BOZEMAN — It would’ve been easy for Montana State to give up when it started the season 0-2.
But for programs with a culture as grounded as the one Brent Vigen has built in Bozeman, that was not an option. The Bobcats put their heads down, worked, and rattled off nine straight wins to climb their way to the No. 3 ranking in the country.
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Up next is the highest-ranked Brawl of the Wild in history as MSU goes head-to-head against No. 2 Montana in Missoula on Saturday.
"They know there’s going to be adversity," Montana State defensive lineman Paul Brott said about overcoming being the road team in this rivalry game. "If you think everything is going to be smooth sailing, you’re going to lose that game, and so, we know it’s going to strike. And if they do, so what? Now what? Let’s go out there, and let’s stop it."
"It has to be about our resiliency in all these games," Vigen said about his team's ability to win despite early adversity. "Being able to look one another in the eye and forge ahead is what we need to be."
That mindset is key when going into an environment known to be hostile at Washington Grizzly Stadium, especially for this particular game. The Cats haven’t won a rivalry matchup on the road since 2018.
"We have not been able to create momentum to any kind of volume over there," Vigen said about the two Brawl of the Wild games he's coached as the road team. "They’ve been able to do that in both the games that I’ve been a part of with early offense. It’s one thing to create momentum, but then you have to be able to stop it."
The Cats' offense will try and create some momentum as Vigen said, led by quarterback Justin Lamson. He’s understood the gravity of this game through teammates explaining it to him, but it will be the first time he plays in the Brawl.
"I think he’s ready, yeah," Montana State offensive lineman JT Reed said. "I have the utmost confidence in Justin. I think Justin is the best quarterback in the country. I think Justin is probably one of the best leaders in the country with the way he leads the offense."
On the flip side, the elite MSU defense is excited for the challenge of the dynamic offense that UM presents. It boasts explosive players like quarterback Keali'i Ah Yat, wide receiver Michael Wortham and running back Eli Gillman.
"It’s going to be great," Brott said. "You always want great competition. So going against one of the best offenses in the country is what we want. It’s what we want to go against to be able to put on display how good our defense is and how well we can roll."
What's on the line for both teams tomorrow: a Big Sky championship, a top-two seed in the playoffs — which grants home-field advantage through the semifinal round — and, as always, bragging rights.
The game kicks off at noon and will be broadcast across Montana on local CBS affiliates.
