Podcasts about Big Sky Conference

The voice of the Montana State Bobcats Keaton Gillogly joins Colter Nuanez on Nuanez Now on 102.9 FM ESPN Radio & SWX Montana Television to preview MSU's semifinal game against Montana in Bozeman on Saturday afternoon. 

On the second hour of Nuanez Now, Colter is joined by former Griz legend, NFL player, and current Scripps Sports color commentator for the Grizzlies, Jordan Tripp, for the weekly ESPN Roundtable.The conversation continues with an in-depth breakdown of the “Super Brawl” between Montana and Montana State, marking the first-ever postseason meeting between the two rivals in a historic series that dates back to 1897. With a trip to the FCS National Championship on the line, Colter and Tripp dive into the key matchups, storylines, and what makes this game one of the biggest moments in Montana sports history. 

Former Montana State All-American offensive lineman JP Flynn, a new contributing analyst to Skyline Sports, joins Colter Nuanez for a preview of the second matchup between MSU and Montana in the last month after the Bobcats won in Missoula 31-28. 

Montana State sophomore captain Adam Jones joins Colter Nuanez on Nuanez Now on 102.9 FM ESPN MT to discuss the upcoming rivalry showdown between No. 2 MSU and No. 3 Montana in Bozeman, MT on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. 

Former Montana Radio Broadcaster of the Year Ryan Tootell joins Colter Nuanez on Nuanez Now 102.9 FM ESPN MT to break down the matchups that will go similarly and differently in Saturday's Cat-Griz game, a debate on which coach has the most in the line, and a look at the stars for each team and how they might perform in Saturday's FCS Playoffs semifinal. 

Andrew Schmidt joins Colter Nuanez to break down what Montana's chance at redemption against Montana State might look like on Saturday in Bozeman and what it can do for the Griz season after UM lost to MSU at home on November 22. 

Leo Davis, a former Montana State offensive lineman and the color commentator for the Bobcat radio broadcasts, breaks down what Montana State needs to replicate and what the 'Cats have to fix in a rematch against archrival Montana in Bozeman on Saturday.

Colter Nuanez of Skyline Sports joins Dave Wooten on 106.9 FM KSKY Country in Bozeman for his weekly hit previewing the 125th Brawl of the Wild between No. 3 Montana and host No. 2 Montana State in Bozeman. 

Skyline Sports analysts Samuel Akem & Colter Nuanez break down the key matchups and narratives leading up to the 125th matchup between Montana and Montana State in Bozeman, MT on Saturday afternoon.

Brooks & Colter Nuanez of Skyline Sports compare and contrast all the dynamics between Montana State's 31-28 win over Montana in Missoula and the upcoming matchup between the 'Cats & Griz in Bozeman on Saturday afternoon.

Montana State beat writer Tom Stuber joins Colter Nuanez to talk about the ramifications and the potential fall out from the rival game between Montana and Montana State in the semifinals of the FCS Playoffs on Saturday in Bozeman, MT. 

Montana State head coach Brent Vigen addressed the media ahead of his team's rematch with Montana on Saturday in Bozeman. The Bobcats won 31-28 in Missoula on November 22. This week's matchup will determine who goes to the national title game for the FCS Playoffs. 

Montana head coach Bobby Hauck along with seniors offensive lineman Dillon Botner and safety Tanner Huff addressed the media ahead of Saturday's FCS semifinal playoff game in Bozeman against No. 2 Montana State. MSU won 31-28 in Missoula on November 22. 

Montana head coach Bobby Hauck, senior wide receiver Michael Wortham and sophomore outside linebacker Caleb Otlewski following UM's 52-22 win over South Dakota to advance to the semifinals of the FCS Playoffs for the 12th time in school history, including the second time in the last three seasons. 

South Dakota senior quarterback Aidan Bouman & senior defensive tackle Mo Newsom along with head coach Travis Johansen addressed the media following Montana's 52-22 win over USD in the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs. South Dakota's season ends with a 10-5 record. 

Montana State punted just once and rode big plays all night to a 44-28 win over Stephen F. Austin Friday night in Bozeman. The No. 2 Bobcats advance to the semis of the FCS Playoffs for the fifth time since 2019. MSU awaits the winner of No. 3 Montana and No. 11 South Dakota in Missoula Saturday. MSU head coach Brent Vigen, senior defensive end Kenneth Eiden IV and quarterback Justin Lamson along with SFA head coach Colby Carthel, quarterback Sam Vidlak and DT Ky Moore addressed the media following the game. Audio recorded by Blake Hempstead, Skyline Sports.

Former Montana linebacker Jordan Tripp joins Colter Nuanez to talk about the return of Keon Loud, the accelerated performance of Solomon Tuliapupu and the Griz defense morphing into an elite unit + we preview the quarterfinal game against South Dakota in Missoula on Saturday afternoon.

Most college football observers did a double-take when reading last Saturday’s FCS small college playoff scores. The undefeated defending FCS champion North Dakota State Bison lost – at home!  They were eliminated from the playoffs by Illinois State 29-28. NDSU’s loss has opened the door for a new national champion to be crowned in less than one month.  Villanova’s 2008 national championship was the most recent title won by a member of this year’s remaining eight quarterfinalist teams. What happened to North Dakota State last weekend? North Dakota State came into last Saturday’s home playoff game with Illinois State with a perfect 12-0 record in 2025.  The Bison had already defeated the Redbirds 33-16 at Illinois State a couple of months ago. However, my weekly FCS report last week noted, “That game saw the Bison leading by only two points (18-16) after three quarters before NDSU tacked-on two late scores for the final margin of victory”. Illinois State came into Fargo, North Dakota last Saturday with the knowledge that they had come really close to taking down the Bison in that previous meeting. By contrast, North Dakota State confidently entered last week’s game knowing they had won 14 straight games against their Missouri Valley Football Conference rivals. The Bison wasted no time in taking a 14-0 first quarter lead in NDSU’s always-noisy FargoDome stadium last Saturday. The first offensive play from scrimmage produced a 79-yard touchdown pass completion to Bryce Lance (yes, he is the younger brother of former Bison and San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance).  North Dakota State tacked-on a 52-yard punt return for a touchdown to take a 14-point lead in the opening quarter. North Dakota State’s usually punishing offense was throttled all day. Illinois State held the Bison to just six first downs – for the entire game!  NDSU still led 28-14 early in the fourth quarter as Illinois State quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse tossed five interceptions which allowed the Bison to maintain the lead. However, the Redbirds’ quarterback saved his best for last. Rittenhouse tossed two touchdowns in the game’s final three minutes plus a two-point conversion to give Illinois State a thrilling 29-28 win. Illinois State controlled the ball – well, when they weren’t throwing one of those five interceptions to North Dakota State. The Redbirds kept possession of the football for 42 minutes compared to just 18 for the Bison. NDSU finished its season at 12-1. Illinois State improved to 10-4 and now travels west this week to play UC-Davis on Saturday afternoon. Let’s preview this week’s four FCS quarterfinal playoff games! #7 seed Stephen F. Austin (11-2) at #2 seed Montana State (11-2) – FRIDAY – 8PM CST on ESPN Two mirror image teams will meet on Friday night in Bozeman, Montana. The SFA Lumberjacks opened the season with two straight losses and have reeled-off a school-record 11 straight victories to reach Friday’s FCS quarterfinal game. The Southland Conference champions defeated the United Athletic Conference winner Abilene Christian 41-34 at home Saturday in Nacogdoches, Texas to advance to this weekend’s game. Ditto for Montana State! The Bobcats dropped a road “money game” at Oregon and were surprised in their home opener by South Dakota State. After an 0-2 start, Montana State’s defense has only allowed one team (Montana) to score more than 17 points in their current 11-game winning streak.  The Big Sky Champion Bobcats edged Ivy League winner Yale 21-13 last Saturday in Bozeman to advance into the quarterfinals at home on Friday night. Stephen F. Austin’s defense is doing its part this season, too.  The Jacks have allowed just 16 points per game over their current 11-game winning streak. Offensively speaking, Montana State ranks #9 nationally in scoring 36.8 points per game. Stephen F. Austin is #14 in the FBS in scoring by producing 36 points per game. The explosive Lumberjacks’ offense has produced 57 plays of more than 20 yards this season. Montana State expects nearly 20,000 fans for Friday night’s game.  The weather will be chilly with gametime temperatures around 40 degrees and brisk winds of 15-20 mph during this game. 11-2 Villanova at #4 seed Tarleton State (12-1) – Saturday at 11AM on ESPN The Wildcats come into Saturday’s quarterfinal game in north Texas on a 10-game winning streak. Villanova went on the road last Saturday to end the season for previously undefeated Lehigh 14-7 in a game played in Bethlehem, PA.  The Wildcats from the Coastal Athletic Conference took advantage of two Lehigh turnovers to secure a win in this tightly-contested game. Villanova’s fans must travel nearly 1,600 miles southwest to Stephenville, Texas (near Fort Worth) to attend this Saturday’s quarterfinal game. The Tarleton State Texans prevailed 31-13 over the University of North Dakota last week to advance into Saturday’s quarterfinals. The 12-1 Texans’ only blemish on its record came after a last minute field goal gave eventual United Athletic Conference champion Abilene Christian a 31-28 win on November 1. Tarleton State’s defense is ranked #10 nationally and allows just 18 points per game. The weather in north central Texas should be terrific on Saturday.  Sunny skies with gametime temperatures in the mid-60’s and light winds will make for perfect football weather conditions. Univ. of South Dakota (10-4) at #3 seed Montana (12-1) – Saturday 2:30PM on ABC The Coyotes of South Dakota and the Grizzlies of Montana will meet on Saturday afternoon for the first time in a playoff setting. These two FBS schools are spaciously separated by nearly 1,100 miles.  The University of Montana football team has never lost to USD (5-0) since the Coyotes moved up into the FCS football group in 2008. South Dakota wants to change that on Saturday. The Coyotes’ 10-4 record is deceiving.  Their losses came at FBS member Iowa State and against three other FCS playoff qualifiers (Lamar University, Illinois State, and North Dakota State). USD from the Missouri Valley Football Conference has blasted two consecutive playoff opponents. Last week’s 47-0 ambush at #6 seed Mercer raised a lot of eyebrows.  The Coyotes’ offense ran for 309 yards and passed for another 241 on Saturday in Macon, Georgia.  South Dakota’s defense stifled Mercer’s vaunted passing attack as it produced four interceptions. The Montana Grizzlies of the Big Sky Conference will have the home field advantage on Saturday.  This will mark the first-ever football game to be televised by ABC at picturesque Washington/Grizzly stadium in Missoula.  Montana is the FCS’ all-time leader in post-season appearances (29) with national championships won in 1995 and 2001. The Griz is #3 nationally in scoring (41.5 points per game). Their prolific passing attack produces almost 300 yards per game with an efficient 70% completion percentage. The weather forecast for Saturday’s game calls for afternoon sunshine and a balmy (by Montana standards) high temperature of 52 degrees. Illinois State (10-4) at #8 seed UC-Davis (9-3) – Saturday at 4PM on ESPN+ The final FCS quarterfinal game of this weekend will be played just west of Sacramento on the campus of UC-Davis.  UC-Davis and Illinois State are both seeking their schools’ first FCS national football championship. These two teams played each other in the second round of last year’s FCS playoffs.  The Aggies of UC-Davis cruised in a 42-10 home field decision over the Redbirds from Normal, Illinois. As we covered earlier, Illinois State (which finished in 3rd place in the Missouri Valley Football Conference regular season) will not be intimidated after traveling to #1 seed North Dakota State last weekend and taking a 29-28 victory over the defending champs. The “Road-birds” are now 13-1 over the past two seasons as a visiting team against FCS opponents.   Senior wide receiver Daniel Sobkowicz added three touchdowns against North Dakota State last week. He now owns the Illinois State school record with 36 TD catches in his career. Meanwhile, the UC-Davis Aggies of the Big Sky Conference feature one of the most balanced offensive attacks in the entire FCS.  Last week’s home playoff win over Rhode Island saw the Aggies pass for 277 yards and rush for 276 more as they pulled away in the second half in a 47-26 victory over the Rams. UC-Davis is hosting a quarterfinal game at home for the first time since 2001. Saturday’s weather in northern California will feature plenty of sunshine and a kick-off temperatures at a cool 47 degrees.  Enjoy this weekend’s FCS quarterfinal games! The post FCS Quarterfinals – No Mo’ Bison to worry about! appeared first on SwampSwamiSports.com.

Sam Vidlak, who played at Montana before transferring to Stephen F. Austin, leads the Lumberjacks into the quarterfinals of the FCS Playoffs Friday night in Bozeman against No. 2 Montana State.

Stephen F. Austin head football coach Colby Carthel joins Colter Nuanez on ESPN MT to talk about SFA's quarterfinal FCS Playoff game at No. 2 Montana State on Saturday. 

Illinois State 16th-year head coach Brock Spack on his team's 29-28 win over No. 1 North Dakota State and Saturday's quarterfinal matchup at NO. 8 UC Davis. 

South Dakota head coach Travis Johansen addressed the media ahead of his team's FCS Quarterfinal matchup against No. 3 Montana in Missoula.

Montana State head coach Brent Vigen wraps up his team's 21-13 win over Yale and previews No. 2MSU's quarterfinal matchup against No. 7 Stephen F. Austin on Friday night in Bozeman, MT. 

Montana State head coach Brent Vigen along with captains senior DT Paul Brott & sophomore RB Adam Jones + representatives from the Yale Bulldogs addressed the media following MSU's 21-13 win in the second round of the FCS playoffs. 

Montana head coach Bobby Hauck, senior captain linebacker Solomon Tuliapupu and wide receiver Drew Deck + South Dakota State head coach Dan Jackson, defensive tackle Logan Green and quarterback Chase Mason addressed the media following UM's 50-29 win over SDSU in Missoula in the second round of the FCS Playoffs. 

Former Griz All-American and NFL linebacker Jordan Tripp joins Colter Nuanez to talk about his impressions of Montana State's 31-28 win over Montana in Missoula plus key matchups as the Griz get ready for the FCS Playoffs with a second round matchup against No. 14 South Dakota State. 

Former Montana State All-American offensive lineman JP Flynn joins Colter Nuanez to talk all things Bobcat football, including MSU's 31-28 win over Montana in Missoula and the upcoming potential playoff run for the Bobcats. 

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. 

This week, the so-called “big names” of college football are still waiting and arguing about which teams should be selected for their upcoming 12-team College Football Playoffs. The television networks will feature a limited slate of major conference championship games this weekend.  Most of this weekend’s FBS teams (win or lose) will probably make the 12-team playoff field. Yawn! By contrast, the FCS small college playoffs are now entering week #2 of their 24-team competition.  Yes, that is double the number of playoff teams compared to the major college football teams! Here’s how the FCS Playoffs work The 11 FCS playoff conferences do not play championship games. In the event of a tie for first place, each conference utilizes a set of tiebreaker rules to determine the league’s top team. Each of the 11 conference winners received an “automatic bid” into the 24-team FCS playoff field.  The other 13 teams were selected by the FCS Playoff Committee (comprised of one Athletic Director from each of the 11 participating conferences). The 11 conference winners are not guaranteed to host a home playoff game.  In fact, the winners of the Ivy League (Yale), Northeast Conference (Central Connecticut State), and Pioneer Football League (Drake) played on the road in Week #1. Last weekend’s first round had the top eight FCS seeds with a bye.  The remaining 16 teams were in action, though.  The next eight highest seeded teams (Seeds #9-16) hosted first round games last Saturday.  Their opponents were selected by the playoff committee with geographic considerations to minimize team travel costs (a very smart idea). Three road teams pulled Week #1 upsets last weekend. Surprising North Dakota clobbered #13 seed Tennessee Tech 31-6 in Cookeville.  Yale scored the final 29 points of the game in the second half to surprise #15 seed Youngstown State 43-42.  Illinois State prevailed over #16 Southeastern Louisiana 21-3 in Hammond. The other five teams eliminated last weekend were Central Connecticut State, Harvard, New Hampshire, Drake, and Lamar. The FCS is now down to its “Sweet 16” round on Saturday.   Let’s review each of the match-ups!  (All kickoffs shown are CST) #12 Villanova (10-2) at #5 Lehigh (12-0) – 11AM on ESPN+ When you’re hot, you’re hot!  The Villanova Wildcats lost two of their first three games of the season (to FBS Penn State and 9-3 FCS member Monmouth).  Since then, Villanova has won nine straight games.  That includes last Saturday’s 52-7 opening round shellacking of formerly 9-1 Harvard.  The Coastal Athletic Association runner-up Wildcats ran for 319 yards as part of a 519-yard offensive output in their home rout over Harvard. The Lehigh Mountain Hawks of the Patriot League enjoyed a first round bye.  Lehigh features the fourth best rushing offense in the FCS with more than 235 yards per game on the ground.  Lehigh (which was the SwampSwamiSports.com #1 regular season team) has limited eight of its 12 opponents to 14 points or less during the season.  Tickets for the first Lehigh home playoff game in Bethlehem, PA since 2004 are scarce.  Saturday’s game will be played in dry but chilly (upper 30’s) weather conditions. #11 South Dakota (9-4) @ #6 Mercer (9-2) – 11AM on ESPN+ South Dakota’s Coyotes from the Missouri Valley Conference eliminated Pioneer Football League champion Drake 38-17 last week in Round 1.  USD has won seven of their last eight games.  This week’s game is the first-ever football match-up of South Dakota and Mercer.  The Coyotes have advanced into the second round of the FCS playoffs for three consecutive seasons. The pass-happy Mercer Bears had a first round bye.  Mercer is second in the FCS with nearly 334 passing yards per game.  Alas, the forecast for Macon, Georgia features a 60% chance of rain with temperatures hovering around 50 degrees.  The weather conditions may dampen the effectiveness of the So-Con champion Bears’ dangerous passing attack. Illinois State (9-4) @ #1 North Dakota State (12-0) – 12 Noon on ESPN+ This is a Missouri Valley Football Conference rematch of North Dakota State’s 33-16 win over the Redbirds on October 4th in Normal, Illinois.  That game saw the Bison leading by only two points (18-16) after three quarters before NDSU tacked-on two late scores for the final margin of victory. Indiana State’s Redbirds are led by quarterback Tommy Rittenhouse.  He passed for 28 touchdowns and ran for seven more scores this season. North Dakota State is the defending FCS champion and is participating in the playoffs for the 16th consecutive season.  The Bison score 42 points per game (#3 nationally) and are #1 in defense by allowing less than 12 points per outing.  Expect another sell-out crowd in the noisy 18,700 seat FargoDome to cheer-on the unbeaten Bison this Saturday afternoon. North Dakota (8-5) @ #4 Tarleton State (11-1) – 12 Noon on ESPN+ I admit it.  It was quite surprising to learn that the 7-5 North Dakota Fighting Hawks were being selected to participate in the FCS playoffs over several other teams with much better season records.  UND finished in a three-way tie for third place in the Missouri Valley Conference.  They were dispatched 1,200 miles to the south to play a first round road game at 11-1 Ohio Valley/Big South champion Tennessee Tech.  The Fighting Hawks soared in the final quarter as North Dakota scored 21 points to secure a 31-6 win and advance into the second round. This week’s “reward” is a nearly 1,300 mile road trip to #4 seed Tarleton State of Stephenville, Texas (runner-up in the United Athletic Conference).  The North Dakota defense forced six turnovers last week in its win over Tennessee Tech. Tarleton State is no slouch on defense, either.  The Texans lead the FCS in turnover margin with a 2.42 “plus” turnover ratio.  Quarterback Victor Gabalis passed for 25 touchdowns and only four interceptions this year to lead Tarleton State’s offense.  Sunny weather and temperatures in the mid-60’s should make for a perfect day for playoff football in north Texas. Yale (9-2) @ #2 Montana State (10-2) – 1PM on ESPN+ Yale may be destiny’s darling in this year’s FCS playoffs.  After handing unbeaten Harvard its first loss and winning the Ivy League, the Bulldogs found themselves down 35-7 at the half at Youngstown State in last Saturday’s first round playoff game.  A furious second half rally saw Yale escape with an improbable 43-42 win to advance into Round 2. This week’s opponent is also on a roll.  Montana State defeated previously unbeaten Montana two weeks ago to win the Big Sky Conference title.  After a first round bye, the Bobcats can’t wait to play Yale this Saturday in Bozeman, Montana as snow and 38 degrees await the visitors from Connecticut.  Montana State rushes for more than 230 yards per game, so expect a ball-control offensive effort from the Bobcats on Saturday. #14 South Dakota State (9-4) @ #3 Montana (11-1) – 1PM on ESPN+ It took an overtime win in the regular season finale at North Dakota for the Jackrabbits to end their shocking four-game losing streak.  South Dakota State was rewarded by the FCS Playoff committee with a playoff spot.  The Jackrabbits (which finished 4-4 in the Missouri Valley this year) quickly dispatched New Hampshire 41-3 to advance to Round 2 and earn a visit to Missoula to play the University of Montana this Saturday. The hungry Montana Grizzlies are still seething from a season-ending 31-28 loss to rival Montana State.  Even with the loss, the Big Sky runner-up received a first round bye based on their sterling 11-1 regular season record.  The Griz want to avenge last season’s 35-18 playoff loss to South Dakota State in a game played in Brookings, SD.  Running back Eli Gillman (the Big Sky offensive player-of-the-year) leads the team with 105 yards per game and a team-high 17 touchdowns.  Light freezing rain and snow showers are expected during Saturday’s game with temperatures in the upper 30’s. #10 Abilene Christian (9-4) @ #7 Stephen F. Austin (10-2) – 1PM on ESPN+ These two Texas-based conference champions will tee-it up for a second time this season.  This time, the game will be played in Nacogdoches on Saturday.  The Wildcats beat Stephen F. Austin 28-20 in Abilene in early September.  United Athletic League champion Abilene Christian has won seven of its last eight games.  ACU dispatched third-place Southland Conference finisher Lamar 38-20 last weekend in Abilene during Round #1 of the FCS playoffs. The SFA Lumberjacks went 8-0 in the Southland Conference this year to take the league title for the first time since 2010.  Stephen F. Austin has won its last ten games and is allowing only 15 points per game on defense.  SFA was awarded a first round bye, and the school is “jacked” about hosting a home playoff game against the team which beat them in Week #2. #9 Rhode Island (11-2) @ #8 UC-Davis (8-3) – 9PM on ESPN2 “Road” Island is making a 3,000 mile cross-country trip to play this game on Saturday night in northern California.  The CAA regular season champion Rams earned the trip west by winning an opening round playoff game 27-19 at home last weekend over the stubborn Central Connecticut State Blue Devils.  Rhode Island quarterback Devin Ferrell leads the Rams’ offense with nearly 3,500 yards via the air and 22 touchdowns passes. UC-Davis finished third in the Big Sky Conference behind Montana State and the University of Montana.  The Aggies’ explosive offense passes for 258 yards per game and rushes for another 180.  Saturday’s match-up against Rhode Island will be the first-ever for these two teams.  This game will kick-off under clear skies with temperatures falling into the upper 40’s. Enjoy the second round of the FCS Playoffs this Saturday! The post FCS – Previewing the “Sweet 16” Playoff games appeared first on SwampSwamiSports.com.

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.

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.  

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.

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 

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. 

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. 

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.

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. 

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. 

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.

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 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. 

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

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

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 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 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. 

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 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.