Football Notes - Oct. 3
PDF of notes
This Week’s Sky Highlights
After Saturday, there will be just one undefeated team remaining in conference play. The last two undefeated teams - Montana State and Portland State - meet at JELD-WEN Field in Portland. MSU is 2-0 in league and 4-1 overall, and is seeking its sixth straight win over the Vikings. PSU is 2-0 in league and 3-1 overall...Sacramento State hits the road for the fifth time in six games this season, taking on Northern Colorado in Greeley. Sacramento State is 5-0 all-time against the Bears...Eastern Washington, which earned its first win of the season last week, is at Northern Arizona. NAU is looking to snap a four-game losing streak to the Eagles...Montana travels to Pocatello to face Mike Kramer and the Idaho State Bengals. Montana has won seven straight over the Bengals...Weber State has the week off...All four games can be viewed for free on Big Sky TV.
This Week’s Sky Schedule
Saturday, Oct. 8......................................................................... Time
Series: MSU leads 16-9.
Last Meeting: MSU won 44-31 in 2010.
Series Streak: MSU has won five.
TV: Max Media - Montana. Comcast Sports Net Northwest
Internet: Big Sky TV
Series: Sacramento State leads 5-0.
Last Meeting: Sacramento State won 42-7 in 2010.
Series Streak: SAC has won five.
Internet: Big Sky TV.
Series: EWU leads 18-10.
Last Meeting: EWU won 21-14 in 2010.
Series Streak: EWU has won four.
TV: NAU TV, Fox College Sports.
Internet: Big Sky TV.
Series: UM leads 40-13.
Last Meeting: UM won 47-28 in 2010.
Series Streak: UM has won 7.
TV: Montana’s News Stations
Internet: Big Sky TV.
*Big Sky Conference Game
Times Local to Site/Subject to Change
Around the Big Sky
VAUNTED VIKINGS: Portland State set a school single-game record with 436 rushing yards in its 42-35 road victory over Idaho State on Saturday. The previous school record was 432 yards set in 1995 as a Division II team. It marked the first time a Big Sky team had rushed for 400 yards in a game since Nov. 6, 1999, when Sacramento State rushed for 470 yards against Idaho State. In that game, Sacramento State’s Charles Roberts set a Big Sky and NCAA single-game record with 409 rushing yards. The Big Sky single-game record for team rushing yards in a game is 539 by Cal State Northridge in 1973. Portland State rushed the ball 58 times for 436 yards. The Vikings were hurt by three team rushes for -29 yards. The Vikings gained 491 rushing yards, but netted 436. Connor Kavanaugh rushed 12 times for a career-high 212 yards and four touchdowns. Running back Cory McCaffrey had 33 carries for 218 yards and two touchdowns. It marked the first time in school history the Vikings had two 200-yard rushers in the same game. McCaffrey leads the FCS with an average of 169.7 rushing yards per game, and also ranks first in scoring with an average of 18 points per game. In five of the seven Big Sky Conference games that Kavanaugh and McCaffrey have started together over the last two years, each has run for at least 100 yards. In one of the other two games (vs. Eastern Washington last year), Kavanaugh went out with a broken hand in the first period. If you throw out the EWU game, in the other six that both have been healthy, they have combined for 1,832 yards and 20 touchdowns. That is an average of 305.3 yards and 3.3 touchdowns per game. Portland State ranks third in the nation in rushing yards per game at 312.8 yards per game. Portland State is now 3-1 for the first time since 2006. The Vikings have won back-to-back Big Sky games for the first time since 2007. PSU ended a six-game road losing streak, and a five-game losing streak to ISU. The win sets up a big matchup against No. 3 Montana State on Saturday at JELD-WEN Field. PSU and MSU are the remaining undefeated teams left in league play.
MANY HAPPY RETURNS: There were two kick returns and one punt return for touchdowns on Saturday. Sacramento State’s John Hendershott returned a kick 91 yards in the Hornets’ 31-21 loss to Montana State. It was the Hornets first kick return for a touchdown since 2007. Northern Colorado’s Dominic Gunn returned a kick 94 yards for a touchdown in the Bears’ 58-28 loss to Montana. He also had a 99-yard kick return called back on a holding penalty. Despite that, Gunn had 152 kick return yards, setting a Bear Division I single-game record for kick return yards, as well as all-purpose yards. He finished with 215 all-purpose yards. Gunn has 2,030 career all-purpose yards. Montana’s Jabin Sambrano returned a punt 43 yards for a touchdown against the Bears. Sambrano, who has a kick return for a touchdown this season, had 131 yards on four punt returns.
HOKE FIRST: Weber State QB Brady Hoke completed 21 of 32 passes for 225 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions in the Wildcats’ 27-21 loss to Eastern Washington. Hoke has not thrown an interception in 192 attempts dating back to the 2009 season. His streak is now the longest active in the FCS level, as Holy Cross QB Ryan Taggart was intercepted last week. Hoke has completed 97-of-151 passes for 1,165 yards with 12 touchdowns this season. He has an efficiency rating of 155.3. The Big Sky record for pass attempts without an interception is 342, set by Portland State’s Jimmy Blanchard in 1999.
ELVIS IN THE BUILDING: Montana State wide receiver Elvis Akpla had a big day in the Bobcats’ 31-21 win over Sacramento State. Akpla caught six passes for 174 yards and two touchdowns. He hooked up with DeNarius McGhee on a 95-yard touchdown pass, the longest pass play and the second-longest play from scrimmage in MSU history. He also caught a 41-yard TD pass, and a 4-yard pass from punter Rory Perez on a fourth-and-one play from Montana State’s own 29-yard line.
RICE CANDIDATE: Eastern Washington true freshman running back Jordan Talley was one of 15 players named to the inaugural watch list for the Jerry Rice Award. The award will be presented by The Sports Network and Fathead.com to the top freshman at the FCS level. Talley, who had back-to-back 100-yard rushing games against Montana and Montana State, is the lone Big Sky player on the initial list. Talley has 300 rushing yards in five games and is averaging 4.4 yards per carry.
Extra points: Portland State was called for a Big Sky single-game record 21 penalties in the win over Idaho State. The previous mark was 19 set by Idaho in 1970….ISU’s Rodrick Rumble continues to lead the nation in receptions per game and receiving yards per game. Rumble caught 11 passes for 131 yards and two touchdowns last week…EWU All-American WR Brandon Kaufman missed the Weber State game with a broken hand. Nicholas Edwards stepped up with 10 catches for 115 yards and two touchdowns in the Eagles’ win over Weber State….QB Gerald Kemp threw for two TDs and ran for two in UM’s win over Northern Colorado…Nate Montana, the son of Joe Montana, also threw his first TD pass for the Grizzlies…Montana State is ranked third in both major polls this week...Montana is 14th in the coaches’ poll and 16th in the Sports Network poll.