FARMINGTON, Utah (Sept. 19, 2021) - Northern Arizona's upset over Arizona highlights another thrilling weekend in the Big Sky Conference, as the league capped Week 3 action.
NAU's 21-19 win over Arizona was its first since 1932 against the Wildcats, giving the Big Sky four victories against FBS opponents this year. The four FBS wins are the most in one season for the league since 2012, while the pair of Power 5 wins for the Big Sky are the most for a single season in the conference's storied history.
EWU's Eric Barriere passed for 487 of his career-high 542 passing yards in the first half of Saturday's 62-56 win at Western Illinois, which broke the FCS record for most yards in a single half. Barriere also tossed six touchdowns, which was one shy of tying his own school record and marked his fourth game with at least six scores.
Below is a recap of each game from this past week.
Montana State 52, San Diego 10
MSU RECAP
BOZEMAN, Montana (Sept. 18. 2021) – Montana State took the lead on the opening drive of the game and controlled its entire contest against San Diego as the Bobcats rolled to a 52-10 non-conference football win over the Toreros on Saturday, Sept. 18, in front of 19,107 fans at Bobcat Stadium. Matthew McKay finished the game 12-for-22 passing with 224 yards through the air. He added 73 yards on the ground while Isaiah Ifanse had a 74-yard carry that propelled him to a team-high 109 yards rushing.
Oregon State 42, Idaho 0
IDAHO RECAP
CORVALLIS, Oregon (Sept. 18, 2021) – Idaho football fell to Oregon State 42-0 on the road Saturday afternoon in Corvallis, Oregon. The Vandals notched 192 yards of offense, led by CJ Jordan's 55 yards rushing from the quarterback position.
EWU 62, Western Illinois 56
EWU RECAP
MACOMB, Illinois (Sept. 18, 2021) - In a game that saw 1,397 combined offensive yards and 1,016 combined passing yards, it was Eastern Washington who prevailed, hanging onto a 62-56 victory over Western Illinois at Hanson Field in Macomb on Saturday afternoon. Senior quarterback Eric Barriere also etched his name into the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) record books, throwing for 487 yards of his career-high 542 passing yards in the first half, setting a new FCS record for passing yards in a single half. He finished the game with six touchdowns through the air.
Cal 42, Sac State 30
SAC STATE RECAP
BERKELEY, California (Sept. 18, 2021) — The Sacramento State football team amassed 467 yards of total offense, including 408 through the air, but could not overcome a handful of mistakes in a 42-30 loss at California on Saturday at Memorial Stadium. The Hornets set several records in a game against an FBS opponent including most total yards, and tied for most points and most passing yards. Individually, Jake Dunniway threw for 370 yards which is the most against an FBS foe in school history and tied for the 15th most against any opponent. Pierre Williams was the favorite target, catching eight passes for 121 yards which is also the most against an FBS team by a Hornet.
Lamar 17, Northern Colorado 10
UNC RECAP
GREELEY, Colorado (Sept. 18, 2021) – The first game at Nottingham Field in 665 days needed a little extra time to determine a winner on Saturday afternoon. The visitors Lamar spoiled the inaugural home game for head coach Ed McCaffrey 17-10 in overtime. The 5,605 fans at Nottingham did see history on Saturday as Ben Raybon connected on a school-record 57-yard field goal.
Portland State 21, Western Oregon 7
PSU RECAP
HILLSBORO, Oregon (Sept. 18, 2021) – Liquids were flowing at Hillsboro Stadium on Saturday afternoon – both from the sky and the taps – as Portland State picked up a 21-7 home-opening win over Western Oregon. The Viking defense held the Wolves scoreless for 56 minutes before allowing a late touchdown.
Southern Utah 40, Tarleton State 35
SUU RECAP
ARLINGTON, Texas (Sept. 18, 2021) – Justin Miller and Brandon Schenks connected for three touchdowns on offense, and the defense stepped up in the second half to seal the win as the Southern Utah University football team defeated Tarleton State, 40-35, at Choctaw Stadium Saturday night for its first victory of 2021. The T-Birds allowed only seven points defensively in the second half after giving up 28 before the halftime break. The offense also scored on a game-winning drive with under two minutes to play.
James Madison 37, Weber State 24
WSU RECAP
OGDEN, Utah (Sept. 18, 2021) - In a battle of top 10 ranked teams, No. 8 Weber State dropped its home opener 37-24 to No. 2 James Madison Saturday night at Stewart Stadium. The game was played in front of a crowd of 11,222 fans, the highest attendance at Stewart Stadium in seven years.
South Dakota 48, Cal Poly 14
CP RECAP
SAN LUIS OBISPO, California (Sept. 18, 2021) - South Dakota compiled impressive offensive statistical advantages over Cal Poly on Saturday night en route to a 48-14 non-conference victory before the 10th sellout in Alex G. Spanos Stadium history, the first in five years. The Coyotes (2-1) had a 35-7 advantage in first downs, 615 to 243 in total yards and 42:35 to 17:25 in time of possession over the Mustangs (1-2) in the final non-conference game for Cal Poly as it enters Big Sky Conference play next week.
Northern Arizona 21, Arizona 19
NAU RECAP
TUCSON, Arizona (Sept. 18, 2021) – Northern Arizona upset in-state FBS foe Arizona, marking the first time since 1932 the Lumberjacks had bested the Wildcats and first time ever in Tucson. Arizona led 13-0 before NAU rallied to score three touchdowns and lead 21-13 with under eight minutes to play. The Wildcats scored with 2:16 left, but the NAU defense held and forced an incompletion on the potential game-tying, two-point conversion to hold onto a 21-19 victory Saturday night at Arizona Stadium.
UC Davis 60, Dixie State 27
UCD Recap
DAVIS, California (Sept. 18, 2021) - Five different players scored touchdowns, led by four scores from Ulonzo Gilliam, Jr., as No. 14 UC Davis rolled past Dixie State 60-27 on Saturday night at UC Davis Health. Gilliam Jr. paced the Aggies rushing attack by accumulating 178 yards and three touchdowns over the course of the game, averaging 6.8 yards per carry. Gilliam Jr. also tacked on 20 receiving yards and one touchdown. Saturday's win marked the eighth time in school history that UC Davis has scored at least 60 points in a game.
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