Montana Grizzlies football playoff appearances in a row (17), Big Sky Conference titles in a row (12), and overall playoff appearances (19). Their success made them the most successful program in all of college football in the 2000s (119 wins) and third most successful team in FCS in the 1990s (93 wins). The University of Montana's first football season was in 1897, where they won a single game against future rival Montana State. The team played only schools from Montana until it helped found the Northwest Intercollegiate Athletic Association (NWIAA) in 1902. In addition to Montana, this original Northwest Conference included Washington, Washington
Joe Montana the second half, Montana led a fourth-quarter rally to put Notre Dame ahead with 45 seconds remaining, only to see the Trojans win on a last-second field goal. On January 1, 1979, Notre Dame returned to the Cotton Bowl, this time against Houston. Montana's performance in what came to be known as the "Chicken Soup Game," is one of the most celebrated of his entire football career. In frigid, blustery conditions in the second quarter, Montana had to fight off hypothermia as his body temperature dropped to . When the second half began with Houston up 20–12, Montana stayed in