![\"Montana](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/montana-sacramento-state-football-crowd-dr-luke-wood-president.jpg\")
University of Montana Athletics<\/p>\nUniversity of Montana Athletics<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
He was forced to eat crow.<\/p>\n
One of the most hyped FCS matchups in recent college football<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n Dr. Luke Wood fueled Montana\u2019s fire.<\/p>\n 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 \u201cJV football.\u201d<\/p>\n That ruffled quite a few feathers among the Football Championship Subdivision.<\/p>\n If that was not fodder enough for the Hornets\u2019 opponents, Dr. Wood specifically targeted Montana over the last few weeks. He referred to the Grizzlies as the \u201cPandas\u201d during a live hit on ESPN and questioned whether the opposing fanbase was willing to travel for road games.<\/p>\n His comments obviously made their way back to Missoula. Head coach Bobby Hauck later referred to Dr. Wood as \u201ckind of a clown\u201d<\/a> during an explosive press conference on the Monday prior to the game.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Sacramento State did not show up.<\/p>\n The Hornets did not back up the talk of Dr. Wood in more ways than one.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The crowd here at kickoff in Sacramento between the Hornets and #GrizFB<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/GZxJJEREgG<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Kyle Hansen (@khansen406) October 25, 2025<\/a> <\/p>\n Fans eventually filled in at the end of the second half but only because Quavo performed a postgame concert. They weren\u2019t there for the game. It was a poor showing.<\/p>\n To make matters worse, Sacramento State lost by two scores. Montana essentially had the game won with 13 minutes left in the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n Fans chanted \u201cYOU GOT PANDA\u2019D\u201d in response to Dr. Wood. They were especially loud after he walked by the visitor\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Things got chippy between the players during the immediate postgame.<\/p>\n 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<\/a> sang the fight song. <\/p>\n Huge contingent of fans here, with @dawn_gillman<\/a> right there as always! \ud83d\udc4b pic.twitter.com\/tIq6o2EeI1<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Kyle Hansen (@khansen406) October 25, 2025<\/a> <\/p>\n