Big Sky Breakdown

In this week's Akem's Analysis with Keenan, we react to Montana's close loss to Montana State at home. We discuss all the factors that contributed to the loss and share our thoughts on what could have been done differently. In the second half of the video, we examine the FCS Playoff bracket and share our initial thoughts about it as it is announced. All of this in this week's Akem's Analysis.SPORTS BET MONTANA LINK: https://sportsbetmontana.com/en

In this week's Akem's Analysis, I will be talking about some of the games that took place in the Big Sky and one in the MVFC this weekend. I will also be talking about the upcoming playoffs and what the early outlook is, as I'm looking at the bracket from where it stands. Some teams were left out of the bracket. What was that for? I will give my thoughts about all of it in this week's episode. Like and comment your thoughts down below! SUBSCRIBE BEFORE YOU LEAVE!! SPORTS BET MONTANA LINK: https://sportsbetmontana.com/en0:00 - Intro1:45 - Montana/Montana State Reaction 12:46 - UC Davis/Sac State Reaction18:38 - SDSU/UND Reaction23:56 - FCS Playoff Bracket Reaction37:16 - Final Thoughts 38:27 - End

Skyline Sports analyst Ryan Tootell gives his instant reaction to Montana State's 31-28 win over Montana in Missoula on November 22, 2025.

Montana State head coach Brent Vigen along with quarterback (13:33) Justin Lamson, Caden Dowler and Zac Crews + Montana head coach Bobby Hauck (23:17), running back Eli Gillman and safety TJ Rausch addressed the media following MSU's 31-28 win over UM in Missoula on November 22, 2025.

Montana State quarterback Justin Lamson, safety Caden Dowler and defensive end Zac Crews addressed the media following MSU's 31-28 win in Missoula over No. 2 Montana to secure a Big Sky Conference championship.

Montana State 5th-year head coach Brent Vigen won for the first time in his career in Missoula, sewing up his third Big Sky Conference championship in the process by beating No. 2 Montana 31-28 on Saturday afternoon.

Montana head coach Bobby Hauck, senior captain TJ Rausch and junior running back Eli Gillman addressed the media following UM's 31-28 loss to Montana State in Missoula on Saturday afternoon.

Former Montana State All-American offensive lineman JP Flynn joins Colter Nuanez to talk all things Montana-Montana State football, share his memories from his time battling the Griz and preview the key matchups in Saturday's game in Missoula.

Colter Nuanez and Samuel Akem share rivalry game memories (1:25) and ask a collection of questions to each other, both contemporary & historic, leading up to the 124th edition of the Montana-Montana State contest, including: (5:35) - What is the biggest matchup in the 2025 game? (8:12) - Who has the advantage in the trenches? (9:55) - What do people deny the eye test? Why is Montana State ranked ahead of Montana in Sammy's poll? (13:19) Measuring talent beyond the starters and evaluating the way each team rotates, especially on defense (15:20) Who has the best win - Montana or Montana State? (18:15) What player on each side is going to have a really big game this weekend? (21:20) How have the Griz receivers been so much more productive this year than last year despite losing four seniors from last season? And how does that group match up with Montana State's confident, youthful defensive backs? (26:51) Does it matter that 22 Montana seniors are expected to play on Saturday while MSU only has nine seniors on its roster? (29:19) Why has the visiting team been avalanched in every rivalry game since 2019? (34:34) Position by position comparisons - who is better at each position group? (45:30) The best individual performances we've ever seen in the Brawl of the Wild (50:13) What's the loudest crowd pop you've ever heard in the rivalry? (51:48) What's the craziest play you've ever seen in the Brawl? (53:40) The Cats will win if? The Griz will win if? (54:43) Which head coach has more pressure on them when it comes to legacy within the rivalry? (56:34) Tommy Mellott or Keali'i Ah Yat? (1:00:24) How important is it for the Griz to win this game if they want to make a run to the national championship? (1:02:50) What would be crazier - a rivalry rematch in the playoffs in MIssoula or Bozeman? Or a rivalry game national championship in Nashville?

In this week's Akem's Analysis, I talk about some BIG games taking place in the FCS in the final week of the regular season. The Brawl of the Wild is the biggest game in the country with a ton on the line. UC Davis & Sac State face off in the final Causeway Classic for the foreseeable future. North Dakota looks to give SDSU their 5th straight loss and knock them out of the playoffs. All of this and more in this week's Akem's Analysis. SPORTS BET MONTANA LINK: https://sportsbetmontana.com/en0:00 - Intro3:08 - Montana/Montana State Preview16:32 - UC Davis/Sac State Preview24:51 - North Dakota/SDSU Preview31:16 - Harvard/Yale Preview37:38 - Lehigh/Lafayette Preview42:24 - No Huddle Notes52:48 - Final Thoughts 54:21 - End

Montana State senior captain Kenneth Eiden IV addressed the Bozeman media ahead of his final rivalry game against Montana on Saturday in Missoula. Sound provided by MSU sports information.

Idaho head coach Thomas Ford Jr., talks about his team's 23-20 loss at Sac State and previews his team's rivalry game against Idaho State on Saturday.

Montana State head coach Brent Vigen joins Colter Nuanez on Nuanez Now on 102.9 ESPN to preview the 124th matchup between Montana State and Montana in Missoula on Saturday.

Montana State analyst Michael Rider joins Colter Nuanez for a discussion including Cat-Griz memories, Caden Dowler's rise to an elite FCS player, the college football player factory that is Billings West High and key matchups in Saturday's 124th rivalry showdown between Montana and Montana State in Missoula.

Montana State defensive coordinator Shawn Howe sits down with Colter Nuanez to talk about MSU's soundness on defense (0:39), the young Bobcat defensive coaching staff (1:55), the defensive line as leaders (4:40), the ability to play base (6:11), conversation about Montana State's four senior defensive linemen (7:34), and how Coach Howe wants to finish the regular-season (19:13).

Jordan Tripp, a former Montana All-American linebacker and NFL player who is now doing color commentary for Scripps Sports Television broadcasts, joins Colter Nuanez to break down what makes Montana's risky yet prolific defense effective and to give his insight into the origin of the Bobcats' 4-2-5 scheme and why it's been so sound this season.

Leo Davis, a former Bobcat football player who is now the color commentator for Bobcat football on the Bobcat Radio Network, joins Colter Nuanez to talk all things Montana-Montana State with the rivalry game looming in Missoula on Saturday with a Big Sky title and playoff seeding on the line.

Skyline analyst Ryan Tootell joins Colter Nuanez to rap about the 2025 rivalry game between No. 3 Montana State at No. 2 Montana in Missoula on Saturday, including:0:00 - Intro3:44 - Magnitude of the matchup8:10 - Setting the stage for the rivalry 16:30 - Why does the road team unravel since 2019? 22:10 - Do underdog mentalities play when the 'Cats play the Griz? 24:25 - What if these teams played twice before the end of the year? 28:30 - How will Justin Lamson handle his first Brawl?And much more!

Skyline analyst Andrew Schmidt joins Colter Nuanez to talk about home field advantage in the rivalry (1:24), Griz 63-17 win over Portland State (3:36) plus Andrew gives his five favorite Bobcats (5:55) of all time. Plus, Andrew & Colter analyze the biggest question coming into the 124th matchup between No. 3 Montana State at No. 2 Montana (13:03) + "it's Cat week, bitch" and concerns for the Griz (26:46).

Montana State senior captain Paul Brott addressed the media ahead of MSU's game in Missoula against No. 2 Montana (11-0).

Montana State senior center and captain JT Reed talks about MSU's senior day and his final rivalry game against Montana in Missoula on Saturday afternoon.

Montana State head coach Brent Vigen breaks down the 124th rivalry showdown with Montana on Saturday in Missoula.

No. 2 Montana and No. 3 Montana State square off in Missoula for the 124th time on Saturday with the outright Big Sky Conference championship on the line. The Griz are 11-0 while Montana State is 9-2. Each are 7-0 in Big Sky play for the first time simultaneously. UM head coach Bobby Hauck, senior linebacker Geno Leonard of Missoula and senior offensive lineman Dillon Botner of Whitefish addressed the media to preview the matchup.

In this week's Akem's Analysis, Keenan and I recap Montana's game against Portland State. They won dominantly as they have been looking to do over the last few weeks. We also look ahead to a colossal matchup in Missoula with everything on the line. Stay tuned for the entire episode. Like and comment your thoughts down below! SUBSCRIBE BEFORE YOU LEAVE!!!SPORTS BET MONTANA LINK: https://sportsbetmontana.com/en

Ty Gregorak, who will be a color commentator for the 124th edition of Montana and Montana State in Missoula on Saturday, joins Colter Nuanez to talk about Montana State's 38-17 win over UC Davis, big questions heading into the rivalry plus the Dowler brothers carrying the day for MSU, and fun story lines for Saturday.

In this week's Akem's Analysis, I recap Montana State's big road win against UC Davis. I also talk a bit about the missed call that took place in Sacramento. There are a ton of playoff implications in this week's results and more in the upcoming week. Is Beau Brungard the Walter Payton favorite? All of this and more in this week's Akem's Analysis. Like and comment your thoughts below! SUBSCRIBE BEFORE YOU LEAVE!!! SPORTS BET MONTANA LINK: https://sportsbetmontana.com/en0:00 - Intro2:50 - Montana State/UC Davis Recap11:19 - Idaho/Sac State Recap20:12 - SDSU/Illinois State Recap25:07 - South Dakota/SIU Recap31:47 - Lamar/SFA Recap37:17 - No Huddle Notes53:27 - Final Thoughts55:16 - End

Brooks Nuanez and Colter Nuanez drop the first of an array of Skyline Sports content leading up to Saturday's showdown for the outright Big Sky Conference championship in Missoula as No. 2 Montana hosts No. 3 Montana State in the 124th meeting between archrivals. The Nuanez brothers recap Montana State's 38-17 win over No. 9 UC Davis on Saturday (5:44) and Montana's 63-17 win over Portland State (10:27) before diving into five big questions.12:14 - How much will the momentum of a season play on Saturday? 17:20 - Two of the best quarterbacks in the league in Montana's Keali'i Ah Yat and Montana State's Justin Lamson will each make their first rivalry game starts. What team does that favor? 24:35 -Montana has the top scoring offense in the league (42.2 ppg) and Montana State is the top scoring defense (16.2 ppg). Something has to give...27:50 - Montana State has the most veteran defensive line in the Big Sky and one of the top graded offensive lines in the FCS. But that disparity has been the case for a few years against the Griz and it hasn't mattered. Will it matter on Saturday? 32:31 - Since 2019, the road team has melted as the opposition in hostile territory. Why hasn't it been more competitive the last five rivalry games? 37:53 - Which head coach - Montana's Bobby Hauck with his 7-6 record against the Bobcats but 2-4 since his return or Montana State's Brent Vigen, who is 2-2 against the Griz but 0-2 in Missoula — has more to gain and more to lose from this year's clash? 41:13 - Final thoughts heading into the 124th showdown between the 'Cats and the Griz.

Montana State head coach Brent Vigen, junior captain safety Caden Dowler (12:32) and junior quarterback Justin Lamson (20:03) addressed the media following MSU's 38-17 win over No. 9 UC Davis on Saturday night in Bozeman.

Brock and I talk about what we're looking for in this week's highly anticipated matchup between Montana State and UC Davis. The game is on ESPN2 and is UC Davis' 3rd nationally televised game of the season. UC Davis is heavily injured, but a win would shake things up not only in the Big Sky Conference but also in the FCS. Montana State is a decent favorite, but this game came down to the wire last season. Hopefully, we get the same outcome. SPORTS BET MONTANA LINK: https://sportsbetmontana.com/en

Michael Rider joins Colter Nuanez to talk about how important rigorous strength and conditioning programs can be for college football teams and to preview No. 3 Montana State's matchup against No. 9 UC Davis Saturday night in Bozeman.

Montana State first-year offensive coordinator Pete Sterbick joins Colter Nuanez to talk about all things Bobcat football, particularly the MSU offense's quest for consistency and the 'Cats' matchup with No. 9 UC Davis on Saturday night in Bozeman.

Portland State 11th-year head coach Bruce Barnum joins Colter Nuanez on Nuanez Now to talk about PSU's tough season (1-9) and preview PSU hosting No. 2 Montana on Saturday afternoon at Providence Park.

Samuel Gbatu of UC Davis joins Colter Nuanez to talk about the resilience of the Aggies, the transition from Miles Hastings to Caden Pinnick, and UCD's showdown against Montana State on Saturday night in Bozeman.

Leo Davis, a former standout offensive lineman for Montana State, is in his second season doing the color commentary for the Bobcat Radio Network. He joins Colter Nuanez to talk about Native American Heritage Day on Saturday at Montana State and the strengths he sees in his year's Bobcat squad.

Ryan Tootell joins Colter Nuanez to talk about his trip to Lambeau Field for Monday Night Football + Montana getting taken down to the wire with Eastern Washington and Montana State rolling Weber State so thoroughly, Weber fired their coach.

Jordan Tripp joins Colter Nuanez to define Bobby Ball, talk about the details of Montana's 29-24 win over Eastern Washington, Montana's physical retention strategy in terms of personnel, UM's road trip to Portland State and a chat about No. 9 UC Davis at No. 3 Montana State on Saturday night in Bozeman.

Former Griz and former NFL agent Andrew Schmidt joins Colter Nuanez to talk about throwable sandwiches, pro wrestling promos, sitcoms, a sitcom about the media in Montana, and a Schmidt Storm about the Griz pass defense.

Idaho head coach Thomas Ford Jr. and senior wide receiver Michael Graves (8:54), a Sacramento native, join Colter Nuanez to review UI's 28-14 loss to UC Davis and preview Idaho's trip to Sac State this weekend.

UC Davis head coach Tim Plough has helped the Aggies navigate a tumultuous season that has included a no-contest in Week 0 against Mercer and 15 season ending injuries. Yet the Aggies still enter Saturday night's showdown with Montana State with a 7-2 record and a No. 9 national ranking.

Skyline Sports Bobcat beat writer Tom Stuber checks in with Colter Nuanez for an update on all things MSU through 10 games, including surprises, standouts and more.

Colter Nuanez shares his weekly hit with Dave Wooten on "Blue & Gold Thursdsays" on KSKY Country 106.9 FM in Bozeman, Montana.

Montana State junior cornerback Takhari Carr had his first interception of the season in MSU's 66-14 win over Weber State. He joined Colter Nuanez for this week's Montana State Minute previewing MSU's game Saturday night against UC Davis.

Ty Gregorak joins Colter Nuanez to talk about Montana State beating Weber State so badly that the Wildcats fired Mickey Mental, MSU's Big Sky Defensive MVP candidates, bad wins, good losses, good wins, bad losses, strength of schedule and the psychology of fan bases during the stretch run of the season.

Montana head coach Bobby Hauck, senior safety TJ Rausch and senior offensive lineman Cannon Panfiloff addressed the media ahead of Montana's trip to Portland State.

Montana State walloped Weber State 66-14 last week for its 8th straight victory. MSU head coach Brent Vigen addressed the media on November 10 to preview his team's nationally televised game against No. 9 UC Davis this week.

In this week's Akem's Analysis, I recap all of the biggest games from the Big Sky Conference and across the entire FCS. The playoff picture is getting more exciting, and all of these games have massive implications on top of them. From the Montana State blowout win in Bozeman, UC Davis' road win over the Vandals. I will review them all and share my thoughts. Stay tuned for the entire episode.SPORTS BET MONTANA LINK: https://sportsbetmontana.com/en0:00 - Intro2:50 - MSU vs Weber State Recap12:30 - UC Davis vs Idaho Recap19:49 - NDSU vs North Dakota Recap25:35 - SDSU vs South Dakota Recap31:45 - Mercer vs WCU Recap38:07 - No Huddle Notes38:22 - New Hampshire Upsets Monmouth39:46 - Beau Brungard Is Walter Payton Worthy41:50 - Lamar Wins SLC Matchup Against SELA44:10 - Drake Loses To St. Thomas46:16 - Can Sac State or NAU Make Playoffs?50:04 - Final Thoughts52:30 - End

In this week's Akem's Analysis, Keenan and recap Montana's crazy home game against a potent Eastern Washington passing attack. The Montana defense has been the story for much of the season, and that narrative continued on Saturday. Keenan and I will be giving our thoughts about what we saw from the Griz on Saturday and what they can do to improve.SPORTS BET MONTANA LINK: https://sportsbetmontana.com/en

Montana won a shootout 4-2 to outlast Weber State and win the Big Sky Conference tournament in Missoula, Montana on Sunday November 9. The victory helps UM advance to the NCAA Tournament. Head coach Chris Citowicki (0:00), seniors Mattie Ditta (8:08), Chloe Seelhoff (11:38) and goal keeper Ashlyn Dvorak (15:35) addressed the media. Sound provided by Andrew Houghton, for Skyline Sports

No. 2 Montana (10-0) defeats Eastern Washington (4-6) 29-24 in Missoula on November 8, 2025 . Montana jumped out to a 22-0 lead mid way through the 2nd quarter, before Eastern Washington surged back to create complete chaos in the fourth quarter and push the game to its final seconds. Part I of this video features Montana head coach Bobby Hauck, defensive end Kellen Detrick & wide receiver Drew Deck. Part II features Eastern Washington head coach Aaron Best, linebacker Reed Sunn & quarterback Jake Schakel. This video was filmed and produced by Brooks Nuanez - Skyline Sports on November 8, 2025. All Rights Reserved.

Montana State head coach Brent Vigen (1:00), senior running back Julius Davis (11:47), and junior captain safety Caden Dowler (17:28) addressed the media following MSU's 66-14 win over Weber State in Bozeman.