FARMINGTON, Utah (Nov. 19, 2023) — In what was setup to be a showdown for the ages, third-ranked Montana raced past fourth-ranked Montana State in front of a record-setting home crowd, as the Griz won 37-7 to secure their first Big Sky crown since 2009. Below is a recap of Week 12 action around Big Sky football.
Montana produced one of the most impressive conference wins of the entire season on Saturday, with the Griz jumping out to a 20-0 lead at halftime before powering past the archrival Bobcats, 37-7.
Montana was led by Clifton McDowell on offense, who passed for 200 yards and a touchdown while adding 74 more yards on the ground and another score. McDowell's favorite target on the day was Junior Bergen, who caught six passes for 91 yards and a score.
Another impressive win on Saturday came out west, as UC Davis defeated No. 8 Sacramento State 31-21, earning the first win for the Aggies in the Causeway Classic since 2018.
The Aggies were led once again by Lan Larison, who scored four touchdowns and totaled nearly 200 yards of total offense on the day. Larison has scored 10 touchdowns in the last three games for the Aggies, as UC Davis makes its push for a playoff berth.
Idaho's Jack Layne tied a school record with six touchdown passes, as the Vandals jumped out to a 56-0 lead at halftime over rival Idaho State and coasted to a 63-21 victory. Layne was 20-of-26 passing, with 275 yards through the air on the day.
Northern Arizona and Weber State each picked up road wins on Saturday to close out the regular-season on a high note, as the Lumberjacks won 49-42 at Eastern Washington and the Wildcats earned a 48-21 victory at Cal Poly.
Portland State held off Northern Colorado as well on the road, with the Vikings picking up the 27-23 victory in Greeley.
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Big Sky Football Week 12 Scores
Saturday, Nov. 18
FCS Rankings: Stats Perform
#3 Montana 37, #4 Montana State 7
Read Full Montana Recap
#RV UC Davis 31, #8 Sacramento State 21
Read Full UC Davis Recap
Portland State 27, Northern Colorado 23
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Northern Arizona 49, Eastern Washington 42
Read Full NAU Recap
#6 Idaho 63, Idaho State 21
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Weber State 48, Cal Poly 21
Read Full Weber State Recap