By Danny Waldo
It’s back.
No, not Bobby Hauck.
The Brawl of the Wild, the game MSU has owned the past two seasons, returns for the 2018 version on November 17th in Missoula, and this one should have an extra level of intensity.
Yes, ‘He Who Shall Remain Nameless’ is back to roam the sidelines for the maroon and silver, but there is plenty more at stake than just beating our arch nemesis. Namely, Montana State has the opportunity, albeit a small one, to earn an ‘At-large’ bid to the FCS playoffs with a 7-4 record should they get the win over the Grizzlies, but the ‘Cats would also finish with their best record in the Choate era. It would also be MSU’s first three-game winning streak in the series since the ‘Cats won three in a row in 1983-85.
As if the Bobcats need any more reason to beat the Grizzlies, the return of the Grizzlies’ former coach certainly has upped the desire thanks to his domination of the Bobcats during his previous tenure. In his first stop in Missoula, Hauck went 5-2 against the ‘Cats, losing two out of his first three games in the rivalry, but he hasn’t lost to MSU since. The Bobcats would like nothing more than to change that when the rivalry gets renewed this weekend.
MSU enters the 2018 brawl on a high note having won its previous two conference games, most recently a 35-7 defeat of Northern Colorado, and the offense has been more productive since the promotion of Matt Miller to offensive coordinator prior to the Idaho State game.
But the biggest difference in MSU has been its defense’s ability to create turnovers. Over the course of the past four games MSU has caused 10 turnovers after only forcing five in its first six games. That ability to force turnovers has provided excellent field position for an offense that has had a difficult time sustaining long scoring drives. If MSU is to win its third straight versus Montana, they will need to continue that trend while taking care of the ball themselves. The last time the Bobcats lost in Washington-Grizzly Stadium, the Griz forced seven turnovers in a 34-7 rout.
Both Montana State and Montana like to employ a punishing rushing attack, so the team that is able to dominate the line of scrimmage most likely will dominate this game. The past two seasons that team has been Montana State. Montana’s offensive line has struggled to control the line of scrimmage this season, so the advantage appears to be with the ‘Cats yet again.
But as the old adage says, you can throw the records out when these two teams play.
Kickoff for the 118th Brawl of the Wild in Missoula is set for 12:00 p.m. and can be seen live on Root Sports.
For other viewing or listening options, log on to www.msubobcats.com.
