No. 3 Montana State learned from past mistakes to 'flip the script' in win at No. 2 Montana

MISSOULA — Sometimes, feeling the weight of a game can be a positive.

It was no secret Montana State failed to show up in losses to Montana in Missoula to end the 2021 (29-10) and 2023 (37-7) regular seasons. Two years ago, the Bobcats were shaken by the atmosphere and failed to respond to the Grizzlies, a byproduct of a team that didn’t have the necessary mental edge.

But the 2025 version of MSU — which only featured 11 total players from that 2023 Cat-Griz game — “prepared differently," Vigen said. Learning from past missteps played a role. So did having guest speakers come in to talk.

Upgrades to Bobcat Stadium allowed for crowd noise simulation. A schedule that opened at Autzen Stadium against FBS Oregon and a Gold Rush matchup with South Dakota State — along with last week’s win ov