Written By
Written By
Written By
Written By
Weber State has a share of the Big Sky lead. Now it has to defend it in Bozeman. No. 21 Weber State (5-3, 4-1 Big Sky) plays at No. 4 Montana State (6-1, 3-1) on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET at Bobcat Stadium. Ranks are from our Week 7 FCS Top 25.
The Wildcats are tied with Northern Arizona for first in the league. Montana State, the defending national champion, has one league loss, 35-34 at Idaho. A Bobcats win would move them ahead of Weber State in the standings. A Weber State win would hand the Bobcats a second league loss with four Big Sky games left.
This is Eric Kjar's first season as Weber State's head coach. He came from Corner Canyon High School in Utah, and the Wildcats were 4-8 last year. They have already passed that win total.
Weber State has won three straight. The Wildcats won 42-34 in double overtime at Cal Poly, then beat Idaho 38-27 and Idaho State 27-20 at home. Their league loss was 44-41 to Portland State. They also lost 47-42 at Southern Utah in a nonconference game and 52-21 at Colorado. Their season opener was a 30-29 win at Northern Colorado.
The offense scores 36.3 points per game. The defense is the question. Weber State gives up 34.1 points and 455.5 yards per game, ninth in the Big Sky in total defense. The Wildcats are 5-0 when they hold an opponent under 40 points and 0-3 when they don't.
Montana State started 5-0, with a 20-7 win at Nevada and a 28-14 win over Northern Arizona. The one-point loss at Idaho followed. The Bobcats bounced back with a 56-20 win at Eastern Washington last week.
They lead the Big Sky in scoring offense (39.7 points per game), scoring defense (18.6) and total defense (351.6 yards per game). Montana State has won 12 straight home games. Brent Vigen is 67-13 in his sixth season, and the Bobcats are 43-2 at home under him.
Montana State's 12-game home winning streak is the second-longest active streak in the FCS, according to Weber State Athletics. The Bobcats also lead the country at 34.8 yards per kickoff return.
Weber State WR Noah Kjar (junior): Kjar leads the FCS with 10 touchdown catches. He has 47 catches for 711 yards, and he has caught a touchdown pass in six of eight games. He's two touchdown catches shy of the school's single-season record of 12, set by Alfred Pupunu in 1991, according to Weber State Athletics.
Weber State QB Nate Dahle (freshman): Dahle has thrown for 1,591 yards, 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He has completed 119 of 238 passes.
Weber State RB Spencer Ferguson (junior): Ferguson has 543 yards and seven touchdowns on 72 carries. He ran for 153 yards against Idaho and 133 against Idaho State.
Weber State LB Teni Worthen (sophomore): Worthen leads the Wildcats in tackles and had 13 against Idaho State. Sophomore WR Robert Young was the Big Sky's special teams player of the week after a 68-yard punt return touchdown.
Montana State QB Justin Lamson (fifth-year): Lamson has completed 88 of 121 passes for 1,094 yards, eight touchdowns and one interception.
Montana State RB Adam Jones (senior): Jones has 408 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.
Montana State WR Carter Dahlke (freshman): Dahlke leads the Bobcats with 28 catches for 483 yards and four touchdowns.
Montana State DE Zac Crews (fifth-year) and LB Cole Taylor (senior): Crews has five sacks, and Taylor leads the team with 53 tackles.
This is the 60th meeting between two charter members of the Big Sky, and it's the second straight year the game is in Bozeman. Montana State leads the all-time series 35-23-1 and has won the last five, including a 66-14 win at Bobcat Stadium last November. The Bobcats have also won the last three meetings in Bozeman. Weber State's last win in the series came 34-24 in Ogden in 2018.
Turnovers stand out first. Montana State is plus-7 in turnover margin, second in the Big Sky. Weber State is minus-9, last in the league, and it hasn't won the turnover battle in any game this season, according to Weber State Athletics.
Then look at the run game. Weber State runs for 190.6 yards per game, third in the Big Sky. Montana State leads the league in run defense at 124.4 yards allowed per game. On the other side, the Bobcats run for 196.3 yards per game against a Weber State defense that gives up 203.5.
Weber State's best chance may be its pass rush. The Wildcats lead the Big Sky with 18 sacks. Montana State has allowed just eight, tied for the fewest in the league.
Montana State is No. 1 in the FCS playoff committee's first top 10 of 2026. Weber State was not in the committee's top 10 or among its teams receiving votes, so a road win would be the Wildcats' best of the season. As far as Redshirt Sports knows, the committee doesn't use our poll, but it can be a good indicator. Weber State was one of the last at-large teams in our Week 7 bracket projection, and Montana State was the No. 1 seed.
The schedule doesn't ease up for either team. Weber State hosts UC Davis on Oct. 31, has a bye, then finishes at Northern Arizona and at home against Utah Tech. Montana State hosts Cal Poly, plays at Idaho State and Northern Colorado, then closes with Montana.
Kickoff is 3 p.m. ET (1 p.m. MT) on Saturday, Oct. 24, at Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman, Montana. The game streams on ESPN+. Scripps Sports also carries it on TV in its Western markets.
