Getty Montana State's Sean Chambers looks to help his team get a key win in conference play on Saturday.
With ESPN’s “College GameDay” in town, Montana State and Montana renew their heated rivalry on Saturday, November 19.
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The game (2 p.m. ET start time) will be televised locally on MTN and Scripps, but if you don’t live locally or don’t have those channels, anyone in the US can watch Montana vs Montana State live on ESPN+ right here:
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Once signed up for ESPN+, you can watch Montana vs Montana State live on the ESPN app or ESPN.com.
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Montana vs Montana State Preview
With ESPN’s College GameDay in town, the Montana State Bobcats and Montana Grizzlies reach new heights with their storied rivalry.
Known as the “Brawl of the Wild” Montana and Montana State goes back to 1897, and it’s been a mostly annual rivalry ever since. The Griz and Bobcats play for the Great Divide Trophy each year.
The 1990s ushered in two big changes for the rivalry. That includes the nickname “Brawl of the Wild” getting established and the call to make the Griz-Bobcats game the last one of the season for both teams.
As was the case in previous years, the matchup has NCAA FCS playoff implications again. The Bobcats, defending FCS national runner-ups, have a 9-1 record and a shot at the Big Sky Conference title if Sacramento State loses on Saturday. Montana can play spoiler and solidify its playoff footing at 7-3.
While the Griz entered the season with enormous expectations and a No. 2 ranking, a midseason slump knocked them out of Big Sky Conference contention. The Griz lost three straight to Idaho, Sac State, and Weber State. Since, the Griz bounced back to thump Cal Poly 57-0 and Eastern Washington 63-7.
🔥 @nostmo39 just picking up where he left off and the Griz are on the board first!
MSU also thumped Cal Poly recently in a 72-28 blowout, and the Bobcats haven’t lost to an FCS team all season. The Bobcats’ lone loss came against Oregon State of the Pac-12 in September, a 68-28 defeat.
Bobcats quarterback Tommy Mellott has been solid this season with 1,206 yards passing and nine touchdowns versus four interceptions. Mellott also poses a running threat with 705 yards and seven touchdowns.
When Mellott isn’t under center, the Bobcats have a talented quarterback in Wyoming transfer Sean Chambers. The Bobcats utilize Chambers as a running threat with 620 yards and 16 touchdowns, but he can also throw the ball well. Chambers has 509 yards passing for six touchdowns versus four picks.
Running back Elijah Elliott is also a playmaker for the Bobcats with 550 yards and a touchdown this season. Lane Sumner likewise makes plays out of the backfield often for the Bobcats with 450 yards this season.
Montana will also need to contain the Bobcats’ top wide receiver, Willie Patterson. He has 35 receptions for 503 yards and eight touchdowns this season.
The Griz defense features tough linebackers in Marcus Welnel and Patrick O’Connell. Welnel has 5.5 sacks, 68 tackles, and an interception this season. O’Connell had four sacks, two picks, and 39 tackles this fall.