This Week’s Sky Highlights
The Big Sky Championship and the league’s automatic bid to the playoffs will be decided this Saturday. No. 8 Montana State can claim the automatic bid to the playoffs and at least a share of the conference title with a win over No. 11 Montana. The Grizzlies and Bobcats are meeting for the 110th time...Eastern Washington can clinch at least a share of the championship with a win over Idaho State. The Eagles would get the automatic bid to the playoffs with a win over ISU and an MSU loss...Montana’s hopes of winning at least a share of a 13th title still exist. The Grizzlies need a win over MSU, and a loss by EWU. The Grizzlies, however, can’t gain the league’s automatic bid to the playoffs...Also on Saturday, Portland State is at Northern Arizona, Weber State is at Texas Tech, and Sacramento State guns for its third straight win over UC Davis in the “Causeway Classic...The 20-team Division I playoff field will be announced Sunday, Nov. 21, at 8 a.m. Mountain on ESPNU...The three conference games can be seen for free on Big Sky TV.
This Week’s Sky Schedule
Saturday, Nov. 20.................................................... Time
Series History: UM leads 69-45-5.
Last Meeting: UM won 33-19 in 2009. Series Streak: UM has won four.
TV: Montana’s News Stations. Dish Network channel 445. DirecTV channel 680.
Internet: Big Sky TV
Series History: EWU leads 22-9.
Last Meeting: EWU won 38-3 in 2009.
Series Streak: EWU has won four.
TV: SWX-Spokane Internet: Big Sky TV
Series History: First Meeting.
Series History: NAU leads 13-4.
Last Meeting: NAU won 44-23 in 2009.
Series Streak: NAU has won three.
TV: NAU-TV, Fox College Sports. Internet: Big Sky TV
Series History: UCD leads 39-18.
Last Meeting: SAC won 21-28 in 2009.
Series Streak: SAC has won two.
TV: Comcast Sports Net California.
*Big Sky Conference Game.
Times Local to Site/Subject to Change
Around the Big Sky
CHAMPIONSHIP TALK: Three teams – Eastern Washington, Montana State and Montana – still have hopes of claiming at least a share of the Big Sky regular-season football title. Montana State and Eastern Washington, however, are the only teams who can capture the league’s automatic bid to the Division I playoffs. Montana State will win the automatic bid with a win over Montana on Saturday in Missoula. The Bobcats can clinch at least a share of the title with a win. The Bobcats will be outright champions with a win and a loss by Eastern Washington to Idaho State. Eastern Washington can clinch at least a share of the title with a win over Idaho State. The Eagles will be outright champions and claim the league’s automatic bid with a win and a Montana victory over Montana State. If both Eastern Washington and Montana State lose, Montana will forge a three-way tie for the regular-season championship. Montana has won or shared 12 straight Big Sky championships. In that scenario, Montana State earns the automatic bid to the playoffs because of its head-to-head win over Eastern Washington. EWU won the outright Big Sky title in 1997. The Eagles most recent shared championships were in 2004 and 2005. Montana State’s last outright championship came in 1984. The Bobcats shared the title in 2002, 2003 and 2005. Montana State and Eastern Washington have all but sewed up no worse than at-large bids to 20-team playoff field. Montana might need a win over Montana State to assure itself an 18th straight playoff appearance. If Sacramento State beats UC Davis on Saturday to finish 7-4, the Hornets could also garner at-large consideration. The 20-team playoff field will be announced on Sunday at 8 a.m. Mountain on ESPNU.
SKY IN THE SAGARIN: The Big Sky is once again ranked No. 2 among FCS conferences in this week’s Sagarin ratings. The Big Sky is ranked 12th overall, just behind the Colonial. The Big Sky is ranked in front of FBS conference the MAC and the Sun Belt. Eastern Washington leads the Big Sky teams, checking in at 77th overall and fifth among FCS teams. Sacramento State is 84th overall and eighth among FCS teams. Montana State is ninth among FCS teams, followed by NAU (18), UM (19) and Weber State (23). All six Big Sky teams are ranked no lower than 115th overall.
ZAMBERLIN’S FINAL GAME: Idaho State announced on Sunday that fourth-year coach John Zamberlin will not return for a fifth season. Zamberlin, who came to ISU from Central Washington, is 4-27 in Big Sky games and 6-38 overall. The Bengals close the season on Saturday at Eastern Washington. Zamberlin will coach the Bengals, who are seeking to win their final game of the season for the third straight year.
ZACK AS IN SACK: Sacramento State junior Zack Nash set a Big Sky single-game record with five sacks in the Hornets’ 45-14 win over Idaho State on Saturday. His five sacks broke the previous Big Sky record of 4.5 set by Montana State’s Adam Cordeiro against Idaho State in 2001. Nash’s five sacks broke the previous Sac State record of four sacks set by Christian Clark in 2009 against Northern Arizona. Nash has a single-season school record 13 sacks this season, which is tied for fifth-most in Big Sky history. The Big Sky’s sack record goes back to only 2000, when the NCAA began keeping sacks as an official record.
MCGHEE ADDED TO PAYTON WATCH LIST: Montana State freshman QB Denarious McGhee was added to the Walter Payton Award Watch list last week. McGhee leads the Big Sky and ranks third in the nation with a passing efficiency of 156.7. He is sixth in the nation in total offense at 296.7 yards per game. McGhee has completed 63.1 percent of his passes for 2,802 yards with 20 touchdowns and just five interceptions. McGhee will join Eastern Washington running back Taiwan Jones and Montana running back Chase Reynolds on the Payton voting ballot, which will be released early next week. Eastern Washington linebacker J.C. Sherritt and Montana defensive back Trumaine Johnson will be on the Buck Buchanan Award ballot. Sherritt finished second in Buchanan voting in 2009.
HIGGINS SETS TD RECORD: Weber State’s Cameron Higgins, who sustained a knee injury against Montana State on Nov. 13 and was questionable last Saturday against Northern Arizona, became the Big Sky’s all-time leader in passing touchdowns. On Weber State’s first offensive play, Higgins connected with wide receiver Joe Collins on a 64-yard scoring strike. It was the 97th career TD pass of his career, surpassing EWU’s Matt Nichols and UM’s Dave Dickenson. Higgins completed 12-of-22 passes for 173 yards before leaving in the third quarter with an ankle injury. Higgins and the Wildcats close the season against Texas Tech. Higgins enters his final game with 12,094 career passing yards. Higgins ranks third on the Big Sky’s all-time passing yardage list. He needs 113 more yards to tie Weber State’s Jamie Martin for second on the list. Higgins is fourth all-time in total offense with 12,094 yards. He needs 111 to tie MSU’s Travis Lulay for third, and 193 to tie Martin for second.
Big Sky All-Time Touchdown Passes
Player, School Years Games TD Passes
1. Cameron Higgins, Weber State 2007-10 47 97
T2. Matt Nicholls, Eastern Washington 2006-09 47 96
T2. Dave Dickenson, Montana 1992-95 35 96
4. Jason Murrietta, Northern Arizona 2003-06 46 94
5. Doug Nussmeier, Idaho 1990-93 39 91
Big Sky Total Offense Career Leaders
Player, School Years Games Yards
1. Matt Nichols, Eastern Washington 2006-09 47 13,308
2. Jamie Martin, Weber State 1989-92 41 12,287
3. Travis Lulay, Montana State 2002-05 47 12,205
4. Cameron Higgins, Weber State 2007-10 47 12,094
4. Doug Nussmeier, Idaho 1990-93 39 12,027
Big Sky Passing Yardage Career Leaders
Player, School Years Games Yards
1. Matt Nichols, Eastern Washington 2006-09 47 12,616
2. Jamie Martin, Weber State 1989-92 41 12,207
3. Cameron Higgins, Weber State 2007-10 47 12,094
4. Travis Brown, Northern Arizona 1996-99 41 11,400
5. Dave Dickenson, Montana 1992-95 35 11,080
THE CHASE CONTINUES: Montana senior Chase Reynolds scored three rushing touchdowns in Montana’s 27-17 win over North Dakota on Sunday, improving his career total to 58. Reynolds’ 51 touchdowns is a Montana career record. Reynolds’ 58 total touchdowns now ranks third in conference history. He trails’ Idaho’s Sherridan May (61), and Nevada’s Charvez Foger (60). His 51 rushing TDs ranks fifth in league history behind Sacramento State’s Charles Roberts (57), Portland State’s Chip Dunn (54) and Nevada’s Charvez Foger (52) and Weber State’s Trevyn Smith (52). Reynolds enters Saturday’s game with 3,887 career rushing yards, which ranks eighth in league history. Reynolds needs 130 yards to become UM’s all-time leading rusher. Lex Hilliard holds the mark with 4,016.
SOARING HIGH: Eastern Washington moved up to No. 3 in this week’s Sports Network/Fathead.com poll, as well as the FCS Coaches’ poll. The No. 3 ranking is the highest ever at the FCS level. EWU earned eight first-place votes in the Sports Network poll and 3,563 points. The Eagles are behind Delaware and Appalachian State in both polls. EWU was ranked sixth in 1997, a season the Eagles advanced to the FCS semifinals. Montana State is ranked eighth in both polls this week. Montana is 11th in the Sports Network poll, and 14th in the coaches’ poll.
EXTRA POINTS: Road teams won all three conference games last weekend. Home teams are now 20-13 in league games...PSU’s Cory McCaffrey rushed for 226 yards - 201 in the first half - in a loss to Northern Colorado...Sacramento State QB Jeff Fleming has 21 TD passes this season, a single-season school record...EWU ranks third in the nation in interceptions with (18)...