Dickenson: Kibbie Dome Show-Stopper
One great reason to attend Idaho’s football game against Montana on Saturday in the Kibbie Dome:
You will see the man some are calling the greatest football player in Big Sky Conference history, Grizzlies quarterback Dave Dickenson, on his last trip to the Dome. (Dickenson and Montana visit Eastern Washington on Nov. 11.)
Dickenson passed for 510 and 512 yards, respectively, the last two years against Idaho. His record is 24-2 as a starter during regular-season games.
“He’s the reason I left Idaho,” joked former UI coach John L. Smith, now at Utah State.
More seriously, Smith said, “I think he’s every bit as good as anybody that ever played in the conference. All he does is win.”
Other veteran Big Sky observers rank Dickenson among the conference greats. Not in terms of physical skills or NFL potential, but effectiveness and impact.
At worst, he’ll be mentioned in the same breath with stars such as Ray McDonald, John Friesz, Jerry Hendren, Frank Hawkins, Charvez Foger, Jim McMillan, Jamie Martin - not to mention a host of defensive standouts and place kickers.
“He’s what college football is all about,” said former Sky commissioner Ron Stephenson. “I don’t think he’s the best athlete we’ve probably had at quarterback, but he’s probably as good a competitor as we’ve ever had at quarterback, or any position.”
Part of Dickenson’s appeal is his ordinary, Everyman appearance. He’s just 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds. He looks like a book-worm, and has uncanny touch, field smarts and scrambling ability.
“No question, he’s the greatest ever at any position in the conference,” Eastern Washington coach Mike Kramer said. “His record is astounding and his support from the other side of the ball has not been as great as the others.
“The uneducated viewer flipping through the channels sees him and says, ‘Look at that Big Sky team, winning with a 5-10 guy,”’
Arnie Sgalio, assistant Sky commissioner for 16 years before stepping down last year, recalled a story symbolic of Dickenson’s knowledge of UM’s offense:
“He’s scrambling with his back to the defense. All of a sudden he turns and throws in one motion and there’s a receiver standing there. How did he know the guy was there?”
Most of those asked to comment said Dickenson’s NFL chances are slim, though Smith constantly praises him to scouts.
But Montana coach Don Read said Dickenson isn’t ruling out a shot at the pros. “Several faculty here want him to go the Rhodes Scholar route, but he didn’t apply,”
Read said. “He told me that would only delay where he wanted to go. He said, ‘I either want to play pro football or be a doctor. All that other stuff gets in the way.”’
Martin sidelined
Weber State senior quarterback Bryan Martin’s career is over due to a torn rotator cuff in his shoulder, suffered in a 40-14 loss to Boise State last Saturday.
Martin was leading the nation in total offense at 366 yards per game.
“I’ve cried about five times already - it just crushed me,” Martin said.
In Dickenson’s shadow
With a 171.6 rating, Dickenson may be the best quarterback in the conference, but Northern Arizona’s Jeff Lewis (157.0) isn’t far behind.
Lewis is completing 66 percent of his passes this season and owns a touchdown-to-interception ratio better than Dickenson’s. Lewis has 17 TD passes with three interceptions, while Dickenson has 23 and five.
”(Lewis) made a play in the Montana game that has nothing to do with being a great quarterback, but being a great athlete,” EWU’s Kramer said. “He threw an interception just before half, and did not have the angle on the returner and ran him down within 60 yards.
“So he can fly. A great offense for us - for anybody - would be Jeff Lewis throwing and Jeff Lewis catching. … I want him for my fantasy football team.”
Sky lines
Tony Hilde needs just 15 yards to become Boise State’s all-time leading passer. Matt Wells is 137 yards from being Montana’s all-time receiving leader….
Montana sacked NAU’s Lewis four times on Saturday, one less than he’d been sacked in the previous six games. The game was viewed by the largest crowd in NAU history (15,707)….
EWU left guard T.J. Ackerman, who injured a knee two weeks ago, will have surgery late next week. According to Kramer, the sophomore has a torn anterior cruciate ligament, torn medial collateral ligament and a torn medial meniscus. At this point, only the torn ACL requires surgery.
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