A Familiar opponent heads to El Dorado
Story by Kalon Fullerton:
It's a NJCAA Top-10 matchup between two teams who have only played a total of four times against each other but have built up plenty of history through those games. Eighth ranked Butler hosts the 10th ranked team in the country, Snow College, in a matchup of two historical national powers.
The Grizzlies and the Badgers have met four times in program history, twice being in the national title game. Snow won the first matchup in the series between the two in 2005 as the Badgers defeated Butler 17-14 winning the Top of the Mountains Bowl. The Grizzlies came back with vengeance as Butler won back-to-back National Championships, both over Snow College in 2007 and 2008. The Grizzlies won their fifth national title in 2007 with a 56-28 victory before repeating with a 37-30 victory in double overtime one year later.
Grizzlies Head Coach Brice Vignery played in the 2007 game at the wide receiver position, and he caught a pass as the Grizzlies cruised to the championship victory. The Grizzlies were led by Beau Johnson who was sensational, rushing for over 200 yards and four touchdowns despite torrential snow, as the Grizzlies combined for 529 yards of rushing. Butler scored 21 points in the third quarter and never looked back, capping off an undefeated season.
The next season, the Grizzlies again defeated Snow for the national title in a heart-stopping affair. The Grizzlies led 20-0 at halftime. Butler led 23-9 going into the third quarter and looked as if they would cruise to victory once again. But the Badgers put in a furious comeback, scoring the next two touchdowns to force overtime.
The two teams traded scores in the first overtime, and Forlondo Johnson was the hero in the second overtime period, forcing an interception that he returned to the end zone to give the Grizzlies the victory.
"The rivalry and the history between our two teams is pretty unique and fun to look back on. We played back-to-back national championships," Vignery said. "We kind of ran them out of the stadium in the first game and the next year it came down to a blocked punt in the end zone. So there's going to be no love lost between the two."
Two other coaches on Vignery's staff played in the 2007 game, as defensive coordinator Kyle Woodall and defensive backs coach Maurice Gray were a part of the Grizzly defense that held the Badgers to 340 yards of total offense.
"I've got two guys on staff that were in that game with me, so we have fond memories of this team and that game," commented Vignery. "I just think it shows the grit of which our program had, and still has."
The Grizzlies and the Badgers last met at BG Products Veterans Sports Complex in 2019, a game that Butler won, 36-17, the last time that two top 10 teams played a non-conference game in El Dorado. Snow was ranked sixth that day, and the Badgers will again be ranked in the top 10, despite losing last week to the top ranked team in the country, New Mexico Military Institute. 
"I have no idea what they're ranked, it doesn't even cross my mind," Vignery said. "We're trying to go out there and play the best football we can. Our approach is the exact same every week no matter what number is attached to our name."
2019 was also the last time the Grizzlies opened the season with three straight victories, and they'll be looking to reach that mark again with a win on Saturday.
"Our goal has always been to be 1-0, I've never talked about being 12-0," said Vignery. "We've got to put our blinders on and focus on us, and what we've got to get done at practice and then at the game on Saturday."