Brawl of the Wild ends in disaster

The 122nd Brawl of the Wild was a lopsided affair on Nov. 18 with the University of Montana (UM) beating MSU 37-7 in front of a sell out crowd at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. The rivalry game came with higher stakes this year with UM securing both the Big Sky Conference Championship as well as a number two seed in the FCS playoffs. The loss resulted in MSU being seeded sixth.

The game got away from the Bobcats in the first quarter. UM scored a touchdown, stopped the ‘Cat offense, and then punched in a second touchdown all within the first eleven minutes of action. 

It was a shocking start to the game from a Bobcat defense that has allowed only 327.5 yards per game of total offense this season. The first two drives alone were good for 145 yards of UM offense on their way to a 430 yard, four touchdown performance.

The first drive was characterized by several missed tackles from MSU — a trait rarely seen in the team this season — but that was evident early in the game. “That first series, their offense against our defense, was not good. The number of tackles we missed on that particular drive would’ve been more than usual for us,” Head Coach Brent Vigen said during a post-game press conference.

That ill-fated first quarter resulted in too big of a hurdle for MSU to clear. The Bobcats were scoreless at halftime, down 20-0. The third quarter started with a promising drive capped by a 19-yard Tommy Mellot touchdown pass to Ty McCullouch for the first MSU score of the game. It ended up being the only time the Bobcats found the endzone. More importantly, it was one of the few times it felt like the momentum of the game could shift in MSU’s favor. 

However, the MSU defense was unable to contain the UM offense as they marched down the field in a six-play drive that resulted in a touchdown. 

“If we can back that score up with a three-and-out or a stop, I think that momentum is on our side. The scoreboard wasn’t on our side, but the momentum would have been on our side at that point in time,” Vigen said after the game.

The offense struggled throughout the game to the tune of four turnovers on downs, one interception and a missed field goal. After averaging 469.8 yards per game of total offense for the season the ‘Cats only had 280 yards in Washington-Grizzly Stadium.

Answers for how a game that many believed would be a close matchup turned into a blowout weren’t readily apparent. While UM was enjoying their new custody of the Great Divide Trophy, MSU was left wondering how far it would tumble in the playoff seedings. “Credit to them. I know what is important now is how we respond,” Vigen said.

The team will have a chance to bounce back on Saturday, Dec. 2 in Bobcat Stadium against familiar foe North Dakota State University (NDSU). MSU’s title chances in 2021 were dashed by NDSU in the national championship game. This game will be the first playoff meeting between the two teams since that championship game.