Big Sky notes: Red letter Saturday for MSU
The Big Sky Conference game of the week is an easy call: No. 4 Montana State visits No. 5 Eastern Washington Saturday, on the red turf of Roos Field.
The two teams have combined for one league loss, by Eastern, which got this past Saturday off after dropping a 35-34 decision at Weber State on Oct. 23.
The Bobcats, coming off a 27-9 win at Idaho State, also had a bye Saturday. First-year MSU coach Brent Vigen was pleased to get that victory in Pocatello while several players — defensive tackle nose tackle Chase Benson, linebacker and third-leading tackler Callahan O’Reilly, corner James Campbell and Tyrel Thomas — were sidelined.
Vigen said on Monday that all have been practicing and should be good to go against EWU, and was most excited about Benson.
“Chase is one of the best D-linemen in this conference. The guys that stepped in and played, played well (sophomore Byron Rollins had four tackles and freshman Blake Schmidt had two),” he said. “But they’re not Chase Benson. He’s disruptive beyond a guy that can just do his job. He can really push in the pocket. While those guys played well, he’s just another level.”
Bearing up to Barriere
Benson would shore up a defense that will get tested by Eastern quarterback Eric Barriere. Vigen echoed Montana coach Bobby Hauck’s phrase, “video-game numbers,” while describing the senior, though he was more mortal in the loss against Weber State. But the Wildcats barely held on.
“They made a bunch of plays in special teams,” Vigen noted. “They faked three punts. I think we have a really good ability to get after the passer. We don’t have to re-create ourselves, but we have to play well.
“(Barriere) can hurt you with the scripted and also with the unscripted, with his arm and with his legs. … Rarely does he lose track of where his options are downfield. The number of plays, big plays, that he makes that are unscripted is pretty uncanny.”
Then there’s Ifanse
If there’s a 1a player to Barriere’s Big Sky MVP credentials it is Montana State running back Isaiah Ifanse, who sits No. 5 in the Football Championship Subdivision with 907 rushing yards. Barriere leads the FCS in passing yards, touchdowns, efficiency rating and total offense, but it’s hard to imagine the Cats being 7-1 overall and 5-0 in league without Ifanse.
Bears await Griz
Northern Colorado may be 3-6 but the Bears opened some eyes with a 27-24 home loss to Sacramento State Saturday. Next up are the No. 10/11 Montana Grizzlies, who narrowly beat last-place Southern Utah 20-19 at home the same day.
“We’re happy to fight through that one,” Hauck said Monday. “I don’t know if I’ve been through a game where that much went against us and we still won. We’re happy to be back in the Top 10 (in the coaches’ poll) in the rankings and we’re ready to go.”
The Bears were undone by Sac State’s Cameron Skattebo, who scored the game-sealing touchdown while rushing for 111 yards. That’s two games, two 100-yard outputs for the redshirt freshman.
Sac State had 23 first downs to NC’s 11, but the Bears closed to 27-24 on quarterback Dylan McCaffery’s 1-yard touchdown with 3:11 left. The Hornets managed one first down and ran the clock down before punting the ball back to the Bears with 33 seconds left. Starting at their own 14, the hosts gained three yards.
Hauck noted that the Bears run a pro-style offense, the exception being a “heavy” package that could cause issues. McCaffrey, the graduate transfer from Michigan, is son of Bears’ coach Ed McCaffrey, the Denver Broncos All-Pro receiver.
“He’s a big (6-foot-4) kid, he’s pretty durable,.” Hauck said of the QB. “Throws it pretty well, pulls and runs it pretty well, he’s obviously a coach’s kid. He has a good handle on things.
“We like Ed and know him. (Corners coach) Ron Bradford played with him’ my brother Tim played him (in the NFL).”
McCaffrey’s hire made a splash in Greeley, Colo., where NC has had mostly tough times since moving up from Division II and into the Big Sky in 2006. The Bears won back-to-back DII titles under Joe Glenn in 1996-97.
“It’s good to win the press conference, it gives you a little boost,” Hauck said of McCaffrey’s hire. “But as for all of us in coaching, you’ve got to go compete. It ultimately comes down to that.”
QUICK KICKS: What running back is No. 3 in the FCS in touchdowns? It’s not Ifanse, it’s Eastern’s Dennis Merritt (13). He’s No. 1 in the Big Sky while Ifanse (7) is second. … NC’s Gene Sledge, Jr.. sits sixth in the BSC in rushing with 403 yards. McCaffrey is ninth in the league in passing yards with 1,135, and the Bears’ leading receiver, Kassidy Woods, ranks 23rd in receiving yards with 342. … Eastern’s Talolo Limu-Jones averages 103.8 receiving yards a game, one of three Eagles in the top six. MSU’s Lance McCutcheon (82.9) sits third, and Montana’s Mitch Robers (56.3 sits 16th.