Montana Grizzlies Hope to Sting the Hornets at Home on Saturday

We are at the halfway point of the season and the Montana Grizzlies are hungry for another win. The Griz will continue Big Sky Conference play on Saturday and they are looking for some redemption. Montana will take on Sacramento State inside Washington-Grizzly Stadium. The Hornets beat the Griz during the 2019 season and they won their first conference title under first-year head coach Troy Taylor. Taylor was named Big Sky Coach of the year and FCS Coach of the Year that season.

That game in 2019 was played on their turf, but the Griz will play host this year. Montana has now won 12-straight home games and the fans would like to think they have something to do with that. A packed Washington-Grizzly Stadium is unlike any other in college football. The Griz crowd packs a huge punch and can compete with some of the top programs in the nation.

Credit: Montana Grizzlies Football Fans Facebook Page

This is a photo that the Montana Grizzlies Football Fans Facebook page shared last year and it shows just how load Griz fans can be with a significantly smaller crowd size. It is safe to assume that the home crowd will be rockin this Saturday because this game has some extra meaning behind it.

The Champs are Back

2021 marks the 20th anniversary of Montana's second, and most recent national championship. The University of Montana welcomes back the 2001 National Championship team this weekend and an on-field celebration is scheduled prior to kickoff. More than 50 members of the team are expected to return home for the celebration.

The Griz will also wear throwback uniforms honoring the 2001 team. The uniforms feature the same throwback numbers, small Montana lettering across the front, vintage grizzly bear paw logos on the sleeves, silver trim around the neck and arms, and are made out of a similar mesh material as the original 2001 jerseys. You can read Denny Bedard’s story about the jersey change right here.

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How the Teams Stack Up

Sacramento State is 3-2 on the season and 2-0 in Big Sky play. The Hornets beat Dixie State to start the year and then dropped a pair of non-conference games. The Hornets have now won two in a row, beating Idaho State and Sothern Utah.

Montana is 4-1 on the season and 1-1 in Big Sky play after beating Dixie State a week ago. Their only blemish on the season was a heartbreaking loss to now ranked No. 2 Eastern Washington a few weeks ago. At No. 5 in this week's polls, the Griz are still on the prowl for a conference championship and possibly a national championship when everything is said and done.

How to Watch and Listen

Again, ABC Montana will provide a statewide broadcast, and fans around the nation can tune in via the ESPN+ streaming service. "Voice of the Griz" Riley Corcoran and long-time analyst Greg Sundberg will bring you the action live from Missoula right here on KGVO, the flagship station of the Grizzly Sports Radio Network. You can listen to the game at 98.3 FM, AM 1290, online at newstalkkgvo.com, or on the FREE KGVO app.

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Filed Under: University of Montana

Categories: Featured, Missoula News