Griz return home for first-ever matchup with Ferris State

(Montana Sports Information) The Montana Grizzlies improved to 2-0 for the fifth-straight season under head coach Bobby Hauck last week with a decisive 43-13 road win at Utah Tech and return to the happy hunting grounds of Washington-Grizzly Stadium Saturday for perhaps their biggest test of the nonconference season. 

Forget the D-II classification next to their name, the Ferris State Bulldogs flat-out win, win often, and win big. 

Montana hosts the two-time defending D-II national champion and No. 1 ranked Bulldogs this week, looking to snap FSU’s eye-opening streak of 28 consecutive road victories and add to their very short list of regular season losses – only three since October of 2013. 

The Griz are also on a roll, however, entering the contest with momentum from a pair of dominant wins, having outscored their first two opponents a combined 78-33 overall and 57-6 in the first half. All while still working on the right combinations at quarterback. 

On paper, it’s a fairly evenly matched contest, with Ferris State employing a two-QB system to put up 92 points in its first two games with similar rushing and passing totals. 

Bulldog coach Tony Annese has Ferris State rolling as the top team in D-II, with NFL-ready players on the roster (and three currently in the NFL). But they haven’t set foot in a venue like Washington-Grizzly Stadium, where Montana has only lost two games since 2019. 

It’s a blackout in Missoula this week as well, with fans encouraged to join the team in wearing black under the lights, with kickoff set for 6:02 p.m. Fans are also encouraged to get in their seats early for a special guest raising the 37 flag.