Big Sky Breakdown

No. 5 Montana earned a thrilling 24-23 win over No. 16 North Dakota behind a breakout performance from QB Keali'i Ah Yat (300 yards, 2 TDs). Montana head coach Bobby Hauck, senior safety Micah Harper and senior kicker/punter Ty Morrison addressed the media ahead of UM's matchup against Indiana State in Missoula on Saturday afternoon.

No. 4 Montana State earned its first win of the season by drilling San Diego 41-7 on Saturday in Bozeman, MT. The Bobcats rolled up 539 yards of total offense as Justin Lamson threw for 293 yards and 3 TDs. MSU fifth-year head coach Brent Vigen addressed the media on Monday ahead of his team's upcoming matchup against Mercyhurst at Bobcat Stadium.

Montana State head coach Brent Vigen along with juniors wide receiver Taco Dowler and safety Caden Dowler addressed the media following MSU's 41-7 win over San Diego in Bozeman on Saturday. 

University of North Dakota head coach Eric Schmidt joins Colter Nuanez to talk about his return to his alma mater and his team's matchup at No. 5 Montana on Saturday afternoon. 

Tom Miller, a sportswriter who's covered North Dakota football for 21 years for the Grand Forks Herald Newspaper, joins Colter Nuanez of ESPN MT and Skyline Sports to talk all things UND, including the Fighting Hawks' football game in Missoula against Montana on Saturday.

Shaun Rainey of SWX Montana television joins Colter Nuanez to give his impressions on Montana's season opening win over Central Washington. 

Montana State fell to 0-2 after a 30-24 double overtime loss to No. 2 South Dakota State in Bozeman on Sept. 6. The loss was Montana State's first regular-season home loss since October of 2019. Former Bobcat player & coach Mike Rider joins Colter Nuanez to break down where MSU sits entering Week 3.

Montana moved up to No. 5 in the national FCS polls thanks in part to a 42-17 win over Division II Central Washington on September 6, 2025. Andrew Schmidt, a former Griz RB and NFL agent, joins Colter Nuanez weekly to breakdown all things Montana & the Big Sky Conference. This week, Andrew talks about Montana's offensive potential, it's talent upgrades and has his latest "Schmidt Storm".

No. 5 Montana posted a 42-17 win over Central Washington on September 6, 2025. Jordan Tripp was an FCS All-American who became an NFL Draft pick during his time at Montana and after graduating from UM. Tripp, now the color commentator for Scripps Sports for Griz broadcasts, joins Colter Nuanez weekly to break down all things Griz football.

Ryan Tootell joins Colter Nuanez to talk about what impressed him most during Montana's season-opening win over Central Washington, his strong evaluation of Montana State despite an 0-2 start and some thoughts on the 1995 Montana Griz national championship team, which will celebrate their 30th anniversary this weekend in Missoula. 

Idaho wide receiver Tony Harste and head coach Thomas Ford Jr. (12:02) join Colter Nuanez to break down Idaho's 37-30 win over St. Thomas, the first win of Ford's career, and to preview UI's game against Utah Tech on Saturday. 

Samuel Akem of Skyline Sports joins Colter Nuanez to talk around the FCS, including the Griz, the Cats and the Big Sky Conference. Sammy gives us his standout teams of the season so far, including thoughts on UC Davis, Idaho and UT Rio Grande Valley. The boys also dive into Montana's 42-17 win over Central Washington and Montana State's 2OT 30-24 loss to South Dakota State.

No. 6 Montana posted a 42-17 home win over Central Washington on September 6, 2025.The Griz host a North Dakota team that beat UM 27-24 in Grand Forks last September. Montana head coach Bobby Hauck, senior corner Kenzel Lawler (left) and junior running back Eli Gillman addressed the media on Monday. 

Montana State head coach Brent Vigen addressed the media ahead of his team's game against San Diego against Bozeman on Saturday. 

No. 2 South Dakota State made a 4th down stop in double overtime to secure a 30-24 win over No. 3 Montana State in Bozeman on September 6, 2025. Montana pulled away for a 42-17 win over Central Washington in their season opener in Missoula. Brooks Nuanez was in Missoula, Colter Nuanez was in Bozeman. They recap what they saw in Week 2 on both sides of the Continental Divide.

No. 2 South Dakota State made a 4th down stop in double overtime to secure a 30-24 win over No. 3 Montana State in Bozeman on September 6, 2025. A record-setting crowd watched Montana State's first regular-season home loss since 2019. MSU head coach Brent Vigen, DE Hunter Parsons, RBs Julius Davis & Adam Jones addressed the media after falling to 0-2.

Award-winning broadcaster Ryan Tootell joins Colter Nuanez weekly to talk Griz, Bobcats and Big Sky Conference sports. This week, we talk about former Big Sky players in the NFL, Montana State's nationally elite home opener and the Griz getting 2025 underway.

In this Akem's Analysis, Samuel Akem looks forward to some of the Week 2 matchups happening in the Big Sky Conference. Once again, the game of the week in FCS football involves a Big Sky team. Montana State and SDSU face off after both squads lost major talent, but are still in the conversation as top teams in the country. Montana will get their first chance to hit the field for 2025 after their Week 1 "bye". 0:00 - Intro 2:54 - Montana vs Central Washington Preview 15:57 - Montana State vs SDSU Preview 24:45 - NAU vs Utah Tech Preview 29:48 - Sac State vs Nevada Preview 36:48 - Idaho vs St. Thomas Preview 43:32 - Idaho State QB Out For At Least A Month 46:37 - Final Thoughts 47:47 - End

Tanner Castora is a freelance journalist covering South Dakota State with a variety of mediums.He's also the author of "Stig and the Rise of South Dakota State Football", a biography about former SDSU head coach John Stieglemeier.Castora joined Colter Nuanez on the Big Sky Breakdown to discuss SDSU's game at No. 3 Montana State on Saturday

Former Griz RB and NFL Agent Andrew Schmidt joins Colter Nuanez to preview Montana's season opener.

Montana State inside linebacker Neil Daily suffered an injury that knocked him out of MSU's 59-13 loss to Oregon.Cole Taylor, a sophomore from Great Falls who was a QB at CMR High, stepped in and performed well. Taylor joined Colter Nuanez of Skyline Sports & ESPN MT to break down his standout performance.

Former Bobcat player & coach Mike Rider joins Colter Nuanez to break down Montana State's Week 1 loss at Oregon and preview the FCS game of the week between MSU and South Dakota State.

Former Montana Griz linebacker Jordan Tripp, who was an NFL draft pick out of UM, is now the color commentator for Griz football games on Scripps Sports broadcasts this fall. He joined Colter Nuanez of Skyline Sports to talk about all things Griz, broadcasting and more.

Montana head coach Bobby Hauck will open his 14th season leading his alma mater in Missoula on Saturday evening against Central Washington of the Division II Lone Star Conference. 

Montana State 5th-year head coach Brent Vigen hosted his weekly press conference on Monday to help preview his team's home opener against No. 2 South Dakota State. The Bobcats lost 59-13 to No. 7 Oregon. The Jackrabbits beat Sacramento State 20-3. 

Montana State opened the 2025 season with a 59-13 loss to No. 7 Oregon.The 46 points is the largest margin of defeat suffered by the Bobcats since a 69-10 loss at Kansas State in 2008.Following the loss, MSU head coach Brent Vigen along with junior WR Taco Dowler & DT Alec Eckert addressed the media. 

Former Montana State player and coach Michael Rider is back for another season breaking down all things Bobcat football with Colter Nuanez of Skyline Sports. Montana State opens its 2025 season in Eugene against the No. 7 Oregon Ducks on Saturday. The Bobcats went 15-1 but lost their final game of 2024 in the FCS national title game, falling 35-32 to North Dakota State.

In this week's Akem's Analysis, Samuel Akem breaks down all of the biggest games happening in the Big Sky Conference this week. A few of the teams out of the Big Sky played in Week 0, but now we get to see more of the conference live in action. The biggest game of the weekend is Sacramento State vs South Dakota State. It could have big playoff ramifications later in the season. Montana State will play this week as well. Although it's the Oregon Ducks, it will be our first time seeing the Bobcats in the post-Tommy Mellott era. 0:00 - Intro 2:45 - Montana State vs Oregon Preview15:18 - Sac State vs South Dakota State Preview29:27 - Eastern Washington vs Incarnate Word Preview37:54 - UC Davis vs Utah Tech Preview45:39 - Idaho State vs Southern Utah Preview53:12 - Idaho vs Washington State Preview1:00:47 - Economic Impact of Montana Football1:05:02 - Final Thoughts

Tyson Alger has been covering the Oregon Ducks for more than a decade with stops at the Oregonian, The Athletic & the I-5 Corridor. He now covers Oregon football for Lookout Eugene-Springfield. No. 7 Oregon opens with Montana State on Saturday in Eugene. Tyson joined Colter Nuanez to preview the Ducks' season.

KSKY 106.9 is your home for the Best Local Coverage of Bobcat Football—Colter Nuanez is back for his14th season covering MSU football for KSKY country, your Home for the Best Local Coverage of Bobcat Football. KSKY 106.9 FM in Bozeman.

Idaho sophomore captain quarterback Joshua Wood and first-year Idaho head coach Thomas Ford Jr. (13:21) joins Colter Nuanez to talk all things Vandal football on the debut episode for the 2025 season of "Vandals Weekly" presented by Array Real Estate.

In this Week's Akem's Analysis, Samuel Akem goes through all the games from Week 0 and give his assessment on what we saw! The good, the bad, and the ugly. 0:00 - Intro 2:03 - 8 UC Davis vs 11 Mercer Reaction 4:04 - Idaho State vs UNLV Reaction 25:21 - 5 Incarnate Word vs Nicholls Reaction 41:02 - Big Sky vs MVFC In Allegiant Stadium (2027 & 2029) 45:10 - Should Preseason Polls Be Finished? 1:00:48 - Final Thoughts 1:03:28 - End

Montana State named Justin Lamson as its starting quarterback on Monday. MSU opens its 2025 season at No. 7 Oregon on Saturday afternoon. Lamson is a senior who transferred to MSU from Stanford. He's been on campus since after. Lamson addressed the media on Monday.

Montana State opens its 2025 football campaign at No. 7 Oregon in Eugene on Saturday afternoon. The Bobcats are coming off a 15-1 season that ended with a 35-32 loss to North Dakota State in the FCS national title game. MSU fifth-year head coach Brent Vigen hosted his first press conference of the season on Monday.

Grace Lawrence is the sideline reporter for all Montana State and Big Sky Conference football games for KBZK TV of Bozeman and Scripps Sports. She also is a co-host of the Bobcat Insider TV show and a reporter for KBZK in Bozeman. Each week, she will join Colter Nuanez of Skyline Sports to share some of the tidbits from her reporting that doesn't make the TV broadcasts.

Kyle Hansen is the man on the Griz football sidelines during television broadcasts. He also covers Big Sky Conference football for Scripps Sports. Each week throughout the season, Kyle will join Colter Nuanez of Skyline Sports to go through the story lines that don't make the TV broadcast. The conversation continues with the exploration of the difference in roster construction strategies at UM and MSU.

Ryan Tootell returns to the studio to break down the biggest, broadest narratives for the Griz and the Bobcats entering the 2025 football season. Tootell and Colter Nuanez of Skyline Sports lead with Junior Bergen & Tommy Mellott's NFL prospects. The conversation continues with the exploration of the difference in roster construction strategies at UM and MSU.

In this week's Akem's Analysis, we talked about the upcoming games in the Big Sky as well as the rest of the FCS. UC Davis vs Mercer is the biggest game of the weekend, and it will tell us a lot about what to expect from UC Davis this season. The FCS Stats Perform Preseason poll gives us an idea of how many ranked opponents each Big Sky team will be playing. What does that look like this season? Ace Sauerwein talked about his top 9 Montana football players of the last 9 years on The Daily Drive. Are there any players missing? 0:00 - Intro 4:09 - Week 0 Preview: UC Davis/Mercer, ISU/UNLV, TSU/PSU, UIW/Nicholls 22:29 - Coach Hauck Comments On The State of CFB 28:05 - The Top 9 Players of the Last 9 Seasons? 34:22 - Ranked Big Sky Matchups For 2025 42:49 - Causeway Classic Going Away? 46:10 - 7 Teams Most Likely To Win 1st FCS Title 50:06 - SP+ Rankings Compared to The FCS Stats Perform 1:01:15 - Efton Chism III BALLING For The Patriots 1:02:49 - Final Thoughts 1:05:55 - End 

Former Montana Grizzly All-American Junior Bergen was a 7th round draft pick by the San Fransisco 49ers last spring.The wide receiver and punt returner is cutting his teeth trying to make the roster for San Fran. Saturday, Bergen had 3 kick returns for 63 yards, a punt return for 1 yard and one catch for one yard in a 22-19 San Fran victory. 

Montana State is coming off a 15-1 season that included its second Big Sky Conference championship in 3 seasons and its 2nd national title game loss since 2021. MSU is picked to win the league once again despite losing a star-studded senior class. Austin Parr of SWX Montana Television joins Colter Nuanez of Skyline Sports to break down all things Bobcats so far in this fall camp.

The University of Montana opened fall camp on Wednesday before taking the field for the first time on August 9, 2025.The Griz are preseason No. 7 coming off a 9-5 campaign in 2024 and a Big Sky Conference title in 2023, the first for the program since 2011.Samuel Akem and Colter Nuanez do a "Griz by the Numbers" after getting their first look at Montana for fall camp 2025. 

The Big Sky Conference hosted its annual media conference Big Sky Kickoff on July 22, 2025 in Spokane, Washington.Each of the 12 Big Sky members brought their head football coach and a standout from each their offense and defense.Cody Hawkins enters his third season as Idaho State's head coach. He helped ISU win five games last season and hopes to take another step in 2025. He chatted with Samuel Akem of Skyline Sports. 

This is the debut episode of a new "spinoff" podcast featuring former Griz RB and NFL agent Andrew Schmidt along with Colter Nuanez of Skyline Sports. Andrew & Colter break down the narratives around Griz football entering the 2025 season. UM is coming off a 9-5 season that ended in the second round of the playoffs. The Griz brought in 28 transfers and 18 freshmen to the current roster.

In this week's Akem's Analysis, Samuel Akem gives his thoughts about Montana's first day of Fall Camp. Stats Perform has released its annual preseason poll. Week 0 has been the topic of discussion in a lot of FCS conversations with the transition to a 12-game schedule; more teams will now be starting their seasons in Week 0. What does that mean for the coverage of FCS football? The ramifications of an all-FCS Week 0 could be great for the landscape of FCS football.0:00 - Intro4:08 - Reaction To Montana's First Day Of Fall Camp 24:49 - 2025 Stats Perform Top-25 Preseason Poll 34:36 - Week 0 Becoming “FCS Week” For CFB 45:29 - Kent Haslam Message To UM Fans 48:13 - How Far Would An FCS All-Pro Team Go? 51:02 - What Is The Avg. O-Line/D-Line Size of National Champs? 55:39 - What Is SDSU's Most Likely Record After Week 2? 58:52 - Ivy League Announces Their 2025 Preseason Poll 1:04:25 - Final Thoughts 1:06:12 - End

Montana redshirt freshman QB Luke Flowers addressed the media following the Grizzlies' first fall camp practice for 2025. 

Montana senior quarterback Jake Jensen joined the team in the off-season as a transfer from USC. He's expected to compete for UM's starting job under center. 

Montana quarterback Keali'i Ah Yat made six starts as a redshirt freshman last season. He is in the mix to start this fall for the Griz. 

Montana head coach Bobby Hauck addressed the media ahead of his team's first practice of its 2025 fall camp on August 9, 2025. 

Montana State junior Taco Dowler set an MSU single-season record for punt return yardage in a season as a sophomore last fall.