Big Sky Breakdown

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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. 

Senior defensive tackle Paul Brott, the latest Montana-made Bobcat to dawn MSU's No. 41 legacy jersey, addressed media.

Adam Jones was the runner-up for the FCS National Freshman of the Year last year. Coming into his sophomore year, he was named the Big Sky preseason Offensive MVP.

Montana State junior offensive tackle Titan Fleishmann, a preseason FCS All-American, addressed the media 

In this week's Akem's Analysis, we will be examining all the schedules for the Big Sky Conference and predicting wins and losses for each team. We will also be discussing Tim Rosario's article, which examines the number of TRUE contenders in each season of FCS football; the numbers are quite surprising. We also predict the FCS Top 25. In the beginning, we look at how many Big Sky players made the #ShrineBowl1000, some big-time names on there, and even some juniors made the list."0:00 - Intro 3:57 - Big Sky Players on the #ShrineBowl1000 List 12:43 - Montana State Defensive Coordinator On The Doubters 19:45 - My FCS Top 25 Prediction 23:05 - My Big Sky Win/Loss Predictions For 2025 35:49 - How Many TRUE Contenders Are In The FCS? 51:59 - Final Thoughts 54:03 - End

In this week's Akem's Analysis, Samuel Akem talk about the nature of "annual opponents" in Big Sky football and what that looks like for each team in the Big Sky Conference. Tom Wistrcill mentioned the concept last week in his time with the media at Big Sky Media Day.Tim Plough commented on one of his young QBs. Have they already found their starting QB for 2025? Late last week, Zack McKinnell tweeted about the transfer of Sacramento State QB Kaiden Bennett, and it sent shock waves across the Big Sky and the entire college football landscape. 0:00 - Intro 1:50 - Big Sky Annual Opponents 19:18 - Montana Hasn't Had A +2,300 Yard Passer in 5 Seasons 29:01 - Donald Trump's College Sports Executive Order 43:38 - UC Davis Starting A Freshman QB? 47:56 - Kaiden Bennett Now at Delaware State 53:21 - Sacred Heart Joining The CAA in 2026 57:33 - Marcus Welnel is UMs NEW “Chief Revenue Officer” 1:03:46 - Final Thoughts 1:05:46 - End

J.T. Reed was an All-Big Sky selection in 2022 who then missed 2023 with an injury and split time coming back from another injury last season.This off-season, the Bobcat OL earned his degree and is expected to be one of the top linemen in the Big Sky. He sat down with Colter Nuanez of Skyline Sports. 

Big Sky Conference commissioner Tom Wistricill took questions after giving his annual address at the Big Sky Kickoff in Spokane, Washington on July 21, 2025. 

Bobby Hauck enters his 14th season between two tenures as the head coach of his alma mater. He sat down with Colter Nuanez of Skyline Sports at the Big Sky Kickoff.

Montana State was picked to win the conference by both the league's coaches and media. Montana State head coach Brent Vigen joined Colter Nuanez of Skyline Sports to preview the 2025 season

In this week's Akem's Analysis, Samuel Akem discusses the 2025 Big Sky Media Day and all the weekend's happenings. Tom Wistrcill addressed the media and spoke about some of the exciting updates coming to the conference in 2025 and beyond. The preseason all-conference picks, as well as the preseason coaches' and media polls, were also discussed. 0:00 - Intro 3:08 - Tom Wistrcill's State of the Conference Address 24:19 - Big Sky Preseason Media/Coaches Polls 32:51 - Big Sky Preseason All-Conference Picks 40:01 - Final Thoughts 41:51 - End

In this week's Akem's Analysis, Samuel Akem discusses Montana's recent decision to opt into the house settlement and what it means for the university's future and its athletics. The change for them was a little last-minute, but in the end, due to the roosting adjustment, they were able to make it work for themselves.Sammy also makes his 2025 preseason award picks for the Big Sky Conference, some may surprise you, and some may be expected. An article was written last week discussing the potential financial distribution numbers Tennessee Chattanooga could have for its athletics in this first year of revenue sharing. 0:00 - Intro 2:23 - Montana Opts Into House Settlement 16:19 - My Big Sky Preseason Award Picks For 2025 24:56 - 319 DI Schools Opt Into House Settlement 30:28 - Projected Financial Distribution In Rev-Share at UTC 44:32 - Sac State Is Dominating In Recruiting 51:30 - Final Thoughts 52:55 - End

In this week's Akem's Analysis, Samuel Akem discuss some of the most pivotal games happening this year in the Big Sky Conference. With many question marks, it isn't easy to know who will shine above the rest this season, but we can look at some of the games and anticipate high drama based on previous seasons. Sammy also delves into what Southern Utah and Utah Tech will bring to the Big Sky in 2026. Their entrance into the conference sparks a lot of discussion about the future. Sac State is still pushing forward with its FBS push, despite being denied by the Division I Council. 0:00 - Intro 2:01 - Pivotal Big Sky Games In 2025 25:03 - Utah Tech & Southern Utah Joining Big Sky Conference 31:52 - 12-Game Regular Season Schedule In FCS 33:17 - Tom Wistrcill To Be Vice President of CCA 36:21 - Sacramento State Still Pushing For FBS In 2026 50:45 - SDSU & UND Officially Opt In 56:03 - Final Thoughts 57:58 - End

Colter Nuanez is joined by Matt Brown of Extra Points newsletter to discuss the latest in Division I sports, including Sac State's continued FBS push and exit from the Big Sky Conference. 

Clay Oven, a redshirt sophomore linebacker out of Billings who was just named the University of Montana football team's No. 37, addressed the media for the first time since receiving his new garment. 

In this week's Akem's Analysis, Samuel Akem discusses his 5 biggest questions for the Big Sky Conference heading into the 2025 football season. There has been a lot of movement throughout the conference. Will the same teams emerge, and if so, will they look the same? Akem will also examine some of the top statistical leaders returning to the conference. One team seems to have retained some good talent. He will also be getting into Colter Nuanez's conversation with Tom Wistrcill on the Big Sky Breakdown (linked below). 0:00 - Intro 2:46 - My 5 Biggest Big Sky Questions Coming Into The 2025 Season 19:17 - The Top Stat Leaders Returning To The Big Sky In 2025 40:44 - Tom Wistrcill On New Changes In College Athletics 55:08 - Buyouts In New House Settlement 1:05:52 - USD Opting In, Sac State Seeking FBS Ind. Approval 1:07:51 - Final Thoughts 1:09:32 - End

Former Montana State and NFL cornerback Joey Thomas, a third round pick in 2004, joins Colter Nuanez to talk about his upcoming induction into the Montana Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

Northern Arizona head coach Brian Wright joins Colter Nuanez for this week's Big Sky Spotlight. 

Montana State rodeo cowgirl Shantell Brewer, one of the favorites at the College National Finals Rodeo in barrel racing, along with national championship qualifying sprinter Peyton Garrison (12:32) of MSU's 4x400 meter relay team joins Colter Nuanez for this week's Montana State Minute. 

Sam Herder of HERO Sports and Bet MGM joins Colter Nuanez of ESPN Montana and Skyline Sports to talk about the current college football power struggle, conference realignment, the House Settlement and much more. 

In this week's Akem's Analysis, Samuel Akem will be examining the Big Sky Conference and discussing where he see the teams ranked in the preseason. We will also examine whether QB proficiency makes a difference in a team's success. The data shows that it may not be as important as some think. Villanova is following the trend of teams leaving the CAA and joining the Patriot League. What does this mean for the CAA going forward? We will also be talking about the NCAA v. House Settlement being approved and all the changes that are coming along with it. There is a new governance model and NIL Go clearinghouse platform.0:00 - Intro 3:41 - My Initial Big Sky 2025 Preseason Poll 12:59 - Is QB Proficiency As Important To FCS Success As We Think? 23:18 - HERO Sports Preseason Top-25 Poll 29:02 - Villanova Leaving The CAA 36:16 - The NCAA v. House Settlement Has Officially Been Approved 55:48 - EA Sports College Football 26 Will Pay Schools For Team Usage 57:40 - ChatGPT Jokes of The Week 1:00:10 - Final Thoughts 1:02:31 - End

In this week's Akem's Analysis, Samuel Akem talks about all the teams in the Big Sky Conference and  strength of schedule. He looks deeply into the previous top-5 teams from the conference last year (UC Davis, Idaho, Montana State, Montana, & NAU), or in other words, all the playoff teams. Also, analysis about Deloitte and the newly formed "NIL Clearinghouse", which will serve as the new governing arm for NIL in college football.0:00 - Intro 3:55 - Toughest Strength of Schedules In The Big Sky 29:00 - NIL, Clearing House, Deloitte, Collectives 52:21 - 16-Team CFP Playoff Proposal 1:01:10 - Final Thoughts 1:02:37 - End 

Montana State quarterback turned wide receiver Tommy Mellott was selected in the 6th round, pick 213 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft by the Las Vegas Raiders.He was profiled by ESPN's Kalyn Kahler for the annual installment of "Prospect X". Mellott and other sources were anonymous until after Mellott was drafted. Kahler talked with Colter Nuanez of Skyline Sports about profiling a Montana folk hero. 

Matt Brown, the creator and author of the Extra Points newsletter, joins Colter Nuanez to discuss the current state of college athletics.

In this week's Akem's Analysis, we will examine Montana and Montana State's last 10 seasons to determine who seems to be on a better trajectory and why. Both teams have seen success, but neither has reached the pinnacle. The New Haven Chargers are joining the NEC. The FCS Oversight Committee has approved 12-game regular season schedules for all FCS teams, and now it just needs to pass. What does this mean for other teams in the FCS?0:00 - Intro 1:16 - Comparing Montana & Montana State's Last 10 Seasons 17:28 - FCS Oversight Committee Approves Moving To 12-Game Schedules Permanently 22:30 - University of New Haven Joining The NEC 28:39 - How Does Sac State Replicate What Notre Dame Has Done? 37:50 - Schools Facing NCAA Punishment For Academics 46:10 - Would NFL Teams Rather Take a G5 Player or FCS Player? 51:52 - Final Thoughts 52:36 - End

In this week's Akem's Analysis, we take a look at the Montana roster and investigate what their potential starting lineup could be. With spring ball done and the transfer portal closed, we can get a pretty solid look at what their lineup may look like in the Fall. Follow along as Samuel Akem goes through what the Montana starters may look like. The Big Sky Conference lost a ton of talent this offseason, and it's important to look at who the top returning players are in the conference. There were a lot of NFL opportunities given to FCS players in the Draft a few weeks ago. Which schools and conferences are getting players to the next level, and why? We look at the numbers that have been reported by Sam Herder at great length. 0:00 - Intro 1:30 - Looking At Montana's Potential Starters For 2025 25:17 - Top 10 Offensive & Defensive Players Returning To The Big Sky For 2025 33:05 - Most NFL Opportunities From Each Conference & School40:07 - Positives From NIL & The Transfer Portal 46:15 - SUU Athletic Director Under Investigation For Potential Title IX Violations51:13 - Final Thoughts

In this week's Akem's Analysis, Samuel Akem discusses about the NFL Draft and his reactions to where a lot of the Big Sky players ended up. Akem also analyses about the interesting situation that Cam Miller and Tommy Mellott are in now, with being on the same team. Also, Sac State still dominating on the recruiting trail amid all the excitement with the draft. They are building a monster, and it seems like it's going under the radar. We will see what they look like once they are finally on the field.0:00 - Intro 1:13 - Draft Reactions & Big Sky Draft Picks/Signees 30:01 - Is The Small School Gap Widening? 33:57 - Shedeur Sanders Slides To The 5th Round 43:35 - Sac State Still Dominating In The Portal 47:30 - William & Mary Joining The Patriot League 55:45 - Final Thoughts 57:07 - End

Montana State wrapped up spring football on April 26, 2025 in Bozeman with the annual Sonny Holland Spring Classic.MSU ran 105 total plays between the Blue and White teams with the White coming out on top, 24-14.Spring game interviews: - MSU head coach Brent Vigen (1:07)- Redshirt freshman DB Carson Williams (10:11)- Redshirt sophomore QB Chance Wilson (13:55)- Redshirt sophomore RB Colson Coon (22:37)- Senior DT Paul Brott (27:00)