Montana, Texas St. face off for first time

The Daily Inter Lake

There is a first time for everything, and such is the case for fifth-ranked Montana (11-1) and No. 23 Texas State (8-4).

Montana, seeded fourth in the Football Championship Subdivision Series, hosts the Bobcats of Texas State on Saturday in a first-round playoff game at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. Kickoff is set for 12:05 p.m. The game will be televised on the Montana's News Stations (KAJ in Kalispell).

This will mark the first time these two teams have played - regular season, or playoffs.

Montana is a postseason regular, having participated in 16 straight, and 19 overall, which ties the Griz with Eastern Kentucky for most appearances.

Montana is hosting a first-round game for the 10th straight time. Last year, Montana was knocked out of the playoffs on the first weekend, losing to Wofford, 23-22.

Montana is 24-15 in playoff games, holding a 22-5 mark at home, 1-8 in road games and 1-2 at neutral sites.

Montana earned one of eight at-large berths for the postseason last Sunday, while Weber State was the Big Sky Conference's automatic qualifier.

Both teams were 7-1 in league play, however Weber State defeated Montana 45-28.

Texas State was an automatic qualifier by virtue of its 48-45 overtime victory over Sam Houston State in the regular-season finale. The Bobcats finished 5-2 in Southland Conference play.

It was the first outright league title since 1982, when the Bobcats won the NCAA Division II national championship.

Texas State was co-Southland Conference champions in 2005. The Bobcats advanced as far as the national semifinal game that season.

Montana and Texas State did face two common foes this season.

The Bobcats beat Northern Colorado 38-35 in Greeley, Colo., but lost to Southern Utah in San Marco 34-20 on back-to-back weekends in late September.

Montana crushed Southern Utah 46-10 in Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Sept. 13, and took care of Northern Colorado 41-20 last month in a road game.

Montana has enjoyed good success versus teams from the Lone Star State in the playoffs.

The Griz blasted Stephen F. Austin 70-14 in 1995, Sam Houston State 49-24 in 21001, and San Houston State again, 34-13, in 2004.

Texas State had to rally five times for victories this season, including the finale with Sam Houston State. The Bobcats trailed 21-0 in that contest. It was also their biggest comeback of the season.