As an FCS head coach, Bobby Hauck has few peers.
And as a native Montanan, as well as an alumnus of the state’s flagship university, he’s not going to stand idly by while someone denigrates his home and football program.
Sacramento State’s president learned as much this week.
Dr. Luke Wood spoke with the ESPN crew that televised Sac State’s game last week against Northern Colorado in the debut season of Hornets head coach Brennan Marion, of the self-proclaimed “Go Go Offense.”
Wood called Montana the “Pandas” rather than the Grizzlies; he also proclaimed that Sacramento State’s living “rent-free” in heads of Griz Nation.
The two Big Sky Conference foes meet Friday night at Sacramento State (10:30 p.m., ESPN2).
Closing in on 140 career wins at Montana against just 41 losses, and with two NCAA FCS National Championships game appearances, Hauck fired back early this week when asked about Wood’s joking but seemingly rather ill-advised barbs.
“We’re aware their president called us the JV, so we’re aware,” said Hauck, a man with 12 FCS Playoffs appearances in his previous 14 seasons atop the Montana program. “We’ll deal with that as need be on Friday night.”
Wood is attempting to guide Sacramento State into elevated competition at the NCAA’s Football Bowls Subdivision; the NCAA has denied the school’s waiver for the 2026 season while Wood has said the program remains undeterred in its plans.
The Hornets haven’t exactly mastered FCS play, with just three all-time FCS Playoffs appearances and one win.
Hauck, with 22 career FCS Playoffs win, acknowledged the Griz had seen Wood’s comments — and delivered a stinging barb of his own at Sacramento State’s “clown” president.
“We saw it,” Hauck told local reporters. “(President Wood) is kind of a clown, right? That is outside noise. That’s how we approach it.
“If I was the president down there, I’d be more worried about the riot that happened in their stadium after the game than taunting Montana.”
Ouch. But not wrong. Sacramento State hosted popular rapper Lil Yachty last weekend for a post-game, homecoming concert after its 40-35 win. The Hornets now have won two consecutive games in Big Sky Conference play.
That victory, however, was overshadowed by what one outlet described as a “prison yard” brawl.
The video below shows the massive melee, which featured fans assaulting each other with countless punches and slams.
Brawls broke out during a Sacramento State football game this past weekend…
This may be part of the reason why they’re having trouble with moving up to FBS 😬 pic.twitter.com/S6JTzzYxhZ
— Kalshi CFB (@KalshiCFB) October 20, 2025
While the host Hornets are 4-3 overall in addition to their 2-1 league mark, Montana is undefeated at 7-0, 3-0 in Big Sky Conference play with ranked wins against North Dakota and Iowa.
The Griz presently are ranked No. 4 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll; Sacramento State received 11 votes.