Big Sky notebook: Eastern Washington may start fourth-string QB; Montana schools meet to decide conference title
In nearly three decades at Eastern Washington, Aaron Best can’t recall another time where the Eagles have turned to their fourth quarterback.
But it’s trending that way heading into Eastern’s season finale Saturday at Cal Poly.
“Right now it’d be Kaden Rolfsness,” the head coach Best said during media availability Tuesday when asked about his team’s starting quarterback.
Best kept open the possibility that redshirt freshman Jake Schakel could make his third consecutive start. Schakel left in the second half of last week’s 27-7 EWU victory over Northern Colorado with an apparent left shoulder injury.
“It’s probably less optimistic than we anticipated,” Best said of Schakel’s availability. “He’ll go with us and we’ll play it out. If you have a set of fingers, a set of toes, please cross them for us because we’ll take them all. We’ll prepare as if he’s not going to be the guy, and the surprise would be for us if he is the guy this Saturday.”
If the true freshman Rolfsness starts, he would be the fourth Eagles quarterback to do so this year. Redshirt senior Jared Taylor started Game 1, 2 and 5; redshirt sophomore Nate Bell started Game 3 and 4 and then 6 through 9. Both Taylor and Bell vacated the starting role due to injuries. Neither will play Saturday.
Schakel, who has appeared in five games this season, has completed 69% of his passes (105 of 152) for 997 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions. He’s been more accurate than Taylor (51%) and Bell (53%).
Rolfsness took over for Schakel last week with Eastern ahead by 20 points and attempted one pass while rushing eight times for 36 yards.
“Kaden’s a great kid,” redshirt junior wide receiver Cole Pruett said. “He came in and was a hard worker from the jump. He is still a little fresh, but we definitely believe in him to get the job done, and I think he can do that for sure.”
The Eagles are 5-6 overall and 4-3 in the Big Sky, one-victory improvements already over last year’s record. The Mustangs (3-8, 1-6) have lost six in a row.
Brawl has big stakes
Home-field advantage throughout the FCS playoffs is on the line Saturday in Missoula, where the second-ranked Montana Grizzlies (11-0, 7-0) will host the third-ranked Montana State Bobcats (9-2, 7-0).
“When you have all that’s on the line that is, that’s where we want to be positioned,” MSU head coach Brent Vigen said during his weekly Monday press conference. “I think this group recognizes that at the same time, it’s about winning a game. There’s a lot at stake, but it’s still (about) what we need to do to prepare to win a football game.”
The Bobcats, national runner-up a year ago, have won the last two matchups in Bozeman but haven’t won in Missoula since 2018. This is the first time the two have both been so highly ranked heading into the matchup.
It seems likely that No. 1 North Dakota State (11-0) will earn the top playoff seed so long as it defeats St. Thomas this weekend, leaving the winner of the Brawl of the Wild as the No. 2 seed.
Montana head coach Bobby Hauck said at his Monday press conference that it’s possible these teams could meet again in the playoffs.
“The rivalry game is really big for both teams, and two of the best teams in the country will be playing here on Saturday, and maybe the two best,” he said. “The way it’s shaping up is interesting. Probably a chance we’ll play each other later in the year as well, so that’s part of the equation.”
The season’s national title game will be played on Jan. 5 at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville.
California rivals face off
While the Montana teams are playing for playoff seeding, Sacramento State and UC Davis are potentially playing a winner-gets-in game in the Causeway Classic on Saturday.
UC Davis (7-3, 5-2) will host Sacramento State (7-4, 5-2) looking to extend a two-game winning streak in the series and to secure a playoff spot for the third time in the last five seasons. The Hornets are trying to get back to the playoffs for the fourth time in five years.
This is Sacramento State’s last year in the Big Sky.
The only other Big Sky team in position to earn a playoff at-large bid is Northern Arizona (7-4, 4-3), which plays at Weber State (3-8, 1-6), which fired head coach Mickey Mental before last week’s 31-3 loss to Idaho State.