as yet unbeaten and riding high off a feel-good win over old foe Idaho, the Montana Grizzlies hit the road for the first time this season on Saturday looking too complete a Gem State sweep as UM travels to Pocatello for a Big sky showdown against Idaho State.

Montana heads south on I-15 looking to keep a good thing going at 4-0 and one of just three teams in the FCS with two wins over ranked opponents after dispatching the Vandals 41-30.

It’s UM’s first road game and indoor game this year as the Griz face the Bengals in a refurbished ICCU Dome (formerly Holt Arena), one of the more unique venues in the nation for college football.

The “minidome” has been happy hunting grounds for the Grizzlies over the years, however. Montana leads the all-time series with Idaho State 48-13 but holds a slimmer 16-7 advantage in games at the 12,000-seat venue since it opened in 1970. UM enters the contest riding a hot streak against the Bengals having won the last 15 meetings between the two founding Big Sky members, and 23 of the last 24 meetings dating back to 1995.

Montana’s offense has blossomed under quarterback Keali’i Ah Yat over the course of four games, aided by a strong O-line performance that has helped Eli Gillman become one of the top rushers in the nation. They’ll be met with a stout ISU D that is second in the league in sacks and first in both fumbles forced and recovered.

UM’s “bend don’t break” defense will also be tested at ISU. while UM sits third in the league in scoring D and second in defensive efficiency, the Bengals enter the game with a two-headed monster of an offense that accounts for nearly 300 yards per game – a league high.

Kickoff from the ICCU Dome is set for 6 p.m.

WATCH: The Grizzlies return to Montana Television Network stations around the state this week, with the Idaho State matchup available on basic cable, satellite options, free-to-air channels, and online streaming.

This week’s game will be shown on KPAX in missoula and kalispell,KTVQ in Billings,KRTV in Great falls,KXLH in Helena,and KBZK in Butte and Bozeman. the game will also be shown in the Boise, Twin Falls, and Tucson, Ariz., markets on “The Spot.” The Spot 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 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 o

Griz Dominate Idaho, remain Undefeated

MISSOULA – the University of Montana Grizzlies continued their notable start to the season with a decisive victory over the Idaho Vandals, maintaining their undefeated record and solidifying their position as a top team in the FCS.

OFFENSIVE FIREPOWER: Quarterback Lucas Johnson orchestrated a potent offensive attack, completing 17 of 26 passes for 246 yards and three touchdowns. Wide receiver cole Carpenter was a primary target, hauling in six receptions for 89 yards and a score, even experiencing a humorous moment getting caught in a kicker’s net on the sideline. Brooks Davis continued his breakout freshman season as well with 63 yards on four catches to give the Griz three players over 55 yards receiving including Wortham’s total.

DOMINANT D: Montana’s defense also had another smothering game. UM held Idaho to just six points in the first half and 191 yards of total offense in the game if you take out four long pass completions in the second half as the Vandals tried to overcome a led of as manny as 19 points.

Sophomore safety Kade Boyd led the Griz with six tackles and a key fumble recovery late in the fourth quarter that helped ice the game for Montana.Elijawah Tolbert added five tackles (one for a loss),and one of UM’s six pass breakups that helped keep the Vandal air attack in check.

Despite those long chunk plays it was a solid day for the defensive secondary in general, with safety Micah Harper breaking up two passes and nearly picking off a third and corner Kenzel Lawler adding four tackles and a pair of breakups in his best game as a Grizzly to date. Former Vandal safety Diezel Wilkinson also broke up a hail Mary attempt and added four tackles to his total.

defensive end Hunter Peck was also a major disruptive force, filling the stat sheet with four tackles, one of which was a sack with two for a loss, and adding a forced fumble.

MORRISON’S MASTERCLASS: Ty Morrison was again lights-out in a dominant kicking game performance. He hit on two field goals from 37 and 26 out while going five-for-five to total 11 points with his foot. He also flipped the field for Montana, pinning idaho inside their own 20 on all four of his punts that averaged 40.8 yards a piece. In the kickoff department he totaled eight attempts for 504 yards and four touchbacks.

All together the Griz are the No. 1 team in the Big Sky and top 12 nationally in both red zone offense and red zone defense, converting points 94 percent of the time and allowing them 67 percent of the time.

FOUR-AND-OH-YEAH: Montana is one of 11 teams in the FCS and just eight who have played more than two games to remain undefeated this week. The Griz hit the road for the first time this season riding a six-game home win streak, and have won 23 of the last 24 games inside Washington-Grizzly Stadium.

TO BE THE BEST…: You gotta beat the best. After two wins over ranked opponents and another over a program from the Missouri Valley, Montana’s past SOS (past strength of schedule) is ranked no. 8 in the FCS and No.2 in the Big Sky this week behind Portland State’s gauntlet. UM heads to ISU with a .692 SOS percentage, as ranked by the NCAA’s toughest schedules report.

GRIZ IN THE POLLS: the Grizzlies bumped up a spot to No.4 in both the Stats Perform FCS media poll and the AFCA coaches’ poll this week – their highest ranking of the season. UM is now the highest ranked Big Sky Conference team in both polls out of five teams from the league all in the top 15.

GRIZ IN THE RATINGS: Montana rose to No. 82 and remains the No. 2 Big Sky team and the No. 5 FCS team in this week’s Sagarin Ratings with a 66.23. UM stays put in the Massey Ratings similarly at Nos. 2/5 as well.

just for fun, Montana ranks above other prominent programs in this week’s Sagarin’s like Utah State, West Virginia, Purdue, Wake Forest, Army and Stanford.Idaho State is ranked No. 182 behind Eastern Washington.

The Sagarin and Massey ratings are computer calculations.

Montana Grizzlies Dominate with Balanced Offense and Trick Plays

The Montana Grizzlies showcased a dominant performance, utilizing a balanced offensive attack and innovative trick plays to secure a decisive victory.The team demonstrated strength both through the air and on the ground, complemented by key contributions from several players.

Game Highlights

Montana’s offense proved versatile, racking up 220 passing yards and 174 rushing yards. The team’s ability to keep the defense guessing was further enhanced by a pair of well-executed trick plays that shifted the game’s momentum.

A notable play involved Sawyer Racanelli, who threw a touchdown pass to Evan Shafer on a reverse. Adding to the special teams excitement, punter Travis Benham successfully converted a fourth down with a pass to Garrett graves. These unexpected plays kept the opposing team off balance and contributed significantly to Montana’s success.

Key Player Performances

Several players stood out during the game. Junior Bergen was a key target in the passing game, hauling in seven catches for 100 yards, with 40 yards coming after the catch.Keelan White added five catches for 54 yards, including several impressive first-down grabs that are expected to feature prominently on highlight reels.

Nick Ostmo contributed significantly to the rushing attack, gaining 49 yards on eight carries for an average of 6.1 yards per carry.

offensive Balance and Strategy

The Grizzlies’ balanced offensive approach proved to be a winning formula. The ability to effectively utilize both the passing and running games kept the opposing defense from focusing on a single threat.This strategic balance, combined with the element of surprise introduced by the trick plays, allowed Montana to control the game and secure a comfortable victory.

Key takeaways

• Montana demonstrated a strong, balanced offense with 220 passing yards and 174 rushing yards.
• Trick plays, including a touchdown pass from Sawyer Racanelli to Evan Shafer and a fourth-down conversion pass from Travis Benham to Garrett Graves, proved pivotal.
• Junior Bergen led the receiving corps with 100 yards on seven catches, while Keelan white made several key first-down receptions.
• Nick Ostmo was a significant contributor to the ground game, averaging 6.1 yards per carry.

The Montana Grizzlies’ performance highlights their strategic depth and the talent of their players. With a strong foundation in both passing and rushing, and a willingness to innovate with trick plays, the team is well-positioned for continued success throughout the season.