This Week’s Sky Highlights
The wild world of Big Sky Conference football enters October this Saturday. The slate features four conference games, including a matchup between No. 25 Sacramento State and No. 4 Montana State. The Bobcats, fresh off a road win over Eastern Washington and riding a three-game winning streak, welcome Sacramento State to Bozeman. The Hornets snapped a two-game losing streak with their first ever win over Montana last week...Weber State puts its two-game winning streak on the line at Eastern Washington, which is still seeking its first win...No. 19 Montana looks to get back on track when it plays host to winless Northern Colorado...Idaho State returns home to face Portland State. The Vikings are 1-0 in league, while the Bengals are 1-1. NAU has the week off....All four games can be viewed for free on Big Sky TV.
This Week’s Sky Schedule
Saturday, Oct. 1......................................................................... Time
Series: EWU leads 15-14.
Last Meeting: EWU won 35-24 in 2010.
Series Streak: EWU has won 1.
TV: Altitude, Comcast Sports Net Northwest (Joined in progress at 1 p.m.)
Internet: Big Sky TV
Series: UM leads 10-1.
Last Meeting: UM won 30-7 in 2010.
Series Streak: UM has won 10.
TV: Montana’s News Stations.
Internet: Big Sky TV.
Series: ISU leads 23-12-1.
Last Meeting: PSU won 38-3 in 2010.
Series Streak: PSU has won 1.
Internet: Big Sky TV.
Series: MSU leads 13-6.
Last Meeting: MSU won 64-61 in OT in 2010.
Series Streak: MSU has won six.
TV: Max Media (Montana), Comcast Sports Net California.
Internet: Big Sky TV.
*Big Sky Conference Game
Times Local to Site/Subject to Change
Around the League
FIRST TIME: Sacramento State ended its 16-game losing streak to Montana, beating the Grizzlies for the first time 42-28 last Saturday. Quarterback Jeff Fleming accounted for four touchdowns – throwing two and rushing for two. Bryan Hilliard rushed for 100 yards. Sacramento State led by as many as 21 in the second half, and put the game away when Fleming hit Brandyn Reed for a 37-yard score with 10:13 remaining. That TD gave the Hornets a 42-21 lead. The teams first met in 1993, prior to Sacramento State joining the Big Sky in 1996. Montana had beaten Sacramento State 15 times, the longest streak of domination of one Big Sky team over another. Montana was the only team the Hornets had not beaten since becoming a member of the league. The win catapulted Sacramento State back into the top 25. The Hornets are ranked 25th in the Sports Network/Fathead.com Poll, and tied for 25th in the Coaches’ Poll. Montana has beaten Northern Arizona 13 straight times, now the longest active streak of wins by one team over another in the league.
KICKERS MOVING UP: Montana State’s Jason Cunningham made five field goals and scored 18 points in the Bobcats’ 36-21 win over Eastern Washington. Cunningham now has 287 career kicking points, and ranks eighth all-time in Big Sky history. He is 13 points away from tying Tony Zendejas for seventh on the all-time list. Montana kicker Brody McKnight now has 285 career points to sit ninth all-time in Big Sky history. Montana’s Dan Carpenter is the all-time leader with 413 points, followed by Montana’s Chris Snyder with 392.
IN THE POLLS: Montana State remained fourth in both major FCS polls following a 36-21 victory over Eastern Washington. The Bobcats earned 618 points in the Coaches’ Poll. Montana State received two first-place votes in the Sports Network Poll and 3,398 total points. Georgia Southern, Northern Iowa and Appalachian State are the top three teams in both polls. Montana dropped from 10th to 19th in the Sports Network Poll following its loss to Sacramento State. The Grizzlies dropped from ninth to 16th in the coaches’ poll. Sacramento State moved back into both polls, checking in at 25th. Eastern Washington dropped out of both polls this week. Weber State is just outside the top 25 in both, checking in at 28th in the coaches’ poll, and 30th in the Sports Network Poll.
CHAMPS STRUGGLING: Eastern Washington, which closed the 2010 season with 11 straight wins and a national championship, is off to an 0-4 start following Saturday’s 36-21 loss to Montana State. It was the Eagles’ first loss on the red turf after eight straight wins in 2010. EWU’s offensive line has sustained a myriad of injuries. All-American center Chris Powers suffered a knee injury in the first half against MSU, becoming the fifth starting offensive lineman to miss action already this season with injuries. Converted tight end Patrick Mealey replaced Powers at center. Sophomore guard Steven Forgette suffered a broken fibula against Montana and is out for the year. Guard Ashton Miller sustained a ruptured Achilles tendon in the season opener and is lost for the season. EWU is the first defending national champion to start the season 0-4 since Southern Illinois in 1984.
MIGHTY MIKE: Weber State quarterback Mike Hoke has yet to throw an interception this season in 119 pass attempts. Hoke has not thrown an interception in 160 pass attempts dating back to the 2009 season. His streak ranks as the second-longest active in the FCS. Ryan Taggart of Holy Cross has not thrown an interception in 201 pass attempts. Hoke has 11 touchdowns and zero interceptions. Weber State leads the Big Sky with a turnover margin of +5. Last season, Weber State finished last in the Big Sky with a turnover margin of -9 and threw 11 interceptions.
SACK ATTACK: Northern Arizona recorded 10 sacks in its 20-3 win over Idaho State on Saturday, tying the Big Sky single-game record since 2000, when the NCAA began recognizing sacks as an official sack. NAU also recorded 10 sacks in a 2008 game against Portland State. Sacramento State had 10 sacks against Portland State in 2007. Defensive end Blayne Anderson was credited with three sacks, while Jarret Bilbrey had 2.4, and Isaac Bond two. Idaho State has allowed a league-high 24 sacks. The Bengals have also attempted a league-high 214 pass attempts.
Extra points: EWU’s Matt Johnson intercepted his 17th career pass last Saturday, moving him into a tie for seventh on the Big Sky’s all-time interceptions list…EWU true freshman RB Jordan Talley has back-to-back 100-yard rushing games… PSU kicker Zach Brown had made a school-record 10 straight field goals…PSU senior RB Cory McCaffrey did not play against TCU because of a knee injury. He is questionable for Saturday’s game against Portland State…Northern Colorado linebacker Clarence Bumpas recorded 19 tackles against Weber Staty, tying for second-most in the school’s Big Sky history.
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