tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69537057571473051782024-03-05T14:09:13.635-08:00THE BIG SKY BLOGBig Sky SIDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15737744994177161697noreply@blogger.comBlogger150125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953705757147305178.post-61486078849872055572014-10-28T16:04:00.002-07:002014-10-28T16:08:55.960-07:00MSU's Hysell Leaves a Lasting Memory <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Some might've wondered if Cliff Hysell was a football coach or a rancher.<br />
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When they lay the former Montana State football player and coach to rest later this week, he should be wearing a duster, cowboy boots and jeans with a fishing pole by his side.<br />
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Hysell, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 72, wasn't a suit-and-tie guy. He was a hardcore Montana man, and he wore it proudly. From 1992-1999, he helped resurrect the Montana State Bobcat football program, often wearing western garb on the sideline. <br />
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Hysell was considered a defensive guru, honing his skills as an assistant at Montana State in 1970s and 80s under the likes of Sonny Holland and Sonny Lubick before joining Jim Sweeney at Fresno State. Hysell was called back to Montana State in 1992, asked to return the once-proud program to prominence after a disastrous stint by Earl Solomonson.<br />
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There were no playoff appearances, Big Sky Championships, or victories over the Montana Grizzlies. In fact, there were some very, very painful losses, none more so than a 27-25 last-second defeat to the Grizzlies in 1997 in Bozeman.<br />
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But make no mistake, Hysell made Montana State relevant once again. The Bobcats finished 7-4 in 1993, 6-5 in 1996, 6-5 in 1997 and 7-4 in 1998. Three times, MSU played for the conference title on the final weekend of the season. There were memorable victories, like upsets of nationally-ranked Idaho and Eastern Washington.<br />
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Like him, his players were tough, proud and displayed great integrity. <br />
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Hysell walked away from coaching following a disappointing 1999 campaign when his team was ravaged by injuries. He never, however, turned his back on the Bobcats.<br />
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Nearly every game day at Bobcat Stadium, Cliff Hysell was in the press box, watching from behind his sunglasses as Mike Kramer and Rob Ash guided the Bobcats to Big Sky Championships and playoff appearances. He saw the stadium expand, the barbeque smoke from the tailgates grow, and the fans flock.<br />
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The end years weren't easy for the ole' coach. <br />
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Oh sure, there were many fishing trips, some his his old rival and friend Mick Dennehy, the head coach at Montana from 1996-99. The two would meet up at Canyon Ferry near Helena, Mont., drink some beers, share football stories, and take in the breathtaking Montana beauty. <br />
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But, severe back and neck problems that required numerous procedures, as well as Parkinson's Disease took a huge toll on his body. He fought through it the best he could. It never seemed to it slow him down.<br />
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Next summer at the Big Sky Conference Kickoff in Park City, we'll all raise a glass and toast Coach Hysell. It's something we do every year for our Big Sky family members who are no longer with us.<br />
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We'll all miss you, Coach. So long, cowboy.<br />
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Jon Kasper - Big Sky Conference<br />
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<br />Big Sky SIDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15737744994177161697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953705757147305178.post-51314866791707087222014-01-17T14:47:00.000-08:002014-01-17T14:47:24.248-08:00Mirror, Mirror, WatchBigSky On My Big Screen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh71fgssXWQ4m9EvavLXDehuBNkFo2Ob8-qZqMypa3dhEwdGv3GD2zUR9JDngkyhniprceBicZQMSoHcaUITwgNYHozlbp70uniSNISS7Fyzp6pbiuVcsJnh7gk46CpOvYIHrk_G2GSvq8/s1600/sacphoto.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh71fgssXWQ4m9EvavLXDehuBNkFo2Ob8-qZqMypa3dhEwdGv3GD2zUR9JDngkyhniprceBicZQMSoHcaUITwgNYHozlbp70uniSNISS7Fyzp6pbiuVcsJnh7gk46CpOvYIHrk_G2GSvq8/s1600/sacphoto.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
Sorry if I'm a little bit late to the technology party, but my Big Sky Conference viewing world changed last night when a family member told me about "Airplay Mirroring" on Apple devices.<br />
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I was stunned to find out that whatever is on an iPad or iPhone screen can magically appear on a television through Apple TV.<br />
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No cords, no wires.<br />
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I logged in to my <a href="http://www.watchbigsky.com/"><b><span style="color: blue;">WatchBigSky.com</span></b></a> account, pushed a few buttons, and the Sacramento State vs. Portland State men's basketball game was on my TV.<br />
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<b><u><a href="http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5209"><span style="color: blue;">Click here to find out more information in Airplay Mirroring.</span></a></u></b><br />
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I have to say I was more than excited about discovering this technology, and I think many fans who use <a href="http://watchbigsky.com/">WatchBigSky.com</a> at home, and have Apple TV and a iPad or iPhone would love to use this.<br />
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My wife - a longtime fan of Apple products - purchased Apple TV back in December. I used the devise to watch the Eastern Washington-Jacksonville State playoff game on ESPN3, and was very surprised by how great the picture was. Normally, I'd watch an ESPN3 game on my computer.<br />
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It costs less than $100 to purchase an Apple TV device. I know millions of folks already own iPhones or iPads. <br />
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Several of our schools have enhanced their WatchBigSky.com feeds. Sacramento State is now broadcasting events in HD. Northern Arizona and North Dakota are already in HD. We're working this week with America One to see if some of our other schools have the equipment to broadcast in HD without additional costs. <br />
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Our video streaming service has come a long way since we started in 2006. Sure, there are still some technical glitches, and some of the feeds don't have the best cameras, or graphics. But, every game is watchable.<br />
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America One has been a great partner to work with, and soon we'll be launching our app for Android and Apple devices, which will make the viewing experience even better. America One has developed the app for us, and we're excited with what we've seen.<br />
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I've watched games on my iPhone, and just recently received an iPad for Christmas. My new iPad has replaced my computer as my preferred device for viewing WatchBigSky.com. Last week, I monitored men's games on my iPad while sitting in the stands at a women's basketball game.<br />
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I've heard many fans say they love WatchBigSky.com - especially because it's free - but say the viewing experience is so much better on a TV. Well, the technology is out there for that to happen without too much trouble.<br />
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You might already have everything you need to get it a try during the basketball season. <br />
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I'm sure there are other options like this out there through non-Apple products. If you know of any, drop us a line..<br />
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Jon Kasper - Big Sky Conference </div>
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<br />Big Sky SIDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15737744994177161697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953705757147305178.post-1718911776515866322013-09-24T08:44:00.000-07:002013-09-24T08:53:26.684-07:00Help Us Celebrate Big Sky's 50th and 25th Anniversaries<br />
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<a href="http://www.bigskyconf.com/social"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip1wLtTj_l2ntihaWy273I08O5OFP7E-YzvcVi2Yp7QHAhdFcc44mkQ3gyjl3NxURm_eKWfVkXjZB_6NnHmf7YBxpKSPM_gMg32xxGFXeC34CUNa5JQlZJhRIIsw3K9DDBaA2gXXEp8Kw/s320/Anniversary_Announcement.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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In case you have not heard the Big Sky is celebrating 50 years of existence, and 25 years of sponsoring women's athletics. As part of the celebration the league office will be releasing lists of the Top 50 Male and Top 25 Female Athletes. After thinking about the lists, we realized that the Big Sky is more than just athletes, so we will also release lists of the Top 50 moments in men's athletics and a Top 25 moments of women's athletics.<br />
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Starting on Thursday Sept. 26th we will be posting the athletes and moments on <a href="http://bigskyconf.com/">bigskyconf.com</a>. The first week we will focus on men's athletics, and the following week we will unveil parts of the women's lists. Every week on Thursdays, throughout the rest of the year, we will unveil more of the lists. Men one week and women the next.<br />
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This is where the fans come in, we need you to let us know what you think of our lists. In order to do this we have built a social hub as part of our website, <a href="http://www.bigskyconf.com/social">www.bigskyconf.com/social</a>. In order to interact with the hub you will need to connect one of your social media accounts.<br />
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<a href="http://www.bigskyconf.com/social"><img border="0" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTztOexg7dajIJ7YkZAm5tYC9Ig-bRJ0FzS32K5ymDnROPSTQaZuyOGH1XnSwsHpUTS1aw4sZPwS5d1efi4Z8b-Oa1wWtW3iLZdFbTYwjLBDqj9PrdSluhguoJwf_8hx5wwCyUvb2aDE4/s320/Connect.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Once you have connected your account, click on the stories tab. Here you will see all the articles of the lists. Each article is packed with information, interviews, and other multimedia. In the hub your can vote the story up or down. If you want to help spread the work about the athlete or the moment you can click on the twitter tab and retweet, quote, or favorite the article. You can also include the hashtags #BigSky50 or #BigSky25 in your updates to keep the conversation going. If you add these tags your posts they will show up on the social media hub.<br />
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<a href="http://www.bigskyconf.com/social"><img border="0" height="73" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7AI3xPmWb47R9QqU3yAoLhwHIiTHq2qrwhR8BhYoYzBxLBCcrc3gyZrTay8T3KTG9R3tX33U9NiAfCQ34enP_IMHoOo3NF_z69HQzxu8bg9X6CJeQZw-Bi7DCiADp5NoLG8DPem-zDR4/s640/Stories.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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The first week we will be releasing numbers 50 through 45 of the men's lists, with numbers 25 and 24 of the women's lists coming the next week. We hope you will help us remember these great athletes and moments throughout the entire 2013-14 season. Do not forget about our hastags #BigSky50 and #BigSky25.<br />
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<br />Big Sky SIDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15737744994177161697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953705757147305178.post-84747167242038538412013-07-30T13:22:00.001-07:002013-07-30T13:24:15.621-07:00Giving Back In Portland<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpcgrdQnnT1ccWASfTQzBRowgEv_GhQbMWTEB9o4Jrwan_icatLSeDzDCCGTYCbMGVFsc66w9AuLX0QTIIozAgiMdi1y1flzmU798KxAr01Fz53CQ-3r6RLbzRiLpWXhwrjRjLD4AwJPc/s1600/IMG_20130725_183816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpcgrdQnnT1ccWASfTQzBRowgEv_GhQbMWTEB9o4Jrwan_icatLSeDzDCCGTYCbMGVFsc66w9AuLX0QTIIozAgiMdi1y1flzmU798KxAr01Fz53CQ-3r6RLbzRiLpWXhwrjRjLD4AwJPc/s320/IMG_20130725_183816.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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When we think of student-athletes you just think about that.
They are students and athletes. Did you know that these student-athletes in the
Big Sky also give back countless hours in their communities? </div>
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<br /></div>
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Boys and Girls Club, adopt a family for Christmas, Special
Olympics, reading to children at Elementary Schools, Soup Kitchens, Homeless
Shelters are just some of the things our student-athletes do to help out in
their communities. </div>
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I was reminded of this July 24-25 when we were in Portland,
Ore., for the Student –Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) meetings. The
student-athletes from our 11 institutions got together to discuss this year’s
SAAC Cup and what the conference-wide competition would be for the upcoming
year. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcEfEO_I0UBoojYh_BTNJEvjPBiCK8C0TQm4ecIUQoiWLVfDM_rZYIQ3h4cofHeuvmXtOI4xUfv6MG-WemLX9PBTA6mOGDTu9NDyyIPMuhXs0EJV1h5LxO6FmADWsflZZWTN4hkdZZgPE/s1600/IMG_20130725_170743.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcEfEO_I0UBoojYh_BTNJEvjPBiCK8C0TQm4ecIUQoiWLVfDM_rZYIQ3h4cofHeuvmXtOI4xUfv6MG-WemLX9PBTA6mOGDTu9NDyyIPMuhXs0EJV1h5LxO6FmADWsflZZWTN4hkdZZgPE/s200/IMG_20130725_170743.jpg" width="200" /></a>The Big Sky SAAC gave back to the community of Portland, as
they helped out the Special Olympics Oregon get ready for their big annual
fundraiser, The Bite of Oregon is held August 9-11 in Portland’s Waterfront
Park. This year the event is celebrating 30 years, and all proceeds from the
event go to help the Special Olympics Oregon. </div>
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If you don’t know anything about The Bite of Oregon it is the
state’s largest culinary event. You get to eat delicious cuisine from top chefs,
drink wine and beer, see a celebrity chef demonstration, hear from live bands
and other entertainment. There are children activities available as well. </div>
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A lot of works goes into hosting an event like this. The
student-athletes helped out by assembling credentials for the staff, packed
goody bags for the judges, and got all of the wrist bands ready for entry to
the event. For more information on The
Bite of Oregon visit www.BiteofOregon.com.</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9x_DgjIRUPBZ2NMhc_eYbeyJl5e9rufNqvGN3lLgJW65XAZXJsFzXPU8r27O70vb7wHCCTeUf2EmQ0IwC3-TOYPIxYAbAkgrvPHJguVlEYieH0nTvANDZ2iMoefN7KIcOq-BuxSoSxUY/s1600/IMG_20130725_170729.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9x_DgjIRUPBZ2NMhc_eYbeyJl5e9rufNqvGN3lLgJW65XAZXJsFzXPU8r27O70vb7wHCCTeUf2EmQ0IwC3-TOYPIxYAbAkgrvPHJguVlEYieH0nTvANDZ2iMoefN7KIcOq-BuxSoSxUY/s200/IMG_20130725_170729.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This was just a little something that we were able to do not
only to help the Special Olympics Oregon but to also help the city of Portland. </div>
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<br /></div>
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For more information about the Big Sky SAAC go follow <a href="https://twitter.com/bigskysaac">@BigSkySAAC</a> on Twitter.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Megan Lobdell - Big Sky Conference</span>Big Sky SIDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15737744994177161697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953705757147305178.post-3490431707829968812013-06-11T13:13:00.000-07:002013-06-11T13:13:07.872-07:00Another Season Come And Gone<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I can’t believe we have just finished the 2012-13 season. Man has it felt like it just flew by?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Last week just concluded are last sport with track and field. We had 19 athletes travel to Eugene, Ore., for the NCAA Championships and came out with some great marks. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now that the year is over…it has been a crazy one. We unveiled a new logo, added North Dakota and Southern Utah as members and Cal Poly and UC Davis as football only members. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now that things have come to a close it is time for the summer, which means a vacation. Well….and of course getting ready for the 2013-14 season. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We just finished up all of the spring meetings with the administrators and presidents. And now it is time to get ready for the football kickoff July 14-16 in Park City, Utah. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">That should be a lot of fun as we get together for another year and discuss business. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The biggest business is going to come in the fall as we talk about what we are going to do with the sports moving on for the 2014-15 season for when Idaho comes back into the league. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As for now…we all look forward to the summer and getting some time off so we can then come back and get ready for the 2013-14 season. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Megan Lobdell - Big Sky Conference</span></div>
Big Sky SIDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15737744994177161697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953705757147305178.post-12633542631777602842013-02-07T11:15:00.000-08:002013-02-07T11:15:00.053-08:00Throwback Thursday: 2008 Big Sky Football National Signing Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivZsXLOsax8jA-y1cv5ALOgjXtNiSzPNwHNp8u63hEJKeZuBhucZfoXR-D2st5UBvV0cJe7n5TRl9gf67Xm5VIt4IQoun_sw2oZ17LIQcoCXwdYPF8UBfkJ-D_G5ES2Yh88-hGYIvxX5A/s1600/CPDeonte.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivZsXLOsax8jA-y1cv5ALOgjXtNiSzPNwHNp8u63hEJKeZuBhucZfoXR-D2st5UBvV0cJe7n5TRl9gf67Xm5VIt4IQoun_sw2oZ17LIQcoCXwdYPF8UBfkJ-D_G5ES2Yh88-hGYIvxX5A/s1600/CPDeonte.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivZsXLOsax8jA-y1cv5ALOgjXtNiSzPNwHNp8u63hEJKeZuBhucZfoXR-D2st5UBvV0cJe7n5TRl9gf67Xm5VIt4IQoun_sw2oZ17LIQcoCXwdYPF8UBfkJ-D_G5ES2Yh88-hGYIvxX5A/s1600/CPDeonte.jpg" height="320" width="174" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Did you Know: <br />
Cal Poly's Deonte Williams <br />
started his career at NAU</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivZsXLOsax8jA-y1cv5ALOgjXtNiSzPNwHNp8u63hEJKeZuBhucZfoXR-D2st5UBvV0cJe7n5TRl9gf67Xm5VIt4IQoun_sw2oZ17LIQcoCXwdYPF8UBfkJ-D_G5ES2Yh88-hGYIvxX5A/s1600/CPDeonte.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>Exactly five years ago yesterday, hundreds of prep football players signed National Letters of Intent to play at Big Sky Conference schools.<br />
<br />
Yesterday, hundreds more completed the same process. Coaches swelled with pride about this year’s class. Boosters and fans now have a renewed sense of hope. Some of these players are touted as “two, or three, or four” star recruits by Internet services. <br />
<br />
The joys of National Signing Day, the day when prep players sign their National Letters of Intent.<br />
<br />
Of course, the proof is in the pudding, and real good pudding takes awhile to set in the fridge before its ready to eat. It takes time to see just how good the recruits turn out. <br />
<br />
Statistics will prove again and again that more than half will never pan out. They’ll leave school, quit football, find academic problems, or be told they aren’t good enough.<br />
<br />
Let’s take a ride back in time and review the 2008 signing classes. These are players who enjoyed a redshirt season and played four seasons. We’ll also note some of the student-athletes who didn’t redshirt and exhausted eligibility after the 2011 season. We’ll leave out our new schools since they weren’t members of the league.<br />
<br />
Eastern Washington inked 21 prep players in 2008. Guys like Evan Cook, Jeff Minnerly, Will Post, Tyler Washburn and Grant Williams turned into stars or solid players for Beau Baldwin. Other than those five, we don’t recognize many other names. <br />
<br />
EWU signed a quarterback named Darius Banks from Culver City, Calif. There was some talk of Banks being a big-time recruit who had the athletic ability to become an FCS star. He never played a down in Cheney, transferring to a junior college and eventually playing at Division II Central Washington.<br />
<br />
Idaho State signed several junior college transfers in 2008, along with 14 freshmen. A.J. Storms was the unquestioned star of the class. Storms finished up in 2011 as a three-time All-Conference linebacker, one of the top tacklers in league history, and an All-American. Other than offensive lineman Braeden Clayson, who also finished in 2011, there wasn’t such success. Offensive lineman Erik Jacobson is the only freshman from that class on the 2012 Bengals.<br />
<br />
Montana inked a huge class of 2008, and many of them never redshirted, so they finished up last season. This proved to be a very strong recruiting class for Bobby Hauck. It included cornerback Trumaine Johnson, now with the St. Louis Rams and linebacker Caleb McSurdy, now with the Dallas Cowboys. Jabin Sambrano, Jon Opperud, Donny Lisowski, Alex Shaw, Mike McCord, and Charles Burton, who were all big on Montana’s run to the 2011 semifinals were all part of the class. <br />
<br />
Guys like running back Dan Moore, tight end Greg Hardy, defensive end Josh Harris, wide receiver Sam Gratton and linebacker Josh Stuberg finished up in 2012. Overall, this was about as good as you can get. Nearly 30 prep players, and roughly half became starters.<br />
<br />
No team has had more success in the Big Sky regular season the last three years than Montana State. Rob Ash’s recruiting class in 2008 included a couple of gems. This also marked MSU’s first real foray into Texas. Nine players signed from the Lone Star state. Ash also signed 11 players from Montana. <br />
<br />
The biggest get in 2008 turned out to be linebacker Jody Owens from Mesquite, Texas. . Owens was the 2012 Big Sky Defensive MVP and an All-American. Kicker Jason Cunningham signed out Amarillo, Texas. Cunningham finished up in 2011 as one of the most prolific kickers in Big Sky history. Stephen Foster of Helena, Mont., was another standout for the Bobcats. He was a tight end before moving to the offensive line as a senior. <br />
<br />
Northern Arizona started the 2012 season with seven straight victories, and enjoyed its best season in almost a decade. It’s easy to see why. Jerome Souers’ 2008 class proved to be pretty darn solid. <br />
<br />
Quarterback Cary Grossart, offensive lineman Trey Gilleo, defensive end Jarret Bilbrey, return man Austin Shanks and linebacker Brandon Phillips were all instrumental in NAU’s success in 2012. Defensive end Blayne Anderson, also a member of the 2008 class, capped a good career in 2011<br />
<br />
Northern Arizona’s 2008 class also included a running back named Deonte Williams from Sacramento, Calif. Williams was the Big Sky Newcomer of the Year in the fall of 2008. He left Northern Arizona after the season and eventually landed at Cal Poly. Williams led the Big Sky in rushing in 2012, leading the Mustangs to a share of the Big Sky Championship in their first season in the league. <br />
<br />
Northern Colorado’s 2008 prep class proved to be pretty solid. Record-breaking wide receiver Patrick Walker and defensive lineman Nick Hernon both finished up in 2011. Marcel Gibbons, Nick Candler, Cameron Friend and wide receiver/return man Dominic Gunn all helped the Bears finished 4-4 in league in 2012<br />
<br />
Jerry Glanville inked 19 prep players in his first recruiting class at Portland State. There were more misses than hits, but the hits proved to be pretty solid. We all would have loved to see what running back Cory McCaffrey could have done in 2011 had his senior season not been cut short by injury. Kyle Ritt, Dustin Waldron, All-American kicker Zach Brown, and linebacker Ryan Rau were other players who more than panned out in the Park Blocks.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFFSs0GCG45phtWeATe0_SDAYlETEtJiHQI9_WQRi6gs7l2Sy5EsFYeTYRd_XLzOaSPIxdgeZLaQRhvrUIYTVyydpMynFf5QhhA698ffsab886Ew82yH4lu4OZMKSEpWQJT4k0z_CqFLo/s1600/ZachBrown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFFSs0GCG45phtWeATe0_SDAYlETEtJiHQI9_WQRi6gs7l2Sy5EsFYeTYRd_XLzOaSPIxdgeZLaQRhvrUIYTVyydpMynFf5QhhA698ffsab886Ew82yH4lu4OZMKSEpWQJT4k0z_CqFLo/s1600/ZachBrown.jpg" height="276" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Portland State's All-American Kicker Zach Brown</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Sacramento State has come a long way under Coach Marshall Sperbeck. The 2008 recruiting class, however, can take very little credit for the success. Offensive lineman Nate Doverspike and defensive back Deionte Gordon, who both finished up in 2011, are the only players of note from the class.<br />
<br />
Weber State’s 2008 class certainly wasn’t Ron McBride’s best. Linebacker Nick Webb had a solid career, and he finished up in 2011. Defensive back Antwain Stutson was also a good player, who finished up in 2012. Defensive lineman Ryan Eastman played immediately, and was on his way to a very solid career. He decided to transfer to Hawai’i, but later returned to Weber State. By that time, injuries had taken a toll.<br />
<br />
Jon Kasper – Big Sky ConferenceBig Sky SIDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15737744994177161697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953705757147305178.post-90424313221984052432012-11-16T11:36:00.002-08:002012-11-16T11:36:51.890-08:00Where Did the Weeks Go?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPLOulWe34x4LhWkqDCRibnd42cQkjcTUXbShu0_PxSMep5qjZIRb3oQ2ubWHBbmDD0Rr3v4gA2_G-pyNNn6Kam0b4OSbyiU4zvyN0NjaA9wYA8UMmpv_U6xLUgjNsrVb1vG10WNaxjpQ/s1600/NAUbaumansky.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPLOulWe34x4LhWkqDCRibnd42cQkjcTUXbShu0_PxSMep5qjZIRb3oQ2ubWHBbmDD0Rr3v4gA2_G-pyNNn6Kam0b4OSbyiU4zvyN0NjaA9wYA8UMmpv_U6xLUgjNsrVb1vG10WNaxjpQ/s400/NAUbaumansky.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Northern Arizona's Zach Bauman hopes to see the Lumberjacks get a playoff bid.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We've reached the end of the college football regular season. The seasons always seem to fly.<br />
<br />
There are certainly some big games this weekend, as we've yet to determine our regular-season champions or the league's automatic bid to the playoffs.<br />
<br />
Either Northern Arizona or Cal Poly will at least share the regular-season title. The teams meet in Flagstaff on Saturday. The winner is likely in the playoff field. The loser will have to sweat it out. The playoff committee will have their work cut out for them, as there will be 10-1, 9-2 and many 8-3 teams hoping for one of the 10 at-large bids.<br />
<br />
Eastern Washington and Montana State are also in line to share the conference title. Eastern Washington plays at Portland State, a team that beat up the Eagles pretty good last year. Montana State plays Montana in the 112th Brawl of the Wild. Montana State has won twice in Missoula in the last quarter century, but one of those wins came in 2010. EWU and MSU are likely both in the playoff field regardless of what happens.<br />
<br />
Will the Big Sky get three or four teams in the playoff field. We'll find out Sunday at 11:30 a.m. Mountain on ESPNU when the 20-team field is announced.<br />
<br />
We believe four Big Sky teams are worthy of making the playoff field, and if Sacramento State beats UC Davis on Saturday, you could argue the Hornets also deserve consideration. <br />
<br />
<b>Saying Goodbye</b><br />
<br />
Saturday also marks the end of the <a href="http://www.sacbee.com/2012/11/16/4990304/ailene-voisin-uc-davis-biggs-looks.html">Bob Biggs </a>era at UC Davis. Biggs has been associated with the school since the early 1970s as a player. He's been on the staff for 35 consecutive years. While his time in the Big Sky has been brief, I can tell you that Biggs is a man of great character and integrity. He is not your typical football coach. The college football world will miss him.<br />
<br />
It really has been a somber year around the Big Sky. We've all mourned the loss of Sacramento State's <a href="http://www.statehornet.com/sports/football/community-remembers-bloomfield/article_baba85b0-1d71-11e2-afcd-001a4bcf6878.html">John Bloomfield</a>. I can't imagine what it's like as a coach to deal with the death of a player. Marshall Sperbeck and Sacramento State Athletics Director Terry Wanless spent hours at the hospital with Bloomfield's family. They did what they could for the family, and no doubt will continue to do what they can.<br />
<br />
Earlier this year, Montana honored the 2001 National Championship team by inducting the squad in the school's Hall of Fame.<a href="http://missoulian.com/sports/college/montana/football/griz-title-team-loses-another/article_2c8cf738-23ab-11e2-8f06-0019bb2963f4.html"> Curt Colter</a>, one of the most personable and fun players from the squad, attended the event. Just a few weeks later, Colter died in his home, leaving behind a wife and a young daughter. I knew Colter and his older brother D.J. personally. It's so sad when young men are cut down in their prime. Colter wore No. 90. Sadly, No. 91 from that same team - Big Sky All-Conference defensive end Tim Bush - died a couple of years ago in a mining accident.<br />
<br />
There was also the passing of former Weber State wide receiver and track star <a href="http://www.weberstatesports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=39328&SPID=3468&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=8600&ATCLID=205709259">Kyhaunn Woods,</a> who lost a valiant battle with cancer. Like Colter, Woods left behind a wife and young family.<br />
<br />
We also note the sad story of young <a href="http://www.kpax.com/news/cash-hyde-s-dad-recalls-son-s-last-days/">Cash Hyde </a>of Missoula. The 4-year-old who has been battling a brain tumor since he was 20 months old passed away this week. Hyde's family are big Montana fans.<br />
<br />
The Big Sky Conference is a family. Our fans, alumni, student-athletes, former student-athletes, and coaches are all part of that family.<br />
<br />
Enjoy the action this weekend. But remember, it's just a game.<br />
<br />
<i>Jon Kasper - Big Sky Conference </i><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Big Sky SIDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15737744994177161697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953705757147305178.post-91581128176681314232012-10-24T15:59:00.000-07:002012-10-24T15:59:01.730-07:00Move Over Scott Mitchell<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiINHvuIk-g-J8pl9vCB-0eIkNkwwsiYPc208TtiOAEj7-xVSqeEH9gocJzlMbBpHnsLyPkccw9hgL5k0V1xvH5h6GM3O582HVBjEDkUYGx0Ulli3XQfTXGtr2PZu6R_9mwY1xa-8asgcA/s1600/bradenhanson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiINHvuIk-g-J8pl9vCB-0eIkNkwwsiYPc208TtiOAEj7-xVSqeEH9gocJzlMbBpHnsLyPkccw9hgL5k0V1xvH5h6GM3O582HVBjEDkUYGx0Ulli3XQfTXGtr2PZu6R_9mwY1xa-8asgcA/s400/bradenhanson.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No left-handed QB in NCAA history has thrown for as many yards in a game than Braden Hanson.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Steve Young, Tim Tebow, Ken Stabler, Terry Baker, Michael
Vick and Boomer Esiason. Those are some of the most successful left-handed
collegiate quarterbacks in NCAA history.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
None of them, however, threw for 600 yards in a collegiate
game, as North Dakota senior Braden Hanson did
last week in a 40-34 victory over Montana.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hanson, a transfer from North Carolina, set the Big Sky single-game
passing record with 660 yards. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After extensive research, we’ve discovered that no
left-handed quarterback in the history of the NCAA has ever thrown for that
many yards. There are only a handful of quarterbacks who’ve ever thrown for
more than 650 yards in a game, so the research wasn't that extensive. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At the FBS level, there have been just three games of more
than 660 passing yards. Houston’s David Klinger,
a righty, threw for 716 against Arizona
State in 1990. TCU’s Matt
Vogler, a righty, threw for 690 against Houston
in 1990. Texas Tech’s B.J. Symons, also a right, threw for 661 against Ole Miss
in 2003. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Until this season, no FCS quarterback had ever thrown for more
than 624 yards in a game. Old Dominon’s Taylor Heinicke smashed the single-game
FCS record with 730 yards in a game earlier this season.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Division II record for passing yards in a game was set
by J.J. Harp of Eastern New Mexico with 695
yards in a 2009 contest. Harp is a righty.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Right Sam Durley of Eureka College
set the Division III record with 736 passing yards against Knox College of Sept.
1, 2012. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Menlo’s Zamir Amin threw for 723 yards in a Division III
game against Cal Luthern in 2000. Amin is a righty. Amin continues, and likely
will for a long time, to hold the single-game passing record by a quarterback
born in Afghanistan.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; text-autospace: none;">
As
far as we can tell, the previous Division I record for single-game passing
yards by a lefty was set by Utah’s
Scott Mitchell, who threw for 631 against Air Force in 1988. Mitchell went on
to play in the NFL for many years, most notably with the Miami Dolphins and
Detroit Lions. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnl-3jXccffPJTbGXQqsPt1PBMZZ0IOxFfYNPrAdkjUjTNnQaWyN6TfZWaBwCultRUjO7YyLvDLvAZ-fHcMRFqcAcqm6XdgdCSgtI8HjVJyPb2lbALp1xyF_4hlU_IyKEV4VM63Gq-1BI/s1600/nussmeier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnl-3jXccffPJTbGXQqsPt1PBMZZ0IOxFfYNPrAdkjUjTNnQaWyN6TfZWaBwCultRUjO7YyLvDLvAZ-fHcMRFqcAcqm6XdgdCSgtI8HjVJyPb2lbALp1xyF_4hlU_IyKEV4VM63Gq-1BI/s200/nussmeier.jpg" width="139" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Doug Nussmeier</b></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You might wonder about left-handed quarterbacks in the Big
Sky. No question the undisputed best left-handed QB in Big Sky history was Idaho’s Doug Nussmeier,
who won the 1993 Walter Payton Award. Nussmeier threw for 2,960 yards and 33
touchdowns in 1993. During his career, he threw for 12,054 yards. He is
currently the offensive coordinator at the University of Alabama.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We believe, however, the previous single-game passing yard
record by a left-handed quarterback was accomplished by Weber State’s
Jeff Carlson. Carlson threw for 434 yards in a 1988 game against Southern Utah.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We’ll throw out a few more left-handed quarterbacks who
played for Big Sky teams. See if you can help add to the list. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We remember southpaw Fred Salanoa at Eastern Washington,
Cody Kempt at Montana State and Joe Volek at Montana State.
We also can’t forget about Josh Huepel, who started his career at Weber State
before moving on and eventually becoming a star at Oklahoma. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i><b>- Jon Kasper - Big Sky Conference </b></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11056897254129054864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953705757147305178.post-69499311886645708272012-10-18T11:36:00.001-07:002012-10-18T11:36:50.382-07:00Half Way Through Conference Season<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZCzrNf65Xvy_K9tQFTxP8Tdw65zgxkukJi0Z97lJTX0DS8fVplSEoPc7dnlPSYVTnWA8FPZgsp8kz4fww9k_1EAcjdB55bDM9uLsXrjIELIJBGrpZgs2Ap5w9NtE2mJ02r-4QDpY_pe4/s1600/Weeber-12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZCzrNf65Xvy_K9tQFTxP8Tdw65zgxkukJi0Z97lJTX0DS8fVplSEoPc7dnlPSYVTnWA8FPZgsp8kz4fww9k_1EAcjdB55bDM9uLsXrjIELIJBGrpZgs2Ap5w9NtE2mJ02r-4QDpY_pe4/s320/Weeber-12.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Wow, the season has been going by so fast. I can’t believe
we are already half way through the 2012 Big Sky Conference season. I know
there is still a lot of volleyball still to go, but before we know it the
conference tournament will be here. </div>
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<br /></div>
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The top six teams will be competing November 23-24 in
Greeley, Colo., as the tournament will be hosted by Northern Colorado. The
Bears won the right to host by winning the regular-season title last year. </div>
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And with the way this season is shaping up, anything can happen.
</div>
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<br /></div>
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As of right now Idaho State, Portland State, Northern
Arizona, Northern Colorado, Montana State and North Dakota are looking like the
six teams in the tournament. But that can change in a blink of an eye. Southern
Utah, Sacramento State and Montana aren’t that far behind in the standing and
can still make the tournament. </div>
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<br /></div>
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ISU and PSU lead the conference right now with 9-1 records.
ISU lost on the road to Montana State, while PSU lost on the road to the
Bengals. Both teams still have to play each other again, and it could be a good
one, especially when ISU has to travel to Portland State. You won’t see that
match up until the last match of the season on November 17. </div>
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<br /></div>
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NAU is currently in third place with an 8-2 conference
record. There two losses were to the conference leaders ISU and PSU. The
defending Big Sky Champion and tournament host Northern Colorado is currently
fourth with a 7-3 BSC record. The Bears lost on the road to ISU and PSU, and
lost at home to the Lumberjacks. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Montana State and newcomer North Dakota are tied for fifth
in the conference with 5-5 records. MSU lost to NC, PSU, NAU and Sacramento
State, while UND lost to MSU, ISU, NC and PSU. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Like I said earlier, don’t count anyone out yet. Southern
Utah is currently in seventh place with a 4-6 conference record. They lost to
ISU, PSU, UND, NC all on the road, and lost to NAU and MSU at home. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Tied for eighth place in the conference with 3-7 records are
Montana and Sacramento State. The Hornets have played the bulk of their
schedule on the road. They have six home matches left and four away. The
Grizzlies have five home and away matches left to be played. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Weber State is currently 10th in the conference with a 2-8
record. Its two wins were at Montana and home against Eastern Washington. The
Wildcats still have a chance to get into the conference tournament. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Eastern Washington is in 11th place and is close to being
eliminated from the contention. The Eagles have an 0-10 conference record. The
last time a Big Sky team hasn’t won a match was in 2000 by Portland State. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- Megan Lobdell, Big Sky Conference </div>
Big Sky SIDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15737744994177161697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953705757147305178.post-19582086714300777382012-10-11T10:57:00.002-07:002012-10-11T10:59:12.971-07:00Best Conference Start<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEY_5L773kkggrIs1ZDl6MHA4RNicRzwjBwOV-hb7XqJ_ExAwbU8i_416022NiXJmM3v9G33M0KiUCAsRAfl60IA9MZHWqvBJcYij5Gzg7I1gZoJPNc4NRXFYJ6zXt1wktCzNSV7j3fpA/s1600/37+-+Ellis,+Megan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEY_5L773kkggrIs1ZDl6MHA4RNicRzwjBwOV-hb7XqJ_ExAwbU8i_416022NiXJmM3v9G33M0KiUCAsRAfl60IA9MZHWqvBJcYij5Gzg7I1gZoJPNc4NRXFYJ6zXt1wktCzNSV7j3fpA/s320/37+-+Ellis,+Megan.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Portland State’s volleyball team is undefeated in conference
play with an 8-0 record. It made me wonder what the best start in conference
was. </div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Do you know?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I first thought of it I didn’t think to just go
straight to the record book to take a look. I decided to first start with the
stats on the computer. Now let me tell you what they don’t go back that far.
But I did find out in 2007 PSU went 7-0 before losing to Sacramento State. But
PSU already passed that record this season.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Also in 2007, SAC went 8-0 before losing to Northern
Colorado. Alright, PSU has tied that record. But then I went back another year
until 2006 and SAC opened up conference play 9-0 before losing to PSU. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Remind you I still haven’t looked at the record book yet. I
then went to the filing cabinet and looked at the releases in there. And I came
crossed a 2003 release that had Eastern Washington finishing 13-1 in conference
and opened up on a 11-0 record before losing to SAC. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I thought to myself they this must be it. Eleven must be the
record. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then I was reminded to go back and look at the record book
and take a look at the year-by-year results to see if any team went undefeated
in conference play. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And guess what I found out? It has happened on four
occasions. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In 1996, Cal State Northridge went 16-0 in conference, and
in 1991 Montana went 16-0. The other two times happened when the Big Sky was
the Mountain West and in 1982, Portland State went 14-0 and they did it again
in 1984. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So the best start in conference history is 16-0 set on two
occasions. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
- Megan Lobdell, Big Sky Conference </div>
Big Sky SIDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15737744994177161697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953705757147305178.post-49737507830531846632012-09-20T11:53:00.002-07:002012-09-20T12:18:27.007-07:00A Guide To ROOT Sports<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGI8wKSlpJbd4viYe3Ix6Cat2VXMlr8rFZs2YEEynvnGXP1JG2Ntu3wHCsiJO2RDs3w8imLaP1XP8xkA0Q6AHuz3_sfiB9NvWKviy0a7VM_Lrm__CWsBU-XLCIZ2YF6zJpAtb-w85LK7g/s1600/Root+Red_WebLogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGI8wKSlpJbd4viYe3Ix6Cat2VXMlr8rFZs2YEEynvnGXP1JG2Ntu3wHCsiJO2RDs3w8imLaP1XP8xkA0Q6AHuz3_sfiB9NvWKviy0a7VM_Lrm__CWsBU-XLCIZ2YF6zJpAtb-w85LK7g/s1600/Root+Red_WebLogo.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
We're about 48 hours away from the first Big Sky Conference football game on ROOT Sports.<br />
<br />
We're very excited about this partnership with ROOT Sports, and we think our fans will be as well.<br />
<br />
Big Sky Conference football games will reach more homes than ever before, and the production value will be first-class. You'll get the games in high definition. Games will feature the computerized first-round marker, and camera angles not seen before on a Big Sky Conference game.<br />
<br />
Northern Arizona will take on No. 14 Montana in the first game on ROOT Sports. Coverage will start at 1:30 p.m. Mountain, and the game will kick at 1:40 p.m.<br />
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
For DIRECTV customers, this weekend’s game will be available
on ROOT Sports Channel 687 in the Northwest region, Channel 683 in the Rocky Mountain
region, and Channel 659 in the Pittsburgh
region. The game will be available in the outer market on Audience Network
Channel 239-1. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For Dish Network customers, the game will air on Channel 426
in the Northwest region, Channel 414 in the Rocky Mountain Region, and Channel 428
in the Pittsburgh
area. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
ROOT is widely available on cable throughout Montana, Idaho, Colorado, Utah, Oregon, Washington Wyoming, and New Mexico,
as well as parts of Nevada, South
Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas.If you get ESPN in those markets, then you should have access to ROOT Sports. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGI8wKSlpJbd4viYe3Ix6Cat2VXMlr8rFZs2YEEynvnGXP1JG2Ntu3wHCsiJO2RDs3w8imLaP1XP8xkA0Q6AHuz3_sfiB9NvWKviy0a7VM_Lrm__CWsBU-XLCIZ2YF6zJpAtb-w85LK7g/s1600/Root+Red_WebLogo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Saturday’s game will be called by Tom Glasgow, Sherdric
Bonner and Jason Stiles. Jen Muller and Jenny Cavnar will report from the
sidelines. All five attended the Big Sky Summer Kickoff in Park City, Utah, in July. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mueller and Cavnar did a fantastic job hosting the Big Sky Preview show, which has aired the past several weeks on ROOT Sports. You've likely seen Cavnar working Colorado Rockies games. Mueller works Seattle Mariners games on ROOT Sports. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
You can read about the talent <a href="http://northwest.rootsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=25920&ATCLID=205121513">here </a>and <a href="http://rockymountain.rootsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=25930&ATCLID=205120623">here </a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
ROOT Sports will televise 12 Big Sky Conference games this season. Three Saturdays will feature doubleheaders. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Because of contractual obligations, the ROOT Sports Big Sky games will not be video streamed. However, there are a plethora of options for fans to view the game on TV in HD. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you are at the game, make sure to set your DVR. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For more information on ROOT Sports, click <a href="http://northwest.rootsports.com/">here </a>if you are in the Northwest, and <a href="http://rockymountain.rootsports.com/">here </a>if you are in the Rocky Mountain region.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Jon Kasper - Big Sky Conference </i></div>
Big Sky SIDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15737744994177161697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953705757147305178.post-15678632434278335122012-09-18T14:48:00.001-07:002012-09-18T17:27:28.433-07:00What We Know, Don't Know<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCSw2ebpwS-sY2-it1IQM5DFyxoTqFQG8sOhBvQC5FAam4s_UQM-xeEZr-bsvf-NEimBqPq67OxyeUUXlOWia5nIfeKMeMaOfGee_DWQ8rxI4RfRHEdCHwRl62LRVzF-0fBnmtme8TQno/s1600/Minterrush.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCSw2ebpwS-sY2-it1IQM5DFyxoTqFQG8sOhBvQC5FAam4s_UQM-xeEZr-bsvf-NEimBqPq67OxyeUUXlOWia5nIfeKMeMaOfGee_DWQ8rxI4RfRHEdCHwRl62LRVzF-0fBnmtme8TQno/s320/Minterrush.jpg" width="235" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Montana State needs a healthy Zach Minter.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We're three weeks into the college football season, and Big Sky Conference play starts Saturday.<br />
<br />
So far it's been a great season for the Big Sky. League teams have won four games over FBS teams, the most in a season in more than three decades.<br />
<br />
Three teams (Montana State, Eastern Washington and Montana) are ranked in the top 14 in the nation. Yet Northern Arizona, Sacramento State and Cal Poly, who all beat FBS teams, are not ranked. Those three teams have a combined 6-2 record with the losses coming to FBS teams.<br />
<br />
For one, I think that speaks to the depth of really good teams in the FCS this season. Most times, its hard to find 25 teams worthy to be represented in the top 25. Right now, I feel like I'm leaving teams worthy of top 25 consideration out of by ballot. And Yes, Northern Arizona, Sacramento State and Cal Poly have been on my ballot.<br />
<br />
Defending national champion North Dakota State looks strong once again, as does national runner-up Sam Houston State. Old Dominion is putting up gaudy offensive numbers, and Youngstown State appears on the verge of being a top-echelon FCS team, something that Penguins haven't been since the Jim Tressel days. The Citadel has opened eyes with back-to-back upsets of Southern Conference powers Georgia Southern and Appalachian State.<br />
<br />
We all think we know a lot after three weeks, but surprises always happen once conference play starts. Let's take a look at the 13 Sky teams as they head into conference play.<br />
<br />
<b>Cal Poly</b><br />
<b>What We Know:</b> They can run the ball. The option-based Mustangs are averaging 324 rushing yards per game, and dominated FBS Wyoming to the tune of 325 yards in last week's upset of the Cowboys.<br />
<br />
<b>What We Don't Know:</b> Can a team so one-dimensional win week in week out in the traditional pass-happy Big Sky? You have go back many decades to find an option team dominating the Big Sky. Of course, there haven't been a whole lot of option teams in the league since the early 1970s.<br />
<br />
<b>Eastern Washington</b><br />
<b>What We Know:</b> The Eagles' wide receiver of Brandon Kaufman, Nicholas Edwards and Greg Herd, are awesome. All three are All-Americans.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>What We Don't Know:</b> Can QB Kyle Padron improve on his 44.8 completion percentage, and is the Eagle defense for real? Padron is averaging 319.5 passing yards per game, but needs to get the completion percentage in the 60-percent range. So far, the Eagles have allowed just 13.5 points per game to two FBS opponents. <br />
<br />
<b>Idaho State</b><br />
<b>What We Know: </b>The Bengals can pass, and will pass. ISU is averaging 443.5 passing yards per game, and averaging 60.5 attempts per game. ISU has 91 completions in two games. Montana State is second in the league with 75 completions - in three games.<br />
<br />
<b>What We Don't Know:</b> A lot. ISU has played Air Force and Division II Black Hills State. The Bengals are at Nebraska. We won't have a good idea of how improved the Bengals are until they begin conference play. It's hard to gauge this team right now.<br />
<br />
<b>Montana</b><br />
<b>What We Know:</b> Dan Moore is a beast. The senior running back has been the kingpin of a solid Grizzly ground game. Behind a massive and experienced offensive line, UM is averaging 230.7 rushing yards per game. Moore leads the Big Sky in All-Purpose yards, and is second in rushing.<br />
<br />
<b>What We Don't Know:</b> Can the Griz defense mature? The unit lost nine starters from last year, including All-American cornerback Trumaine Johnson. The defense has experienced some growing pains, but has also shown promise with the return of linebacker Jordan Tripp and the play last week of sophomore lineman Zach Wagnemann.<br />
<br />
<b>Montana State</b><br />
<b>What We Know:</b> Quarterback DeNarius McGhee is still good. McGhee is working under a new offensive system, but is still getting it done. The Bobcats are No. 2 in the nation and 3-0 overall. McGhee will continue to feel more comfortable every week in Kevin McGiven's offense.<br />
<br />
<b>What We Don't Know: </b>How the offensive and defensive lines will hold up. The Bobcats are very young and inexperienced on the offensive line. Can the run game continue to thrive? Will McGhee stay healthy? All-American Zach Minter and defensive end Brad Daly are nursing injuries. MSU needs those two in the lineup.<br />
<br />
<b>North Dakota</b><br />
<b>What We Know:</b> North Dakota's offense is for real. Even with backup QB Marcus Hendrickson, UND is piling up points and yards. North Dakota ranks in the top 10 in the nation in scoring, passing and total offense.<br />
<br />
<b>What We Don't Know:</b> Can North Dakota score enough each week to be competitive in the Big Sky. North Dakota has given up 37 and 49 points to Portland State and San Diego State the last two weeks. <br />
<br />
<b>Northern Arizona</b><br />
<b>What We Know:</b> Junior running back Zach Bauman is a stud. Bauman has back-to-back 100-yard rushing games, and 15 in his career. He will need to continue to be very productive if the Lumberjacks are successful.<br />
<br />
<b>What We Don't Know: </b>When quarterback Cary Grossart will return. Grossart was injured in the opener against Arizona State, and hasn't played since. The Lumberjacks need his leadership and efficiency to take pressure off of Bauman. <br />
<br />
<b>Northern Colorado</b><br />
<b>What We Know:</b> Clarence Bumpas is among the elite linebackers in all the land. Bumpas' production as a sophomore in 2011 was overlooked because the Bears finished 0-11. The guy is a tackle machine and worthy of all the accolades he's getting.<br />
<br />
<b>What We Don't Know:</b> Can the offense find consistency. Quarterback Seth Lobato is solid, as is wide receiver Jace Davis. However, the Bears need to be more consistent to be be a contender.<br />
<br />
<b>Portland State</b><br />
<b>What We Know</b>: Head Coach Nigel Burton will not tolerate losing. The third-year coach relieved the defensive coordinator of his duties after a 45-37 loss to North Dakota on Sept. 8. Burton isn't one to talk about "rebuilding." He wants to win, and he wants to win now.<br />
<br />
<b>What We Don't Know:</b>Will the changes on defense make a difference? Hard to tell at this point. Washington scored 52 points on the Vikings last week, but some Pac-12 teams might have issues stopping the Huskies.<br />
<br />
<b>Sacramento State</b><br />
<b>What We Know: </b>The Hornets can rise to the occasion. For the second straight season, Sacramento State beat a Pac-12 team. Marshall Sperbeck seems to have done a good job of recruiting. The addition of offensive coordinator Paul Peterson is also paying off.<br />
<br />
<b>What We Don't Know:</b> Can the Hornets sustain success? After beating Oregon State last season, expectations were high. Sacramento State earned a great win over Montana, but finished 4-7. The schedule could pave the way to a great start, but the Hornets can't have letdowns. There are no easy wins in the Big Sky.<br />
<br />
<b>Southern Utah</b><br />
<b>What We Know</b>: Quarterback Brad Sorensen is a legit NFL prospect. The senior has a big arm and can lead the SUU offense to great things. Turnovers, however, have haunted the signal caller thus far.<br />
<br />
<b>What We Don't Know:</b> Many things. It's still hard to get a read on the Thunderbirds, who opened with a very good Utah State team and then played Cal. The Thunderbirds beat Division II New Mexico Highlands last week, but didn't pull away until late. We'll find out more on Saturday when they travel to Portland State.<br />
<br />
<b>UC Davis</b><br />
<b>What We Know:</b> The defense looks pretty solid: Other than a bad second half in a loss to San Jose State, the unit has looked good. UC Davis held South Dakota State to just 12 points on the road last week.<br />
<br />
<b>What We Don't Know:</b> Can the offense get going? You can't win in the Big Sky without scoring points - sometimes a lot of points. The offense didn't score against South Dakota State, and managed just one touchdown against San Jose State.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Weber State</b><br />
<b>What We Know:</b> The Wildcats' schedule is brutal. Weber opened at Fresno State, then BYU, and then played nationally-ranked McNeese State at home. Now, the No. 9 Eastern Washington comes to Ogden. Not an easy task for interim head coach Jody Sears.<br />
<br />
<b>What We Don't Know:</b> Can the offense get it going. Mike Hoke is more than capable at QB, are are running backs C.J. Tuckett and Josh Booker. But so far, this unit is averaging just 14.7 points and 261.1 yards per game. Word came Saturday that WR Shaydon Kehano is out with an injury.<br />
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<i><b>Jon Kasper - Big Sky Conference </b></i><br />
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<br />Big Sky SIDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15737744994177161697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953705757147305178.post-63889366090903235862012-09-13T13:29:00.002-07:002012-09-13T13:30:28.444-07:00Conference Play Starts Tonight<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz3DDiOM-uNLzAoOg1TRN4UHu-DcUmogb18U2KizMuPaZZKMDMuXTVbPfjv1Ey8k-2_U75PkNZDIRHwJV-A-FkEKDJY2N0zSuzsSFVnljrygJyExrX95a-bUph5-XfOtlvxvOSDlyTmNI/s1600/Marissa+Hughes-Set.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz3DDiOM-uNLzAoOg1TRN4UHu-DcUmogb18U2KizMuPaZZKMDMuXTVbPfjv1Ey8k-2_U75PkNZDIRHwJV-A-FkEKDJY2N0zSuzsSFVnljrygJyExrX95a-bUph5-XfOtlvxvOSDlyTmNI/s320/Marissa+Hughes-Set.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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I can say I am happy to be done with preseason volleyball tournament
matches, and I can start focusing on conference play.</div>
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Let me tell you what, 105 matches over three weeks is way
too many. Especially, making sure you have all the files from 11 schools. </div>
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We have eight more non-conference matches played in the next
11 weeks with 110 conference matches. Those 110 conference matches begin
tonight with six teams in action.</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">The
goal is to make it to Greeley, Colo., </span>for the 2012 Banner Health North
Colorado Medical Center Big Sky Volleyball Championship on Nov. 23-24.</div>
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This year will be a little different, as six teams qualify
for the tournament. For the past several years, just four teams made the
tournament.</div>
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The quarterfinals will be played on Friday morning, Nov. 23,
with the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds getting a bye to Friday night’s semifinals. The
championship match will be played on Saturday, Nov. 24.</div>
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Right now the top six teams are Northern Arizona, Northern
Colorado, Montana State, Idaho State, Weber State and Sacramento State. </div>
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But stay tune since there is still a lot of volleyball that
needs to be played. Anything can happen. </div>
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Megan Lobdell – Big Sky Conference </div>
Big Sky SIDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15737744994177161697noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953705757147305178.post-48668949727740615362012-08-23T10:39:00.000-07:002012-08-23T10:58:10.214-07:00Tis The Season<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicAzUmVlmQNou_iwdt9xadKnrp9dIxav6DGRDDgPpIgFwt4wZT2bYa-1GtrsqaFMBK_COzDsDSxVP3Jhl5AndF-8ziN8nnBeEWwQxoZrwhXcP9CupLTBOUct1w4cCWmKyv7TYSM5Utb8i9/s1600/TDG_3695.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicAzUmVlmQNou_iwdt9xadKnrp9dIxav6DGRDDgPpIgFwt4wZT2bYa-1GtrsqaFMBK_COzDsDSxVP3Jhl5AndF-8ziN8nnBeEWwQxoZrwhXcP9CupLTBOUct1w4cCWmKyv7TYSM5Utb8i9/s320/TDG_3695.jpg" width="320" yda="true" /></a></div>
<br />
Well, it is that time of year again. <br />
<br />
<br />
We are already busy since soccer got the Fall season started last weekend.<br />
<br />
Volleyball will start playing matches this weekend. I have already looked at the volleyball schedule and can’t believe how many preseason matches will be played before our league members face-off in a conference match. <br />
<br />
Cross Country will start next week and so will all 13 of our football schools. Let’s just say all of us in the Big Sky office can’t wait until conference games/matches start so things will slow a bit down. <br />
<br />
You might be wondering a little about what we as the Media Relations staff do in the office during the summer and once fall starts. All of our fall information guides are posted to the website. We finished those up in the summer so we aren’t so busy during the season with record books. <br />
<br />
We have been setting up our stat crew system with a new year and writing weekly release. With soccer going on we have already started to pick the Players of the Week and will start picking them for volleyball next week. Let me just say that with 11 schools overall and 13 football schools that isn’t any easy decision. <br />
<br />
Now when we have a little down time it will be start getting ready for winter and spring and getting those information guides and schedules done. <br />
<br />
<br />
Megan Lobdell - Big Sky Conference<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953705757147305178.post-58706982944926324512012-06-19T09:10:00.001-07:002012-06-19T09:19:38.874-07:00Love the Non-Conference Matchups<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgou8RDWxQk1-PRzBuc9UV8JYHUzuDsqxefHt7S4aPNXMMHayUf0TX9eIZjIHGoWs3y8v6wuvkuLPp7843Znj9ZfZ3XdeBhNgvX2Y9I2ZQmRNTm9ZldqGnI4JiEDIk_4_Su0Jb1MRM5yh5k/s1600/TheRock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgou8RDWxQk1-PRzBuc9UV8JYHUzuDsqxefHt7S4aPNXMMHayUf0TX9eIZjIHGoWs3y8v6wuvkuLPp7843Znj9ZfZ3XdeBhNgvX2Y9I2ZQmRNTm9ZldqGnI4JiEDIk_4_Su0Jb1MRM5yh5k/s400/TheRock.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Montana will travel to "The Rock" to face Appalachian State in a matchup of FCS powers on Sept. 8.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Eastern Washington recently announced a<a href="http://www.goeags.com/sports/m-footbl/2011-12/Releases/12fbJune12SHSUSeries"> home-and-home </a>series
with Sam Houston State
of the Southland Conference. Weber
State also recently inked
a <a href="http://www.weberstatesports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=39328&SPID=3468&DB_LANG=C&ATCLID=205435085&DB_OEM_ID=8600">home-and-home </a>series against a Southland squad, Stephen F. Austin.</div>
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These are the types of matchups we love to see, and the
kinds of contests that are good for the health of FCS football.</div>
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The Big Sky Conference and <a href="http://www.southland.org/">Southland Conference</a> have meet
many, many times over the years in the playoffs. The Big Sky has owned the
Southland in home games, while the roles have normally been reversed when our
teams headed down to Texas and Louisiana. </div>
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The two leagues have mutual respect for each other. The
Southland, guided by Commissioner <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/SLC_Commish">Tom Burnett,</a> led the charge to move the
Division I National Championship game to Frisco,
Texas, where players and fans
have been treated to an excellent show.</div>
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It isn’t always possible for Big Sky teams to schedule
marquee non-conference matchups against top-tier FCS opponents. Most Big Sky
teams schedule at least one “money” game against an FBS team, and also schedule
a lower-division opponent home game. That doesn’t leave much room on the
schedule, especially when trying to play at home as often as possible.</div>
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The Big Sky’s addition of Cal Poly, UC Davis, Southern Utah
and North Dakota
has limited the scheduling options for FCS non-conference games in the West.
Big Sky Athletics Directors have had to look elsewhere. </div>
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There are some excellent non-conference matchups on the
slate this season. Montana and Appalachian
State, the two top teams in the FCS the last decade, square off in Boone, N.C.,
on Sept. 8. Appalachian State will play at Montana in 2013. Montana
also has a home-and-home series with McNeese
State lineup up.</div>
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Speaking of the Cowboys from Lake
Charles, La., they’ll come to Ogden, Utah, on Sept. 15
to start a home-and-home with Weber
State. On the
same date, Stephen F. Austin travels to Montana State.
</div>
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Montana
plays a very impressive non-conference schedule this season. The Grizzlies will
open against South Dakota of the Missouri Valley on Aug. 30. It will mark Joe
Glenn’s return to Washington-Grizzly Stadium. Glenn guided Montana from 2000-2002, leading the team to the
2001 national championship and an impressive 39-6 overall record. Glenn, who
has also been a head coach at Wyoming and Northern Colorado, enters his first season at his alma
mater. </div>
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The Grizzlies will also take on Liberty of the Big South on Sept. 15. Liberty is now coached by former Kansas
and Buffalo
head man Turner Gill. </div>
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Hopefully, the Division I Playoff Committee won’t penalize
teams too much for losing these games, or any other marquee non-conference
matchups across the country. With the expansion of the playoff field to 20, and
to 24 in 2013, there is certainly more leeway for teams to take a hit to a
quality non-conference opponent and still make the postseason.</div>
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That’s great for FCS football.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jon Kasper – Big Sky
Conference </i></div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953705757147305178.post-78847684463682921852012-05-31T12:26:00.000-07:002012-05-31T12:28:21.443-07:00Former Sky Players Gearing up for CFL Season
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoqPhjnbdAOlWyxpW0KEv7TStPisUGbDwPFQqeDoIxQZtNYVCCinFnlysyWPjIcuiqhtLzn2erGHOxw9NU9CnQ9oQfGZRGAE-XpTPlXx0-SBX-F2oUNFw2g7Gie5-n0nRIdHKg3G19H2G_/s1600/CFL.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoqPhjnbdAOlWyxpW0KEv7TStPisUGbDwPFQqeDoIxQZtNYVCCinFnlysyWPjIcuiqhtLzn2erGHOxw9NU9CnQ9oQfGZRGAE-XpTPlXx0-SBX-F2oUNFw2g7Gie5-n0nRIdHKg3G19H2G_/s320/CFL.gif" width="284" /></a></div>
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So, you’ve got that football itch, do you? Counting down the
days till the college football season starts, or your favorite NFL team starts
camp?</div>
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I urge you not to forget to look to our friends up in Canada for your
football nourishment. Camp is getting started for the eight Canadian Football
League teams, and the first preseason game is just two weeks away.</div>
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A recent scan of CFL rosters reveals 18 former Big Sky
players, including former Montana State great Travis Lulay, who led the B.C.
Lions to the 2011 Grey Cup. Lulay was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player
in 2011 after completing 58.4 percent of his passes for 4,815 yards with 32
touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Lulay inked a <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/sports/football/cfl/story/2012/04/10/sp-cfl-bc-lions-travis-lulay-contract-extension.html">new deal i</a>n April. </div>
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Former
Sacramento State
quarterback Ricky Ray has <a href="http://www.cfl.ca/article/ray-pleased-with-new-offence-as-rookie-camp-begins">changed addresses</a>. The long-time starter for the
Edmonton Eskimos is now with the Toronto Argonauts. In 156 career CFL games,
Ray has thrown for 40,529 yards with 210 touchdowns. He guided Edmonton to the 2005 Grey
Cup, where he claimed MVP honors. </div>
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Ray leaving Edmonton
may open up the door for another former Big Sky standout to start at “pivot.’’
Former Eastern Washington Eagle Matt Nichols, who is in a<a href="http://www.esks.com/article/esks-qbs-ready-to-compete-for-no-1-job-selection-process-starts-at-mini-camp"> four-way battle </a>for the starting job. </div>
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A fourth former Big Sky QB is looking to begin a career in the CFL. Bo Levi Mitchell, the 2011 Walter Payton Award winner, is battling for the No. 3 spot with the Calgary Stampeders. He'll learn from one of the best as former Montana Grizzly and CFL great Dave Dickenson is the Stamps' offensive coordinator. </div>
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Former EWU Eagle Greg Peach, who has played previously in Edmonton, is now with the Hamilton Tigercats. J.C. Sherritt, Peach's former teammate at EWU and a former Buck Buchanan Award winner begins his second season in Edmonton. Sherritt finished his rookie season 11th in the league in tackles. </div>
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If you haven't ever watched at CFL game, I urge you to check it out. The game is fast-paced with lots of scoring. The field is wider and longer than an American field. You'll also notice some differences from the American game. The NFL Network often shows a CFL game of the week on Saturday's during the summer months. </div>
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Below is a compete list of former Big Sky players who are on CFL rosters as of May 30. </div>
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</div>
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<b>Eastern Washington</b></div>
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Bo Levi Mitchell, QB, Calgary
Stampeders</div>
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Matt Nichols, QB, Edmonton
Eskimos</div>
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Greg Peach, DE, Hamilton
Ticats</div>
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Ryan Phillips, CB, B.C. Lions</div>
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J.C. Sherritt, LB, Edmonton
Eskimos</div>
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Renard Williams, DT, Calgary
Stampeders </div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Idaho
State Bengals</b></div>
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Brad Shedd, OL, B.C. Lions </div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Montana
State Bobcats</b></div>
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Demetrius Crawford,
Saskatchewan Roughriders </div>
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Travis Lulay, QB, B.C. Lions </div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Northern Arizona
Lumberjacks</b></div>
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Matt Estrada, S, Toronto
Argonauts</div>
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Alex Henderson, RB, Hamilton
Ticats</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Sacramento
State</b></div>
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Jason Barnes, WR, Toronto
Argonauts</div>
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Ricky Ray, QB, Toronto
Argonauts</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Brandon Smith, DB, Calgary
Stampeders</div>
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</div>
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<b>Weber
State</b></div>
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Joe Collins, WR, Hamilton
Ticats</div>
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Tyrell Francisco, FB, Hamilton
Ticats</div>
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Dimitri Tsoumpas, OL, Calgary
Stampeders </div>
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Bo Smith, DB, Hamilton
Ticats<br />
<br />
<i>Jon Kasper - Big Sky Conference </i></div>
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<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953705757147305178.post-86184241026001369182012-02-24T15:50:00.001-08:002012-02-24T16:12:52.738-08:00The Year of the Road Team <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk-81eZ3LRBrxWJlpZBPsJTvqalclb3rbk7MID5lnc1SnxP58pxs1Cw2-pdbAIWfvb45bRTfog2bdFJXfV0oCYWs0CtjzVpg-tZi065IY9k1qPHm6h193NrPmQJrw6FIqNSDrlIgjQ-SbY/s1600/Tinks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" lda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk-81eZ3LRBrxWJlpZBPsJTvqalclb3rbk7MID5lnc1SnxP58pxs1Cw2-pdbAIWfvb45bRTfog2bdFJXfV0oCYWs0CtjzVpg-tZi065IY9k1qPHm6h193NrPmQJrw6FIqNSDrlIgjQ-SbY/s400/Tinks.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wayne Tinkle's Montana Grizzlies finished 7-1 in conference road games this season. </td></tr>
</tbody></table> <br />
Seven games remain in the Big Sky Conference men's basketball regular-season. History says at least four home teams should win those seven remaining games. Problem is this year's Big Sky basketball teams haven't fallen in line with history when it comes to winning conference home games.<br />
<br />
Entering the final seven games, home teams have won 32 of the 65 games. That's below 50 percent. We've been able to dig through 33 seasons of Big Sky men's basketball play, and found that road teams have never had this much success in conference play.<br />
<br />
We've found just five previous seasons dating back to 1979-80 where home teams won less than than 60 percent of the conference games. The previous low was 56.9 percent during the 1987-88 season. <br />
<br />
Even if home teams win the final seven games of the season, the home winning percentage this season will be 54.2 percent. <br />
<br />
Two reasons to explain the road success has been the play of Montana and Weber State. Montana finished league play with a 7-1 road record, while Weber State is 6-1 heading into its finale on Tuesday at Montana. Those two teams are a combined 13-2 on the road, also they are a combined 14-0 in conference home games.<br />
<br />
Some other odd statistics, Portland State finished 5-3 in road league games. The Vikings didn't win a non-conference road game this season. They currently stand at 3-3 in conference home games. The Vikings didn't lose a home non-conference game. <br />
<br />
Northern Colorado went 8-0 in conference home games last season. The Bears went 3-5 at home in league play this season. <br />
<br />
Heading into the final seven games, EWU, ISU, MSU, NC, SAC and NAU are all under .500 in conference home games. EWU, ISU and MSU can all finish 4-4 with wins in their home finales. Portland State can still get to 5-3 in home games.<br />
<br />
Northern Arizona is the lone conference team without two road victories. The Lumberjacks are 0-7 entering their final game on Monday at Montana State. <br />
<br />
If this trend holds up, it could be a very interesting final four days of the regular season. <br />
<br />
Conference Home Records from 1979-2012<br />
<br />
<br />
W L Pct.<br />
<br />
2011-12 32 33 .492<br />
<br />
2010-11 50 22 .694<br />
<br />
2009-10 47 25 .653<br />
<br />
2008-09 48 24 .667<br />
<br />
2007-08 47 25 .653<br />
<br />
2006-07 43 29 .597<br />
<br />
2005-06 35 21 .625<br />
<br />
2004-05 42 14 .750<br />
<br />
2003-04 32 24 .571<br />
<br />
2002-03 35 21 .625<br />
<br />
2001-02 34 22 .607<br />
<br />
2000-01 48 24 .667<br />
<br />
1999-00 46 26 .639<br />
<br />
1998-99 48 24 .667<br />
<br />
1997-98 49 23 .681<br />
<br />
1996-97 46 26 .639<br />
<br />
1995-96 37 19 .661<br />
<br />
1994-95 33 23 .589<br />
<br />
1993-94 35 21 .625<br />
<br />
1992-93 35 21 .625<br />
<br />
1991-92 49 23 .680<br />
<br />
1990-91 46 26 .639<br />
<br />
1989-90 49 23 .680<br />
<br />
1988-89 46 26 .639<br />
<br />
1987-88 41 31 .569<br />
<br />
1986-87 39 17 .696<br />
<br />
1985-86 43 13 .767<br />
<br />
1984-85 38 18 .679<br />
<br />
1983-84 38 18 .679<br />
<br />
1982-83 36 20 .643<br />
<br />
1981-82 35 21 .625<br />
<br />
1980-81 33 23 .589<br />
<br />
1979-80 35 21 .625Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953705757147305178.post-52908836618313140522012-02-21T15:00:00.000-08:002012-02-21T15:00:54.415-08:00Countdown Is On<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibQlbYVrcKCFSQaaP9F0r8KuQSlRbzcWym9msCToiVGnkitIJPBilfBHu26rAeQDTzULlJMnAKKpZ8rMkjs8zpsJK6udiP4ILgi_4sZhKpPs2Z15DOnnKTPUEoGdc6OWBBJnPu6gGBCgXu/s1600/cherry-lillard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="311" lda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibQlbYVrcKCFSQaaP9F0r8KuQSlRbzcWym9msCToiVGnkitIJPBilfBHu26rAeQDTzULlJMnAKKpZ8rMkjs8zpsJK6udiP4ILgi_4sZhKpPs2Z15DOnnKTPUEoGdc6OWBBJnPu6gGBCgXu/s320/cherry-lillard.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Montana's Will Cherry (5) guards Weber State's Damian Lillard in the first matchup between the Grizzlies and Wildcats this season.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>A week from tonight Montana and Weber State square off in Missoula, Mont., in Big Sky Conference men's basketball. <br />
<br />
If both teams take care of business this week, the Montana-Weber State will be a winner-take-all showdown on the final night of the regular-season championship and the right to host the 2012 Big Sky Conference Championship.<br />
<br />
The Wildcats and Grizzlies have work to do this week to make stakes are as high as possible next Tuesday night. Montana plays host to Northern Arizona on Wednesday, before arch-rival Montana State visits Dahlberg Arena on Saturday. Northern Arizona is in the midst of a 14-game losing streak, and the Grizzlies thumped the Lumberjacks 78-53 earlier this season in Flagstaff. Montana State has lost seven straight and is fighting for a postseason bid. Neither the Lumberjacks nor the Bobcats will lay down for Montana.<br />
<br />
Weber State treks to Greeley, Colo., to face the defending champion Bears. Northern Colorado's postseason hopes are slim, and a loss would all but knock B.J. Hill's team out of contention. But, the Bears are young and dangerous. No team in Division I makes 3-pointers at a higher percentage. Expect the Bears to fight tooth-and-nail with Weber State.<br />
<br />
Assuming Montana wins its two games this week, and Weber State takes care of business against Northern Colorado, the stage will be set for one of the most anticipated regular-season games in Big Sky history. <br />
<br />
It will mark the first time in league history that two-one loss conference teams are playing on the final night of the regular season for the outright championship. Both teams are ranked in the Mid-Major Top 25. Weber State is 15th, and Montana is 18th. Montana would enter riding an 11-game winning streak. Weber State would enter with an eight-game winning streak. Both teams have already won 20 games.<br />
Oh, and the game will be televised live on Altitude Sports & Entertainment. Hopefully, Dahlberg Arena will be sold out. If you can't get in the arena, it will be "MUST WATCH TV.''<br />
<br />
<br />
The game will feature Weber State junior Damian Lillard of Oakland, Calif., going head-to-head for maybe the final time with Montana's Will Cherry, from West Oakland. Lillard is a sure-fire NBA Draft pick. He's spent most of the season as the nation's leading scorer with a throng of NBA scouts following his every move. Cherry is the daredevil point guard, who is on pace to finish his career as the Big Sky's all-time leader in steals.<br />
<br />
Weber State leads the Big Sky in scoring, and is one of the top 3-point shooting teams in the nation. Montana is known for it's tough 2-3 matchup zone defense, leading the Big Sky in scoring defense.<br />
<br />
Weber State features grizzled veterans like Darin Mahoney and Kyle Bullinger, not to mention All-Conference guard Scott Bamforth, and instant offense Byron Fulton off the bench.<br />
<br />
The Griz feature an up-and-coming star in sophomore Kareem Jamar, who recorded a triple-double last week in a win over Hawai'i. Montana also has a senior veteran Derek Selvig, who can be a difference maker with his 7-foot frame and his ability to pass, get rebounds, and hit the 3-point shot. Senior forward Art Steward has been great in league play, as has center Mathias Ward.<br />
<br />
Weber State won the first meeting 80-64 in Ogden on Jan. 14. Lillard and Bamforth combined for 36 points. Cherry and Jamar combined for 26. The Grizzlies shot just 38.5 percent from the floor.<br />
<br />
Some I've spoken with believe Montana's starting five has more talent than Weber, but the Wildcats have more depth. <br />
<br />
Montana hasn't hosted the Big Sky Championship in 12 years. That season, Montana beat Eastern Washington 77-75 on the final night of the regular season to forge a tie at 12-4 with the Eagles for first place. Montana won the tiebreaker. <br />
<br />
A year earlier, Weber State beat second-place Northern Arizona 77-57 to win the outright title. Both teams were 12-3 entering that final regular-season game. <br />
<br />
Those are only previous times in conference history that the top two teams met on the final night of the regular season for the right to host the conference tournament. <br />
<br />
Also, Weber State and Montana are on the verge of finishing with a combined three conference losses, which would set a record. The previous best was four. <br />
<br />
If that happens, the top two teams in the conference will finish with a combined three conference losses. That has never happened. Four is the previous record. Gonzaga and Weber State each went 8-2 in 1965-66. In 1968-69, Weber State finished 15-0, while Montana State was 11-4. In a season with six conference games, the previous best for combined losses by the top two teams is five. In 1991-92, Montana was 14-2 and Nevada was 13-3. <br />
<br />
<br />
<em>Jon Kasper - Big Sky Conference </em>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953705757147305178.post-75597490907725150802012-02-03T14:11:00.000-08:002012-02-03T14:14:02.169-08:00Two for 40<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimndgf6ixDv6Q9yUManx2I_MV6PPTuP8Wgpii6Wc_b2fgvdhS6ef3BIIHNz_eHpbBg3FLERgxBdPi40gKxUqdh8-cgvW-Sdlik3Rff7JNuuO-V_hZ5ZzVxBRZfHTZ2xulFTfP1QW5H9ruQ/s1600/dambuss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="182" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimndgf6ixDv6Q9yUManx2I_MV6PPTuP8Wgpii6Wc_b2fgvdhS6ef3BIIHNz_eHpbBg3FLERgxBdPi40gKxUqdh8-cgvW-Sdlik3Rff7JNuuO-V_hZ5ZzVxBRZfHTZ2xulFTfP1QW5H9ruQ/s320/dambuss.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Weber State's Damian Lillard, left, scored 40 points last night, while Montana State's Katie Bussey, right, scored 41.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Imagine the surprise on Damian Lillard's face when he was notified after a 40-point outburst that another player in the Big Sky Conference scored more points Thursday night.<br />
<br />
"What?, Who?" Lillard asked. <br />
<br />
When he found out Montana State's Katie Bussey scored 41 in a women's game about a 140 miles up I-15 in Pocatello, he thought it was cool. <br />
<br />
Bussey tied the Big Sky women's single-game scoring record with 41 points as Montana State handed Idaho State its first conference loss with a 79-67 overtime win over the Bengals.<br />
<br />
Lillard fell just one short of his career-high, netting 40 in a 92-79 home win over Portland State.<br />
<br />
It marked the first time in Big Sky Conference history that a men's and women's basketball player each scored 40 points on the same night.<br />
<br />
Bussey became just the fifth women's player in league history to score 40. She tied the single-game record with Montana's Shannon Cate and Portland State's Kelsey Kahle. Cate netted 41 on Feb. 23, 1991 against Weber State. Kahle scored 41 on Jan. 25, 2007, against Sacramento State. Edneisha Curry of Cal State Northridge scored 40 against Loyola Marymount on Dec. 1, 1998. Montana State's Cass Bauer scored 40 against Idaho on Jan. 14, 1994.<br />
<br />
Lillard's 40-point outburst doesn't even rank in the top 30 in Big Sky men's single-game history. The all-time record is 53 set by Idaho State's Willie Humes, who also had two 51-point games, a 49-point game, a 48-point game, a 46-point game, a 45-point game, and two 42-point games. Humes averaged 31.5 points per game over two seasons at Idaho State in an era of no shot clocks and no 3-point shots. Some of Humes' amazing scoring games were played in Reed Gym, the same venue Bussey scored 41 Thursday night. <br />
<br />
On Thursday, Lillard finished 13-of-18 from the field and was 8-of-10 from the free-throw line. Lillard connected on his first six 3-point attempts, and finished 6-of-8 from beyond the arc. Lillard was two shy of tying the all-time Dee Events Center scoring record of 42 points. That record was set in March of 2010 when Montana's Anthony Johnson thrilled America as he led the Griz back from a 20-point deficit to beat Weber State in the Big Sky Conference Championship on ESPN2.<br />
<br />
Bussey made 11-of-23 shots from the floor and was 15-of-18 from the free-throw line. She made 4-of-7 shots from 3-point range. Bussey scored six of her 41 in overtime. <br />
<br />
Earlier this season, Lillard scored a career-high 41 points in a two-overtime win over San Jose State. Lillard is the only men's player in America to have two 40-point games this season. <br />
<br />
We're not exactly sure how close a men's and women's basketball player have come to scoring 40 points on the same night before, because we can't find all of the box scores from some of the older seasons, nor do we have a complete list of all the 40-point men's games. We were, however, able to verify the 40-40 has never been accomplished before.<br />
<br />
On the night Kahle scored 41 points for Portland State, current NBA player Rodney Stuckey scored 31 points for Eastern Washington in a 100-85 win over Sacramento State.<br />
<br />
<em>Jon Kasper - Big Sky Conference </em>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953705757147305178.post-24769274737254059332012-02-01T11:06:00.000-08:002012-02-01T11:06:21.546-08:00A Look Back at the 2007 Signing Day Classes<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQHGA1K4tALu0xbN9gzAuNLBW9diEopukc4ys6Pg0DmTzg8F9wlUFqb9_kk21k6BSWoW6DpGRDmcJMNhKnhyphenhyphenuB6-JIlR5wS0f7RpIX9BebF2j3GcLdUbQeeYJVl3kHYE9_-1tpQp95ueVA/s1600/hubelconner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="182" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQHGA1K4tALu0xbN9gzAuNLBW9diEopukc4ys6Pg0DmTzg8F9wlUFqb9_kk21k6BSWoW6DpGRDmcJMNhKnhyphenhyphenuB6-JIlR5wS0f7RpIX9BebF2j3GcLdUbQeeYJVl3kHYE9_-1tpQp95ueVA/s320/hubelconner.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Conner Kavanaugh, left, and Drew Hubel, right, were both part of Portland State's 2007 recruiting class.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
It is the one day where the fax machine is still relevant. Athletic departments across the nation will dust off the old fax machine, make sure there is plenty of paper, and have someone on alert in case of a paper jam.<br />
<br />
ESPNU will devote an entire day to live coverage. Not sure if they’ll plant a camera on a fax machine or not. <br />
<br />
Many .com sites will proclaim some recruiting classes as the best ever. The same .com sites will trash another institution’s class.<br />
<br />
Welcome to National Signing Day 2012, the day when college football recruits across the nation can officially sign a National Letter of Intent.<br />
<br />
Many believe it is one of the most over-hyped days of the year. Yes, it’s a chance to get fans and alumni excited for the upcoming season. But, statistics show roughly half of the players who sign on Wednesday won’t pan out. Some will never attend school, some will leave a couple of years from now. Only a handful will remain and become key players.<br />
<br />
So, it’s time to take our annual look back at recruiting classes from five years ago. These are the players who were able to redshirt and play for four years.<br />
<br />
Eastern Washington, the 2010 Division I National Champion, listed 18 high school athletes in its 2007 signing-day class. Turns out, it was a pretty good class. Taiwan Jones, who left school early and is now with the Oakland Raiders, was part of that class, as was All-American safety Matt Johnson and his twin brother Zach Johnson. Unfortunately, both had their careers cut short due to injury.<br />
<br />
All-American defensive tackle Renard Williams, also signed in that class, along with All-American center Chris Powers. Powers, however, was listed as a defensive lineman when he signed. Wide receiver Tyler Hart and defensive back Joshua McOmber were also solid players from that class.<br />
<br />
Idaho State inked 15 prep players in 2007. By our count, just four were on the roster at the start of the 2011 season. J.T. Albers, who amassed 85 tackles this past season, was the best of the bunch. The class included quarterback Mike Davenport and Evan Mozzochi, who appeared in four games in 2009. Davenport went on an LDS Mission, and we’re not sure if he ended up playing at all at another school.<br />
<br />
Montana advanced to the FCS semifinals, won 11 games and a share of the Big Sky championship in 2011. The Grizzlies had nine senior starters on defense. You’d think the 2007 recruiting class, then, was phenomenal. Not the case at all. Montana signed just six high school players. Defensive end Ryan Fetherston was the only player who started on this year’s defense. In fact, he was the only one of the six who was a major impact player at his recruited position. Cornerback DeAngelo Starr was supposed to be the marquee signee. He never played for Montana.<br />
<br />
Montana State enjoyed a very solid 2007 recruiting class. This class signed just months before Mike Kramer was let go at Montana State’s coach. It’s a credit to current coach Rob Ash that these players stuck around and became stars. Often times when there is a coaching change, there is a plethora of roster changes. MSU’s class included linebacker Clay Bignell, offensive linemen Conrad Burbank and Alex Terrien, tight end Shane Robison and linebacker Casey Dennehy. It also included defensive tackle Dan Ogden and safety Jordan Craney, who both finished play in 2010.<br />
<br />
Northern Arizona signed 21 prep players in 2007. Among those was stalwart defensive end Isaac Bond, offensive tackle Alex Mott and guard Kris Poindexter, who exhausted his eligibility in 2010. Tight end Brian Riley and fullback Vinnie Paciulli also were part of the class. Paciulli was signed as a nose tackle. Unfortunately, the class also included a number of players who never materialized. <br />
<br />
Northern Colorado had just completed its first season of play in the Big Sky when Scott Downing signed the 2007 recruiting class. The class consisted of 16 Colorado high school football players. Defensive lineman Amal Gumbs, safety Max Hewitt, defensive back Chuks Nweke Jr., quarterback Dylan Orms and offensive lineman Alex Shapiro ended up being the top players. <br />
<br />
Then-Portland State coach Jerry Glanville signed 14 prep players in 2007. This class was interesting in the fact that it produced two players who ended up being very good quarterbacks. Drew Hubel, who shined in the run-and-shoot offense throwing for 623 yards in one game, and nine touchdown passes in another. The class also included Connor Kavanaugh, who took over when Nigel Burton brought in the pistol offense. Kavanaugh rushed for more yards than any QB in Big Sky history. The class also included DeShawn Shead, a four-year starter in the defensive backfield. <br />
Sacramento State inked nine players in 2007. Of the nine just two became star players, but they were big stars. All-American and Buck Buchanan Award candidate Zack Nash inked that day, as did running back Bryan Hilliard. Nash finished his career with 29.5 sacks and 40.5 tackles for loss. Hilliard rushed for 3,451 yards and 38 touchdowns.<br />
<br />
Weber State inked 20 prep players in 2007. The gem ended up being four-year starter J.C. Oram, who anchored the Wildcats’ offensive line garnering numerous All-America and All-Conference honors during his career. The class also included the likes of Tim Farabee, tight end Brian Jankowski, Caleb Turner and Taylor Sedillo. Sedillo was signed as a running back. He finished his career in 2010 as a linebacker.<br />
<br />
So, good luck to your schools today – and that includes our new schools Cal Poly, UC Davis, North Dakota and Southern Utah. The FCS season hasn’t even been over for a month, and yet fall camps will open in about six months.<br />
<br />
<em>Jon Kasper - Big Sky Conference</em>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953705757147305178.post-29414744237055338132012-01-26T10:22:00.000-08:002012-01-26T10:23:46.039-08:00Bengals Riding Perfect Wave<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijlLZ_1sWb92a02RwPmS9q9Khzks2j9tAjs4_JV9UY7VbWLoEdHxUNyF4l_E7TbKl8GhzZ1x86_uQ8HpFMFuCKRT353ABg2ndyKPxOcFS741x_RVvpaQxLHLpGIWcyFxavJJh3Z_DuC_au/s1600/Team_DSC_0479.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" gda="true" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijlLZ_1sWb92a02RwPmS9q9Khzks2j9tAjs4_JV9UY7VbWLoEdHxUNyF4l_E7TbKl8GhzZ1x86_uQ8HpFMFuCKRT353ABg2ndyKPxOcFS741x_RVvpaQxLHLpGIWcyFxavJJh3Z_DuC_au/s320/Team_DSC_0479.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
With Idaho State sporting a 6-0 conference record it made me think of when the last time a team went undefeated in Big Sky women's basketball conference play. So I pulled out the record book to take a look back and saw that Montana finished undefeated in 2003-04.<br />
<br />
<br />
As a matter of fact, I kept looking and found out UM has had five undefeated seasons dating back to 1988-89. The only other team that has had an undefeated conference record was Idaho State. ISU went 16-0 in 2000-01. That year, not only did the Bengals win the regular season, they are won the conference title and went on to compete at their first NCAA Tournament. <br />
<br />
Now, ISU does have its work cut out for them this season. This is a tough league. But the Bengals do have one thing working for them this season and that is their team chemistry. I say that because they returned all five of their starters from last season. <br />
<br />
Because the league is so balanced, winning all 16 games seems like a tall task. So, what is the history of one-loss teams in the league? Well that has happened six times. The last time a team lost one conference game was 2008-09 when Montana went 15-1. UM has had five years where they only lost one game. The only other team to join UM in the one-conference game loss was Montana State, which went 13-1 in 1992-93. <br />
<br />
ISU will have its work cut out for them tonight (Thursday, Jan. 26) as they travel to Greeley, Colo., to take on Co-Big Sky Conference regular-season champion Northern Colorado. NC is 8-2 overall at home this season with its only two home losses coming to Denver and last weekend to Montana State. <br />
<br />
The Bengals did beat the Bears earlier this month in Pocatello, Idaho, by a score of 57-52. The Bengals do have one thing going for them against NC, and that is history. Idaho State is 5-1 against Northern Colorado in Greeley and 12-1 overall against NC. ISU will then move on to play rival Weber State on Saturday in Ogden, Utah. <br />
<br />
After this weekend though, ISU will have played every team in the Big Sky except Eastern Washington. The Bengals will not see the Eagles until the last two games of the conference season. And after this weekend, ISU will have five games at home where it is 7-1 this season, and play only three games on the road. The Bengals' road games are against Portland State, Sacramento State and EWU. <br />
<br />
Do you think ISU will be able to go undefeated in conference play?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<em>Megan Lobdell - Big Sky Conference</em>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953705757147305178.post-46499096812571763052012-01-18T13:55:00.000-08:002012-01-25T15:36:32.744-08:00Answers to TV Questions<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEgvZaOKQvAkIumxzCCMqoJGq1kmcS-nhtDZRinKcwzO2HHkLvQkZlneCJ6BjdXwJmiPNHVrE3k4_-egJJbrIL6C3aoipD5HtPhb22yNarIZK2VBhAXEawyCfi9sbB8JsLr-75TOk3W58v/s1600/root1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" nfa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEgvZaOKQvAkIumxzCCMqoJGq1kmcS-nhtDZRinKcwzO2HHkLvQkZlneCJ6BjdXwJmiPNHVrE3k4_-egJJbrIL6C3aoipD5HtPhb22yNarIZK2VBhAXEawyCfi9sbB8JsLr-75TOk3W58v/s320/root1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The Big Sky's announcement regarding its new <a href="http://www.bigskyconf.com/news/2012/1/17/GEN_0117125944.aspx">TV contract </a>with DirecTV/ROOT SPORTS has generated a lot of buzz across the West. While most of it has been very positive, there have been some concerns. With change, comes questions. <br />
<br />
Hopefully, we'll be able to answer some of the questions. <br />
<br />
<b>Q: What is the future of Big Sky TV?</b><br />
A: Big Sky TV will continue. In fact, with the addition of Southern Utah, North Dakota, and Cal Poly and UC Davis for football, we'll bring you more games than ever in 2012-13. The games that ROOT SPORTS chooses to televise, however, will not be part of the Big Sky TV package. ROOT SPORTS may opt to video stream those games, or may not. We are also working with America One, our Big Sky TV provider, on mobile applications starting in 2012. Most conferences and universities charge to view games on the Internet. The Big Sky package has been FREE for the past four seasons, and will likely continue to be free. <br />
<br />
Q: Is ROOT SPORTS a new network?<br />
A: No. The network rebranded itself as <a href="http://www.rootsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=25900&ATCLID=205126777">ROOT</a> SPORTS on April 1, 2011. Previously, the networks were under the Fox Sports banner. You might remember Fox Rocky Mountain and Fox Northwest. Those networks are now ROOT SPORTS . If you watched the Colorado Rockies or Seattle Mariners on cable this past summer, it was likely on ROOT SPORTS. ROOT SPORTS also has a network out of Pittsburgh that shows the Pirates and NHL Penguins.<br />
<br />
<b>Q: Can I see these Big Sky games only on DirecTV?</b><br />
A: No. ROOT SPORTSSports is owned by DirecTV, but ROOT SPORTS Northwest and Rocky Mountain are available through many cable providers in the Big Sky footprint. If you are in Montana, Idaho, Colorado, Utah, Oregon, Washington or parts of other Western states (South Dakota,Nevada, New Mexico, Kansas) then you most likely already get ROOT SPORTS through your provider. ROOT SPORTS is available nationally on Dish and DirecTV. If you are outside of their regional footprint, you'll need to order sports packages to get ROOT SPORTS. On Dish Network, it's called the <a href="http://www.dishnetwork.com/sports/default.aspx">Multi-Sports Pack</a>. On DirecTV it's the <a href="http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/content/sports/sports_pack?footernavtype=-1">Sports Pack</a>. Those packages can be ordered month-to-month. I've had both DirecTV and Dish Network in my homes, and have ordered the sports packages to watch out-of-market games.<br />
If you'd like to see if your cable provider offers ROOT SPORTS , I encourage you to visit <a href="http://www.rootsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=25900&ATCLID=205126777">ROOT SPORTS Web Site</a> for information.<br />
For ROOT SPORTS Northwest Channel Listings, click <a href="http://northwest.rootsports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=25920&ATCLID=205127610">here</a><br />
For ROOT SPORTS Rocky Mountain Channel Listings, click <a href="http://rockymountain.rootsports.com/HomePage.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=25930">here</a><br />
ROOT SPORTS Northwest is channel 687 on DirecTV, and 426 on Dish Network<br />
ROOT SPORTS Rocky Mountain is channel 683 on DirecTV, and 414 on Dish Network<br />
<br />
<b>Q: How many games will ROOT SPORTS televise, and what will the production quality be?</b><br />
A: ROOT SPORTS can televise up to 18 football and up to 12 men's basketball games. All games will be High Definition. DirecTV/ROOTSPORTS is investing in the Big Sky and plans to make our games marquee events. They provided this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6-BB0CRseyQ">highlight video</a> for us as a sample. <br />
<br />
<b>Q: Will ROOT SPORTS require our favorite teams to play on weekdays, or at strange times?</b><br />
A: ROOT has indicated to us that they will not move games to nights such as Tuesday or Wednesday, as some conferences have done to accommodate national coverage. ROOT plans on making our primary slot 1:30 p.m. Mountain on Saturday, with the potential for a doubleheader some weeks. If a game were to be played on a Thursday, it would have to be by mutual agreement of the two schools involved. We know that many of our schools don't want to play on Thursday because of the large fan bases that travel on the weekend to attend games. <br />
<br />
<b>Q: How much will the new contract affect the television coverage that Big Sky fans are used to?</b><br />
A: Our contract with ROOT SPORTS will enhance our television exposure, but the network can't televise all of the games. Once ROOT SPORTS has selected its games in mid-March, the remaining games will go on the secondary market. Television partners such as Montana's News Stations, Max Media, NAU-TV, and SWX have indicated they are willing to bid on games not selected by ROOT SPORTS. We fully anticipate that all Montana and Montana State conference games will be televised, as they have in the past. We also anticipate many of those games will remain on free over-the-air TV. With Southern Utah, North Dakota, Cal Poly and UC Davis joining for football in 2012, we also anticipate working with new TV partners in those areas.<br />
<br />
<b>Q: What about fans who don't have cable, and are used to watching games for free on over-the-air networks like Montana's News Stations and Max Media?</b><br />
<br />
A: As we wrote before, our TV partners such as Montana's News Stations and Max Media have expressed an interest in continuing to televise Big Sky games. We anticipate many games to remain on free over-the-air TV. Unfortunately, some games will not be available on those networks. A goal our conference has is to provide greater exposure to all of our teams. This contract was written with the best interest of all of our programs. There will be percentage of viewers who will miss out on games. However, we are adding millions of potential viewers. My friends in Oregon and Colorado are very excited to have the opportunity to view Big Sky games on HD TV through ROOT SPORTS. <br />
<br />
<b>Q: Our Big Sky team isn't in the ROOT SPORTS footprint. What will this contract do for our schools?</b><br />
A: ROOT SPORTS has a wide array of relationships with regional sports channels and cable providers across the country, so it's possible Big Sky games could end up distribution on other regional sports channels in your area.<br />
<br />
<b>Q: Will Football Championship Subdivision Playoff games be on ROOT SPORTS?</b><br />
A: No. ESPN owns the rights to the NCAA Division I Football Championship, so those games belong to ESPN. In the past ESPN chose to syndicate certain games to other networks, but did not this past season.<br />
<br />
<b>Q: How does the ROOT SPORTS contract impact the Big Sky schools financially?</b><br />
A: Certainly our schools will see a financial gain because of the ROOT contract, but it's not the type of money schools in the Pac-12, SEC or Big 12 get from their television contracts. This deal benefits all of our schools, and all of our institutions will see more money than what they currently receive in TV money. The Big Sky is unique among FCS conferences in that we make money through television. Many FCS conferences pay to have their games on TV. For us, the exposure this contract provides is vital. Our coaches and Athletics Directors are excited about this venture. It will expose our teams and universities to millions of homes.<br />
<br />
<i>Jon Kasper - Big Sky Conference</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953705757147305178.post-72301902103939462982011-11-18T09:57:00.000-08:002011-11-18T09:57:09.068-08:00Is Portland State Playoff Worthy?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQSE1iEUgwBK8QP2Kn6n2icgeCDYqRvsGxKtOKTd48z6cyNV6UXrA0blxd4493s_4ySZ3IGEAf2ng_yChDNWwiq4bPW1CbOpQb4k52wrgzgO9qEvq_k9iyi4fUfEvxgAgnHgBxG6lUdpLJ/s1600/Kavanaugh-11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQSE1iEUgwBK8QP2Kn6n2icgeCDYqRvsGxKtOKTd48z6cyNV6UXrA0blxd4493s_4ySZ3IGEAf2ng_yChDNWwiq4bPW1CbOpQb4k52wrgzgO9qEvq_k9iyi4fUfEvxgAgnHgBxG6lUdpLJ/s320/Kavanaugh-11.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><strong>Portland State's Connor Kavanaugh has Portland State in the discussion for a playoff bid.</strong></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Nigel Burton and the Portland State Vikings hope they have a very good reason to rise early on Sunday morning to watch the Division I Football playoff selection show.<br />
<br />
Heck, if the Vikings beat Weber State on Saturday at JELD-WEN Field, they might not sleep at all in anticipation of the telecast, which begins at 7 a.m. Pacific time on ESPNU. A win means Portland State will find itself on the bubble for one of the 10 at-large playoff bids.<br />
<br />
Regardless, it has already been a tremendous season. In Burton’s second campaign, the Vikings have won seven games following a 2-9 year. If Portland State wins Saturday, the eight-victory season will be just one fewer than the Vikings produced during the three-year reign of Jerry Glanville. Burton deserves heavy consideration for the Eddie Robinson Award, given to the top coach at the FCS level.<br />
<br />
A Portland State victory on Saturday would be the squad’s fifth-straight, an amazing feat considering senior All-Conference running back Cory McCaffrey hasn’t played since sustaining an injury on Oct. 15 in a 30-24 loss at Montana.<br />
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Usually, a team finishing 6-2 in Big Sky play and 8-3 overall would be a lock for a playoff bid. However, Portland State’s schedule could keep the Vikings out. Portland State has victories over NAIA Southern Oregon and Division III Willamettte. That means Portland State would be 6-3 against Division I teams.<br />
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No team with fewer than seven Division I victories has ever received an at-large bid to the playoffs. It’s not a rule, but a guideline for the playoff committee. We know that guideline was challenged last year, the first time the playoff field expanded from 16 to 20 teams. Squads like Montana and James Madison, which didn’t meet the seven-win Division I criteria, were in discussion for at-large bids. <br />
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With the expanded playoff field, it’s just a matter of time before a team without seven Division I wins gets the nod, and it could be the time. If the committee’s goal is to find the 10 best at-large teams in the country, then there is certainly no reason Portland State shouldn’t receive an at-large bid.<br />
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The Vikings are currently ranked 15th among FCS teams in the Sagarin Computer Rankings, and 21st in this week’s Gridiron Power Index, well ahead of some other teams that enter this weekend on the bubble.<br />
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Portland State’s three losses came by two points to top-ranked Montana State, seven points on the road at No. 7 Montana, and on the road at TCU, ranked 18th this week in the Sagarin Ratings and coming off an upset of Boise State.<br />
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Montana State and Montana will both be in the playoff field. The winner of their matchup on Saturday gets the Big Sky’s automatic bid to the playoffs. The loser is all but assured of an at-large bid. <br />
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It should also be noted that Portland State never intended to play two non-Division I teams. Burton said this week the Vikings were scheduled to play Colorado, but the Buffs had to drop the Vikings after going to the Pac-12 to accommodate their new conference schedule. Burton said the Vikings were very close to scheduling another FCS team, but it didn’t happen, leaving the Vikings virtually no option but to play another non-Division I team. <br />
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Let’s take a look at how the Vikings stack up against some of the other bubble teams:<br />
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A win by Wofford over Chattanooga on Saturday would make the Terriers 8-3, with seven Division I victories. The Terries have a marquee win over Appalachian State, with losses to Furman, Georgia Southern and FBS Clemson. A win over Chattanooga isn’t a guarantee. The Mocs are 5-5 with one-point losses to Georgia Southern and The Citadel, and a two-point loss to Appalachian State. Wofford plays in the Southern Conference, which has been rated as the strongest FCS conference this season. Wofford could be in even with a loss to Chattanooga. <br />
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There are three Ohio Valley Conference teams in the mix. One will gain the league’s automatic bid to the playoffs.<br />
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Eastern Kentucky is 6-4 overall, and would get to the seven Division I victory threshold with a win Saturday over Tennessee Martin. Eastern Kentucky is tied for 35th in this week’s GPI. Eastern Kentucky has a good 10-7 loss to Kansas State on its resume, as well as a bad loss to Austin Peay. EKU won five in a row before a loss to Tennessee-Martin last week.<br />
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Jacksonville State made the playoff field last season, but is on the bubble this year at 6-4. Jacksonville State has lost three of its last four, and beat a struggling Southeast Missouri State team by just one point last week. Jacksonville State is 48th in the GPI.<br />
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Tennessee Tech is also in the hunt for the Ohio Valley Automatic bid, and enters the final weekend 6-3 and is playing just 10 games this season. That, in my mind, should hurt more than playing 11 games.<br />
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The Ohio Valley is ranked eighth among FCS conferences in the Sagarin, while the Big Sky is fourth. The OVC is also eighth in the GPI, while the Big Sky is fifth behind the Southern, Missouri Valley, Colonial and Great West. <br />
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The Great West does not get an automatic bid to the playoffs, and it doesn’t appear like any of its five teams are in line for at at-large bid. Four of those Great West teams join the Big Sky in 2012. Neither North Dakota nor South Dakota, which play in the Great West, are playoff eligible this season.<br />
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The Ohio Valley has also not had any playoff success in recent seasons. Since 2004, Ohio Valley teams are 0-9 in the playoffs. <br />
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During that same span, Big Sky teams have played for four national championships, with Eastern Washington winning last season. Since 2004, Big Sky teams are 19-15 in the playoffs. <br />
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The very strong Missouri Valley has three teams on the bubble. Illinois State is 7-3 and Indiana State and Youngstown State are both 6-4. <br />
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Illinois State closes at home on Saturday against fourth-ranked Northern Iowa. Illinois State has won five in a row since a loss to No. 5 North Dakota State.<br />
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Youngstown State plays 1-9 Missouri State on Saturday. Youngstown State is coming off an upset of then-No. 1 North Dakota State. The Penguins losses are to Michigan State, Northern Iowa, Indiana State and South Dakota State. <br />
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Indiana State plays at home against Southern Illinois on Saturday. Indiana State has lost three of its last five all to teams likely to make the playoffs – North Dakota State, Illinois State and Northern Iowa. Indiana State does have an impressive 44-16 win over FBS Western Kentucky. <br />
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Portland State really needs both Youngstown State and Indiana State to lose, in our opinion. <br />
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New Hampshire of the powerful CAA brings a 7-3 record into its finale against Maine, which is going to make the playoff field. <br />
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New Hampshire has losses to playoff-bound Towson, FBS Toledo and William & Mary. New Hampshire’s resume lacks a sparkling win, but the same could be said for Portland State. <br />
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The CAA has normally been the top FCS conference in the computer rankings, but is down a bit this year. The CAA is third in the GPI and fifth in the Sagarin. Towson, Old Dominion and Maine are playoff locks from the CAA. <br />
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James Madison from the CAA could also be considered for an at-large bid. The Dukes would be 7-4 with a win over UMass on Saturday. James Madison has lost to Maine, New Hampshire and Old Dominion, and is 22nd in the GPI. <br />
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Delaware, which lost to Eastern Washington in last year’s championship game, is 23rd in the GPI. Delaware has beaten Towson and Old Dominion, but only has five Division I victories. The Blue Hens can get to six with a win over Villanova on Saturday. <br />
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Two teams from the MEAC – Bethune-Cookman (7-3) and Florida A&M (7-3) – will also likely on the board. The MEAC, however, is ranked 11th in the Sagarin and 12th in the GPI. Bethune-Cookman is 47th in the GPI, while Florida A&M is 72nd. Since 2004, the MEAC is 0-7 in playoff games. <br />
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Portland State has a chance, but the Vikings need help. Plus, Weber State is no slouch. Plus the Wildcats will be fired up to send retiring head coach Ron McBride out with a victory. A loss to the Wildcats, and there will be no reason at all for the Vikings to rise early on Sunday. <br />
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<em>Jon Kasper - Big Sky Conference</em>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953705757147305178.post-65246744517484444012011-10-27T12:23:00.000-07:002011-10-27T12:24:01.797-07:00Family Ties In Volleyball<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg98BKWRq3dTgNCMuJ4QmH8kXplTVWLq2eutG9_94Q4Si1w1b8SZC6aWidMbB3ge5_BJhDXb4lMOE_gjlpSz60zNkF6q5v3yBcbNG40hNH4cGLRlCu9uYueRTMdd9gwgjY9XW4gNrbmLwIe/s1600/BlogPic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="182" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg98BKWRq3dTgNCMuJ4QmH8kXplTVWLq2eutG9_94Q4Si1w1b8SZC6aWidMbB3ge5_BJhDXb4lMOE_gjlpSz60zNkF6q5v3yBcbNG40hNH4cGLRlCu9uYueRTMdd9gwgjY9XW4gNrbmLwIe/s320/BlogPic.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
When growing up you fight with your brother or sister, or even fight for the attention in your family. But you always got over it because it was family. With sister you would always get on each other’s nerves by borrowing each other’s clothes. But you will always be each other’s best friends. <br />
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The Big Sky Conference has two sets of siblings in volleyball. Garyn Schlatter is a sophomore setter at Portland State, and Kasey Schlatter is a freshman outside hitter playing for Montana State. ISU’s assistant coach Ali Gorny is the sister of Northern Arizona’s assistant coach Chris Gorny. <br />
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“Kasey and I don't fight,” said Garyn Schlatter about her sister Kasey. “There would be times where we would get on each other's nerves, though. She would get irritated with me because I would take her clothes. But she took mine too, so I thought it was fair. We get along really well. We are each other's best friend. I couldn't ask for a better person to have as my sister.”<br />
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“My sister is my best friend,” said Kasey Schlatter about her sister Garyn. “Like any sisters, we have had our share of fights, but they were never important. We would fight over mostly clothes since she would steal all of mine. We would be screaming at each other for maybe 10 minutes and then turn around and be like, ‘hey want to do something? I’m bored.’ We can't stay mad at each other. I’m so thankful to have a sister that is so supportive of me. Not many sisters have a relationship like mine and Garyn's.” <br />
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Not only are they sisters, but they also played the same sport in volleyball.<br />
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“Growing up and having Kasey to play with was probably one of the best things that has happened,” said Garyn. “It made it really easy to play with her because we both come from the same volleyball background.” <br />
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“It has been great having a sister that is involved in the same sport as I am,” said Kasey about Garyn. “It is one of many things we have in common. Since she is older, I got to watch what she went though in high school and her first couple years in college and learn from it to see what I was getting myself into.”<br />
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Well Garyn is older than Kasey and went on to play college volleyball at Portland State. <br />
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“I chose Portland State because I was very familiar with the campus,” said Garyn. “I pretty much grew up here so I felt very comfortable and welcome here. My mom coached here when I was a baby and I used to ride around in the ball carts during her practices. I really liked the coaching staff and the girls. Everything fit together and was what I wanted to be a part of. It is just a bonus to get to play at the same college that my mom did and that it is really close to home.”<br />
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So when it was Kasey’s turn to pick a school to attend, you’d think the sisters and best friends would pick PSU. Well that’s not the case. Instead, Kasey choose Montana State. Now the sisters get to compete against each other at least twice a season in the Big Sky Conference. <br />
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“I was never recruited by Portland State, so that wasn't really an option for me,” said Kasey about choosing MSU. “I got recruited to go to Montana State early in high school and came on a visit my sophomore year and immediately loved the school. I loved the campus and the town and of course the team. If volleyball were to fall through for some reason, I wanted to be at a university that I loved enough to just be a student. Montana State fulfilled those requirements.”<br />
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The sisters got their chance to play against each other on Sept. 24 when PSU traveled to Bozeman. The Vikings won the match 3-2. <br />
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“It was really awesome to get to play against Kasey,” said Garyn. “Until now, we had never had the chance to play against each other.” <br />
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“It was a lot of fun competing against Garyn,” added Kasey. “We have never played against each other until that night. It was interesting because I know everything she is going to do before she does it and she knows a lot about me. I would be yelling ‘dump’ before she would even set the ball.” <br />
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The Schlatter sisters grew up in Canby, Ore., and went to Canby High School. They played for the same prep and club teams. And now the two will face off in Portland in front of family and friends. PSU and MSU will meet Friday. <br />
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“I expect the game to be a battle, said Garyn about the match in Portland on Friday. “ I think it is going to be a fun match filled with intense and exciting moments. I think that both teams are going to compete and play every point like it’s the only one that counts.” <br />
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“After playing PSU in Montana and going to five sets with them, I am expecting a very close match again” said Kasey about the PSU match on Friday. “Both teams are continuing to get better and having the extra ‘sister rivalry’ will add to the competitiveness of each team.”<br />
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The Schlatter sisters aren’t the only sibling rivalry there is in the Big Sky Conference. There is a brother-sister duo. Idaho State’s assistant volleyball coach Ali Gorny and Northern Arizona’s assistant coach Chris Gorny are siblings. <br />
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Ali and Chris have been competing against each other for two seasons now. They see each other twice a season when they play each other either in Arizona or in Idaho. <br />
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Ali played at ISU, and Chris played for BYU. <br />
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“When we were kids our whole family played any sports we could and volleyball was definitely one of those,” said Ali about how she got into coaching. “I can remember spending hours either going to Chris's practices or club tournaments and matches with our mom and pop, thinking ‘boy this volleyball thing looks really fun!’ I guess after I saw that I wanted to play more and more.” <br />
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“It's ironic because Chris actually helped me get my first coaching gig with Gold Medal Squared camps and those have really been a great learning experience as well as a whole lot of fun,” added Ali. “Watching and helping players develop and learn is one of my favorite parts of the game.”<br />
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“I started coaching while I was in college,” said Chris. “I started coaching summer camps for Carl McGown and Gold Medal Squared. I’ve been coaching for them for 11 years now. My two greatest role models in coaching are Kathy Mendenhall (coached high school together. Lori, her daughter played for me in club and high school and now plays for my sister at Idaho State) and Jason Waton (ASU Head coach) have taught me everything I know about being a coach. I couldn’t imagine being where I am without them. The lessons I’ve learned from them are truly priceless to me. I love coaching and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.” <br />
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And that job at GMS led Ali to ISU. And soon her brother was also in the Big Sky. <br />
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“When I decided to take this job at ISU I was contemplating working at another school,” said Ali about coaching at ISU. “When I called Chris and told him about ISU his first comment was, ‘that'd be so cool if you worked there, that means we'd see each other at least twice a year!’ I have really enjoyed that aspect so far and it's been nothing but fun to be coaching in the same conference as him.” <br />
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Coaching against Ali has been really fun,” said Chris. “We always have a good time when we’re around each other. Our family comes in town and we eat with each other before and after games…… usually with one of our teams. It is fun and strange seeing Ali interact with her team because she is so professional and mature with them. It’s not like that when we are around each other.”<br />
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Ali and Chris coached against each other when ISU traveled to Arizona on Oct. 13, and ISU won the match 3-1. NAU will travel to Pocatello on Nov. 12 to take on ISU. <br />
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No matter where you are, family is always there for you. It doesn’t matter if you are competing against each other or coaching against each other. <br />
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<em>- Megan Lobdell, Big Sky Conference</em>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6953705757147305178.post-83772338609241034452011-10-21T17:42:00.000-07:002011-10-21T17:42:01.939-07:00Soccer Postseason is in the Air<div class="MsoNormal">With the last weekend of Big Sky Conference matches ahead for women’s soccer, things start to get a little clearer for postseason possibilities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some teams start clinching tournament spots, while others will be eliminated from postseason.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As an ex-college soccer player, I’ve been on both sides of this scenario.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">For my freshman (2007) and sophomore (2008) years, I was playing in the Mountain West Conference with the University of Utah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While at the U of U, our team advanced to the Mountain West Conference both years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 2007, we were the fifth seed out of six teams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Leading up to the last few weekends in conference play, we weren’t sure whether or not we’d even make it to the tournament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But lo and behold, things fell into the right places and we saw ourselves getting all the way to the semifinals of the tournament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 2008, we were the No. 2 seed in the tournament. In 2007 when we didn’t know whether we’d make the tournament or not, practices seemed a bit more intense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Players weren’t getting along with each other, some players weren’t “trying” as hard as they should have been.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing seemed to be gelling like it was before all the stress of postseason came into the picture. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without the stress of wondering whether your team will make it to the tournament or not, the team seems a lot more relaxed, and even more up beat. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was never really a question whether we would make it to the tournament or not, the question was more, what seed are we going to be?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And who are we going to play first?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After the 2008 season at the U of U, I transferred to Weber State for my last two years of college soccer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 2009, the season didn’t go quite as expected and we found ourselves tied for last place with no shot at going to the Big Sky championship tournament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the 2010 season seemed to be a little brighter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We found ourselves in the race for a postseason spot coming into the final two weekends of conference play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When your team is in this spot, you find yourself much more interested in the outcomes of the other teams in the conference.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first couple of weeks of conference you don’t really pay attention to who is playing who, and who is winning. Yeah you might know who is currently in first, but you don’t really care about much more than that. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The final weekends are much different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since this was my senior season, I think I was extra attentive to other teams’ results. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I wasn’t playing in my own match, I was watching the other matches and checking the standings right when the games were over, trying to figure out what needed to happen for us to get into the tournament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes you find yourself cheering for another team in the conference so your team can move up in the standings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But of course, the result was almost always the wrong one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With that being said, the 2010 season didn’t end as I was hoping. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We found our team tied for fifth place, one spot out of advancing to the tournament. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><em>Alyssa Askew – Big Sky Conference</em></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0