MISSOULA — The wait is nearly over for college football fans in Missoula as the No. 2 Montana Grizzlies get set to kick off the 2026 season on Saturday evening at Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
They get set to welcome the Southern Utah Thunderbirds. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. and Scripps Sports will carry the broadcast.
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2:21Southern Utah returns to the Big Sky, so it's a conference game to open the season when these two programs take the field.
Of course, for Montana, it'll mark the start of Bobby Kennedy's tenure as head coach.
"Our success will be determined on how we continue to come together, how we bond as a team, how we look out for each other as a team," Kennedy said. "And these guys have done that thus far. So it's really exciting for me and really an honor to coach these guys because we have great young men in this program."
The Thunderbirds and Grizzlies last met in 2021, which was Southern Utah's last year in the league.
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The Griz won a thriller, 20-19, on a blocked field goal in what was a bizarre contest, but under new head coach DeLane Fitzgerald, the Thunderbirds have found recent success and been a fringe playoff team, with seven wins each of the past two seasons, including a stretch where they won their final six in 2025.
"They've been an excellent team running the football," Kennedy said. "They're inside, outside zone, then also their quarterback runs. They're tough to defend. And then they'll do some play action and try to hit you over the top. And so we've got to have good eyes, got to read our keys, got to be stout up front."
It'll be a good challenge for Montana, with all of its changes on defense.
"Good running team. Their quarterback can run, their running backs are good," UM linebacker Peyton Wing said. "O-line is good, too, so we're excited for that test. I know our coaches are going to put us in the best situation, so yeah, we're excited."
With a loaded offense, questions on defense, a new head coach and plenty of fresh faces on the staff, none of that matters at the end of the day to the Grizzlies as expectations start out sky high with UM ranked No. 2 in the country and ready to take the field with Kennedy leading the way.
"I mean, it's an opportunity to make him look good on Saturday," UM quarterback Keali'i Ah Yat said with a laugh. "Coach BK is a great coach. So I think just everything that he instills in us, we're trying to show it on the field."
"A million things when you're new in this role goes through your mind, but I'm really comfortable with our staff and comfortable with our players," Kennedy added. "I feel like we have a great staff and guys that have been through a bunch of battles before."