NDSU at Montana - Game Thread

[Gil Dobie]

1914 Montana 13, NDSU 0 (Missoula)
1921 Montana 7, NDSU 6 (Missoula)
1941 Montana 27, NDSU 0 (Missoula)
1969 NDSU 30, Montana 3 (Sacramento-Camellia Bowl)
1970 NDSU 31, Montana 16 (Sacramento-Camellia Bowl)
2003 NDSU 25, Montana 24 (Missoula)
2014 NDSU 22, Montana 10 (Fargo)
2015 #1 NDSU at #12 Montana (Missoula)

I'm ready for some football in 5 days.

8/29/2015 2:30:00 PM
2:30 p.m.
Missoula, Mont.

Game Coverage
TV: ESPN

Preview Link

College football season is nearly upon us, and Mark Schofield is hard at work breaking down film for upcoming contests. This is a rematch from last season, which reigning champions NDSU won 22-10 over Montana in the Fargodome, and looks to be a key game in Week 1 of FCS play. Our NCAA Film Preview of NDSU and Montana rolls on with this look at how the Bison can attack the Grizzlies in the passing game.

[AZGrizFan]

This is a rematch from last season, which reigning champions NDSU won 22-10 over Montana in the Fargodome, and looks to be a key game in Week 1 of FCS play.

I don't know...there's lots of good games out there this weekend...

[Grizalltheway]

So apparently this is the sideline reporter for the game. I'm sure Z will have his binocs in hand...

[AZGrizFan]

So apparently this is the sideline reporter for the game. I'm sure Z will have his binocs in hand...

Oh sweet mother of god...Are you serious???

[Grizalltheway]

So apparently this is the sideline reporter for the game. I'm sure Z will have his binocs in hand...

Oh sweet mother of god...Are you serious???

https://twitter.com/MariaTaylor7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[JALMOND]

This is a rematch from last season, which reigning champions NDSU won 22-10 over Montana in the Fargodome, and looks to be a key game in Week 1 of FCS play.

I don't know...there's lots of good games out there this weekend...

Well, Dickinson State plays at Rocky Mountain College.

Another game involving a North Dakota school playing against a Montana school.

[Gil Dobie]

Article on Musburger doing Saturdays game.

Today's Fargo Forum Link

FARGO – When ESPN called to ask one of the most recognizable sports announcers in the country to work the North Dakota State at Montana football game, Brent Musburger had two requests—neither of which required more money.

No. 1: Musburger wanted the same, entire crew that works with him when he announces SEC football games. So when Bison fans click on their television sets for Saturday's 2:30 p.m. season opener, they will see a telecast produced by the same crew that brought you last year's Auburn-Alabama game.

"What's your second request?" ESPN asked.

"I need tickets," Musburger said.

Yes, even though Musberger grew up in Billings, Mont., and resides two months during the summer one hour away from the stadium in Missoula where the Bison will play Saturday, he has been unable to find tickets for his children, grandchildren and friends who live in Montana.

"I'm not paying scalper prices," said Musburger, even though he probably could afford such an investment. "So they (ESPN) are promising me they will deliver me some tickets this week."

Bison fans can relate. Tickets for this game have been hard to come by at a Montana program that annually draws some of the biggest home crowds in all of FCS football.

Hot ticket indeed. You have NDSU—which won an unprecedented fourth straight FCS national championship last January—taking on Montana, which at one time was considered the powerhouse of FCS. To add to the fanfare, Musburger will be in the booth announcing the only major college game to be played on Saturday to a national television audience.

"And I think a big part of the appeal is North Dakota State ... here comes the big dog," Musburger said during a Monday morning telephone interview. "And I'm sure that the Montana fans never thought that someday they would be looking up at the Bison. It's like all of sudden ... 'Oh my goodness, look at what we've got there.' "

What we've got here is a 76-year-old Musburger who began his career covering sports back in 1968. What eventually made him famous with his association with "The NFL Today" in the 1970s—CBS-TV's studio show that NDSU head coach Chris Klieman remembers watching when he was growing up in Iowa.

Since 1990, Musburger has become one of ABC-TV's leading broadcasters for college football—which has included seven BCS national championship games and the unforgettable Doug Flutie "Hail Mary" touchdown pass that gave Boston College a last-second win over Miami.

Now, for the first time, he's doing a game matching two FCS opponents.

"And he knows an awful lot about our program," said Klieman, who was interviewed over the phone by Musburger last week. "That's pretty neat."

He knows that NDSU plays what he calls "powerful, sound football." While watching a tape of last January's championship game, he was impressed with defensive end Kyle Emanuel ("he's kind of a J.J. Watt type of player) and quarterback Carson Wentz ("I can see why the pros are taking a long look at him.")

He knows NDSU's offense is potentially the most potent in all of FCS, despite losing running back John Crockett—"who I happened to watch yesterday on TV with the Packers." He wonders if NDSU's young and untested defense can handle Montana's new hurry-up, no-huddle offense.

He also knows of NDSU's eight wins over big-time schools.

"The one that got my attention more than anything else was Kansas State," Musburger said of NDSU's 24-21 upset in 2013. "To win in Manhattan ... and I've done a lot of games in Manhattan ... that's a hard day's work to go in there and win. I've seen Oklahoma lose there, I've seen Texas lose there. For North Dakota State to go in there and win, I said 'Oooh, there's something special going on there."

Musburger is also well aware of North Dakota's landscape, having driven back and forth from Billings to Faribault, Minn., where he attended Shattuck-St. Mary's prep school. "I'm very familiar with the roads through North Dakota," Musburger said.

Having grown up in Billings, he's also very familiar with Montana football. He remembers Montana's glory days when it won a national title in 1995 and lost to Marshall and a receiver named Randy Moss in the 1996 title game.

Musburger watched Montana's scrimmage two weeks ago. And he's well aware that the first person in line when general admission tickets for this game went on sale last month was an NDSU fan.

"That still smarts in Missoula," Musburger said. "They are still unhappy about that one."

There are some Bison fans fearing that Musburger, because of his ties to Montana, will become a homer—presenting a Montana bias. Musburger chuckled at the notion.

"Please tell them that my father was born in North Dakota," Musburger said, whose late father was born in Bismarck. "Tell them they will get a fair shake."

[Brock Landers]

Musburger watched Montana's scrimmage two weeks ago. And he's well aware that the first person in line when general admission tickets for this game went on sale last month was an NDSU fan.

"That still smarts in Missoula," Musburger said. "They are still unhappy about that one."

Was that a story or something?

[Grizalltheway]

New Montana unis. Looks like they're going with the traditional ones for this game.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-60kX1bUTAc[/youtube]

[JohnStOnge]

I"m ready too. This will be a great showcase for FCS football.

[grizzaholic]

Article on Musburger doing Saturdays game.

Today's Fargo Forum Link

...
There are some Bison fans fearing that Musburger, because of his ties to Montana, will become a homer—presenting a Montana bias. Musburger chuckled at the notion.

"Please tell them that my father was born in North Dakota," Musburger said, whose late father was born in Bismarck. "Tell them they will get a fair shake."

Come on. We all know he will spend 4 minutes talking about the actual game and 3 hours talking about SEC, BIG 10/12, Pac 12 and whatever else there is to talk about in the FBS OTHER than the game at hand.

[grizzaholic]

I"m ready too. This will be a great showcase for ESPN to get fans pumped up for SEC football between snaps of some other football game.

FIFY

[JohnStOnge]

New Montana unis. Looks like they're going with the traditional ones for this game.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-60kX1bUTAc[/youtube]

They really should just settle on one home uniform and one road uniform. The stuff like what Oregon does where you have all kinds of uniforms is crap. Look at stuff like LSU and Alabama and Georgia Southern. That's how you do uniforms. You don't flake out.

Especially when you're a classic program like Montana is.

[CrunchGriz]

New Montana unis. Looks like they're going with the traditional ones for this game.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-60kX1bUTAc[/youtube]

They really should just settle on one home uniform and one road uniform. The stuff like what Oregon does where you have all kinds of uniforms is crap. Look at stuff like LSU and Alabama and Georgia Southern. That's how you do uniforms. You don't flake out.

Especially when you're a classic program like Montana is.

Montana is likely to sport multiple combos for the foreseeable future for the same reason Oregon does--one of its grads is one of the leaders at Nike. Eric Sprunk, Nike COO, is a Missoula native and UM alum.

[kalm]

New Montana unis. Looks like they're going with the traditional ones for this game.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-60kX1bUTAc[/youtube]

They really should just settle on one home uniform and one road uniform. The stuff like what Oregon does where you have all kinds of uniforms is crap. Look at stuff like LSU and Alabama and Georgia Southern. That's how you do uniforms. You don't flake out.

Especially when you're a classic program like Montana is.

Yeah! What the hell do Nike and Oregon know about branding and apparel sales???

[Grizalltheway]

Way to drink the egalitarian Kool Aid, sheeple.

[Gil Dobie]

You should watch North Dakota State vs. Montana, college football's real 2015 opener

SB Nation Link

[JohnStOnge]

Yeah! What the hell do Nike and Oregon know about branding and apparel sales???

It's called "selling out."

[grizzaholic]

Yeah! What the hell do Nike and Oregon know about branding and apparel sales???

It's called "selling out."

And what did McNeese...oh that is right.

[SeattleGriz]

New Montana unis. Looks like they're going with the traditional ones for this game.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-60kX1bUTAc[/youtube]

They really should just settle on one home uniform and one road uniform. The stuff like what Oregon does where you have all kinds of uniforms is crap. Look at stuff like LSU and Alabama and Georgia Southern. That's how you do uniforms. You don't flake out.

Especially when you're a classic program like Montana is.

I believe that is why Montana chose the NDSU game as the Pride and Tradition game, as we are wearing our traditional uniform (silver pants & maroon tops). Great choice for a national audience.

We are having a night Granite game where fans are encouraged to wear the dark grey color you see on the one jersey. Trying for a grey out.

The copper jersey is to honor the 20th anniversary of our first championship. You know the 95 team will be honored at the game.

All the versions have a purpose.

[JohnStOnge]

And what did McNeese...oh that is right.

Whatever McNeese did or does they don't mess with the basic look of their uniform a lot. Minor tweaks at times but it's been the same basic look since the 1970s except that Wyoming made them change the cowboy on bucking horse logo some for copyright reasons and they did use to have a stripe down the center of the helmet and that went away sometime in the late 80s or early 90s. They HAVE started doing this thing where they have a military night and wear a "camo" uniform. I guess it's hard to complain about them doing something put forward as honoring the military.

I like what programs like Georgia Southern, Alabama, and Penn State have done. They've got a traditional look and they stick with it. To me it gives them a certain "macho" aura that programs like Oregon don't have. Oregon's a fancy pantsy program that gets its head handed to it when it plays in the biggest games against physical big time teams. A sissy boy program. Whiz bang bells and whistles that work well until they run into a really good team. I don't like Alabama but Alabama would grind them into the pavement every year. Just too physical for the Ducks. And who adopts a mascot like "Ducks?" Good GRIEF.

Oh that's right there's a program that has "Beavers" for its mascot. Same State.

[JohnStOnge]

I can't believe I'm going to say this because I get tired of hearing SEC fans talk but I think if Oregon tried to play with the teams it assembles in the SEC every year the Ducks would never even sniff getting into something like the new college football playoff as long as it's just four teams. They'd just get physically beaten to a pulp.

Also look for USC to take back over the Pac 12 at some point as the sanctions wear off because that program does play traditional physical football and does get the kind of players it takes to do that. As an aside they also keep their traditional uniform look.

Enjoy what's happening now Oregon fans because it's just a matter of time before USC takes over again.

[Grizalltheway]

I can't believe I'm going to say this because I get tired of hearing SEC fans talk but I think if Oregon tried to play with the teams it assembles in the SEC every year the Ducks would never even sniff getting into something like the new college football playoff as long as it's just four teams. They'd just get physically beaten to a pulp.

Also look for USC to take back over the Pac 12 at some point as the sanctions wear off because that program does play traditional physical football and does get the kind of players it takes to do that. As an aside they also keep their traditional uniform look.

Enjoy what's happening now Oregon fans because it's just a matter of time before USC takes over again.

Well when you look at where Oregon has been as a program historically, I think they've taken a lot of steps in the right direction.

[Gil Dobie]

[Grizalltheway]