2012 Big Sky Conference Countdown: Montana

It's time to conclude the countdown with defending Big Sky Conference champion Montana.  After missing the FCS playoffs for the first time since the first George Bush was in the White House, the Grizzlies made it back to the postseason, which in large part was aided by a huge win over in-state rival (and top-ranked) Montana State in Bozeman.  They made a deep run with playoff wins at home over Central Arkansas and Northern Iowa, only to come up one win short of the FCS championship game to eventual FCS runner-up Sam Houston State. 

This offseason has been a tumultuous one in Griz Nation.  It all began when University of Montana president Royce Engstrom, out of the blue, fired athletic director Jim O'Day and head coach Robin Pflugrad.  Then on July 31st, starting quarterback Jordan Johnson was charged with sexual assault without consent, and has since been suspended from the team indefinitely.  While the athletic director position has yet to be filled, former assistant coach Mick Delaney was brought out of retirement to serve as head coach for this season and the 2013 campaign.  This will be Delaney's first head coaching gig since serving the same position at UM-Western in the early 1990s.

With Jordan Johnson now out of the picture at quarterback, redshirt freshman Trent McKinney has earned the starting job out of fall camp.  The dual threat quarterback from Hawaii had the best camp out of the other three quarterbacks on the Grizzly roster, beating out sophomore Shay Smithwick-Hann, true freshman Brady Gustafson, and redshirt freshman transfer Adam Brzczek.  At running back, there's three different threats back this season: seniors Peter Nyguen and Dan Moore, and standout sophomore Jordan Canada.  The trio combined to rush for 1,845 yards and 19 touchdowns last season.  The top returning receiver is senior Sam Gratton, who shared a three-way tie for the team lead in receptions with 36.

The defensive side of the ball is very young, as only two starters from last season return.  Among those are junior linebackers John Kanongata'a and Jordan Tripp (pictured).  Kanongata'a was second in total team tackles last season and lead the team in tackles for loss, but Tripp is coming off a redshirt season after a shoulder injury sidelined him after only three games in 2011.  Before fall camp, Tripp gave up the #44 his father Bryan wore for the Grizzlies in 1989 and 1990, and switched over to Montana's trademark #37, which is worn by a defensive player from Montana (true freshman defensive lineman Caleb Kidder now dons #44 for the Griz).  Also back for the Grizzlies (and expected to be a starter) is sophomore safety Matt Hermanson, who shared the team lead in interceptions with three.

MY THOUGHTS: After an offseason filled with turmoil and change, all will be forgotten when the Grizzlies hit the field against South Dakota and former Griz head coach Joe Glenn.  The expectations to win the Big Sky Conference and make the FCS playoffs are still high, as they are every year.  But if all the distractions from the offseason can be forgotten, it will be business as usual for the Grizzlies.

And that's your countdown, everybody.  Thanks for reading, and enjoy the season!  My next conference countdown should come around October, when basketball season is around the corner.

Image credit: University of Montana athletics

2012 Big Sky Conference Countdown: Eastern Washington

One year after winning their first FCS championship in program history, the Eastern Washington Eagles struggled mightily in trying to defend their championship.  They finished the 2011 season with a 6-5 record and failed to make the playoffs, as they opened their season with four straight losses (Washington, South Dakota, Montana, and Montana State).  Now with a new season around the corner, the Eagles won't have the pressure of entering a season as defending FCS champion.

Head coach Beau Baldwin should have his troops ready to go this season.  He's been at the helm in Cheney since former coach Paul Wulff left the program to coach at Washington State in 2008.  Baldwin guided the Eagles to the FCS national championship in 2010, in the program's first season back in the postseason after the NCAA imposed a two-year postseason ban on the program for rules violations (the Eagles were banned from postseason play in 2008 and 2009).

Last season the Eagles' passing game was by far the most prolific in the conference, averaging 368.4 yards/game, with the now-graduated Bo Levi Mitchell throwing for 4,009 yards and 33 touchdowns on the season.  Now, Kyle Padron will be the Eagles' signal-caller this season, whom like Mitchell, transferred to EWU from SMU, and Padron beat out redshirt freshman Vernon Adams and junior Anthony Vitto for the starting job.  The Eagles bring back their two leading receivers in seniors Nicholas Edwards (pitcured above) and Greg Herd, who both had over 1,000 receiving yards.

On defense, the Eagles bring back their leaders in tackles, sacks, and interceptions.  Junior linebacker Ronnie Hamlin recorded 85 total tackles, while senior defensive end Paul Ena shared the team lead in tackles for loss with 12.  Senior defensive end Jerry Ceja led the team with 5.5 sacks, even though he didn't start any games in 2011.  Junior defensive back T.J. Lee III shared the team lead in interceptions with two.

MY THOUGHTS: The Eagles are a team you just don't overlook.  Dating back to when Mike Kramer was their head coach in the 1990s, EWU has made a reputation of being a giant killer when you least expect it, especially to perennial power Montana.  Back when Kramer was coaching the Eagles in 1997, they ended the Grizzlies' 40-game home winning streak (a streak that dated back to the 1992 season), and ended another long win streak by the Grizzlies (25 straight dating back to 2001) at Joe Albi Stadium in Spokane in 2002.  Look for 2012 to be a bounce back season for the Eagles.

UP NEXT: Montana

Image credit: Eastern Washington athletics

2012 Big Sky Conference Countdown: Montana State

The bright lights will definitely be on the Montana State Bobcats in 2012.  After their disappointing end to the 2011 season against eventual FCS finalist Sam Houston State, they'll be preparing for what could be another big season.  They'll be opening their regular season with their first-ever night game at home against Chadron State, after lights were installed at Sonny Holland Field late in the 2011 season, but were never used in a game--not even in their playoff win over New Hampshire.

Before fall camp began, the Bobcats were picked to finish on top of the Big Sky by both the coaches and the media, proof the Bobcats should be in the conversation for an FCS championship in 2012.  Head coach Rob Ash has done a phenomenal job in charge of the Bobcats, after taking over that program after former head coach Mike Kramer was abruptly fired in 2007.  And they bring back a lot of great talent heading into the start of their season.

Let's start on offense.  Despite the Bobcats losing top receiver Elvis Akpla to graduation, their more dangerous threats are back.  Quarterback Denarius McGhee (#9) and running back Cody Kirk (#25) are both back for their junior seasons, with McGhee being named to the Walter Payton Award's preseason watch list.  The stats McGhee put up last season (3,283 total yards and 29 total touchdowns in 2011) are definitely worthy enough to be considered for that award if he has another big season.  Kirk ran for 1,351 yards and 14 touchdowns last season but may have some competition for his carries and yards as senior Orenzo Davis returns, after he was academically ineligible for the 2011 season.

On defense, the Bobcats bring back most of their star players.  Senior linebacker Jody Owens dominated in the tackles department, with 107 total stops (58 solo) and 17 of tackles were for loss of yardage, which led the Big Sky.  Also back is last year's league leader in sacks, junior defensive end Brad Daly (12.5 sacks), as well as the team's leader in interceptions in junior linebacker Na'a Moeakiola (3 interceptions for 15 yards).

MY THOUGHTS: These Bobcats are a scary good bunch of football players, and I'd expect them to be dominant again this season.  But there's always that other school in Missoula that could throw a monkey wrench into their national title plans, like they did in Bozeman last season when the Bobcats entered the 2011 Brawl of the Wild ranked #1 in the nation.  This year's installment of the Brawl is in Missoula this year, and the last time the two met there the Bobcats prevailed on a very cold Saturday afternoon, which remains coach Ash's only win against the Grizzlies to this point.

UP NEXT: Eastern Washington

Image credit: Jon Kasper/Big Sky Conference

2012 Big Sky Conference Countdown: Idaho State

The 2011 season was not kind to the Idaho State Bengals.  They finished the 2011 season with a 2-9 record, not what you would expect out of a team coached by one of the real characters of the Big Sky in head coach Mike Kramer.  But they can only go up from here.

As stated with my Weber State write-up, Kramer is one of two head coaches in the Big Sky that calls their own defensive plays.  And Kramer has been mostly successful wherever he's gone, including at Eastern Washington and Montana State.

The Bengals' passing game was one of the bright spots in an otherwise forgettable season.  Quarterback Kevin Yost is back for his senior season, after just missing out on a 3,000 yard campaign in 2011.  The junior college transfer from Peoria, Arizona had the second-most passing attempts for a season in school history with 493 attempts.  Senior wide receiver Rodrick Rumble is also back, as he had 112 receptions for 1,348 yards and nine touchdowns.

If there's one side of the ball that needs serious work, it's the defense, especially against the run.  The Bengals gave up 250 yards/game against the run (as opposed to giving up a respectable 203 yards/game against the pass).  The team does bring back their leaders in sacks and interceptions, as both defensive lineman Jake Rouser (3.5 sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss) and defensive back Donovan Henley (4 interceptions) are both back for their senior seasons

MY THOUGHTS: The Bengals are young (only 14 seniors on the roster), but the team has a bright future ahead with 43 freshmen on the roster (33 of them true freshmen).  But you can't really win games if you can't run the ball, much less stop it on defense.  Either way, the Bengals have a long way to go, but given Mike Kramer's success as a head coach, they should improve in 2012.

NEXT UP: Montana State

Photo credit: U.S. Presswire

2012 Big Sky Conference Countdown: Weber State

What a strange offseason this has been for Weber State.

It was already academic the Wildcats would have a new head coach after Ron McBride retired at the conclusion of the 2011 season.  Initially, veteran coach John L. Smith, a one-time graduate assistant at Weber State, was hired to lead the Wildcats program after serving as special teams coach at Arkansas.  But when Razorbacks head coach Bobby Petrino was fired for his own off-field shenanigans stemming from a motorcycle accident, Smith went back to Fayetteville to keep the Razorback program afloat.

Now, defensive coordinator Jody Sears is serving as head coach, and will already have his hands full in coaching the team's safeties as well.  Sears is one of two Big Sky head coaches serving as their own defensive coordinator (Idaho State's Mike Kramer is the other).  He comes to the Wildcats after serving as an assistant at Washington State under former Eastern Washington head coach Paul Wulff.

The team ran a relatively balanced attack on offense in 2011, averaging 209.5 yards/game in the passing game and 205.5 yards/game on the ground.  Junior running back Josh Booker led the team in rushing last season (118 carries for 715 yards), but senior C.J. Tuckett finished 2011 strong with two huge performances in the Wildcats' last two games (47 carries, 467 yards, and 8 touchdowns).  Starting quarterback Mike Hoke is back as well, after throwing for 19 touchdowns last season.

On defense, the teams leaders in tackles, sacks, and interceptions are all back, and all hail from the state of Oklahoma.  Junior linebacker Anthony Morales led the Wildcats with 115 total tackles (10 for loss of yardage).  Senior defensive lineman Trevor Pletcher had 6.5 sacks, and shared the team lead in tackles for loss with Morales.  Sophomore cornerback Devin Pugh had amazing freshman season (after redshirting in 2010), leading the Wildcats in interceptions with three.

MY THOUGHTS: The Wildcats were picked to finish mid-pack in both coaches' and media polls, and I think that's about where they'll finish the 2012 campaign.  They traditionally have one of the most physical teams in the entire conference, as much of the players are more physically mature than other teams, in large part because some players have served LDS church missions before playing football.  With the talent they have coming back, they should be better than the 5-6 mark they ended last season with.

UP NEXT: Idaho State

Image credit: August Miller/Deseret News

2012 Big Sky Conference Countdown: Northern Arizona

Moving on with the countdown, it's time to take a look at the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks.  If there was one team in the Big Sky that had too many tough losses, it was these young men in Flagstaff.  The team finished the 2011 season with a 4-7 record, and four of their losses were by four points or less.

Despite the disappointing season, head coach Jerome Souers is back for his 15th season as the Lumberjacks' head coach, making him the second longest-tenured head coach in the conference behind UC Davis' Bob Biggs.  During Souers' long tenure in Flagstaff, he has never had a 10-win season in his head coaching career, with his best season coming during the 2003 season as the Lumberjacks finished 9-4.

The Lumberjacks possess one of the best offenses in the conference, as they averaged 435 yards a game last season.  Leading rusher Zach Bauman is back for his senior season, after he set a school record in 2011 with 15 rushing touchdowns, and ran for more than 100 yards seven times during the 2011 season (ended the season with 1,435 yards).  Starting quarterback Cary Grossart is also back, after he threw for 2,745 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2011.

Defensively, co-leader in tackles Craig Frum is back, as he enters his sophomore season.  Frum shared the team lead in tackles with the now-graduated Scott McKeever, with 30 unassisted tackles.  Senior defensive lineman Jarret Bilbrey was number two on the team in quarterback sacks last season, with five of them.  And the team leader in interceptions is back for his senior season in safety Taylor Patton.

MY THOUGHTS: The Lumberjacks have traditionally been a very good team that have typically finished mid-pack year after year.  They just might be the team that always lurks in the weeds, waiting to pounce on anyone at any time.  But if they want to contend for the conference title, they can help their cause by winning the close games.

UP NEXT: Weber State

Photo credit: Josh Biggs/Arizona Daily Sun

2012 Big Sky Conference Countdown: Portland State

Continuing on with the countdown, it's time to take a look at the Portland State Vikings.  The Jerry Glanville era on the Park Blocks was a rather forgettable one, despite the publicity the Man in Black brought to the program, along with run & shoot offense patriarch Mouse Davis.  Now, the program has been in the hands of Nigel Burton since 2010, and the Pistol offense (which got its start at Nevada and almost every school in the nation is using some form of it) is all the rage in Oregon's largest city.

The Vikings concluded the 2011 season with a 7-4 record, and could very well have been considered for an FCS playoff berth had they not lost their season finale at home to Weber State.  Their biggest win of last season had to be their close 38-36 win over a Montana State team that would later be the top-ranked team in FCS football (before the Bobcats were mauled by the Grizzlies in Bozeman).  Not bad for a team that finished 2-9 in 2010.

On offense, the Vikings do not have a quarterback that completed a pass last season, as last year's starter Connor Kavanaugh graduated over the offseason.  With the wide-open nature of the Pistol offense, Kavanaugh led the Vikings in both passing and rushing, rushing for 1,189 yards and throwing for 1,628 more.  Leading receiver Justin Monahan (52 catches for 707 yards and 6 TDs) is back, but will be catching passes from a new quarterback.

On the defensive side of the football, the team's leaders in tackles and quarterback sacks in 2011 are gone, but the team's leader in interceptions is back.  Linebacker Joel Sisler intercepted three passes while starting 10 games for the Vikings.  The team's #2 sack person is also back, in senior linebacker Ian Sluss (also the team's leading top tackler, as he was third in total tackles).

MY THOUGHTS: The Vikings are a very good football team with a very exciting offensive system.  If they can maintain their level of play from 2011, they could easily make some noise in 2012 and should be in the conversation for a Big Sky championship and an FCS playoff berth.

NEXT UP: Northern Arizona

Image credit: AP/Michael Albans

2012 Big Sky Conference Countdown: Sacramento State

The 2012 countdown continues with the Sacramento State Hornets.  Last year they finished the 2011 season with a 4-7 record, but two of their four wins were upsets.  They opened the season beating an FBS school, Oregon State, in an overtime thriller.  But their biggest win of 2011 came at home against eventual FCS semifinalist Montana, which was also their first-ever win against a Grizzlies program they had never beaten before, but had come close on four separate occasions.  The most notable occasion was the infamous "PAM Game" in Missoula in 2002, where four Hornet defensive linemen sprayed PAM cooking spray on their jerseys in an attempt to make it tough for Grizzly offensive linemen to block them.
Head coach Marshall Sperbeck is back for his sixth season in charge of the Hornets football program, and has a career record of 24-32 (.429).  His best season came in 2010, where his team went 6-5.

The offense of the Hornets will be young at the skill positions.  Leading receiver Morris Norrise is back for his junior season (38 catches for 471 yards), but the team's leading passer (Jeff Fleming) and leading rusher from 2011 (Bryan Hilliard) graduated in the offseason.  The top returning quarterback is sophomore Garrett Safron and top returning running back is Sam McCowan.

Defensively, the Hornets return their three leading tacklers from 2011.  Junior linebacker Todd Davis, senior defensive back Ryan McMahon, and senior linebacker Jeff Badger (pictured above) are all back, and combined for 267 total tackles last season.

MY THOUGHTS: The Hornets have never won the conference championship in football, and if they can't win most of the close games this season, they may not even get a sniff of the top spot in the conference.

Image credit: hornetsports.com

UP NEXT: Portland State

2012 Big Sky Conference Countdown: Northern Colorado

If there is one team in the Big Sky that's got nowhere to go but up, look no further than Greeley, Colorado and the Northern Colorado Bears.  2011 was not kind to the Bears, and despite the addition of a new head coach in Earnest Cooper, Jr., they did not win a single game last season.  They couldn't even beat Lindenwood, an NAIA school (now transitioning into NCAA Division II), that came into Greeley to open the Bears' season and escaped with a 22-20 upset victory.

If the Bears want to win their first game since 2010 (won at Portland State 35-30 on November 13, 2010), they'll have to improve on both sides of the football.  Offensively, one dimension was a bright spot in an otherwise forgettable season in the form of their passing game.  The Bears bring back their leading passer, junior Seth Lobato, who threw for 2488 yards and 17 touchdowns last season.  However, leading receiver Patrick Walker, who had 84 catches for 1171 yards and 10 touchdowns, graduated, leaving the Bears short on production at wide receiver.

The one side of the ball that definitely should improve is their defense.  They gave up a dreadful 35 points a game last season.  But they do return their leaders in tackles, sacks, and interceptions.  Junior linebacker Clarence Bumpas led the Bears with 145 total tackles.  Sophomore defensive end Devontae Chappel recorded a team-high 5.5 sacks.  Senior linebacker Cameron Friend picked off three passes, and was also second on the team in total tackles with 93.

MY THOUGHTS: When you go 0-11 in a season, it's tough finding anything positive with a season like that.  As I said earlier, every bad season has it share of positives, like the play of certain players who stand out.  If the Bears can play hard enough in all their games this season, they can certainly win more than one game in 2012, and snap that embarrassing losing streak that dates back to that bad loss to a now-former NAIA school.

NEXT UP: Sacramento State

Photo credit: uncbears.com

2012 Big Sky Conference Countdown: Cal Poly

The countdown continues with the Cal Poly Mustangs, the fourth and final newcomer to the Big Sky. The Mustangs have played almost every conference team on the gridiron over the years, and now they're officially a football-only member of the conference, beginning with this season.  They are coming off a 6-5 season in 2011 and hope for plenty of success in their first season.

They are the only team in the league that runs the triple option offense (much like their FBS counterparts at Georgia Tech and Navy), which makes it difficult for defenses to stop, because you never know who the ball carrier is going to be.  Head coach Tim Walsh (formerly head coach at Portland State) kept the system in place after former head coach Rich Ellerson accepted the head job at Army in 2009, while he ran a different system with the Vikings during his 14-year tenure in Portland.  Walsh is currently 17-16 as the Mustangs head coach, entering his fourth season in charge.

When a team runs an option attack, throwing the football doesn't happen very often.  No wonder starting quarterback Andre Broadous (#3 in above photo) only has ONE career interception to his credit (thrown in a 24-17 loss at UC Davis last November 5th).  He's back for his senior season, and while he led the team in passing (1235 yards and 9 touchdown passes), he's also the top returning rusher (797 yards on 204 carries) as leading rusher from 2011 Jake Romanelli graduated.  The team's leaders in receiving yards in 2011 are only sophomores in Lance Castaneda (26 catches for 283 yards and a touchdown) and Willie Tucker (14 catches for 265 yards and two touchdowns).

Defensively, the Mustangs struggled as they gave up almost 30 points a game, and that is something they'll have to improve on this year.  Their top three tacklers from last season are back: linebackers Johnny Millard (a junior) and Kennith Jackson (a senior), and senior cornerback Bijon Samoodi.  A co-leader in quarterback sacks is also back with junior defensive tackle Sullivan Grosz, who had 6.5 sacks last season.

MY TAKE: The Mustangs have always fielded a competitive team, and with Tim Walsh patrolling the sidelines, that isn't expected to change.  But if they want to contend for a conference title in their first season, it's important their defense lower their points against this season, because giving up 30 points a game won't help you win the conference, much less make the FCS Playoffs.

NEXT UP: Northern Colorado

Image credit: Brad Puckett/San Luis Obispo Tribune

2012 Big Sky Conference Countdown: UC Davis

Today, it's time to take a look the third of four Big Sky Conference newcomers, and the first of two football-only members.  The UC Davis Aggies are joining the conference this season after playing in the now-defunct Great West Conference (along with North Dakota, Southern Utah, and Cal Poly).  And the Aggies will definitely be a motivated team to play well in 2012, after finishing 2011 with a 4-7 record in the Great West's swan song.

Speaking of swan songs, the 2012 season will be just that for Aggies head coach Bob Biggs, who announced at the end of 2011 that this season will be his last on the UC Davis sideline.  Biggs has served as head coach at his alma mater since 1993, and has a career record of 140-78-1 over 19 seasons.  He previously served as the team's quarterbacks coach before becoming head coach, and also lettered for the Aggies from 1969 to 1972 as a quarterback.

The Aggies have had a penchant for sending solid quarterbacks to the NFL.  One of the most notable is Ken O'Brien, who had a successful career with the New York Jets during the mid to late 1980s.  Another Aggie that made it to the NFL was J.T. O'Sullivan, who was mostly a journeyman in the league, but now plays for the CFL's Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Offensively, the team's leading passer is back in 2012.  Junior Randy Wright started 10 of the team's 11 games last season, throwing for 2250 yards and 14 touchdowns.  In fact, 13 of Wright's 14 touchdown passes were caught by the team's two leading receivers, Tom Hemmingsen and Anthony Soto, who are both back this season.  Also, leading rusher Colton Silveria is back, as he's coming off a 603-yard, 6 touchdown freshman season.

MY THOUGHTS: If there is one team that could really use a bounceback season, it's these UC Davis Aggies.  There should be definite improvement on both sides of the football, as 2011 was a building year for the Aggies.  This will be coach Biggs' only season in the Big Sky, and with the success he's had in throughout his head coaching career, I could see the Aggies having a winning season in 2012.

Photo credit: Shazib Haq/The California Aggie

2012 Big Sky Conference Countdown: Southern Utah

Yesterday, the countdown began with the currently nickname-less North Dakota football team.  Today, it's time to take a look at another Big Sky newcomer: the Southern Utah Thunderbirds.

In 2011, the Thunderbirds ended their season with a respectable 6-5 record.  Their big win last season was at FBS member UNLV, where they crushed the Rebels 41-16.  They also blew out fellow Big Sky newcomer UC Davis in Cedar City with a 34-3 victory over the Aggies.  In the Thunderbirds' five losses in 2011, four of them were by seven points or less, including three straight last October (lost at home to North Dakota 26-20, at South Dakota 24-19, and at Cal Poly 31-27).

Heading into this season, the Thunderbirds bring back their starting quarterback in senior Brad Sorenson, who had a pretty good 2011 season (threw for 3,143 yards and 17 TDs).  But they are inexperienced at the other offensive skill positions, as leading rusher Austin Minefee and leading receiver Brady Measom both graduated over the offseason.  So the returning receivers and running backs will have to step up, or it could be a long season for the Thunderbirds offense.

On the defensive side of the ball, leading tackler Chad Hansen is back.  The junior linebacker led the team in total tackles with 104 (53 solo tackles).  However, the team's leader in sacks (Tyler Osbourne) and co-leaders in interceptions (Erron Vonner and Nick Witzmann) graduated, so there may be some holes to fill defensively.

MY THOUGHTS: The Thunderbirds are a young team heading into this season.  It helps their starting quarterback and leading tackler are back for the 2012 season, but there's a lot of younger guys that will have to step up if they want to duplicate or improve on their respectable 6-5 mark, and that might be difficult to accomplish playing in the more competitive Big Sky Conference.  They lost four of their five games by seven points or less, so sealing the deal in close games will be crucial if they even want a sniff of the conference title, let alone an FCS playoff berth.

NEXT UP: football-only newcomer UC Davis.

2012 Big Sky Conference Countdown: North Dakota

The preseason countdown begins with a look at a Big Sky Conference newcomer in the University of North Dakota.  

The team will begin the season without a nickname, the only school in the conference with that distinction (for now).  During the offseason, the controversial  Fighting Sioux nickname was retired by way of a statewide vote.  The school's athletics programs otherwise would have been deemed ineligible to participate in postseason competition per NCAA regulations, in regards to Native American-related nicknames.

  

Controversy aside, the football program has historically been strong, winning the Division II national championship in 2001, and finishing as runner-up in 2003.  In 2008, North Dakota began to make the transition from Division II to Division I, and the transition has boded well for them with a total record of 23-20 under the tutelage of head coach Chris Mussman.

North Dakota's best season since moving to Division I happened just last year, when the team finished 2011 with an 8-3 record and won a share of the final Great West Conference championship.  The team brings back their leading rusher from last season in junior Jake Miller (991 yards on 195 carries), but their most experienced quarterback is senior Marcus Hendrickson (career stats 13/47, 137 yds, 2 interceptions) who last took a snap in 2010 and did not take any last season.

Much of North Dakota's receiving corps is back, led by juniors Greg Hardin (43 catches, 549 yards, 3 TD) and R.J. McGill (34 catches, 433 yards, TD).  Their top tight ends are seniors Seth Nichols (13 catches, 109 yards, TD) and Seth Wisthoff (7 catches for 76 yards).  The rest of their tight ends are all underclassmen (sophomore long-snapper Taylor Grant, redshirt freshman Zach Alder, and true freshmen Luke Mathewson, Tucker Nordby, and Tanner Vesladahl).

Defensively, the team recorded 31 sacks and 8 interceptions.  They return their leaders in quarterback sacks (senior lineman Ross Brenneman) and one of their co-leaders in interceptions (sophomore defensive back Daryl Brown), but they also return as their top two returning tacklers, as leading tackler in 2011 Dan Hendrickson graduated.

MY THOUGHTS: With a bigger Big Sky, this will be an interesting season for the North Dakota football team, now that they're playing in a tougher and more competitive conference.  It's going to be interesting to know that they won't have a nickname for now, so that's something fans of other schools will have to get used to with the now-retired Fighting Sioux nickname on the shelf.  But they're a very good team and could easily turn some heads this season if they can play everybody tough.

Photo credit: juicedmuscle.com

2012 Big Sky Conference Football Countdown

Ah, yes...football season is just around the corner.

It's one of my favorite times of the year, and I'll be writing about the Big Sky Conference's football teams' outlooks heading into the coming season.  The league is bigger and better than it was in the past, with four new teams joining the conference on July 1st (two of them are football-only members).

The countdown will begin with the league's four newcomers: North Dakota and Southern Utah (all sports), as well as football-only members Cal Poly and UC Davis.  The outlooks on the conference's returning members continues with Northern Colorado and end with 2012 preseason favorite Montana State and defending conference champion Montana.

It should be an interesting season for one of the most powerful conferences in all of FCS football, with the addition of four new teams, as well as a new TV contract with Root Sports, which will bring the conference greater TV exposure than ever before.

Image credit: Big Sky Conference