GAME DAY: #16 WSU 'Cats @ #15 NAU 'Jacks

[weberwildcat]

TSN Outlook of game:


No. 16 Weber State (6-2, 4-0 Big Sky) at No. 15 Northern Arizona (6-1, 4-0 Big Sky), 6:05

In the 44 previous meetings between Northern Arizona and Weber State, never has there been more on the line. The winner of this contest will be in the drivers seat to win the Big Sky championship.

Winners of six-straight, the Lumberjacks are in search of their first postseason appearance since 2003, and are off to their best start since that season. The offense has been among the most versatile in school history, rivaling such attacks as the Travis Brown/Archie Emerson unit back in 1996.

Like past years, the quarterback position has been responsible for a large part of the offensive success, led by Lance Kriesien (1,252 yards passing, eight TDs and two interceptions) and Ole Miss transfer Michael Herrick (463 yards passing, three TDs).

The running game has also been the strength of Northern Arizona's offensive prowess, as the Lumberjacks rank 16th in FCS in rushing (196 yards). Tailback Deonte Williams (709 yards rushing and nine TDs) ranks 19th nationally and leads the Big Sky in rushing yardage.

The Lumberjacks lead the nation in rushing defense (11 yards per game) and rank 22nd in FCS in total defense (314 yards per game).

NAUs defensive line has been among the best in the FCS, led by defensive ends Michael Battiest (team-leading five sacks) and Kyle Wrath (4.5 sacks),while cornerback K. J. Gerard (five interceptions) was one of the most recent additions to the Buck Buchanan Award watch list.

Wildcat running back Trevyn Smith (team-leading 766 rushing yards and eight TDs) will offer the stiffest FCS challenge yet for the Lumberjack rushing defense. Smith had 170 yards in Weber State's 29-20 loss in Ogden last season.

Payton Award candidate Cameron Higgins (2,534 passing yards, 25 TDs and six interceptions) has flourished with a bevy of receivers, including Tim Toone (45 catches, 16.6 average, four TDs), Bryant Eteuati (38 catches, 1.091 all-purpose yards, six TDs) and tight end Cody Nakamura (30 catches, 15.6 average, six TDs)

The Weber State defense has been solid against the run (118 yards per game, 28th in FCS), and has been bolstered by defensive end Kevin Linehan (team- leading 6.5 sacks) and safety Beau Hadley (team-leading four interceptions).

Northern Arizona 35, Weber State 28






So with NAU being this good, what does it mean for WSU in the rankings if we can beat them??

 

[weberwildcat]

Official Big Sky Blog: Jon Kasper
http://www.bigskyconference.blogspot.com/

Big Game in Flag

Come Saturday afternoon there will be just one undefeated team left in conference play. Weber State heads to Flagstaff to take on Northern Arizona in a battle of undefeated teams.
The game was a big topic of discussion on today's conference call with the football coaches. One media member asked Montana coach Bobby Hauck if he cared who won. First, Coach Hauck said he wasn't paying attention, and was only focused on the Grizzlies' game against Northern Colorado. A few seconds later, he admitted it would be good to see NAU beat Weber since Weber State already has a win over Montana. Northern Colorado coach Scott Downing was asked his thoughts on the game, as he has played both teams.
Weber State coach Ron McBride and Northern Arizona coach Jerome Souers both seemed very excited for Saturday's game. It's great for both programs to be in this position. Hopefully, the folks in Flagstaff will flock to the Skydome and make it a great atmosphere.
The game will be televised live on NAU's Dish Network channel#9411. It will also air live on Fox College Sports Pacific. We've also heard that Fox Rocky Mountain is going to air the game, but we are awaiting confirmation from FSN Rocky Mountain before making anything official. Currently, FSN Rocky Mountain is slated to show Colorado-Missouri in that time slot.
And don't forget, the game can be seen for free on Big Sky TV.

 

[gowildcats]

TSN Outlook of game:


No. 16 Weber State (6-2, 4-0 Big Sky) at No. 15 Northern Arizona (6-1, 4-0 Big Sky), 6:05

In the 44 previous meetings between Northern Arizona and Weber State, never has there been more on the line. The winner of this contest will be in the drivers seat to win the Big Sky championship.

Winners of six-straight, the Lumberjacks are in search of their first postseason appearance since 2003, and are off to their best start since that season. The offense has been among the most versatile in school history, rivaling such attacks as the Travis Brown/Archie Emerson unit back in 1996.

Like past years, the quarterback position has been responsible for a large part of the offensive success, led by Lance Kriesien (1,252 yards passing, eight TDs and two interceptions) and Ole Miss transfer Michael Herrick (463 yards passing, three TDs).

The running game has also been the strength of Northern Arizona's offensive prowess, as the Lumberjacks rank 16th in FCS in rushing (196 yards). Tailback Deonte Williams (709 yards rushing and nine TDs) ranks 19th nationally and leads the Big Sky in rushing yardage.

The Lumberjacks lead the nation in rushing defense (11 yards per game) and rank 22nd in FCS in total defense (314 yards per game).

NAUs defensive line has been among the best in the FCS, led by defensive ends Michael Battiest (team-leading five sacks) and Kyle Wrath (4.5 sacks),while cornerback K. J. Gerard (five interceptions) was one of the most recent additions to the Buck Buchanan Award watch list.

Wildcat running back Trevyn Smith (team-leading 766 rushing yards and eight TDs) will offer the stiffest FCS challenge yet for the Lumberjack rushing defense. Smith had 170 yards in Weber State's 29-20 loss in Ogden last season.

Payton Award candidate Cameron Higgins (2,534 passing yards, 25 TDs and six interceptions) has flourished with a bevy of receivers, including Tim Toone (45 catches, 16.6 average, four TDs), Bryant Eteuati (38 catches, 1.091 all-purpose yards, six TDs) and tight end Cody Nakamura (30 catches, 15.6 average, six TDs)

The Weber State defense has been solid against the run (118 yards per game, 28th in FCS), and has been bolstered by defensive end Kevin Linehan (team- leading 6.5 sacks) and safety Beau Hadley (team-leading four interceptions).

Northern Arizona 35, Weber State 28






So with NAU being this good, what does it mean for WSU in the rankings if we can beat them??

I hate to get nit picky but i could've sworn i learned that 766 is more than 709. Regardless NAU hasn't beat anyone to get excited about at all. The only reason they are rank higher is because they started out rank higher. But that dosen't mean I don't think that they are a great team I just think that Weber is better. This may sound nerdy but i have been losing sleep over this one but when we win we should jump into the top 10 because we will have beaten two rank teams and MSU who was just outside the top 25.

WSU 28 NAU 20

 

[mt jack]

This is probably old news for you all but figured I'd post the article anyway.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------


http://www.azdailysun.com/articles/2008/10/24/news/sports/20081024_sport_183935.txt

NAU Football: Weber State QB nearly gave up football after high school


By
By DANIEL BERK


Sun Sports Staff
Friday, October 24, 2008

Cameron Higgins was ready to hang his football cleats up and call it a career.

After a successful stint as quarterback at St. Louis High School in Hawaii Kai, Hawaii, Higgins was prepared to walk away from the game and get a job for a couple of years and then eventually enroll in a college. As an honorable mention all-state selection by state coaches, Higgins figured he would have some interest from some smaller colleges and be able to extend his football career.

Higgins put together a highlight tape of his play from high school and sent it to coaches all over the country, but never heard back.

The only offer he had was to walk on at the University of Hawaii, but Higgins didn't want to ask his parents to pay for college, so he declined.

With that, he was ready to move on.

"Playing in Hawaii, you don't get a lot of exposure," Higgins said. "I sent out tapes and did pretty much everything I could, but it just didn't seem like anything was going to work out."

Just a couple of months before Higgins was ready to start working and move on with his life, his uncle got a hold of him and told him he might have a lead. Higgins' uncle was good friends with Weber State coach Ron McBride and had sent the coach Higgins' highlight tape.

McBride was impressed with what he saw and had an extra scholarship and decided to give Higgins a shot.

Now, three years later, McBride probably still hasn't stopped thanking Higgins' uncle.

The redshirt sophomore is having one of the best seasons of any quarterback in the country this season, throwing for 2,551 yards and 25 touchdowns in eight games and leading his team to a 6-2 record.

"I don't know where I'd be if coach McBride never got his hands on that tape," Higgins said. "I'd probably just be back home working."

Fortunately for Weber State and unfortunately for the rest of the conference, that's not the case.

Last week, he was added to the Walter Payton Award watch list, which is handed out to the top player in the Football Championship Subdivision. Higgins' name wasn't on the list before the season, but now it is and he may be one of the three or four frontrunners to take home the award.

"It was an honor to be singled out like that as one of the best players in FCS, but I was kind of disappointed that it wasn't more of a team award," Higgins said. "Everyone on our offense deserves to be recognized for what we're doing right now. It shouldn't be just me."

The scary thing for the rest of the Big Sky Conference is he hasn't reached his peak yet.

McBride is making sure of it.

"He still has room to get a lot better," McBride said. "We don't want anyone on our team feeling comfortable and like they can't get better. Cameron hasn't reached his full potential yet."

Last season, Higgins struggled a bit against NAU in Ogden, Utah and went 9-for-21 for 146 yards and three interceptions. After that game though, Higgins and the rest of the offense started to take off, winning the final three games of the season and scoring 203 points in the last three contests.

"I remember that NAU was very tough. They flew around on defense and didn't make any mistakes," Higgins said. "Their offense was unstoppable and they were just the better team. I think after that game we all realized we had to raise our level of play if we wanted to contend in the Big Sky."

That's exactly what Higgins and company are doing this season. At 4-0 in Big Sky play, the Wildcats are tied with NAU for first place in the league and are ranked No.16 in the country, just one spot behind NAU.

Weber State's only two losses this season have come against Football Bowl Subdivision teams Hawaii and Utah. Although his team lost to Hawaii, it was still a special opportunity for Higgins to go back home and show the rest of his teammates around his hometown.

"It brought me back to my old high school days," Higgins said. "It was just a blast to be back there and get some of that Hawaii atmosphere. I definitely had to play tour guide and everyone was asking me questions about things, but it was a lot of fun."

 

[native]

This is probably old news for you all but figured I'd post the article anyway.

http://www.azdailysun.com/articles/2008/10/24/news/sports/20081024_sport_183935.txt

NAU Football: Weber State QB nearly gave up football after high school...

Thank you for the post, Jack!

Northern Arizona has a superb facility, and the Lumberjacks were great hosts! The atmosphere was everything a college football game should be!

Best of luck to NAU! I hope they make it to the playoffs!

 

[weberwildcat]

http://bigskyconf.com/News/football/2008/10/27/POTWFB1027.asp?path=football

Smith, Hadley, Urrego Honored

OGDEN, Utah (Oct. 27) - The Big Sky Conference has selected its football Players of the Week for games played on Saturday, Oct. 27. Weber State running back Trevyn Smith is the Offensive Player of the Week. Weber State safety Beau Hadley is the Defensive Player of the Week, and Portland State kicker/punter Danny Urrego is the Special Teams Player of the Week.

Smith, a 5-foot-9, 210-pound junior from Springville, Utah, rushed for 103 yards and scored three touchdowns in No. 16 Weber State’s 42-14 road win over No. 16 Northern Arizona. The victory moved Weber State to 5-0 in conference for the first time in school history. Smith, who leads the Big Sky in rushing with 869 yards, carried the ball 19 times for 103 yards. He became the first running back to reach 100 yards against NAU’s defense, which entered the game averaging a nation-low 10.9 rushing yards per game. No running back had gained more than 54 yards against NAU prior to Saturday. Smith scored on a pair of 3-yard runs, and also caught a 14-yard TD pass from Cameron Higgins. Smith caught three passes for 25 yards,

Hadley, a 6-foot, 185-pound junior from Taylor, Utah, tallied 11 total tackles, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in Weber State’s victory over Northern Arizona. Hadley registered seven solo stops. His first forced fumble, which he recovered, led to a touchdown, giving the Wildcats a 14-0 first-quarter lead. His second forced fumble also led to a score, giving the Wildcats a 28-7 lead in the third quarter. Weber State’s defense forced four turnovers and held Northern Arizona’s offense to just 251 total yards. NAU entered the game averaging a league-best 459.7 yards per game.

Urrego, a 5-11, 190-pound senior from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., made three field goals and three extra points in Portland State’s 36-13 victory over Idaho State. Urrego connected on field goals of 29, 23 and 36 yards. Urrego also handled punting duties, averaging 35.5 yards per punt on two attempts. He pinned Idaho State at the 7-yard line on one of his punts.


Others Nominated for Weekly Award


Offense
Chase Reynolds, RB, Montana
Demetrius Crawford, RB, Montana State
Ray Fry, WR, Portland State
Bryan Hilliard, RB, Sacramento State

Defense
D.J. Clark, CB, Idaho State
Ryan Fetherson, DE, Montana
Bobby Daly, LB, Montana State
Andy Schantz, LB, Portland State
Deionte Gordon, CB, Sacramento State

Special Teams
Rob Schulte, Ret., Montana
Eric Fisher, P, Montana State
Mike Snoy, P, Weber State