OGDEN, Utah (November 12, 2016) – Almost three complete seasons into Jay Hill’s tenure at Weber State, the Wildcats are going to enter the final week of the regular season, playing for something of note.
Weber State took control early against Cal Poly, and held on late, as the Wildcats climbed to a 22-15 victory over the No. 16 Mustangs.
The Wildcats took a 15-0 lead midway through the second quarter, capitalizing on early Cal Poly turnovers and offensive inefficiency. Weber State quarterback Jadrian Clark found Andrew Vollert on an early 18-yard scoring pass, with Clark finding Drew Batchelor on the next drive for a score.
Cal Poly made a run midway through the game, scoring a touchdown with time winding down in the second quarter, on a one-yard Joe Protheroe run. Then, DJ Peluso scored on a 19-yard run midway through the third quarter, tying the game at 15-15.
However, the Wildcats broke the tie with 9:09 remaining in the final period, as Brady May found the end zone to give Weber State its fourth consecutive Senior Day win.
Weber State held the nation’s second-ranked rushing offense to 190 yards, while forcing two turnovers. Cal Poly also converted on 9-of-17 third-down attempts.
North Dakota 38, Northern Arizona 31 – There are comebacks, and then there are COMEBACKS. For North Dakota, their comeback gave the Fighting Hawks more than just a win, it delivered them a Big Sky championship.
The Fighting Hawks overcame a 31-17 deficit entering the final period, scoring 21 points to earn a win over surging Northern Arizona. The win is the ninth straight for North Dakota, who ends the regular season awaiting a sure FCS playoff bid.
North Dakota held a 10-7 lead late in the first quarter, before a Northern Arizona 24-0 run, with the Lumberjacks taking a 31-10 lead on a Jonathan Baldwin touchdown in the third quarter. From there, the Fighting Hawks scored 28 straight points, with Deion Harris’s 40-yard interception return breaking a 31-31 tie, with 2:43 remaining.
UND quarterback Keaton Studsrud finished the game at 13-of-34, for 252 yards and a touchdown. Demun Mercer caught seven passes for 147 yards, and a score. The North Dakota defense forced four Lumberjacks turnovers.
With the win, North Dakota earns at least a share of the Big Sky title. The Fighting Hawks would earn the outright title if Eastern Washington were to lose one of its remaining two games.
Eastern Washington 48, Idaho State 17 – In the history of FCS football, there have been many great receivers – Jerry Rice and Terrell Hudgins near the top of the list.
However, from here on out, there will be no receiver who will be considered greater than Eastern Washington receiver Cooper Kupp, who now holds the FCS record for receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.
Kupp finished his final home regular season game with seven catches for 70 yards. The Bengals sought to limit the Eagles’ prolific passing attack, and did, with quarterback Gage Gubrud throwing for only 212 yards. Still, Eastern Washington posted 557 yards of offense, with only four turnovers limiting their output.
The Eagles posted 281 rushing yards, with Antoine Custer rushing for 141 yards and a touchdown. Custer’s touchdown helped Eastern Washington build a 20-3 lead, going for 83 yards. Kupp also had a three-yard rushing touchdown.
With a win next weekend against Portland State, the Eagles will share the Big Sky title with North Dakota.
Northern Colorado 28, Montana 25 – The Northern Colorado Bears had never defeated Montana, as a Big Sky member, with key word being “HAD”.
That all came to an end in the second-to-last week of the 2016 regular season, as the Bears powered to a big home win over the longtime Big Sky juggernaut.
The Bears led 14-0 early, after Mikhail Dubose returned a blocked punt 13 yards for a score. Montana briefly took a lead later in the game, with a two-yard Chad Chalich run with 7:18 remaining giving the Griz a 25-21 lead.
However, the Bears powered their way down the field to a Senior Day win, with Kyle Sloter finding Theron Verna on a five-yard pass. The win gives Northern Colorado a winning season for the second consecutive year.
The Grizzlies had 400 yards of offense in the game, while Northern Colorado had 241 yards, along with three turnovers.
Sacramento State 42, Portland State 35 – It was Senior Night in Sacramento, and Hornets running back Jordan Robinson wasn’t going to be denied.
Robinson rushed for 262 yards and four touchdowns, carrying the ball 23 times in a back-and-forth contest. Three different times in the second half, Robinson gave the Hornets a one-score lead, with the last coming on a nine-yard run with 1:56 remaining.
The game was an offensive contest, with a total of 1,041 offensive yards. However, Portland State’s defense was able to force four turnovers, forcing the Hornets to continually overcome their errors.
Portland State quarterback Alex Kuresa rushed for 198 yards and two touchdowns.
Montana State 24, UC Davis 13 – The Montana State Bobcats earned their first #BigSkyFB win of the season, in their final home game of the season.
Chad Newell carried for 132 yards and a touchdown, helping the Bobcats to a win after they trailed early. UC Davis’s Manusamoa Luuga got the Aggies on the board early, and UC Davis held a 10-3 win midway through the second quarter.
The Bobcats held a narrow 17-13 lead entering the fourth quarter, until a 22-yard Chris Murray touchdown run sealed the win.
BYU 37, Southern Utah 7 – BYU controlled early and consistently in a home non-conference win over Southern Utah.
An emotional matchup was what the game was hyped as, with Southern Utah facing its former head coach, Ed Lamb, now a BYU assistant. Instead, the Cougars took a 24-0 lead, and never looked back.
Southern Utah’s lone score came on a 17-yard connection from Patrick Tyler to Logan Parker. The Thunderbirds were able to force three BYU turnovers.