UM Griz Football vs Utah Tech at Washington-Grizzly Stadium

GoGriz.com / Montana Sports Information

This week Montana shifts its attention to a nonconference game against a new conference opponent in Utah Tech. The Griz and Trailblazers are set to kick off at 1:00 pm inside Washington-Grizzly Stadium Saturday afternoon. This week’s game is Montana’s annual Military Appreciation Game as well as Band Day and the celebration of the incoming class to the Grizzly Sports Hall of Fame.

Utah Tech comes to Missoula as Big Sky Conference debutants in 2026, joining the league during the offseason out of the United Athletic Conference. But even though they Blazers are in the Big Sky family, this matchup remains nonconference – previously scheduled as the back end of a multi-year home-and-home series. The Griz opened the series in St. George, Utah, in 2023, and this game remained on the nonconference schedule after Tech transitioned to the Big Sky to help balance the open dates.

Montana enters the game with a full head of steam after opening the year with a win in a battle against fellow Big Sky newcomers Southern Utah in a league game, and a convincing non-con win over the Drake Bulldogs. The Griz will look to carry the momentum forward as they seek to get off to a 3-0 start for the fifth time in the last six seasons.

Utah Tech, meanwhile, limps into Missoula after a pair of tough losses against top level competition to start the season, hungry to get into the win column for the first time.

The Blazers are led by head coach Lance Anderson, now in his third season in St. George. While this is the first time the Griz have faced an Anderson team, the Montana staff has unique familiarity with his abilities as a coach. He and Grizzly head coach Bobby Kennedy were on staff together at Stanford from 2018-22 where Anderson served as the Cardinal defensive coordinator and interim head coach.

The former coworkers and old friends clash on opposite sidelines for the first time on Saturday, with kickoff set for 1:00 pm.

WATCH: The Grizzlies return to Montana Television Network/Scripps Sports stations around the state this week, with the Utah Tech game available on basic cable, satellite options, free-to-air channels, and online streaming.

This week’s game will be shown on “The Spot – MTN” around the state. “The Spot” is a new independent television network that serves as the secondary home of Big Sky Conference games and will carry specific UM games in specific markets. This week’s game can also been seen on “The Spot” in Phoenix, Boise, Twin Falls, and Local 3 in Denver.

The Spot is available around the state free-to-air for viewers with antennas in Billings (2.2), Butte/Bozeman (4.2/7.2), Great Falls (3.2), Helena (12.2) and Missoula (8.2). It is also available on Spectrum Cable, Tongue River Cable, TCT West Cable, Montana Opticom, Access Montana, DIRECTV, the DIRECTV streaming platform, and FUBO TV.

ESPN+ will again serve as the primary streaming home of Montana Athletics this season.

Veteran play-by-play announcer Trey Bender and former Grizzly All-American Jordan Tripp return to the broadcast booth this season. Kyle Hansen will report from the sidelines. For complete broadcast details visit GoGriz.com/WhereToWatch.

LISTEN: “Voice of the Griz” Riley Corcoran is in his 11th season behind the mic at Montana and will once again bring you all the Grizzly action over the airwaves on the Grizzly Sports Radio Network and its sixteen affiliate stations around the state.

Joining Corcoran in the booth this season is Chase Reynolds – a Montana native, Grizzly Sports Hall of Famer, five-year NFL veteran and one of the most decorated players in UM history – who brings his knowledge of the game to the airwaves as the Grizzlies’ new radio analyst.

“Grizzly Gameday” starts two hours before kickoff each Saturday with the official pregame radio show featuring Ace Sauerwein and Denny Bedard before Corcoran and Reynolds take over 30 minutes to kickoff.

Griz fans outside the radio footprint can stream all of Montana’s broadcasts on their mobile device LIVE and FREE of charge with the Varsity Network App, powered by Learfield and Sidearm Sports.

Griz legends Will Cherry (Men’s Basketball), Loni Perkins-Judisch (Track & Field) and Kris Nord (Men’s Tennis, Women’s Tennis, Golf) will all be recognized on the field between the first and second quarters. Don’t miss out celebrating these three Grizzly greats!

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