George Ferguson: Showdowns between Griz, Eagles don't get any bigger

The Montana Grizzlies had a pretty cool run of big, FCS playoff games under the lights, and on the ESPN networks. No one, especially around the Hi-Line, will ever forget the infamous 2009 night game against Appalachian State.

Yes, there's no doubt, ESPN and nigh games, even if Montana head coach Bobby Hauck hates them, have been really good to the Grizzlies.

There is one exception to that though - and that's the lights of Roos Field in Cheney, Washington. Those lights, shining brightly down on the red turf, that hasn't been kind to the Grizzlies, and I should know, because in both 2010 and 2012 I was there, for what were disastrous outcomes for Montana.

In both of those games against Eastern Washington, the Grizzlies blew leads, with EWU scoring in the final minute to turn back Montana in 2010 and then recovering an onside kick and scoring in the final minutes to beat the Griz again in 2012. Watching those games were excruciating enough, but being there in person was even worse.

Now comes another chance for Montana to exercise some demons - in what is perhaps the biggest game in the history of the heated rivalry between Eastern and Montana. Now comes the Griz' chance to beat Eastern under the lights, on "The Inferno" in front of a national television audience.

Yes, as fourth-ranked Montana travels to sixth-ranked EWU for an ESPN2 showdown Saturday night, the stakes couldn't be any higher. For both teams, Saturday night could very well decide their fate as far as a Big Sky championship goes, because of the unbalanced schedule in the conference. The game could also very well determine a possible national seed in the FCS playoffs, and seeding can always end up determining how far a team can go in those playoffs. That's right, in the playoffs, home field advantage is huge, especially to the likes of the Grizzlies, Eagles and Montana State Bobcats, who love to host playoff games in frigid, hostile environments come December.

But while the stakes are very high for both teams, they seem to be even higher for the Griz. After all, Montana has a win over a nationally ranked Pac 12 University of Washington squad. Certainly the Griz should beat Eastern if they can beat the Huskies?

Not so fast. First off, EWU has a better offense than Washington. Eric Barriere is perhaps the best quarterback in the country that hardly anyone's ever heard of. He is an incredible talent with loads of weapons around him, and is way out in front in terms of the race to win FCS Offensive Player of the Year. Of course, two years ago, Montana beat Barriere and the Eagles in Missoula, but he was just a sophomore then, and the Eagles have reloaded at the wide receiver position since.

Still, the Griz' defense, who didn't allow an offensive touchdown for the first 160-plus minutes of the season, an unprecedented record no doubt, should be able to at the very least slow down Barriere and the EWU offense, right? Maybe. But again, the last time the Griz played Eastern it was in cold and snowy Washington-Grizzly Stadium and it was dang near an eternity ago.

And speaking of eternities, that brings me to my final point about why this game is so huge for Montana. And that point is, the Griz haven't beaten Eastern in Cheney since 2008. And they haven't beaten them ever on that red turf. That's a bitter pill for Montana fans to swallow no doubt.

So, while it looks like Montana's pretty much back to being an FCS power, thanks in large part to the return of Bobby Hauck, to truly cement that status, the Griz have to start beating Eastern more often, and at some point, they're going to have to win again in Cheney. And, if Montana wants to cement itself as king of the Big Sky again, the Griz will likely not be able to do it if they don't win Saturday night.

No doubt, Montana is really, really good. That defense is incredible, the wide receivers are off the charts, and star players continue to emerge. The Griz have their swagger back, and it's very possible, this is the best Montana team we've seen in a decade. And yet, to really drive that home, to really be able to say "we're back," the Griz have got to start winning in Cheney.

And there's no better time to start doing that than Saturday night, under the lights, on ESPN. That scenario has treated the Griz well over the years and it's time for Montana to start making that happen again.

The Grizzlies and Eagles will meet Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. M.S.T. in Cheney. The game can be seen nationally on ESPN2 or ESPN+. Montana State is also home to host Northern Colorado Saturday afternoon at Bobcat Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. and the game will be televised statewide on Montana ABC/Fox.