# 2016 Montana Grizzlies football team

The 2016 Montana Grizzlies football team represented the University of Montana in the 2016 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Grizzlies were led by second-year coach Bob Stitt and played their home games on campus at Washington–Grizzly Stadium. Montana participated as a member of the Big Sky Conference, of which they are a charter member. They finished the season 6–5, 3–5 in Big Sky play to finish in eighth place.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 3 | 7:00 pm | Saint Francis (PA)* | No. 13 | Washington–Grizzly StadiumMissoula, MT | SWX | W 41–31 | 26,002 |
| September 10 | 3:00 pm | at No. 3 Northern Iowa* | No. 14 | UNI-DomeCedar Falls, IA | ALT | W 20–14 | 12,346 |
| September 24 | 2:00 pm | at Cal Poly | No. 6 | Alex G. Spanos StadiumSan Luis Obispo, CA | RTNW | L 41–42 | 8,156 |
| October 1 | 2:30 pm | Southern Utah | No. 11 | Washington–Grizzly StadiumMissoula, MT | CMM | W 43–20 | 26,092 |
| October 8 | 2:30 pm | Mississippi Valley State* | No. 10 | Washington–Grizzly StadiumMissoula, MT | CMM | W 67–7 | 24,607 |
| October 15 | 2:30 pm | Sacramento State | No. 10 | Washington–Grizzly StadiumMissoula, MT | CMM | W 68–7 | 25,351 |
| October 22 | 5:00 pm | at Northern Arizona | No. 10 | Walkup SkydomeFlagstaff, AZ | CMM | L 34–45 | 7,197 |
| October 29 | 1:35 pm | at No. 3 Eastern Washington | No. 16 | Roos FieldCheney, WA (EWU–UM Governors Cup) | RTNW | L 16–35 | 10,931 |
| November 5 | 5:00 pm | Idaho State | No. 19 | Washington–Grizzly StadiumMissoula, MT | RTNW | W 62–44 | 24,027 |
| November 12 | 12:00 pm | at Northern Colorado | No. 18 | Nottingham FieldGreeley, CO | CMM | L 25–28 | 5,128 |
| November 19 | 12:00 pm | Montana State | No. 22 | Washington–Grizzly StadiumMissoula, MT (rivalry) | RTNW | L 17–24 | 26,182 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from STATS Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Mountain time ||||||||

## Game summaries
### Saint Francis (PA)

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Red Flash | 0 | 10 | 7 | 14 | 31 |
| #13 Grizzlies | 3 | 3 | 14 | 21 | 41 |

### @ Northern Iowa

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #14 Grizzlies | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| #3 Panthers | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |

### @ Cal Poly

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #6 Grizzlies | 7 | 17 | 7 | 10 | 41 |
| Mustangs | 7 | 21 | 7 | 7 | 42 |

### Southern Utah

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Thunderbirds | 7 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 20 |
| #11 Grizzlies | 9 | 13 | 14 | 7 | 43 |

### Mississippi Valley State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Delta Devils | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| #10 Grizzlies | 14 | 29 | 14 | 10 | 67 |

### Sacramento State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Hornets | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| #10 Grizzlies | 14 | 27 | 20 | 7 | 68 |

### @ Northern Arizona

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #10 Grizzlies | 3 | 17 | 0 | 14 | 34 |
| Lumberjacks | 14 | 14 | 17 | 0 | 45 |

### @ Eastern Washington

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #16 Grizzlies | 7 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 16 |
| #3 Eagles | 7 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 35 |

### Idaho State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bengals | 14 | 17 | 0 | 13 | 44 |
| #19 Grizzlies | 20 | 21 | 0 | 21 | 62 |

### @ Northern Colorado

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #18 Grizzlies | 3 | 9 | 0 | 13 | 25 |
| Bears | 14 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 28 |

### Montana State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bobcats | 7 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 24 |
| #22 Grizzlies | 7 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 17 |

## Ranking movements

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Final |
| STATS FCS | 13 | 14 | 7 | 6 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 16 | 19 | 18 | 22 | RV | RV |
| Coaches | 13 | 15 | 9 | 6 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 16 | 20 | 17 | 21 | 22 | 25 |