The biggest sporting event in Montana each year unfurls Saturday in Bozeman when the University of Montana challenges Montana State University in the 122nd version of the Bobcat-Grizzly football game.
As usual, more than in-state bragging rights will be on the line Saturday, since both MSU (11-0) and UM (8-3) are ranked among the top NCAA FCS programs in the country, and both are sure bets to be selected for the postseason playoffs.
The Bobcats, as Big Sky Conference champions, have already qualified for the 24-team playoffs, but coach Brent Vigen’s team also has the most to lose in the rivalry game. If the Griz upset the Cats, MSU likely won’t be seeded in the top two and wouldn’t have homefield advantage for the entire playoffs. And since the Cats haven’t lost at home against a Big Sky foe in the past four years, that’s a big deal for MSU supporters.
But a win Saturday almost surely means the Cats, currently ranked No. 2 – behind only North Dakota State – would have a first-round bye and home games the following two weeks.
Coach Bobby Hauck’s Grizzlies might also secure a first-round bye with a victory Saturday, but are expected to be chosen for the field regardless of the result.
Few Treasure State sports fans will be neutral Saturday, and that includes the greatest Grizzly of them all, Great Falls native Dave Dickenson, who quarterbacked UM to the national championship in 1995 when he also won the Walter Payton Award as the best player in the division.
Dave went on to a brilliant 11-year career in the Canadian Football League, where he became one of the top passers in CFL history. He currently serves as head coach and general manager of the Calgary Stampeders, a franchise he led to Grey Cup (CFL version of our Super Bowl) championships in 2014 and 2018.
But Dave has never lost affection for his alma mater, or for the Bobcat-Grizzly Game in which he starred from 1993-95, during a period when UM won 16 straight games in the rivalry. Since 2002, however, UM and MSU have each won 10 times and the Bobcats are heavily favored to win again Saturday at their home stadium.
“(It’s) tough to think the Cats won’t take it to them in Bozeman,” Dickenson said earlier this week from Calgary, where he is rebuilding his coaching staff after a rare losing season. “(But) if they (Griz) can force some turnovers, they may have a chance vs. the Cats.”
As a former quarterback who had extreme success in high school (two state AA titles at CMR), college (116 passing touchdowns at UM) and the pro ranks (154 TDs in the CFL), Dave knows that the key to Saturday’s result likely depends on the success of the rival quarterbacks. And few QBs at any level have been as successful this season as MSU senior Tommy Mellott.
The Butte native has passed for 1,862 yards and rushed for 583 yards this fall, accounting for 31 touchdowns. More importantly, he has thrown only one interception while guiding the Bobcats to a perfect record – their first 11-0 start in school history.
“Tommy is a winner,” said Dickenson, who has seen plenty of film on Mellott. “(He) has top-end speed and is strong for his size (6-foot, 208 pounds) as well. Their play-action pass game is deadly with how efficient their run game is.”
Could Tommy – much like Dave – thrive at the professional level, if he wanted to continue his football career?
“Tommy could play in our league,” said Dave. “He needs to improve on his dropback pass game, but he has all the tools.”
While Dickenson would love to have the opportunity to coach Mellott, that isn’t likely to happen.
“He is on another team’s negotiation list, but I see him sticking up here.”
CAT-GRIZ NOTES: The game will be televised statewide on Scripps Montana stations, and ESPN-plus, starting at noon…The only Great Falls athletes on either team are Bobcat linebackers Ryan Krahe and Cole Taylor. Krahe is a sophomore who starred at running back and linebacker at Great Falls High. Taylor is a freshman who was an All-State quarterback at CMR.
Author: Staff
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