No. 2 Montana State and No. 4 UC Davis vie for at least a share of the Big Sky football title this Saturday, as the two behemoths battle in Davis this Saturday. Below are news and notes for Week 12 of the football season.
Montana State-UC Davis Featured Game on “This Week in Big Sky Football”
No. 2 Montana State travels to No. 4 UC Davis on Saturday, with a share of the Big Sky title on the line. Saturday’s winner would earn at least a share of the title, with the results from the following week determining if it is an outright championship or a co-championship.
The Big Sky championship would be the first for Montana State since 2022 and the first since 2018 for UC Davis. Both teams are 6-0 in Big Sky play this season, with Montana State owning a 10-0 overall record and UC Davis sporting a 9-1 mark overall.
The Bobcats and Aggies have only faced off eight times in their series history, with the first meeting dating back to 2006. MSU holds a 7-1 mark in the series, winning the last seven games over UC Davis.
The Top 5 showdown will be featured on “This Week in Big Sky Football” which airs each Friday on @BigSkyConf’s YouTube.
Idaho State Gets First Win in Ogden Since 1984
Idaho State took a 43-35 win over Weber State last Saturday, which was the first for the Bengals in 10 years for the series and the first in Ogden in 40 years. The victory also gave Idaho State its first .500 record (5-5) in November since 2018.
Another 200-Yard Rusher
The Big Sky had another 200-yard rusher this past Saturday, as Idaho freshman Deshaun Buchanan crossed the 200-yard mark with 212 against in the win over Portland State.
The Big Sky has had three rushers gain over 200 yards in a single game this season, tied with the UAC for the most by any FCS conference. Buchanan is one of only two freshmen in the FCS to rush over 200 yards in a game this season.
200-Yard Rushers in 2024
11/9: Deshaun Buchanan, UI vs. PSU (212 yds)
10/19: Damon Bankston, WSU vs. SAC (234 yds)
10/12: Dante Chachere, PSU vs. ISU (202 yds)
Montana State Seeks First-Ever 10-0 Start
Montana State earned its first 10-0 start ever, following a 49-7 win over Sacramento State on Nov. 9. Prior to the 10-0 start, the best start for Montana State in program history was a 9-0 start in 1956.
No Big Sky team has ever gone an entire season undefeated, with Montana coming the closest with a 14-0 record in 2009, before falling to Villanova in the FCS National Championship game to finish 14-1 on the year.
WEEK 12 SCHEDULE
Saturday, November 16, 2024
#25 Northern Arizona at Northern Colorado* // 12:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
Portland State at #10 Montana* // 1:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+/Scripps)
Idaho State at Eastern Washington* // 2:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+/SWX)
Sacramento State at Cal Poly* // 3:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+)
Weber State at #8 Idaho* // 6:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+/SWX)
#2 Montana State at #4 UC Davis* // 6:00 p.m. MT (ESPN+/Scripps)
NEWS & NOTES
SHARE OF BIG SKY TITLE ON THE LINE IN DAVIS
No. 2 Montana State travels to No. 4 UC Davis on Saturday, as a share for the Big Sky title is on the line. Saturday’s winner would earn at least a share of the title, with the results from the following week determining if it is an outright championship or shared. The Big Sky championship would be the first for Montana State since 2022 and the first since 2018 for UC Davis. Both teams are 6-0 in Big Sky play this season, with Montana State owning a 10-0 overall record and UC Davis sporting a 9-1 mark overall. The Bobcats and Aggies have only faced off eight times, with the first meeting dating back to 2006. MSU holds a 7-1 mark in the series, winning the last seven games over UC Davis.
Big Sky Football Players of the Week (Nov. 11, 2024)
Co-Offensive Player of the Week: Kobe Tracy, Idaho State (QB, R-Sr., Chubbuck, Idaho)
Kobe Tracy led Idaho State to a 43-35 win over Weber State, which was the first for the Bengals in Ogden since 1984. Tracy passed for 342 yards and four touchdowns, while adding another score on the ground to total five touchdowns on the day. Tracy was extremely efficient with the ball, throwing no interceptions and was not sacked the entire game.
Co-Offensive Player of the Week: Deshaun Buchanan, Idaho (RB, R-Fr., Chandler, Ariz.)
Deshaun Buchanan rushed for 212 yards and a pair of scores in Idaho’s 39-30 win at Portland State. Buchanan had 9.7 yards per carry on Saturday, with a big run of 31 on the final touchdown drive to move the ball inside the 20 and eventually put away the game. The 212 yards on the ground is the second-most this season by any Big Sky running back.
Defensive Player of the Week: Jackson Cloyd, UC Davis (LB, Sr., Newport Beach, Calif.)
Jackson Cloyd led the UC Davis defense in a 30-14 win at Montana late Saturday night. The senior had five tackles, with three tackles for loss and a pair of sacks to cage the Grizzlies. The 14 points for Montana was its lowest output of the season, for a team who had the third-highest scoring offense entering the ESPN2 showdown on Saturday.
Special Teams Player of the Week: Hunter Ridley, UC Davis (K, Jr., Lafayette, Calif)
Hunter Ridley made three field goals in the 30-14 win at Montana for UC Davis, with makes all three makes from 40-plus yards out. Two of his makes, from 42 and 41 yards, came late in the second quarter, giving the Aggies a 13-7 lead at halftime. Ridley was also 3-of-3 on PATs, earning a 12-point haul in the victory.
