ryan’s reputation as an “all-American guy” sometimes may earn him some teasing from his teammates.
“My wife loves him,” Gregorak said. “He’s a big, good-looking dude. He is a smart guy, he is a gentleman, he is ‘yes sir, no sir.’ I think he takes some flack for it, too.
“He’s a great student. He’s a student of the game, I bet he does real well in his business school.”
Ryan is an accounting major and has few illusions about playing football beyond college. When his career is over, he plans to take a year off and apply to law school. He’d like to stay at UM.
But before Ryan gets too caught up in his long-term goals, he’s focused on a more imminent one: winning a national championship.
In Ryan’s four seasons, the Griz have been close to winning the title twice. He was a redshirt freshman in 2004 when they were painfully close, losing in the championship game to James Madison 31-21.
“We kind of felt invincible for a while up until that last game,” he said.
The other near-championship run was last season, when, after a season-opening loss to Iowa, the Grizzlies were undefeated until faltering at home against Massachusetts in the national semifinals.
“It definitely left a bad taste in our mouth,” Ryan said. “It just makes us better, makes us work harder in the offseason.”
While he said the No. 1 national ranking means little now, it would mean everything to be on top at the end of the season.
“My whole thing is I want to go out with a national championship,” he said. “That’s the most important thing to me. All the personal accolades are great, but nothing would compare to a national championship.”

Eastern Washington brings young team to face an old rival

Bill Oram
GameDay Kaimin

The Montana football team learned last week that being ranked No. 1 nationally doesn’t give it a free pass through Big Sky Conference play.
The undefeated Grizzlies narrowly topped Weber State 18-10 last weekend, but will face an even more formidable opponent today, with the 3-1 Eastern Washington Eagles in town.
Eastern fell out of the rankings after losing 28-21 to Portland State. It had risen to 21st before the defeat.
Eastern Washington has a record of playing well in Washington-Grizzly Stadium. Their four wins are the most of any team since the stadium opened in 1986.
“Eastern’s always played the Montana Grizzlies tough, forever,” Montana head coach Bobby Hauck said.
The last time the Eagles were in Missoula, in 2005, they rolled behind standout quarterback Erik Meyer.
But Meyer and much of that team is gone. In their places, the roster is loaded with sophomores. However, according to Eastern coach Paul Wulff, it’s an experienced group of youngsters.
“We have some experience on offense; and defense, there’s some experience there,” he said. “We’re youthful from an age standpoint.”
When the Eagles won in 2005, the Griz were led by a freshman quarterback named Cole Bergquist, who was filling in for the injured Jason Washington.
This season, Bergquist is again the starter for Montana, and has averaged just over 195 passing yards and 39 rushing yards in the team’s four wins.
“He’s developed a lot,” Wulff said this week. “He’s a lot more confident in what he does, a lot more accurate in throwing the ball. He’s a tough guy to defend because he runs the ball so well.”
Bergquist said Eastern Washington’s defense appeared on film to be stifling.
“They look like an Eastern defense that I’ve seen for the past three years that I’ve been here,” Bergquist said. “They play aggressive, their secondary (has) got an attitude, they want to play hard. You can tell that they don’t fear many teams. They’re always swarming to the ball.”
Both teams are coming off games in which injuries played a key role. A spate of Griz players had to be helped off the field against Weber State, though none of the injuries will likely keep any Grizzlies out of today’s game.
Eastern Washington, on the other hand, has already lost nine players for the season, Wulff said. Star receiver Tony Davis left the Portland State game with a shoulder injury and center Chris Carlsen left with a knee injury. Wulff said neither would play against Montana.
Both Montana and Eastern Washington have been successful this season by putting lots of points on the board, but Eagles coach Paul Wulff said he would rather have less scoring.
“Anybody would want a lower scoring game,” he said. “I don’t want it to be a shootout.”
Giving Montana, a team that leads the nation in scoring defense, lots of scoring opportunities could be fatal for Eastern Washington.
However, if Montana can eliminate its own mistakes, it should be fine, Bergquist said.
“I think we’re well aware that Eastern’s a good team. They’ve shown that they can put up a lot of points,” he said. “We need to put together a full game, which we haven’t quite done yet, I don’t feel, as an offensive unit.”

Peter Christian brings his faith to games as Griz announcer

Roman Stubbs
GameDay Kaimin

For nine seasons, Peter Christian has been the big guy upstairs in Washington-Grizzly Stadium as the voice of Montana football.
“I’ll never forget when I first was offered the job, I felt so lucky to be able to do this,” said Christian.
A Helena native, Christian’s path to being the lovable PA voice on game days wasn’t as easy as merely talking.
“I hadn’t seen a lot of college football games, so my first time up there was a little rough,” he said. “But everyone remained very supportive and I got gradually better.”
Now, he can’t get enough of Saturdays.
“We don’t sit down up there the entire game, it’s that much fun,” said Christian, who is quick to point out that as the PA voice, he isn’t the only one contributing. “Without my spotter, John Wall, I would look like a complete idiot.” Wall helps Christian with names, plays and timeouts. “He is a complete genius,” Christian said. “I depend so much on him; we really work together.”
With his original name being Peter Wall, he asserted his Christian faith into his broadcast career when an employer told him to come up with a radio moniker.
“People know me as Christian, and it is a name to show my faith,” he said.
He also attributes that to his job as the PA voice.
“I go by the hot stove theory; everything I touch is going out to the stadium,” he said. “I just remember to represent God, the University and myself in the best possible way I can.”
Christian’s hot stove theory has won him the respect of others in the business. He recalls meeting the sports information director from Sam Houston State, who told him that he admired his work and enthusiasm as the voice of the Griz.
“He’s one of the best in the country, by far,” said Mick Holien, Montana’s radio network flagship play by play announcer. “He’s such an entertaining guy to begin with, and he works with so much enthusiasm.”
Holien, who has known Christian for about 20 years, was the Griz PA announcer before Christian.
Christian’s signature has become the first-down cry, in which he yells “first down”, and the fans respond in a climactic “Montana.”
“To be fair, that isn’t mine,” he said. “I kind of picked it up from an old announcer when I was watching an Idaho game a few years back. He would be pretty enthusiastic about the first down, so I figured we would add the Montana part and bring it to the Big Sky.”
Christian said a lot of Big Sky teams have picked up the idea.
“I think the ultimate compliment to Peter is when fans of the opposing teams complain when he screams ‘first down Montana,’” Holien said. “He’s so good at it, has so much energy, that they want their announcer at home to do it.”
Christian’s rise in the radio business began after a friend suggested he become a disc jockey to channel his love for music.
“I was playing drums in a local band with my friends, traveling the country and trying to make a living as a struggling musician,” Christian says, laughing about the nostalgic moments of his youth. “And then my friend told me to get involved as a disc jockey, and I joined the number one network in Helena, and I’ve loved it ever since.”
Since then, he acknowledges the hard work he must put into the business.
“I didn’t graduate with a degree in journalism, so I feel like not only have I had to teach myself a lot about this business, but also that I have to work that much harder to be successful,” he said.
Christian has taken that work ethic to Clear Channel Radio Network, where he has been for over 20 years. He rises at 3 a.m. every morning and is at work at 3:30 a.m. to begin his duties at the station. At 6 a.m., he hosts the award-winning Montana Morning on KBGO 1290. He then returns home around 10 a.m. to work at his own business, Peter Christian Communication, which is a commercial hub to radio stations nationwide. The full schedule doesn’t get to a humble Christian.
“They are really full days, but I love it,” he said. “There is always five or six people behind the scenes who are really doing a lot of the work; so I have a lot of help with my work.”
Married and a father of two, Christian stays loyal to not only his faith and career, but also to his game day ritual. “I park way across campus,” he said. “Then I grab my briefcase, pop and paper,” he continued, chuckling at his superstition. “I’m all nervous, you know, I’m walking across campus, just talking to God, hoping to have a good day doing my job,” he said.
When Peter Christian arrives at the stadium, he is thrust into a nine-year labor of love, as the voice thundering over the stadium. Even before game time, before he has to pronounce tough names and plays, even before a “first down Montana” cry, Christian might be reflecting on his own lucky job, and take his own time out.
And thank the big guy upstairs.

Around the Big Sky Conference

Amber Kuehn
GameDay Kaimin

Today features a slate of conference games, and one final nonconference competition for rival Montana State. Here is a preview of today’s matchups and what you can expect to see in each. You can watch them all on www.bigskytv.org.

Sacramento State at Weber State (1:05 p.m.)

The Hornets are coming off a 38-9 victory over Northern Arizona and one of their best performances in school history. The win was Sac State’s first of the season. One player to watch in this game is Hornet linebacker Cyrus Mulitalo, who was named co-defensive player of the week after last weekend. The 6-foot-1, 245-pound junior had a game-high nine tackles and a sack against NAU, in addition to returning an interception 60 yards for a touchdown. The Hornet offense compiled 422 yards and the defense held the Lumberjacks to just 187 yards. Quarterback Jason Smith had a solid arm and was mobile, throwing for two touchdowns and rushing for another.
If Sac State can continue their hot play from last weekend, they should find success in Ogden, Utah. Weber State still hasn’t found a way to win this season, but gave Montana a run for its money last weekend. The Wildcats tested the Griz in Washington-Grizzly Stadium last weekend and the defense held the Griz to just one touchdown. But despite the Weber State offense jumping out to a 10-0 advantage early on, the Wildcats then allowed 18 unanswered points.
Weber State leads the series 7-4 all-time and has never lost to Sac State at home. The Hornets won last year’s game in Sacramento. If the Hornets win today, they will open the season 2-1 in Big Sky play for the second year in a row and just the second time in school history. The Hornets have yet to win a game on the road this season.
This should be a close game, and might be one of the most exciting matchups of the day.
I predict Weber State will jump out to another lead, only to let it slip away. The Hornets will get their first road win and the Wildcats will start the season 0-5 for the first time since 2004.

Northern Colorado at Idaho State (2:05 p.m.)

The Bears haven’t won a game this season and now must enter the often-hostile confines of Holt Arena (even though Idaho State has struggled at home against Big Sky opponents in the last five contests). Northern Colorado still hasn’t beaten a Big Sky team since joining the league last season.
In the series, ISU leads 17-6, and won last October 41-13.
The Bengals dropped their first two conference decisions to Eastern Washington and Montana State, and the Bears lost their 13th-straight game to Cal Poly, 56-21, last Saturday. In that game, Bears junior running back David Woods rushed for a career-high 130 yards and completed a 35-yard pass to senior receiver Andy Birkel to set up the score. That was the team’s longest pass of the season.
The Bengals are coming off a 40-20 loss to MSU in which they blew an early lead and were unable to keep the Bobcats out of the end zone in the third quarter.
ISU is switching signal callers once again, as quarterback Luke Butler suffered a concussion with nine seconds remaining in the MSU game. Butler is out for at least a week, and Russel Hill will get the start today.
Today marks homecoming festivities at ISU, and the Bengals will be naming the turf Caccia Field to honor Babe Caccia, 90, ISU’s all-time winningest football, baseball and wrestling coach, and also a former athletic director.
I will continue my trend of never picking Northern Colorado. Besides, it’s ISU’s homecoming, and no team should have to lose such a festive game. Idaho State will win, and the Bears will start considering a possible move to another conference.
You can catch this game on Altitude.

Montana State hosts Southern Utah (1:35 p.m.)

All of 2007, MSU has managed to dominate the third quarter. Last Saturday, the Bobcats scored 17 third-quarter points to come back from a three-point halftime deficit and beat Idaho State 40-20. In that game, the Bobcat defense also held the No. 2 receiver in the nation, Eddie Thompson, to just six catches for 53 yards. Montana State moved up five spots in the national polls this week to No. 13.
MSU now faces a Thunderbird squad that the Grizzlies defeated in their season-opener. Southern Utah is coming off a bye week, and fell to McNeese State, 41-20, the weekend before. Despite the defeat, SUU piled up over 400 yards. Senior running back Johnny Sanchez had a career-best 181 yards on 16 carries. Third-year starting quarterback Wes Marshall was knocked out during the McNeese game and taken to the hospital. It is uncertain whether he will start in today’s game.
The only time these two teams have faced each other, MSU edged SUU with a one-point victory.
Montana rolled over SUU and I expect Montana State to do the same, especially with home-field advantage.
Cats win.

Northern Arizona at Portland State (1:35 p.m.)

The Vikings are 2-0 in Big Sky action and are coming off a big win over Eastern Washington, handing the Eagles their first loss of the season.
NAU is coming off a 38-9 loss to Sacramento State and lost starting quarterback Lance Kriesien to an injury. Northern Arizona struggled on third down in that game, unable to convert the entire game. The Lumberjacks only had 73 yards rushing.
PSU leads the nation in passing defense. Quarterback Brian White threw for 329 yards last weekend on 29-of-37 passing with three touchdowns. He’s one of the league’s strongest arms, and has thrown for 1,100 yards in the past three contests. The Vikings also had 191 yards on the ground in the last game.
If Portland State can put forth the same effort they did last weekend, they’ll beat NAU easily.

Where are they now: Karl Stein

Jake Grilley
GameDay Kaimin

Karl Stein knew what he had to do if he needed to gain more respect from the students in his middle school art class.
He would tell the students to go over to the computer to search for Montana Grizzly football records on the Internet.
“My students didn’t think I played for the Grizzlies,” Stein said. “They just thought I was a doofy looking art teacher.”
Stein said his students came away from the computer with a newfound respect for their instructor, the Grizzlies’ all-time leader in interceptions.
Stein excelled as a free safety at Montana during the 1969 and 1970 seasons. The Grizzly Hall-of-Famer was a first-team All-Big Sky Conference selection each of his seasons with the Grizzlies. During his two seasons, Stein set a team record of 21 interceptions and set the single-season interception record at 11. Stein is also Montana’s all-time leader in interception return yards and fifth in all-time punt return yards. Montana went 20-0 during Stein’s two regular seasons with the team.
Stein remembers the Griz fans were particularly captivated by the successes the team had during his tenure.
“We always felt the support from the Missoula community,” Stein said. “They had a tickertape parade down Higgins Avenue after both of our undefeated seasons.”
Even though the team was winning, the coaches instilled a strong work ethic in all the players.
The first practice after every game the coaches would make the players run up to the “M” on Mount Sentinel in full pads, Stein said.
After graduating from UM with an art degree in 1972, Stein found himself in a multitude of artistic professions.
His paintings have been sold in art galleries across Montana and the Northwest. Stein also worked as a professional dancer and actor as well as an art teacher for several years.
Stein has lived on a plot of land near Arlee for the last 34 years. The acreage has allowed him to try his hand at land and forest maintenance along with building two houses on the property.
For Stein, who grew up outside San Francisco, Montana was love at first sight.
“When I first came to Montana in 1968 there was four feet of snow on the ground,” Stein remembered. “I just loved all that snow. It was almost the amount of snow rather than the school.”
Stein did more than just play in the snow when he came to Montana. He was part of two undefeated teams that helped to serve as building blocks for the tradition behind Montana football.
Coaches have told Stein over the years that the team’s level of play during his two seasons helped to bring in better players and established a higher standard for Montana football.
“I think we had a solid effect on the history of football at Montana,” Stein said. “Of course Dave Dickenson had something to do with that as well.”
The only regret Stein has about his football career is that he never played at the professional level.
Stein made the preseason roster of the Los Angeles Rams in the early 1970s and had an interception in his only preseason game. After being released, Stein had the option of trying out for the Denver Broncos or play in Canada.
“Instead I went back to Montana to live in the mountains,” Stein said.
Stein never lost his football hunger. In the early 1980s, many of the players from Stein’s team participated in the football alumni game, in which former Griz would play the varsity squad. The alumni team beat the varsity four years in a row.
“Sometimes I still wish they had the alumni games,” Stein said. “I would put on my wild socks and try to keep up with them.”
Nowadays, Stein spends his time painting – mostly watercolor landscapes – and spending time with his 9-year-old son, Kai.
Stein is currently working on a short story infused with the struggles of an aging athlete.
“I am writing about a 50-year-old who is trying to break the world speed record in sprinting,” Stein said.
Stein said having his name atop the Grizzly record books is a great ego boost for a man entering his late 50s. However, Stein does have one gripe.
“They always get my record wrong; it was 11, then 10, 20 interceptions,” Stein said. “It’s even wrong in the Hall of Champions. I’m trying to get them to change that.”