Cats, Griz one week away from Brawl

The annual Brawl of the Wild is now just one week away. But, before the Montana Grizzlies and Montana State Bobcats can focus on their annual rivalry game, they have to get through important battles this Saturday.

The Bobcats (0-6, 2-7) haven’t won a game since Sept. 17, and their last chance to do that at home will come Saturday when they host the UC Davis Aggies (1-5, 2-7) in Bozeman. And while the six-game losing streak has been a rough one for the Cats, they have a chance to send their seniors out with a much-needed win.

And seniors like star running backs Chad Newell and Gunnar Brekke will certainly be doing everything they can to get that coveted win in their last game at Bobcat Stadium. So will head coach Jeff Choate.

“I’m extremely grateful for the group of seniors that we have,” Choate said. “They’ve never been resistant. They come to work every day with an open heart and open mind, and that’s what makes this so painful. I have such a great respect for those young men, and I hurt for them because I want to see them have the success that I think they deserve.”

And while MSU hasn’t had that success this season, the Bobcats can start the turnaround against a struggling Aggies’ squad. Davis is 10th in the Big Sky in scoring offense and 10th in the league in scoring defense. And while the Aggies have a capable quarterback in Ben Scott and two running backs averaging over 50 yards per game, the Cats will certainly have opportunities to be successful on both sides of the ball.

MSU’s banged up defense played extremely well in last Saturday’s loss at Southern Utah, and the offense, behind starter Chris Murray, and a 100-yard game from Newell, showed flashes. But, what Montana State absolutely has to stop doing, even against a struggling Aggie defense is stop turning the ball over. The Cats threw three more interceptions last week and are dead last in the Big Sky in turnover margin with a whopping 25 turnovers on the season.

So for MSU to leave Bozeman with a win, the Cats must find ways to not only protect the ball, but also put more points on the board, as MSU is now averaging a meager 25 ppg, which is 12th in the Big Sky.

“I can’t predict how it’s going to be, but this place has meant a lot to me over the years,” Newell said of senior day. “Our fans mean everything to me when I’m out there. There’s not one person in the stadium that I don’t feel like I have a connection to. That feeling is kind of irreplaceable. That’s what I’m really going to appreciate. I hope to get a chance one more time to thank them for their support.”

Meanwhile, the No. 18 Montana Grizzlies (3-3, 6-3) have to wait one more week before their senior-day game against their arch rival. Instead, the Griz must go to Greely, Colorado, and find a way to win to keep their playoff hopes alive.

In the not-so-distant past, a win at Northern Colorado was usually all but assured, but given the Bears’ improvement this season and Montana’s recent struggles, including surrendering 44 points and over 500 yards of offense to lowly Idaho State last Saturday night in Missoula, Saturday’s game against the Bears (3-3, 5-4) is anything but a sure thing. Over the last three games, two of them losses, UM is allowing over 400 yards and 41 points per game.

And in order for Montana to win on the road, something the Griz have done only once this season, a now struggling defense must find its footing against a UNC offense led by running back Trae Riek and transfer quarterback Kyle Sloter, who has thrown for over 2,000 yards and 21 scores this season.

"I feel like we've been tackling well all season and for some reason we just didn't do it Saturday," senior end Ryan Johnson said. "We've got to get back to the fundamentals and make sure we're tackling with our eyes and not diving at people."

On the other side of the ball, Montana’s explosive offense, which scored 60-plus for the third time this season last Saturday, is now a little shrouded in mystery. That’s because senior Chad Chalich got the nod for injured starter Brady Gustafson, and all he did was throw for a school-record seven touchdowns, and an efficient 391 yards against the Bengals. After the game, Griz’ head coach Bob Stitt said Gustafson would remain the starter when healthy, but in Monday’s press conference, he took a different approach.

"The plan is to get them both ready to go," Stitt said at the Grizzlies' weekly press conference. "Probably 'Rock, Paper, Scissors' right before the game. We'll see."

No matter who starts for the Griz, Saturday, against Northern Colorado, has become Montana’s biggest game of the season. A win would slingshot the Griz back into the top half of the Big Sky standings and set up the showdown with MSU as a game to not only clinch a playoff berth, but also secure a first-round home game in those playoffs. However, a loss to NCU would like end Montana’s chance at reaching the playoffs, and with the way the Bears are playing right now, the Griz will certainly have to play their best road game in a long, long time.

Saturday’s game between the Griz and Bears will kick off at noon M.S.T in Greely, Colorado. The game will be televised statewide on all Cowles Media affiliates. MSU’s home finale against UC Davis will kick at 1:30 p.m. and will be televised nationwide on Root Sports NW.