The stage is set for an unprecedented chapter in one of college football’s most storied rivalries: the Brawl of the Wild. For the first time in their 124-year history, the Montana Grizzlies and Montana State Bobcats will clash in the FCS playoffs, with the winner punching a ticket to the national championship game in Frisco, Texas. This semifinal rematch—coming just four weeks after Montana State’s 31-28 regular-season victory in Missoula—pits two Big Sky Conference powerhouses against each other in a high-stakes battle for Treasure State supremacy. The Bobcats, riding a 12-game win streak, host at home, where they’ve been nearly unbeatable in recent playoff action. The Grizzlies, meanwhile, enter on fire offensively, having outscored playoff opponents 111-22. Expect a gritty, emotional affair defined by explosive plays, physical trench warfare, and the kind of late-game drama that has made this rivalry legendary.
Game Details
Kickoff: 2:00 p.m. MT (4:00 p.m. ET)
Venue: Bobcat Stadium, Bozeman, Montana (Capacity: 20,000+; sold-out for this matchup)
Broadcast: ABC (national TV); Streaming on ESPN app
Series Context: This marks the 125th all-time meeting and the first postseason edition. The winner advances to face the victor of North Dakota State vs. Jacksonville State in the FCS title game on January 4, 2026.
Weather Forecast
Bozeman in mid-December typically brings crisp winter conditions, and the forecast for game day calls for seasonably cold temperatures with a chance of light precipitation. Expect highs around 32-39°F during kickoff, dropping to the mid-20s by the fourth quarter, with partly cloudy skies and winds of 5-10 mph from the southwest. There’s a 20-30% chance of scattered flurries early in the day, but no major snow accumulation is anticipated—ideal for football, though the chill could favor the home team’s acclimated crowd and ground game. Layer up if you’re tailgating; the altitude (4,800 feet) will make it feel even brisker.
Injury Report
Both teams enter with relatively clean bills of health after navigating the quarterfinals unscathed, a testament to their depth and coaching staffs’ management of bumps and bruises from the regular season.
| Team | Key Updates |
| Montana Grizzlies | No major injuries reported. RB Eli Gillman (questionable earlier with a minor ankle tweak) practiced fully this week and is expected to play. QB Keali’i Ah Yat has been fully cleared after a minor shoulder ding from the South Dakota game. |
| Montana State Bobcats | Fully healthy. S Taki Uluilakepa, who missed time early with an ACL injury, has been a full participant and is thriving in the secondary. No new concerns from the SFA win. |
Key Player Matchups
This game’s fireworks will hinge on these head-to-head battles, where star power meets scheme:
Montana QB Keali’i Ah Yat vs. MSU Secondary (Led by S Caden Dowler): Ah Yat (3,031 passing yards, 34 TDs, 5 INTs) has been surgical in the playoffs (610 yards, 7 TDs, 0 INTs), but he’ll face Dowler, who has intercepted a pass in five straight games (including two vs. SFA). Dowler’s red-zone pick last month helped seal MSU’s regular-season win—can he force Ah Yat into a mistake at home?
UM All-Purpose WR/RB Michael Wortham vs. MSU LB Justin Lamson (Defensive Side): Wortham exploded for 244 all-purpose yards and 3 TDs vs. South Dakota, etching his name in UM record books. Lamson, a versatile defender, will key the Bobcats’ pursuit; his 8 tackles and a forced fumble in the Brawl win show his ability to disrupt playmakers.
MSU RB Adam Jones/Julius Davis Backfield Tandem vs. UM DL (Anchored by DEs): The duo combined for 210 rushing yards and 3 TDs vs. SFA, powering MSU’s top-ranked Big Sky run game (285 YPG). UM’s front seven held South Dakota to 112 rushing yards but struggled vs. MSU’s ground attack last time—expect a battle for edge containment.
MSU QB Justin Lamson vs. UM Pass Rush: Lamson (2,683 passing yards, 23 TDs; 512 rushing yards, 7 TDs) is a dual-threat nightmare, but UM’s edges generated 3 sacks vs. USD. If the Grizzlies pressure him (he’s sacked 19 times this year), it could limit MSU’s rhythm.
Recent Team Forms
Both squads are peaking at the perfect time, with dominant playoff showings masking earlier-season hiccups.
| Team | Last 5 Games (W-L) | Key Stats | Notes |
| Montana Grizzlies | 5-0 | Avg. 48.6 PPG scored; 12.4 PPG allowed; +18.2 turnover margin | Blasted South Dakota 52-22 (Ah Yat: 305 pass yds, 3 TDs) after a 59-0 rout of SDSU. Only loss: 31-28 to MSU. Offense exploding (42.1 PPG overall); defense allowing just 7 second-half points in playoffs. |
| Montana State Bobcats | 5-0 | Avg. 37.4 PPG scored; 14.2 PPG allowed; +12 sacks in last 3 | Edged SFA 44-28 (Jones: 114 rush yds, 2 TDs) after a 21-13 grinder vs. Yale. 12-game streak includes Big Sky title-clinching win over UM. Run-heavy (285 YPG) and opportunistic on D (15 INTs). |
Conference vs. Conference
This is pure intra-conference warfare: Both teams hail from the Big Sky Conference, where they’ve dominated en route to FCS glory. MSU went a perfect 8-0 in league play (outright champs for the third time in five years under Brent Vigen), while UM finished 7-1 (second place, one-point loss to MSU). The Big Sky has been a playoff powerhouse this year, sending three teams to the quarterfinals (MSU, UM, and UC Davis). Historically, Big Sky vs. Big Sky games in the postseason are rare but fierce—UM and MSU combined for 20-2 regular-season records, underscoring the conference’s parity and talent.
Team Records
| Team | Overall Record | Conference Record | Home/Away/Neutral | Playoff Seeding |
| Montana Grizzlies | 13-1 | 7-1 | 9-0 Home / 4-1 Away | No. 3 Seed |
| Montana State Bobcats | 12-2 | 8-0 | 7-0 Home / 4-1 Away / 1-1 Neutral | No. 2 Seed |
UM’s lone loss came against MSU; the Bobcats’ defeats were early non-conference setbacks (59-13 at Oregon, 30-24 2OT vs. SDSU).
Series History
The Brawl of the Wild dates to 1897, making it the fourth-oldest active FCS rivalry. Montana holds the edge overall, but MSU has flipped the script recently, winning the last two meetings to tie the Great Divide Trophy series (awarded since 2001) at 11-11.
| Category | Montana Wins | MSU Wins | Ties | Notes |
| Overall | 74 | 44 | 5 | UM leads 32-19-1 at home, 25-22-3 in Bozeman. Largest UM win: 79-0 (1904). |
| Big Sky Era (1963-Present) | 33 | 29 | 0 | 62 total games; avg. margin: 10.2 points. |
| As FCS Members (1978-Present) | 29 | 17 | 0 | UM’s playoff pedigree shines (11 semis appearances). |
| Last 10 Meetings | 3 | 7 | 0 | MSU’s 55-21 rout in 2022 was the decade’s blowout; 2025 regular season: MSU 31-28. |
The series has produced 22 one-possession thrillers since 2000, with turnovers (like Caden Dowler’s pick-six last month) often deciding outcomes.
Betting Trends & Historical Results
Head-to-Head ATS: MSU is 7-3 ATS in the last 10 Brawls, covering in four straight. UM is 4-1 ATS in playoffs overall but 0-1 vs. MSU this year.
Recent Trends: UM is 8-2 ATS in last 10 road games; MSU is 9-1 ATS at home (including playoffs). Public money (70%) on MSU ML; sharps fading the total (under hit in 6 of last 8 rivalry games).
Historical Betting Results in Rivalry: Since 2010, favorites are 6-4 straight-up but just 5-5 ATS. Overs cashed in 55% of meetings (avg. 52.3 total points), but playoff stakes often tighten defenses—last 5 Brawls averaged 48 points. MSU is 4-1 ATS as home favorites in series.
Final Score Prediction: Montana State 31, Montana 27
Game Odds
Montana Grizzlies 58.5
Montana State Bobcats – 3.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odd Direct as of Friday, December 19, 2025
