Montana QB Clifton McDowell overcomes personal losses to show he’s a Texas-sized winner
MISSOULA – Clifton McDowell dealt with a loss in the middle of Montana’s massive winning streak this season.
His uncle, Clarence McDowell, died in their mutual home state of Texas. McDowell, the Grizzlies’ starting quarterback, was unable to make the funeral but soon after got time to go home and be close with family.
“I went back home during our bye week before the second round of the playoffs, went back and seen his body and stuff like that,” McDowell said. “It was always on my mind, but you know, just as you get older, you get mentally tougher with things.”
McDowell and the Griz closed out the regular season by capturing the Big Sky Conference championship and the No. 2 seed in the FCS playoffs. He has had a couple of hiccups in the postseason but now gets to return to Texas on a more positive note.
He and the Grizzlies will playfor the FCS championship Sunday. While having dealt with another personal loss, he finds motivation from his team.
“It’s just been mental toughness to keep going for the guys,” he said.
McDowell is one of three Texas natives on this year’s team, all of whom will be heading home for the national title game in Frisco, Texas. He grew up in Spring, Texas, a suburb of Houston.
His uncle never got to see him play in person for the Griz. Frisco might have been that chance because it’s a 4-hour drive northwest of Houston.
“He was my dad’s brother, so growing up I always seen him around, he lived with us from time to time,” McDowell said. “It was just real sad, but as you get older, you start losing loved ones and you just got to cherish the moments you have.”
McDowell was a sought-after football recruit in high school. He was rated as a three-star prospect by 247Sports and ranked as the nation’s 34th best dual-threat quarterback in the Class of 2019.
He had offers from Football Bowl Subdivision team Texas State and FCS teams Texas Southern and Georgetown. With his uncle sometimes in attendance at games, he ended up passing for 1,820 yards and 18 touchdowns while running for 1,330 yards and 19 scores as a senior at Spring High School.
“He came to watch me a couple times,” McDowell said. “He was a basketball player. He always tried to get me to play basketball. That wasn’t my thing.”
Being on the gridiron was the first and foremost love for McDowell. It still is during his fifth year in college and his first time earning a starting quarterback job.
“I’ve been playing football since I was 5,” he said. “That’s always been the dream to be where we’re at right now. It’s a surreal feeling of competing for a national championship.”
Mentally maturing
McDowell was in attendance for a previous death to someone close to him.
It was his redshirt freshman year at Louisiana-Lafayette when assistant coach D.J. Looney died during a team workout. The 31-year-old suffered a heart attack on Aug. 1, 2020.
“At that time, I was younger, so I wasn’t able to really handle myself as good as I am now,” McDowell said. “It kind of took a toll on me a little bit mentally, but I was able to bounce back.”
Looney had recruited McDowell to the school that plays in the Sun Belt Conference of the FBS. He never visited McDowell’s home during the recruiting process, but he did talk with him and his parents and had exchanged letters.
The loss was a shock to McDowell, who had spent a full season on the team with Looney. That tragic of an event created some trauma and tested his resolve to stick with football, which he “almost” quit, he said.
“But after talking with my mom and dad and family, you just got to keep going, can’t really let it take me out of my mental state,” he added.
McDowell opted to return home to Texas to play junior college football at Kilgore. He had attempted just one pass over three games in two seasons at Louisiana-Lafayette.
“I was thinking about being back home in the great state,” he said. “Me missing home really. I was kind of younger, so it’s not the same mindset that I have now.”
Junior college football can be a grind. It can be even more so when McDowell didn’t start there. He just rotated in at quarterback during his one season.
“I’ve had a rough path,” he said. “JUCO is not for the weak. But I’m just glad that I got to cherish those moments with those guys in JUCO. Everything has led me to this point now.”
McDowell transferred to Central Arkansas after his one season at Kilgore. He lost a quarterback battle for the fourth time in as many years. He attempted just 13 passes and 10 rushes in his lone season there and looked to transfer again.
He landed at Southern University because he had familiarity with coaches who previously recruited him. A recruiting trip to Missoula in May led him to flip his commitment to the Griz.
“I just feel like that part of my life just prepared me and gave me the tools to succeed,” he said. “It gave me a lot of mental toughness being able to overcome all those adversities.”
Heading home
The location of the FCS final in Frisco is close to where the high school state championships take place in Arlington at the Dallas Cowboys’ NFL stadium. McDowell was never able to qualify for a title game while playing in the state’s largest classification, so he’s looking forward to this opportunity.
“It always feels great to be back in the great state of Texas,” he said. “I’ve been playing football there all my life, so I’m glad to bring the guys back with me and enjoy this experience.”
McDowell transferred to Montana last summer and has shown immense growth in a minuscule period. He’s 11-0 as a starter and has the Griz on a 10-game winning streak since he took over as the full-time starter Sept. 30 against Idaho State.
UM won back-to-back road games over ranked teams UC Davis and Idaho. The Griz added home wins over ranked teams Sacramento State and Montana State the next month.
“I feel like a big impactful game was probably Idaho,” he said. “Coming in and beating the No. 3 team, I feel like that was a big turning point for our program and our team.”
McDowell would later be named the Big Sky Newcomer of the Year. He and first-year offensive coordinator Brent Pease, a former Griz quarterback, helped get the offense rolling in the second half of the regular season.
“That’s my dog, man,” McDowell said. “It’s like this, we’re tight, man. I just love how he’s hard on me. No matter how many games we win, just steady and keeps my head level and just keeps me going. Couldn’t ask for nothing better.”
McDowell is joined by Texas natives in linebacker Riley Wilson and backup offensive lineman Declan McCabe. The weather and food have stood out to him as the biggest night-and-day differences between Texas and Montana.
“We got a couple guys from Texas and we just bring the energy, that down-South energy that’s kind of abnormal up here being in the North,” he said.
McDowell feels like he has been embraced by the fan base. Thanks to name, image and likeness (NIL) opportunities, he sold nearly 200 Battle of the Brawl T-shirts in November after his faux pas the week prior when referring to the Brawl of the Wild.
“I’m just really grateful to be here and play for this state and city,” he said. “Just really excited about the national championship. I’m hoping we can bring it back home.”