BILLINGS — Round 1 in Missoula was a slugfest, resulting in a 31-28 Montana State victory. But the upcoming Round 2 in Bozeman may well be the grandest sports moment the state has encountered.
Yes, the storied football rivalry between Montana and Montana State will reach a crescendo Saturday when the teams meet in the playoffs for the first time. And as if that weren't enough, it's for a highly coveted berth in the FCS national championship game.
If you thought this year's regular-season finale 3½ weeks ago was big — with the Big Sky title, the playoffs' No. 2 seed and possession of the Great Divide Trophy at stake — this week's 2 p.m. semifinal clash at Bobcat Stadium is the be-all and end-all.
Though not technically a "Brawl of the Wild" game (win or lose, MSU will keep hold of the regular-season Divide Trophy) it will be the 125th all-time matchup between the No. 2-seeded Bobcats (12-2) and No. 3 Grizzlies (13-1). And if the game is anything like the one played last month, it'll be a playoff pressure cooker.
At the time, it was obvious Montana State's three-point triumph at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in November hinged on a few critical, one-thing-leads-to-another type plays that swung the outcome:
In the later stages of the second quarter, two scrimmage plays after Michael Wortham gave Montana a 21-17 lead with a 5-yard rushing touchdown, MSU running back Julius Davis coughed up a fumble in Griz territory. The ball sat unclaimed for what seemed like an eternity — a moment of suspended animation for Montana — until offensive lineman Titan Fleischmann pounced on it to keep possession for the Bobcats.
(Montana, for what it's worth, didn't lose either of its two fumbles in the game.)
Nothing came of that aforementioned drive, but a punt by MSU's Colby Frokjer put the Griz on their own 13-yard line, and three plays later safety Caden Dowler picked off a deflected Keali'i Ah Yat pass intended for Wortham and returned it 34 yards for a touchdown and a 24-21 Cats lead.
And they were able to preserve their advantage with another crucial sequence.
Early in the fourth quarter, the Grizzlies' offense had moved the ball into MSU territory when receiver Brooks Davis took a sweep and sped around the edge for a 23-yard touchdown run. Only one problem: tight end Evan Shafer was called for holding on Bobcats defensive end Kenneth Eiden IV and the TD, which would have given Montana a 27-24 lead, was nullified.
UM's next three plays netted just 6 yards, and then a 44-yard field goal attempt by Ty Morrison was blocked by a leaping Zac Crews. The Grizzlies came up empty.
From there the Bobcats moved 65 yards on eight plays, capped by a 23-yard touchdown run by quarterback Justin Lamson to take a 31-21 lead with 8:58 remaining.
That's called complementary football. And from there it was academic. The Bobcats finished with 241 rushing yards.
The victory was Montana State's second in a row in the series and halted a trend that had seen the home team win each of the past five meetings. But now, by virtue of being the higher seed, it's the Bobcats' turn to host. And you know the visiting Grizzlies desperately want to return the favor.
What other rivalry wrinkles are worth noting entering Saturday's colossal rematch?
For one, the Bobcats come in on an absolute heater, having won 12 consecutive games. But it's not like the Grizzlies aren't cooking themselves — they have the better record, after all, and are red-hot in the postseason.
So far in the playoffs, Montana has rolled up 102 total points — a 50-29 second-round win over South Dakota State and a 52-22 victory over South Dakota last week in the quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, the Bobcats had to scratch out a 21-13 second-round win over newcomer Yale two weeks ago. MSU handled Stephen F. Austin 44-28 in the quarterfinals last Friday.
Regardless of what happens on Saturday, the Grizzlies will still own a considerable lead in the series; right now it stands at 74-44-5 in favor of Montana. But since 2002 it's Montana State that owns a 12-10 edge, including seven of the past nine.
Further, the Griz have had their struggles in Bozeman over the course of the past decade, and haven't won at Bobcat Stadium since 2015 when Bob Stitt was in his first year as coach. Bobby Hauck is yet to win there since returning to lead the Grizzlies eight years ago.
Home has been sweet for both programs in the playoffs this season. In the lead-up to the game, maybe that's the only real "advantage" you can point to: Since taking over the MSU program, coach Brent Vigen has lost just two games at home. Total. In five years.
And so, as the anticipation grows, you can't help but wonder if this is the biggest sporting event in the history of our state. And though Round 1 was a slugfest, the storied football rivalry between Montana and Montana State will reach a crescendo on Saturday.
It's the be-all, end-all Brawl.
