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This Week’s Sky Highlights
Just two weeks remain in the 2010 regular season...This week’s schedule includes three conference games and two non-conference games against Great West teams that will join the Big Sky Conference in 2012...Weber State hits to the road to face Northern Arizona in the Wildcats’ final conference game of the season...Sacramento State meets Idaho State in Pocatello...Northern Colorado travels to Portland State...No. 5 Eastern Washington steps out of conference to face Southern Utah in Cheney...No. 13 Montana returns from a bye to face the University of North Dakota...No. 11 Montana State has a bye...The Big Sky announced last week that Southern Utah and North Dakota will join as full members in 2012. All five games this week can be viewed for free on Big Sky TV.
This Week’s Sky Schedule
Saturday, Nov. 13.................................................... Time
Series History: Montana leads 10-7-1
Last Meeting: UND won 31-10 in 1973
Series Streak: UND has won two
TV: CW-Montana. Internet: Big Sky TV
Series History: EWU leads 3-1.
Last Meeting: EWU won 41-28 in 2009
Series Streak: EWU has won three
TV: SWX-Spokane. Internet: Big Sky TV
Series History: PSU leads 6-1.
Last Meeting: PSU won 23-18 in 2009
Series Streak: PSU has won six
Internet: Big Sky TV
Series History: WSU leads 24-22
Last Meeting: WSU won 27-9 in 2009
Series Streak: WSU has won two.
TV: NAU-TV, Fox College Sports Pacific. Internet: Big Sky TV
Series History: SAC leads 8-6
Last Meeting: SAC won 38-17 in 2009
Series Streak: SAC has won one. Internet: Big Sky TV
*Big Sky Conference Game.
Times Local to Site/Subject to Change
Around the Big Sky
TITLE TALK: No Big Sky team will clinch a bid to the Division I playoffs, or clinch a conference championship this weekend. Eastern Washington (6-1 in league) plays Southern Utah in a non-conference game. Montana State (6-1 in league) has a bye this week. Eastern Washington and Montana State are the only two teams with a chance to claim the league’s automatic playoff bid. Montana could still win a share of the league title with a victory over Montana State on Nov. 20, and a loss by Eastern Washington to Idaho State on Nov. 20. Montana, however, will not be in a position to earn the automatic bid to the playoffs. The Grizzlies face North Dakota in a non-conference game on Saturday. Montana State will win the automatic bid to the playoffs with a victory over Montana on Nov. 20. Eastern Washington will gain the automatic bid with a win over Idaho State, and a loss by Montana State to Montana. Montana State holds the tiebreaker over Eastern Washington because of a 30-7 win over the Eagles. The 20-team playoff field will be announced on Sunday, Nov. 21 at 8 a.m. Mountain on ESPNU. The playoff field will be at 20 teams for the first time. Ten Conferences (Big Sky, Big South, CAA, Ohio Valley, MEAC, Missouri Valley, Southern, Southland, Northeast, and Patriot) have automatic bids to the playoffs. The other 10 spots will be filled by at-large teams.
EIGHT IS GREAT: For the first time since 1984, Montana State has won eight regular-season games. The Bobcats beat Weber State 24-10 on Saturday to move to 8-2 overall with just a conference road game against Montana remaining on the schedule. The most regular-season victories in school history is nine, accomplished in 1956, 1976 and 1984. In 1956, MSU won an NAIA national championship. In 1976, Montana State won the Division II national championship. In 1984, the Bobcats won the Division I national championship. Montana State has seven Division I victories this season and has likely assured itself no worse than an at-large bid to the playoffs. Montana State’s last playoff appearance came in 2006. The Bobcats also qualified in 2002 and 2003. Montana State fourth-year coach Rob Ash is 28-16 and has won more games than any Bobcat coach in his first four seasons. Sonny Holland and Jim Sweeney each won 24 games over their first four years.
BIG SKY GROWS: Last Monday, the Big Sky Conference announced that Southern Utah and North Dakota would join the league as full members starting with the 2012-2013 season. In September, the league announced Cal Poly and UC Davis will join as football-only members. The expansion brings the total of football-playing schools to 13. All four of the additional schools currently compete in the five-team Great West football conference. Big Sky teams will face Southern Utah and North Dakota this weekend. Southern Utah, which has won five straight and is 6-4 overall, is at Eastern Washington. The Eagles are in position to secure no worse than an at-large playoff bid with a victory. Montana plays host to North Dakota in Missoula. The Grizzlies are 6-3 overall and likely needs wins over North Dakota and Montana State on Nov. 20 to see their string of 17 straight playoff appearances extended.
SKY IN THE SAGARIN: The Big Sky Conference is once again second among FCS conferences in this week’s Sagarin Ratings. The Big Sky is 12th overall, just behind the CAA. Both the CAA and Big Sky are ranked in front of the MAC and Sun Belt, FBS conferences. Eastern Washington is 75th overall and fourth among FCS teams. Sacramento State is eighth among FCS teams and 85th overall. Montana State is 91st overall and 10th among FCS teams. Northern Arizona is 13th among FCS teams and 97th overall, followed by Montana (100/16) and Weber State (130/30). William and Mary is the top FCS team, ranked 55th overall. The MAC is ranked 13th overall. The Sun Belt is 17th. FCS conferences the Southern, Missouri Valley and the Great West are all ranked ahead of the Sun Belt. The top five Big Sky teams rank ahead of Utah State, New Mexico State and San Jose State of the WAC. EWU, Sacramento State and Montana State all rank ahead of Idaho.
Around the Big Sky
HIGGINS WATCH: Weber State quarterback Cameron Higgins completed 23-of-32 passes for 229 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions in the Wildcats’ 24-10 loss on Saturday. Higgins also sustained a knee injury in the final two minutes, an injury that might mean the end of his career. Higgins was scheduled to undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the extent of the injury. Weber State has road games against Northern Arizona and Texas Tech remaining on the schedule. If Higgins is unable to return, he will finish his career tied for the all-time conference lead in touchdown passes with 96. Higgins currently ranks third on the all-time passing list with 11,921 yards. He is 286 yards away from moving into a tie for second place with former Weber State great Jamie Martin. Higgins ranks fifth on the Big Sky’s all-time total offense list with 11,927 yards.
Big Sky All-Time Touchdown Passes
Player, School Years Games TD Passes
T1. Cameron Higgins, Weber State 2007-10 46 96
T1. Matt Nicholls, Eastern Washington 2006-09 47 96
T1. 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, Montan’a State 2002-05 47 12,205
4. Doug Nussmeier, Idaho 1990-93 39 12,207
5. Cameron Higgins, Weber State 2007-10 46 11,927
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 46 11,921
4. Travis Brown, Northern Arizona 1996-99 41 11,400
5. Dave Dickenson, Montana 1992-95 35 11,080
MILESTONE WATCH: Portland State’s Cory McCaffrey rushed for 187 yards in Saturday’s loss to Sacramento State. McCaffrey became the ninth player in school history to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards in a season. McCaffrey has 1,049 yards with two games remaining. EWU’s Taiwan Jones eclipsed 1,000 yards in his last game. He has 1,078 rushing yards this season. Montana State running back Orenzo Davis needs 78 more yards to reach 1,000. Montana State freshman QB Denarius McGhee is the only Big Sky QB with a legitimate chance to reach 3,000 passing yards. McGhee has 2,802 passing yards through 10 games. Northern Colorado sophomore WR Jace Davis enters the Bears’ final regular-season game with 912 receiving yards.
THE CHASE CONTINUES: Montana senior Chase Reynolds did not play last week as the Grizzlies had a bye. Reynolds enters Saturday’s home game against North Dakota with 55 career touchdowns, fourth place in league history. Reynolds has 48 career rushing touchdowns and seven on the receiving end. He trails Idaho’s Sheridan May (61), Nevada’s Charvez Foger (60), and Sacramento State’s Charles Roberts (57) on the all-time list. Reynolds’ 48 rushing touchdowns is tied for sixth in conference history.
EXTRA POINTS: EWU jumped from sixth to fifth in the Sports Network/Fathead.com top 25. The Eagles earned four first-place votes and 3,373 total points. The top three teams from last week’s poll all lost. MSU jumped from 12th to 11th and received one first-place vote. Montana remained 13th...EWU is fifth in the coaches’ poll. MSU is is 10th, while UM is 17th...Home teams went 2-1 in conference games last week. Home teams are now 20-10 in conference games..Saturday’s announced attendance of 92,746 at the Georgia-Idaho State game was the largest crowd ever to witness a Big Sky team, surpassing the previous record of 79,438 set in 2008 when Montana State played at Texas A&M.