Montana vs. North Dakota State: 2023 FCS semifinal highlights

[@anubiam3004]

That final play call was so strange to me. NDSU was gashing them on the ground in both OTs. Yet they run a gimmick play, and essentially the same play Montana just used for their 2pt conversion?

[@the406seadonkey6]

Agreed. Thank you! I'm glad I wasn't delusional in thinking I knew what I was talking about. Go Griz!

[@hansgordy]

It was a horrible play call... and on that last play the Montana defender who got the interception grabbed the receiver and dragged him to the ground. Blatant.

[@Miked1332]

I almost had a heart attack and an aneurysm during this game. It was the game of the year in my opinion. GO GRIZ!

[@zainbush9276]

This is one of the best CFB games I've ever seen. The atmosphere, the storylines the plays were all amazing. Seeing the big bad of FCS, NDSU finally get defeated after 10 years of dominance.

[@ettibbet5493]

It was one of the most fun games to watch as someone who didnt root for either team, could just enjoy every moment of the game

[@russell1821]

Great game!! Congratulations Montana, and hold your heads high NDSU - respect))

[@Andrew_M_Ward]

The Punt Return: 4:00

[@JRF1961]

One heck of a ball game!

[@perserverance333]

Both players were locked up in the end zone on the last play- Good no call.

[@jaskell5631]

Watch 99 on the Griz, why doesn't he throw his hands up and celebrate... cause he was right there.Hes looking at the ref. Bad calls on both sides.

[@izaakmoran8181]

@@jaskell5631there was definitely some questionable reffing for both teams

[@nolanbowen8800]

You can't get a closer game! This is as good a college game as there is. Go Grizz!

[@Craig55386]

Montana has everything to play for and nothing to lose in the Nat Champ. They are huge underdogs to the undefeated South Dakota State University Jackrabbits.

[@Altair_Galaxis]

The missed PAT almost cost them.

[@jasonbarney5587]

Missed PAT and missed FG

[@vigilantejusticevid]

what a crowd. Not a fan of either team but wow what a great game.

[@DevoGaming93]

One of the best atmospheres is ALL of college football. I'd love to see Montana make the jump to D-I FBS.

[@Craig55386]

I don't get why any FCS team would make the jump to D-1 FBS. Especially with the current 4 team playoff format. Why make the jump to FBS to play in a nothing bowl when you have a chance to win a National Championship every year?

[@DevoGaming93]

@@Craig55386 you must’ve missed the news back in like June where they confirmed a 12 team playoff starting next season. That said they would make multiple millions more dollars playing in the FBS. Don’t fool yourself into thinking a program would be better off not moving up. Rarely would it be detrimental. In the last 5 years you have 10+ FCS programs that have made the jump such as former FCS powerhouse James Madison who got more press this season than they ever have in their history.

[@MatthewMKF]

​@@Craig55386cuz the fcs championship doesn't mean anything

[@EyesWideOpenTruth]

Montana 🐻 Grizz gonna win it all . Team is solid

[@rockhammer3297]

From Fargo. Thank You so much Montana. The bizon needed to be humbled.

[@marcusking332]

There was no humbling. There was just an amazing football game played by two excellent programs. Hats off to NDSU and Montana for playing such an amazing football game.

[@joso7228]

yeah but not by the Refs

[@JamesZeroSix]

From Missoula. It wasn't exactly humbling, Griz needed 2-3 miracles to make it happen, (double OT verified)

[@demonllama7359]

Annnnd all the real D1 chips won in the great state of ND still reside in little Grand Forks. Some things never change.

[@Gomez1915]

NDSU is winless at Washington-Grizzly Stadium

[@dlang2506]

The NDSU game is one the Griz should've won fairly easily against an unseeded team though, so it was surprising that they barely squeaked by. The Griz are gonna really need to play better than this game if they want to beat SDSU in Frisco! Those Jackrabbits don't mess around.

[@Supermanfan99]

@@dlang2506Did you not see what NDSU did to the other seeded teams they had played on the road?

[@dlang2506]

Let's see what happens, but SDSU has been much more dominant than all those teams. Good luck Griz, but don't get your hopes up!@@Supermanfan99

[@jasonbarney5587]

Not true. NDSU won at Wa-Griz in 2003 when they were still DII.

[@grizmobster]

Yes and we had a 20 -0 halftime lead. One of the most heartbraking games ever saw in person. And for a DII school you brought so many fans. That never happened for any team we played except MSU. I just tried to wash my hurt away with alcohol after that game but all the bars were flooded with yellow and green. It was 🤮☹️​@@jasonbarney5587

[@dollarsignhtotheo2dubbs579]

Man that is the best view in college football!!

[@Tig-o1d]

I was at that game and watched ndsu loose but good job ndsu better luck next year

[@williamweiss6128]

Yeah, Grizzlies!!!

[@GeoAce777]

Had to do .25 speed and zoom in on that first Bison sideline catch 😗 🤯

[@comingforya690]

Let’s go Griz!

[@bbjj2867]

Good game. I love to watch these lower level playoff games.

[@alexyeager7995]

Might be the greatest game I’ll ever watch as a griz fan

[@jaredtaylor8083]

Always love seeing NDSU come to Frisco, but I'm glad they didn't make it. They won 9 titles in a decade and it's nice to see someone else getting a turn at the National Championship.

[@AmericanFarmerHVAC2024]

I wonder how many new TV's sold today in Fargo.

[@keithpalmer4547]

lol

[@jerryw2594]

Awesome game. That said, it’s sad that it had to come down to forced go for two (2nd OT rule). You play all season long and for the playoffs you should be able to play it out.

[@BrokeBaller444]

Go griz

[@richardwang1739]

Wow! Awesome environment! These schools will always matter. No matter what.

[@slanderman3296]

Was Awesome

[@Craig55386]

Instant Classic

[@amysinger2201]

#5 IS ALIVE!

[@billbright1755]

Merry Grizmas! 🎄

[@ulrr23]

2:05. Ayooo

[@flatplaneoregon4605]

This reel was lacking. You omitted plays for both teams that got them into scoring range and i didn't even see a clock cut away where it went into ot ..wth

[@danielbremner4142]

Check out Wheels.

[@SillyNelson]

No PI on that last play?

[@Mark-qj4qv]

Geaux Grizz!!!

[@Miked1332]

Go Griz!!!

[@bridgerlongthorne67]

Possibly the worst call I’ve ever witnessed in my life. The db can’t just push you on to the ground

[@jacobworkman3427]

definitely pi on that last play but that formation was awful

[@buzz71544]

Interference

[@caleb4735]

As a Montana fan I was so happy we are going to the national championship game we haven’t played a solid game all year but we are going to get absolutely destroyed vs sdsu I am just happy we are going to Frisco and I just hope we can play a solid game win or lose

[@steelersfan406]

Some fan

[@dlang2506]

Haha, he's not wrong though.. The Griz barely won that game and SDSU is much more dominant than NDSU this season. Hopefully it'll be a good game..@@steelersfan406

[@ianmclaren2354]

This is troll bait and your grammar is appalling.

[@caleb4735]

@@keithpalmer4547 let’s hope

[@dlang2506]

Sorry for your loss and I wish it were a better game, not a blowout. It was kind of expected though.@@keithpalmer4547

[@kingmouse9292]

Man, dude got pulled down. Cost the game. What a shame. Amazing game. Wish all the best to both

[@skyportalmusic7178]

Jesus Loves You

[@daunction7341]

That was a blatant Pass Interference call on the last play!!!!!

[@perserverance333]

Nope

[@dlang2506]

It doesn't really matter who won this game tbh. Hopefully it's an interesting game in Frisco, but I doubt it will be.

[@titanbrockie88]

As a bobcat fan suck it up now you know it feels!

[@bacon8r865]

The receiver initiated contact first and then proceeded to flop lmao learn football

[@gregsaldi1292]

agree with the other comment. he was actually engaged in a block and carried it downfield. If anything be upset with the play call which put him in that position.

[@billbright1755]

Look what I found! A ticket to Texas, coach it was just laying at the back of the the end zone, thought you might like it.😊 Those pesky buffalo 🦬 didn’t want to go down easy but we eventually got them herded towards the exit.

[@Nonpeon]

Why can't the IVY LEAGUE, which is FCS, participate in the playoffs?

[@martinkorlie]

The Ivy League has a strict 10 game schedule so playoffs don't interfere with their player's "academics"

[@TriviaDelinquent]

Yeah they voluntarily decline. The harvard-yale game is probably a bigger deal in terms of getting a national audience/scouting eyes anyways.

[@Nonpeon]

@@TriviaDelinquent Yeah, I think it's unfortunate. It'd be interesting to see how they stack up.

[@gregginter5867]

Uh, cause they play D3 level ball…maybe?😂😂😂

[@gregginter5867]

@@Nonpeon…interesting to see how much they’d get beat by…83-2?😂😂😂🎉🎉🎉

[@dannelson4209]

Looked like a Pass interference on the last play but, no flag thrown, GO GRIZ.

[@alpha_berchermuesli5975]

yea but from the other angle (close by ref) you could see that the contact did not come from the D. Offense grabbed and pushed aside, but D reacted

[@bradyhunt7158]

Yep what I thought as well the ndsu player was blocking for the run

[@alexryder545]

Wow this team is going to be blown out but South Dakota state😂

[@jasonbarney5587]

No they won't. Montana has been carried by defense and special teams all season, and it will keep them competitive with SDSU.

[@Craig55386]

South Dakota State is very good. The pressure is on them to remain undefeated and repeat their national championship and live up to expectations. Montana is a huge underdog.

[@hansgordy]

Watch the last play of the game... as the defender who intercepted the ball dragged the Bison receiver to the ground just prior to the interception. It was blatant.

[@rogerstern2542]

Wrong. Nd receiver initiated contact and fell down. Look at it again

[@hansgordy]

@@rogerstern2542 ... contact by the receiver is alllowed within the first five yards by rule. That happened. The defensive back pulled him down. Look at it again... without your maroon glasses on.

[@ianmclaren2354]

Incorrect but thank you for playing. Read Roger below and then watch the play without gravy coloured glasses.

[@hansgordy]

@@ianmclaren2354 ... watch the Montana player pushing and pulling the Bison receiver down right before the interception. He didn't fall on his own. The receiver initiated contact within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage... which is allowable. You are the one with maroon colored glasses. Good luck with the Rabbits. lol. How many titles do the Griz have? 2? Bison have 17. Write back when you get to about 16. Or when you approach 9 in a row... write please.

[@rogerstern2542]

Yeah you have a lot more titles that’s for sure. I’m sure it gives your life meaning. You need some after all it is North Dakota

[@willhurst5216]

PI on the last play?

[@redbaboonass4416]

Exactly what I was saying but I said "holding" but either way idk how there wasn't a flag thrown. I guess they're tired of seeing NDSU in the Championship game.

[@TrainerRed519]

I think it's because contact was initiated by the receiver. You can't just block until you want to catch the ball. The db was shedding, looking for a ball carrier

[@williamsewell6094]

​@@redbaboonass4416ur outa ur mind if u think thats PI

[@redbaboonass4416]

That's 10000% holding on that failed 2pt conversion against the defense. The player that intercepted the ball was clearly holding onto the receiver's arm and wouldn't let him go before and during the pass, idk how that wasn't called or even pass interference, something!

[@seandavis5981]

Agreed. Looked like there may have been a false start by the player immediately right of center. Appeared to be going forward before the ball went. Great game regardless

[@BrantJames-yg1bp]

Who made contact first? Did the tight end fall on his own? Yes there’s contact, but PI generally won’t be called if both players are at it, especially on a trick play in 2 OT

[@redbaboonass4416]

@@BrantJames-yg1bp doesn't matter who made contact first especially if within 5yrds of the line of scrimmage. There was no issue with the contact, the issue was the holding of the receiver's forearm and wouldn't let go by the defender while the ball was in the air. Disclaimer the quality of video isn't that great on my tablet, it was kinda fuzzy/grainy even after selecting higher quality but that's what I saw on that play.

[@kenjoersz8495]

@@BrantJames-yg1bpThat’s correct. One thing that I’ve always believed is that you toss out the rule book when it’s a trick play in second OT. Brilliant analysis.

[@redbaboonass4416]

@@TrainerRed519 that's how the play works. The receiver is supposed to engage the defender to make him think run and then shed the defender to get open for the pass, it's 100% legal but not for the defender to hold onto the receiver when the receiver tries to catch the ball.

[@krusty5347]

I don’t care for either team but it is too bad to see such a high profile game end on such a blatant missed pass interference in the home teams favor. It’s like the refs just wanted the game to be done instead of doing their job and making the right call…

[@UnstoppableKJ]

Thank you! I was wondering if I was the only one who saw it. I can't believe that it wasn't called and that the coaches weren't up in arms about it.

[@joshlien2118]

Yeah it is ridiculous and that wasn’t the only missed pass interference call that helped Montana. There were a lot of calls that Montana got away with but everyone for ndsu was called

[@Supermanfan99]

Nah. The NDSU player engaged him like he was blocking then lost his balance when he tried to toss him off. If you find a different angle elsewhere you’ll see it was a good no call.

[@ianmclaren2354]

You are all wrong, it's not pass interference. I suspect that like many people with an ax to grind you are looking for a way to justify the reality. The NDSU player engages the UM d-back, the Griz player has every right in the world to the position he occupies and as such can push back. If you want to blame someone for the NDSU player then over balancing while the UM player does the old "ole" move blame Sir Isaac Newton because before he got CTE from an apple there was no gravity.

[@mcpbaa3000]

That was the dumbest 2 point play call of all time.

[@dlang2506]

Agreed, but let's just be thankful the FCS championship isn't going to be the Dakota Marker again..

[@JamesZeroSix]

did they call the exact same play as MT, what the F?

[@conradslemmer4117]

On the final play it looked like pass interference when Montana literally pulled the NDSU receiver down.🫤

[@WyomingGrizFan406]

How can it be pass interference before the ball was even thrown? #82 went for the block and shed and fell down in attempting to get separation. Outside of the fact that #49 of NDSU was illegal procedure / in motion before the snap.