Big Sky Preview 2015.2

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BSC  Week 2 Preview

Kris Kallem & Lance Berndt, BSC  Contributors | September 11, 2015

Kris Says-

Eastern Washington @ Northern Iowa

The Eagles try and get their first victory ever at the UNI Dome against 4 losses. The Panthers have switched to a no-huddle passing attack under new offensive coordinator, Joe Davis, but have not established a clear #1 at quarterback yet and they are inexperienced at wide receiver. This might be good timing for an Eastern defense that gave up over 400 yards on the ground last week against Oregon. The good news for the Eagles is that quarterbacks Jordan West and Reilly Hennessey appear more than capable in replacing Vernon Adams.

Weber State @ North Dakota State

The Bison defense struggled against Montana, and Weber State might just be what the doctor ordered. The Wildcats managed just 9 first downs and 178 total yards in their loss against Oregon State last week.

Portland State at Idaho State

With the Viking’s upset of Washington State, this has suddenly become a huge matchup. The Bengals have playoff hopes and a slim margin for error as they face two FBS opponents as well as Cal Poly, both Montana’s, and Eastern Washington. Portland State needs to prove their win against lowly Wazzu was not a fluke.

New Mexico Highlands @ Northern Arizona

The Lumberjacks are coming off a big road victory against Stephen F. Austin and look to build more confidence for new quarterback Case Cookus against the Division II Cowboys.

South Dakota @ UC Davis

The Yotes are coming off a shut out loss to Kansas State. Davis on the other hand, played reasonably well against Nevada in their opener. These are two teams without much success of late and this will be one of their better opportunities for a win this season.

Lance says-

Sacramento State @ FBS Washington

The competition for the Hornets will be a lot tougher against the Huskies. Quarterback Daniel Kniffin will lead the team into Husky Stadium, but should struggle against a very strong Washington defense that held Boise State to just 16 points this past week.

Drake @ (ORV) North Dakota

While this should be an easy win for UND, this could be a potential trap game with teams from the Pioneer Football league winning a couple of non-conference FCS games last weekend. Drake is sure to be in the top tier of the PFL this season led by RB Conley Wilkins and senior QB Andy Rice. North Dakota does have the definite advantage in this game and it will be interesting to see how they respond to their big win and with playing their first game in front of their home fans. Look for Will Ratelle and the UND defense to shut down Drake in this game.

Southern Utah @ (#8) South Dakota State

The T-Birds nearly picked off Utah State last week, but will face an opponent who was able to pull off their own FBS win. With South Dakota State coming off a very impressive win against Kansas, they will look to move to 2-0 with a win in their home opener against Southern Utah. James Cowser and company may have something different to say though as they look to improve on a very successful defensive performance in their first outing. The Jackrabbits could very well run away with this one, but if the Thunderbirds can step up the defense early, they may have a chance to go toe-to-toe with their highly ranked opponents.

Northern Colorado @ Houston Baptist

It’s hard to guess how this game will go with Northern Colorado coming off a D-II win and Houston Baptist beating an NAIA team. Northern Colorado’s defense will need to step it up after allowing nearly 600 yards of offense. The Bears offense will be led by RB Trae Riek and QB Jonathan Newsom.

(#10) Cal Poly @ (ORV) FBS Arizona State

In their past 5 seasons, Arizona State has beaten their FCS opponent by an average score of 53-8. The game might be a little bit closer with Cal Poly coming into town, but it should still be a very uphill battle for the Mustangs. Chris Brown and the Cal Poly attack will need to find success on offense for long periods of time to be able to keep the fierce Sun Devil offense at bay.