118th Brawl of the Wild: an instant classic

by Danny Waldo
They’re already calling it the ‘Miracle in Missoula,’ and if it isn’t the greatest game in the series between two storied rivals, it has to be right near the top.
Fans will be talking about the latest installment of the Brawl of the Wild for years to come after the Montana State Bobcats came back from the dead to escape Missoula with a 29-25 thriller that extended their win streak in the series to three games, and extended their season by at least one more week as they were chosen as an at-large bid to the FCS playoffs.
After a sluggish start for the Bobcats, not many could have expected the ending that was awaiting fans across the state.
With 8:22 remaining in the second quarter, Montana quarterback Dalton Sneed found Samuel Akem for a 37-yard touchdown that put the Grizzlies up 22-0, and for many inside Washington-Grizzly Stadium the feeling of a rout was on. But suddenly, a dormant Montana State offense came to life, putting together a 10-play, 72-yard drive, punctuated with a three-yard Troy Andersen touchdown to cut the deficit to 22-7 with just 23 seconds to go in the first half.
After a stalemate in the third quarter, MSU entered the final quarter still trailing 22-7, but the floodgates were about to be opened. MSU opened the quarter with a 1-yard Troy Andersen plunge and two-point conversion to inch closer at 22-15, but things really picked up following a 34-yard Tim Semenza field goal that extended the Grizzly lead to 25-15 with just 7:46 remaining.
The ‘Cats would strike quickly, reaching paydirt just 1:45 later thanks to Andersen’s third rushing touchdown of the day setup by a 45-yard bomb to Travis Jonsen that set the ‘Cats up inside the 10-yard line.
Desperately needing a stop on the next series, the football gods answered Montana State’s prayers. Senior Grant Collins stripped UM quarterback Dalton Sneed of the ball as he was fighting for first down yardage; Collins would complete the play by recovering the fumble himself, putting MSU back in business on the Grizzlies 35-yard line with 5:16 remaining.
MSU would capitalize on the turnover with a 13-yard Logan Jones touchdown run to put MSU in front for the first time all day, 29-25, with just over two minutes remaining.
But UM was not done.
After a long kick return set the Griz up at the 50-yard line, they quickly marched inside the Bobcats’ 10-yard line with just seconds remaining.
Montana appeared to score the go-ahead touchdown with :14 seconds remaining, but a well-timed timeout by MSU head coach Jeff Choate negated the play, forcing UM to try once again. On third-and-goal from the 1-yard line, UM running back Adam Eastwood took the handoff and was immediately met by senior defensive lineman Tucker Yates. The impact forced Eastwood to cough up the ball, and Bobcat Derek Marks pounced on it to preserve the ‘Cats win.
From there, jubilation reigned supreme on the MSU sideline.
The win pushed MSU’s record to 7-4 (5-3 Big Sky), and earned them their first trip to the FCS playoffs since 2014. It was also MSU’s first three-game win streak in the Brawl of the Wild series since 1983-85.
Danny Waldo is a local freelance sports writer. He loves the Dallas Cowboys and Kentucky Wildcat basketball, but he especially loves seeing the Bobcats beat the Grizzlies.