All times MDT
Portland State (2-3, 2-6) at No. 4 Montana (5-0, 8-0)
12:05 p.m. (KGVO AM 1290; KPAX-TV)
Montana can clinch at least a share of its 10th straight conference title with a win. ... Portland State has not won in Washington-Grizzly Stadium since 1987 when the Vikings were Division II. ... Last year, Josh Swogger threw for 203 yards and a touchdown as Montana held off Portland State on Sept. 30 at PGE Park. The teams combined for seven first-half turnovers, and PSU scored 10 points in 18 seconds in the fourth quarter to close within 23-20. ... PSU leads the nation in passing offense at 361.6 yards per game. ... Montana leads the Big Sky in pass defense, allowing 206.6 yards per game. ... Montana leads the nation in scoring defense, allowing 11.2 points per game. ... Portland State is last in the Big Sky in scoring defense at 39.1 points per game. ... The Griz lead the series, 23-11. ... Montana coach Bobby Hauck is 49-13 in his fifth season. ... PSU coach Jerry Glanville is 2-6 in his first season. ... Since PSU joined the Big Sky in 1996, UM is 9-2 against the Vikings. ... Montana has allowed nine touchdowns all season. Portland State had nine passing touchdowns in last week’s 73-68 loss to Weber State. ... Montana running back Lex Hilliard has back-to-back 100-yard rushing games. He needs two touchdowns to tie the school’s all-time TD record of 48. ... Portland State has allowed a league-high 41 sacks this season. ... Montana defensive end Kroy Biermann is second in the nation with 12½ sacks. ... In four conference games, Portland State’s Tremayne Kirkland is averaging 10½ receptions and 148.8 receiving yards per game.
Northern Arizona (3-2, 5-3) at Montana State (3-2, 5-3)
12:05 p.m. (KLCY AM 930; Max Media TV)
Montana State will be eliminated from title contention with a loss to the Lumberjacks. Montana State is the only team in the league that could still win a tiebreaker with Montana for the automatic bid to the playoffs. ...Montana State is 4-0 at home this season. ... Northern Arizona leads the series, 21-20, but Montana State has won four straight. ... Last year, Cory Carpenter threw a 6-yard TD pass to Brandon Bostick with 4:55 to play to lift MSU to a 39-32 win in the Skydome on Sept. 30. MSU led midway through the third quarter, 32-14, but NAU scored 18 unanswered points to tie the game. ... MSU coach Rob Ash is 5-3 in his first season, and 181-102-5 in his 28th season as a head coach. ... NAU coach Jerome Souers is 54-58 in his 10th season with the Lumberjacks. ... NAU last won in Bozeman in 2001. ... NAU is 2-3 on the road. ... Montana State has made just 6-of-17 field-goal tries this season, while NAU has made a league-high 16 field goals on a league-high 22 attempts. ... MSU linebacker Bobby Daly is averaging a league best 12½ tackles per game. He enters Saturday with exactly 100 tackles. ... NAU continues to lead the Big Sky in rushing offense at 229.3 yards per game. ... MSU ranks second in the Big Sky in total defense at 348.4 yards per game. ... Montana State has won eight straight at home, the longest home winning streak since the 1975-77 teams won 11 straight.
Idaho State (2-3, 3-5) at Weber State (3-3, 3-5)
1:37 p.m. (Altitude TV)
Weber state leads the series, 32-14, and has won four straight. ... Last year, Idaho State’s Branden Jones missed a 37-yard field goal with two seconds left as Weber State held on for a 30-27 win in Pocatello on Nov. 18. ... Weber State’s Ron McBride is 13-17 in his third season with the Wildcats, and 101-80 in his 16th season as a head coach. ... Idaho State’s John Zamberlin is 3-5 in his first season. He is 66-45 in his 11th season as a head coach. ... Weber State has won 21 of the last 23 games in the series. ... The Bengals haven’t won in Ogden since 1984. ... Weber State scored 73 points in a win against Portland State, the second highest total in school history. ... Weber State scored a total of 110 points in its first seven games. ... The top two running backs in the Big Sky will go head-to-head. Weber State sophomore Tervyn Smith has a league-high 925 rushing yards. Idaho State’s Josh Barnett is second with 804 yards. Barnett needs 177 to become the school’s all-time leading rusher. ... Weber State QB Cameron Higgins rushed for 106 yards and three touchdowns and threw for 344 yards and four touchdowns last week. ... Idaho State has 22 sacks this season, the second highest total in the league. ... Weber State has allowed a league-low seven sacks. ... Idaho State has thrown a league-high 17 interceptions this season. ...Weber State has intercepted just five passes, second fewest in the league.
N. Colorado (1-4, 1-8) at No. 24 E. Washington (3-2, 5-3)
3:05 p.m.
Northern Colorado snapped a 16-game losing streak and earned its first Big Sky victory with a 16-13 upset of No. 19 Montana State last week. ... Eastern Washington leads the Big Sky in total offense (456.5 ypg.), and is second in passing offense (306.9 ypg.) and scoring offense (31.4 ppg.) ... Eastern Washington leads the series, 3-1. ... Last year, Eastern Washington held Northern Colorado to nine first downs and 169 yards of total offense in a 34-0 win over the Bears on Oct. 14 in Greeley. ... Northern Colorado coach Scott Downing is 2-18 in his second season with the Bears. He is 14-22-1 in his fourth season as a head coach. ... Eastern Washington’s Paul Wulff is 49-39 in his eighth season. ... Northern Colorado averages a league-low 10.1 points per game, and allows 38.6 points per game. ... Eastern Washington wide receiver Aaron Boyce is averaging 128.9 receiving yards per game, second in the nation. He has a league-high eight touchdown catches. He’s had at least 119 receiving yards in five straight games. ... Northern Colorado quarterback Dominic Breazeale is completing 52.7 percent of his passes and has an efficiency rating of 104.1.
UC Davis (3-6) a Sacramento State (1-7)
3:05 p.m.
This is the 54th Causeway Classic and the 55th all-time meeting between the schools. ... Sacramento State’s last victory in the series was a 48-27 victory in 1999. ... UC Davis leads the series, 38-16. ... Last year, Sacramento State’s Jason Barnes caught six passes for a career-high 173 yards in a 30-16 loss to UC Davis on Nov. 18 at Davis. ... Sacramento State coach Marshall Sperbeck is 1-7 in his first season. ... UC Davis coach Bob Biggs is 117-54 in his 15th season at his alma mater. Biggs is 12-2 against the Hornets. ... Sac State quarterback Jason Smith threw for a career-high 396 yards in a 38-30 loss to Eastern Washington last week. ... UC Davis is coming off a 28-21 loss to South Dakota State. The loss was the sixth this year for the Aggies, meaning their streak of winning seasons will end at 37. ... The last time UC Davis had a losing season was 1969. ... Sacramento State is looking to snap a four game losing streak. ... UC Davis is scoring 25.1 points per game, and allowing 30.8. ... Sacramento State is averaging 14.2 points per game, and giving up 28.4. At home, however, The Hornets average 23.6 points per game, and allow 21.3. ... The Aggies have lost four of their last five games. ... UC Davis is 1-1 against Big Sky teams, having beaten Portland State, 26-17, and losing to Eastern Washington, 41-31.
... Sacramento State leads the Big Sky with 25 sacks.
|
 |
 |
Add your comment now! Write your comment in the form below.
(Email address is for verification only. If you'd like to email a story, look for the link above)