The business end of the year has arrived, and the Grizzlies embark on one last business trip this week in the penultimate game of the regular season as Montana travels to Portland State on Saturday, Nov. 15.
At a perfect 10-0 and 6-0 in Big Sky play, the Griz are batting a thousand to date and will look to continue that trend against the Vikings who have endured the nation’s most difficult schedule to enter the contest at 1-9 overall and 1-5 in conference play.
While UM hasn’t played in Oregon for two seasons, it’s a heck of a homecoming for PSU as the Vikings move back to Providence Park in downtown Portland to face the Griz for the first time since 2015. PSU was granted one game at the venerable facility this season and will play their first game there since 2018 – a 35-14 win over Northern Colorado.
It may be the final game home game of the year for the Vikings but it’s the first in their old home, meaning PSU enters the game with nothing to lose and everything to gain as a full house awaits Montana in the heart of the city.
But the Grizzlies head west on the hunt. Montana may be perfect on the season, but the Vikings stand in the way of UM’s primary mission: winning the program’s 20th Big Sky title. In order for the Griz to have a shot at a trophy, they’ll need to take care of business in Portland first.
Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. MT, 2 p.m. local.
WATCH: The Grizzlies can be seen on Montana Television Network stations around the state again this week, with the PSU matchup available on basic cable, satellite options, free-to-air channels, and online streaming.
This week’s game will be shown statewide on The Spot – MTN. The Spot – MTN is a new independent television network that serves as the secondary home of Big Sky Conference games and will carry specific UM games in specific markets.
The Spot – MTN is available around the state free-to-air for viewers with antennas. It is also available on Spectrum Cable, TCT West, Montana Opticom, Access Montana, DIRECTV, the DIRECTV streaming platform, and FUBO TV.
ESPN+ will again serve as the primary streaming home of Montana Athletics this season.
In the booth are veteran play-by-play announcer Trey Bender, joined by former Grizzly All-American Jordan Tripp who serves as analyst. Kyle Hansen will report from the sidelines. For complete broadcast details visit GoGriz.com/WhereToWatch.
LISTEN: “Voice of the Griz” Riley Corcoran is in his tenth season behind the mic at Montana and is once again set to bring you all the Grizzly action over the airwaves on the Grizzly Sports Radio Network and its fifteen affiliate stations around the state.
“Grizzly Gameday” starts two hours before kickoff each Saturday with the official pregame radio show featuring Ace Sauerwein and Denny Bedard before Corcoran and longtime color commentator Greg Sundberg take over 30 minutes to kickoff.
Griz fans outside the radio footprint can stream all of Montana’s broadcasts on their mobile device LIVE and FREE of charge with the Varsity Network App, powered by Learfield and Sidearm Sports.
PARTY IN PORTLAND: Providence Park will once again turn into Washington-Grizzly Stadium West this week with the UM Alumni Association hosting an official pregame party at Providence Park. Griz fans who register for the pregame party will receive early access into the stadium and enjoy a pregame party in the rooftop event space overlooking both the field and city of Portland. You must have a ticket to the game to enter the event. Food and drinks will be available for purchase. The event starts at 11:30 a.m. local time. For tickets and more information visit GrizAlum.org.
SERIES HISTORY: Montana leads the all-time series with Portland State comfortably 35-13 overall and 15-9 in Portland dating back to the first meeting in 1965. This year’s Griz/Vikings contest marks PSU’s return to Providence Park in downtown Portland, their first at the historic venue since 2018. The Vikings played their first game at the old Multnomah Stadium in 1949, but, coincidentally, did not return to the venue until 1965 for their first ever meeting with the Grizzlies. The Vikings called the stadium their permanent home from 1967 to 2018, but has since played at Hillsboro Stadium until this year.
LAST TIME AT PROVIDENCE PARK: In a torrential downpour, Portland State scored five touchdowns on plays of 35 yards or longer while UM threw three first quarter interceptions as the Vikings beat UM 35-16 in Montana’s last game at Providence Park in 2015. All three Viking interceptions were grabbed by linebacker Patrick Onwuasor, who went on to a six-year career in the NFL with the Ravens, Jets, and Raiders. It was the first of just two Portland State wins over Montana in the last 20 years.
Fun fact: Providence Park holds exactly one more person than Washington-Grizzly Stadium, with a listed capacity of 25,218.
LAST MEETING: Montana Grizzlies overcame a first half shut-out and a second-half power outage at Washington-Grizzly Stadium to come away with a 28-17 win over PSU almost a year ago to the day. In a scrappy matchup, Montana came alive for 21 points in the third quarter with a balanced attack on offense. The defense stepped-up too, taking a season-high five turnovers.
The Griz re-ignited their run game with 199 rushing yards, 134 of which came from Eli Gillman, who crossed the century mark for the second time that season. Logan Fife entered the game for the injured Keali’i Ah Yat and accounted for all four Grizzly touchdowns with 197 yards and three scores through the air and another on the ground.
Led by Frenchtown’s Jace Klucewich with two, the defense clamped down when it mattered most in the red zone, as UM picked off three passes when Portland State was driving to try and erase UM’s third quarter lead. The Grizzlies iced the game late in the fourth as dusk settled in Missoula after the power outage forced the lights out in the stadium and time to be kept by the officials, just when time management mattered most.
LAST TIME IN PORTLAND: At Hillsboro Stadium in 2023 Montana dominated PSU 34-10 for its sixth straight win before eventually playing for a national title that season.
After the Vikings started the game with a field goal on the opening drive, Montana would go on to score 34 unanswered points with a big first half offensively. The Grizzlies outgained the Vikings 489-255 in the game. UM caught fire at that point in the season with its last three games all blowout victories as Montana outgained its previous three opponents by 874 total yards (291.3 per game).
Clifton McDowell ran for three touchdowns and had 199 total yards with a 64 percent completion rate, Keali’i Ah Yat threw for 131 yards, Eli Gillman nearly hit the century mark for a third straight game, and a quartet of receivers all finished with at least 40 yards.
The defense had 21 different players record a tackle. Outside of one big 64-yard touchdown pass, the Griz didn’t allow the Vikings much on the offensive side. One of the best rushing attacks in the country was held under 100 yards as UM outgained PSU on the ground by 138 yards.
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HAUCK HISTORY: Already the winningest overall coach in Big Sky history, Bobby Hauck has the chance to become the winningest coach in conference game history as well this week.
With 85 wins in league games, Hauck is now tied with Jerome Souers for the most conference wins of any coach in Big Sky history. Souers amassed 85 conference wins in his 20 years as Northern Arizona’s head coach. Should Hauck and the Grizzlies win either at PSU or against MSU next week, Hauck will have climbed to the top of the list in just 14 seasons at UM.
Now with 148 overall wins as Grizzly mentor, Hauck is the second-winningest active head coach in the FCS. He’s also one of the top five winningest coaches at their current school in all D-I football and one of the top 10 overall winningest active head coaches at the D-I level as well.
Hauck enters Saturday’s game in Portland at 11-2 in his career against the Vikings.
TEN-AND-OH-YEAH: Montana extended its unbeaten streak against EWU and enters this week’s game in Portland at 10-0 overall and 6-0 in Big Sky play with the chance to enter truly rarified air in the history of Griz football.
The 2025 Griz are one of only seven teams to have ever started a season 10-0 at Montana. A win at Portland would make this year’s team one of only four to ever start the year 11-0. Those teams: the ’96 Griz started 14-0 and finished at 14-1, the ’07 Griz started 11-0 and finished 11-1, and the ’09 Griz started 14-0 and finished 14-1.
• The ’96 Griz were led by Keali’i Ah Yat’s dad Brian Ah Yat at QB, a season where he passed for 3,640 yards (fourth-most in program history). Keali’i currently leads the Big Sky in passing with 2,784 yards.
• Bobby Hauck was the head coach of both the ’07 and ’09 squads.
THE GAMES IN NOVEMBER… Are the ones they remember. The Griz are in the middle of big man month, and they have seen plenty of success in the business end of the season over the years. Under Hauck, the Griz are now 44-10 in November and 27-5 in the month at home after the EWU win. As they head to Portland, UM is also 17-5 on the road in November, with the last road loss (not against MSU) occurring back in 2016 at Northern Colorado.
SATURDAY’S STARS: Michael Wortham had 162 all-purpose yards and caught a touchdown pass against his former team as UM’s leading receiver. Wortham had five grabs on six targets for 81 yards and a score, with a long catch of 38 yards and 18 YAC yards. He also racked up 75 kickoff return yards and six rushing yards.
• Wortham is back to being the No. 1 rated wide receiver in college football according to Pro Football Focus with a 90.4 offensive rating, placing him just ahead of Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith’s 90.3.
• Speaking of PFF: Senior Micah Harper is a top 10-rated safety in D-I football with a 89.3 rating and senior tight end Evan Shafer is also one of the top 30 tight ends in the nation with a 73.5 rating.
Eli Gillman moved up in Montana’s rushing record books after crossing the 1,000-yard mark for the second-straight season. With 3,185 career yards and averaging just under 105 yards per game, he’s on pace to pass Jordan Canada’s career rushing total and move to fourth all-time by the end of the season.
• With one rushing TD against EWU, Gillman is now just one away from tying the Hall of Famer Yohance Humphrey’s career total of 43, and two away from tying Humprey’s total TD mark of 48 scores. He’s also moved up the scoring chart, now at No. 8 all time at UM in total points with 276.
Keali’i Ah Yat continues to lead the Big Sky in passing and has been the leader in UM’s potent offense with an average of 278 yards passing per game and a top 10 FCS passing efficiency of 161.
As the sophomore has grown into the starting role at UM he’s now thrown just three interceptions to 17 touchdown passes in the last eight games with 21 total TD passes – the most in the conference.
Drew Deck was a shoestring away from returning two punts for touchdowns against the Eagles. With just two opportunities, he opened the game with a 60-yard return that was tripped up by the last man to beat and had another return for six yards stopped by the last man for 66 yards total on punt returns.
Deck now leads the Big Sky in punt return yards and is 13th nationally with 220 yards on 17 attempts.
Cornerback Kenzel Lawler was Montana’s second-leading tackler against EWU with nine stops (six solo), one interception, and was one of three Grizzlies with two pass breakups. He leads the Big Sky again this week in total passes defended this season with 12, which ranks him fifth in the FCS.
Senior Kellen Detrick led the charge for Montana on a huge day for the Grizzly D-line, posting a career-high three sacks to pace UM’s eight sack performance. Detrick, from Havre, had three sacks and got in on another stop for 3.5 TFLs. He tallied five total tackles, three of which were solo stops – each one a sack. His three sacks totaled a loss of 15 yards for EWU.
Junior D-tackle Jareb Ramos also had a career day in the sack stats with a pair. He also forced an Eagle fumble, both of which are personal best marks.
SACKS ON SACKS: Saturday’s game was the first time Montana has recorded eight sacks or more in a game since 2017 against Savannah State and is one of just eight games in the past 32 years to see the Griz drop the QB eight times. Despite UM winning by five against EWU, the Grizzlies average margin of victory is 27 points in the eight wins with eight-plus sacks.
Montana’s modern-day record for sacks in a game is 9.5 set against Cal Poly in 2000.
EMPTY CALORIES: Montana’s defense endured a 92-play barrage from the Eastern Washington pass attack last week that totaled 451 yards in the air. That’s the most total plays against the Griz D since a 2021 playoff meeting with EWU that saw the Eagles run a whopping 109 plays and pass for 530 yards in a 57-41 shootout. The common thread? Both EWU losses.
• Since 1991, only 18 teams have run more than 82 plays against the Grizzly defense, with Montana sitting at 15-3 in those games.
• Montana is 5-4 since 2014 and 4-2 during Hauck’s second tenure in games where opponents have passed for more than 400 yards against the Griz.
BEND DON’T BREAK: To that effect, Montana ranks last in the Big Sky in passing defense, but pass-happy opponents haven’t turned all those yards into points, with UM ranking second in the Big Sky in scoring defense, giving up just 23.4 points per game.
• Meanwhile the Griz have the Big Sky’s best turnover count and turnover margin with a league-leading 13 total interceptions this week.
CAN’T WIN WIHTOUT THE BALL: With two interceptions against EWU (UM’s 6th game this season with 2+ takeaways), the Griz are now a solid +8 in the all-important turnover differential. For context: UM finished the 2024 season +4, and the 2023 championship season +9 in turnovers.
The Grizzly defense has turned the ball over 17 times this season to just nine giveaways, one of the lowest giveaway totals in modern program history. That ranks UM first in the Big Sky conference this week in turnover margin and 11th nationally – a mark that has been slowly improving as the season has worn on. After starting the year -2 in the turnover differential after two games, the Griz opened the season bottom of the Big Sky and 83rd in the FCS in margin, a mark that has transformed into the best in the league over time.
UM also leads the Big Sky and is 12th nationally in turnovers gained.
DEFENSE TO OFFENSE: The Griz have made the most of their takeaways as well, scoring 59 points this season while allowing just 14 scored off turnovers.
BALL SECURITY: With just nine giveaways this season (seven interceptions and two fumbles), Montana is having an historic season in terms of holding onto the ball – paramount to any team’s success.
Over the past 30 years the Griz have averaged 12 picks per season, or roughly one per game. UM heads to PSU with just seven in 10 games and three in the last eight games, a mark trending toward one of the best in program history.
The fumble count is where the Griz are really shining, dropping just two balls this season. The modern program record is four fumbles in a season set back in 2014, while UM has averaged nearly 10 drops per season in the last 30 years.
GRIZ IN THE POLLS: Montana held steady at No. 2 in the nation this week in the two major polls, but for the first time this season picked up a first-place vote in the coaches’ poll. UM is one of five undefeated teams in the FCS this week, with No. 1 NDSU, UM, No. 4 Lehigh, and No. 5 Tennessee Tech all at 10-0, with Harvard at 8-0. The Griz are again the top ranked of four Big Sky teams in the poll this week after NAU re-entered the media top 25 at No. 24.
ATTENDANCE LEADER: With seven home games down and one (big one) to go, Montana remains the FCS leader in both average and accumulative attendance this week after selling-out Washington-Grizzly Stadium for the seventh-straight time this season last week against EWU.
With 184,374 people crossing the turnstiles in Missoula this season, UM has averaged 26,339 fans per game (104 percent capacity), both FCS highs by a country mile. With an expected sellout on the horizon for the MSU game, the Griz are likely to finish the regular season having sold-out 23 of the last 24 regular season games in Missoula, a streak dating back to Sept. 10, 2022, against South Dakota. The only outlier: a mid-hunting season non-sellout against Portland State last year.
LET’S GET LOUD: Washington-Grizzly Stadium has earned a reputation as being one of the loudest places to play football in the country at any level. And rightly so, with Griz fans helping visiting teams commit over 50 false start penalties in the last two seasons.
With the implementation of coach-to-player in-helmet communications this season, however, that number has plummeted. With one regular season game remaining, Grizzly opponents have jumped the gun for just 10 false starts in 2025, less than half of the two previous years total.
HEADS OR TAILS: Finding you the stats that matter: Montana is a statistically probable .500 on coin toss victories this season after winning against EWU and choosing its traditional preference to defer. After 10 games UM has won five tosses and lost five tosses.
FAMILIAR FACES: Former Viking Peyton Wing will suit up for the Grizzlies at linebacker this week after transferring to the UM in the offseason. He totaled 93 tackles for PSU last season.
Another familiar face across the field from the Griz is former Montana standout safety Robby Hauck, who serves as PSU special teams coordinator and safeties coach. He’s also the son of UM head coach Bobby Hauck.
