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but dont get you hopes up too high its only for the first game...yet to be named are all of the other positions...i still dont know if lex will start at running back this year

MISSOULA – Junior quarterback Cole Bergquist has been named the starting quarterback for The University of Montana Grizzlies’ 2007 home opener, announced fifth-year UM head coach Bobby Hauck.

“We’ve decided that Cole Bergquist will be our starter when we open the season against Southern Utah on September 1st,” Hauck said.

Bergquist, is a 6-2, 207-pound junior from San Clemente, Calif. He is 6-3 as a starter for the Grizzlies.

Last season Bergquist had one start and led the Griz to a 36-7 victory over visiting South Dakota State. In the win he completed 22-of-35-0 passes for 257 yards and a touchdown, and rushed 11 times for 32 yards. He was UM’s fourth-leading rusher last season, gaining 110 yards on 25 carries. He played in all 12 games in 2005, starting in the last eight contests, and passing for 1,275 yards and eight touchdowns.

Hauck said he is happy with the play of all of his quarterbacks, who include Bergquist;
“greyshirt” Jeff Larson, a 6-5, 227-pounder from Cut Bank; Andrew Selle, a 6-2, 207-pound redshirt freshman from Billings; and letterman Clint Stapp, a 6-3, 223-pound sophomore from Niwot, Colo.

“I am excited about the competition we had at the quarterback position,” Hauck said. “That competition will be on-going through the season. I told those players who weren’t named the starter to keep competing for playing time. I would anticipate that some, or all of those guys will see some time on the field this fall. Cole consistently had better numbers in practice, but, as I said, we could see more than one quarterback in every game this fall.”

Larson enrolled at UM in the winter semester, 2007. He was a two-time all-state pick at Cut Bank High School. His senior season he passed for 2,212 yards and 34 touchdowns, and rushed for 761 yards and nine TDs.

Selle was a first team all-state pick in 2005 and the co-MVP on offense in Class “AA.” He led Billings West High School to its first-ever unbeaten (13-0) season and a state championship in 2005. His senior year he passed for 25 touchdowns. He passed for 5,434 yards and 51 touchdowns in his career.

Stapp played in 13 games last year, and was 3-of-6-0 for 41 yards, and rushed three times for 27 yards. He led Niwot High School to a 12-1 record and the state semi-finals as a senior when he threw for 2,197 yards and 25 touchdowns, and rushed for six touchdowns.

This was a given all along.

Berquist has far more experience than the other three combined. Berquist has been chosen the pre-season all conference qb. Hauck is under big time pressure to win it all this year so Berquist was the safe choice.

One of the problems the Griz have in playing a cupcake OOC schedule is that Berquist is likely to go largely untested during those games, which means Hauck isn't going to learn much more about Berquist during those games. Since the Griz should win those games in blow outs, Hauck will get to play some combination of the other 3 during the second half of those games to determine his backup for the conference schedule but that's about it.

I still think that even though he's the most experienced of the Griz qb's, Berquist's going to be the achilles heel for the Griz this year. If the Griz get to the NC as many of their fans think they should, their starting qb in the NC will be one of the other three, not Berquist. JMHO.

enicmt wrote:Bergquist, is a 6-2, 207-pound junior from San Clemente, Calif. He is 6-3 as a starter for the Grizzlies.

What? Does he grow an inch on game day?? Or does he wear 1" spikes?

lifesapuntreturn wrote:I still think that even though he's the most experienced of the Griz qb's, Berquist's going to be the achilles heel for the Griz this year. If the Griz get to the NC as many of their fans think they should, their starting qb in the NC will be one of the other three, not Berquist. JMHO.

What is it about him that makes you think this way?

VictorG wrote:

lifesapuntreturn wrote:I still think that even though he's the most experienced of the Griz qb's, Berquist's going to be the achilles heel for the Griz this year. If the Griz get to the NC as many of their fans think they should, their starting qb in the NC will be one of the other three, not Berquist. JMHO.

What is it about him that makes you think this way?

The lack of faith shown in him last year by Coach Hauck and the Griz staff as indicated by bringing in the "rent a qb" Swogger and forcing Berquist to the bench. I think that will have an effect on him when things don't go well - he's going to be looking over his shoulder constantly, wondering if/when Hauck is going to give him the hook.

I don't think it's that Berquist can't do well, I just think Hauck planted seeds of doubt in him last year by benching him in favor of a "one and done" guy and now he's figuratively putting his arm around Berquist again and saying "go in there and win games for us". Berquist has to be wondering just how short the leash is that he's on because Hauck clearly doesn't believe he's really "the man" or Hauck would never have brought Swogger in last year. That sort of thing can have a lingering effect on a player.

lifesapuntreturn wrote:The lack of faith shown in him last year by Coach Hauck and the Griz staff as indicated by bringing in the "rent a qb" Swogger and forcing Berquist to the bench. I think that will have an effect on him when things don't go well - he's going to be looking over his shoulder constantly, wondering if/when Hauck is going to give him the hook.

I don't think it's that Berquist can't do well, I just think Hauck planted seeds of doubt in him last year by benching him in favor of a "one and done" guy and now he's figuratively putting his arm around Berquist again and saying "go in there and win games for us". Berquist has to be wondering just how short the leash is that he's on because Hauck clearly doesn't believe he's really "the man" or Hauck would never have brought Swogger in last year. That sort of thing can have a lingering effect on a player.

That could certainly be possible but I also think all "team" athletes live with that possibility their whole careers. Hauck stated years ago that he didn't like Freshman and Sophomore QB's leading his teams so it really wasn't a surprise when he brought in drop downs. That said, I sure am glad he DIDN'T bring in a drop down this year and baring injuries, shouldn't have to for the near future. I look for Cole to have a very good year this year. He has grown and developed very nicely as has the rest of the team in the past 2 years.

How upset could Cole be that they brought in a transfer the year he was a soph. The guy wound up playing as a freshman when physically he wasn't ready. That kid needed to put on some meat. He did a nice job last year fillng in, but considering the number of sacks Swogger endured, I don't think Cole would have made it through the season as the starter. If Cole goes out last year, then what? back to a redshirt frosh at QB and a true frosh behind him.

Also keep in mind UM had no QB coach during Cole's first two seasons at Montana, probably not a lot of development going on there, at least not enough to create a 3-year starter. Cole seems like a good guy and he's had his moments in games, but I wouldn't have bet my season on him last year.