Week 9 Big Sky Conference Breakdowns
#1 Eastern Washington @ Southern Utah, Saturday, 3:00
Southern Utah took a tough loss against Weber State last weekend that proved Southern Utah has a ways to go in terms of developing their talent to compete in the Big Sky. This weekend Southern Utah hosts Eastern Washington, a very difficult task. Eastern Washington played two quarterbacks last weekend as they snuck by Sacramento State 31-28. The Eagles shouldn’t have any trouble this week. Look for a very balanced offensive performance by the Eagles.
Projected Score: Eastern Washington 38, Southern Utah 13
Idaho State @ Montana, Saturday, 3:30
Idaho State looked promising at the beginning of the season. However, the Bengal defense is just not talented enough to be competitive in the Big Sky. On the other hand, Montana, although in a slumping season, still has the talent to compete. Remember, this is still the same Montana team that took Appalachian State to the wire. Watch for a dominating defensive presence and an explosive offensive attack lead by Dan Moore. The Griz should win this one easily.
Projected Score: Montana 31, Idaho State 10
#13 Northern Arizona @ Northern Colorado, Saturday, 3:35
Last weekend Lumberjack running back Zach Bauman rambled for over 120 yards and caught a 25-yard touchdown pass in a 21-7 victory over a decent UC Davis team. Northern Arizona is on a roll; the Lumberjacks have a very good offensive line and quarterback Cary Grossart makes the necessary plays through the air to keep defenses honest. Northern Arizona will move to 7-1 and the race for the Big Sky title will get very interesting with Cal Poly, Eastern Washington, and Northern Arizona all playing very good football right now. I expect all three of these teams to make the playoffs. Northern Colorado came off a nice win over Idaho State; however, their defense will have to play lights out if they want to win this one.
Projected Score: Northern Arizona 31, Northern Colorado, 10
North Dakota @ #4 Montana State, Saturday, 4:05
North Dakota stopped their three game losing-streak with a nice win over Montana last weekend. However, this weekend they will have a much larger task in Montana State. As predicted, Montana State lost a close game to Eastern Washington. I do not think that North Dakota has the defense to stop Montana State’s offense. With that factor, plus the home-field advantage, the Bobcats will be too much for North Dakota to handle. The Bobcats should win this one easily.
Projected Score: Montana State 41, North Dakota 23
Portland State @ UC Davis, Saturday, 5:00
UC Davis is coming off a tough loss to ranked Northern Arizona. However, I still think that UC Davis is a very good middle-of-the-pack Big Sky team. This weekend they’ll get a chance to face off against Portland State who has been struggling on defense all season. I think that UC Davis quarterback Randy Wright has a great day and the Aggies roll through the Vikings.
Projected Score: UC Davis 45, Portland State 21
#14 Cal Poly @ Sacramento State, Saturday, 9:05
Cal Poly is a very powerful team. Defensively they are extremely sound and offensively their run game is one of the best in the FCS. This weekend the Mustangs take on Sacramento State. This Hornet squad has shown promise throughout the season but has had a couple of bad losses. If the Hornets can stop the Cal Poly run game and find an offensive rhythm early, they could upset Cal Poly. I see a close game here, and in the end it’s all Cal Poly.
Projected Score: Cal Poly 38, Sacramento State 35
