Home Field Advantage

[aucat]

I don't know that there is a bigger home field advantage in any other rivalry game than the Brawl of the WIld. Frankly, I was surprised to see the Cats open as a favorite for two reasons. First, the close loss to SDSU looks a lot worse now that the Jacks have collapsed this season, and second, the game is being played in Missoula, where the Cats not only tend to lose, but lose badly.

We have taken some very good teams in to Missoula only to stink up the place and get whipped badly. Of course we have the one exception and that's the griz slayer himself, Jeff Choate. Choate had a way about him. He was the ONE guy who could take a team to Missoula and play with confidence and the expectation that come hell or high water, the Cats would win.

Vigen has yet to even play a close game in Missoula. Maybe this is the year that the Cats achieve that level of play and confidence that Choate's teams displayed on the road in Missoula. The visiting team hasn't won since 2018 when Choate got it done.

[Bobcat Sig]

A couple of things...

Streaks are made to be broken.

Keep in mind the betting lines are just that - for betting. It's largely for the respective sportsbook to make money, not who would win, independent of making money. Still, opening as 2.5-point favorites is a good thing, with or without the money.

[RockyBearCat]

I don't know that there is a bigger home field advantage in any other rivalry game than the Brawl of the WIld. Frankly, I was surprised to see the Cats open as a favorite for two reasons. First, the close loss to SDSU looks a lot worse now that the Jacks have collapsed this season, and second, the game is being played in Missoula, where the Cats not only tend to lose, but lose badly.

We have taken some very good teams in to Missoula only to stink up the place and get whipped badly. Of course we have the one exception and that's the griz slayer himself, Jeff Choate. Choate had a way about him. He was the ONE guy who could take a team to Missoula and play with confidence and the expectation that come hell or high water, the Cats would win.

Vigen has yet to even play a close game in Missoula. Maybe this is the year that the Cats achieve that level of play and confidence that Choate's teams displayed on the road in Missoula. The visiting team hasn't won since 2018 when Choate got it done.

You have been drinking the gris koolaid if you think the SDSU game looks worse due to a SDSU collapse due to countless starters being injured.

[coloradocat]

I don't know that there is a bigger home field advantage in any other rivalry game than the Brawl of the WIld. Frankly, I was surprised to see the Cats open as a favorite for two reasons. First, the close loss to SDSU looks a lot worse now that the Jacks have collapsed this season, and second, the game is being played in Missoula, where the Cats not only tend to lose, but lose badly.

We have taken some very good teams in to Missoula only to stink up the place and get whipped badly. Of course we have the one exception and that's the griz slayer himself, Jeff Choate. Choate had a way about him. He was the ONE guy who could take a team to Missoula and play with confidence and the expectation that come hell or high water, the Cats would win.

Vigen has yet to even play a close game in Missoula. Maybe this is the year that the Cats achieve that level of play and confidence that Choate's teams displayed on the road in Missoula. The visiting team hasn't won since 2018 when Choate got it done.

You have been drinking the gris koolaid if you think the SDSU game looks worse due to a SDSU collapse due to countless starters being injured.

Also, from 2002 when we broke the streak until 2019 in Choate's last year, the road team won 10 of 18 games.

[GoodTimesAllTheTime]

Is WaGriz a more difficult environment in 21 and 23 than it was the decade prior? Griz fans would tell you that it’s always been difficult to play in. But the Cats have won plenty there in the recent past, so we don’t need to get carried away over a two game sample size.

[catapult]

The Cats have NEVER taken a defense like this into Missoula. Defense travels and our Cats will make a statement.

[profisme]

The Cats have NEVER taken a defense like this into Missoula. Defense travels and our Cats will make a statement.

The 2002 defense was the best defense (which included the current Griz D Coordinator) I have ever seen the Cats have. This year's defense is really close to that. The Griz have a tough time sustaining long drives and the Cats don't give up many big plays. As long as the Cats' defense continues this level of play, I don't see the Griz putting up more than 21 points total. My prediction is 38-17 Cats.

[ClowderUp]

How many pandas have never seen a Brawl? Maybe 50? How about panda players who have never experienced a Brawl in Missoula? 70? This game is different, even if you're the home team. They have plenty to worry about.

[VimSince03]

The Cats have NEVER taken a defense like this into Missoula. Defense travels and our Cats will make a statement.

The 2002 unit would like to have a word. Our 2012 defense also wasn't too shabby.

[84CatGrad]

I wanted to analyze how many Montana kids play significant minutes for the friizz but I couldn't find a recent 2-deep roster. But among the group listed as "starters" for their most recent game against PSU, there are exactly FOUR Montana kids. Do we have an edge there?

[GoldstoneCat]

The Cats have NEVER taken a defense like this into Missoula. Defense travels and our Cats will make a statement.

The 2002 defense was the best defense (which included the current Griz D Coordinator) I have ever seen the Cats have. This year's defense is really close to that. The Griz have a tough time sustaining long drives and the Cats don't give up many big plays. As long as the Cats' defense continues this level of play, I don't see the Griz putting up more than 21 points total. My prediction is 38-17 Cats.

Mine was 38-20 for the exact reasons you articulated. We just don't give up explosives very much bc we are sound in assignment and we tackle really well. They live off the big play and momentum. Watch what happens if we get them off the field and few times and sustain a drive or 2. The energy will start to come out of that place. If we don't somehow give this game up on special teams, we are going to win because of how we are built.

[iaafan]

The three most exciting games in the last 60 years of Cat-Griz were won by the road teams.

1968 - MSU came back from down 24-7(?) to win 29-24.
1997 - UM kicked a FG at the gun after MSU took lead with :22 to play.
2018 - MSU came back from down 22-0 to win 29-25.

[RKMCMT]

Really I don't think the 2021 game was that bad. IIRC we hung ok defensively and the major problem was McKay couldn't move the ball to save his life. Obviously we moved on from him that day and the rest is history.

[RKMCMT]

The three most exciting games in the last 60 years of Cat-Griz were won by the road teams.

1968 - MSU came back from down 24-7(?) to win 29-24.
1997 - UM kicked a FG at the gun after MSU took lead with :22 to play.
2018 - MSU came back from down 22-0 to win 29-25.

My first Cat Griz was that '97 game. We had that game so locked down. Still not sure how we let them move the ball that quickly in the end.

[coloradocat]

Really I don't think the 2021 game was that bad. IIRC we hung ok defensively and the major problem was McKay couldn't move the ball to save his life. Obviously we moved on from him that day and the rest is history.

That game has always been blown out of proportion, likely to further the "home teams have dominated" narrative. The Cats offense was terrible but the griz weren't much better. They got some turnover and played the field position game.

[catapult]

The Cats have NEVER taken a defense like this into Missoula. Defense travels and our Cats will make a statement.

The 2002 unit would like to have a word. Our 2012 defense also wasn't too shabby.

Those were definitely great defenses but no previous Cat defense has had this solid of depth across the board at all 3 levels of the defense. We have a deep bench. Also, we are probably the healthiest going into this game as a whole.

[MrGoodKat]

The homefield advantage is certainly very real. I have nothing but respect for Wa. Griz and the atmosphere that UM fans create there.

That said, consider this:

2009: Griz win in Bozeman
2010: Cats win in Missoula
2011: Griz win in Bozeman
2012: Cats win in Missoula
2013: Griz win in Bozeman
2014: Griz win in Missoula
2015: Griz win in Bozeman
2016: Cats win in Missoula
2017: Cats win in Bozeman
2018: Cats win in Missoula

There's a ten year stretch in the not-too-distant past in which each home crowd got to watch their teams win one time and lose four times.

I remember heading into the 2019 Brawl wondering if the home team would ever win again. Little did I know that we were beginning a stretch of the rivalry in which we would see nothing but blowouts by the home team.

Trends come and go.

[nanacat]

The Cats have NEVER taken a defense like this into Missoula. Defense travels and our Cats will make a statement.

The 2002 unit would like to have a word. Our 2012 defense also wasn't too shabby.

Those were definitely great defenses but no previous Cat defense has had this solid of depth across the board at all 3 levels of the defense. We have a deep bench. Also, we are probably the healthiest going into this game as a whole.

I think this is a crucial element that hasn't been discussed much.

[Catsrgrood]

The Cats have NEVER taken a defense like this into Missoula. Defense travels and our Cats will make a statement.

The 2002 unit would like to have a word. Our 2012 defense also wasn't too shabby.

Those were definitely great defenses but no previous Cat defense has had this solid of depth across the board at all 3 levels of the defense. We have a deep bench. Also, we are probably the healthiest going into this game as a whole.

I think this is a crucial element that hasn't been discussed much.

It’s great, as a whole the team seems to be very healthy for this time of year. My main concern on this front is Brott.

I have no doubt he plays, I also have no doubt he’s not 100% after tweaking his ankle again against UCD.
Do we get a 60% or a 90% Brott?

He’s a huge part of what this defense does, how effective he is will play a big part in this game.

[nanacat]

The Cats have NEVER taken a defense like this into Missoula. Defense travels and our Cats will make a statement.

The 2002 unit would like to have a word. Our 2012 defense also wasn't too shabby.

Those were definitely great defenses but no previous Cat defense has had this solid of depth across the board at all 3 levels of the defense. We have a deep bench. Also, we are probably the healthiest going into this game as a whole.

I think this is a crucial element that hasn't been discussed much.

It’s great, as a whole the team seems to be very healthy for this time of year. My main concern on this front is Brott.

I have no doubt he plays, I also have no doubt he’s not 100% after tweaking his ankle again against UCD.
Do we get a 60% or a 90% Brott?

He’s a huge part of what this defense does, how effective he is will play a big part in this game.

Absolutely!! He'll play, for sure. But how effective will he be, is the question.