2011 Montana Grizzlies football team

2011 Montana Grizzlies football
Conference Big Sky Conference
Ranking
Sports Network #5
FCS Coaches #5
2011 record 6–3* (5–1* Big Sky)
Head coach Robin Pflugrad (2nd year)
Offensive coordinator Johnathan Smith
Defensive coordinator Mike Breske
Home stadium Washington–Grizzly Stadium (Capacity: 25,217)

The 2011 Montana Grizzlies football team represented the University of Montana in the 2011 NCAA Division I FCS football season. were led by second-year head coach Robin Pflugrad and played their home games at Washington–Grizzly Stadium. They are a member of the Big Sky Conference. They finished the season 6–3, 5–1 in Big Sky play. Montana was sanctioned by the NCAA on July 26, 2013 and vacated its last five wins of the 2011 season and its participation in the NCAA playoffs.

2011 Big Sky football standings
Conf     Overall
Team   W   L         W   L  
#7 Montana State §^   7 – 1         10 – 3  
#5 Montana   5 – 1         6 – 3  
Portland State   5 – 3         7 – 4  
Eastern Washington   5 – 3         6 – 5  
Weber State   5 – 3         5 – 6  
Northern Arizona   3 – 5         4 – 7  
Sacramento State   3 – 5         4 – 7  
Idaho State   1 – 7         2 – 9  
Northern Colorado   0 – 8         0 – 11  
§ – Conference co-champions
^ – FCS playoff participant
  • Montana vacated five wins and playoff participation; Idaho State ineligible for FCS playoffs due to APR violations
    Rankings from The Sports Network FCS Poll

Schedule

Date Time Opponent# Rank# Site TV Result Attendance
September 3 4:00 p.m. at Tennessee* #12 Neyland Stadium • Knoxville, TN ESPN3 L 16–42   94,661
September 10 1:05 p.m. Cal Poly* #15 Washington–Grizzly Stadium • Missoula, MT KWBM W 37–23   25,855
September 17 12:05 p.m. #10 Eastern Washington #12 Washington–Grizzly Stadium • Missoula, MT (Governors Cup) KPAX W 17–14   26,066
September 24 7:05 p.m. at Sacramento State #10 Hornet Stadium • Sacramento, CA KPAX L 28–42   12,751
October 1 1:05 p.m. Northern Coloradodagger #19 Washington–Grizzly Stadium • Missoula, MT KPAX W 55–28   25,919
October 8 4:05 p.m. at Idaho State #16 Holt Arena • Pocatello, ID KPAX W 33–0   9,124
October 15 1:05 p.m. Portland State #14 Washington–Grizzly Stadium • Missoula, MT KPAX W 30–24   25,744
October 22 3:05 p.m. at Northern Arizona #12 Walkup Skydome • Flagstaff, AZ KPAX W 28–24   8,421
October 29 1:00 p.m. Weber State #11 Washington–Grizzly Stadium • Missoula, MT KPAX W 45–10&  (vacated) 25,401
November 5 12:05 p.m. Western Oregon* #10 Washington–Grizzly Stadium • Missoula, MT KWBM W 32–7&  (vacated) 24,984
November 19 12:05 p.m. at #1 Montana State #7 Bobcat Stadium • Bozeman, MT (Brawl of the Wild) KPAX W 36–10&  (vacated) 20,247
December 3 12:05 p.m. #15 Central Arkansas* #5 Washington–Grizzly Stadium • Missoula, MT (FCS Playoffs Second Round) ESPN3 W 41–14&  (vacated) 22,005
December 9 6:00 p.m. #2 Northern Iowa* #5 Washington–Grizzly Stadium • Missoula, MT (FCS Playoffs Quarterfinals/Camellia Bowl) ESPN W 48–10&  (vacated) 23,049
December 16 6:00 p.m. at #1 Sam Houston State* #5 Bowers Stadium • Huntsville, TX (FCS Playoffs Semifinals) ESPN L 28–31   12,367
*Non-conference game. daggerHomecoming. #Rankings from The Sports Network FCS Poll released prior to game. All times are in Mountain Time. &Montana was sanctioned by the NCAA on July 26, 2013 and vacated its last five wins of the 2011 season, its share of the Big Sky Conference championship, and its participation in the NCAA playoffs..

[1]

Regular season

Tennessee

1 2 3 4 Total
#12 Montana 0 7 2 7 16
Tennessee 14 14 7 7 42


Cal Poly

1 2 3 4 Total
Cal Poly 10 7 6 0 23
#15 Montana 7 7 15 8 37


Eastern Washington

1 2 3 4 Total
#10 Eastern Washington 0 6 0 8 14
#12 Montana 10 0 7 0 17


Sacramento State

1 2 3 4 Total
#10 Montana 7 7 7 7 28
Sacramento State 7 14 14 7 42


Northern Colorado

1 2 3 4 Total
Northern Colorado 7 7 0 14 28
#19 Montana 10 17 28 0 55


Idaho State

1 2 3 4 Total
#16 Montana 10 3 10 10 33
Idaho State 0 0 0 0 0


Portland State

1 2 3 4 Total
Portland State 6 15 3 0 24
#14 Montana 0 10 14 6 30


Northern Arizona

1 2 3 4 Total
#12 Montana 0 14 7 7 28
Northern Arizona 14 0 0 10 24


Weber State*

1 2 3 4 Total
Weber State 3 0 0 7 10
#11 Montana 14 24 7 0 45


Western Oregon*

1 2 3 4 Total
Western Oregon 0 0 7 0 7
#10 Montana 6 6 10 10 32


Montana State*

1 2 3 4 Total
#7 Montana 0 12 17 7 36
#1 Montana State 0 0 7 3 10


FCS Playoffs

Second Round–Central Arkansas*

1 2 3 4 Total
#15 Central Arkansas 0 0 7 7 14
#5 Montana 17 14 7 3 41


Quarterfinals–Northern Iowa*

1 2 3 4 Total
#2 Northern Iowa 7 3 0 0 10
#5 Montana 7 21 7 13 48


Semifinals–Sam Houston State

1 2 3 4 Total
#5 Montana 0 14 7 7 28
#1 Sam Houston State 21 7 3 0 31


Rankings

Ranking Movement
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking. ██ Not ranked the previous week.
Poll Pre Wk 1 Wk 2 Wk 3 Wk 4 Wk 5 Wk 6 Wk 7 Wk 8 Wk 9 Wk 10 Wk 11 Wk 12 Final
The Sports Network 12 15 12 10 19 16 14 12 11 10 8 7 5
FCS Coaches 12 13 11 9 16 14 11 9 8 8 7 7 5

NCAA investigation and sanctions

In 2013, the NCAA investigated the University of Montana for violations of regulations concerning gifts to student athletes. On July 26, 2013, the NCAA announced its finding that the university had insufficiently monitored its football program, enabling boosters to provide gifts and services to players against NCAA regulations.[2]

Much of the investigation centered on events surrounding the arrests of two Montana football players, cornerback Trumaine Johnson and backup quarterback Gerald Kemp, in October 2011. The NCAA found that boosters provided the players with bail and free legal counsel, in violation of NCAA rules. Several university personnel, including then-coach Robin Pflugrad, then-athletics director Jim O’Day, and the university compliance officer, evidently knew details of the situation but did not report them. The investigation also found that six boosters had provided smaller benefits to players over 100 times between 2004 and 2012.[2]

Montana faced several penalties as a result of the investigation, most of which it self-imposed. Montana vacated five wins from the 2011 season in which Johnson and Kemp had played, including a win in the rivalry game against Montana State and two FCS playoff victories, vacating the school's participation in the FCS playoffs. Montana was also subjected to a probationary period and lost four scholarships in each of those years.[2]

References