FARMINGTON, Utah (Oct. 21, 2026) – Another pivotal weekend awaits in Big Sky football, as five conference matchups highlight Week 8 of the 2026 season, including a Top 25 showdown between No. 3 Montana State and No. 22 Weber State. Below are news and notes for Week 8 of the football season.
Big Sky Football Weekly Notebook (Week 8)
ANOTHER TOP 25 SHOWDOWN IN THE BIG SKY
No. 3 Montana State hosts No. 22 Weber State this Saturday in Bozeman, with the Top 25 showdown serving as the Game of the Week for “This Week in Big Sky Football” which airs each Thursday on @BigSkyConf’s YouTube and every Saturday on select Scripps Sports stations.
The winner of Saturday’s contest will also sit atop the football standings, with Northern Arizona on a bye week and Montana State already holding a head-to-head victory over the Lumberjacks.
Top 25 Ranked Big Sky Matchups in 2026
Sept. 26: #5 Montana 62, #10 UC Davis 22
Sept. 26: #1 Montana State 28, #18 NAU 14
Oct. 3: #19 NAU 38, #12 Idaho State 31
Oct. 10: #13 NAU 49, #2 Montana 44
Oct. 24: #22 Weber State at #3 Montana State
MONTANA STATE, NORTHERN ARIZONA RANKED IN TOP 10 BY FCS PLAYOFF COMMITTEE
Montana State was tabbed No. 1 and Northern Arizona No. 7 in the first FCS Playoff Committee Top 10 of the season, which was revealed on Tuesday during ESPN2's College Football Live broadcast. The Bobcats are 6-1 overall on the season, with its only loss coming to Idaho, while the Lumberjacks are 6-2 this year, with losses coming to Montana State and FBS Arizona.
The second Top 10 ranking will be announced on Thursday, Nov. 5 at 12:00 p.m. MT on ESPN2. The FCS Selection Show will air on ESPNU, beginning at 10:00 a.m. MT on Sunday, Nov. 22.
FCS Playoff Committee's Top 10 (Oct. 20)
1. Montana State (6-1)
2. Tarleton State (7-0)
3. Youngstown State (6-2)
4. Stephen F. Austin (7-0)
5. South Dakota State (5-2)
6. North Dakota (6-2)
7. Northern Arizona (6-2)
8. South Dakota (6-2)
9. Austin Peay (6-2)
10. Harvard (5-0)
BIG SKY PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONOREES FOR WEEK 7
Offensive Player of the Week
Floyd Chalk, Southern Utah (RB, 5th Year, Mission Hills, Calif.)
Floyd Chalk rushed for a career-high 212 yards on 26 carries to lead Southern Utah past No. 14 UC Davis at home, 38-17. Chalk averaged 8.2 yards per carry, broke off a 37-yard touchdown run and anchored a 315-yard rushing night for the Thunderbirds as they outscored the Aggies 29-0 in the second half. The FCS yards-per-game rushing leader has now eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark in all seven games this season.
Others Nominated: Joey Stout (NAU), Trey Olsen (UNC), Delon Thompson (PSU), Jordan Fisher (UCD), Spencer Ferguson (WSU)
Defensive Player of the Week
Cole Taylor, Montana State (LB, Sr., Great Falls, Mont.)
Cole Taylor had a monster game on defense for Montana State, as the Bobcats dominated Eastern Washington on the road, 56-20. Taylor had two interceptions, returning one for a touchdown and another coming six yards away from another score. Overall, Taylor had 97 return yards from his two interceptions. The senior added nine tackles, two TFLs, and one sack to go along with his two picks.
Others Nominated: KJ Smedley (UNC), Gio Kafentzis (PSU), Parker Vance (SUU), Raimoana Tinirauarii (WSU)
Special Teams Player of the Week
#0 Robert Young, Weber State (PR, So., Roy, Utah)
Robert Young produced a highlight-reel worthy punt return for a score, helping Weber State upset No. 21 Idaho State at home, 27-20. Young made five Bengals miss to start off the return, before gathering himself and racing down the sidelines 68 yards for the touchdown. Young finished the game with 78 yards on four punt returns. The punt return for a touchdown was the first for a Weber State player in four years. Overall, this marks the third straight week that Weber State has won a weekly honor.
Others Nominated: Soren McKee (EWU), Jackson Quammie (UNC), Emiliano Rodriguez (PSU)
TITAN FLEISCHMANN NAMED FINALIST FOR ACADEMIC HEISMAN
The National Football Foundation (NFF) and College Football Hall of Fame announced its 18 finalists for the 2026 William V. Campbell Trophy, also known as the Academic Heisman, as Montana State’s Titan Fleischmann made the cut.
The 18 finalists will each receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship as members of the 2026 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class. The finalists will travel to the Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas for the 68th NFF Annual Awards Dinner Presented by Las Vegas on Dec. 8, where their accomplishments will be highlighted in front of one of the most powerful audiences in all of sports.
Fleischmann has emerged as an All-American offensive lineman and national champion while pursuing an extraordinary academic path that has already produced two college degrees. The Pocatello, Idaho, native becomes Montana State’s seventh NFF National Scholar-Athlete and third since 2021.
Fleischmann earned his bachelor’s degree in political science in May 2024 and a master’s degree in coaching science in May 2025. Maintaining a 3.81 GPA, he is on track to complete a second master’s degree in family financial planning in December 2026.
Big Sky Campbell Trophy Finalists
Year - Player (School)
2026 - Titan Fleischmann (Montana State)
2024 - Brody Grebe (Montana State)
2021 - Troy Andersen (Montana State)
2019 - Spencer Blackburn (Eastern Washington)
2019 - Dante Olson (Montana)
2015 - Derek Crittenden (Montana)
2014 - Austin Hasquet (Northern Arizona)
2002 - Ryan Johnson (Montana State)
2001 - Vince Huntsberger (Montana)
1997 - Joshua Branen (Montana)
1995 - Dave Dickenson (Montana)
1991 - Steve Boyenger (Idaho State)
1990 - Rich Brady (Montana State)
1989 - Derrick Isackson (Montana State)
1988 - Anders Larsson (Montana State)
EVERY POINT COUNTS IN THE BIG SKY
The 2026 Big Sky football season has featured plenty of tight contests through the first five weeks of conference play, with 21 of 29 league games decided by an average margin of just 6.7 points.
Average Point Difference for Conference Games
Team (Conf. Rec.) // Point Diff. // Average Margin
Montana State (3-1) // +103 // +25.8
Montana (3-2) // +57 // +11.4
Weber State (4-1) // +24 // +4.8
Southern Utah (2-2) // +23 // +5.8
Northern Arizona (4-1) // +18 // +3.6
Northern Colorado (2-3) // +2 // +0.4
Portland State (2-2) // -1 // -0.3
Idaho (2-2) // -7 // -1.8
Cal Poly (3-2) // -9 // -1.8
Idaho State (1-3) // -11 // -2.8
UC Davis (2-2) // -43 // -10.8
Eastern Washington (1-4) // -49 // -9.8
Utah Tech (0-4) // -107 // -26.8
SEVERAL BIG SKY PLAYERS RANK HIGH NATIONALLY FOR INDIVIDUAL STATS
The Big Sky has 15 players ranking in the Top 10 for the six major stat categories below, with the top area being rushing yards per game and receiving yards per game, as four conference standouts rank in the Top 5 for those two categories.
Big Sky Passing Leaders
Name, School (FCS Rank) // YPG
1. Keali’i Ah Yat, UM (6th) // 285.0
2. Nate Bell, EWU (9th) // 276.6
3. Treynor Cleeland, UCD (20th) // 245.0
Big Sky Rushing Leaders
Name, School (FCS Rank) // YPG
1. Floyd Chalk, SUU (1st) // 147.9
2. Eli Gillman, UM (5th) // 127.0
3. Jaden Green, CP (6th) // 111.8
4. Jordan Fisher, UCD (7th) // 107.1
Big Sky Receiving Leaders
Name, School (FCS Rank) // YPG
1. Brooks Davis, UM (2nd) // 114.3
2. Samuel Gbatu Jr., UCD (3rd) // 101.9
3. Noah Kjar, WSU (9th) // 88.9
4. Tayvion McCoy, CP (10th) // 87.0
Big Sky Tackles Leaders
Name, School (FCS Rank) // TPG
1. Kenny Olson, CP (19th) // 9.3
2. Nathan Reynolds, ISU (t20th) // 9.1
3. Bryce Smith, EWU (31st) // 8.7
Big Sky Sack Leaders
Name, School (FCS Rank) // Sacks
1. Tyler King, UM (T8th) // 6.5
T2. Devin Murphy, NAU (T18th) // 5.0
T2. Porter Small, WSU (T18th) // 5.0
T2. Zac Crews, MSU (T18th) // 5.0
Big Sky Interception Leaders
Name, School (FCS Rank) // INTs
1. Parker Vance, SUU (T2nd) // 5
T2. RL Miller, CP (T8th) // 3
T2. Jaylon Jenkins, EWU (T8th) // 3
T2. Jahaad Fort, NAU (T8th) // 3
BIG SKY TEAMS DOMINATE FCS TEAM OFFENSIVE RANKINGS
The Big Sky features some of the best offenses in the nation, with six of the Top 25 for total yards per game in the FCS hailing from the league. The next closest is the MVFC with four, followed by the SWAC and PFL with three teams each for yards per game.
Big Sky Top Offenses
School (FCS Rank) // YPG
1. Montana (6th) // 469.5
2. Southern Utah (10th) // 455.1
3. UC Davis (16th) // 444.1
4. Montana State (17th) // 437.3
5. Weber State (19th) // 434.9
6. Idaho State (25th) // 419.7
MONTANA’S GILLMAN BREAKS BIG SKY RUSHING RECORD
Eli Gillman scored four touchdowns on the ground in the Week 4 win at UC Davis, becoming the Big Sky’s all-time leader in rushing TDs. Gillman now sits at 62 career rushing TDs, which officially surpasses the previous record of 56 set by Charles Roberts of Sacramento State in 2000.
Gillman now has his sights set on a record thought impossible to break, the Big Sky record for most total TDs, set by Cooper Kupp after he scored 77 for his career.
Most Career Rushing TDs in Big Sky History
1. Eli Gillman, UM (2022-26) – 62
2. Charles Roberts, SAC (1997-00) – 56
3. Charles Dunn, PSU (1997-00) – 54
T-4. Charvez Foger, NEV (1985-88) – 52
T-4. Chase Reynolds, UM (2007-10) – 52
Most Career Total TDs in Big Sky History
1. Cooper Kupp, EWU (2013-16) – 77
2. Eli Gillman, UM (2022-26) – 71
T3. Charles Dunn, PSU (1997-00) – 61
T3. Sherriden May, UI (1991-94) – 61
NON-CONFERENCE GAMES FOR BIG SKY FOES
New members Southern Utah and Utah Tech will both play Big Sky foes in non-conference action this season, due to previously contracted games dating back to previous years. The final non-conference game between Big Sky foes for the regular season concluded in Week 3, as Northern Arizona defeated Utah Tech, 35-23.
Non-Conference Games Featuring Big Sky Foes
9/5 Weber State at Southern Utah (SUU 47, WSU 42)
9/12 Utah Tech at Montana (UM 35, UTU 14)
9/19 Northern Arizona at Utah Tech (NAU 35, UTU 23)
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2026 Big Sky Football Schedule (Week 8)
Saturday, Oct. 24
#22 Weber State at #3 Montana State* // 1:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+/Scripps)
Utah Tech at Cal Poly* // 3:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
Southern Utah at Idaho* // 3:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+/SWX)
Portland State at #RV Idaho State* // 4:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
Northern Colorado at #20 UC Davis* // 5:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
All Times Mountain
* - Big Sky Conference Game
FCS Rankings: Stats Perform FCS