10/24/2011 6:15:50 PM
This Week’s Sky Highlights
All nine Big Sky teams are in action on the last Saturday of October....No. 5 Montana State looks to improve to 6-0 in conference as it welcomes Idaho State and former Bobcat coach Mike Kramer to Bozeman...No. 11 Montana trys to stay a game back of Montana State as it plays host to Weber State, which enters Missoula with a 3-1 conference record...Sacramento State is at home for the second straight week as it guns for its third straight win over Northern Arizona...Eastern Washington battles rival Portland State at the “Inferno.’’ The Eagles are seeking their third straight win over the Vikings, and their fifth straight win after an 0-4 start...Northern Colorado steps out of conference to face nationally-ranked North Dakota, which joins the Big Sky in 2012. North Dakota and Northern Colorado are former Division II rivals in the North Central Conference...All five games can be viewed for free on Big Sky TV.
This Week’s Sky Schedule
Saturday, Oct. 29....................................................................... Time
Series: MSU leads 44-30-3.
Last Meeting: MSU won 23-20 in 2010 in overtime.
Series Streak: MSU has won seven.
TV: Max Media (Montana) Internet: Big Sky TV
Series: UM leads 37-13.
Last Meeting: WSU won 30-21 in 2010.
Series Streak: Weber State has won one.
TV: Montana’s News Stations (Montana) Internet: Big Sky TV
Series: PSU leads 18-14-1.
Last Meeting: EWU won 50-17 in 2010.
Series Streak: EWU has won two.
TV: SWX & Comcast Sports Net Northwest. Internet: Big Sky TV.
Series: NC leads 12-11.
Last Meeting: NC won 28-12 in 2002.
Series Streak: NC has won one.
Internet: Big Sky TV.
Series: NAU leads 9-7.
Last Meeting: Sacramento State won 40-10 in 2010.
Series Streak: Sacramento State has won 2.
Internet: Big Sky TV.
*Big Sky Conference Game
Times Local to Site/Subject to Change
AROUND THE BIG SKY
MAKE IT 14: Montana continued its dominance of Northern Arizona, beating the Lumberjacks for the 14th straight time, 28-24 in Flagstaff. UM’s winning streak is the longest active by one Big Sky team over another. Northern Arizona jumped out to a 14-0 first-quarter lead, but the Grizzlies rallied to tie it 14-14 at the half. Northern Arizona took a 24-21 lead with 4:45 remaining on a 40-yard Matt Myers field goal. It took UM just 19 seconds to regain the lead for good. Peter Nguyen had a 49-yard kick return to set up a 46-yard touchdown run by freshman Jordan Canada. Neither team turned the ball over. NAU QB Cary Grossart threw for 321 yards and two touchdowns. Lumberjack WR Khalil Paden had six catches for 167 yards with two touchdowns. NAU sophomore RB Zach Bauman had 25 rushes for 148 yards and a touchdown. Five of the games seven touchdowns came on plays of at least 37 yards. The win secured Montana’s 26th straight winning season.
BACK IN THE HUNT: Defending national champion Eastern Washington kept its slim playoff hopes alive with a 42-35 overtime win over Sacramento State. The Eagles improved to 11-0 all-time in games played at Hornet Stadium. Sacramento State led 28-13 after three quarters, but Bo Levi Mitchell rallied the Eagles with three TD passes to Nicholas Edwards in the third quarter. With 55 seconds left in regulation, Edwards made a diving 22-yard TD reception to tie the game at 35-35. Sacramento State’s Jason Diniz missed a 44-yard field goal attempt at the end of regulation. Jordan Talley scored on a 1-yard run in OT for the game-winning score. Edwards tied an EWU record with four receiving touchdowns. He became the first Big Sky player since Montana’s Marc Mariani to catch four TDs in a game. Mariani accomplished the feat on Sept. 13, 2008 against Southern Utah. Since opening the season with four straight losses, Eastern Washington has won four straight despite a myriad of injuries to key players. All-American safety Matt Johnson was lost for the season last week with a shoulder injury. If the Eagles win their final three games, they could still receive an at-large bid to the playoffs. EWU is at home this week against Portland State. EWU has road games against Cal Poly and Idaho State after that.
IN THE POLLS: Montana State remained fourth in this week’s Sports Network/Fathead.com Top 25. The Bobcats dropped from third to fourth in the coaches’ poll. Montana State is behind Georgia Southern, Northern Iowa and North Dakota State in both polls. Northern Iowa and North Dakota meet on Saturday. Georgia Southern takes on No. 5 Appalachian State. Montana moved up one spot to No. 11 in the Sports Network poll. The Grizzlies jumped one spot to No. 8 in the coaches’ poll.
STILL ROLLING: Montana State won its seventh straight game with a 31-21 road win over Northern Colorado last Saturday. Running back Cody Kirk rushed for a career-high 202 yards and a touchdown to lead the Bobcats. MSU is now 5-0 in conference and 7-1 overall. MSU has won seven straight after opening the season with a loss to Utah. Sam Houston State has won nine straight games. Georgia Southern and North Dakota State have also won seven in a row. The Bobcats are 7-1 for the first time since 1978. Montana State leads the Big Sky in total offense, scoring offense, rush defense, pass defense, total defense, and scoring defense, and sacks.
HORNETS STEP UP: Sacramento State played without starting QB Jeff Fleming in its overtime loss to Eastern Washington. True freshman Tommy Edwards and redshirt freshman Garrett Safron both saw extensive action for the first times in their careers. Edwards completed 18-of-26 passes for 223 yards and two touchdowns. Safron rushed 15 times for 100 yards and a touchdown.
Extra points: Portland State QB Connor Kavanaugh threw a career-high three TD passes in the Vikings’ win over Willamette…Weber State allowed 32 second-half points in its 35-28 loss to Southern Utah…Idaho State coach Mike Kramer makes his return to Bozeman on Saturday. Kramer coached Montana State from 2000-06, compiling a 40-43 record and three co-regular-season championships…Montana true freshman RB Jordan Canada has rushed for 257 yards and three touchdowns in his last two games…Northern Colorado LB Clarence Bumpas has recorded double-digit tackles in six consecutive games, including 15 last week against Montana State. He leads the league with an average of 12.9 tackles per game….EWU QB Bo Levi Mitchell threw nine interceptions in his first five games, but has just one in the last three. He’s thrown for at least 356 yards and three touchdowns each of the past three weeks…Eastern Washington punter Jake Miller has been added to the Jerry Rice Award watch list, which will be awarded by The Sports Network to the nation’s top freshman. Miller is averaging 43.1 yards per punt. EWU RB Jordan Talley is also a candidate...Montana kicker Brody McKnight now ranks fourth on the Big Sky’s all-time kick scoring list with 327 points. Montana State’s Jason Cunningham is fifth with 314. McKnight is eighth all-time in points, and Cunningham is 13th...Idaho State has lost 31 straight road games dating back to the 2006 season....Montana State ranks seventh among FCS teams in the Sagarin Ratings. Montana is 21st...ISU’s Rodrick Rumble continues to lead the nation in receptions per game at 10.6.
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