Matt's rolling with his picks
Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2006 9:17 pm
Here's to Matt continuing on with his new streak:
Weber State (2-5, 1-3) at No. 24 Montana State (5-3, 4-1), 3:35
At this point of the season only three teams really have playoff chances out of the Big Sky, and only the rivals from Montana still remain as legitimate contenders to claim the league’s automatic bid. Montana is cruising with a 5-0 record in conference, but a resurgent Montana State team can force the Grizzlies into a must-win situation in the "Brawl of the Wild" on Nov. 18 by winning the next two games. Montana State figures to get by Northern Colorado with ease next week, so the last real test to their hopes for the conference crown comes this week. Weber State gave Montana all it could handle last week, as the Wildcats took a halftime lead and made a late surge after falling behind in the third quarter of a 33-30 loss. Despite a 2-5 record, the Wildcats have also hung in losses to Cal Poly and Portland State and fell by three to Sacramento State. The defense will give Weber State a chance against most teams, as the Wildcats have been tough against the pass and the run and allow 22.6 points per game. That will allow them to stay in the game here, but the Bobcats are playing too well to expect a loss before the Montana game. Montana State used five touchdowns from wide receiver Michael Jefferson to win a 42-35 shootout at Idaho State last week, and have a few solid playmakers with Jefferson (771 yards, 8 TD) and running back Aaron Mason (510 yards, 6 TD). Quarterback Jack Rolovich has consecutive 300-yard efforts, and the Bobcats are playing well enough to expect a good offensive peformance again. That would put the onus on Weber State’s offense, and the Wildcats haven’t shown the consistency to believe they can score a lot of points for the second week in a row. Montana State wins for the fifth time in a row, and gets one step closer to setting up an even larger stage for the season finale in Missoula. Prediction: Montana State 28, Weber State 17
Weber State (2-5, 1-3) at No. 24 Montana State (5-3, 4-1), 3:35
At this point of the season only three teams really have playoff chances out of the Big Sky, and only the rivals from Montana still remain as legitimate contenders to claim the league’s automatic bid. Montana is cruising with a 5-0 record in conference, but a resurgent Montana State team can force the Grizzlies into a must-win situation in the "Brawl of the Wild" on Nov. 18 by winning the next two games. Montana State figures to get by Northern Colorado with ease next week, so the last real test to their hopes for the conference crown comes this week. Weber State gave Montana all it could handle last week, as the Wildcats took a halftime lead and made a late surge after falling behind in the third quarter of a 33-30 loss. Despite a 2-5 record, the Wildcats have also hung in losses to Cal Poly and Portland State and fell by three to Sacramento State. The defense will give Weber State a chance against most teams, as the Wildcats have been tough against the pass and the run and allow 22.6 points per game. That will allow them to stay in the game here, but the Bobcats are playing too well to expect a loss before the Montana game. Montana State used five touchdowns from wide receiver Michael Jefferson to win a 42-35 shootout at Idaho State last week, and have a few solid playmakers with Jefferson (771 yards, 8 TD) and running back Aaron Mason (510 yards, 6 TD). Quarterback Jack Rolovich has consecutive 300-yard efforts, and the Bobcats are playing well enough to expect a good offensive peformance again. That would put the onus on Weber State’s offense, and the Wildcats haven’t shown the consistency to believe they can score a lot of points for the second week in a row. Montana State wins for the fifth time in a row, and gets one step closer to setting up an even larger stage for the season finale in Missoula. Prediction: Montana State 28, Weber State 17
