MISSOULA — It's the first road test of the season for No. 4 Montana (4-0, 1-0 Big Sky) as the undefeated Griz head to Pocatello, Idaho, for a Saturday prime time matchup against Idaho State.
The Bengals (2-3, 1-0) are a pesky team this season thanks to a high-powered offense that ranks second in the Big Sky in total yards and scoring behind only the Grizzlies. However, Montana has beaten Idaho State in 15 straight contests, with ISU's last win coming in 2003.
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Quarterback Jordan Cooke has one of the best arms in the league, and though he's missed time due to injury this year, he returned last week as Idaho State opened conference play with a win over Northern Colorado.
"They've scored points in a variety of ways," UM coach Bobby Hauck said. "They're kind of a team that wants to throw it first, run it second. That doesn't mean they can't choose to just pound us if they want to try. I'm not sure how they'll approach it, but they're a pretty high-percentage throwing team."
The Bengals played a pair of FBS teams in UNLV and New Mexico close in the nonconference, and under third-year coach Cody Hawkin, have begun to turn things around and have been a popular dark horse pick in the league this season.
But with Montana's offense also prolific, it could be a high-scoring shootout between the two programs, with UM's defense ranking better than ISU's across the board.
UM leaves the friendly confines of Washington-Grizzly Stadium for the first time this season, offering the Grizzlies a new challenge.
"Obviously playing at home is a huge advantage for us, but we just got to bring our own energy and be our own hype men this week," UM senior safety TJ Rausch said. "It's been a good experience so far.
"I love playing with this team. These guys are great. Everybody comes to work every day and it's just a fun experience when everybody wants to work hard and winning's fun."
The teams will clash at the ICCU Dome, a venue that has hosted some thrillers between the two teams over the years. Both programs look to get that leg up with a 2-0 start in Big Sky play. The last time these teams met was in 2023 when UM won 28-20. In 2022, the Griz beat the Bengals by the same score in Pocatello.
"And it's kind of different playing games indoors, just as a general rule," Hauck said. "It's just the lighting and it's kind of an interesting place from a noise standpoint and all that.
"We talk about going on the road. We've got a pretty good record on the road, too, not just at home."
