Looking back: Cats snap a 16-year losing streak in Missoula

Nov. 17, 2001: After 60 minutes of back-and-forth, hard-nosed football, the University of Montana Grizzlies defeated the MSU Bobcats on their home turf, 38-27.

The win propelled the Grizzlies to a national championship title and an utterly dominant 15-1 season. It also marked the Bobcats’ 16th consecutive loss to the Grizzlies. One of the oldest and most contentious rivalries in college football had been reduced to an annual opportunity for the team from Missoula to bash their Bozeman contemporaries in the teeth. The future did not seem bright for the Bobcats.

One year later, not much had changed. The Bobcats were a scrappy 6-5 team that fought hard for wins behind 19-year-old freshman quarterback Travis Lulay. The team had played well against conference opponents and was entering the final game of the regular season with a unique opportunity. A win would give the Cats the tying lead in the Big Sky Conference, crowning them co-champions of the conference and guaranteeing them a trip to the playoffs.

Quarterback Travis Lulay recalled the team’s attitude going into the game. 

“We started the season slow. All of a sudden, it was ‘Holy cow, we actually have a chance to make the playoffs.’”

The Bobcats’ opponent in this decisive final game of the season? The 10-1 Grizzlies: defending national champions and the team that, with a loss, would be forced to share the conference title with the Bobcats—an unthinkable proposition. To save their season, the Bobcats would have to enter the Grizzlies’ den, break a 16 year losing streak against their rivals and defeat a team that hadn’t lost a home game in 25 consecutive showings. Lulay put it simply. “Montana was king of the mountain.”

Nov. 23, 2002 was handcrafted for late-season football. Snow flurries swirled above the turf of Washington Grizzly Stadium as turbulent wind blew into Missoula from Hellgate Canyon. Bobcat and Grizzly fans alike buried their chins in jackets and scarves as their teams took to the field for a frigid showdown.

 “It was gnarly,” said Lulay. “We knew it was going to be a defensive game.”

The bout opened with strong defensive showings from both sides before the Cats snatched the lead with a 27-yard field goal off the right foot of kicker Nate Cook. The teams traded possessions for the remainder of the half before retreating to the locker rooms for intermission. When it was time to retake the field, one team emerged determined to exorcize 16 years of demons and punch their ticket to the playoffs.

It happened on the first drive of the third quarter. After a handful of runs and passes, Lulay dropped back in the pocket and took a chance, firing the ball through the swirling wind into the hands of wide receiver Junior Adams who raced away for a 53-yard touchdown. The Bobcats then surrendered points to the Grizzlies, but it was too little, too late. Senior running back Ryan Johnson killed the clock with a bruising half of rushing and the Bobcat defense held strong until the scoreboard showed zeros. 

10-7. Game over. The Cats had stunned the Griz.

Pandemonium ensued. The Bobcat faithful who had made the trek to Missoula and braved the elements were overcome with emotion. “There were grown men in cowboy boots and wranglers with tears in their eyes,” Lulay recalled. Thousands more in Bozeman and across the country celebrated in elation.

Lulay and the Bobcats went on to defeat the Grizzlies two of the next three years, erasing memories of the 16-year nightmare and sending a clear signal. “We’re not little brother over the mountain anymore,”  Lulay said. “We’re gonna punch you in the mouth too.”

In the two decades since the ’02 game, the Bobcats and Grizzlies have tussled for the Great Divide Trophy, with the Cats claiming victory in eight contests and the Griz in ten. That story Saturday in Missoula ended the reign of the Grizzlies. The most contentious rivalry west of the Mississippi had been set even once again.

Now, the 121st meeting between the Bobcats and Grizzlies is set to kick off at noon on Saturday, Nov. 19 in a “Brawl of the Wild” for the ages. 

The staff of ESPN’s College GameDay have announced they will be taking their show to Bozeman to cover the matchup, drawing eyes around the world to the snowy Bobcat Stadium. Saturday's showdown marks the first time the pre-game sports show will visit a Bobcat game — or any Big Sky Conference, or FCS game — in its 34-year history.

“As a kid, I watched College GameDay every single Saturday and you're always wondering if they’ll ever come to Cat-Griz,” said senior fullback R.J. Fitzgerald.

 “It’s crazy,” added linebacker Callahan O’Reilly. “It’s gonna bring a lot of energy to the town.”

The Bobcats approach this year’s matchup as the favorites; having charged through the season to a 9-1 overall record, their eyes are now set on the playoffs. The Grizzlies, with a 7-3 overall record, find themselves in “a win and get in” scenario. A Saturday victory for Grizzlies would not only stain their rival’s sterling in-conference record, but also secure them a playoff berth and prevent offseason hibernation for another week.

Bobcat players recognize the ever-competitive nature of Cat-Griz games and the threat posed by their opponent. 

“They play fast and physical,” team captain Ty Okada said about the Grizzlies. “It's gonna be two really good football teams going at it,” added Fitzgerald.

Over more than a century of competition, the rivalry between the MSU Bobcats and the UM Grizzlies has seen some truly epic meetings. Beneath the snowy peaks of the Bridger Mountains and under the brightest lights in the history of the contest, the 2022 “Brawl of the Wild” will look to set a new precedent in the storied anthology of the feud.

“There’ll be a lot of energy in the building,” Lulay said about the upcoming matchup. “It’ll be rockin’ in there.” 

The bottom line for Bobcat fans? Grab your Stetson, pull on your ropers, and get to Bobcat Stadium on Nov. 19— this is not one to miss.