Brawl: A rivalry with lasting power

Oh hello, Texas vs. Texas A&M. Welcome back, have a nice time catching up. 

Given the conference upheaval in the Bowl Championship Subdivision of college football, a rivalry game like Saturday’s in Bozeman — the 123rd Brawl of the Wild — could soon be the Grandaddy Of Them All.

“You’d better be grateful that we have a rivalry in this day and age,” MSU coach Brent Vigen said of the annual Cat-Griz game, which kicks off at noon at Bobcat Stadium. “It drives our programs, drives our universities. Living it, I think you completely understand how important it is to be on the right side of it.” 

Vigen had some idea how it might be, having grown up in the small town of Buxton, N.D., midway between the campuses of North Dakota State (Fargo, where he played) and North Dakota (Grand Forks). 

Montana’s Bobby Hauck, meanwhile, is a Big Timber native who grew up closer to Montana State but takes pains never to mention the school by name and has had his team board in Livingston, 20 miles outside of Bozeman. 

Yes, he relishes this rivalry. 

“Kansas and Missouri don’t play anymore,” he noted Monday. “I hope one of us doesn’t go away and we don’t play this anymore. That would be terrible.” 

It’s the kind of matchup where you could throw out the records, except that the home team has won lopsided affairs the last four meetings.  

Montana State is off to its first-ever 11-0 start, riding a bruising running attack that includes three explosive running backs (or more) and is triggered by Tommy Mellott. 

It was Mellott that was foremost on Hauck’s mind Monday. 

“They make you account for the quarterback and they do that in a variety of ways,” he said. “They mess with your eyes. Their best player is their quarterback, and you have to account for him every play.” 

Montana would obviously like to find running room as well: It seems to set up the passing game, though last week it was the other way around. Logan Fife came in at quarterback the second half, got hot and then Nick Ostmo and Eli Gillman began finding running room against Portland State. 

“I think we’re a team that has yet to flourish in all aspects of the game,” Ostmo said Monday. “And so we’re going to try to do that Saturday.” 

The Grizzlies are 8-3 and owner of a couple conference losses. Still, they seem playoff-bound: Hero Sports has them hosting a first-round game in its latest bracketology. 

Not that Hauck has any ideas other than to pull an upset. 

“Obviously it’s a tall task to go down and win this game, but we’re going to do our best,” he said. “Last time we went down there we got our ass kicked. Hope we don’t have that happen this time.” 

Montana State has a No. 2 seeding at stake. 

“They run a (defensive) scheme that at least within our schedule is unique to them,” Vigen said of the Griz. “They fly around and create havoc and create a lot of different pictures, I guess.” 

Vigen is mindful that the opponent has played two quarterbacks, but also that Fife has been more consistent than freshman Keali’i Ah Yat. Meanwhile, the Cats have looked unbeatable most of the season. 

“I know this team is after more,” Vigen said. “We’d love nothing more than to have the conference title outright. And then the rivalry. This game counts as one, but it does mean more.  

“We don’t have to change the script. Our process each week is to make us play as well as possible each week, and that won’t change.” 

GRIZZLIES RECEIVER Junior Bergen (5) scores a touchdown on a 20-yard reception in the 122nd Brawl of the Wild at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Nov. 18, 2023. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)