2025 Cat-Griz Prediction Thread

[Bobcat Sig]

all comes done to which set of referees do we get. good to see at least 3 officials are not eligible.

maybe the rest do a better job?

nah, wishful thinking.

Any crew is going to be better than the UC-Davis crew

[91catAlum]

all comes done to which set of referees do we get. good to see at least 3 officials are not eligible.

maybe the rest do a better job?

nah, wishful thinking.

Any crew is going to be better than the UC-Davis crew

Other crews: "hold my beer"

[tetoncat]

I think Cats have the better overall team but I also think Lamson gets rattled by the crowd, and I think Griz offense can put up enough points to win in a close one. Lamson is no doubt a baller but nothing can prepare a transfer player for how hostile this environment is. Who's the kid who quit your team the next day after getting destroyed here? was that McKay? lol I've never seen that before, ass kicked so bad that he quit the team the next day haha.

McKay was in a fairly open feud with the OC by the time Cat/griz came around. He took a very hard hit against Weber about a month earlier and had started ignoring reads and handing the ball off no matter what because he was hit adverse. The Cats were good enough to squeak out wins but they played some bad teams plus the guy he was handing it to is probably the best RB to play in this conference in the last decade plus. Lamson is not McKay at all, and this is the 3rd or so time I've seen a griz fan try and make that correlation. Lamson loves to get and deliver hits. He probably should have gotten a penalty last week the way he was jawing and staring down Davis. So you can probably stick that wish back where you got it because it ain't happening.
Oh and McKay left because he and Housewright were irreconcilable and he got benched, not because the pandas were so scary. The starter that took over was a Butte kid that took us to the National Championship so we were fine.

I never compared Lamson and mckay. I said i think he might get rattled by the crowd, it will be nothing he's ever experienced before. maybe its wishful thinking. Really excited for the game, mad respect for both programs. Montana is lucky to have it. if you make your way over, I hope you have a great time!

Is the atmosphere that much worse for an opposing QB at playoff game there, or a conference game. There have been a lot of duds in those but also some very good performances. Same at Bobcat stadium. Some players handle it, some don't. Usually it is because their line gets dominated more than noise, in my opinion.

[MTnative]

Cats 43
brislies 21

[MTnative]

Herder picking the gris 24-21…..

Line was favoring the Cats by 2.5 last I saw. So that’s a 5.5 point swing. If the gris D plays like it did vs Eastern, look out…..

[MTnative]

Found this gem of a write up from 406 Sports:

“I’ve made the point before and I’ll make it again: the grizzlies have a gem in co-defensive coordinator Tim Hauck. We’re talking about a man that was on staff with the Philadelphia Eagles the year they beat Tom Brady’s New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. On the college level, Tom seems to come up with his best game plans in big games. I look back to two years ago when he helped work up a plan that rendered MSU star QB Tommy Mellott toothless. Later that season he helped develop a defensive game plan that at least kept Montana in the FCS title game against South Dakota State. I look for Tom Hauck and co-defensive coordinator Roger Cooper to come up with a game plan that’s going to prevent Montana State from matching the Montana offense score for score. Saturday is going to be close but Montana prevails at home.” -source 406 Sports

Great journalism right there. Faint praise for a guy that almost gave the game away to EWU at home……and “kept a game close.”

[D-Wreck]

Found this gem of a write up from 406 Sports:

“I’ve made the point before and I’ll make it again: the grizzlies have a gem in co-defensive coordinator Tim Hauck. We’re talking about a man that was on staff with the Philadelphia Eagles the year they beat Tom Brady’s New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. On the college level, Tom seems to come up with his best game plans in big games. I look back to two years ago when he helped work up a plan that rendered MSU star QB Tommy Mellott toothless. Later that season he helped develop a defensive game plan that at least kept Montana in the FCS title game against South Dakota State. I look for Tom Hauck and co-defensive coordinator Roger Cooper to come up with a game plan that’s going to prevent Montana State from matching the Montana offense score for score. Saturday is going to be close but Montana prevails at home.” -source 406 Sports

Great journalism right there. Faint praise for a guy that almost gave the game away to EWU at home……and “kept a game close.”

Who TF is Tom Hauck? Now that Scripps is embracing AI their reporting has become a big steaming pile of gris.

[wbtfg]

Found this gem of a write up from 406 Sports:

“I’ve made the point before and I’ll make it again: the grizzlies have a gem in co-defensive coordinator Tim Hauck. We’re talking about a man that was on staff with the Philadelphia Eagles the year they beat Tom Brady’s New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. On the college level, Tom seems to come up with his best game plans in big games. I look back to two years ago when he helped work up a plan that rendered MSU star QB Tommy Mellott toothless. Later that season he helped develop a defensive game plan that at least kept Montana in the FCS title game against South Dakota State. I look for Tom Hauck and co-defensive coordinator Roger Cooper to come up with a game plan that’s going to prevent Montana State from matching the Montana offense score for score. Saturday is going to be close but Montana prevails at home.” -source 406 Sports

Great journalism right there. Faint praise for a guy that almost gave the game away to EWU at home……and “kept a game close.”

That certainly is an interesting narrative that overlooks a lot of not so good game plans.

By the way, those staff photos are brutal. Gogola looks like he submitted a mug shot after a long night of binge drinking. Victor looks like he visited J.C. Penney's glamour shots. Speltz looks like a serial killer looking for a victim to make his latest skin suit. I don't want to pick on Cashion, as it's not cool for adults to make fun of middle schoolers.

[LTown Cat]

I asked Chat GPT who will win:

My prediction: I lean toward Montana State pulling off the win this week, given their edge in recent odds and assuming they’re healthy and prepared. But expect it to be a tight game — the Grizzlies have too much pride in this rivalry to go down easily.

[Heidi-jean]

25-9 Cats win!

[aucat]

Every time the Cats have taken a really good team into Missoula and I expected a win, the game turned out to not even be close. Of course, I'm not including the teams coached by the Griz Slayer. I'm thinking of teams that Rob Ash had and also the very good two teams that Vigen took into Missoula that failed to even compete.

So here we are, once again. I think the Cats have the better team. But I'm not going to make a prediction. Call me superstituous. Let's just say I'm hoping for the best but based on our last two visits I'm not expecting the best. Frankly, nothing would surprise me. They blow us out, we blow them out, it's close. Who knows?

[GoldstoneCat]

Every time the Cats have taken a really good team into Missoula and I expected a win, the game turned out to not even be close. Of course, I'm not including the teams coached by the Griz Slayer. I'm thinking of teams that Rob Ash had and also the very good two teams that Vigen took into Missoula that failed to even compete.

So here we are, once again. I think the Cats have the better team. But I'm not going to make a prediction. Call me superstituous. Let's just say I'm hoping for the best but based on our last two visits I'm not expecting the best. Frankly, nothing would surprise me. They blow us out, we blow them out, it's close. Who knows?

Ash's issues in the game were more at home than in Missoula, his teams were 2-2 over there. Vigen has it to prove tomorrow. There were things askew with both the 21 and 23 teams going over there, which there don't seem to be with this team. McKay was hiding in his shell and couldn't run the offense, and the 23 team was a mess, having lost to idaho and not played well after. Banged up. I never thought Housewright understood how to run the offense through Tommy, and Garza was not a good coordinator. Also the wrong personalities for the sideline when things started to go off the rails. I would be stunned if we got blown out, just by virtue of the way we play defense.

[MTnative]

Found this gem of a write up from 406 Sports:

“I’ve made the point before and I’ll make it again: the grizzlies have a gem in co-defensive coordinator Tim Hauck. We’re talking about a man that was on staff with the Philadelphia Eagles the year they beat Tom Brady’s New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. On the college level, Tom seems to come up with his best game plans in big games. I look back to two years ago when he helped work up a plan that rendered MSU star QB Tommy Mellott toothless. Later that season he helped develop a defensive game plan that at least kept Montana in the FCS title game against South Dakota State. I look for Tom Hauck and co-defensive coordinator Roger Cooper to come up with a game plan that’s going to prevent Montana State from matching the Montana offense score for score. Saturday is going to be close but Montana prevails at home.” -source 406 Sports

Great journalism right there. Faint praise for a guy that almost gave the game away to EWU at home……and “kept a game close.”

Who TF is Tom Hauck? Now that Scripps is embracing AI their reporting has become a big steaming pile of gris.

I made a typo in my transcription

But the guy writing this piece sounds like a nostalgic drunk who never had any real meaning in his life other than gris football. Sophomoric journalism to say the least.

[D-Wreck]

Found this gem of a write up from 406 Sports:

“I’ve made the point before and I’ll make it again: the grizzlies have a gem in co-defensive coordinator Tim Hauck. We’re talking about a man that was on staff with the Philadelphia Eagles the year they beat Tom Brady’s New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. On the college level, Tom seems to come up with his best game plans in big games. I look back to two years ago when he helped work up a plan that rendered MSU star QB Tommy Mellott toothless. Later that season he helped develop a defensive game plan that at least kept Montana in the FCS title game against South Dakota State. I look for Tom Hauck and co-defensive coordinator Roger Cooper to come up with a game plan that’s going to prevent Montana State from matching the Montana offense score for score. Saturday is going to be close but Montana prevails at home.” -source 406 Sports

Great journalism right there. Faint praise for a guy that almost gave the game away to EWU at home……and “kept a game close.”

Who TF is Tom Hauck? Now that Scripps is embracing AI their reporting has become a big steaming pile of gris.

I made a typo in my transcription

But the guy writing this piece sounds like a nostalgic drunk who never had any real meaning in his life other than gris football. Sophomoric journalism to say the least.

Alright, I'll dial back my criticism just a little. But this would be one of MANY errors that would be simple to catch at the end of a Scripps article with the little AI disclaimer at the end. FTG and FTClankers.

[Prodigal Cat]

Found this gem of a write up from 406 Sports:

“I’ve made the point before and I’ll make it again: the grizzlies have a gem in co-defensive coordinator Tim Hauck. We’re talking about a man that was on staff with the Philadelphia Eagles the year they beat Tom Brady’s New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. On the college level, Tom seems to come up with his best game plans in big games. I look back to two years ago when he helped work up a plan that rendered MSU star QB Tommy Mellott toothless. Later that season he helped develop a defensive game plan that at least kept Montana in the FCS title game against South Dakota State. I look for Tom Hauck and co-defensive coordinator Roger Cooper to come up with a game plan that’s going to prevent Montana State from matching the Montana offense score for score. Saturday is going to be close but Montana prevails at home.” -source 406 Sports

Great journalism right there. Faint praise for a guy that almost gave the game away to EWU at home……and “kept a game close.”

Did… did the writer watch 1 minute of that national championship??? Calling that keeping it close is something. Jacks blew them off the field. They had zero shot of winning that game.

[catapult]

I'm feeling confident, through week 11 (week 12 isn't out), Cats offense has a PFF grade of 89.7 standing 4th in the nation behind Tarleton (1st), NDSU (2) & Monmouth (3). Gris O doesn't appear anywhere in the PFF top 10 in any category nor does dUMbs defense...Cats hang 38-45 points on them. The Gris' team strength is their passing game and is matched up against the 9th best PFF rated coverage defense in the nation. dUMBs offense will struggle to run & will have limited success in the pass game, defense holds them to 13-17 points. No fcs team has scored more than 17 points in regulation on our CATS.....I'm going with 41-15 CATS!!!

[RockyBearCat]

Found this gem of a write up from 406 Sports:

“I’ve made the point before and I’ll make it again: the grizzlies have a gem in co-defensive coordinator Tim Hauck. We’re talking about a man that was on staff with the Philadelphia Eagles the year they beat Tom Brady’s New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. On the college level, Tom seems to come up with his best game plans in big games. I look back to two years ago when he helped work up a plan that rendered MSU star QB Tommy Mellott toothless. Later that season he helped develop a defensive game plan that at least kept Montana in the FCS title game against South Dakota State. I look for Tom Hauck and co-defensive coordinator Roger Cooper to come up with a game plan that’s going to prevent Montana State from matching the Montana offense score for score. Saturday is going to be close but Montana prevails at home.” -source 406 Sports

Great journalism right there. Faint praise for a guy that almost gave the game away to EWU at home……and “kept a game close.”

Who TF is Tom Hauck? Now that Scripps is embracing AI their reporting has become a big steaming pile of gris.

Not to help out the 406 sports guys, but there was a TOM Hauck.

Tom Hauck was Bobby's uncle. He just passed away in Sept 2025. He was my linebacker coach when I was at Rocky. From his obit -> "Tom’s coaching career began at Billings Senior High School, where he taught math and was the head football coach for several years. His next coaching assignment was at Rocky Mountain College where he was defensive coordinator before joining the Grizzlies in 1999. At Montana he coached the defensive line for ten years under two coaches, first Joe Glenn and then Bobby Hauck, his nephew. Tom was on the staff for a national championship, nine Big Sky championships, and two finishes as national runner-up. Coach Bobby Hauck remembers : “Tom was loved by all his players and coaching colleagues and was always a steadying positive influence. He had the right temperament, both calm and fire when needed.” Tom was also inducted into the Butte Sports Hall of Fame."

[St George]

I predict that the griz try some sort of trick play to start the game, a double pass or something thinking they can fool the Cats.

[Colter_Nuanez]

Found this gem of a write up from 406 Sports:

“I’ve made the point before and I’ll make it again: the grizzlies have a gem in co-defensive coordinator Tim Hauck. We’re talking about a man that was on staff with the Philadelphia Eagles the year they beat Tom Brady’s New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. On the college level, Tom seems to come up with his best game plans in big games. I look back to two years ago when he helped work up a plan that rendered MSU star QB Tommy Mellott toothless. Later that season he helped develop a defensive game plan that at least kept Montana in the FCS title game against South Dakota State. I look for Tom Hauck and co-defensive coordinator Roger Cooper to come up with a game plan that’s going to prevent Montana State from matching the Montana offense score for score. Saturday is going to be close but Montana prevails at home.” -source 406 Sports

Great journalism right there. Faint praise for a guy that almost gave the game away to EWU at home……and “kept a game close.”

Who TF is Tom Hauck? Now that Scripps is embracing AI their reporting has become a big steaming pile of gris.

The two best parts about this.....they meant Tim Hauck. Tom Hauck died earlier this year. He is Bobby and Tim's uncle and was the Griz DL coach in the 2000s when I first started at the Missoulian. And also....Tim is the co-DC to Roger Cooper, not the other way around. Cooper calls the plays. Not Tim

[JohnGotti]

Cats 41 griz 28.