Vandals, Bears all that's left before Cat-Griz showdown

If the Montana Grizzlies and Montana State Bobcats want more than pride and the Great Divide Trophy to be on the line when they meet Nov. 17 in Missoula, then neither can afford to slip up against teams with losing records this weekend.

Just one week before the 2018 Brawl of the Wild, the Bobcats close out their home schedule with a Big Sky Conference game against Northern Colorado, while the Grizzlies travel to Moscow, Idaho, to renew their long-standing rivalry with the University of Idaho.

And both are must-win games, because if the Griz and Cats both come into next week's Cat-Griz game at 6-4, then the winner will have a shot at an at-large berth in the FCS playoffs. And that would certainly add some flare to a rivalry game that hasn't meant a whole lot when it comes to the Big Sky standings, or the playoffs, in recent years.

First things first though, both Montana squads have to win this Saturday.

The Bobcats (3-3, 5-4) will celebrate senior day Saturday against an NCU team (2-5, 2-8) that has won just twice this season, but has also been dynamic at times offensively. However, the Cats will be heavy favorites behind the two-headed rushing monster of quarterback Troy Andersen and freshman sensation Isaiah Ifanse. On defense, MSU will want to shore things up after allowing 500 yards of offense and 42 points to Cal Poly in a 49-42 win in Bozeman last Saturday.

Most of all, however, the Cats just want to remain focused, beat the Bears to ensure a winning season, and head to Cat-Griz with everything on the line. And that's why head coach Jeff Choate said his team is not in anyway overlooking the Bears.

"It's the same recipe. Nothing really changes," Choate said. "They're (Bears) a very, very competitive team in just about the first half of every game they're in."

The Grizzlies (3-3, 5-4) are hoping nothing changes this week either. Montana goes to Moscow looking to retain the Little Brown Stein, a trophy the Griz have kept from Idaho for 16 years, when the two teams last met. And after a 57-14 trouncing of lowly Southern Utah last Saturday on the road, Griz head coach Bobby Hauck will look for more of the same from an offense that piled up over 600 yards on the arm of Dalton Sneed, the legs of Jeremy Calhoun and the bevy of talented receivers Montana has. On the other side of the ball, the Griz forced two turnovers, and stars Dante Olson, Josh Buss and Jesse Sims wreaked havoc on the Thunderbirds all day long.

Of course, Idaho (3-4, 4-5) isn't SUU. And while the Vandals have struggled in their first year back in the Big Sky, they are still an FCS team loaded with FBS talent. They have huge offensive and defensive lines, they have a stout running attack, and quaterback Mason Petrino, the son of head coach Paul Petrino, the former Helena and Carroll College great, has been tough for opposing teams to get a handle on, especially of late.

Then there's the fact that Montana and Idaho used to be bitter rivals, and now, they are bringing the rivalry back. And one week before Cat-Griz, Saturday's game in Moscow, the first meeting between the two schools since 2002, will be a big one, especially for the Griz, who still have playoff aspirations themselves.

"When you talk to some of the older fellas that have been a part of this program, this game was a huge, huge game in these parts for a long time," Hauck said. "We're aware of that. We're certainly excited to be able to play this thing again."

The Grizzlies and Vandals will meet Saturday at 4:30 p.m. inside the Kibbie Dome in Moscow, Idaho. The game will be televised nationally on Root Sports. The Bobcats host Northern Colorado Saturday at 1 p.m. in Bozeman. That game will televised nationally on Root Sports as well.