When North Dakota has been competitive in the past, or more especially when they have won, it has been with a head coach that is more innovative, more open to modern football. Scott Grochow may be a great guy from all I've heard, but I think he is too old school to win this game. It feels like he got this as a retirement present, but whoever selects the coaches needs to start selecting more based on who is more innovative and able to put together a scheme that can win.
Having said all that, there is a talent gap. Montana has a larger population overall, so they have a larger number of talented kids. But I feel the right ND kids and the right coaches can still win this game.
They just won in 2014, so that is not that long ago.
They do have roster archives on their web site.
http://badlandsbowl.com/Coaches aren't listed, unfortunately.
When they won in 2010, they had 5 interceptions. I think that might have been a Rod Oksendahl year. 2014 may have been Jay Gibson? I'm completely guessing on that one.