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Football Bears Open Season at No. 3 Montana

Grizzly Stadium Clash Marks Inaugural Game Under Coach Rick Courtright

Newcomers Look to Make Impact in Season Opener

CHICO, Calif. —

The Chico State football team begins the 2023 season under first-year head coach Rick Courtright with a daunting task: the always tough Montana Grizzlies at Missoula on Thursday night.

The Grizzlies, ranked No. 3 in the Football Championship Series (FCS) preseason poll, are the standard-bearers of the FCS, with 25 national championship game appearances and 14 titles, including back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022.

Head coach Bobby Hauck has led the Grizzlies to five FCS national championships in his 18 seasons at the helm. He has a record of 163-60 at Montana, including a 20-3 mark in playoff games.

Montana returns a wealth of talent from last year's title team, including quarterback Lucas Johnson, running back Nick Ostmo, and wide receiver Malik Flowers.

But the Wildcats are not without their own weapons.

Senior running back Sean Owens, a 1,000-yard rusher in 2022, is back to lead the offense, while junior wide receiver Jalen Hamler is one of the most dynamic playmakers in the FCS.

The defense, which allowed just 19.8 points per game last season, will be led by senior linebacker Nick Enright and junior defensive back Charles Alexander.

“I'm excited to see our guys compete against one of the best teams in the country,” Courtright said.

“We're going to have to play our best game of the season to have a chance to win, but I believe in our team.

“We're going to go out there and give it everything we've got.”