Cullowhee, NC – No. 24 Western Carolina seeks its second straight road win in nationally ranked NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) competition as it makes the nearly 1,800-mile trek across the country for its first-ever meeting against last year’s national runner-up, No. 10/9 Montana, at famed Washington-Grizzly Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. ET / 1:00 p.m. MT on Saturday.

Saturday’s match will be broadcast on the MTN Network (Chapter 616 on DirecTv for subscribers) and broadcast simultaneously on ESPN+ (Paid subscription required). Jay Kohn (PxP), former Montana quarterback and longtime football coach Marty Mornnhinweg (color), and Kyle Hansen (sideline) have the decision.

Coverage will also be available via the Catamount Sports Network, beginning with the Pepsi Tailgate Show at 2:00 p.m. ET / 12:00 p.m. MT prior to kickoff at 3:00 p.m. ET / 1:00 p.m. Fans throughout western North Carolina can listen to the game locally on five CSN frequencies: in Sylva on 105.7 FM and 540 AM WRGC, “The River” (WRGC.com); 104.9 FM and 1050 AM WFSC, “Franklin’s First Voice” in Franklin (1050WFSC.com); and 1310 AM WISE Sports Radio in Asheville (wisesportsradio.com). Live streaming audio is available online at CatamountSports.com.

Fans can also follow Saturday’s game with live stats available online by clicking HERE . The game will be updated timely on TwitterX via @Catamounts and @CatamountsFB.

The Catamounts “filled the western sky” with their early-morning flight to Montana on Friday, kicking off the program’s longest road trip in NCAA FCS play – and the second-longest road game in school history, behind a trip to the Hawaiian Islands in 2017. Saturday marks WCU’s first-ever meeting with Montana and a school currently in the Big Sky Conference.

Saturday marks one of two SoCon-Big Sky games this season, as Portland State visits Chattanooga in the Scenic City next weekend (Sat., Sept. 28). WCU is the second purple-clad Southern team to visit the 41st state for football, as Furman played in Washington-Grizzly Stadium in last year’s playoffs. The Griz escaped with a 35-28 overtime win to reach the national semifinals. Before that, the most recent SoCon team to play in Missoula was former league member Appalachian State in 2013, a 30-6 win over Montana.

WCU (1-2) capitalizes on last week’s road win at No. 22 Elon, rallying from a 14-3 second-half deficit to take a goal-line lead with a touchdown from the QB Cole Gonzales before scoring a touchdown on special teams for the second straight week. Ken Moore Jr. flashed through the formation to hit the tying 44-yard field goal attempt with Jordy Lager and provided the decisive touchdown that ultimately determined the final score.

The Catamounts played a nearly clean game against the ranked Phoenix, committing just five penalties and winning the turnover battle two-nil with a Mateo Sudipo interception with Moore Jr. forcing a fumble that was recovered by Bo Simpson-Nealy.

Western Carolina will have to channel a lot of its positives through its first three games to find success against the Top 10-ranked Grizzlies. The Catamounts seemed to handle the noise of 56,000 screaming Wolfpack fans in Raleigh in the opener, but will be tested by the voice of more than 20K in the sunken bowl that is Washington-Grizzly Stadium. Montana’s rabid fan base stands just feet from the sidelines, casting a roar that echoes off Mt. Sentinel, which stands guard beyond one end zone. Montana is riding a 14-game home winning streak and has won 18 consecutive non-conference games in its lair.

The Catamounts will need to duplicate their efforts to win the turnover battle and field position game as they did against Elon and will be tasked with slowing down a ground game that cost them more than 400 yards last week against non-scholarship Morehead State. WCU’s defense under veteran coach Jerry Odom has shown that he can bend but not break, especially last week against Elon, after he thwarted two scoring drives in or just inside the red zone.

Montana, the presumptive favorite to repeat as Big Sky Champion — and claim its 20th all-time league football title — enters Saturday’s game with a similarly rollercoaster start in its first three games. The Griz defeated Missouri State in their home opener before squandering a 17-point second-half lead against 20th-ranked North Dakota, falling 27-24 in Grand Forks, N.D. Montana fans are hoping their team that feasted on the non-scholly Eagles of Morehead State last week will be the lightning bolt to spur the team on as it plays its final non-conference game of the regular season.

Leading Montana’s ground game is last year’s Jerry Rice Award winner, given to the nation’s top freshman, returning redshirt sophomore tailback Eli Gillman. He just missed 1,000 yards rushing with 968 and scoring 72 points a season ago for the Grizzlies. He already has five rushing TDs (third) through his first three games this fall and ranks 25th in the NCAA FCS with 93.7 rushing yards per game.

Western Carolina’s potent offense behind Gonzales will look to get on track against the nation’s 16th-ranked scoring defense, as the Griz have limited opponents to just 17.7 points per game while also ranking eighth in total yardage allowed (247.0 yds/gm). Montana ranks 25th nationally against the rush with 109.3 yards per game and eighth against the pass with 137.7 yards per game. However, WCU will be the biggest test for the Griz defense in the throwing game, averaging more attempts per game than their three previous opponents.

And as always, special teams will play a role in the winner of Saturday’s non-conference Top 25 showdown in The Garden City. WCU punter Stephen Brantley and the coverage team did an exceptional job of turning the field over in the win over Elon. Keeping the ball away from Montana’s return game and containing it will be crucial. The Griz behind all-conference selection Junior Bergen returned both a kickoff (99 yards) and a punt (59 yards) for scores in the overtime win over Furman last December. Conversely, WCU’s AJ Colombo And Calvin Jones are poised for big performances in the return game, as Colombo averaged 10 yards per punt return last week.

Kickoff is scheduled for 3:00 PM ET / 1:00 PM MT.

Next for Catamount Football:

After concluding non-conference play in Montana, Western Carolina enters its bye week before playing eight straight weeks of Southern Conference games, beginning with consecutive home games in #CatamountCountry. WCU hosts Wofford (Oct. 5) for Family Weekend before welcoming The Citadel (Oct. 12) for Heroes Day. Season tickets for the remaining four home games, including the Nov. 2 Homecoming game against Chattanooga, as well as single-game tickets and game-day parking, are on sale now through the Catamount Athletics Ticket Office on the first floor of the Ramsey Center, by phone at (828) 227-2401, or online anytime at CatamountSports.com/BuyTickets.

Game 4: Saturday, September 21, 2024 • 3:00 PM ET / 1:00 PM MT
Location: Missoula, Mont. (Washington-Grizzly Stadium – 25,217)
Archive: RV/24 Western Carolina (1-2) at 10/9 Montana (2-1)

BROADCAST INFORMATION:
TV: MTN Network (Chapter 616 on DirecTv, subscription)
Video stream: ESPN+ (subscription required)
PBP: Jay Kohn; Color: Marty Mornhinweg; Sideline: Kyle Hansen

Live statistics link

Radio: Catamount Sports Network
PBP: Daniel Hooker

CSN affiliates:

Sylva – 105.7 FM / 540 AM WRGC
Franklin – 104.9 FM / 1050 AM WFSC
Asheville – 1310 AM WISE Sports Radio
Online: CatamountSports.com

Click HERE to listen to CSN

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