Vikings on a roll, while Wildcats struggling

Eastern Washington football coach Paul Wulff picked Montana to win the Big Sky Conference with a warning: Watch out for Portland State.

The Vikings’ depth and talent showed when they went to Weber State shy their first two quarterbacks, who were injured a week earlier against California and won 20-10.

Third-string quarterback Rob Freeman produced only 161 yards of total offense but it was enough for the defense. Weber State had 192 yards but also had five turnovers. In the second half alone, the Wildcats started in PSU territory five times but managed just 16 yards and a field goal.

Weber’s quarterback situation is a bigger mess without the excuses.

The Wildcats didn’t produce a touchdown until the third game. Coach Ron McBride is constantly switching quarterbacks looking for a spark.

“I just kind of have a feeling we’re both scared to make plays and that’s the big thing,” original starter and now backup Ian Pizarro told Jasen Asay of the Ogden Standard-Examiner.

Woods remains the starter heading into a Thursday game against Northern Colorado.

Meanwhile, the Vikings are getting reinforcements.

Although backup Tygue Howland is out for the season with an ACL injury, starter Sawyer Smith should return at some point, although he is doubtful for Saturday’s game against Montana. And on Monday, PSU announced quarterback Patrick White, who left the Colorado program on Sept. 10, has transferred to Portland State. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound junior could play this weekend against Montana.

“Initially, we didn’t know he would be eligible to play right away,” PSU coach Tim Walsh. “Regardless of that, we were going to recruit him anyway once he called us after leaving Colorado.”

Walsh added, “Playing him immediately would be like taking a calculus class without looking at the calculus book. This is Sawyer Smith’s team, and when he is healthy, he will start for us.”

Mooshagian suspended

Big Sky Conference Commissioner Doug Fullerton has publicly reprimanded and suspended Sacramento State football player Bobby Mooshagian for his actions in a 59-14 loss at Montana last Saturday.

Mooshagian was ejected for fighting in the fourth quarter after throwing a punch at a Montana player. Per NCAA rules, Mooshagian will be suspended for the first half of Sacramento State’s game on Saturday, against Eastern Washington.

Mooshagian, a sophomore wide receiver, has caught a team-high six passes for 35 yards in three games this season.

Short and sweet

The plan to shorten games is working.

Eastern Washington’s game at Montana State zipped by in 2 hours, 37 minutes, even with TV timeouts. There were 109 total plays in the game.

Only two Big Sky teams are averaging more than 3 hours per game, Idaho State at 3:07 and Montana at 3:01.

Quick kicks

There are four league games this week, while Idaho State has a bye. … After winning at Colorado, Montana State went 0-3 at home and never led. Still, the Bobcats have run their streak of crowds of 12,000-plus to 10 games. MSU was 6-0 at home last year. … Sacramento has lost eight straight games and a record 12 straight conference road games. The Hornets’ last win on the road was Oct. 26, 2002 at Woodward Field. Since that win, the Hornets have lost 19 straight on the road. … Weber State is 3 for 24 on third-down conversions in the second half of its four games. … ISU linebacker Pago Togafau had 21 tackles against NAU and his average of 13 a game is tied for tops in the nation. … WSU cornerback and defensive captain John Collins sat out the first half against PSU on a suspension from the team after getting into a argument with defensive coordinator Kevin Clune and challenging the assistant coach to a fight at practice.