THIS WEEK IN THE BIG SKY

Eastern Washington (5-1, 3-1) at Montana (4-1, 2-0)

Montana, ranked No. 2 in Division I-AA by The Sports Network, has a 30-game winning streak in Missoula. Eastern Washington, ranked 20th, is 7-13 in road games since 1994. Montana has defeated the Eagles four consecutive times and leads the series, 15-7-1, dating to 1938. The Grizzlies won last year, 34-30, scoring on a screen pass that went 39 yards with 56 seconds to play. A 48-0 victory at Idaho State last week was Montana’s first Big Sky road shutout since 1973. Montana’s Josh Branen has scored seven touchdowns, tops in the conference, and is averaging 7.9 yards per carry. Eastern Washington last week dumped Cal State Sacramento, 30-17, in a storm that dropped hail, rain, sleet and snow in Cheney, Wash. Senior Rex Prescott, 5 feet 7 and 170 pounds, gained 201 yards in 30 carries and scored once. Prescott leads the Big Sky in rushing at 111.6 yards per game. Teammate Mike MacKenzie is second at 99.2 yards. Harry Leons, the conference passing efficiency leader with a 167.45 rating, is expected back from a one-game layoff after suffering a mild concussion against Montana State two weeks ago.

*

Northern Arizona (4-2, 2-1) at Cal State Sacramento (1-4, 1-2)

Linebacker Ryland Wickman made 22 tackles, including 10 solos, for Sacramento in a 30-17 loss to Eastern Washington last week. Amazingly, Wickman wasn’t selected Big Sky defensive player of the week. Northern Arizona, ranked 11th, last week escaped with a 14-13 victory over Montana State in Flagstaff, Ariz. The Lumberjacks are seventh in the nation in offense at 448.0 yards per game and Sacramento is 116th in defense, allowing 470.8 yards per outing. Northern Arizona presents a versatile offense with Travis Brown (1,847 yards passing, 13 touchdowns), Gibbons St. Paul (585 yards receiving, seven touchdowns) and Kino Carson (571 yards rushing, five touchdowns). Brown leads the nation in offense at 307.8 yards per game. Hornet quarterback A.J. Bernhardt is 15th at 259.6 yards. Northern Arizona has never played at Sacramento but holds a 2-0 series lead after beating the Hornets, 62-7, and, 51-32, the past two years. Sacramento has won only one Big Sky game since joining the conference last year, defeating Idaho State, 23-19, on Oct. 4.

*

Portland State (2-4, 1-2) at Weber State (3-3, 1-2)

To some, a two-game winning streak is commonplace. To Portland State, which last week beat St. Mary’s, 35-21, in a nonconference game, it is reason to celebrate. The Vikings last won three in a row in 1995, while playing in Division II. Portland State defensive end Mike McCarthy had six tackles for a loss, including three sacks, against St. Mary’s and was named Big Sky defensive player of the week. The Vikings have made 40 tackles behind the line of scrimmage in the past three games. Freshman Orshawante Bryant returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown. Weber State linebacker David Stroshine registered his sixth consecutive game with 10 or more tackles, making 10 in a 30-20 loss to Cal State Northridge. Junior quarterback Steve Buck had 342 yards against the Matadors, including 248 yards passing. Senior Scott Shields has 11 field goals this season and a total of 45, one shy of the school record held by former NFL kicker Roger Ruzek. Weber State leads the series, 10-6, but the teams have split the past four games dating to 1984. The Wildcats won last year, 35-10.

*

Southern Utah (4-2) at Idaho State (0-5) (Nonconference)

Idaho State has lost six in a row and 10 of 11. The Bengals last week were manhandled by Montana, 48-0, in Pocatello. It was the second shutout loss--both at home--for Idaho State this season after going 32 games without being blanked. The Bengals have not been held scoreless three times in a season since 1979, when they were 0-11. Idaho State has scored only four touchdowns this season, one on a kickoff return by Monte Walzer against Sacramento on Oct. 4. Walzer has 449 yards on kickoff returns, sixth in the nation. Free safety Trevor Bell is tied for the Big Sky lead in interceptions with four and has 13 in his career, two short of Steve Benko’s school record set in the 1970s. Southern Utah, an I-AA independent, had an open date last week. The Thunderbirds two weeks ago lost to Western Illinois, 45-6, ending a streak of 44 games with at least one touchdown. Southern Utah is third in I-AA in rushing at 317 yards per game. Fullback Brook Madsen is averaging 114.5 yards rushing, 16th in the nation.