This Week in the Big Sky

Weber State (5-4, 3-3) at Montana (6-3, 4-2)

With a 37-7 victory at Portland State last week, Montana secured a 12th consecutive winning season. The Grizzlies, two-time defending Big Sky champions and ranked 11th in the Sports Network poll, have a chance to tie Eastern Washington for the title by winning their final two games if the Eagles lose to Cal State Northridge today. Eastern Washington would receive the automatic bid to the Division I-AA playoffs because it beat Montana, but the two victories would give Montana eight and most likely an invitation to the playoffs. Montana senior linebacker Jason Crebo this week was selected one of 10 finalists for the Buck Buchanan award, given to the most valuable player in I-AA. Crebo has 74 tackles, nine of them for losses. Weber State, a 52-14 winner over Cal State Sacramento last week, has little left to do in the conference but crush someone else’s hopes. The folks in Missoula need not worry. The Wildcats are 0-4 on the road, have dropped four in a row in Missoula dating to 1987 and are 10-25 against Montana since the series started in 1962. Scott Shields, Weber State’s kicker-punter-free safety, scored 16 points last week to become the school’s career scoring leader with 244 points. He also intercepted a pass, giving him 16--another Weber State career record.

Portland State (4-6, 3-4) at Idaho State (2-7, 1-5)

The season finale for Portland State finds the Vikings in Pocatello with an excellent chance to break even in the Big Sky after winning only one conference game in 1996. The Vikings last week lost to Montana, 37-7, ending a two-game winning streak but they should handle Idaho State, which last week lost at Northridge, 31-22. Portland State’s Charles Dunn is second in the Big Sky in rushing with 1,034 yards. He is the school’s first freshman to gain 1,000 yards in a season. Freshman Orshawante Bryant needs three kickoff returns to meet the minimum 1.2 per game average and be top-ranked in the conference. He is averaging 30.5 yards per return. The Vikings have made 111 tackles for losses, with nine or more in each of the past seven games. Idaho State free safety Trevor Bell, who leads the Big Sky with seven interceptions, this week was picked as a finalist for the Buchanan award. Despite ranking last or near last in every Big Sky defensive category, the Bengals are first in takeaways at plus-1.11 per game.

Montana State (5-4, 4-2) at Cal State Sacramento (1-8, 1-6)

Mercifully, the Big Sky season comes to an end for Sacramento, loser in 14 of 15 conference games since becoming a member last season. The Hornets last week were dismantled by Weber State, 52-14, the fourth time this season they allowed 40 or more points in a game. Their torture won’t be fully over until next week, when they travel to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, an independent that last week defeated Montana State, 20-19. Montana State can claim the Big Sky championship by beating Sacramento and Montana next week at home if Eastern Washington loses to Northridge today. Montana State defeated Eastern Washington, 17-7, on Oct. 4 and would earn the automatic bid to the I-AA playoffs. Sacramento’s offense has been slightly more proficient than Montana State’s (344.7 yards per game to 306.6) but the Bobcats are vastly superior defensively (359.0 yards allowed per game to 512.9).