This picture of Cougars center Aron Baynes may be what the Vikings look like after Sunday night’s contest. The Washington State Cougars coached by Tony Bennett, suddenly became a good basketball team last year. After years and years of struggles, and terrible recruiting it looks like the Cougars may now have a squad that will be a power for years to come. Though they lost in the second round of the NCAA tournament to Vanderbilt, and lost in the finals of the Pac-10 tournament to USC, they had a very good team last year, and very well could have gone as far as the elite eight. This year, they return all of their best players, including studs Derrick Low and Kyle Weaver. So far this season, Washington State is 8-0, and they are coming off two very solid road victories at Baylor and Gonzaga. They have been on a quest to prove they’re a legitimate power in the Pac-10, and last night’s victory might have done just that. If they can get through this one unscathed, they should begin the Pac-10 season undefeated.

On the flip side of the coin there are the Vikings. They’re coming off a terrible game last night against Division III Lewis & Clark that they should have lost based on the way they played. That said, they are 6-3 so far, which gives them the best record in the Big Sky Conference. They will have Scott Morrison back on the inside who is 100%, but could be without Andre Murray, whose ankle injury’s severity is unknown at this time. The Vikings are also hoping to get two new additions to the roster, Alex Tiefenthaler and Justynn Hammond. Tiefenthaler transfered from Portland at this time last year, and Hammond has been in classes for over a year trying to become academically eligible. Tiefenthaler would be a big boost on the inside, where JR Moore has been largely ineffective, and Kyle Coston has been useless. He has made a few outside shots, but he’s still too small to fight for rebounds. Hammond, if eligible, would probably fit into the mix at backup small forward, or backup off guard.

Match-Ups
Center
Wazzu: Aron Baynes PSU: Scott Morrison
Unless Coach Bone really thought PSU could win this game, Morrison’s being held of the game last night doesn’t make much sense. Outside of the exhibition game, and Kevin Love, Scott hasn’t gone up against a player of this size. (6′10″ 270) Baynes is a very strong inside presence, and has played a solid game offensively so far this season. Like Morrison, he gets fewer rebounds due to playing for a team on which the smaller players rebound well. Baynes plays the fewest minutes per game of any starter on the Cougs, but has a talented backup in Caleb Forrest, who is also effective on the inside. Morrison can compete with either one, but probably not both. Even if Tiefenthaler plays, they’ll probably have to play him at power forward, because Cowgill is way too big for Mara. I’ll give the edge to Wazzu, but only because they have a better backup, power wise.
Advantage: Cougars

Power Forward
Wazzu: Robbie Cowgill PSU: Tyrell Mara/Alex Tiefenthaler
There are very few teams in the country who start two guys this big. Cowgill is huge for a college level power forward at 6′10″. As a result, it creates big mismatches for opponents. For Portland State, it will be no different. They have a few options here. If Tiefenthaler is eligible, he’s a no brainer against Cowgill. If not, they could play Morrison here, with Moore at center. This would set up a match-up between two great shot blockers, as Morrison is #1 all-time at PSU, and Cowgill is 7th all-time at Wazzu. The third option is to go with their standard lineup and play Tyrell Mara here. It could definitely work, but would be risky. On the up side, Mara could really stretch the defense with his shooting and open up mid-range shots for Huff, Murray, and Lucas. On the down side, Mara is nowhere near big enough to guard Cowgill down low, and would either allow a bunch of points, or get in foul trouble early. Therefore, the Vikings will have to hope Tiefenthaler is eligible because he is both big enough to pound with Cowgill inside, and agile enough to keep up with his mid range shooting ability. Due to unknown factors, PSU can’t prepare properly for Cowgill, so I’ll give him the advantage.
Advantage: Cougars

Guard/Forward
Wazzu: Kyle Weaver PSU: Deonte Huff/Tyrell Mara
If Tiefenthaler is eligible to play, that opens up options at this position too. Mara, because of his physical nature, larger stature, rebounding ability, and intense defense, is a better match-up against Weaver. With two guys who are 6′6″, and have big hot streaks on offense to go along with tenacious defense, this could be a very intriguing match-up. If Tief can’t go, that puts Huff on Weaver. These two are also a good match-up, but one that favors the Cougars. Weaver is bigger, and a better on the ball defender than Huff. Both players are streaky shooters, but have the ability to get inside and create opportunities for themselves, as well as rebound with the big men. Either one presents a match-up that the Vikings could win given the right circumstances, but an unfriendly venue, just finishing finals, and a terrible warm up game don’t bode well for the Vikings.
Advantage: Cougars

Off-Guard
Wazzu: Derrick Low PSU: Andre Murray/Dupree Lucas/Deonte Huff
Some college basketball analysts have said that Derrick Low is the best player in the country that nobody knows about. Because he plays on the west coast, combined with playing in a relatively small media market, Low gets no attention outside of road games. The people who you can be sure have their eyes on Low is the opposing coaches. Low is a deadly outside shooter who has the knack to get inside shots too, even though he is only 6′2″ and just under 200 pounds. He consistently plays at the level Dupree Lucas plays at when he’s at his best. That means trouble for the Vikings. Out of the three possible match-ups, none is a very good defender outside of Lucas. However, when Lucas goes 100% on the defensive end, he becomes non-existent on the offensive end. That’s why I think he’s the best choice in this one. Forcing him to play tough defense will keep him from taking stupid shots the second he gets the ball because he’ll be too tired to do so. If either of the other options for the Vikings play here, the result will be this: 25+ points for Low, about 10 for his opponent. Not bad for a match-up against a player who will compete for Pac-10 player of the year, but not good enough if the Vikings really want to have a chance to win.
Advantage: Cougars

Point
Wazzu: Taylor Rochestie PSU: Jeremiah Dominguez
This may be the one place where the Vikings can actually compete in this game outside the center position. If it is to be, Dominguez will really have to be on his game. Both teams can play a quick game, so Dominguez won’t have an advantage if he tries to push too much. Good shooting, and quick hands on the defensive end will be necessary to achieve that goal. Rochestie is a very talented offensively, with the ability to stroke it from long range, and the ability to create good shots for his teammates. If he can exploit his major height advantage, it would benefit the Cougars in a big way. Look for him to try posting up early, as Lewis & Clark attempted unsuccessfully with Tillery. In this case, it is much more likely to work. If it does, Morrison is going to have to be ready with the help inside.
Advantage: Cougars

Bench
Both benches are pretty solid. Neither has a player on it who is doing any real damage offensively so far this season, but both have talented players (Harmeling, Forrest) (Lucas, Thomas.) The team that has the advantage in the match-up of the benches is the one who gets a good effort from one of the players not mentioned above. Maybe Coston can come up with a strong game in his home state, or maybe freshman Stephen Sauls can put up som points for the Cougs. Either way this is a good match-up.
Advantage: Push

Though I think the Cougars have an edge at every position, I think most of them are small advantages. However, the Cougs have home court advantage in this one, and big- time confidence off their game last night. The one thing the Vikings do have going for them is that the Cougars are coming off a very physical hard-fought victory against Gonzaga (as indicated by the photo.) If they overlook the Viks, then there is a chance this could be an exciting ball game. If not, it will likely resemble the one against UCLA. I predict a hard-fought battle, but I don’t think PSU can compete on these terms. There are too many unknowns in a match-up that already favored the Cougars.

Prediction: Washington State: 74-58

As all the PSU fans know, the Stott Center floor was flooded after the sprinkler system was set off during a softball open gym (why they are allowed to use the main gym is beyond me). Therefore, wednesday night’s game will be played in an alternate venue nearby. Though the venue for this game is still unknown, the outcome will likely be unaffected. The Pioneers, who play in the Northwest Conference of NCAA Division III shouldn’t really present a challenge for the Vikings unless a disaster happens, like 3 of their starters get injured. So far this season, the Pioneers are 3-1 with their loss coming at the hands of Pacific in a 92-47 drubbing. With the change in venue, the Vikings may not duplicate that points spread, but it is easy to believe they could come close. The Vikings have an advantage at every position, but it isn’t as severe at the point, because the Pioneers have a talented senior from Benson Tech named Thomas Tillery running the show.

Match-Ups
L&C: Garrett Waagmeester/Tyson Papenfuss PSU: Scott Morrison/Julius Thomas/JR Moore
Though he hasn’t played much, Lewis & Clark will probably have to resort to starting Waagmeester against Morrison. He is the team’s biggest player at only 6′7″ and 215 pounds. Morrison has taken advantage of these mismatches so far this season, and there’s no reason to believe that he won’t in this game. The other option they have used so far at this position is Tyson Papenfuss. At 6′5″ he’s another guy the Vikings can exploit down low. In the previous games against inferior opponents so far this season, Morrison has gone about 20 minutes with Julius Thomas and JR Moore filling the rest of the time. That trend should continue in this contest. Honestly, any of the 3 for the Vikings could probably score 10 points against the Pioneer front line if they really wanted to.

L&C: David Berggren PSU: Tyrell Mara/Kyle Coston
They are both 6′6″, but that’s about all they have in common. Mara is stronger, and a better overall player. After hitting a few 3 balls early, look for Mara to get a rest and give Coston a chance, which will create a match-up that’s a little more even. Coston’s been off and on this year, so this will provide him an opportunity for a little more confidence before the tough match-up with Washington State.

L&C: Joey Toboni PSU: Deonte Huff
Both players really like to shoot the ball. Depending on who can hit more shots, this could be a position where the production is almost equal. However, Huff’s ability to penetrate and create free throws gives him an edge, along with his ability to rebound over almost anyone. This is another game for highlight dunks, but fans may not see them dependent on the venue.

L&C: Gene Rivera PSU: Dupree Lucas/Andre Murray
Rivera is a role player offensively, but plays solid defense and creates some turnovers. This game is an opportunity for Lucas to get back on track. If he doesn’t he may lose his spot in the rotation to Murray, who had a very solid game at Utah Valley over the weekend.

L&C: Thomas Tillery PSU: Jeremiah Dominguez/Mickey Polis/Brian Curtis
Senior Thomas Tillery is one of the real strengths for the Pioneers. A scoring point guard, he will probably win a lot of games this year on his own. He may even draw Dominguez into foul trouble. If this occurs, it shouldn’t be an issue for the Vikings. Instead it will give Polis a chance to show off his jumper, and maybe Curtis to play a few minutes.

We should know the venue for the game by Wednesday morning, and hopefully it will be one that the Viking fans can get to so that they can create a home-like atmosphere.

Prediction: PSU 85-52

UC-Davis recently joined D-1 and the Big West Conference. With a 5-23 record last year, and their dismal performance in the Stott Center last year, prospects look very good for the Vikings. However, to succeed, they will have to focus on Shane Hanson, a talented sophomore for the Aggies. The Aggies’ 2-2 record is like saying the Viks are really 3-2. Both of their wins came at home against D-III opponents. The only game they have played which one can really gauge is a 75-65 loss against New Mexico State. If they have really improved that much they might be dangerous at home. However, they also dropped a game to Texas by 31. This is a program who should benefit from having a very large arena (relative to it’s conference), and thus room for growth, and a draw for recruits even though it’s not new.

Match-Ups
Big Men
Davis: Kyle Brucculeri PSU: Scott Morrison
Davis plays what they call a four guard line-up. However Hanson is listed as a guard, and he’s 6′7″. At 6′8″, Brucculeri will start against Morrison, but there is a possibility the Aggies will be forced to replace him with seldom used 7′2″ back-up Michael Boone, especially if Morrison is able to stay assertive on the offensive end. I predict that this will be the case, because Brucculeri has a history of difficulty rebounding against bigger players. Boone has played a total of 6 minutes against the two D-1 opponents so far. Their other option is the 6′9″ Dominic Calegari who averaged 5 points and 4 rebounds in 11.5 minutes over the same two games.
Advantage: PSU

Forward
Davis: Shane Hanson PSU: Tyrell Mara
PSU will need Mara to be on his game if they want to win this one. Hanson can be very explosive at times, averaging 14.5 points a game. He has a solid all-around game (3.8 rpg, 2.5 apg, and 3 three-balls per contest.) Mara has a similar game, and should be able to keep up in all categories, maybe with the exception of points. He did have that 18 point game in Alaska, but if the rest of team does its job, he shouldn’t need to do that in this one.
Advantage: Davis

Guard/Forward
Davis: Mike Payne PSU: Deonte Huff
Freshman Mike Payne is the best passer as well as one of the better scorers. He’s started the year hot, doing a little bit of everything (averaging 8.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 4.0 steals so far.) Although PSU started Andre Murray in the game against Linfield, Huff should be the one starting this one. Murray didn’t play that well, so whether or not they want to play a 3 guard line-up, it’s probably not advisable at this point. Huff looked really explosive on Tuesday, so the Viks will need to look for him on the break, and hope he continues to fight for the tough boards. Payne is also very tall for a guard, so using Huff will somewhat offset the height difference.
Advantage: Push

Off Guard
Davis: Vince Oliver PSU: Dupree Lucas
Oliver is the other big scorer for the Aggies. He had a tough shooting night against Texas, scoring only 7 points in 10 shots. However, against NM State he had 17, so Lucas will have to try to force him into taking the difficult shots. Lucas looks like he is slowly getting back to his form from last year. However, he needs to make sure he doesn’t get away from his mid-range game, because it is much more of a strength for him then the outside shots he sometimes resorts to.
Advantage: PSU

Point
Davis: David Carter PSU: Jeremiah Dominguez
Carter hasn’t been much of an offensive threat through the first four games of the season. If he is ineffective, look for the Aggies to go with Ryan Silva in his place. Though only 5′10″, the true freshman can be an offensive threat, especially from the outside. Look for Dominguez to continue his hot streak. He’s easily the team MVP, and should again be able to use his speed to get a few steals and make some big shots.
Advantage: PSU

The Aggies managed just 42 points against Texas, and 65 against New Mexico State. Playing at home, I think they will be able to get a few more. However, if they want any shot in this one, Payne and Hanson will have to have really big games.

Prediction: PSU pulls this one off, but it won’t be pretty. 77-69

The Colorado State Rams come into the championship game with wins over Oregon State and Tennessee State. The wins came with two very different playing styles. In the first game, Willis Gardner had 20 points for the Rams. Today, Marcus Walker scored 43, and Gardner only had four. At first glance, this sort of offensive ability for a team in a more powerful conference might look insurmountable, but this is another team who isn’t deep. They only play eight guys, so if the Viks can tire out the starters like in the IUPUI game, they should have a shot. The Rams are a bigger, physical team than the others in the tournament. They have two 7-footers, and a freshman who is 6′9.” Walker shoots the ball the most, so Lucas putting pressure on as he did against George Hill is essential to the Viks’ success.

Match-Ups
Big Men
CSU: Stuart Creason PSU: Scott Morrison
This should be a big challenge for Morrison going up against a player who is the same size, if not bigger, and who is a talented scorer and rebounder. Scotty tends to come up with his better efforts in games where the pressure is on him, so he should have quite a few opportunities for some blocked shots. This senior, 7-footer match-up should have a real impact on the game, even if the points aren’t there.
Advantage: CSU

Power Forward
CSU: Andre McFarland PSU: Tyrell Mara
Though Mara was able to explode for 18 points against IUPUI, his role for the remainder is probably about 10 points per game, tough defense and rebounding. McFarland is a 6′6″ freshman out of Las Vegas, and he should provide about the same thing for the Rams. I’m leaning towards Mara due to his added experience.
Advantage: PSU

Guard/Forward
CSU: Josh Simmons PSU: Deonte Huff
Another true freshman starter for the Rams. He and Huff are the same size, but Huff is much more put together. I believe Huff should win this match-up because of his superior athletic skills and experience, but I wouldn’t count out Simmons from scoring 5-10 points in this match-up.
Advantage: PSU

Off Guard
CSU: Marcus Walker PSU: Dupree Lucas
This is the battle of two former CC stars who have the ability to explode for points at times. Walker started his college career at Nebraska, while Lucas started at Xavier. If Lucas can find his offense, this should be a very exciting match-up. Because Walker has been hot recently, especially on Saturday afternoon, I’m leaning towards him.
Advantage: CSU

Point
CSU: Willis Gardner PSU: Jeremiah Dominguez
This is another bigger point guard match-up for Dominguez, probably similar to what he’ll see all year. Gardner should almost certainly score more points, but as Dominguez has shown so far, the game can’t be judged solely by points scored.
Advantage: Push

Unless Montana is ridiculously better than PSU, the Vikings should be able to beat the Rams. The Viks’ bench should see more time against CSU, and should hopefully be more effective, especially scoring. They will need to for PSU to have a shot in this one. I’ll pick the Vikings again, because it seems to be working for them.

Prediction PSU 76-74

The Zips play in the MAC conference and were picked to finish fourth preseason. They return three starters from last year’s squad that won the MAC, and was the best team not in a post-season tournament. They lost out on a last minute bank-shot by Miami. (OH) Like IUPUI, they have a couple big men, but not good ones, which means the Zips will most likely play a small, quicker lineup. Coming off a game versus IUPUI, the Viks should be ready to deal with this.

Match-Ups
Big Men
Akron: Jeremiah Wood PSU: Scott Morrison
A strictly inside player, Wood should be a good match-up for Morrison. He doesn’t pass well, and he can’t shoot from the outside. Add on the fact that he gets in foul trouble, and Scotty could really exploit his 5 inch height advantage. Wood may have trouble living up to his reputation as a ferocious rebounder in this match-up, even though he is a candidate for MAC player of the year.
Advantage: PSU

Small Forward #1
Akron: Nate Linhart PSU: Tyrell Mara
Linhart is a lefty, and presents a difficult match-up for opponents with his size and range. However, I think Mara should be up to the challenge, because he is a similar player with a bit more muscle. Both players play good defense, so there probably won’t be many points scored here.
Advantage: Push

Small Forward #2
Akron: Quade Milum/Jimmy Conyers PSU: Deonte Huff
Because neither team is playing another inside guy, I characterized two positions as SF. I think Milum may get the start due to the match-up problem he presents to the Vikings. The senior is a prolific shot blocker, and extremely athletic. (he was the Ohio state high jump champion in HS) He may matchup more against Mara, dependent on how the coaches choose to set things up. Each of the two options for Akron scored in double figures in their exhibition game. Huff won’t be able to rely on athleticism to win this battle, so he’ll have to play a perimeter game, which makes him less dangerous.
Advantage: Akron

Off-Guard
Akron: Nick Dials PSU: Dupree Lucas
This is the match-up of former players at big-time basketball programs in Ohio with Nick being the former Buckeye, and Dupree the former Musketeer. Although he didn’t display his three point touch with an 0 for 7 effort in the exhibition, the shooter can really fill it up at times. Dupree should have every advantage in this match-up besides outside shooting, and they share the same height. If Lucas makes his mid-range jumper, he should outscore Dials.
Advantage: PSU

Point
Akron: Steve McNees PSU: Jeremiah Dominguez
McNees has the obvious height advantage at 6′2″, but that didn’t stop Dominguez in the UCLA game. McNees was a great high school player, and should carry that to the collegiate level after a red-shirt year. The only way PSU wins this match-up is if Dominguez can force McNees out of his comfort zone with his quickness.
Advantage: Akron

Bench
Both teams have good benches capable of scoring some points. However, Akron’s is a bit shorter than PSU’s. Julius Thomas and Kyle Coston may see extended minutes in this one due to their size.
Advantage: PSU

Prediction
After tonight’s thrilling victory over IUPUI I’m leaning towards the Vikings coming through again. PSU will have to address the issues with interior and transition defense, but should be ready for a more physical game tomorrow night.

PSU 71-68

IUPUI-pronounced ‘ooey pooey’ is a subsidiary of Indiana University and Purdue University in Carmel, a northern suburb of Indianapolis. They play in the Summit League, formerly known as the Mid-Continent.

IUPUI was created in 1969 as a partnership by and between Indiana and Purdue Universities, with IU as the managing partner. With over 29,000 students, IUPUI is the second-largest campus in the Indiana University state wide system.

The Jaguars should come in to the Top of the World Classic with a lot of confidence. On the 10th they played Marquette very close in Milwaukee, and beat up IU-South Bend by 35 yesterday. They were picked as the favorites to win the Summit League, and boast preseason player of the year George Hill.

Coming off a tough loss against UCLA, the Vikings will look to get rid of the goose egg in the win column for the 2007-08 season. If they can exploit some of the mismatches, it might happen. However, the Jaguars won’t be pushovers.

Matchups
Big Men
IUPUI: Billy Pettiford PSU: Scott Morrison
IUPUI has one player over 6′8″ on their roster, and he doesn’t play much (when he does he’s not very good on offense, and picks up lots of fouls on defense). Due to this, I’ll compare the guys who should see significant PT. Pettiford is a solid all-around player who can score, rebound, and pass the ball. Morrison should be able to slow him down significantly with the threat of the shot block against the 6′7″ forward. If he has a good game passing, look for PSU to go with a smaller lineup. However, at only 220 pounds, he may be unable to keep Morrison away from within 4 feet of the hoop where Scotty actually has an offensive game.
Advantage: PSU (Slight)

Forward #2
IUPUI: Jon Avery PSU: Tyrell Mara
This appears to be a good match up for both guys. Tyrell is a strong physical player, and Avery likes to play inside. On the flip side, Tyrell’s three-point shooting ability will force Avery away from his comfort zone. I look for a lot of fouls here, and not very many points.
Advantage: Push

Guard/Forward
IUPUI: Austin Montgomery PSU: Deonte Huff
Two players who do a little bit of everything. They can both score, defend, and rebound. I look for Huff to be a bit more physical than Montgomery is used to. If Huff can use his athletic superiority, he might score 15+.
Advantage: PSU (Slight)

Off Guard
IUPUI: George Hill PSU: Dupree Lucas
Hill is another exceedingly tough match up for Lucas after Shipp last week. This one may be another huge gap. It seems that Lucas is a lot more productive when he doesn’t have to exert himself on the defensive end. Add to that, he seems to be a slow starter. However, PSU doesn’t need 30 from Dupree in this game. If he can get 10-15, I’m sure coach Bone would be happy.
Advantage: IUPUI

Point Guard
IUPUI: Gary Patterson PSU: Jeremiah Dominguez
After a great debut against UCLA, JD will look to continue his success. Patterson is also a smaller guard, so that should be a better match up. On the other hand, he did score 15 points against Dominic James, so this should be a good challenge.
Advantage: Push

Bench
PSU should have a huge advantage here if Bone can afford to have them in. The Vikings have more quality players on their bench than the Jaguars do, and certainly more scoring ability. Look for the Viking bench to dominate if the Jaguars want to rest some of their starters.

Prediction: This game is one that could easily go either way. I’m going to pick the Vikings because they have a shorter trip, and the more physical team. Because the Jaguars will probably be a bit slowed down in their first game, the size should give them fits.

Score: PSU 67-62

UCLA is #2 in the nation. Does that mean that they’ll beat PSU by 40? Perhaps. However, if J.R. Moore is healthy by this weekend, PSU should have match ups that seem favorable for the game to stay close. Rather than match up the starters, then the bench, I’ll just go by position.

Center: Kevin Love/Lorenzo Mata VS Scott Morrison/J.R. Moore
Morrison will have the height advantage, however, the question is whether he can compete with Love’s power and whether he is mobile enough to cover his outside shots. Most likely, UCLA will outscore PSU, however, PSU might be able to compete on the boards. Morrison cannot get into foul trouble if PSU wants to have a chance.
Advantage: UCLA

Power Forward: Luc Richard Mbah a Moute/Alfred Aboya VS Tyrell Mara/Julius Thomas
If there is anywhere where UCLA really outclasses PSU, it is here. Any one of the three for UCLA would start at PSU. If Mara can stay out of foul trouble, it would greatly help the Vikings’ chances. Again, UCLA will outscore PSU here, so the Viks will have to make the points up somewhere else.
Advantage: UCLA

Small Forward: Josh Shipp/Chace Stanback VS Deonte Huff/Kyle Coston
This position is one that the Viks need to win the battle at if they expect to win. However, I think Huff will need to use his physical tools to score, because his outside range doesn’t appear to have arrived yet this year. Shipp, on the other hand, is a shooter, and Huff will need to press to try to lock him down. If Huff gets into foul trouble, Coston’s outside shot will be essential.
Advantage: Push

Shooting Guard: Russell Westbrook VS Dupree Lucas/Andre Murray
PSU should outscore the Bruins here. The Viks will need the same type of effort they got from Lucas and Murray in the exhibition with 20 points each. I don’t think that’s going to happen, but they should both do well.
Advantage: PSU

Point Guard: Darren Collison VS Jeremiah Dominguez/Mickey Polis
Dominguez should get some steals, but Collison is far too strong for him to cover. Dominguez should be able to keep up, but Collison will likely force him into foul trouble.
Advantage: UCLA

Prediction: UCLA wins 84-61

Here are my humble predictions for week 6 around the Big Sky:

UNC @ ISU- While I have yet to see the Bears in person, I have seen the Bengals, and they are close to being a good offensive team. Depending on who starts at QB (Butler suffered a concussion @ MSU), UNC may have a hard time stopping the pass. Barnett is proving once again he is on the top 3 backs in the Big Sky. UNC has given up a ton of points, and I would like to say their defense has improved, but the least amount of points they have allowed is 31, and that was their 31-0 loss at home to DII Chadron State. If Russell Hill starts, it won’t be as bad for the Bears, but if Butler is healthy, he is a young talented QB with his best days ahead of him.
UNC 17 ISU 35

NAU @ PSU - Lumberjacks, what happened? From what I understand, Kreissen was playing hurt and went out at halftime? What is his status? For this prediction, I will assume he will be a go at gametime. If he does start, this could be the highest scoring game of the year so far in the Big Sky. A classic Big Sky game, where defense is optional. PSU’s Brian White has been on fire lately, throwing for 1,529 yards and 6 TDs in just 5 games, although he does have 5 INTs in that span as well. They beat a very good EWU team last week, and White did it without star receiver Tremayne Kirkland. NAU on the other hand got smoked by an up and coming (maybe) Sac State squad. Did I hear that Skyler Moore was injured? Both teams have the offense, but who will step up on defense? I think NAU is a little banged up, and this game is in Portland where Glanville has drummed up decent support so far.
NAU 24 PSU 35

Sac @ Weber - Weber had a horrible OOC start to the year, but have played well, at least defensively, in conference so far. They did lose their best DLmen last week on a questionable block by UM’s Cody Balough, but they still have plenty of talent on that side of the ball. Teams often struggle with their man-to-man coverage, and will be a good test to see how good freshman QB Jason Smith really is. Whatever happened to Ryan Mole, or the JC transfer that went to the same JC as MSU’s Demetrius Crawford? On the other end, Weber’s offense has struggled mightily, despite having one of the best RB’s in the Big Sky in sophomore Trevyn Smith. Getting his second start at QB should be Cameron Higgins, a dual-threat freshman who may have emerged to the top of the muck that is the Weber QB situation. I’m still not a believer of the Hornets, and I think Weber wins in a low-scoring affair in Ogden, thanks to the play of their defense.
Sac 10 Weber 14

Southern Utah @ #13 Montana State - The T-Birds of Southern Utah have played the most brutal schedule in FCS football so far, and it doesn’t get any better this week as they head to Bozeman to play the 13th ranked Bobcats. SUU’s QB, Wes Marshall, is a good dual-threat QB in a pretty decent option offense, but rumor is he is a game time decision for Saturday. It would be a big blow to the T-Birds hopes of winning, who despite their 0-4 record are not a horrible team. But they are going to have to be above average Saturday against a Bobcat team playing with confidence and swagger. Demetrius Crawford has emerged as the league’s leading rusher, though he has yet to actually start a game (though he does get most of the carries), and is averaging an amazing 7.8 yards per carry. Jack Rolovich has made a few mistakes, but is always going to bounce back and make the big play. The Cats struggled early against a well-prepared ISU squad, but eventually found their rhythm, and settled down defensively, and soundly beat the Bengals 40-20 in Bozeman. The T-Birds were in the middle of their brutal schedule last week at #6 McNeese State, losing 41-20. The T-Birds may put up more points than Bobcat fans will like, and it may take some second half adjustments, but the Cats should beat the T-Birds by at least 2 TDs.
SUU 20 MSU 38

Game of the Week:

EWU @ #1 UM - Eastern was upset last week in Cheney to a PSU squad that is finally beginning to click in that spread offense. The Eagles have thrived on turnovers this year, but lost the turnover battle for the first time last week, and the score reflected that, but still retain the best turnover margin in the nation. The Griz actually have a negative turnover ratio for the first time in recent memory, but are playing very solid on both sides of the ball, despite their lackluster performance offensively against an underrated Weber defense. EWU sophomore QB Matt Nichols is having a stellar season, throwing for 1,129 yards, 11 TDs and just 2 INTs, good for a rating 162.6, good for 9th nationally. The ground game has also produced 8 TDs and over 700 yards of rushing offense through four games. In fact, the Eagles have the 5th ranked offense in the country. They will bring that potent offense into Washington-Grizzly stadium to face the 6th ranked defense in the country, and the #1 scoring defense nationally as well, only allowing 10.3 points per game. UM struggled with what many call their first “real” opponent of 2007, Weber, and look to improve offensively against a EWU defense ranked 97th in the country. Cole Berquist isn’t exactly lighting teams up, but he is playing mistake-free ball and scoring points, and he can do it on the ground as well. EWU always plays the Griz tough in Missoula, but I just can’t quite smell upset here. If EWU can get up early, it will force the Griz to play catch-up, something I don’t think they will be able to do. Whereas if UM gets up early, EWU has the passing offense to get back into it. But I’ll go with the Griz at home.
EWU 24 UM 30