Big Sky Conference Scouting Report
In predicted order of finish:
Montana
Head coach: Joe Glenn
Record at UM: 0-0
Record in 1999: 9-3, 7-1 Big Sky, first
Returning starters: 17
The Grizzlies are gunning for their third consecutive conference title and eighth consecutive berth in the NCAA Division I-AA playoffs. First-year coach Joe Glenn inherited an abundance of talent from his predecessor, Mick Dennehy and has the nation’s top-ranked I-AA passer in senior quarterback Drew Miller.
Of UM’s 17 returning starters, 15 were honored on last year’s All-Big Sky team.
Among those were junior strong safety Vince Huntsberger, who was named the league’s defensive player of the year after making 90 tackles and four interceptions. Don’t look for the coaching change to alter the Grizzlies’ fortunes. They will be among the best offensive teams in the country and a near-lock for another playoff berth.
Portland State
Head coach: Tim Walsh
Record at PSU: 45-35
Record in 1999: 8-3, 6-2 Big Sky, tied for second
Returning starters: 18
The Vikings return 18 starters from last year’s team, which came within a game of capturing a share of its first Big Sky title and a I-AA playoff berth. Among those is senior quarterback Jimmy Blanchard, who threw for 3,098 yards and 29 touchdowns last season and probably would have been an all-conference pick in any I-AA league that didn’t have Drew Miller in it.
Mix in senior running back Charles Dunn, PSU’s career rushing leader with 4,215 yards, and all-league wide receiver Terry Charles, who averaged 106.5 receiving yards per game last year, and the Vikings should be able to match touchdowns with any I-AA team in the country. They won’t be quite as dominant on the other side of the football, but it probably won’t matter.
Eastern Washington
Head coach: Paul Wulff
Record at EWU: 0-0
Record in 1999: 7-4, 6-2 Big Sky, tied for second
Returning starters: 19
The Eagles, despite the early season injury loss of starting quarterback Fred Salanoa, somehow managed to claw their way to seven wins and to within a game of the Big Sky title. They also managed to earn coach Mike Kramer a new job at Montana State. Now it is up to Kramer’s former offensive coordinator, Paul Wulff, to keep Eastern’s program among the elite in the Big Sky. Salanoa’s return should help, but even if the former JC standout struggles, there will be plenty of ways for the Eagles to move the football - like handing it to Jovan Griffith or Jesse Chatman. The defense returns all but one starter and should be solid. A main concern, however, is a lack of depth in the offensive line.
Sacramento State
Head coach: John Volek
Record at Sac State: 17-37-1, Record in 1999: 6-5, 3-5 Big Sky, tied for fifth
Returning starters: 15
The Hornets are getting there - slowly. Last year’s tie for fifth was their best Big Sky finish since joining the league in 1996, and coach John Volek has 15 starters - including senior All-America running back Charles Roberts - returning. Roberts, the Big Sky’s all-time rushing leader, ran for 2,082 yards and 22 TDs last fall and has a chance to gain more yards than any collegian who has ever carried the ball.
Volek lost several key offensive lineman to graduation, but Roberts should still be a handful, especially with the help of senior quarterback Ricky Ray, who threw for 2,422 yards and 20 TDS in his first year at Sac State last fall. Like most Big Sky teams, the Hornets should be able to move the ball, but their success will hinge on how much improvement they have made on defense, where they allowed an average of 405.7 yards per game in 1999.
Northern Arizona
Head coach: Jerome Souers
Record at NAU: 10-13 Record in 1999: 4-8, 2-6 Big Sky, tied for seventh
Returning starters: 14
The Lumberjacks received an at-large berth to the I-AA playoffs after finishing 6-2 in the Big Sky last fall. But the use of an ineligible player forced them to forfeit six games, including four wins. And the player in question, senior wide receiver Francis St. Paul, has also been suspended by the NCAA for the first four games of this season.
St. Paul caught 67 passes for 987 yards and 13 touchdowns last year, and his early absence could play a key role in NAU’s fortunes. Third-year coach Jerome Souers has built a solid foundation in Flagstaff, but it could be severely tested by the graduation loss of quarterback Travis Brown and rushing leader Ronny Jenkins’ decision to leave early for the NFL.
Weber State
Head coach: Jerry Graybeal
Record at Weber State: 10-12
Record in 1999: 4-7, 3-5 Big Sky, tied for fifth
Returning starters: 17
It comes as no surprise that Jerry Graybeal, a former defensive coordinator at Eastern Washington, is building around defense. The Wildcats return their top four tacklers, including senior linebacker Jason Allen and senior safety Keenan Gordon, from last season. And they might need to draw on every ounce of the defensive experience while Graybeal retools an offense that must replace the 1-2 running punch of Derek Poole and Morgan Welch.
Senior Cole Cooper returns at quarterback, and he should improve on his modest passing numbers - 1,822 yards and 13 touchdown - of 1999. Especially while operating behind a veteran offensive line that boasts four senior starters.
Cal State Northridge
Head coach: Jeff Kearin
Record at CS Northridge: 6-5
Record in 1999: 6-5, 5-3 Big Sky, fourth
Returning starters: 8
The Matadors return a league-low eight starters for their farewell tour of the Big Sky. Fortunately for coach Jeff Kearin, one of those is junior QB Marcus Brady, who has thrown for 6,300 yards and 49 touchdowns in his first two seasons at Northridge. Brady has two proven receivers in Drew Ameson and Ethan Beck, but the brunt of the ball-carrying responsibilities will fall on a pair of freshman, Alan Taylor and Bruce Molock. Kearin faces a major rebuilding job on defense, where only two starters return. It stands to reason, then, that the Matadors may leave the league, with a whimper rather than a bang.
Idaho State
Head coach: Larry Lewis
Record at ISU: 4-7
Record in 1999: 4-7, 2-6 Big Sky, tied for seventh
Returning starters: 13
Larry Lewis accomplished a lot in his first season at ISU - especially on offense, where the Bengals averaged 435.9 yards and 31.4 points per game. Most of the skill-position players who helped put up those gaudy numbers are back - including quarterback Kevin McCarthy, who threw for 3,033 yards and 23 TDs - are back. And McCarthy might even lose his starting job to fellow senior Shane Griggs, who went down with an injury early last fall.
Still, the Bengals need some JC help in the offensive line. They also are woefully thin in the defensive secondary, and the loss of All-American placekicker Pete Garces, who booted an NCAA-record 11 field goals of 50 yards or longer, is huge.
Montana State
Head coach: Mike Kramer
Record at MSU: 0-0
Record in 1999: 4-7, 2-6 Big Sky, tied for seventh
Returning starters: 9
Former EWU coach Mike Kramer has inherited a mess at MSU, and it may take him a while to clean it up. The Bobcats, following a disappointing 4-7 season that prompted Cliff Hysell to step aside, were devastated by defections and could start the season with as many as eight new starters on offense. That might not be all bad, considering MSU produced fewer yards than any team in the Big Sky last fall.
Dusty Broderick, last year’s starting quarterback, bolted in the wake of the coaching change, which means his successor, JC transfer Farhaad Azimi, must learn the playbook in a hurry. If Kramer has anything to feel good about, it’s his defense, which boasts veteran end John Taylor.