Cullowhee, N.C. – No. 24 Western Carolina seeks its second-consecutive road win over nationally-ranked NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) competition as it makes the nearly 1,800-mile trek across the country for the first-ever meeting against last year's national runner-up, No. 10/9 Montana, at famed Washington-Grizzly Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. MT on Saturday.
Saturday's game will be broadcast over the air on the MTN Network (
Ch. 616 on DirecTv for subscribers) and simulcast
on ESPN+ (
paid subscription required). Jay Kohn (PxP), former Montana quarterback and longtime football coach Marty Mornnhinweg (color), and Kyle Hansen (sideline) have the call.
Coverage is also available through the Catamount Sports Network beginning with the Pepsi Tailgate Show at 2 p.m. ET / Noon MT ahead of the 3 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. MT kickoff. Fans across Western North Carolina can listen to the game locally on five CSN affiliate 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 additionally follow Saturday's game with live stats accessible online by
clicking HERE with timely in-game updates on TwitterX following @Catamounts and @CatamountsFB.
The Catamounts "Filled the Western Sky" with their early-morning plane flight to Montana on Friday, embarking on the program's longest trip in NCAA FCS play – and the second-longest road game in school history behind the 2017 trip to the Hawaiian Islands. Saturday marks WCU's first-ever meeting both with Montana and with a school currently under the Big Sky Conference banner.
Saturday is one of two SoCon- Big Sky matchups this season as Portland State is slated to visit Chattanooga in the Scenic City next weekend (Sat., Sept. 28). WCU is the second purple-clad southern squad to venture into the 41st state for football as Furman played at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in last year's playoffs. The Griz escaped with a 35-28 overtime victory that propelled them to the national semifinals. Before that, the most recent SoCon team to play In Missoula was former league member Appalachian State back in 2013, a 30-6 Montana victory.
WCU (1-2) is riding the momentum of last week's road victory at No. 22 Elon, rallying from a 14-3 second-half deficit to pull ahead on the goal line leaping touchdown by QB
Cole Gonzales before tacking on insurance with a touchdown on special teams for a second consecutive week.
Ken Moore Jr. flashed across the formation to bat the would-be game-tying 44-yard field goal attempt with
Jordy Lowery delivering the scoop-and-score touchdown that helped provide the final tally.
The Catamounts played a nearly clean game against the ranked Phoenix, committing just five penalties and winning the turnover battle two-to-none with a
Mateo Sudipo interception with Moore Jr. forcing a fumble that was recovered by
Bo Simpson-Nealy.
Western Carolina will need to channel many of its positives through the first trio of games to find success against the Top 10 ranked Grizzlies. The Catamounts seemingly handled the noise of 56,000 screaming Wolfpack fans in Raleigh in the opener – but will be tested by the voice of over 20K at the sunken bowl that is Washington-Grizzly Stadium. Montana's rabid fanbase is just feet from the sideline, raining noise down that reverberates off Mt. Sentinel which stands guard beyond one end zone. Montana is riding a 14-game home winning streak – and has been victorious in 18 consecutive nonconference games in its den.
The Catamounts must duplicate their efforts in winning the turnover battle and field position game like it did against Elon and will be tasked with slowing a ground game that chewed up over 400 yards last week against non-scholarship Morehead State. WCU's defense under veteran coach
Jerry Odom has shown bend but don't break abilities, especially last week against Elon after thwarting a pair of would-be scoring drives inside or just right at the red zone.
The presumptive favorite to repeat as the Big Sky Champion – and to claim its 20th league football title all-time – Montana enters Saturday's game amidst a similar roller coaster start through its first three games. The Griz edged Missouri State in their home opener before blowing a 17-point second-half lead against 20th-ranked North Dakota in falling 27-24 in Grand Forks, N.D. Montana faithful hope their squad feasting on the non-scholly Eagles of Morehead State last week will be the lightning bolt to spur the squad along as it too plays its final nonconference game of the regular season.
Leading Montana's ground game is last year's Jerry Rice Award Winner, which is given to the nation's top freshman, returning redshirt sophomore tailback Eli Gillman. He just missed 1,000 yards with 968 rushing and scored 72 points a season ago for the Grizzlies. He already has five rushing TDs (3rd) through the first three games this fall and ranks 25th in the NCAA FCS at 93.7 rushing yards per game.
Western Carolina's potent offense behind Gonzales will look to get on track against the nation's No. 16 scoring defense as the Griz have held opponents to just 17.7 points per game, while also ranking eighth overall in total yardage allowed (247.0 yds/gm). Montana ranks 25th nationally against the rush at 109.3 yards per game and is eighth against the pass at 137.7 yards per game. WCU, though, will be the biggest test for the Griz defense in the throw game, averaging more attempts per game than its three previous opponents.
And as always, special teams will factor into the victor of Saturday's nonconference Top 25 showdown in The Garden City. WCU punter
Stephen Brantley and the coverage team did an exceptional job in flipping the field in the win at Elon. Keeping the ball away from and containing Montana's return game will be critical. 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 primed for big outings in the return game as Colombo averaged 10 yards per punt return last week.
Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. MT.
Up Next for Catamount Football:
Concluding nonconference play at Montana, Western Carolina enters its bye week before embarking on eight-straight weeks of Southern Conference play beginning with consecutive home dates in #CatamountCountry. WCU hosts Wofford (Oct. 5) on Family Weekend before welcoming in The Citadel (Oct. 12) on 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, Sept. 21, 2024 • 3 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. MT
Location: Missoula, Mont. (Washington-Grizzly Stadium – 25,217)
Records: RV/24 Western Carolina (1-2) at 10/9 Montana (2-1)
BROADCAST INFORMATION:
TV: MTN Network (
Ch. 616 on DirecTv, subscription)
Video Stream: ESPN+ (
subscription required)
PBP: Jay Kohn; Color: Marty Mornhinweg; Sideline: Kyle Hansen
Live Stats 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
Keep track of everything related to Catamount football and WCU Athletics through its social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/CatamountSports) and Twitter (@Catamounts, @CatamountsFB).
