University of Montana Athletics
Sacramento State president Dr. Luke Wood talked a lot of talk about Montana. Neither the Hornets fanbase nor the actual college football team backed him up.
He was forced to eat crow.
One of the most hyped FCS matchups in recent college football history did not quite live up to expectations. It was an exciting game for a moment but the crowd and the final result were pathetic.
Dr. Luke Wood fueled Montana’s fire.
This whole thing started way back at the beginning of the year when Dr. Wood lobbied for Sacramento State to make the jump from the FCS to the FBS. He referred to the former as “JV football.”
That ruffled quite a few feathers among the Football Championship Subdivision.
If that was not fodder enough for the Hornets’ opponents, Dr. Wood specifically targeted Montana over the last few weeks. He referred to the Grizzlies as the “Pandas” during a live hit on ESPN and questioned whether the opposing fanbase was willing to travel for road games.
His comments obviously made their way back to Missoula. Head coach Bobby Hauck later referred to Dr. Wood as “kind of a clown” during an explosive press conference on the Monday prior to the game.
The back and forth between the two schools created a lot of hype for the game on Friday night, which aired on ESPN2. It was going to be a good game either way. The chatter only heightened tensions.
Sacramento State did not show up.
The Hornets did not back up the talk of Dr. Wood in more ways than one.
First and foremost, the crowd at kickoff was pathetic. There was just as much maroon and silver in the stands as there was green and gold, if not more.
The crowd here at kickoff in Sacramento between the Hornets and #GrizFB pic.twitter.com/GZxJJEREgG
— Kyle Hansen (@khansen406) October 25, 2025
Fans eventually filled in at the end of the second half but only because Quavo performed a postgame concert. They weren’t there for the game. It was a poor showing.
To make matters worse, Sacramento State lost by two scores. Montana essentially had the game won with 13 minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Fans chanted “YOU GOT PANDA’D” in response to Dr. Wood. They were especially loud after he walked by the visitor’s section with a stuffed panda when the Hornets tied the game with four minutes left in the second quarter. That score did not stick. The Grizzlies won by 14.
Things got chippy between the players during the immediate postgame.
Some wild scenes from the ground postgame as some players got into it, and the celebration went wild with the lights out and fireworks going off as #GrizFB sang the fight song.
Huge contingent of fans here, with @dawn_gillman right there as always! 👋 pic.twitter.com/tIq6o2EeI1
— Kyle Hansen (@khansen406) October 25, 2025
Meanwhile, Dr. Luke Wood — who is “kind of a clown” — was forced to eat crow.
“Love the big turnout from Montana Griz fans,” he wrote on X. “Apparently, you do travel well. Nothing but respect. ✊🏼 Thank you Stan State and Chico State students and leaders for showing up to support CalState!”
To be fair, he deserves credit where credit is due. Dr. Wood created a lot of hype for a late Friday night game between two FCS programs. Neither the team nor the fanbase lived up to the hype.