FARMINGTON, Utah (Nov. 24, 2022) – This weekend will be stuffed with turkey and Big Sky football, as three teams are in action in the opening round of the 2022 FCS Playoffs. Below are news and notes for the first round of the FCS Playoffs.
Big Sky Football Weekly Notebook (PDF)
Big Sky Sends Five Teams to FCS Playoffs
The Big Sky earned five FCS Playoff selections once again, as the conference repeated its league-high set from a season ago. Big Sky Co-Champions Sacramento State (No. 2) and Montana State (No. 4) were awarded national seeds and a first-round bye.
Weber State Hosts Former Big Sky Foe North Dakota
Weber State returns to the FCS Playoffs for the sixth time in the past seven seasons, as the Wildcats host former Big Sky member North Dakota on Saturday, Nov. 26. WSU is 4-1 all-time against UND, winning the past two games overall.
With Weber State’s 33-31 victory over Northern Arizona last Saturday, the Wildcats have now earned nine or more wins six times in their history. Four of those nine-win seasons have come since 2017 under the watch of head coach Jay Hill.
Idaho Makes First FCS Playoff Appearance Since 1995
First-year head coach Jason Eck led Idaho to a 7-4 record and its first FCS Playoff berth since 1995, as the Vandals travel to the Bayou State to face Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday, Nov. 26. This will be the first meeting between the two teams.
The Vandals' last appearance in the FCS Playoffs in 1995 was also in Louisiana against a Southland Conference team, as Idaho lost in the opening round to No. 1 seed McNeese State in Lake Charles.
Montana Earns 26th Playoff Appearance
Montana earned the final spot in this year’s FCS Playoffs, as the Griz was awarded a home contest against the Ohio Valley’s Southeast Missouri State on Saturday, Nov. 26, on ESPN2. This will be the first meeting between the two teams.
The Griz are 34-23 all-time in the postseason. Those 34 wins are the third-most FCS playoff victories ever and the second-most among teams still competing in the FCS. The most playoff wins belong to Georgia Southern at 45, followed by NDSU at 41, Montana at 34, and Youngstown State at 28.
College GameDay Visits The Brawl of the Wild
ESPN’s College GameDay visited Bozeman, Montana this past Saturday for the Brawl of the Wild. The show’s broadcast had 2.198 million viewers, which was up 9% from the 2021 Week 12 show that featured Michigan State at Ohio State.
Big Sky Announces 2022 Award Winners and All-Conference Teams
With the Big Sky football regular season officially concluded, the league office announced its 2022 All-Conference Teams, along with the yearly individual award winners, earlier this week. For that release, click here.
2022 Big Sky Football Individual Award Winners
Offensive Player of the Year: Cameron Skattebo, RB (SAC)
Defensive Player of the Year: Marte Mapu, OLB/DB (SAC)
Newcomer of the Year: Sean Chambers, QB (MSU)
Freshman of the Year: Gevani McCoy, QB (UI)
Co-Coach of the Year: Troy Taylor (SAC)/Brent Vigen (MSU)
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Upcoming Big Sky Football Schedule
Saturday, Nov. 26
#20 North Dakota at #9 Weber State // 2 p.m. (ESPN+)
#18 Idaho at #17 Southeastern Louisiana // 4 p.m. (ESPN+)
#14 SE Missouri State at #19 Montana // 8 p.m. (ESPN2)
Saturday, Dec. 3
UND/WSU at No. 4 seed/#3 Montana State // 2 p.m. (ESPN+)
SEMO/UM at No. 3 seed/#4 North Dakota St. // 2 p.m. (ESPN+)
UI/SELU at No. 6 seed/#8 Samford // 2 p.m. (ESPN+)
Davidson/Richmond at No. 2 seed/#2 Sacramento State /// 2 p.m. (ESPN+)
Rankings: Stats
All game times formatted in Mountain Time (MT)