Missoula, MT (KGVO-AM News) - Our University of Montana Grizzlies football team has lost two games in a row and things won’t get any easier this week. In another top 10 battle, the No. 10/11 Griz will head to Ogden, Utah to face off against the No. 5/7 Weber State Wildcats on Saturday. The game is set to kickoff at 1:00 p.m. and it is do-or-die time for Montana. 

The Sting Still Hurts

Last weekend, the Griz lost 31-24 in OT to the undefeated Sacramento State Hornets. Any close loss is tough to get over, but the one sting of this one still hurts. Griz starting quarterback Lucas Johnson was flying all over the field until he was hit illegally by a Hornet player. The play resulted in a targeting penalty and the Sac State player was ultimately ejected. This proved to be a turning point in the game because it was also Johnson’s last play of the night due to a concussion injury. 

The Griz had a 24-17 lead with less than six minutes left in the game, but the Hornets were able to recover an onside kick to get the ball back. With just minutes left, the Hornets faced a 4th and 4 from Montana’s 30-yard line and quarterback Jake Dunniway completed a 26-yard prayer to wide receiver Jared Gipson down the right sideline. 

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At first glance, Gipson appeared to be out of bounds on the play, but after video review, officials decided that the call on the field of a completed catch would stand. The Hornets would tie the game on the very next play and Griz fans across the country were left in disbelief. 


Overtime felt like it lasted seconds. The Hornets scored a touchdown in four plays and the Griz could not match them. If the Griz want a win this week against the Wildcats, they will need to put last week's game behind them.

The Heartbreak is Contagious

The Weber State Wildcats will also be looking for a bounce-back after suffering their first defeat of the season to the Montana State Bobcats last week. The Wildcats are 6-1 on the year and 3-1 in conference play. 

If you thought the Griz loss last weekend was tough, the Wildcats’ loss might have been worse. In the first half, Wildcats' long snapper Grant Sands launched four snaps over punter Jack Burgess' head that all went through the back of their own end zone, each resulting in a safety and eight total points for the Bobcats. 

Still, Weber State had a chance to win the game late. They were down 43-38 with less than a minute left and they were approaching the Montana State endzone. On 4th down, quarterback Bronson Barron threw a pass that hit his intended receiver right in the hands, but the receiver was unable to make the catch, giving the Bobcats the victory.  

Both Montana and Weber State suffered heartbreaking losses last week and both are hoping to get back in the win column on Saturday. 

How to Watch and Listen

The Griz return to the Montana Television Network this week with the game airing exclusively on CW stations around the state. The CW is available on basic cable, DirecTV, and Dish Network. Local CW programming can also be found on Hulu and YouTube TV. The game will also be streamed nationwide without blackout on ESPN+, with a subscription required.   

"Voice of the Griz" Riley Corcoran and analyst Greg Sundberg will bring you the action live from Missoula right here on KGVO, the flagship station of the Grizzly Sports Radio Network. You can listen to the game on 98.3 FM, AM 1290, online at newstalkkgvo.com, or on the FREE KGVO App.

"Grizzly Gameday" starts two hours before kickoff each Saturday with the official pregame radio show featuring our own Denny Bedard and Scott Gurnsey, who then throw to Corcoran and Sundberg 30 minutes before kickoff. Bedard and Gurnsey will also host the official post-game show.

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