Whitefish product Dillon Botner was thinking he was done with football after last season, then was persuaded to stay on and now has a starting spot on the University of Montana Grizzlies’ offensive line.

Saturday will mark his first extensive playing time in the annual Cat-Griz game. 

“I’m excited,” said the 280-pound senior this week. “I haven’t got to play much in this game, especially at home. I’m excited for the opportunity.” 

Kickoff is at noon Saturday in Washington-Grizzly Stadium for the 124th “Brawl of the Wild,” and this one likely has a No. 2 seed in the FCS playoffs at stake, along with the Big Sky Conference championship. 

Botner made a few starts on the 2024 team, and when Cade Klimzcak retired after last season he spent a lot of spring drills at center. Then Klimzcak unretired and they share time at center now.  

It’s fairly unique but the Grizzlies’ offense hasn’t suffered: Montana leads the Big Sky in yards per game (467.5), touchdowns (61) and is second only to Eastern Washington in number of plays run with 766 — and EWU’s 770 includes 92 against the Griz two weeks ago, in that 29-24 UM squeaker. 

Montana has done it with a mostly new receiving corps and its third offensive line coach — Cameron Norcross — in three seasons.  

“Coach Norcross always has a good plan,” Botner said. “He’ll get us sorted out and we’ll be ready for them.” 

“Them,” meaning the 9-2 Bobcats, who pose the sternest challenge this season. Conversely, the unbeaten Griz are likely the second-best team (behind Oregon) that MSU has faced. 

“We’re starting to really come together as a football team, and I’m excited to see where we can go,” Botner said. “Obviously, this week and going into the future.” 

Homegrown Cats, Griz 

Montana State Brent Vigen noted Monday that he has 44 Montana natives on his roster, and when a reporter asked about the six players that came out of Billings West, the fifth-year coach made no bones about it. 

“If we didn’t have that contingent, I don’t know where we’d be,” he said.  

Twins Taco and Caden Dowler are leaders at receiver and strong safety, Paul Brott has been a horse at defensive tackle, Malachi Claunch has gotten time on running back and on special teams, Neil Daily has played five games at linebacker and redshirt freshman Braden Zimmer is the starter at left tackle. 

Among the most interesting names on MSU’s two-deep is sophomore free safety JJ Dolan, who could have been a fourth-generation Griz gridder (though his aunt Heather played volleyball at MSU). Instead, he has 18 tackles for the Cats. 

For the record the Griz listed 32 Montanans on their most recent game roster; there are 39 when you include recent transfer Fynn Ridgeway (also of Whitefish) and six true freshmen. 

Defensive MVP? 

Caden Dowler has certainly come into his own this season for the Bobcats, after injury-marred seasons in 2024 (he played six games) and 2023 (injured first game). 

The winner of the last two Big Sky defensive player of the week awards had a highlight-reel 83-yard interception return that was critical in MSU’s 38-17 win over UC Davis last week. 

“He’s been playing like this the whole year,” Brott said Monday. “He’s a very good athlete and I think he’s the defensive player of the year for our conference. I think he’s the best player on our team.  

“Two ACLs since he’s been here, and he just battles.” 

Dowler leads MSU in tackles with 72 (Cole Taylor is next with 55), including 5.5 TFLs and a sack. The junior has three interceptions, two forced fumbles and four pass breakups.  

As Taco Dowler noted on Twitter/X Sunday: “You know Caden Dowler’s name yet???” 

Pete, then a Re-Pete? 

In 2022 the Division I Football Championship had an all-Missouri Valley Conference final with South Dakota State beat North Dakota State, and it came close to doing it again in 2023.  

Montana prevented it with a double-overtime win over NDSU in the semifinals; the Grizzlies then lost to South Dakota State in the 2023 championship. 

There was a chance that postseason for a Big Sky Conference rematch in the semifinals, but NDSU blocked a PAT to beat the Bobcats 35-34 in OT in the second round. 

Count Montana coach Bobby Hauck among those who think there could be a Brawl II this time around, given Saturday’s game features two of the top teams in the FCS. 

“Maybe the two best,” Hauck said. “It’s a great week for us, always. The way it’s showing up is interesting — there's probably a chance we’ll play each other later in the year as well. It’s probably part of the equation.” 

It’s hard to predict where the FCS Playoff Selection Committee sets the conference’s top teams in the bracket. Last year NDSU and South Dakota State were on the same side. That left Montana State to beat yet another MVC team, South Dakota, in the semifinals; the Cats then lost to NDSU in the chipper. 

Montana and MSU were on opposite sides of the playoff bracket in 2019, 2021-22 and 2024. 

Before that they hadn’t made the same playoff field since 2014 and were on opposite sides. They were on the same side of the 2011 bracket, when both lost to Sam Houston State. 

A postseason Cat-Griz rematch hasn’t happened but obviously could. 

“It’s a huge game, because it’s our rivalry game, because it always is,” Hauck said. “We should anticipate playing each other again later in the season.” 

The FCS Playoff Selection Show will be Sunday at 10 a.m., and air on ESPNU. 

    Montana State wide receiver Taco Dowler (14) catches a 34-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter during an FCS semifinal game against South Dakota at Bobcat Stadium on Saturday, Dec. 21. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
 Casey Kreider