Big Sky Breakdown

Ryan Tootell comes armed with stunning stats about Montana State's defense, Montana's offense and a trip to Lambeau Field on the docket.

Eastern Washington head coach Aaron Best and nickel Jaylon Jenkins join Colter Nuanez to talk about the ups and downs of EWU's season and preview this week's matchup at Montana.

"In this week's Akem's Analysis, I talk about a ton of exciting games happening in FCS football. Both Montana schools are heavy favorites on the road against EWU and Weber State. UC Davis will be tested for the second straight week against Idaho, who's is coming off a big, ranked victory on the road. UND attempts to bounce back after a loss to South Dakota. They take on a dominant NDSU squad that has an unblemished record. Mercer and Western Carolina face off in a big-time SoCon matchup that could see Mercer clinch the conference's autobid. All of this and a ton more in this week's Akem's Analysis."SPORTS BET MONTANA LINK: https://sportsbetmontana.com/en0:00 - Intro 2:39 - Montana vs EWU Preview 13:42 - Montana State vs Weber State Preview 22:09 - UC Davis vs Idaho Preview 31:14 - NDSU vs North Dakota Preview 39:37 - SDSU vs South Dakota Preview 46:55 - Mercer vs Western Carolina Preview 51:38 - No Huddle Notes 51:53 - FCS Playoff Committee Top-10 Reveal 55:22 - Southern Illinois vs Youngstown State (MVFC Matchup) 56:46 - SELA vs Lamar (Big Time SLC Matchup) 58:49 - Drake vs St. Thomas (Pioneer Matchup) 1:00:17 - NAU vs Northern Colorado (Big Sky Matchup)

Analyst Jordan Tripp joins Colter Nuanez to talk about Montana's fast start in Ogden, the Grizzlies' improvement on the offensive line, standouts defensively like Hunter Peck, Clay Oven, Kenzel Lawler + a preview of UM's matchup against Eastern Washington this weekend.

Vandals Weekly this week features Idaho sophomore captain quarterback Joshua Wood along with UI head coach Thomas Ford Jr. (7:23) join Colter Nuanez to talk about Idaho's 35-32 overtime win at Northern Arizona on Halloween and to preview No. 10 UC Davis playing in Moscow on Saturday.

Weber State defensive coordinator Joe Dale, who has been at Weber State since 2018, breaks down WSU's 38-17 home loss to Montana and helps preview Weber's trip to take on Montana State on Saturday in Bozeman.

Justin Angle, a professor of business at the University of Montana and the host of "The New Angle" podcast, revives "the Business Angle" with Colter Nuanez, an overlay between business and sports on a local, statewide and national level. The duo talks ticket prices, NBA gambling scandal, how many home games in a row is too many for Griz football and much more.

Ty Gregorak, a 15-year coaching veteran in the Big Sky Conference and now the color commentator for Scripps Sports, joins Colter Nuanez to talk about the rare air Montana State, Montana and North Dakota State occupy compared to the rest of the FCS. Plus, Gregorak gives his thoughts on the strengths of the Montana State defense as the Cats enter the stretch run of 2025.

Colter Nuanez joins Dave Wooten for his weekly "Blue & Gold Thursday" on KSKY Country 106.9 FM and for the Bobcat pregame Tailgate Show.

Andrew Schmidt joins Colter Nuanez to talk about Griz quarterback Keali'i Ah Yat leading the FCS in passing yards....how did this happen? For those that say it's because of weak competition for Montana, well, everyone is weak competition compared to the Griz, Montana State and North Dakota State. Plus, a review of Andrew's favorite sandwiches and much more!

Montana is off to a 9-0 start after a 38-17 win at Weber State on Saturday, its first in Ogden since 2012. Montana head coach Bobby Hauck, senior tight end Evan Shafer and senior safety Micah Harper addressed the media ahead of UM's home game Saturday against Eastern Washington.

In this week's Akem's Analysis, Keenan Curran and Samuel Akem talk about Montana's 2nd-straight road win in Ogden over the Wildcats. The Grizzlies got off to a hot start but cooled off in the second half. We also take a look around the FCS to see where Montana stacks up. We recap what was also a wild weekend in FCS football. SPORTS BET MONTANA LINK: https://sportsbetmontana.com/en

Montana State has won seven in a row after last weekend's 55-7 beat down of Northern Colorado. The Bobcats host Weber State on Saturday in Bozeman.

In this week's Akem's Analysis, I talk about all the chaos that took place in the FSC during Week 10. 7 FCS Top-25 teams were upset during week 10, and it completely flipped the FCS landscape on its head. I will be discussing all the major games that took place and what the outcomes of those upsets will be. SPORTS BET MONTANA LINK: https://sportsbetmontana.com/en0:00 - Intro2:08 - Montana State vs Northern Colorado Recap10:31 - NDSU vs Youngstown State Recap16:21 - Idaho vs Northern Arizona Recap22:39 - Tarleton State vs Abilene Christian Recap27:51 - No Huddle Notes28:06 - North Dakota Upset By South Dakota 31:13 - South Dakota State Falls To Indiana State34:12 - Incarnate Word Upsets Lamar39:26 - UC Davis Upset By Idaho State46:07 - Southern Utah Upsets Austin Peay49:10 - Harvard Remains Undefeated 50:51 - Tennessee Tech Defeats Gardner Webb 52:05 - Drake Defeats Butler To Stay Unbeaten In Pioneer Play55:30 - Final Thoughts 57:18 - End

Brooks Nuanez joins Colter Nuanez to break down Montana State's 55-7 win at Northern Colorado and Montana's 38-17 win at Weber State as each team extended their winning streaks to begin November.

Montana State rolled to a 55-7 win over Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado on Saturday November 1. Brent Vigen (0:00), quarterback Justin Lamson (5:20), defensive tackle Talon Marsh (11:25) and defensive back Seth Johnson (13:33) addressed the media following MSU's 7th straight win.

Colter Nuanez and Brooks Nuanez talk about Montana State's dominant yet not star-driven defense and how much that reflects Brent Vigen's North Dakota State roots, Paul Brott's prowess (11:23), national narratives & polls (14:00), nobody remembering Weber State won in Missoula last year (31:32), Utah coaching trees (38:00), Ed Lamb's presence at Northern Colorado (40:11) and the challenges for the Cats & Griz on the road this weekend.

Ryan Tootell joins Colter Nuanez to discuss a variety of Big Sky Conference football subjects, including the perceived collision course Montana and Montana State seem to be on.

In this week's Akem's Analysis, Samuel Akem discusses Montana taking on Weber State in their 2nd-straight road game. They come off an emotional week against Sac State. Montana State takes on the explosive Northern Colorado offense. Their defense has been stingy this season, and they'll look to continue that. NDSU faces off against Beau Brungard and the Penguins. Will he threaten them at all? All of this and more in this week's Akem's Analysis. Stay tuned for No Huddle Notes for some HOT Topics!" SPORTS BET MONTANA LINK: https://sportsbetmontana.com/en0:00 - Intro 2:27 - Montana vs Weber State Preview 11:29 - Montana State vs Northern Colorado Preview 20:37 - NDSU vs Youngstown State Preview 28:28 - Idaho vs Northern Arizona Preview 35:52 - Tarleton State vs Abilene Christian Preview 46:07 - No Huddle Notes 1:00:10 - Final Thoughts 1:01:06 - End

Scripps Sports color commentator Jordan Tripp, a former Griz All-American & NFL linebacker, helps break down Montana's 49-35 against Sacramento State and a look at UM's game at Weber State on Saturday.

Weber State head coach Mickey Mental joined Colter Nuanez to talk about his team's matchup against No. 3 Montana in Ogden, Utah on Saturday afternoon.

Northern Colorado head coach Ed Lamb has his team off to a 3-5 start, an improvement considering UNC went 1-22 the previous two seasons. The Bears will look for their second Big Sky Conference win of the season on Saturday against No. 4 Montana State.

Former Bobcat coach & player Michael Rider breaks down Billings West's playoff hopes and the recruiting phenomenon of Matt Ludwig, analyzes Brent Vigen's high coaching standards, the consecutive road tests MSU is navigating currently and how it might set up the Bobcats for it's season finale in Missoula.

Montana had arguably its most complete effort of the year in a 49-35 win at Sacramento State last week. The Griz moved to 8-0. Former Griz running back and NFL agent helps break down the effort, and has plenty to say about Brennan Marion's complaints about the officiating in this week's "Schmidt Storm".

Eli Cummings rolled up 165 yards from scrimmage, including 100 yards receiving and scored two touchdowns in Idaho's 45-6 win over Portland State to help UI earn its first Big Sky Conference win and snap a four-game losing streak. Cummings and Thomas Ford Jr. joins Colter Colter Nuanez to breakdown the win and preview Idaho's Friday night game at Northern Arizona.

Which of Montana’s offensive trio should the Griz promote most for the Walter Payton Award ? Where does the trio of QB Keali'i Ah Yat, Eli Gillman and Michael Wortham rank in Griz history already? What do you think of Montana State head coach Brent Vigen’s deliberate, standard-driven and demanding coaching style? How much has that elevated the Bobcats over the last five seasons? Which quarterback would you rather have RIGHT NOW - Ah Yat or MSU quarterback Justin Lamson?

Montana moved to 8-0 for the 8th time in school history with a 49-35 win at Sacramento State. Michael Wortham was the national FCS Player of the Week. Ty Morrison was the Big Sky Conference special teams Player of the Week. UM head coach Bobby Hauck, Morrison and senior defensive back/special teams ace Tanner Huff addressed the media ahead of Montana's trip to Ogden, Utah to take on Weber State.

Montana State head coach Brent Vigen on his team's trip to Northern Colorado on Saturday.

In this week's Akem's Analysis, Keenan Curran and Samuel Akem discuss Montana's victory over Sacramento State following a week of smack talk and shots taken. We discuss what has helped Montana get to this 8-0 start, and we also get into what they need to do in order to improve moving forward. As always, there's plenty of laughs and a good back and forth. So stay tuned for the whole episode, Keenan has a surprise for you towards the beginning of the video!SPORTS BET MONTANA LINK: https://sportsbetmontana.com/en0:00 - Intro 0:39 - Panda Bowl Recap

Montana State sophomore Talon Marsh joins Colter Nuanez on Nuanez Now on ESPN MT to talk about his progression and the Bobcat defensive line as MSU enters November on a six-game winning streak.

Montana State head coach Brent Vigen addressed the media following his team's sixth straight win, a 34-17 win at Cal Poly that moved MSU to 6-2 overall entering November.

Montana State senior running back Julius Davis rushed for a career-high 175 yards and scored a touchdown to help pace a Bobcat run game that rolled up 290 yards on the ground in a 34-17 win over Cal Poly.

DISCLAIMER - THIS SOUND IS MUFFLED AND THERE'S A TON OF BACKGROUND NOISE.Montana State sophomore linebacker Cole Taylor addresses the media after having an interception in MSU's 34-17 win at Cal Poly.

Cal Poly head coach Paul Wulff joined Colter Nuanez to help preview the Mustangs' home game against Montana State on Saturday in SLO.

No. 4 Montana moved to 7-0 with a 43-21win over Sacred Heart in its final non-conference game of the season. UM plays at Sac State on ESPN2 on Friday night. Jordan Tripp was an FCS All-American who became an NFL Draft pick during his time at Montana and after graduating from UM. Tripp, now the color commentator for Scripps Sports for Griz broadcasts, joins Colter Nuanez weekly to break down all things Griz football.

Ryan Tootell joins Colter Nuanez to discuss Montana and Montana State entering the second half of the season, including: - Keali'i Ah Yat is the best Griz quarterback since....?- Why Brent Vigen has such a steady hand and NEVER drops games in which his team is the decided favorite- Montana's offensive production despite a shaky offensive line- Montana State's run game coming alive and now pairing with a surging pass game and how dangerous it makes the MSU offense- An evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of the Griz defense- Which running back duo would you rather have - Bobcats or Grizzlies? - And is Dr. Luke Wood the most sophomoric smack talker in the history of the Big Sky....

No. 4 Montana (7-0) plays at Sacramento State (4-3) on Friday night on ESPN2 in Sacramento. Sac first-year head coach Brennan Marion + running back Rodney Hammond Jr., joined Colter Nuanez to preview the matchup.

Montana State junior captain offensive lineman Titan Fleishmann joins Colter Nuanez for a mid-season update and a preview of MSU's road game at Cal Poly on Saturday evening.

In this week's Akem's Analysis, I preview the big-time, much-anticipated matchup taking place in Sacramento between Montana & Sac State. There has been a ton of talk on social media, and now all that's left is the competition on the field. NDSU & SDSU face off in a big-time matchup in Brookings with MVFC and playoff implications on the line. Montana State returns to the field after a bye week, and they go on the road to play Cal Poly. UC Davis is also back from their second bye week to play against Northern Colorado. Could we potentially see an upset? All of this and a bunch more in this week's Akem's Analysis.SPORTS BET MONTANA LINK: https://sportsbetmontana.com/en0:00 - Intro2:39 Montana vs Sac State Preview14:13 - Montana State vs Cal Poly Preview22:32 - North Dakota State vs South Dakota State Preview31:10 - UC Davis vs Northern Colorado Preview37:58 - South Dakota vs Illinois State Preview44:41 - No Huddle Notes56:10 - Final Thoughts56:54 - End

In this week's Akem's Analysis, I talk about some of the biggest games that happened in FCS football this weekend. To start, we look at the big-time win that Sacramento State had at home against the Northern Colorado Bears. Both teams were 3-3 going into the game, and the winner now has a chance to become a playoff team with the right luck. We also look at 2 games in the MVFC, UND vs SIU, and Illinois State vs YSU. Both games had big performances, but none bigger than Beau Brundgard, who is looking like a serious Walter Payton candidate. He absolutely put the team on his back. At the end, I get into some No Huddle Notes, and in that segment, I start by giving my thoughts on the comments of Sac State's president, Dr. Luke Wood. Following that, I talk about some of the big storylines from the weekend, so stay tuned in for the whole episode.SPORTS BET MONTANA LINK: https://sportsbetmontana.com/en0:00 - Intro2:30 - Sac State vs Northern Colorado Recap13:13 - Tarleton State vs West Georgia Recap23:13 - North Dakota vs Southern Illinois Recap32:36 - Illinois State vs Youngstown State Recap41:43 - No Huddle Notes41:55 - Dr. Luke Wood Montana Comments 47:39 - What Happened To Idaho?52:04 - Lamar Remains Undefeated Against FCS53:47 - Wofford Defeats Furman54:47 - Incarante Word Falls To 2-556:37 - Harvard Remains Undefeated57:54 - Monmouth Loses Starting QB59:32 - Presbyterian Continues To Dominate1:00:53 - Duquesne Looking to Earn The NEC AQ1:02:31 - Final Thoughts1:04:06 - End

Ben Wineman spent three years as a sports reporter at KTMF & SWX before becoming the lead anchor for Non-Stop Local. Ben is a proud Washington State alum who also is a diehard Seattle Mariners fan & a Montana Grizzly season ticket holder. Ben joins Colter Nuanez to talk about Game 7 heartbreaks and the 7-0 start for Griz football.

Former Montana State player and coach Michael Rider joins Colter Nuanez to talk about handling the hype and blocking out the noise if you are Montana State + the duo talks about MSU's road game at Cal Poly on Saturday.

Idaho (2-5) is lost 21-14 at Eastern Washington for its fourth straight loss last weekend in Cheney. The Vandals are back home against winless Portland State on Saturday. Wide receiver Marquawn McCraney and head coach Thomas Ford Jr. joined Colter Nuanez of Skyline to preview the week.

No. 4 Montana is off to its first 8-0 start since 2009 thanks to a 43-21 win over Sacred Heart in Missoula last weekend. Andrew Schmidt, a former Griz RB and NFL agent, joins Colter Nuanez weekly to breakdown all things Montana & the Big Sky Conference. This week, Andrew reads listen comments, talks about Montana's OL issues and goes in on Sac State for their sophomoric smack talking.

No. 4 Montana and No. 5 Montana State at the midpoint of the season on winning streaks. The Griz have won 7 straight while MSU has won 5 in a row. Montana plays at Sac State on Friday night while Montana State plays at Cal Poly on Saturday. Brooks Nuanez & Colter Nuanez talk about national championship standards, OL play, Walter Payton Award candidates and matchups this week.

Montana head coach Bobby Hauck along with seniors Elijawah Tolbert & Josh Gale addressed the media ahead of UM's trip to Sacramento to take on Sac State on Friday night.

Montana State took its bye week last week. The Bobcats are on a five-game winning streak entering Saturday's matchup with Cal Poly (3-4) in San Luis Obispo, California.

In this Week's Akem's Analysis, Keenan and I recap Montana's 7th victory of the season against Sacred Heart. Keali'i Ah Yat is beginning to set himself apart from the rest of the conference, and Keenan thinks he could be a Big Sky OPOY candidate. We also discuss Sac State President Dr. Luke Wood's comments regarding their upcoming ESPN2 game against the Grizzlies. We also look at the rest of the Big Sky and see where everyone stacks up. All of this is in this week's Akem's Analysis, so stay tuned in for the whole video.SPORTS BET MONTANA LINK: https://sportsbetmontana.com/en

Montana head coach Bobby Hauck, sophomore QB Keali'i Ah Yat and senior defensive end Hunter Peck along with Sacred Heart head coach Mark Nofri addressed the media following Montana's 43-21 win over the Pioneers in Missoula on October 18, 2025.