Local colleges: Sac State aims to continue FCS upsets; UC Davis looks to bounce back
Upsets are the feel-good craze or the agony of college football, depending on point of view. This theme trickles right on down to the FCS level.
Montana started the fun with a season-opening stunner at then No. 20 Washington of the Pac-12 Conference, 13-7. FCS programs are supposed to be served up as so much meat sauce to the bigger boys of the FBS ranks but it doesn’t always go according to script because the best FCS teams know how to pounce.
The FCS rankings took a hit over the weekend when nine ranked teams lost, including previous No. 7 UC Davis falling at Idaho State 27-17 in Big Sky Conference action, stalling the Aggies’ best start in 17 seasons.
Now ranked 13th, UCD (5-1 overall, 2-1 in the Big Sky) hosts Northern Colorado (2-4, 1-2) on Saturday at 5 p.m. while Sacramento State (3-2, 2-0) sets aim at upsetting No. 5 Montana (4-1, 1-1) in Missoula, no easy task to be sure. That’s a noon local start. Both games can be viewed on the ESPN+ feed.
Sac State played its best game of the season in dispatching Southern Utah 41-20 Saturday night at home behind a strong rushing attack, the 1-2 quarterback punch of Jake Dunniway and Asher O’Hara and defense. Sac State moved to a nifty 6-0 against FCS teams on the road since coach Troy Taylor’s arrival before the 2019 season. The FCS run includes wins at Dixie State and Idaho State this season.
The Hornets need every bit of any momentum heading into Washington-Grizzly Stadium. Montana is 4-1 despite a rash of injuries with a 34-28 loss to Big Sky rival Eastern Washington, now 6-0 and ranked second nationally. Sac State will get ranked if it topples Montana. The Hornets are 0-12 all time in games played in Missoula, but they did down the Grizzlies 49-22 in 2019 at home when Montana was ranked fifth. Sac State went on to win a share of its first Big Sky championship in 2019.
Speaking of winning, Montana has won 18 Big Sky crowns and claimed FCS national championships in 1995 and 2001 with runner-up finishes in 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2009. The Grizzlies have qualified for the postseason 23 times since 1988.
“That’s a great program,” Taylor said after Sac State’s last victory.
Idaho State offered similar thoughts in beating UCD for its first win after a frustrating 0-4 start amid injuries and close losses. Said Coach Rob Phenicie to Bob Dunning of The Davis Enterprise, “Any time you can beat a Dan Hawkins-coached team, you’ve accomplished something.”
Hawkins said his Aggies are, “a work in progress” but hardly in panic mode. Losses happen in this sport, in this conference.
A UCD win gets the Aggies right back on track and would match the 2018 team for the program’s best start in 20 seasons. UCD in 2018 won a share of the program’s first Big Sky championship.
For Sac State defensive coordinator Andy Thompson, any return to Montana is special. He played for the Grizzlies, ending in 2001, winning five Big Sky titles and a national crown, recording 103 total tackles in 44 career games.
Sacramento State (3-2) at No. 5 Montana (4-1)
When: Saturday, noon
On air: ESPN 1320, CW31, ESPN+
Of note: Sac State had nine tackles for loss against Southern Utah with a season-high three interceptions, two by Marte Mapu. ... Sac State had a season-high 251 yards rushing against Southern Utah, and its 149 rushing yards in the first quarter were more than any in the previous three games. ... Sac State has not committed a turnover in its last two games, both Big Sky wins. ... B.J. Perkinson, the new lead back for the Hornets, had 127 all-purpose yards against Southern Utah. ... Montana allows just 60.6 yards rushing a game and leads the Big Sky with 22 sacks. ... Safety Robby Hauck leads Montana with 46 tackles. He is the son of coach Bobby Hauck, who is in his second tenure with the program with a combined record of 102-27.
Northern Colorado (2-4) at No. 13 UC Davis (5-1)
When: Saturday, 5 p.m.
On air: Sports 1140, ESPN+
Of note: UCD is third in the Big Sky in scoring offense and scoring defense. ... UCD has outscored its six opponents 79-3 in the fourth quarter. ... Ulonzo Gilliam Jr. became the third Aggie to rush for 3,000 career yards, and he needs 269 more to pass Preston Jackson for second on the list. G.P. Muhammad rushed for 3,589 yards, ending in 1998. ... Northern Colorado has been held to 10 or fewer points three times. ... The Bears are coached by Ed McCaffrey, the one-time Stanford star who played receiver in the NFL for 13 seasons, winning two Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos. His son Max is the program’s offensive coordinator.