This Week in the Big Sky

Eastern Washington (3-4, 2-3) at Cal State Sacramento (3-5, 2-3)

Can anybody stop Charles Roberts of Sacramento? The 5-foot-6 sophomore needs 483 yards to tie the conference record of 2,079 yards rushing in one season, second-best total in Division I-AA history, set by Archie Amerson of Northern Arizona in 1996. Roberts has 1,596 yards, fourth-best in conference history. Roberts last week had a school-record 269 yards rushing in Sacramento’s 38-21 victory at Northern Arizona and was selected Big Sky offensive player of the week. Cornerback Donnie Walker was the defensive co-player of the week after returning an interception 35 yards for a score and making four tackles. Eastern Washington, defending Big Sky champion, is out of contention after losing to Montana, 30-27, last week when Nick Reynolds missed a 47-yard field-goal attempt in the final seconds. Running back Mike MacKenzie of Eastern Washington had 152 yards rushing and 104 yards receiving. The Eagles are 6-0 in the series with Sacramento dating to 1980.

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Idaho State (2-5, 1-3) at Montana (5-3, 3-2)

After a slow start, Montana is in the Big Sky title chase. The Grizzlies last week withstood a blocked punt and a last-minute 47-yard field goal attempt to beat Eastern Washington, 30-27. Brian Ah Yat passed for 312 yards and three touchdowns, his fifth 300-yard passing game this season. He has 80 touchdown passes in his career, fourth in the Big Sky. Jeremy Watkins leads the conference at 7.1 receptions per game. Idaho State last week snapped a three-game skid, defeating Southern Utah, 50-33, in a nonconference game. The Bengals had the most points since defeating Cal State Northridge, 52-0, in 1995. Junior Pete Garces kicked field goals of 41, 37 and 51 yards and five extra points. Garces, the Big Sky’s special teams player of the week, has kicked three field goals of more than 50 yards without a miss. Montana has defeated Idaho State seven consecutive times in Missoula and three in a row overall.

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Northern Arizona (4-4, 1-4) at Montana State (5-2, 3-1)

Montana State has the inside track to claim its first Big Sky title since 1984, when the Bobcats were I-AA champions. They inched closer by beating Cal State Northridge, 32-26, last week. But they have a tough road ahead, starting with Northern Arizona, which has won 10 of the last 11 games in the series, including the last seven. The Lumberjacks lost to Cal State Sacramento, 38-21, last week in Flagstaff but first-year Coach Jerome Souers, an assistant at Montana the last 14 years, probably is firing up his team with the hope of derailing his former cross-state rival. The Lumberjacks are reduced to spoilers after a promising start in which they allowed a combined 16 points in two games. Montana State, ranked No. 19 in one poll, faces Eastern Washington, Idaho State and Montana in the next three weeks. Chip Hobbs had 120 yards receiving for the Bobcats against Northridge, his third game this season with 100 or more yards receiving. He’s partly responsible for Montana State ranking fourth in offense in the Big Sky at 403.0 yards per game.

Nonconference

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (2-5) at Portland State (4-3)

The Vikings take a three-game winning streak to the Civic Stadium turf. Portland State is coming off a 34-27 home victory against Weber State, which vaulted the Vikings, at 4-2, into the Big Sky title race. Charles Dunn rushed for 166 yards against the Wildcats, the top-ranked defense in the Big Sky. Dunn is third in the conference and seventh in I-AA at 154.1 yards rushing per game. He has 2,255 career yards and needs 23 yards to move into second place on Portland State’s all-time list. Portland State is Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s fourth Big Sky opponent this season. The Mustangs, who play as independents, lost to Sacramento, Montana and Northern Arizona.