Upcoming Big Sky Football Games (Week 3)
Saturday, Sept. 14
Idaho State at #10 North Dakota // ESPN+ (12:00 p.m. MT)
Morehead State at #8 Montana // ESPN+/Scripps 1:00 p.m. (MT)
#25 Abilene Christian at Northern Colorado // ESPN+ (2:00 p.m. MT)
#17 UAlbany at #4 Idaho // ESPN+/SWX (2:00 p.m. MT)
#6 South Dakota at Portland State // ESPN+ (2:00 p.m. MT)
#20 Weber State at #RV Lamar // ESPN+ (5:00 p.m. MT)
Eastern Washington at SELU // ESPN+ (5:00 p.m. MT)
Western Oregon at Cal Poly // ESPN+ (6:00 p.m. MT)
#15 UC Davis at #RV Southern Utah // ESPN+ (6:00 p.m. MT)
Northern Arizona at Utah Tech // ESPN+ (7:00 p.m. MT)
#24 Nicholls at #11 Sacramento State // ESPN+/KMAX31 (7:00 p.m. MT)
Eleven Big Sky football teams will be in action on Saturday, as Week 3 features a pair of Top-25 matchups. Below are news and notes for Week 3 of the football season.
Two Top-25 Matchups Featured in Week 3
Two Big Sky football games this week will feature a Top 25 matchup this week, as No. 4 Idaho hosts No. 17 UAlbany and No. 11 Sacramento State welcomes No. 24 Nicholls. The Vandals were topped 30-22 by UAlbany in the FCS Quarterfinals last season, while Sacramento State opened the 2023 slate with a 38-24 win at Nicholls.Â
Two other ranked Big Sky teams will have to travel to teams receiving votes but outside of the Top 25, as No. 20 Weber State visits Lamar and No. 15 UC Davis travels to Southern Utah.
Big Sky-MVFC Challenge Continues in Week 3
The Big Sky-MVFC Challenge is all tied up at 1-1, as Montana’s loss to North Dakota evened the score.
Week 3 will feature a pair of Big Sky-MVFC games, as Idaho State travels to No. 10 North Dakota and Portland State hosts No. 6 South Dakota.
Saturday, Aug. 31
Montana 29, Missouri State 24
Saturday, Sept. 7
North Dakota 27, Montana 24
Saturday, Sept. 14
Idaho State at North Dakota
South Dakota at Portland State
Idaho Knocks Off Another MWC Foe
For the second-straight season, Idaho picked up an upset over a Mountain West foe as the Vandals topped Wyoming, 17-13. Last season, the Vandals dominated Nevada, 33-6.
The Big Sky now owns six wins over the Mountain West Conference since the 2021 season.
Additionally, the win over Wyoming is the first for a Big Sky school since former member North Dakota downed the Cowboys 24-13 in 2015. The only other win for a Big Sky school over Wyoming is Cal Poly’s 24-22 win in 2012.
Big Sky Wins over MWC Foes Since 2021
2024: Idaho 17, Wyoming 13
2024: Montana State 35, New Mexico 31
2023: Idaho 33, Nevada 6
2022: Sacramento State 41, Colorado State 10
2022: Weber State 35, Utah State 7
2021: Eastern Washington 35, UNLV 33
Bobcats Idle in Week 3 After 3-0 Start
Montana State will be idle in Week 3, with an extra bye in the schedule after opening the season in Week 0. The Bobcats are off to a 3-0 start, which is the best for Montana State since going 6-0 to start the year in 2012.
Players of the Week Announced for Big Sky Football
Co-Offensive Player of the Week: Damon Bankston, Weber State (RB, Jr., Katy, Texas)
Damon Bankston ran for 133 yards and two touchdowns in Weber State’s 43-16 win over Portland State. He had a one-yard touchdown in the second quarter and then broke off a 75-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Through two games, Bankston has rushed for 238 yards and two touchdowns. He is currently first in the Big Sky and eighth in the nation in rushing yards per game at 119.
Co-Offensive Player of the Week: Scottre Humphrey, Montana State (RB, So., Seattle, Wash.)
Scottre Humphrey set the tone for the day on Montana State’s second play from scrimmage, bursting through a hole for a 79-yard touchdown run. He scored again on a six-yard run in the second quarter, and finished his day with 110 yards rushing on only four carries. Saturday marked Humphrey’s third 100-yard rushing effort in three games, after he gained 140 yards at New Mexico and 104 at Utah Tech. Through three games he averages 10.7 yards per rush, and Saturday’s touchdown was his third of the season and the 11th of his career.
Co-Defensive Player of the Week: Keyshawn James-Newby, Idaho (DL, Sr., Helena, Mont.)
Keyshawn James-Newby had three sacks and a forced fumble leading Idaho to dominant defensive performance against FBS Wyoming. He leads the FCS in sacks despite playing two FBS teams that are renowned for their offensive line play. He has matched his 2023 sack total of five in just two games. He has two forced fumbles in two games.
Co-Defensive Player of the Week: David Meyer, UC Davis (LB, R-Jr., Mission Viejo, Calif.)
David Meyer finished with a career-high 15 tackles in the UC Davis win over Texas A&M-Commerce, with the linebacker housing a 60-yard interception return for a touchdown with 46 seconds remaining in a game that was just one-score at the time. Meyer posted 12 solo tackles in his 15 total on Saturday night, which makes him the nation’s leader for solo tackles per game at 9.5.
Special Teams Player of the Week: Gabe Panikowski, Idaho State (K/KO, Jr., San Diego, Calif.)
Gabe Panikowski nailed all three field goal attempts, making a 36, 37 and personal-best 51-yarder in the 50-10 win against Western Oregon. The junior also made five PAT attempts in the Idaho State win, while earning two touchbacks on kickoffs.
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