BOZEMAN — Brawl of the Wild is just two days away, and it’s a big day not just for fans, but also for former players.
“When you’re actually in the stadium on the field, it's indescribable,” said Jeffery Brown.
“They’re diehard fans; it’s a tough place to play,” said Dylan Tripp.
Brown and Tripp are former Bobcat players. Brown was a defensive back from 2006 to 2008, and Tripp was a strong safety from 1994 to 1998.
“I’m proud to call myself a Bobcat,” said Tripp. “Every guy that’s played at Montana State, you’ve laid the bricks, brick by brick by brick, to get to where we are at that stadium right now.”
WATCH: Ex-Montana State players predict 28-21 victory in Cat-Griz rivalry
Now, both Tripp and Brown live down in Austin, Texas, but that doesn’t stop them from watching the big game.
“I’ve been to, I think, pretty much every watch party while I’ve lived down there,” said Tripp.
The two met at an annual Cat-Griz watch party in Austin, which they tell me can get “intense” but is no match for what it’s like to be on the field.
“You didn’t need the extra jolt of energy,” said Brown. “Like you knew it was Cat-Griz week.”
“Getting up for the game was never a problem,” said Tripp. “It’s bragging rights for an entire year.”
MTN’s Esha Walia asked the two former players what it’s like to play the game in Missoula, just like the Bobcats are this year.
“It’s a tough place to walk into Washington-Grizzly Stadium. I mean, those guys are hostile fans,” said Tripp. “They’ll dump drinks on you, they’ll dump water on you.”
“It was cold, and people were throwing batteries at you,” said Brown. “Of course, the Bobcat fans are nice, we never do stuff like that.”
The two former players say they never beat the Griz when they played.
“I’ve never had the chance to have the smell of victory in this rivalry,” said Brown.
For this year’s team, they have high hopes and a score prediction of 28 to 21 Bobcats.
“We’re going in there with two losses, but the Grizzlies, their scheduled games that were non-conference games, they scheduled really easy teams,” said Tripp.
“We got business to finish in the national championship, so all roads lead to there,” said Brown.
They might be over 1,000 miles away from Bozeman now, but Cat-Griz will always be meaningful to Brown and Tripp.
“I’ve built lifelong lasting relationships with the guys I’ve played with,” said Tripp.
“All Bobcats are united and one to beat the Griz. So, super excited to watch the game,” said Brown.
