FB Notes - First Round Playoff Edition
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The 2013 Division I Football Championship opens this Saturday with two Big Sky teams in first-round action. Southern Utah makes the program's first appearance in the playoffs, but the Thunderbirds face a stiff test on the road against Sam Houston State. The Bearkats have beaten five Big Sky teams in the playoffs the past two seasons and went on to finish second to North Dakota State both years. Southern Utah takes an 8-4 overall record to Huntsville, Texas, in the first meeting between the programs. Northern Arizona plays host to South Dakota State of the Missouri Valley Conference. Northern Arizona finished 9-2 in the regular season, including a 5-0 record at home. The Lumberjacks are in the playoff field for the first time since 2003. Both games are Saturday, Nov. 30. No. 3 seed Eastern Washington and No. 8 seed Montana have first-round byes. Both teams will be at home on Saturday, Dec. 7.
Southern Utah (8-4) at Sam Houston St. (8-4) 2 p.m. CST
Location: Huntsville, Texas. Bowers Stadium (12,976)
Series: First Meeting
TV: None. Internet:
ESPN3.
South Dakota St. (8-4) at Northern Arizona (9-2) 6 p.m. MST
Location: Flagstaff, Ariz. Walkup Skydome (10,000)
Series: NAU leads 1-0.
Last Meeting: NAU won 24-20 in 1985.
TV: None. Internet:
ESPN3
Around the Big Sky
EAGLES PERFECT: Eastern Washington finished off a perfect conference slate with a thrilling 42-41 win over Portland State last Saturday. The Eagles’ scored the game-winning touchdown with 31 seconds remaining, and just 29 second after Portland State took a 41-35 lead. Eastern Washington finished 8-0 in conference, marking the first time since 2009 that a Big Sky team went undefeated in league. Eastern Washington claimed sole possession of the Big Sky Championship. Eastern Washington had never finished undefeated in Big Sky play. This marks the first time since 1991 when Nevada finished 8-0 in conference play that a team other than Montana finished with a perfect league mark. Montana went undefeated in conference in 1993, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2006, 2007 and 2009 during that span. Since joining the Big Sky in 1987, Eastern Washington has won seven Big Sky Championships: 1992, 1997, 2004, 2005, 2010, 2012, and 2013. The Eagles’ last won the championship outright in 1997. Over the past four seasons, Eastern Washington has compiled a 27-5 conference record and won three league titles. Eastern Washington will advance to the FCS playoffs for the 10th time in school history, and the ninth as a member of the Big Sky.
ADAMS SETS SINGLE-SEASON RECORDS: Eastern Washington super sophomore Vernon Adams tied his career high with 457 passing yards in the Eagles’ win over Portland State. The Walter Payton Award candidate also threw five more touchdowns. Adams now has 46 touchdown passes – a league single-season record. The previous mark was 42 set by Montana’s Brian Ah Yat in 1996. Playoff statistics did not count in 1996. Adams also broke the single-season record for total offense. Adams has 4,550 yards of total offense through 12 games, surpassing the previous record of 4,400 yards set by Weber State’s Cameron Higgins in 2008. Higgins played 14 games including playoff games. Adams enters the playoffs with 4,059 passing yards this season, which already ranks fourth in conference history. Higgins threw for a record 4,477 yards in 2008. Montana’s Dave Dickenson threw for 4,176 yards during the 1995 regular season. Weber State’s Jamie Martin threw for 4,125 yards during the 1991 regular season. Martin and Dickenson could not count playoff statistics those seasons. Adams leads the nation in total offense and pass efficiency, and is second in passing touchdowns. Adams’ pass efficiency of 185.7 is on pace to break the single-season league record of 175.2 set by Idaho’s Doug Nussmeier in 1993.
KUPP BREAKS CONSECUTIVE TD RECORD: Eastern Washington freshman Cooper Kupp, a leading candidate for the Jerry Rice Award, caught two touchdown passes in the win over PSU. Kupp now stands alone in FCS history by catching a touchdown in 12 straight games. Kupp entered the game tied with Marshall’s Randy Moss (1996) and Cal Poly’s Ramses Barden (2008) with a TD catch in 11 straight games. EWU’s Brandon Kaufman (2010) was incorrectly listed in the NCAA record book. Kupp caught both TD passes in the fourth quarter, including a 15-yarder to win the game with 31 seconds to play. Kupp has 18 TD catches this season, which leads the nation, and is just two shy of the Big Sky single-season record of 20 by Idaho State’s Ed Bell in 1969. Kupp is second in the nation with 1,378 receiving yards, an FCS single-season record for a freshman. Kupp enters the playoffs with 77 catches, just four shy of the single-season FCS freshman record of 81 set by App State’s Sean Price last season.
NAU TIES PICK-SIX RECORD: Northern Arizona’s Blair Wishom capped Northern Arizona’s 20-10 win over Southern Utah with a 52-yard interception return for a touchdown, the team’s sixth interception return for a touchdown this season. NAU tied the Big Sky single-season record with the 1985 Lumberjacks, who also returned six. Six different players have returned interceptions for touchdowns. NAU has scored eight defensive touchdowns this season as it also has two fumble returns for touchdowns.
VIKINGS TOP TOTAL OFFENSE RECORD: Portland State finished the season with 6,486 yards of total offense, a Big Sky single-season record. The previous mark was 6,416 by Montana in 2004, when the Grizzlies played 15 games. EWU has 6,374 yards and will likely top Portland State’s mark in the playoffs.
5,000 FOR BAUMAN: Northern Arizona’s Zach Bauman rushed for 93 yards in a 20-10 win over Southern Utah, to hike his career total to 5,031 yards and moving him into third place on the Big Sky’s all-time rushing list. He moved past Weber State’s Trevyn Smith, who rushed for 5,029 yards. Sacramento State’s Charles Roberts is the all-time leader with 6,553 yards. Charles “Chip” Dunn of Portland State is second with 6,007 yards. Bauman will enter the playoffs with 6,184 career all-purpose yards, which ranks sixth in Big Sky history. He is 159 yards behind Sacramento State’s Fred Amey.
MCGHEE CAPS CAREER: Montana State four-year starter DeNarius McGhee capped his career with a 28-14 loss to Montana last Saturday. The two-time Big Sky MVP finished his illustrious career with 11,203 career passing yards, which ranks fifth in Big Sky history. McGhee amassed 12,336 yards of total offense which ranks second in league history. McGhee passed Travis Lulay as Montana State’s all-time leader, and also moved past Weber State’s Cameron Higgins and Weber State’s Jamie Martin on the league all-time list. EWU’s Matt Nichols is the all-time leader with 13,308. McGhee led Montana State to three Big Sky Championships, and three playoff appearances. He finished his career 36-12 as MSU’s starting QB, and was 26-6 in conference games.
ARIAS SETS RECORD FOR ATTEMPTS: Extreme winds kept Idaho State from throwing like it normally does in a 32-7 loss to Weber State, but Bengal QB Justin Arias as able to throw enough to break the Big Sky single-season record for pass attempts. Arias attempted 574 passes this season. The previous record was 553 set by Idaho State’s Kevin Yost last season.
FIRST TO 100: Weber State’s Tony Epperson punted eight times Saturday in a win over Idaho State. Epperson became the first punter in FCS history to punt 100 times in a season. Epperson punted 101 times for a Big Sky record 4,356 yards. The previous FCS record was 98 punts by Louisiana Tech’s Barry Hickinbotham in 1987. Epperson tied the Division I record of 101 punts by Jim Bailey of VMI in 1969. The NCAA FCS record book does not list a record for most punting yards in a season. However, the FBS record is 4,138 by Michigan State’s Johnny Pringel in 1938.
IN THE POLLS: Five Big Sky teams finished the regular season ranked in the Sports Network Top 25, including two in the top five, and three in the top eight. Eastern Washington enters the playoffs ranked third, followed by Montana. Northern Arizona is ranked eighth. Montana State is 16th, and Southern Utah is 22nd. North Dakota State continued its hold on the top spot. Eastern Illinois is second. In the Coaches’ Poll, Eastern Washington is third, Montana is fifth, Northern Arizona is ninth, Montana State is 18th, and Southern Utah is 25. NDSU is No. 1, followed by Eastern Illinois.
Extra points: Cal Poly ranks first in the nation with an average of 308.8 rushing yards per game. The Mustangs should easily finish as the nation’s top rushing team, and would be the first Big Sky team to do so since Idaho in 1981...Road teams won four of the six conference games last week. Road teams finished with a 27-25 edge in conference games...UM finished first in the nation in average attendance at 25,553. James Madison was a distant second at 21,001. Montana State finished fifth in average attendance at 19,704...Montana State, Montana and Eastern Washington all averaged more than 100 percent of the listed stadium capacity...Portland State’s DJ Adams finished the season with 1,600 rushing yards, which ranks 13th on the Big Sky’s single-season rushing list...Cal Poly’s Tim Walsh earned his 80th coaching victory while coaching in the Big Sky Conference, tying him for fifth place on the league’s all-time list with former UM coach Bobby Hauck. Walsh is third among active coaches in wins behind Northern Arizona’s Jerome Souers (93) and Idaho State’s Mike Kramer (83)...Sacramento State punter Justin Weldon set the school record with a 78-yard punt against UC Davis. The previous school record was 75 yards set in 1973. He finished the season with an average of 44.9 yards and a career mark of 44.2 which set Sacramento State records for both categories.