Special Pigskin Stew: Brawl of the Wild-- a Worthy 2025 College Football Road Trip

“You’re going where?” a friend asked when I informed him of my decision for the big college road trip for 2025.

The question was understandable given that we were among lifelong Penn State fans 2,000+ miles away from the destination of this FCS game.

“I’m going to the Brawl of The Wild…..Montana versus Montana State.” I replied.

The reaction was understandable given the list of previous trips; UCLA at USC, Ohio State at Michigan, Texas vs Oklahoma (twice), Ohio State at Oregon, Washington at Rutgers (the birthplace of college football) and Penn State at Ohio State.

As someone who loves the history of the game, who’d coached for two years at the FBS level and is aware of the unique passion for FBS football in that part of the country, this was a no-brainer decision. Even though Penn State was hosting Nebraska that day, the plans had been made well in advance so off we went.

I reached out to Montana Head Coach Bobby Hauck, a Montana native, alum and the winningest coach in school and Big Sky Conference history. Our paths crossed decades ago, and we’d stayed in touch on and off through the years.

By game week Montana was undefeated and ranked #2 in FBS football, while Montana State came in ranked #3. The winner would be the champions of the Big Sky Conference, but more importantly they would take home the Great Divide Trophy, one weighing over 300 pounds. There may be older, or more eccentric trophies (Paul Bunyan, The Old Brass Spittoon, Floyd of Rosedale or Paul Bunyan’s Axe) in the Big Ten, but none of them tip the scales north of 3-bills.

Friday meant an early morning drive to head over Lolo Pass where Lewis and Clark crossed into what is present day Idaho and a trail that is part of the Nez Perce Trail. It was beautiful and misty up at 5200+ feet above sea level. We headed up along the Blackfoot River. The Blackfoot River holds a special place for anyone who’s read and loved Norman MacLean’s masterpiece “A River Runs Through it.” The book closes by talking about the rocks in the river, marked by the raindrops of time and holding the words of people who came before us. I picked up a few small stones that sit on my desk now.

We eventually ate a masterpiece of a cheeseburger at Lindey’s in Seeley Lake. But we were here for football so we high-tailed it back to Missoula in time for practice.

Montana’s team was just getting on the field for practice when we arrived and shared some laughs with Bobby Hauck and WR Coach Bobby Kennedy. Watching them practice it is easy to see why they win so much. They were organized, detailed and precise. There was almost no time wasted and they got a lot done in the allotted time. Efficiency is perhaps the single most important element in a great practice.

In the offense’s meeting after practice, the players were focused on the film work. In what is a common Friday agenda, they reviewed the opening scripted plays for the game and then situational film work for things like the red zone.

Once that was done Coach Hauck came in to talk to the whole team. His message was simply focused on the task at hand. It was a matter of fact, honest assessment of what they could expect the next day. In all my 20+ years of coaching and in all the team meetings and practices I’ve witnessed since those days, this was the same approach championship programs at every level seem to follow.

We headed from there to get some dinner in Missoula and feel the vibe around town. Earlier in the day we’d asked for recommendations from Montana fans and they pointed us towards Charlie B’s, Red’s and The Missoula Club.

Much like Happy Valley the night before a big game, the town was buzzing with people coming and going. Most of them were wearing the maroon of the hometown Grizzlies, but the blue and yellow of the hated Montana State Bobcat fans was also present.

The conversations were reminiscent of my younger days when the end of every regular season revolved around the Penn State/Pitt in-state rivalry. The rivalry never took a day off and split homes; pitting family and friends against one another.

And as kickoff approached, the state shut down to watch the three-hour unscripted drama play out on the gridiron. The Brawl of The Wild in Montana would be the same.

Charlie B’s was crowded with people talking about the game and catching up with friends they’d not seen perhaps since last year’s game. I ordered a smoked pulled pork sandwich with huckleberry from the Dinosaur Café, housed inside Charlie B’s. It was worth every calorie (and I am sure that was a big number). Esquire Magazine has named it among 15 bars (worldwide) that every man should drink in before they die. There is no sign out front which has led it to be named among the best "hidden" bars in the country.

Next, we headed to Red’s and then over to the Missoula Club. Like Charlie B’s and Red’s “The Mo Club” is a venerable old-school bar. Legend has it that the Mo Club has Montana State Liquor License #1. The wooden bars and tabletops in all three places showed the dents and dings from years of loyal service to generations of patrons. From here it would be impossible to tell any difference between the fans for this game or in a place like Columbus, Madison or Ann Arbor. There was a good-natured camaraderie between friends and rivals alike.

Game day started before dawn. There was a thick frosty layer of ice on the windshield as we started up the car before driving to walk the campus. The sun was not yet up but we could make out the silhouette of Mount Sentinel rising above the visible lights of Washington Grizzly Stadium. It was the dawn of an exciting day.

The 25,217-seat stadium was empty, but the buzz of anticipation was present. Students were assembling hours before kickoff to get the best seats in the game. Band members decked in full uniform carrying their instruments hustled to get there early. RVs had been parked overnight and were still quiet, but the exhaust pipe emitted evidence of people inside getting ready to stir. It was the calm before the storm of the day’s frenzied tailgating.

By the time we finished our walk, other fans were parking, setting up canopies, grills, crockpots and lighting logs in portable fire pits to ward off the chill. But all things considered, a forecasted 45-degree sunny day for the Brawl of The Wild in late November was exemplary.

We went back to our car and grabbed breakfast, which was a gigantic White Zombie donut and a breakfast burrito from Veera Donuts. Both were incredible. Less than a block away was another must-stop for us. It was the First Presbyterian Church of Missoula. The Reverend Maclean, father of writer Norman Maclean and a central part of "A River Runs Through It" served as the pastor from 1909 to 1925. We paid our respects.

But back to the food, as with all previous college football road trips, counting calories was not allowed. Also have to say that the Double L Ranch Burnt-End Blended Hot Dog served in the stadium is unsurpassed in any stadium I’ve been to.

It was now time for tailgating and football. We walked the bike path along the Clark Fork River towards the stadium. On past college football road trips, we’d walked along the banks of the Olentangy River in Columbus and crossed the Willamette River in Eugene. But nowhere else could we see the snow-capped peaks of the mountains on the horizon like we did in Missoula.

The campus lots were now filled with tailgaters sharing laughter, food and drinks waiting for the game to come. The RVs, the tailgaters and the excitement made it feel like an FCS version of Penn State west. The fans had that same friendly vibe.

There is an almost unwritten code among tailgating college football fans. On all the trips I’ve made, it’s easy to strike up conversations when you ask them about their traditions or about their school. College football fans take immense pride in their schools, and they are almost always happy to share food and drink with curious fans in a rite of fellowship.

This was especially true in Montana when I told them we’d come here for the annual college football road trip. Lifelong Griz fan Tyler Johnson welcomed us at an RV tailgate that featured their annual Ranier Beer Christmas Tree (think Charlie Brown Christmas Tree festooned with beer cans). When you empty a can of Ranier Beer you sign it with a sharpie, get a hook and hang it on the tree. Even though I don’t drink, I made an exception to add a can to the tree.

Just like any other tailgate at any other big football game, the conversations revolved around the game, the tradition and the fun ahead. Fans of both teams mingled amicably and both sides fully expected to win.

There were Maroon Hats that had an outline of the state map around the letters “FTC”. There were blue hats with the same outline and the letters “FTG”. Given that the two schools' mascots were referred to as "Cats" and "Griz", I was pretty sure it didn’t stand for “Fierce Tough Competitors” or that FTG stood for “Fierce Tough Guys”. Other hats simply had the word “BRAWL” written on them.

Once inside the stadium you could feel the excitement. This was the most expensive college football ticket at any level on StubHub. The lowest entry price was nearly $207 per seat. A record crowd of 27,340 was filling every corner of the stands.

In pre-game, while the Oregon Duck rides out on a Harley as a passenger, here Montana Monte the Griz mascot drives the cycle by himself at a very brisk pace. (Guess their university’s risk management officers are more permissive). The three military helicopters’ fly over for the national anthem was punctuated by the firing of a cannon. The same cannon used after every Grizzly score.

I’ve been in a lot of stadiums, most of them much larger than this one, but the noise level was way up there. On a per capita basis the decibels produced per fan must be among the best in the country. They caused timeouts and false starts and made communication difficult for the visiting Bobcats.

These are knowledgeable fans. They know when to make a lot of noise, when key plays are coming up and they know when to be quiet for the home team’s offense or kicker. When the Griz moved the chains the PA announcer would say “First Down” and he crowd would yell “MONTANA”. Montana fans have the instincts that become innate when your team has sustained success.

We did come to the game with a rooting interest for the home team. But the observer in me recognized the skill level, and intense competition in both teams. There was plenty of glory for all. Explosive runs and passes, big hits and bone-rattling blocks were there for both teams. There were even a few punches thrown.

A Montana fumble on the opening kickoff of the second half was recovered by a hustling alert Griz player. That set up a 9-minute Montana TD drive. A ball that slipped through the hands of a Montana receiver wound up as an interception and pick-6 for Montana State. It was one of several momentum swings that kept going back and forth between the two squads. That is the nature of big games between well-coached teams.

In the end a controversial holding call against Montana erased a big TD and the ensuing field goal was blocked in the 4^th quarter. I’ll grant that the call is probably not seen as controversial by Montana State fans. But that series proved critical in the outcome as the Bobcats escaped with a 31-28 win.

At field level the intensity of the two teams and the genuine dislike they harbored toward one another rivaled the levels seen in the biggest rivalry games I’ve witnessed in person. That it was an FCS game and not an FBS game made no difference. These were two talented teams fighting for bragging rights, a conference title and the heaviest rivalry hardware in America.

After the tough loss, we tailgated with Montana fans, including some of the coaches and their families. They were gracious after a tough game and were already starting to turn their attention towards the playoffs. Talking with some of the coaches brought back a lot of memories of days gone by for this former coach. Editor’s Note: Jennifer Norcross, the wife of Montana O-line coach Cameron Norcross’s makes a terrific gumbo in a cast-iron pot. It warmed the soul after a narrow defeat.

As the sun set in the West towards the Bitterroot Mountains, shades of orange, slate and purple emerged over what is truly a Big Sky canvas. Tailgaters were packing up, bustling to put away food, tables and gear. We headed back along the Clark Fork River knowing we’d witnessed something special, something unique in American sports.

Even as outsiders we learned how important this game is to the people of Montana. As a former college football coach and current college football fan, I relished an afternoon watching players competing with passion for their school and for the game. We relished seeing guys who weren’t worried about their next transfer move, building their brand or thinking about NIL.

Above all, this trip reinforced the beauty of the game of football. It is a game of speed, graceful movements and intense collisions. It is a game that gives and takes, a game that can be decided on just three or four plays. And you never know when those plays will come, so you are required to compete as though every play may be the one that decides the outcome.

Having been around the fans, having spent time before and after the game tailgating, no doubt the great welcoming people of Montana know how lucky they are to have this rivalry game.

And if the fates allow, these two teams could meet again in the NCAA FCS playoffs in a couple of weeks in Bozeman. I don’t want to jinx anything, but maybe I should be looking into flights……