The 124th rendition of the fiercest rivalry in college football will once again highlight some of the best football players who grew up in the Treasure State. Those Montana-made products will certainly influence a contest that has huge playoff ramifications for both Montana and Montana State and will determine if Montana State can win its third Big Sky Conference title in the last four seasons.
A total of 76 in-state products will play in Saturday’s rivalry showdown at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. A total of 23 Montana towns will have native sons representing in one of the fiercest rivalries in college football.
A total of 44 players on the No. 3 Bobcats, three less last season and 12 more than Montana boasts. The No. 2 Griz have a roster features 32 in-state products entering the game on Saturday, down from 49 a year ago.
The rivalry game has postseason ramifications for the sixth year in a row.
“Two of the best teams in the country will be playing here in Missoula on Saturday and maybe THE two best,” Hauck said. “It’s a big week for us, always. The way it’s shaping up is interesting in my opinion. There’s maybe a chance we play each other later in the year as well. So that’s part of the equation.”
This year’s Griz team features four starters from Montana and another four players on the two-deep.
This year’s Bobcat team has 11 total starters from Montana. Eight more in-state players are on the two-deep depth chart.
Between the two rosters combined, there are a total of 23 Montana towns represented. A total of 50 in-state players (32 for MSU, 18 for Montana) played Class AA football in high school.
Class A has 11 representatives, including eight Grizzlies. Whitefish (two Griz) and Dillon (two ‘Cats) are the most well-represented towns.
A total of 10 players cut their teeth in the Class B ranks, including seven on the Bobcats.
And a total of six players prepped in the Class C ranks, including four for the Bobcats.
Missoula is the most represented town after that distinction belonged to Bozeman the last three years. A total of 15 players from Missoula, including nine from Sentinel High, will suit up. Of those former Spartans, five play for the Grizzlies and four play for the Bobcats. Hellgate, Big Sky and Loyola each have two representatives each.
“Every time we win, that’s my favorite one, so being a part of winning in 2021 and 2023, those were both phenomenal experiences, so I’m excited to get with my teammates, especially the guys who haven’t been a part of it yet,” said Griz fifth-year senior Geno Leonard, who helped lead Missoula Sentinel to a state championship as a senior in 2020. “It’s such a cool thing to share and we are so blessed in the state of Montana to have a game like this. Everybody that gets to participate in it, it’s a special thing and we are fired up to get this thing going.”
Bozeman is next on the list with 12 players in the game, including 11 that play at Montana State. Bozeman High offensive lineman Torin Jeske plays for the Griz while seven other former Hawks and four former Gallatin Raptors play for the Bobcats, including Montana State head coach Brent Vigen’s two sons; Jake is a junior defensive end and Grant is a freshman quarterback who is redshirting.
Billings boasts nine players in the game, including six that went to West and three more that went to Billings Central. All six Billings West alums play for Montana State. Neither Billings Senior or Billings Skyview is represented in this year’s game. Central is the most well-represented Class A school with three players in the game, including two for the Griz.
Helena has six players in the game, including four for the ‘Cats. Capital has five graduates playing in the game, including three for the Bobcats. Montana State’s Colter Petre is the lone representative from Helena High.
In terms of the other three Montana “cities”: Kalispell has six representatives, all who went to Glacier High and five that play for the Griz. Butte has three reps, all former Butte High Bulldogs and all three who play at Montana. And Great Falls has two representatives, both who play for the Bobcats, one each from C.M. Russell and Great Falls High.
Billings Central and Red Lodge are the only non-AA Montana high schools with more than two representatives. Class A Beaverhead County (Dillon) and Whitefish, Class B Florence and Jefferson County (Boulder/Montana City) and Missoula Loyola all have two players in the game. Both former Florence players play for the ‘Cats as do both Jefferson alums. Both Loyola alums play for the Griz. Two from Red Lodge play at MSU and one at UM.
Other Class A towns represented include Columbia Falls, Browning, Havre and Libby, all who play for the Griz.
The Class B town represented is Malta with Blaine Downing playing for the Bobcats.
Class C communities represented in the game include Melstone (Bryce Grebe, MSU), Phillipsburg (Kade Cutler, UM), Culbertson (Bridger Salvevold, UM), Brockton (Mason Dethman, Froid-Medicine Lake High, MSU), Big Sky (George Helms, Lone Peak High, MSU) and Fairview (Hunter Sharbono, MSU) are also represented.
Here’s a look at the 32 Montana products on the Grizzlies’ roster headed into the 124th rendition of the fierce rivalry in Missoula on Saturday afternoon.
THE STARS
Drew Deck, wide receiver, Kalispell, senior — A collection of Deck’s best friends and roommates graduated last year. And a collection of his classmates decided to forego their final year of football eligibility.
Deck, though, decided to come back. The Glacier High alum who’s father, Aaron Deck, was the head track coach at Drew’s high school alma mater has embraced his final season, racking up more catches this fall than in his entire Griz career, combined. And it makes sense, since the guy has backed up Junior Bergen in the slot and as a punt returner for most of the last three years.
Deck has 21 catches for 329 yards and two touchdowns this season. He had 16 catches for 145 yards in his career entering this year.
After averaging 10.2 yards per punt return in relief of Bergen last season, he is averaging more than 13 yards per PR this fall.
TJ Rausch, safety, Missoula, senior — Rausch is the latest Griz who was a rotational player and special teams ace to then become a headliner on the UM starting defense. That pattern is a Bobby Hauck specialty.
Rausch was a second-team All-Big Sky ST player a year ago while rotating in at safety and nickel frequently. The Sentinel alum rolled up 29 tackles and forced a fumble last fall.
This season, the son of former Lady Griz Big Sky MVP Ann (Lake) Rausch has been a steadying presence for a Montana defense that returned exactly zero full-time starters from last year’s 9-5 team.
Rausch and edge linebacker Caleb Otlewski were the only players that returned from last year defensively for the Grizzlies who started even a single game.
This year, Rausch has started all 11. Last weekend, he snared his first career pick. He followed it up with another one in UM’s 63-17 win at Portland State. Rausch also has 48 tackles, a tackle for loss and a fumble recovery.
Kellen Detrick, defensive end, Havre, senior — Detrick managed to play in 20 games before this season while he battled injuries. During that time, the son of the former Montana State-Northern football team’s defensive line and strength coach registered one total sack.
Two weeks ago against Eastern Washington, the explosive 6-3, 248 pounder finally turned the corner and tripled his career sack total in the process. Detrick sacked EWU freshman Jake Schakel three times and helped UM to a 29-24 win on the way to Montana’s fourth 11-0 start in school history.
Detrick has been a leader throughout this season, serving as a game captain twice. He has six total tackles for loss and three sacks among his 28 tackles this season.
Tanner Huff, safety, Butte, senior — Huff is not a starter. But he’s certainly a star. And it’s not just because he’s the player from Butte, America who gets the most playing time.
Huff has become one of the best special teams players in the country. Hauck dubbed him the “Butte Flash” earlier this season and his ability to scream down the field to make bone-jarring hits while covering punts and kicks has been one of the standout scenes throughout his senior season.
He’s rolled up 20 tackles this season, some on special teams and some as a part of the safety rotation. He’s adjusted well after moving from cornerback to safety. And every Saturday, he knows he’s playing for something bigger than himself.
“I love being from Butte,” Huff said earlier this season. “I take a lot of pride in it. It’s amazing. The community is tight knit, like here in Missoula. If something happens, there’s a family that’s willing to help out the other.
“It was instilled in me right away. Just got to be tough and don’t show emotion to it.
Clay Oven, linebacker, Billings, sophomore — For most of the last decade and a half, the No. 37 tradition at Montana morphed. Between the mid-1980s and the late 2000s, players would receive the jersey when they were underclassmen and wear it for multiple seasons.
When Ryan Fetherston gave it to Jordan Tripp ahead of the 2012 season, it shifted. Only Tripp (2012-2013), Caleb Kidder (2015-2016), and Jesse Sims (2018-2019) wore it for multiple seasons and none had to deal with the pressure or grow into the legacy number starting as underclassmen.
This past off-season, Trevin Gradney helped change it back to the old way when he chose Oven, an explosive, fit sophomore from Billings who will wear the jersey for three seasons assuming he finishes his career at Montana.
Oven has worn the legacy number well. And on Saturday, he will start in his first rivalry game against Montana State.
The Billings Central product has 44 tackles, two sacks and three quarterback hits this season.
THE STARTERS
Dillon Botner, offensive line, Whitefish, senior — The seventh-year senior has maintained a 3.72 GPA with a post-bac major in cellular and molecular neuroscience, and two bachelor’s degrees in biochemistry and biology with a minor in physics. He’s a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, which is the academic Heisman for college football. And earlier this week, he was named the Big Sky Conference’s finalist for the Doris Robinson given to the best student-athlete in the FCS.
Botner has also endured a career riddled with injuries to emerge as a starter during his final season of college football. The 6-foot-6, 290-pounder was UM’s Tony Barbour Award winner a year ago as the most inspirational player on the team. He’s been UM’s starting center this season after starting for part of last season at left tackle.
THE CONTRIBUTORS
Geno Leonard, linebacker, Missoula, senior — The grandson of former Griz Geno Leonard (1960-1963) helped Sentinel to its first state title in more than 50 years when the Spartans won the first of two consecutive Class AA crowns in 2020. Geno Leonard was a captain of that team and one of eight players who earned Division I opportunities.
Leonard has battled injuries for most of the last four years, including a blown disc in his back that required surgery, costing him the entire 2023 season and almost ending his career. He also has battled atrial tachycardia, a heart ailment that also required surgery.
He’s emerged to be a leader and contributor on Montana’s undefeated run. He has 19 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack as a part of a Montana linebacker rotation that plays six and sometimes seven players pretty frequently.
“The state of Montana, this is the closest thing we get to professional sports around here so it’s a special deal we get to play in a rivalry like this and we have a great community around this,” Leonard said. “We are lucky to be a part of it.”
Kade Cutler, safety, Phillipsburg, junior — The former Class C 8-man state champion is the lone player in the game that has been on the roster for both the Cats and the Griz.
Coming out of Phillipsburg High and playing for Flint Creek (the Drummond-Phillipsburg co-op), Cutler had a shoulder injury that caused for him to grey shirt at Montana State.
He played in three games at MSU in 2023 but not against the Griz. In 2024, he played in 11 games for the Griz but not against the Bobcats.
This season, he’s seen a more prominent role as a backup safety and has played quite a few snaps, especially in red-zone situations. Cutler has 19 tackles and a tackle for loss this year.
Ian Finch, wide receiver, Missoula, junior — Finch has developed a sort of folk hero following for his bone-crushing blocks on the perimeter that have helped spring Eli Gillman for a few long runs. Finch has also made a few big plays on special teams, including catching a fake punt pass thrown by Ty Morrison to convert a fourth down in Montana’s 49-35 win at Sac State.
Finch has caught three passes for 41 yards this season. He caught his first career touchdown last season against North Dakota State.
Kade Boyd, safety, Billings, sophomore — Boyd got thrown to the wolves last year in Montana’s home loss to Weber State, a game that saw UM give up more than 50 points at home for the first time in Washington-Grizzly Stadium history.
Boyd has made big strides and has played alongside Cutler and Huff as Montana’s trio of backup safeties, seeing plenty of run this season. The former Billings Central standout has 29 tackles and a pair of interceptions so far this season.
Tommy Running Rabbit, running back, Browning, redshirt freshman — Running Rabbit has only had a few opportunities, but in his most elongated chance this season in UM”s win over Indiana State, he made the most of it.
Running Rabbit became the first player from Browning and the first member of the Blackfeet Indian tribe to score a touchdown in a Division I game. He finished that afternoon with seven carries for 72 yard
Jake Olson, tight end, Butte, senior — Olson, who’s father Bob played basketball for the Griz in the 1990s, is one of the tallest players in this game at 6-foot-7.
He had a productive junior season, starting two games and catching three passes, including a touchdown against Eastern Washington in UM’s 59-56 win in Cheney last season.
Olson missed the first half of this season with a lower leg injury but has played the second half of the stretch run for the Griz and is in the mix with fellow seniors Josh Gale and Evan Shafer in the tight end rotation.
Cy Stevenson, linebacker, Libby, sophomore — Stevenson has been cutting his teeth on special teams for the last two seasons. This week, because senior Elijawah Tolbert is banged up, Stevenson is listed as Oven’s backup at one of UM’s linebacker spots.
So far this season, he has 11 tackles and a tackle for loss.
Austin Buehler, offensive line, Helena, sophomore — The son of former Lady Griz Big Sky MVP Greta (Koss) Buehler has gone back and forth to being a No. 2 on the depth chart this season. Once Montana graduates its six senior offensive lineman, Buehler is expected to be in the mix.
Hayden Opitz, linebacker, Helena, sophomore — Opitz is the third in-state linebacker from his class along with Stevenson and Oven who were brought in three years ago.
The former tight end and state champion at Helena Capital, like Buehler, has had a harder time cracking the rotation. But he’s played heavily on special teams and has six tackles over the last two seasons covering kicks and punts.
THE MONTANANS
Flynn Ridgeway, safety, Whitefish, sophomore
Cameron Guernsey, wide receiver, Butte, sophomore
Gabe Sliter, quarterback, Kalispell, sophomore
Isaac Keim, defensive line, Kalispell, redshirt freshman
Kash Goicoechea, safety, Kalispell Glacier, redshirt freshman
Cody Schweikert, quarterback, Columbia Falls, redshirt freshman
Danny Sirmon, tight end, Missoula Sentinel, redshirt freshman
Talen Reynolds, running back, Missoula Loyola, redshirt freshman
Grady Walker, linebacker, Missoula Sentinel, redshirt freshman
Torin Jeske, offensive line, Bozeman, redshirt freshman
Tate Templeton, offensive line, Missoula Sentinel, redshirt freshman
Chase Cook, running back, Red Lodge, freshman
Taylor Jones, linebacker, Missoula Loyola, Freshman
Spencer Tripp, defensive line, Missoula Big Sky, freshman
Bridger Salvevold, linebacker, Culbertson, freshman
Ezra Meyer, offensive line, Missoula Big Sky, freshman
Bridger Smith, wide receiver, Kalispell Glacier, freshman
