UM’s Tyrone Holmes making most of final season

What sparked Tyrone Holmes to such a fantastic year?

The realization that his career is about over.

“It’s my senior season,” the Montana Grizzly superstar defensive end said. “This is my last go at it and I really wanted to make the most of it.”

Consider that a done deal.

Holmes, a 6-foot-4, 250-pounder from Eagle Point, Ore., leads the Football Championship Subdivision in quarterback sacks with 17. He had three last Saturday as the Grizzlies defeated South Dakota State 24-17 in a first-round FCS playoff game.

On Saturday afternoon at 1:30 (ESPN3 TV), the Grizzlies will be in Fargo, N.D., to take on four-time defending FCS national champion North Dakota State in a second-round playoff game. Earlier this week the All-American candidate was named one of three finalists for the STATS FCS Defensive Player of the Year, previously called the Buck Buchanan Award.

“I’ve had some pretty incredible coaches who have helped me have a successful senior season,” Holmes said. “My team’s still playing and we’re in the playoffs, so that’s mostly what I’m happy about. We hope we can keep it going.”

Holmes certainly has. Always a consistent run-stopper for the Griz, Holmes has become known for his ability to make plays behind the line of scrimmage. This year he has 23 tackles for loss.

“He’s successful because of the type of person he is and his work ethic,” Montana head coach Bob Stitt said. “He doesn’t say a whole lot. He just comes out and practices and plays the same way every single day. One hundred miles an hour.”

Holmes’ play spoke volumes against Stitt’s offense last spring and during training camp.

“It made our lives on offense miserable, having to try to block him and deal with him,” Stitt said. “I know what opposing offenses are dealing with.”

Stitt said the entire Montana team follows the lead of Holmes.

“People feed off of his play,” Holmes said. “He’ll just ignite the entire unit. What a tremendous player.”

Holmes has 82 total tackles, two forced fumbles and nine QB hurries. He has 33.5 career sacks at Montana, second on the all-time Grizzly list.

On Saturday afternoon, North Dakota State doesn’t figure to make it easy on Holmes and his defensive teammates. The Bison, 18-1 all-time in the FCS playoffs and winners of the last four championships, lost twice this year, including a 38-35 setback to the Grizzlies back in August.

“Their O-Line is probably the toughest as a defense that we’ve had to go up against,” Holmes said. “It’s going to be huge for us to try to stop their run game. They have that power and stretch (play) that’s really difficult to stop. We’re going to have to find a way to get it done.”

The Griz did just that in August, prevailing on the game’s final play. It was the only major college football of the day that Saturday.

“It was an incredible game, one I’ll never forget,” Holmes said. “The first game of my senior season, on ESPN, with Brent Musburger calling the game … It was an unreal experience. The stadium was loud, and to win at the end of the game was unbelievable. But coming into this game, that one doesn’t really do a whole lot for us.”

It would seem NDSU might have more motivation.

“I think we all have the same amount to play for, the national championship,” Holmes said. “I don’t really see how they’re playing for more at this point. If we lose, all our seniors are done. If they lose, all their seniors are done. I feel like we’re playing for the same thing.”

During a conference call with reporters on Tuesday, it was suggested that the “revenge” factor is a bit overblown.

“For sure,” Holmes said. “(The Bison) might be thinking about it, but once the ball’s kicked off you’re not thinking ‘Oh revenge, revenge.’ You’re trying to do your job and trying to help your team win a football game. At the end of the day, that’s what it really comes down to. All the other stuff kind of goes out the window once the ball’s snapped. You’re just trying to accomplish your job.”

Holmes is a finalist for the STATS FCS Defensive Player of the Year along with fellow Big Sky Conference stars James Cowser of Southern Utah and Patrick Onwuasor of Portland State. The winner will be announced Jan. 8 in Frisco, Texas, the night before the FCS national championship game.