BOZEMAN — And here we go.
For the first time in the storied history and bitter rivalry of Montana and Montana State football, the Bobcats and Grizzlies are set to meet in the postseason.
The teams have met 124 previous times, all in the regular season. The last matchup, a 31-28 MSU victory in November in Missoula, was to determine the Big Sky Conference champion.
Saturday's collision, with kickoff set for 2 p.m. at Bobcat Stadium, will decide which of these two in-state rivals gets to book a ticket to the national championship in Nashville, Tenn.
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Last month, Montana State earned its first victory at Washington-Grizzly Stadium since 2018. But Bobcats head coach Brent Vigen noted that'll have no influence on Saturday's outcome.
"Winning over there on the 22nd of November doesn't guarantee us anything," he said during Monday's media availability. "The only thing it guarantees is the game is played here in Bozeman."
The Bobcats (12-2) are looking to make a consecutive trip to the national title game and their third since the 2021 season. The Grizzlies (13-1) returned to the championship in 2023 meaning that, for the third straight season, one of the two teams will be playing for all the marbles.
With both the Bobcats and Grizzlies enjoying sustained success these past seasons, Vigen noted that it seemed inevitable that the stars would eventually align and the two programs would meet in the postseason.
"The fact that is hasn't happened isn't completely crazy," he said. "It was bound to happen at some point and here it is. It's going to be a great opportunity for our players and certainly for our fans."
Saturday's game is being billed as one of the biggest sporting events to ever unfold in the Treasure State. Emotions will be running high as the two teams battle to earn the right to play one final game in January.
Junior defensive back Caden Dowler, who has recorded at least one interception in the past five games, noted that playing the Grizzlies is special but that he and his team are bringing a straightforward next-game-up mentality into this blockbuster game.
"Anytime we get to strap it up with these guys and play in Bobcat Stadium ... it's going to be an awesome opportunity and a cool environment to play in," he said. "It's another football game and they happen to be coming to town. Just really excited to go out there and play football again."
