"Cat-Grizz," or "Grizz-Cat" sounds like a coin flip to the average sports fan in reference to a rivalry.
This much is true, unless you reside in the state of Montana. It depends on which reference will say something about the quality of your character depending on what part of Montana you are in.
If you are in Bozeman, Mt. you better wear Bobcat attire and refer to the rivalry as "Cat-Grizz."
If you are in Missoula, MT., better switch up your vernacular to Grizz-Cat. If you get the chronology of these two mixed up depending on where you located, you are sure to receive some backlash from this no-nonsense rivalry.
The Montana State Bobcats have the definitive advantage in the win-loss column with an impressive record of 69-35-5 against their respective rival.
Montana State coach Rob Ash, who has coached Montana State since the 2007 season, after he spent 18 years as a football coach at Drake University, described what it was like to coach in the heated but respected rivalryevery year.
He described the environment on the field coaching in front of thousands of passionate fans as "volatile."
"They are rivals all-day long, 365-days-a-year, and it's always a crazy environment when we play that game," Coach Ash said.
This primarily has a tradition that dates back to the late 1890's. It is embedded in every hard core college football fan's consciousness and is so infamous it's even an option to play the game on EA Sports popular game title " EA Sports College Football." Every year they produce the game.
"We don't hate the Grizzlies. We respect the Grizzlies, and we compete with them all day long," Ash said.
This will mark the second week in a row the Beavers will travel to yet another college football program with an illustrious tradition. Once again, you can refer to the win-loss record at 0-3, and start pointing fingers or you can look at the cold hard facts. MSU is in a transitional year in which will probably take half a decade a more to adjust to the new level of NCAA Division II, and playing an A- strength of schedule in college football terminology, These losses with the program should be taken with a grain of salt.
The reason for this is the experience MSU will receive playing against some of the top programs in the country, and seeing what they have gives the program an excellent benchmark to aspire to.
Witnessing and experiencing the speed of the NCAA Divisions I and II is invaluable, because of the type of blitz schemes, venue, It gives the programs something to achieve as they make the transition, and the benchmarks of seeing first class organizations is invaluable.
(Jason Blasco is the Minot State University beat writer for the Minot Daily News. He can be reached at (701) 857-1935 or by email at jblasco@minotdailynews.com.)