Sports Now -- Mid-Season Grizzlies with Fritz Neighbor

The Daily Inter Lake's Fritz Neighbor joins the show to discuss the 2022 Montana Grizzlies football team mid-way through the season.

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Transcript

Here's a pre-recorded conversation with the Daily Inter Lake zone Fritz neighbor where we discussed the hype surrounding this year's Grizzlies football team, the best playmaking cubies in Grizzlies' history. I look at which opponent is the biggest test left and the Grizzly's quest for an undefeated regular season and more make sure to fall for it on Twitter at Fritz underscore neighbor and keep an eye out for his football preview capsules on the greens and the Bobcats Fridays in the daily enter late to get ready for game day. I learned a lot in those capsules. There's no doubt about that. Here's the conversation with Fritz. Hope you enjoy so get started. The gray is they racked up all sorts of preseason accolades and are now their top three teams every week in the polls. This team has a lot of hype surrounding them. How does this team compare to other teams in the past as far as the hype and is there teams that come to mind that have had this level of hype at this point in the season?

I guess when I think about it I covered the Griz on a daily basis and set the Missoulian for I guess nine years and toward the end of Bobby Alex's first tenure which was oh three through oh nine the Oh 70809 teams are really good. Two of them were not beaten into the playoffs. The other one just lost one game oh seven they are unbeaten and lost at home. I think a lot of people well I know at least one player thinks that was our best team ever. But they got upset owned by an option team. The OA team minus all the seniors from oh seven you'd everybody except for Richmond in the final. And then the Oni team had a lot of experience and a lot of great players you know by the end of that oh nine seasons going into Oh 10 There were nine players nine Griz in the NFL oh wow really good teams and you know right there I think Bobby how it was built this program back to that oh seven level I didn't like that oh seven team as much as weight and oh nine because they didn't score a lot. They just had a great defense this. This team also has a great defense 2022 Team has a pretty spectacular defense. Definitely. I think the offense might be better than it was seven just because Lucas Johnson has been such a great fit quarterback.

Yeah, well I'll, and well said I was gonna say it's kind of interesting. You say how they had all this veteran leadership, and then it transitioned into more success. It does look like that could happen again. They have all these senior guys that train guys and now the young crop might just keep it going next year. So now it's they're setting themselves up for a good run. Speaking of Johnson just to jump around here. I heard Marty Morton way Grizzlies commentator and former Grizzlies QB he compared Johnson to Patrick Mahomes for his ability to throw across his body and Steve Young's first play-making ability. I know it's a little bit high praise, hyperbole, and all that. But speaking of Johnson, kind of where do you rank him among other great playmaking, cubies, and Grace history and kind of Who are some of the best that come to your mind when you think of all-time greats?

Well, the obvious best one and Griz history is Dave Dickenson. Yep, yeah, got him their first national title and was undersized but just a spectacular player with you know, not great, Breakaway speed. But he always made a positive game and had to scramble and he just knew every rep and every receiver was after that. I probably go to Craig Oaks who took him to the O four game where they lost. John Edwards needs to be in there just because they If not no other reason. He was very mobile. But if for no other reason, then he was the quarterback of the oh-one championship team now okay. Yeah, that's and, you know, Lucas is really talented. I'm struck by I've watched him play three or four times now. And he's had some throws where the ball hasn't been close to anybody. And you go, Hmm, well, he's not he's not really on today. 

And then at halftime, he's either 14 or 14 or 14 for 18. He just quietly kind of gets it done through the air and then you know, his running ability is pretty spectacular. It's a big kid. Yeah, I think you mentioned last week how he was a player in the game in San Diego State's Bowl win last year. You know, I think that's the way the world used to be an FBS standout one, one season and come down. bobcats have done the same thing, by the way, and be the standout FCS next.

Yeah, that's a great comparison. I was kind of thinking about future shows. That'd be something to jump into. I'm glad you made the comparison. It's interesting chambers, kind of doing some similar going from Wyoming to the Bobcats that Johnson San Diego State to the Griz Yeah, no, it is interesting. And, you know, just to kind of jump around some more speaking to the talent level in the FCS, and then we'll get back to Gray's remaining schedule. kind of talk about that a little and see how that looks down the road. But I've been thinking the FCS has been playing some unreal competitive football. Wieber State recently had a big win over an FBS opponent. Last year, the Grays beat the Washington Huskies and now James Madison University. I don't know if you've been following that at all, but they're like the third get ranked team in the nation right now. They just jumped from the FCS to the FBS and throw it in there.

 Deion Sanders and Jackson State landed the number one recruit in the nation at the F and he went to an FCS school. So that kind of all being said, Do you think this is the most loaded era of FCS footballers or just anything else come to mind?

No, I kind of think that way, too. There was a time when the Big Sky Conference had Boise State and Nevada. Two teams that really did well, in the jump. Nevada jumped in 91. I think Boise State and Idaho both jumped to 96. I think there's that much talent around really, it's, it's at a high point, partly because the transfer portal is so wide open right now kids can go, which I support, by the way, you know, shouldn't be just coaches that can just jump from team to team, the player should be able to as well. And yeah, I just think it's a really talented level. I think the fact that the bass guy added all these teams made it a lot deeper and tougher. When we talked about how this Chris team compares, compares, really? Oh, 708 You know what, the league got tougher. It's tougher now than it was no. 708 I think Bobby Hawk might disagree with me, but that's my opinion.

Yeah, no, I think all are great points. The transfer portal thing really kind of jumps out to me I actually was thinking how I think the FCS has really benefited from that I keep hearing the Grizzlies opponents. They're like this guy's a transform this school this. So they got a lot of guys who bounce back, and they're bringing that talent with them. And it shows so no, I think it's been a lot of fun to watch. And I think it makes what the grids are doing that much more kind of hype around it. To me at least it's made it really almost bigger than maybe. I mean, I haven't been covering for them. But to me, it seems big. That's all I'm saying. It's like the competition's there, you're seeing the big skies there. And when the FCS as a whole is playing tough, it's like they get to the playoffs make a run, that's going to be special. So I'm excited about that. We'll kind of wrap things up here I just want to look at the Grizzlies scheduled down the stretch on a buy right now. But they have some tough opponents coming up. They have Weaver State and Sacramento State who have both pulled off wins over FBS opponents this year, and of course, the bobcat. So that being said, looking at the scheduled games ahead. Who do you think is that big test or what teams lay ahead? Because I mean, the undefeated season is in the realm of possibility.

Yeah, it's possible. I don't know how likely it is just because that road schedule is pretty tough. Yeah, Idaho's No, no prize, they seem to be playing a lot better under their first-year coach, just like Iowa State did last week. But you said we were state and SEC state on the road? I don't think we're still at one loss for the SEC State coach in his tenure there. He's just he's winning ballgames. You always wondered when it was going to happen down there. Because it's a big school. It's been a great recruiting area. Why isn't Sac State better? Oh, guess what? They're better. You came a lot better. And fact one of the best players transferred to Northern Colorado. Oh, made them a lot better. So if they can get through SEC saying we have stayed, and that then they're for real? Yeah. Not that they're not really good right now. I think they are really good. But it goes back to my point. The lake is tough, it's gotten tougher. And those two road tests back to back will be the real barometer for help pie in the sky, the Greens get,

ya know that there's a lot of depth in the conference. So it's like you said if they can make it through those two, the momentum is going to be peaking at the right time. And maybe they could carry that down the stretch and close it out the win over the Bobcats is going to be going to be a challenge. It's going to be tough, but I think that's a good way to put it. And I think the Idaho things are interesting just because they're coming off a game where they should have been Idaho State, you know, pretty significantly and then they had a tough test. So you do want to bounce back from that little added pressure. I'm not saying it's gonna get to them, but it's just another one on the calendar. It's gotta take care of business. So no, definitely. Great point there. there's anything else you want to add Fritz? Greer's talk and any FCS stuff. Big Sky just throw it out there. If not, we're good to go.

Well talking about Montana's game last week, I think I mentioned leading up to it. The weird stuff happens in Pocatello. I did see you say that in an article. I saw Ryan Bagley breaking records in there. I saw Colbert was fumbled into the endzone disputed but they call it FOMO the end zone for Touchmark just like Lucas Johnson did last week. I've seen I didn't see it but they had a couple of kids get arrested getting off the bus coming back from Pocatello and oh seven I believe it all kind of blends together. So you know.

Yeah. What did you end up with in that story? You're like, yeah, it just does seem like every time they go there, it gets a little funky. So

weird stuff happens. And you know, so when you look at it, yeah, they went 20 to 20. It should have been 35 to six before the fumble. Then they gave up a couple of eight scores but they got back with a W. All the players are still in uniform this coming week. That's a good trip.

That's important yeah and they got the W like you said you come back on defeat and then you have a buyer to kind of recoup so there's all that no definitely Well, thank you for its great stuff today everybody make sure you're checking out Fritz's content and the Daily Inter Lake and fall for its for its more plugged your Twitter's at Fritz underscore neighbor I believe that's it all right there it is the scan for it and thanks everybody checking it out. All right reminder that's at Fritz underscore neighbor on Twitter. Make sure to give him a follow. 

Thanks again for the time there hope everyone enjoyed that. Like I said earlier a walking encyclopedia of Montana Grizzlies knowledge I've learned a lot from this guy and I hope you have to before we wrap this thing up. I want to give a special thanks to black diner mortgage for their support and remind everyone listening that This episode was brought to you by Nomad, voted the Flathead's best manufacturer Nomad is a longtime supporter of the local community and sports scene celebrating 20 years of building great careers and mission focus custom vehicles Nomad, a Montana based company making a global impact. Nomad has worked with NASA and various branches of the United States military see you know, Nomad, is a name you can trust with your manufacturing needs. For more info visit WWW dot Nomad gcs.com that's www dot Nomad gcs.com