FB Notes - Second Round Playoff Edition
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No. 2 seed Eastern Washington, No. 3 seed Montana State and Cal Poly begin postseason play with second-round games on Saturday. Cal Poly (9-2) travels to Sam Houston State. Montana State (10-1) plays host to Stony Brook. Eastern Washington (9-2) plays host to Wagner. All three games will be available on ESPN3.
This Week’s Sky Playoff Schedule
Saturday, Dec. 1 ............................................................................ Time
Cal Poly (9-2) at Sam Houston State (8-3)........... 3:05 CST
Location: Huntsville, Texas. Bowers Stadium (14,000)
Series: First Meeting
TV: None.
Internet: ESPN3.
Announcers: Jonathon Yardley, Forrest Conoly
Stony Brook (10-2) at No. 3 Montana St. (10-1).. 5:05 MST
Location: Bozeman, Mont. Bobcat Stadium (17,777)
Series: First Meeting.
TV: None.
Internet: ESPN3.
Announcers: Peter Young and Corey Chavous
Wagner (9-3) at No. 2 E. Washington (9-2). 3:05 p.m. PST
Location: Cheney, Wash. Roos Field (8,600)
Series: First Meeting.
TV: None.
Internet: ESPN3.
Announcers: Trey Bender, Jay Taylor
Around the Big Sky
THREE-WAY TIE: Eastern Washington, Montana State and Cal Poly all tied at 7-1 to share the Big Sky regular-season championship. Since 2002, there have been only three years with an outright champion in the Big Sky. In 2002, 2003 and 2005 three teams also shared the regular-season title. Eastern Washington earned the Big Sky’s automatic bid to the playoffs via a tiebreaker. All three teams played Sacramento State. EWU and MSU beat Sacramento State, while Cal Poly suffered at setback to the Hornets. Eastern Washington then won the tiebreaker by virtue of its 27-24 win over Montana State. This is Eastern Washington’s sixth Big Sky championship. The Eagles also won in 1992, 1997, 2004, 2005 and 2010. Montana State has now won 15 Sky titles. This is MSU’s third straight co-championship, and sixth since 2002. Cal Poly joined the Big Sky on July 1, 2012 as a football member. The Mustangs are the first “expansion” team to win a Sky title in their first season in the league. Northern Arizona finished 0-4 its first season in the Big Sky in 1970. Boise State finished 2-2 that season, the Broncs’ first in the Big Sky. Nevada went 5-2 in conference play and earned an at-large bid to the 1979 playoffs. Eastern Washington finished 2-6 in 1987, its inaugural Big Sky campaign. In 1996, Cal State Northridge finished 5-3, Portland State was 1-7, and Sacramento State was 0-8. In 2006, Northern Colorado went 0-8 in conference play. Cal Poly coach Tim Walsh will guide a second Big Sky team in the playoffs. Walsh led Portland State to its only FCS playoff appearance in 2000. The Vikings lost to Delaware 49-14 in a first-round game.
STANDING-ROOM ONLY: Montana and Montana State both finished the regular season ranked in the top 10 in total and average attendance in the FCS. Montana had 151,417 fans in six home games for an average of 25,236. Those marks were second only to Appalachian State, which had 167,787 fans in six home games for an average of 27,964. Montana State was eighth in total attendance (109,342) and eighth in average attendance (18,224). In attendance by capacity, Montana State was fifth, filling Bobcat Stadium to 119.92 percent of its listed capacity. Montana was 14th at 100.08 percent, and Eastern Washington was 17th at 98.94 percent. Montana drew a Washington-Grizzly Stadium record crowd of 26,210 to Saturday’s game against rival Montana State.
MUSTANGS RUSH TO RECORD: Cal Poly set a Big Sky single-season record for rushing yards in a season. Through 11 games, Cal Poly has rushed for 3,666 yards, eclipsing the previous record of 3,477 set by Montana in 1971. Cal Poly has rushed the ball 697 times for an average of 5.3 yards per carry. Cal Poly, which plays at Sam Houston State in a second-round playoff game on Dec. 1, is just 31 rush attempts away from tying Montana’s single-season record of 728 attempts set in 1970. Cal Poly has 36 rushing touchdowns, which is three shy of Montana State’s record of 39 set in 1966.
BENGALS SET PASSING RECORDS: Idaho State set Big Sky single-season records for pass attempts and pass completions in a season. The Bengals finished with 370 completions on 586 attempts for 3,872 yards. The 586 attempts broke Idaho State’s record of 575 set in 2004. The 370 completions broke the mark of 344 set by Cal State Northridge in 1997. Idaho State averaged 33.6 completions per game, also a record. The previous mark was 30.7 completions per game set by the 2011 Bengals. Idaho State senior QB Kevin Yost set individual single-season Big Sky records for completions (349) and attempts (553) in a season. The previous record for completions was 318 set by EWU’s Bo Levi Mitchell in 2011. Mitchell held the previous record for attempts with 505 in a 15-game season in 2010. Yost played 22 games at Idaho State. He completed 649 of 1,046 passes for 6,668 yards. He averaged a Big Sky record 29.5 completions per game, breaking the previous record of 23.9 set by Montana’s Drew Miller (1999-2000). Yost averaged 303.09 passing yards per game, which ranks fourth in Big Sky history behind Miller, Dave Dickenson and John Friesz. Yost averages 297 yards of total offense per game, which ranks fifth in Big Sky history.
BAUMAN NEARS TOP 10: Northern Arizona junior running back Zach Bauman rushed for 1,182 yards this season, giving him 3,676 career rushing yards with one season to play. Bauman currently ranks 11th on the Big Sky’s all-time career rushing list. He needs just 34 yards to crack the top 10. Bauman has rushed for at least 1,000 yards in three straight seasons.
RUMBLE SIXTH IN CATCHES: Idaho State’s Rodrick Rumble finished his career with 223 catches, ranking sixth on the Big Sky’s all-time list for career catches. Rumble became ISU’s all-time leader in catches in a 40-14 loss to Weber State on Saturday. Rumble caught a single-season Big Sky record 112 passes as a junior in 2011. Rumble finished with 2,863 career receiving yards, an ISU record. He caught 18 TD passes. Rumble finished the season with 74 catches for 1,006 yards despite playing in just nine games. EWU senior WR Nicholas Edwards enters the playoffs with 208 career catches, putting him in ninth place.
SKY IN THE SAGARIN: Three Big Sky teams were ranked in the top seven among FCS teams in the Sagarin Rating on Sunday, Nov. 25. Montana State was fourth among FCS teams and 81st overall. North Dakota State (47) and Sam Houston State (68) were the top two FCS teams. South Dakota State was third at 75. Eastern Washington was fifth and 85th overall. Cal Poly was 90th overall and seventh among FCS teams. Northern Arizona was 17th, followed by Southern Utah at 26, North Dakota at 32, Sacramento State at 34 and Montana at 35. The Big Sky ranked second among FCS conferences, behind the Missouri Valley.
COWSER ADDED TO RICE LIST: Southern Utah freshman defensive end James Cowser was added to the Jerry Rice Award Watch List. He replaced teammate Miles Killebrew on the list. Linebacker Zak Browning of Southern Utah is also a candidate for the honor, which goes to the top freshman in the FCS. Cowser recorded 61 total tackles - 13.5 for loss - with 7.5 sacks, five QB hurries, a forced fumble and an interception. EWU QB Vernon Adams, UND WR Jamaar Jackson and Portland State QB Kieran McDonagh are also finalists for the honor.
NO HOMEFIELD ADVANTAGE: Four of the six road teams won on the final weekend of conference play, a fitting end the 2012 season. Road teams wound up winning 28 of the 52 conference games. Cal Poly and Eastern Washington were the only two teams go finish 4-0 at home. Idaho State was the only team not to win a road conference agme. Montana State and Northern Arizona both went 4-0 in road conference games. Cal Poly, Eastern Washington and Southern Utah all went 3-1 in conference road games. Montana went 1-3 in conference home games, marking the first time the Grizzlies have been under .500 in conference home games since the opening of Washington-Grizzly Stadium in 1986.
SEARS STAYING: Weber State announced last week that Jody Sears, who served as the interim coach this past season, has been named the Wildcats’ permanent coach. Sears also announced that Timm Rosenbach will join his staff as the offensive coordinator. Rosenbach served as Montana’s offensive coordinator this season. Sears took over for John L. Smith, who left in April to take the interim head coaching position at Arkansas. Smith was hired by Weber State last December.
Extra points: Idaho State allowed a Big Sky single-season record 592 points this season. The previous record was 494 set by the 2008 Bengals...Montana finished with a losing record for the first time since 1985...Cal Poly’s Deonte Williams had 10 100-yard rushing games during the regular season...EWU WR Brandon Kaufman had eight 100-yard receiving games...UC Davis coach Bob Biggs closed out his career with a 32-27 win over Sacramento State. Biggs went 16-4 against the Hornets. Biggs finished with an overall record of 144-85-1 in 20 seasons...Northern Colorado closed its season with three straight victories and wins in four of its last five The Bears finished 4-4 in conference, its best mark since joining the Big Sky in 2006...Weber State’s C.J. Tuckett rushed for a school-record 289 yards in a 40-14 win over Idaho State...Eastern Washington is now 23-2 in games after Oct. 1 since 2010, and 11-0 in games after Nov. 1 since 2010...Sacramento State QB Garrett Safron set single-game school records for completions and attempts in the loss to UC Davis. Safron was 37-of-67 for 324 yards. The previous record for completions was 33 set by Tony Corbin in 1995. The previous record for attempts was 54 set by Lyle James in 1968...UND WR Greg Hardin finished the season with 65 catches for 1,145 yards and 14 touchdowns...NC’s Dominic Gunn 2,070 kick return yards, which ranks fifth in Big Sky history...Montana finished with 41 total sacks, second to Harvard’s 42...MSU’s Caleb Schreibeis is tied for the national lead with seven forced fumbles...Cal Poly leads the nation in 3rd-down conversion percentage at 55.31 percent...UC Davis leads the nation in net punting and kick returns.
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