Here we are already in Game Week and temperatures are moderating at least here on the western side of the Treasure State and Griz football is just two-digit hours away.
And former Griz head coach Joe Glenn will bring his South Dakota team to the Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Both teams will sport a new starting quarterback with redshirt freshman Trent McKinney assuming the helm for Montana and sophomore Josh VanDer Maten moving to the starting role for South Dakota.
McKinney of course hasn't yet taken a college snap but Vander Maten was a backup for the Coyotes last season seeing action in seven games while completing 58 percent of his few tosses for 200 plus yards and three scores.
With decent size at 6-2 he also rushed 24 times and scored a 15-yard TD.
Bowling ball halfback Marcus Sims (5-10, 196) returns for his senior season for South Dakota after rushing for 660 yards, a 5.2 per carry average, and three touchdowns.
And all conference performer Will Powell, also a senior, paces the Coyote receiver corps after grabbing 42 balls for 763 yards, an 18.2 yard average, and five TDs for a 6 and 5 South Dakota team last season.
But long in the tooth, South Dakota is not.
And thus the Coyotes are picked last in the highly-powered Missouri Valley Conference, a perennial two-team playoff league which has produced a pair of national titles in the last decade including last year when North Dakota State ran the table.
The offensive line has two starting sophomores and is a bit undersized especially at the guard slots.
And while on defense there are eight upperclassmen, the two-deep also shows redshirt freshman at a tackle and inside backer spot and a sophomore cornerback.
The linebackers also are undersized as is one corner at just 5-9.
Senior punter Cole Zwiefelhofer surely is an All-American candidate and returning all league performer.
Thirteen of his 48 punts last season went for more than 50 yards, 11 were placed inside opponent's 20-yard line as he averaged a robust 43 yards a kick.
Adjust your time schedules - Kickoff is scheduled at 1:40 but more importantly the coach's show starts tonight on the Network at 6 p.m.
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