The Big Sky conference’s season is coming to a close and some serious questions have yet to be answered before the playoffs.
Tag: Montana Grizzlies Football
College Sports Journal Sagarin FCS Full Rankings –Preseason Spring 2021
This has been an unprecedented past 12 months for college football with the Division I ranks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This past fall, we saw the FBS subdivision of Division I play through what right now looks like the peak of the pandemic of November and December. All FBS conferences did not start the […]
The FCS Should Now Try To Play A Modified Season in the Spring. Here’s How You Do It.
Playing a radically shortened season of six “regular-season” games would allow for most teams to only have a season that is marginally longer than what they would do for spring practices. And from those games, it is possible to come up with an FCS Championship.
OPINION: No, David Pollack. FCS Football Is Right Where It Should Be.
On July 21st, 2020, when David Pollack went on air to suggest that FCS football should permanently become spring football, I cringed.
2020 College Sports Journal FCS Preseason Top 25 Announced
Of our preseason poll last year, only 6 of the top 10 teams made the playoffs. 13 of the full 25 played past Thanksgiving. Its 2020, the year of complete chaos.
2019 STATS Perform Awards Banquet, Payton Award goes to NDSU QB Trey Lance & Buchanan Award goes to Montana LB Dante Olson
FRISCO, Tex.—North Dakota State redshirt freshman quarterback Trey Lance was recognized with the Walter Payton Award tonight presented by STATS Perform FCS Awards banquet tonight as the best offensive player of the year. “This is just a phenomenal, surreal moment, unexpected totally,” said Carlton Lance, who is Trey’s father, and accepted the award for his […]
FCS Quarterfinal Round Playoffs: Through Cold, Rain and Snow, Weber State Outlast Bitter Big Sky Rivals Montana 17-10
On a wet, snowy evening at Stewart Stadium, Weber State’s defense and special teams were the main reason the Wildcats defeated their bitter rivals Montana 17-10 and advanced to the semifinals of the FCS Playoffs for the first time in school history.
2019 FCS Playoffs: CSJ Playoff Picks, National Quarterfinals
We’re down to the final eight teams in the FCS Playoffs, as an unprecedented six of those teams face off on Friday evening in an intriguing tripleheader that includes three Big Sky teams. All three games played after sundown could be deeply affected by the weather.
2019 FCS Playoffs, Round 2 Review: CSJ Staff Gives Their Opinions
With the second round of the FCS Playoffs now complete, we give you links to all our recaps and our writers’ impression of the games.
FCS Second Round Playoffs: Record-Setting Performance for Montana As They Smother Southeastern Louisiana 73-28
Hosting their first FCS Playoff games since 2015, the Grizzlies put on a show for their home fans, setting program and national records as they defeated Southeastern Louisiana 73-28 in the second round of the FCS Playoffs.
Big Sky Conference Reviews Week 12
Montana pulled the upset so things could get messy in the Big Sky as to who is or is not a champion. The rare, but special three way tie is a very realistic possibility for the Big Sky. Montana needs to survive “Brawl of the Wild”, Weber surviving Idaho State, and Sacramento State surviving UC […]
CSJ Classic (2004) – With Division I Transition, Old Dakota Rivalries Are Dying
In the Dakotas, there is one fall Saturday every year when each of the states stands still to watch one football game.
The two rivalries garnering this attention, the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux versus the North Dakota State University Bison, and the University of South Dakota Coyotes versus the South Dakota State University Jackrabbits, are partially gone at least for the 2004 season and could be for the foreseeable future.
Big Sky Conference Previews, How To Watch: Week of 10/19/2019
The Big Sky has been a game of boggle lately as each time you shake it something big changes. Montana and Sacramento State will duke it out for the drivers seat this weekend. Another notable match will be to see if NAU can play spoiler or Weber State will continue to establish their top ten […]
Big Sky Conference Previews: Conference Week 2 Quick Picks
The Big Sky is a pendulum of normal games to chaotic endings many would not have suspected. What will we get Saturday? Despite the Northern Colorado betting line being the highest at 12.5 underdog, I think every team this week has a legitimate shot of winning their perspective game.
The Week That Was: Highlights of the Five Top FCS Games, Week Ending 9/28/2019
A week ago, UC Davis was being lauded for giving top-ranked North Dakota State a true run for their money at their place. Last week, thanks to a sneak Grizzly attack, Aggie fans have to wonder whether they can still make the playoffs.
College Sports Journal Big Sky Conference Reviews: Week of 9/21/2019
The non-conference portion of the schedule is mostly over for the Big Sky with a few exceptions such as UNI vs, Weber this week, Idaho State travels to BYU in November, and a few North Dakota games. So far, the Big Sky is not off to as hot a start as many believed they would […]
College Sports Journal Big Sky Conference Previews: Week of 9/21/2019
Week 4 is upon us and the last of the intriguing non-conference play will be wrapping up for the majority this week. The Big Sky – Missouri Valley games will see several games this week of varying degrees of competitiveness to be observed. Missouri Valley fans will likely be harassing Big Sky fans after this week as the matchups are lopsided even when seemingly close. Despite the spreads, this week will feature two marquee matchups, even if the Big Sky is favored in neither.
Big Sky Conference Week 3 Games Review – Week of 9/14/2019
Marquee: Jacksonville State def. Eastern Washington 49-45 A tidal wave of shock was sent across the FCS landscape as Jacksonville State pulled off a momentous upset. After the first quarter it seemed as if the fate of the game was going to be easily determined with a 28-7 EWU lead. Things would even out much […]
College Sports Journal Big Sky Conference Previews: Week of 9/14/2019
The non-conference gauntlet continues in Week 3 with PAC 12 and Mountain West FBS matches, long distance FCS games, and one D-II game. Weber State has the best chance to make a “Fear the FCS” moment, but all of the FBS games this week have the potential to be ugly. Looking ahead at the FCS games is a different story, as Big Sky teams have the talent to win big. NAU versus Western New Mexico will be an obvious win barring a strong Lumberjack performance.
Big Sky Conference Week 2 Games Review – Week of 9/07/2019
Marquee: Montana State def. SEMO 38-17 The Redhawks gave their best effort, but the Bobcats prevailed dominant. A close halftime score did not define the game as Montana State went on a 28-7 run to win. Casey Bauman performed adequately, while the running game established itself as a deciding factor. Bauman passed for 136 yards […]
College Sports Journal Big Sky Conference Game Previews: Week of 9/07/2019
The Big Sky schedule in general switches from an uphill FBS heavy schedule to a now D2 and interesting FCS matches week. With the schedule almost evenly in thirds of D2 (or lower), FCS, and FBS games will show variety of strengths and weaknesses of the Big Sky teams. Considering the hodgepodge of games available the game of the week is centered on SEMO vs. Montana State. Both are last year playoff teams and have a strong depth of players. This could be hard hitting and high-intensity game that gets decided in the fourth quarter.
Big Sky Conference Week 1 Games Review, Week of 8/31/2019
A Dalton Sneed-led Montana team went on the offensive and never looked back. It took a Coyote field goal in the second quarter for the Grizzlies to jump back from hibernation. That South Dakota field goal would be the only led Austin Simmons and company would enjoy all game long.
College Sports Journal Big Sky Conference Game Previews: Week of 8/31/2019
The Big Sky Conference is one of the Power 3 conferences in FCS football and will continue that tradition this year too. In our College Sports Journal Top 25 four Big Sky teams placed in the top ten, including Eastern Washington and UC Davis within the top five. A strong year is in store for […]
2019 NCAA Division I College Football Team Previews: Montana Grizzlies
The Griz still missed the playoffs, but made improvements on both sides of the ball. QB Dalton Sneed and the offense did well at moving the ball, but the turnovers were costly for them. Dante Olson made a huge splash in the Big Sky and the FCS as a defensive nightmare for opposing teams.
College Sports Journal 2019 Division I Football Conference Preview: Big Sky Conference
Big Sky Predicted Order of Finish, Big Conference Games To Watch, And Ten Players to watch.
CSJ 2018 Week 12 Preview: Montana State at Montana, How To Watch and Fearless Prediction
Montana State at Montana When: Saturday, November 17, 12:00 PM MST Where: Washington-Grizzly Stadium, Missoula, Mont. TV/Streaming: ROOT Sports NW/DirecTV Audience Network (Ch. 101)/DISH Studio (Ch. 102) Montana State Bobcats (6-4, 4-3 Big Sky) Montana State brings a diverse, multiple ground game on offense to this game. The Bobcats starting the season almost fully running the ball most of […]
That Was the FCS Week That Was: The Week That Upended the Playoffs, 11/11/2018
What a weekend! Whatever you thought was true in regards to the qualified teams in the FCS Playoff field last week was almost certainly changed after an epic weekend of upsets. About the only outcomes that came out as expected were that the three remaining undefeated teams, 10-0 North Dakota State, 9-0 Colgate, and 9-0 […]
College Sports Journal FCS Football Players of the Week-Oct 1st
Princeton QB John Lovett, Monmouth WR Reggie White, Jr., Jacksonville State QB Zerrick Cooper, Montana LB Dante Olson, and North Dakota State P Garret Wegner have been selected as the College Sports Journal FCS Football Players of the week ending Oct. 1st 2018. The honorees are listed here with their achievements and their school, position, […]
College Sports Journal FCS Football Players of the Week-Sept 24th
Montana QB Dalton Sneed, Stony Brook RB Jordan Gowins, Sacred Heart QB Kevin Duke, Chattanooga LB Marshall Cooper, and Morgan State PK Alex Raya have been selected as the College Sports Journal FCS Football Players of the week ending Sept. 24th 2018. The honorees are listed here with their achievements and their school, position, class, […]
VIDEO: Top Five FCS Football Game Highlights of the Week of 9/23/2018
It was a thrilling week in FCS football with some thrilling conference games, a couple of shocking conference upsets, and yet another FBS scalp taken by an FCS school. Nicholls gave Sam Houston State their second consecutive loss in a shocking 27-7 win, Montana won a back-and-forth thriller against conferencemate Sacramento State 41-34, Chattanooga remained […]
