6 Ranked Teams in the Big Sky
Now that the out of conference play is complete, 6 teams are ranked in the top 21 and the Big Sky is challenging the Ohio Valley Conference for the top spot.
California State did exactly what they needed to do in out of conference play. Coach lgftw took care of all the sims on his schedule. The Hornets even gave a challenge to Grambling State on the road, so things are definitely looking up in Sacramento. The Hornets have been doing it with gutsy play. Jorge McElroy leads the aerial attack with 1348 yards and 5 TDs. On the ground, Cal State has used a rotation primarily of seniors, but sophomore George Farmer leads this crew with 144 yards on the ground and another 212 in the receiving game. McElroy has distributed the ball through the air to 3 primary receivers, with sophomore Paul Rosen leading the way. On the other side of the ball, the Hornets have been opportunistic in the ground game, with 8 forced fumbles.
Texas State had two difficult games out of the chute in season 121, playing perennial powers Sacred Heart and Jacksonville. The Bobcats were not quite up to the task in either game. Junior quarterback Jerry Gardner struggled against the top teams in games 1 and 2 but seems to have righted the ship. An inspired postgame speech by coach phimutau on the road trip back to San Marcos seems to have resonated with the team. They went on to dominate their next 3 games. A rough patch in the schedule for games 7-10 will determine the Bobcats fate, with 3 of them on the road. TE James Childers has paced the Bobcat attack, grappling 51 balls for 637 yards and 7 TD's. A former Holly Madison tight end award winner, he seems to be on pace for a second.
Montana State is sitting on the right side of the playoffs heading into conference play. 5 tight contests for the Bobcats in out of conference play, with kdawg0612 walking away victorious 3 times against 2 defeats. If not for an uncharacteristic 3 misses from sophomore K Joshua Butler, this team would be 4-1. As is standard for kdawg coached teams, defense is the name of the game. Sophomore DL John Burgos is leading the defense with 3 sacks, 27 tackles and 2 forced fumbles. Montana State has been pounding the rock with authority, with Charles Huffman grinding out 814 yards and 2 touchdowns. Signal caller Tommy Daniels manages the offense. When he's not handing it off to Huffman, he's taking care of the ball and leading the Bobcats to 3 TD and 639 yards.
St.Mary's currently sits at 21 in the WIS rankings. The only blemish on the Gaels season thusfar, is a week 2 loss to Yale. A potential game tying drive stalled out at the 36 in the closing moments. Junior QB Joe Johnson leads this pass heavy Gael attack, amassing 994 yards and 13 touchdowns. WR Steven Schroeder has emerged as Johnson's favorite target, but freshman WR Jesus Lloyd has demonstrated a knack for getting into the end zone, crossing the goal line 4 times in only 15 receptions. If this is a sign of things to come, things are looking bright for coach spcbuzzard in Moraga.
A new coach in Flagstaff and the Lumberjacks have benefitted from the new direction from coach treyomo. The coaches message seems to have been well received by the Lumberjacks. A narrow halftime deficit against last seasons runner up in Drake is cause for significant optimism for Northern Arizona. The run game is in fashion for the new look Lumberjacks. Junior RB David Nelson is carrying the offensive load, 186 carries 1123 yards and 6 scores. When the time comes to air it out, Nicholas Johnson has tossed for 655 yards and 6 scores. California kid LB Joseph Reyes has enjoyed the fresh mountain air in Flagstaff, leading the defense with 3 interceptions and 8 more passes defended.
Second year coach justaguy has the Mustangs in position to challenge for the North division in the Big Sky. A single blemish in the out of conference slate, a road loss to the runner up in season 119, Eastern Illinois. Other than that, Cal Poly has taken care of business, going on the road and beating the nerds at Yale and dominating William & Mary. Cal Poly brings a balanced offensive attack, with roughly a 50/50 ratio of run to pass. William Brown, a junior running back out of Alhambra, CA leads the way on the ground. Brown is a dual threat with 614 yards on the ground and another 129 through the air. As the only Big Sky team with a senior QB the Mustangs have relied on Darrell Blackburn's guidance. A game manager, Blackburn has tossed for 5 TD's, while Jr QB Vernon Peterson is gaining valuable experience as he will take the reins of these wild Mustangs next season.
The most impressive out of conference schedule comes from the Bearkats down in the Lone Star State. Coach truedevil33 was not afraid to take on significant challengers, playing 3 playoff teams from last season. The lone loss for the Bearkats was a late game defeat at the hands of Drake on the road. Sam Houston State has the top quarterback in the conference in junior QB Bobby Robinson and he has not disappointed, tossing for 1415 yards and 8 scores. DL Antonio McClure has been a one man wrecking crew on defense, accounting for 25 tackles, 5 sacks, 1 forced fumble and many tackles for loss. RB Adam Winters is a defensive coordinators nightmare. Will he catch it or will he run it? Either way, he does it well, with over 850 combined yards and he has done is end zone dance 13 times.
Portland State currently leads the pack with a 5-0 record heading into conference play, but conference play offers very few breathers and significant challenges for coach lyonzfan37. 5 games against ranked teams for the Viking are on the horizon. Junior QB Peter Davis throws it well and often with 2148 passing yards and 17 scores to lead the way. The Vikings have three primary targets for Davis' passes, Juniors RB Robert Brewer and WR Terry Hughes and senior RB Robert Sylvester. Senior DB Donald Cole leads the opportunistic Viking defense with 5 interceptions.
