Big Sky Football

Northern Arizona offensive lineman Malik Noshi died Sunday at the age of 22, the school announced.

"The thoughts and prayers of the entire NAU Athletic Department family go out to Malik's family, friends, teammates and coaches during this time of great sadness," said Mike Marlow, the vice president for intercollegiate athletics. "Coaches and support staff have been reaching out to our football family to ensure our student-athletes have the support they need." 

Lumberjacks head coach Chris Ball also commented on the matter:

Police in Flagstaff, Arizona, said a friend of Noshi's discovered him not breathing in his home and contacted authorities, per Lance Hartzler of the Arizona Daily Sun. Medical personnel arrived and attempted to revive Noshi. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police are investigating the cause of his death but don't suspect foul play at this time.

Noshi was entering his senior year at Northern Arizona. He became a regular starter as a sophomore in 2017 and made 21 appearances over the past two seasons. The Las Vegas native earned honorable mention for the Big Sky all-conference team in 2018.

Andrew Harris, a defensive end at the University of Montana, died in an apparent suicide on Tuesday at the age of 22.

The school confirmed Harris' death with a statement from athletic director Kent Haslam. 

"All of us in Grizzly Athletics were saddened to hear of Andrew's passing," Haslam said. "On behalf of our department and the more than 300 student-athletes here at UM, we send our deepest condolences and heartfelt thoughts to the Harris family, and all those who knew and loved Andrew."

Missoula Police Sgt. Travis Welsh told Seaborn Larson of the Montana Standard Harris' death is being investigated as a suicide after he was found in his home. 

In its statement about Harris' death, the school announced a moment of silence will be observed in his memory prior to Thursday's men's basketball game against Idaho State at Dahlberg Arena. 

Harris recently completed his redshirt junior season with the Grizzlies. He appeared in eight games primarily on special teams in 2018. 

University of Montana wide receiver Jerry Louie-McGee put his body on the line to score against teammates in a scrimmage.

During an intrasquad contest, the redshirt sophomore performed a front flip and landed inside the end zone for six points. While Louie-McGee avoided one potential tackler before the pylon, another defender gave him a shove on the way down.

Louie-McGee led the team with 651 receiving yards in just eight games last year, yet he still went all-out to procure a practice touchdown that only counted for unofficial style points.

[Shaun Rainey of ABC Fox Montana]    

Montana State football players Naijiel Hale and Darren Gardenhire were arrested Wednesday for allegedly selling Xanax, according to Whitney Bermes of the Bozeman Daily Chronicle. 

Hale, 21, the son of late rapper Nate Dogg, was charged with two counts of felony distribution of dangerous drugs and misdemeanor possession of dangerous drugs, while Gardenhire, 20, was charged with one count of felony distribution of dangerous drugs.

Per Bermes' report, an informant with the Missouri River Drug Task Force arranged to buy Xanax from Hale in February, though Hale then told the informant to meet up with Gardenhire on the day of the sale. Gardenhire then sold him Xanax while investigators watched the scene unfold. 

A second time in February, Hale set up a drug deal from his home but again had another person hand over the drugs to the task force operative.

The school announced on Thursday that both players were suspended indefinitely following their arrests. Both players were transfers from Washington, though Hale played in just two games this season for Montana State and Gardenhire enrolled at the school this January. 

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The Idaho State Bengals have not had a very good last decade of play in college football, to put it gently. Following an 8-4 season in 2003 (Jared Allen's last season playing for ISU), the Bengals have finished with a losing record in every season since. It hasn't even been close for the most part, with nine of those seasons resulting in the Bengals reaching only three or less wins.

Particularly disastrous was the four-season tenure of head coach John Zamberlin from 2007 to 2010. The team amassed an overall record of 6-39 and slid clear to the bottom of the FCS. There were few programs in all of Division I in worse condition.

Idaho State turned to head coach Mike Kramer in 2011 to try to rescue the dumpster fire of a program Zamberlin had left him. He slowly began to rebuild the program, starting to create a team that at least had a solid offense, even if it continued to have decidedly losing seasons.

This year, however, Kramer's efforts have started to come to fruition, as the Bengals had made it through eight weeks with a 5-3 record to show.

Now, the Bengals have assured themselves of their first non-losing season since 2003 with a 31-13 win over conference foe Portland State. That brings their record to 6-3 so far with only three games left.

Surprisingly, it was the defense that really came through for ISU. The offense still gained 430 yards overall, but their 31 points were the fewest they have scored against fellow FCS teams this season.

The ISU defense actually gave up 424 yards but more than made up for that by forcing an astounding six turnovers off of five interceptions and a fumble recovery.

Besides guaranteeing the team a record of at least .500 this season, the game was perhaps even more heartening for ISU fans in that it showed a Bengals team full of fight, mental toughness and resolve. Despite giving up over 400 yards and scoring the fewest points they have so far in FCS play this season, the team stayed tough and still won by three scores.

Perennial bottom dwellers don't have that fight and mental toughness, so the game serves as an emphatic reminder that the Bengals are not a pushover any longer and are now once again a program to be reckoned with.

The Bengals are also still in the race for the Big Sky title with a 4-1 record in conference play and two of their three remaining games coming against teams tied with or ahead of them in the conference standings. The other game is their season finale against Weber State, which is currently winless on the season. A winning record is a strong possibility for this ISU team, and the fact they are still in the Big Sky title chase speaks volumes about how far this program has progressed under Kramer.

While the Bengals' 31-13 win over Portland State may have not even shown up on the national college football radar this weekend, it is nonetheless one of the most significant games this week, as it firmly established that Idaho State is now once again a respectable program which has had arguably the biggest turnaround season in all of Division I football.

The long wait is over, both for college football fans in general and, more specifically, for the Eastern Washington Eagles and their fans. The 2014 college football season kicked off with a matchup of two ranked FCS teams very familiar with one another: the Eastern Washington Eagles and the Sam Houston State Bearkats.

This game marked the third time in as many seasons that the two have faced each other. Both previous games were offensive showcases, with the two teams combining for 87 points and 1,026 yards in the semifinals of the 2012 FCS playoffs and then combining for 83 points and 1,052 yards in a regular-season meeting in 2013.

The other trend in those meetings the past two seasons was that Sam Houston State came away as the winner both times, with their 2013 win handing EWU their only blemish on their FCS regular-season record that year.

Which brings us to Saturday's glorious start to the 2014 college football season.

The Eagles started the season as the No. 2 ranked team in the FCS, while the Bearkats began ranked No. 14. Due to their previous history, the tensions surrounding this game were high.

Eastern Washington returned much of their offensive firepower from last season, including the 2013 Walter Payton Award runner-up, QB Vernon Adams, the 2013 FCS Freshman Player of the Year WR, Cooper Kupp, and 1,200-plus yard rusher Quincy Forte. Head coach Beau Baldwin, who won an FCS National Title in 2010 with the Eagles, was once again at the helm.

Sam Houston State, on the other hand, brought a markedly different looking team to Cheney, Washington than the one that EWU had faced in recent years. Gone were the cornerstones of Sam Houston State's offense the last three seasons, QB Brian Bell, RB Timothy Flanders and WRs Richard Sincere and Torrance Williams. The only returning offensive starter outside the O-line was TE Shane Young. Also gone was head coach Willie Fritz and his unique rushing system, as he left to become the head coach at former FCS power and current transitioning FBS team Georgia Southern.

SHSU instead came into the season under the leadership of former Delaware head coach K. C. Keeler, who won a national title with the Blue Hens in 2003. He traditionally runs a more passing-oriented offense, with current Baltimore Ravens QB Joe Flacco being one of the QBs who thrived under his guidance. Which offensive style he would utilize was a big question coming into this game. Also in question for the Bearkats was how team chemistry would be, considering that they had 15 FBS transfers joining their roster after spring camp.

The game started off with Eastern Washington pushing out to a 7-0 lead after the first quarter on a three-yard touchdown pass from Adams to WR Blair Bomber. SHSU fought back to take a 14-7 lead on a 79-yard TD run by RB Keshawn Hill and a 55-yard pick-six by DB Trenier Orr.

EWU replied with a 13-yard TD pass from Adams to WR Kendrick Bourne that knotted the score at 14-14. The two teams then traded touchdowns to go into halftime tied at 21. SHSU got on the board first with a 53-yard TD run by QB Jared Johnson, before the Eagles answered with a 34-yard TD run by RB Jalen Moore.

The third quarter went to the Eagles, with Bomber making another three-yard TD reception on a pass from Adams to produce the quarter's only score and send EWU into the fourth quarter with a 28-21 lead. The Eagles also ended the third quarter with great field position after a short drive to the 1-yard line following an impressive interception by DB Tevin McDonald near the line of scrimmage.

The Eagles only needed one play at the start of the fourth quarter to reach the end zone, with TE Zach Wimberly taking on the role of fullback and punching it in on a one-yard TD rush. That gave EWU a 35-21 lead, but SHSU wasn't willing to back down yet. On their ensuing position, the Bearkats marched 77 yards and reached the end zone on a six-yard pass from Johnson to WR Derreck Edwards and closed the gap to 35-28.

Adams then led the Eagles on a drive down to the SHSU five-yard line, thanks in a large part to his electrifying 29-yard scramble that ended with a face-mask penalty against the Bearkats that tacked on 15 more yards to the play. Then things got really interesting.

The Eagles were forced to temporarily remove Adams from the game at the officials' request due to him wearing a tinted visor on his helmet, which violated NCAA equipment rules. Why it was never noticed or pointed out until partway through the fourth quarter is a mystery. EWU had to insert seldom-used backup QB Jordan West while Adams had the illegal visor removed from his helmet.

West made the very best of his rare opportunity, throwing a beautiful touch pass to the back corner of the end zone that Kupp caught for a five-yard TD reception that gave the Eagles a 42-28 lead.

SHSU then used a strong rushing attack to move the ball down to the one-yard line before Johnson threw a one-yard TD pass to Young. That pulled the Bearkats back to within one touchdown, with the score reading 42-35 with just a little over five minutes left in the game.

Any hopes the Bearkats had for a defensive stand and a quick regaining of possession were quickly dashed by Adams. He completed a 56-yard pass to WR Shaq Hill before finding Bourne on another 13-yard TD pass just three plays later. That gave the Eagles a 49-35 lead with 3:13 left on the clock.

SHSU found some life on the important ensuing drive on a 30-yard pass from Johnson to WR LaDarius Brown. However, the Bearkats' dream of a comeback ended after gaining only four yards on the next four plays.

The Eagles then attempted to run out the clock, but they instead found themselves in the end zone again after Moore rushed for a total of 48 yards on five successive carries and capped off the drive with a one- yard TD run. Although the decision to let Moore go for the end zone instead of taking a knee at the one-yard line with a little over 30 seconds left may raise a few eyebrows, there was nothing particularly unsportsmanlike about it, as Moore had earned the right to go for that glory with his solid rushing on the drive.

SHSU tried to respond to that minor indignity with a last-second drive of their own in order to save some face, but Johnson was picked off in the end zone by DB Isaiah Jenkins with a few seconds left. The Eagles then took a knee and sealed their convincing 56-35 win.

For EWU, Adams finished the game with 302 passing yards, four touchdowns, and interception and 61 rushing yards. RB Quincy Forte also had a strong game, rushing for 152 yards on 23 carries and making one reception for 16 yards.

For SHSU, Johnson finished with 317 yards, two touchdown passes, two interceptions, 79 yards rushing and a rushing touchdown. Hill was also big for the Bearkats, rushing for 133 yards and a touchdown on just 17 carries while adding 10 receiving yards on two catches.

Eastern Washington's next game will be against Division II team Montana Western next Saturday, while Sam Houston State will host Alabama State in a week.

The past few seasons have not been kind to the Weber State Wildcats and their fans. In 2011, head coach Ron McBride announced that he would be retiring at the age of 72 after more than 50 years of Division I coaching experience. 

While replacing a respected and seasoned coach is no easy feat for any college football team, it can be especially difficult for a team like Weber State, a program historically on the lower end of the middle tier of FCS football. Not only do programs in that situation lack the luxury that major FBS programs have in being able to choose from a bevy of obviously qualified candidates, they also lack the luxury that historically upper-tier FCS teams such as Montana, Delaware and North Dakota State have in being able to choose from a pool of candidates with a proven level of skill at the FCS coaching level.

Such programs usually have to either take a chance on a completely unproven hire or get lucky and be able to find an older coach with a degree of previous success during his career but who is no longer in his coaching prime.

The latter situation was the case when the program hired McBride initially. He had taken the in-state Utah Utes and transformed them from a perennial loser for most of the '70s and '80s to a solid program to be reckoned with in the '90s and early 2000s. The rise of the Utes to a national powerhouse for a good portion of the 2000s and early 2010s was built mostly on the foundation that McBride built during his tenure, turning Utah from a "basketball school" into one with a fairly formidable football program as well.

Perhaps most importantly, he restored competitiveness with the archival BYU Cougars, who had basically had a monopoly on quality football and access to solid talent in the state of Utah for most of the previous two decades. It was McBride who led the Utes out from the shadow of the BYU program that had been smothering the growth of Utah's program.

However, McBride's teams started to falter a little toward the end of his tenure at Utah. Although not reverting back to their previous lopsidedly losing ways, the Utes now had higher expectations, leading to McBride being let go at the end of the 2002 season after alternating between moderately losing and moderately winning seasons in his final three years.

McBride then landed at Kentucky as a linebackers coach before Weber State was able to bring him on as head coach in 2004, confident that he would be able to provide at least moderate respectability for its program at the FCS level even if he was past his FBS prime of a decade earlier.

This proved to be the case, with McBride leading a Weber State program that had gone 32-46 during his predecessor's seven-year tenure to a 38-32 overall record during his own seven-year tenure. This included two playoff berths, which are a mark of success for teams historically in the category that Weber State is in.

With McBride's retirement, Weber State found itself in a precarious position. For teams that are historically in the lower end of the middle tier in the FCS, the line between going from a team with moderate recent success to becoming a perennial losing team near the bottom of the league is quite thin. It often hinges on a specific coaching hire or a key recruit or transfer.

The Wildcats were hoping to avoid the slide into ignominy by hiring another respected head coach with prior success who was now in the twilight of his coaching career.  This time, they looked to John L. Smith, who posted an overall record of 41-21 at Louisville from 1998 to 2002 while leading the Cardinals to five straight bowl appearances.

Being able to land Smith to replace McBride was realistically one of the best-case scenarios for Weber State. However, things unexpectedly and abruptly went wrong.

Former Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino's dismissal following spring drills in 2012 due to a scandal that revealed a misuse of power on his part resulted in the Razorbacks finding themselves in sudden need of a head coach for that upcoming season long after the hiring season for college football coaches was over. So they turned to Smith, who had served as the Razorbacks special teams coach for the previous three season.

Unfortunately for Weber State, this resulted in the Wildcats losing their safe option for continued moderate success. Instead, they found themselves scrambling to pick up the pieces and completely changing course just months before the season started. The school tabbed Jody Sears, who had just been hired as the team's defensive coordinator, as interim head coach.

With the Wildcats' plans and offseason preparations thrown into chaos, the 2012 season quickly turned from best-case scenario to worst-case scenario. Although able to defeat budding in-state rival Southern Utah (who had just joined Weber State's Big Sky Conference), the team went 2-9, quickly falling off the pinnacle of moderate success it had been on and into its worst fear—the bottom of the league.

With the chaos and calamity that had marred their 2012 season, the Wildcats retained Sears as head coach, hoping that the stability would lead them back out of the basement.

Sadly, it didn't. Things actually got worse for the Wildcats last season. They posted a 2-10 record while regressing from the previous season in both offensive and defensive production and suffering the added setback of losing to SUU, who was quickly developing a successful program and establishing themselves as the top FCS program in the state. Both their offensive and defensive statistics were atrocious, scoring only 15.8 points per game while giving up 41.4 points per game.

The terrible season, in conjunction with SUU having a good season, was especially problematic. FCS competitiveness in the state of Utah is vital to both teams, as it grants better access to the transfers from successful in-state FBS programs BYU and Utah.

Due to both of those teams having complicated roster situations each season as a result of having a significant number of Latter-day Saint players either leaving to go on their LDS missions or returning from their LDS missions, there are abnormally large amounts of transfer players from those programs. This gives Weber State and SUU much more access than the average FCS program to players they could have never dreamed of landing during their recruiting processes.

Some of the transfers are higher in profile and in impact than others, and landing one or more of those can be a game-changer for SUU or Weber State. A prime example is former SUU quarterback Brad Sorensen, who was the Thunderbirds' starting QB from 2010-2012 after transferring from BYU in order to get playing time. He surpassed 3,000 yards passing in each of his three seasons at the school, something no previous SUU QB had done for even a single season. He also graduated as the school's all-time leader in both passing yards and passing touchdowns and then promptly became the first-ever SUU player taken in the NFL draft, as he's now residing on the San Diego Chargers' roster.

Given that unique transfer dynamic, Weber State finds itself in desperate need of a turnaround in order to avoid being gradually phased out of the market by SUU for BYU and Utah transfers. The good news for Wildcats fans is that there is good reason to be optimistic this season instead of fearing falling deeper into FCS despair and irrelevancy.

For starters, new head coach Jay Hill is not an entirely unproven coaching commodity. While never having served as a head coach in collegiate football before, he has served in various assistant coaching positions for Utah. He is also young (39), which seems to be a growing trend in college football among head coaching hires. Perhaps most promisingly for Wildcats fans, Hill is known as a top-notch recruiter, being named to Rivals' top recruiters of 2009 list.

The other major reason for optimism about Weber State's upcoming season is because there are several big-impact players on this year's roster, most of whom were not there last season. Although threatened in the future if the program doesn't improve soon, Weber State's access to high-impact, in-state transfers from FBS teams is still very much intact currently.

At least seven transfers from Utah, Utah State and BYU joined the program this offseason. Included among those players are former BYU QB Billy Green, who could have a Sorensen-like impact on the program, and former Utah defensive back Tyron Morris-Edwards, who brings solid experience with him, including multiple starts for the Utes. In addition, the team returns two known offensive playmakers in workhorse running back Bo Bolen and receiver Shaydon Kehano, who led the entire state of Utah in both the FCS and FBS levels in both receiving yards and touchdown receptions in 2011, before injuries limited his production in the last two seasons.

Despite nearly hitting rock-bottom the past two seasons, the Weber State Wildcats do have the potential to have a turnaround season and put themselves back on track for consistent success. In less than two weeks, that quest begins.

Christopher McComas has a dream. 

He wants to take the University of North Dakota Sioux football team to a national championship game, and he will accept no more than zero losses along the way. 

You may be wondering who Christopher McComas is, and what kind of blue-blooded coaching pedigree could inspire a man to such lofty expectations for a college football program, especially one that went 3-8 in 2013.

As it turns out, McComas is a system integration analyst at Marshall University and has spent the last two decades turning lackluster teams into glory-sweating juggernauts of victory on his Sega Genesis and PlayStation gaming platforms.

According to Brad Elliot Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald, McComas was one of several candidates who recently applied for the newly vacated head coaching position with the North Dakota football team.

While other candidates presumably pitched the program on boilerplate drivel such as actual coaching experience, the information technology specialist focused on his personal strengths, which include “chucking the pigskin” deep in Madden and recruiting blue-chip talent in NCAA College Football.

McComas sent a personal email to UND athletic director Brian Faison detailing his extensive, virtual coaching experience. Here are a few excerpts from Coach McComas’ de facto cover letter (per Schlossman):

In the past 30 years I’ve only missed a handful of Marshall’s home games...All the while I played various football games including Madden on Sega Genesis where I completely dominated with the Bills and Thurman Thomas.

[...]

I then moved on to a PlayStation gaming system and purchased NCAA Football every year and put together several programs that completely dominated the recruiting scene and college football...I took [Marshall University] from a decent Mid-American Conference School on the game to a perennial national power house that makes Nick Saban look like a chump.

[...]

My football philosophy is basically an attacking one. We’re going to give AIR RAID a whole new definition. Theoretically how many times do you think a team can pass in a game? Challenge accepted. We’re going 5 wide, chucking the pigskin all over the place. Never punt. Onside every time. Chip Kelly will be calling me to learn my offense...go ahead and blow the roof off [Alerus Center] and add about 35,000 seats to that place.

McComas also attached a nine-part slideshow presentation to the email, laying out his extensive plan for the program.

His plan is simple. Win everything, recruit great players and win some more.

He does not punt. Punting is for communists and false prophets. Also, all of his players would graduate—if they weren’t all leaving early for the NFL, that is.

You can view the whole slideshow here, but this is pretty much all you need to know, sports fans: McComas' offense will darken the skies over college football, and hopefully North Dakota fans will hear the drone of newly installed air raid sirens come next fall.

Your move, Saban.

Chuck the Pigskin or Die Trying: The Christopher McComas Story.

Follow @Dr__Carson

The Big Sky Conference race is proving to be a difficult one to get a handle on this season.  There is no clear-cut favorite and six of the conference's 13 teams have a record of at least 3-1 or better in conference play.

This weekend, there are a couple matchups featuring teams in those top six in the Big Sky. None is bigger than the game between traditional powerhouse No. 10 Montana and rising FCS power, No. 3 Eastern Washington.

Let's preview that matchup, which could have a profound impact as to which Big Sky team takes home the conference championship this season.

When: Saturday, Oct. 26, 3:30 p.m. ET

Where: Washington-Grizzly Stadium; Missoula, Mont.

Eastern Washington's Season So Far

The Eagles are 5-3, with a 2-2 record on the road and a 3-0 record in conference play .  They started their season by pulling off arguably the biggest upset in college football since Appalachian State beat Michigan, traveling to Corvallis and defeating Pac-12 team Oregon State, 49-46.

The Eagles then handily dispatched Division II Western Oregon before dropping two games in a row.  First came a 33-21 loss to Toledo of the FBS, in which the Eastern Washington offense looked vulnerable for the first time. That was followed by a 49-34 loss to two-time FCS runner-up Sam Houston State, in which the Eagles' offense got back on track while the defense looked quite hapless.

EWU then started off conference play with three straight wins, taking down Weber State, North Dakota and Southern Utah with relative ease.

Montana's Season So Far

The Grizzlies are 6-1, with a 4-0 record at home and a 3-1 record in conference play. They began their season with a 30-6 dismantling of traditional FCS powerhouse Appalachian State, which is in the process of transitioning to the FBS.

Montana began its conference play by avenging last year's loss to North Dakota with a 55-17 drubbing in Grand Forks, N.D.  That was followed up with an easy win over Division II Oklahoma Panhandle State.

The Grizzlies then went into Flagstaff, Ariz., and suffered their first loss of the season against a surprisingly stout Northern Arizona team, 34-16.

The Grizzlies bounced back with three consecutive conference wins against Portland State, UC Davis and Cal Poly.

Major Storylines For the Game

Does the EWU defense have the personnel needed to slow down Montana's offense?

Overall, Montana's specialty is defense and Eastern Washington's is offense.  But with the exception of two games apiece, Montana's offense and Eastern Washington's defense have both been quite solid. 

Each obviously has its flaws. Montana's offense was stifled by both Northern Arizona and Cal Poly while Eastern Washington's defense was torched by both Oregon State and Sam Houston State.  The real question is whether or not Eastern Washington's defense is a good matchup against Montana's offense.  While both of those units can be exploited, it takes the right type of opponent to do so.

Which quarterback will have the bigger game?

 Both quarterbacks have been the centerpieces of their offenses this season. Montana's Jordan Johnson has thrown for 1,564 yards and 18 touchdowns with only one interception while rushing for an additional 69 yards.  His running ability has been utilized much less this season than in the past. Adams meanwhile, has been a true dual threat. He has thrown for 2,189 yards, with 24 touchdowns against only six interceptions. Eastern Washington's Vernon Adams has 318 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.  This game could very well turn into a duel between two of the top FCS quarterbacks.

How will Travon Van's injury affect the Montana offense? 

Part of the reason that Johnson has needed to run so sparingly this season is that the Grizzlies had one of the best running back tandems in the country, with Jordan Canada and Travon Van combining for 1,018 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns this season.

Unfortunately for Montana, Van sustained a high ankle sprain against Cal Poly last week and will miss this game. His absence could make the offense much less dynamic because he was also the best receiving running back on the roster, totaling 172 yards with a touchdown catch. The Grizzlies will turn to Joey Counts to provide the complement to Canada, and it remains to be seen whether Counts can fill Van's shoes, especially in such a big game.

How much of a home-field advantage will Montana get? 

Washington-Grizzly Stadium is one of the most difficult places to play in the FCS, and the stadium is sure to be packed for this one. 

The stands are steep and the field is set down in the ground, causing crowd noise to flood onto the field and stay there.  In addition, few FCS teams have as raucous a fanbase as Montana, ensuring that the Eagles will be walking into an incredibly hostile environment. 

Eastern Washington, however, already proved that it can handle loud, boisterous crowds this season with its win at Oregon State.  It will be interesting to see whether or not the Grizzlies' home crowd can shake the Eagles.

Prediction: Eastern Washington 31, Montana 27

Van is such an integral part of Montana's offense that the Grizzlies will inevitably have some hiccups in their offense without him.  Although Montana's defense will likely hold Eastern Washington well below its season scoring average, Montana's offense isn't likely to be able to keep up without Van.