FARMINGTON, Utah (Oct. 14, 2023) – No. 3 Idaho hosts No. 16 Montana on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. MT, as the Little Brown Stein clash will be featured on ESPN2 to highlight an exciting week in Big Sky football. Below are news and notes from around the league for Week 7.
Big Sky Football Weekly Notebook (Week 7)
Little Brown Stein Clash Featured on ESPN2 this Saturday
No. 3 Idaho hosts No. 16 Montana on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. MT, as the Kibbie Dome will be featured on ESPN2 for the first time since 2010.
Saturday's meeting will mark the 89th between Idaho and Montana, as the two clash for the Little Brown Stein. The Vandals upended Montana 30-23 last year in Missoula, as the win was the first in the series for Idaho since 1999.
The ESPN2 game this Saturday won't be the only one for the Big Sky this season, as next week's matchup between Montana State and Sacramento State will also be on the network. Kickoff is slated for 8:30 p.m. MT in Sacramento between the second-ranked Bobcats and fourth-ranked Hornets.
Bobcats Look to Extend Home Winning Streak
No. 2 Montana State hosts Cal Poly on Saturday in Bozeman, as the Bobcats seek to extend their 23-game home winning streak. The streak for MSU is currently the longest in the FCS and tied with Georgia for the longest active streak in Divison I.
Longest Home Winning Streak (FCS/FBS)
T1. Montana State (FCS) - 23 games
T1. Georgia (FBS) - 23 games
3. Michigan (FBS) - 19 games
T4. Florida A&M (FCS) - 17 games
T4. Utah (FBS) - 17 games
Coming Off the Bye
Six teams will be coming off a bye week this Saturday, as half of the league had a much needed recharge in Week 6.
Sacramento State, who was one of those six teams off last week, has won five of its last six games coming off a bye week. Prior to the recent success, Sacramento State had a 10-game losing streak coming off a bye week from 2006-15.
2023 Bye Weeks
10/7: Eastern Washington, Idaho State, Montana State, Northern Colorado, Portland State, Sacramento State
10/21: Idaho, Montana, NAU, UC Davis
10/28: Cal Poly, Weber State
Montana's Hauck on the Verge of History
Head coach Bobby Hauck has 121 career victories during his time at Montana (2003-09, 2018-present), which ranks second in the league for all-time wins, sitting behind Jerome Souers’ 123 while he coached at Northern Arizona (1998-18).
Hauck is also nearing the all-time wins mark for conference victories as well, with the Montana coach ranking third with his 69 Big Sky wins.
All-Time Wins in Big Sky History
Rank - Name, Record (School, Yrs. at School)
1. - Jerome Souers, 123-114 (NAU, 1998-2018)
2. - Bobby Hauck, 121-35 (Montana, 2003-09/2018-pres.)
3. - Chris Ault, 111-46 (Nevada, 1979-91)
4. - Tim Walsh, 107-107 (PSU/CP, 1996-06/2012-19)
5. - Mike Kramer, 95-125 (EWU/MSU/ISU, 1994-06/2011-16)
All-Time Conference Wins in Big Sky History
Rank - Name, Record (School, Yrs. at School)
1. - Jerome Souers, 85-77 (NAU, 1998-2018)
2. - Tim Walsh, 74-73 (PSU/CP, 1996-06, 2012-19)
3. - Bobby Hauck, 69-19 (Montana, 2003-09/2018-pres.)
4. - Chris Ault, 68-28 (Nevada, 1979-91)
5. - Beau Baldwin, 60-31 (EWU/CP, 2008-16/2019-22)
Big Sky Slate Features 12 Ranked Matchups
The Big Sky slate will potentially feature 12 ranked matchups between league foes in 2023.
Ranked vs. Ranked Big Sky Games
9/23: #4 Sacramento State at #7 Idaho (Idaho W/36-27)
9/23: #3 Montana State at #10 Weber State (MSU W/40-0)
9/30: #4 Idaho at #19 Eastern Washington (Idaho W/44-36)
10/7: #17 Montana at #20 UC Davis (Montana W/31-23)
10/14: #16 Montana at #3 Idaho
10/21: #2 Montana State at #4 Sacramento State
10/21: #22 Weber State at #21 Eastern Washington
10/28: #2 Montana State at #3 Idaho
11/4: #4 Sacramento State at #16 Montana
11/11: #3 Idaho at #22 Weber State
11/11: #21 Eastern Washington at #2 Montana State
11/18: #2 Montana State at #16 Montana
FCS Rankings: FCS Stats Perform
Big Sky Week 6 Honors Announced
Offensive Player of the Week: Aaron Fontes (Montana)
Montana's Aaron Fontes was a human highlight reel for the Grizzlies, scoring two eye-popping touchdowns in Montana’s 31-23 win over No. 20 UC Davis. The junior from Oxnard, California, put up a game and career-high 99 receiving yards on seven catches with two scores, with a long reception of 41-yards. The weekly honor is the first for Fontes.
Defensive Player of the Week: Alex McLaughlin (NAU)
Freshman Alex McLaughlin racked up eight tackles, six of which were solo, while grabbing an interception in the final minutes of Northern Arizona's 27-10 win at No. 13 Weber State. The Lumberjacks shut out the Wildcats in the second half, while holding Weber State to just 61 yards rushing on the day. The win for NAU was its second ranked victory of the year and its first on the road since 2015.
Special Teams Player of the Week: Coleman Owen (NAU)
Northern Arizona's Coleman Owen sparked the Lumberjack offense with his electric 85-yard punt return for a touchdown. The score, which was NAU's first punt return touchdown since 2014, gave the Lumberjacks their first lead of the game at 13-7 that they never relinquished. Owen also caught 10 passes for 60 yards on offense, which gave him 2,000 career receiving yards as a Lumberjack.
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Upcoming Big Sky Football Week 7 Schedule
Saturday, Oct. 14
#4/5 Sacramento State at Northern Colorado // 1:00 p.m. (ESPN+)*
Portland State at #RV/RV Northern Arizona // 2:00 p.m. (ESPN+)*
#21/RV Eastern Washington at Idaho State // 4:00 p.m. (ESPN+)*
Cal Poly at #2/2 Montana State // 6:00 p.m. (ESPN+/Scripps)*
#RV/RV UC Davis at #22/23 Weber State // 6:00 p.m. (ESPN+)*
#16/10 Montana at #3/3 Idaho // 8:30 p.m. (ESPN2)*
FCS Rankings: Stats/AFCA
All game times formatted in Mountain Time Zone
* - Denotes Big Sky Conference Game