The Montana State Bobcats have already clinched a share of the Big Sky Conference title and the league’s auto-bid to the FCS playoffs, yet there’s still plenty on the line Saturday as the 123rd edition of the fiercest rivalry in the West descends upon Bobcat Stadium.
For No. 10 Montana, can the Grizzlies surge into the FCS playoffs and secure a first-round bye by toppling the second-ranked Bobcats? Will UM win nine regular-season games for the fourth time in the last five seasons since the return of head coach Bobby Hauck for his second stint? And can the Griz, winners of two of the last three rivalry games, find a way to win in Bozeman for the first time since Hauck’s return and the first time since 2015 overall?
For the second-ranked Bobcats, can MSU sew up an undefeated 12-0 season, setting the Big Sky record for single-season wins in the process? Can the Bobcats tie the school record for wins in a season before the playoffs even begin? Can Montana State secure its first outright Big Sky title since 1984?
(In 2011, the No. 1 ranked ‘Cats lost 36-10 to No. 7 Montana in Bozeman to share the Big Sky title. But that league championship for UM was vacated amid a myriad of NCAA violations that contributed to former head coach Robin Pflugrad to losing his job.)
And of course, for both sides, will the home team continue to utterly dominate? Or can the road team find some traction and forge a competitive game?
The last four rivalry games (2019, 2021, 2022, 2023) have resulted in lopsided blowouts for the hosts. The hosts have averaged 42.5 points per game while the visitors have scored a total of 52 points (13 per game) over the last four matchups.
Montana State won 48-14 in 2019 and 55-21 in Bozeman. Montana won 29-10 in 2021 in Missoula and 37-7 at Washington-Grizzly Stadium last season.
“The home team….we beat the brakes off of ‘em here last year and that’s been the way of it the last four times,” Hauck said following his team’s 28-17 win over Portland State to move to 8-3 overall. “The home team has won by a large score. We have to find a way to go down there and get the win.”
Montana State secured at least a share of the Big Sky title by holding on for a 30-28 win over No. 4 UC Davis in Davis on Saturday night. That win is Montana State’s program-record 11th straight and sets up a variety of historic scenarios for the Bobcats.
“Now we are in this position where every team we are playing, Davis included, now everyone has a lot to play for,” Montana State head coach Brent Vigen said following the Davis game. “From here on out, no matter how long that is. We have to prepare like crazy. We have to continue to find ways to get better.”
The narrative around each program is always an intriguing factor when it comes to the rivalry. For the Grizzlies, which direction is the momentum of their program heading? Montana won 10 games in 2019 and 2021 but stalled out in the quarterfinals of the playoffs both seasons.
The 2022 season saw UM reach No. 2 in the national polls only to suffer a three-game losing streak and exit the playoffs in the second round with a lopsided loss at the hands of North Dakota State.
But last year, after an embarrassing 28-14 loss to and 0-3 Northern Arizona team in the Big Sky opener for both squads, Montana didn’t lose again until the national championship. That 13-2 squad won UM’s first Big Sky title since 2009 and advanced to the natty for the first time in just as long.
This year, Montana gave up points in bunches the first half of the season and have been thwarted by a sputtering run game and a lack of flow at quarterback during the second half of the season. Yet still, the Griz are on the brink of a playoff bye, a Top 8 seed and are staring a signature win against an undefeated rival square in the face.
To add to the intrigue, Montana’s roster features 26 seniors, including stalwart Montanans like wide receiver/returner Junior Bergen, inside linebacker Ryan Tirrell, All-American cornerback Trevin Gradney and the senior safety duo of Jaxon Lee & Ryder Meyer. All have the chance to finish their careers with three wins in four matchups against the ‘Cats.
There’s also the part of the narrative about Hauck in Cat-Griz games. He dominated the Big Sky during his first stint between 2003 and 2009, leading his alma mater to seven straight league titles, five rivalry wins, an 80-17 record overall and appearances in the 2004, 2008 and 2009 national title games.
Since his return, Hauck is 2-3 in rivalry games, meaning he’s 7-5 overall against Montana State.
“This for us was big to get today (Portland State win) so we can lock in that game next week,” Hauck said. “I think that’s beneficial. It’s a big game on the schedule every year.”
For Montana State, Vigen’s sterling resume has been almost perfect over the last four seasons. Following Saturday’s win over Davis, Vigen is 43-9 as the head coach of the Bobcats.
His nine losses include losses to North Dakota State in the 2021 national title game as well as the playoffs last season; to South Dakota State in the semifinals of the 2022 playoffs and the regular-season last year; in Missoula in both trips to Washington-Grizzly Stadium; to Wyoming and Oregon State of the FBS; and at Idaho a year ago.
Vigen’s predecessor Jeff Choate went 29-25 in four seasons leading MSU, advancing to the playoffs in 2018 and 2019, winning a total of three playoff games. But Choate went 4-0 in rivalry games, which puts an undo amount of pressure on Vigen to find rivalry success.
In 2022, the Bobcats embarrassed the Grizzlies, putting a stamp on a disappointing campaign for UM. Vigen won’t get a chance to prove he can lead a team to a win in Missoula until next season. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t pressure on MSU to cap an undefeated run, clinch home field advantage throughout the playoffs, win an outright Big Sky title and help Vigen square up his record against Hauck.
“There’s all kinds of things to continue to play for beyond the rivalry,” Vigen said. “To be able to have the conference outright, to be able to finish the regular season undefeated and I sure hope secure home field…go back to square one, meet on Monday, and we have to figure out how to go 1-0 next week.
Montana State shared the Big Sky title with Sacramento State in 2022 — both teams went undefeated that season and did not play each other — in Vigen’s second year steering the ship. The Bobcats also shared the Big Sky title with Eastern Washington in 2010, with Montana before the violations in 2011, and with EWU & Cal Poly in 2012. The Bobcats also shared the Big Sky title in 2002, 2003 and 2005 after Cat-Griz victories, including in 2003 and 2005 by beating Hauck’s Griz.
“(The outright Big Sky title), that’s a significant goal for us,” Vigen said. “To have the auto bid and be one step closer to completing this season how we want to, it’s big. Big Sky Conference title is critical and we didn’t get it done last year.”
For the Griz, a repeat Big Sky title is not in the cards. But a 9-3 finish that includes a 6-2 record would be a strong rally for a team that gave up 104 points the first two weeks of conference play and lost two home games in the same season since 2018, including an embarrassing 55-48 loss to a Weber State team that hasn’t won since.
Montana State is going to receive a first-round bye and likely a Top 5 seed even if they lose to the Grizzlies on Saturday. But a win could impact the small picture and big picture narrative while continuing to add to the impressive momentum Montana State has been able to create as an overall institution over the last 15 years.
“Words can’t describe how excited we are,” MSU defensive end Zac Crews, a Missoula native who originally committed to the Griz, said following a standout performance against UC Davis. “We have to go be 1-0, work all week.
“And Saturday is pay day.”
