(Photo by Bob White)

MISSOULA, Mont. – Rice’s upset of North Dakota State in the first round sets up this unlikely clash in Washington Grizzly Stadium on the campus of Montana.

The Grizzlies bring a slight edge in student-body size, but the Owls were quite impressive getting out the word against the Bison.

D-II Round 2: Rice at Montana | https://t.co/ROpnbFiELm #virtualmcla20
— MCLA Tournament '21 (@MCLA_Tournament) April 7, 2020

No. 27 Rice rolled to a relative comfortable 10 percentage point triumph over NDSU, grabbing 597-of-1,081 votes.

The vote total in No. 11 Montana’s victory over No. 22 Bridgewater State was startlingly low.

Just 744 votes were cast with 398 going to the Griz, although the difference – seven percentage points – was solid enough.

Can Rice keep the train rolling or does ride in Missoula?