Big Sky Breakdown

In this week's Akem's Analysis, I'm previewing all the 2nd round FCS Playoff matchups. There are a lot of interesting games, for a lot of reasons. Only 8 teams will remain after this weekend. Find out what I think about all the matchups.

Montana running back Eli Gillman joins Colter Nuanez on Nuanez Now to talk about winning Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year and UM's second-round playoff matchup against South Dakota State this week. 

Montana State sophomore running back Adam Jones joins Colter Nuanez on Nuanez Now on ESPN MT to discuss MSU's Big Sky Conference championship and its second round FCS Playoffs matchup against Yale on Saturday in Missoula. 

Montana State running backs coach Josh Firm joins Colter Nuanez to talk about Julius Davis' senior year, Adam Jones' sophomore year and what he expects in MSU's second round playoff matchup against Yale. 

In this week's ESPN Roundtable on 102.9 FM ESPN Montana, Colter Nuanez is joined by Tanner Castora, a journalist and author who covers South Dakota State with multiple mediums as the Jackrabbits make their way to Missoula for the second round of the FCS playoffs to play the No. 3 Montana Grizzlies. 

UC Davis senior defensive end Jacob Psyk, who is a graduate transfer from Harvard, joins Colter Nuanez to talk about Davis's playoff draw with Rhode Island coming to California 

Andrew Schmidt joins Colter Nuanez to break down home renovations, Christmas options, Montana's playoff draw + the reasons Montana will and the reasons Montana will not make a run in the FCS Playoffs with No. 14 South Dakota State coming to town on Saturday.

Skyline Sports analyst Samuel Akem joins Colter Nuanez to talk about final reactions to the Cat-Griz rivalry, the draws for the FCS playoffs, the results of the first round of the postseason + the matchups for the three Big Sky Conference teams playing in the second round.  

South Dakota State first-year head coach Dan Jackson joins Colter Nuanez on Nuanez Now to discuss the Jacks' trip to Missoula for the third playoff matchup in as many years against Montana.

Former Montana State player and coach Michael Rider joins Colter Nuanez to talk about Brent Vigen staying at MSU after a courtship from Oregon State, Justin Lamson not earning Big Sky Offensive Player of the Year and MSU's playoff draw against Yale.

South Dakota State head coach Dan Jackson ahead of Saturday's second round game in the FCS Playoffs against Montana.

UC Davis drew the No. 8 seed in the FCS Playoffs and the first-round bye that comes with it. Saturday, the Aggies will host Rhode Island in a nationally televised game on ESPN2 that kicks at 9 p.m. MT. UC Davis head coach Tim Plough joined Colter Nuanez to help preview the game.

Montana head coach Bobby Hauck along with first-team All-Big Sky wide receiver Michael Wortham and defensive end Hunter Peck addressed the media ahead of the No. 3 seeded Grizzlies' second round playoff matchup against South Dakota State. 

Montana State is the No. 2 seed in the FCS Playoffs. Fresh off a bye, MSU will host Yale on Saturday in Bozeman, Montana. Bobcat head coach Brent Vigen addressed the media on Monday December 1 to preview the matchup. 

In this week's Akem's Analysis, I look back at all the games from the 1st Round of the FCS Playoffs. Yale was the headliner with its big-time upset victory over Youngstown State. Another Ivy League brother of Yale's didn't fare as well; Harvard got dominated by Villanova on the road. SDSU had Chase Mason back, and they look to be back to their early-season form. All of this and more in this week's Akem's Analysis.SPORTS BET MONTANA LINK: https://sportsbetmontana.com/en0:00 - Intro 1:48 - Yale/YSU Reaction 8:06 - North Dakota/Tenn Tech Reaction15:35 - SDSU/New Hampshire Reaction21:25 - Villanova/Harvard Reaction28:11 - ACU/Lamar Reaction33:45 - South Dakota/Drake Reaction39:48 - Rhode Island/CCSU Reaction 44:45 - Illinois State/SELA Reaction49:55 - Final Thoughts 51:09 - End

Mike Nugent of Griz Fan Pod fame joins Colter Nuanez to talk about recruiting hits & misses and the relation to a larger institutional issue at the University of Montana. 

In this week's Akem's Analysis, I look at every single game in the first round of the FCS Playoffs. There are some interesting matchups taking place, and I will be giving my thoughts on all of them. YSU & eau Brungard takes on the Ivy League AQ in Yale, and they'll be looking to impose their will. Harvard takes on CAA at-large in Villanova, and it has the chance to be the best game in the 1st Round. North Dakota hasn't been great in the second half of the season, and Tennessee Tech has played a cupcake schedule. Someone's going to come out on top, who will prove themselves? All of this and more in this week's episode. Like and comment your thoughts down below! SUBSCRIBE BEFORE YOU LEAVE!!! SPORTS BET MONTANA LINK: https://sportsbetmontana.com/en0:00 - Intro1:40 - YSU/Yale Preview8:20 - Harvard/Villanova Preview14:21 - SDSU/UNH Preview21:14 - UND/Tenn Tech Preview27:15 - Lamar/ACU Preview 32:56 - ISU/SELA Preview40:04 - USD/Drake Preview45:21 - URI/Central Conn. Preview50:21 - Final Thoughts51:08 - End

Skyline Sports co-founder Brooks Nuanez joins Colter Nuanez on Nuanez Now on 102.9 ESPN Radio to talk all things rivalry after Montana State won in Missoula for the first time since 2018 and the 7th time in the last nine times against Montana on Saturday. 

Andrew Schmidt joins Colter Nuanez for his reaction to Montana State's 31-28 win over Montana in Missoula, the 7th rivalry game win in the last 9 for the Bobcats.

Skyline Sports writer Tom Stuber, who's on the Montana State football beat, gives his takeaways on MSU's 31-28 win over Montana in Missoula to sew up the No. 2 seed in the FCS playoffs.

In this week's Akem's Analysis with Keenan, we react to Montana's close loss to Montana State at home. We discuss all the factors that contributed to the loss and share our thoughts on what could have been done differently. In the second half of the video, we examine the FCS Playoff bracket and share our initial thoughts about it as it is announced. All of this in this week's Akem's Analysis.SPORTS BET MONTANA LINK: https://sportsbetmontana.com/en

In this week's Akem's Analysis, I will be talking about some of the games that took place in the Big Sky and one in the MVFC this weekend. I will also be talking about the upcoming playoffs and what the early outlook is, as I'm looking at the bracket from where it stands. Some teams were left out of the bracket. What was that for? I will give my thoughts about all of it in this week's episode. Like and comment your thoughts down below! SUBSCRIBE BEFORE YOU LEAVE!! SPORTS BET MONTANA LINK: https://sportsbetmontana.com/en0:00 - Intro1:45 - Montana/Montana State Reaction 12:46 - UC Davis/Sac State Reaction18:38 - SDSU/UND Reaction23:56 - FCS Playoff Bracket Reaction37:16 - Final Thoughts 38:27 - End

Skyline Sports analyst Ryan Tootell gives his instant reaction to Montana State's 31-28 win over Montana in Missoula on November 22, 2025. 

Montana State head coach Brent Vigen along with quarterback (13:33) Justin Lamson, Caden Dowler and Zac Crews + Montana head coach Bobby Hauck (23:17), running back Eli Gillman and safety TJ Rausch addressed the media following MSU's 31-28 win over UM in Missoula on November 22, 2025. 

Montana State quarterback Justin Lamson, safety Caden Dowler and defensive end Zac Crews addressed the media following MSU's 31-28 win in Missoula over No. 2 Montana to secure a Big Sky Conference championship. 

Montana State 5th-year head coach Brent Vigen won for the first time in his career in Missoula, sewing up his third Big Sky Conference championship in the process by beating No. 2 Montana 31-28 on Saturday afternoon. 

Montana head coach Bobby Hauck, senior captain TJ Rausch and junior running back Eli Gillman addressed the media following UM's 31-28 loss to Montana State in Missoula on Saturday afternoon. 

Former Montana State All-American offensive lineman JP Flynn joins Colter Nuanez to talk all things Montana-Montana State football, share his memories from his time battling the Griz and preview the key matchups in Saturday's game in Missoula. 

Colter Nuanez and Samuel Akem share rivalry game memories (1:25) and ask a collection of questions to each other, both contemporary & historic, leading up to the 124th edition of the Montana-Montana State contest, including: (5:35) - What is the biggest matchup in the 2025 game? (8:12) - Who has the advantage in the trenches? (9:55) - What do people deny the eye test? Why is Montana State ranked ahead of Montana in Sammy's poll? (13:19) Measuring talent beyond the starters and evaluating the way each team rotates, especially on defense (15:20) Who has the best win - Montana or Montana State? (18:15) What player on each side is going to have a really big game this weekend? (21:20) How have the Griz receivers been so much more productive this year than last year despite losing four seniors from last season? And how does that group match up with Montana State's confident, youthful defensive backs? (26:51) Does it matter that 22 Montana seniors are expected to play on Saturday while MSU only has nine seniors on its roster? (29:19) Why has the visiting team been avalanched in every rivalry game since 2019? (34:34) Position by position comparisons - who is better at each position group? (45:30) The best individual performances we've ever seen in the Brawl of the Wild (50:13) What's the loudest crowd pop you've ever heard in the rivalry? (51:48) What's the craziest play you've ever seen in the Brawl? (53:40) The Cats will win if? The Griz will win if? (54:43) Which head coach has more pressure on them when it comes to legacy within the rivalry? (56:34) Tommy Mellott or Keali'i Ah Yat? (1:00:24) How important is it for the Griz to win this game if they want to make a run to the national championship? (1:02:50) What would be crazier - a rivalry rematch in the playoffs in MIssoula or Bozeman? Or a rivalry game national championship in Nashville?

In this week's Akem's Analysis, I talk about some BIG games taking place in the FCS in the final week of the regular season. The Brawl of the Wild is the biggest game in the country with a ton on the line. UC Davis & Sac State face off in the final Causeway Classic for the foreseeable future. North Dakota looks to give SDSU their 5th straight loss and knock them out of the playoffs. All of this and more in this week's Akem's Analysis. SPORTS BET MONTANA LINK: https://sportsbetmontana.com/en0:00 - Intro3:08 - Montana/Montana State Preview16:32 - UC Davis/Sac State Preview24:51 - North Dakota/SDSU Preview31:16 - Harvard/Yale Preview37:38 - Lehigh/Lafayette Preview42:24 - No Huddle Notes52:48 - Final Thoughts 54:21 - End

Montana State senior captain Kenneth Eiden IV addressed the Bozeman media ahead of his final rivalry game against Montana on Saturday in Missoula. Sound provided by MSU sports information. 

Idaho head coach Thomas Ford Jr., talks about his team's 23-20 loss at Sac State and previews his team's rivalry game against Idaho State on Saturday. 

Montana State head coach Brent Vigen joins Colter Nuanez on Nuanez Now on 102.9 ESPN to preview the 124th matchup between Montana State and Montana in Missoula on Saturday. 

Montana State analyst Michael Rider joins Colter Nuanez for a discussion including Cat-Griz memories, Caden Dowler's rise to an elite FCS player, the college football player factory that is Billings West High and key matchups in Saturday's 124th rivalry showdown between Montana and Montana State in Missoula. 

Montana State defensive coordinator Shawn Howe sits down with Colter Nuanez to talk about MSU's soundness on defense (0:39), the young Bobcat defensive coaching staff (1:55), the defensive line as leaders (4:40), the ability to play base (6:11), conversation about Montana State's four senior defensive linemen (7:34), and how Coach Howe wants to finish the regular-season (19:13). 

Jordan Tripp, a former Montana All-American linebacker and NFL player who is now doing color commentary for Scripps Sports Television broadcasts, joins Colter Nuanez to break down what makes Montana's risky yet prolific defense effective and to give his insight into the origin of the Bobcats' 4-2-5 scheme and why it's been so sound this season.

Leo Davis, a former Bobcat football player who is now the color commentator for Bobcat football on the Bobcat Radio Network, joins Colter Nuanez to talk all things Montana-Montana State with the rivalry game looming in Missoula on Saturday with a Big Sky title and playoff seeding on the line. 

Skyline analyst Ryan Tootell joins Colter Nuanez to rap about the 2025 rivalry game between No. 3 Montana State at No. 2 Montana in Missoula on Saturday, including:0:00 - Intro3:44 - Magnitude of the matchup8:10 - Setting the stage for the rivalry 16:30 - Why does the road team unravel since 2019? 22:10 - Do underdog mentalities play when the 'Cats play the Griz? 24:25 - What if these teams played twice before the end of the year?  28:30 - How will Justin Lamson handle his first Brawl?And much more! 

Skyline analyst Andrew Schmidt joins Colter Nuanez to talk about home field advantage in the rivalry (1:24), Griz 63-17 win over Portland State (3:36) plus Andrew gives his five favorite Bobcats (5:55) of all time. Plus, Andrew & Colter analyze the biggest question coming into the 124th matchup between No. 3 Montana State at No. 2 Montana (13:03) + "it's Cat week, bitch" and concerns for the Griz (26:46). 

Montana State senior captain Paul Brott addressed the media ahead of MSU's game in Missoula against No. 2 Montana (11-0). 

Montana State senior center and captain JT Reed talks about MSU's senior day and his final rivalry game against Montana in Missoula on Saturday afternoon. 

Montana State head coach Brent Vigen breaks down the 124th rivalry showdown with Montana on Saturday in Missoula. 

No. 2 Montana and No. 3 Montana State square off in Missoula for the 124th time on Saturday with the outright Big Sky Conference championship on the line. The Griz are 11-0 while Montana State is 9-2. Each are 7-0 in Big Sky play for the first time simultaneously. UM head coach Bobby Hauck, senior linebacker Geno Leonard of Missoula and senior offensive lineman Dillon Botner of Whitefish addressed the media to preview the matchup. 

In this week's Akem's Analysis, Keenan and I recap Montana's game against Portland State. They won dominantly as they have been looking to do over the last few weeks. We also look ahead to a colossal matchup in Missoula with everything on the line. Stay tuned for the entire episode. Like and comment your thoughts down below! SUBSCRIBE BEFORE YOU LEAVE!!!SPORTS BET MONTANA LINK: https://sportsbetmontana.com/en

Ty Gregorak, who will be a color commentator for the 124th edition of Montana and Montana State in Missoula on Saturday, joins Colter Nuanez to talk about Montana State's 38-17 win over UC Davis, big questions heading into the rivalry plus the Dowler brothers carrying the day for MSU, and fun story lines for Saturday. 

In this week's Akem's Analysis, I recap Montana State's big road win against UC Davis. I also talk a bit about the missed call that took place in Sacramento. There are a ton of playoff implications in this week's results and more in the upcoming week. Is Beau Brungard the Walter Payton favorite? All of this and more in this week's Akem's Analysis. Like and comment your thoughts below! SUBSCRIBE BEFORE YOU LEAVE!!! SPORTS BET MONTANA LINK: https://sportsbetmontana.com/en0:00 - Intro2:50 - Montana State/UC Davis Recap11:19 - Idaho/Sac State Recap20:12 - SDSU/Illinois State Recap25:07 - South Dakota/SIU Recap31:47 - Lamar/SFA Recap37:17 - No Huddle Notes53:27 - Final Thoughts55:16 - End

Brooks Nuanez and Colter Nuanez drop the first of an array of Skyline Sports content leading up to Saturday's showdown for the outright Big Sky Conference championship in Missoula as No. 2 Montana hosts No. 3 Montana State in the 124th meeting between archrivals. The Nuanez brothers recap Montana State's 38-17 win over No. 9 UC Davis on Saturday (5:44) and Montana's 63-17 win over Portland State (10:27) before diving into five big questions.12:14 - How much will the momentum of a season play on Saturday? 17:20 - Two of the best quarterbacks in the league in Montana's Keali'i Ah Yat and Montana State's Justin Lamson will each make their first rivalry game starts. What team does that favor? 24:35 -Montana has the top scoring offense in the league (42.2 ppg) and Montana State is the top scoring defense (16.2 ppg). Something has to give...27:50 - Montana State has the most veteran defensive line in the Big Sky and one of the top graded offensive lines in the FCS. But that disparity has been the case for a few years against the Griz and it hasn't mattered. Will it matter on Saturday? 32:31 - Since 2019, the road team has melted as the opposition in hostile territory. Why hasn't it been more competitive the last five rivalry games? 37:53 - Which head coach - Montana's Bobby Hauck with his 7-6 record against the Bobcats but 2-4 since his return or Montana State's Brent Vigen, who is 2-2 against the Griz but 0-2 in Missoula — has more to gain and more to lose from this year's clash? 41:13 - Final thoughts heading into the 124th showdown between the 'Cats and the Griz. 

Montana State head coach Brent Vigen, junior captain safety Caden Dowler (12:32) and junior quarterback Justin Lamson (20:03) addressed the media following MSU's 38-17 win over No. 9 UC Davis on Saturday night in Bozeman. 

Brock and I talk about what we're looking for in this week's highly anticipated matchup between Montana State and UC Davis. The game is on ESPN2 and is UC Davis' 3rd nationally televised game of the season. UC Davis is heavily injured, but a win would shake things up not only in the Big Sky Conference but also in the FCS. Montana State is a decent favorite, but this game came down to the wire last season. Hopefully, we get the same outcome. SPORTS BET MONTANA LINK: https://sportsbetmontana.com/en

Michael Rider joins Colter Nuanez to talk about how important rigorous strength and conditioning programs can be for college football teams and to preview No. 3 Montana State's matchup against No. 9 UC Davis Saturday night in Bozeman.

Montana State first-year offensive coordinator Pete Sterbick joins Colter Nuanez to talk about all things Bobcat football, particularly the MSU offense's quest for consistency and the 'Cats' matchup with No. 9 UC Davis on Saturday night in Bozeman.