Football Notes - Second-Round Edition

Jon Kasper - Big Sky Conference

11/28/2011 5:18:11 PM

 

This Week’s Sky Schedule

Saturday, Dec. 3

Central Arkansas (9-3) at Montana (9-2) 12:05 p.m. MST
Location: Missoula, Mont., Washington Grizzly Stadium (25,217)

Series: First Meeting

TV: None

Internet: ESPN3.

New Hampshire (8-3) at Montana State (9-2) 1:05 p.m. MST

Location: Bozeman, Mont., Bobcat Stadium (17,200)
Series: Montana State leads 1-0.

Last Meeting: Montana State won 17-16 in the first round of 1976 Division II playoffs.

TV: None

Internet: ESPN3.

Times Local to Site/Subject to Change

Around the Big Sky

SHARING AMONGST RIVALS: Montana earned a share of the Big Sky regular-season title and the league’s automatic bid to the playoffs with a 36-10 victory over then-No. 1 Montana State on Nov. 19 in Bozeman. Montana and Montana State both finished 7-1 in conference, thus sharing the conference title. This marks the first time that just Montana and Montana State have shared the conference title. Four times previously, Montana State and Montana were involved in three-way ties for the conference championship. For Montana, it marked the Grizzlies’ 16th Big Sky title in 19 seasons. Montana won or shared 12 straight league crowns from 1998-2009. Montana has won or shared 20 conference titles. Montana State shared the conference title for the second straight season. This is Montana State’s 14th conference title.

STORMS SECOND IN TACKLES: Idaho State senior linebacker A.J. Storms recorded 17 tackles in his final collegiate game against Eastern Washington. Storms finished his career with 434 career tackles (199 solo, 235 assisted) to finish second on the Big Sky’s all-time list. The record list dates back to 2000 when the NCAA began keeping tackles as an official statistic. Storms ranks behind only Montana State’s Kane Ioane, who tallied 471 total tackles from 2000-03. Storms passed Eastern Washington’s J.C. Sherritt last Saturday. Sherritt, who won the Buck Buchanan Award last season, finished his career with 432 tackles.

BUMPAS FIFTH: Northern Colorado sophomore linebacker Clarence Bumpas finished the season with 145 total tackles, which ranks fifth in Big Sky single-season history. Since 2000, only Eastern Washington’s J.C. Sherritt and Greg Beltzer and Idaho State’s A.J. Storms have recorded more tackles in a single season. Sherritt had the top two totals with 176 in 2010 and 170 in 2009. Beltzer had 151 in 2000, and Storms had 146 last season. Bumpas, a transfer from Kansas State, had 56 solo stops and 89 assisted tackles.

MCBRIDE SAYS GOODBYE: Weber State’s Ron McBride won his final game, beating Portland State 48-33 on Nov. 19 at JELD-WEN FIELD. McBride announced on Nov. 8 that this would be his final season. McBride guided Weber State for seven seasons, compiling a 43-38 mark, including a 34-21 record in conference play. McBride won more conference games than any other Wildcat coach. He guided Weber State to a share of the 2008 Big Sky Championship, the program’s first since 1968. He also guided the Wildcats to back-to-back playoff appearances in 2008 and 2009. Weber State had not gone to the playoffs since 1991. McBride spent more than 40 years coaching at the college level, including 13 seasons as the head coach at Utah, where he went 88-63. In 20 years as a head coach, McBride finished 131-101.

PACKING THE STANDS: Montana finished the regular season ranked second in average attendance and total attendance at the FCS level. Montana drew 153,969 fans in six home games for an average of 25,622. Appalachian State is currently first with an average of 28,031 fans per game and an overall attendance figure of 168,188. Montana State finished 12th in total attendance 106,552 and 11th in average attendance at 18,022. Eastern Washington finished eighth in the nation in accumulated capacity. EWU drew an average of 8,899 fans in its four home games, which is 103.47 percent of its listed capacity at Roos Field. Montana was ninth, and Montana State was 11th. All average more than 100 percent of the listed capacities of their respective stadiums.

HARRINGTON TOP PUNTER: Idaho State’s David Harrington finished his career as the Big Sky’s all-time leader in punting average. Harrington punted 125 times during his two seasons with the Bengals for 5,787 yards, an average of 46.29 yards per punt. He topped the previous mark of 46.27 set by Idaho State’s Eddie Johnson in 2001-02. Harrington punted 56 times in 2011 and averaged a Big Sky single-season record 48.70 yards per punt. The previous record was 48.17 yards per punt by Northern Arizona’s Mark Gould in 2002. Harrington’s single-season and overall marks would be all-time FCS records. However, the NCAA requires a minimum of 150 career punts, and a minimum of 60 in a season to qualify.

EDWARDS ONE SHY: Eastern Washington junior wide receiver Nicholas Edwards caught three touchdowns in the Eagles’ final game against Idaho State. Edwards finished the season with 19 receiving touchdowns, one shy of the Big Sky single-season record of 20 set by Idaho State’s Ed Bell in 1969. Edwards has 29 receiving touchdowns through three seasons. The Big Sky career record is 46 set by Eric Kimble of Eastern Washington from 2002-2005. Edwards caught 95 passes for 1,250 yards this season.

RECORDS FOR BO LEVI: Eastern Washington senior QB Bo Levi Mitchell threw for 397 yards in his final game against Idaho State, pushing his season total to 4,009 yards. Mitchell is just the fourth Big Sky QB to throw for 4,000 yards in 11 games, and just the sixth quarterback to surpass 4,000 yards. Mitchell completed 318-of-503 passes with 33 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. His 318 completions is a Big Sky single-season record, topping the previous mark of 311 set by Idaho’s John Friesz in 1987. His 503 attempts fell just short of the single-season record of 505 attempts Mitchell had in 2010, when the Eagles played 15 games en route to the national championship. Mitchell’s 364.45 passing yards per game in 2011, rank fourth in Big Sky single-season history. Montana’s Dave Dickenson averaged 379.64 yards per game in 1995. Mitchell averaged 288.65 passing yards per game, ranking sixth in Big Sky history. Mitchell averaged 364 yards of total offense per game in 2011, which ranks third all-time in Big Sky history. His career average of 290.27 yards of total offense per game rank sixth in league history. Mitchell leads the nation in passing touchdowns, passing yards, average passing yards per game, and total offense. He is a leading candidate for the Walter Payton Award.

Big Sky 4,000 Passers

Player, School Year Games Yards

1. Cameron Higgins, Weber State 2008 14 4,477

2. Dave Dickenson, Montana 1995 11 4,176

3. Jamie Martin, Weber State 1991 11 4,125

4. John Friesz, Idaho 1989 11 4,041

5. Bo Levi Mitchell, E. Washington 2011 11 4,009

6. Erik Meyer, E. Washington 2005 12 4,003

STILL KICKING: Montana senior Brody McKnight and Montana State’s Jason Cunningham will extend their careers at least one more game next week. Both currently rank in the top 10 in Big Sky history in kick scoring and total scoring. McKnight has 366 career points with 57 field goals and 195 extra points. McKnight is tied for fourth on the Big Sky’s all-time scoring list with Portland State’s Charles Dunn. McKnight is also fourth in the kick scoring list. McKnight’s 195 career extra points are a Big Sky record. Cunningham has 344 career points, which puts him fifth on the kick scoring list and ninth on the all-time scoring list.

IN THE POLLS: Montana finished the regular season ranked fifth in both major FCS polls. Montana moved up two spots after knocking off Montana State, which was ranked No. 1 heading into the game. Montana State dropped to seventh in both major polls following the loss. Montana State gained the No. 1 ranking for the first time since 1984 when the Bobcats won the national championship.

EXTRA POINTS: Portland State blocked nine kicks this season, with tied The Citadel for second in the FCS. Future Big Sky member North Dakota blocked 10…North Dakota finished 8-3, but was not playoff eligible. Southern Utah finished its season 6-5 with three wins over Big Sky teams. Cal Poly also finished 6-5. UC Davis finished 4-7. SUU, CP and UCD also join the Big Sky in 2012 with North Dakota…Big Sky teams finished 18-18 in conference road games this season. Montana State went 4-0 in conference road games. Montana, Eastern Washington, Weber State and Portland State were all 3-1 in conference road games. Road teams went 14-22 in 2010 in conference games...Idaho State’s Rodrick Rumble finished his season with a Big Sky single-season record 112 catches. He is the first player in Big Sky history to catch 100 passes in a season...Portland State’s Connor Kavanaugh finished his career with 1,964 rushing yards, a league record for a QB. He rushed for 1,060 yards in 2010, a single-season record for Big Sky QBs... Montana State and Montana will play home games in the playoffs on the same day for the first time since 2006. In 2006, Montana beat McNeese State in a first-round game, while Montana State beat Furman in Bozeman...Weber State’s C.J. Tuckett rushed 37 times for 197 yards with two touchdowns in the Wildcats’ first time games. In the final two games, Tuckett carried 47 times for 465 yards and eight touchdowns. Tuckett scored five rushing touchdowns in Weber State’s final game...Portland State’s Nigel Burton and Montana’s Robin Pflugrad are finalists for the Eddie Robinson Award...UM is fifth among FCS teams in the Sagarin Ratings. MSU is sixth. EWU is 23rd. Portland State is 28th, followed by Weber State.