Idaho State at No. 5/5 Montana State 

When: Saturday, 1 p.m. TV: SCRIPPS Sports. Web: ESPN+. Radio: Bobcat Radio Network. Where: Bobcat Stadium (18,217, FieldTurf). Records: ISU is 2-4, 1-1 in Big Sky games. MSU is 4-2, 2-0. 

When the Bengals have the ball: Jordan Cooke triggers the Big Sky’s top passing attack and is coming off a career-best 421 yards in last week’s 42-38 loss to Montana. He ranks fourth in the FCS in yards per game at 277.4. Michael Shulikov, who stands 6-foot-6, has 519 receiving yards and Tsion Nunnally, the Washington State transfer, has another 333 yards. Both have 3 touchdowns.  Dason Brooks is averaging 6.4 yards a carry and has 424 rushing yards and 5 TDs. Carson Sudbury has 4 rushing touchdowns. 

When the Bobcats have the ball: Justin Lamson is now No. 2 in the Big Sky (and 17 th in the FCS) in passing efficiency (160.79), having completed 72 percent of his passes for 1,218 yards and 8 TDs, with 2 interceptions. Taco Dowler (32 catches-377 yards) continues to be the top target, but Jabez Woods is averaging 18.8 yards on his 11 catches and Ryan King has 102 yards on five receptions. High-flying Julius Davis has 327 yards and three TDs on 51 carries; Adam Jones has 5 TDs rushing and his YPC is up to 4.1. 

Notable: The Bengals have allowed just one sack in 256 pass attempts. ... Montana State leads the Big Sky and is ninth in the FCS in total defense, allowing 296 yards per game. ... Opponents are 23-for-81 on third down conversions against the Cats. ... Idaho State ranks ninth in FCS in tackles for loss (7.7 per game). ... The Bengals’ Trajan Sinatra is 10-for-10 on field goals, and ISU has hit 27 straight dating back to 2023. ... The Cats’ Myles Sandstead is 7-for-9 on FGs.  ,,, MSU leads the series 50–31–3 and has won 9 of the last 10 meetings.

The Pick: Cats, 45-21. 

Cal Poly at No. 4/4 Montana 

When: Saturday, 2 p.m. TV: KPAX, KTGF, KXLF. Web: ESPN+; Radio: Grizzly Radio Network. Where: Washington-Grizzly Stadium (25,217, FieldTurf). Records: Cal Poly is 3-3, 1-1 in Big Sky play; UM is 6-0, 2-0. 

When the Mustangs have the ball: Bo Kelly started at QB in Cal Poly’s 34-27 home loss to No. 6 UC Davis last week and was 20 of 37 for 251 yards and two TDs. The redshirt junior began the season buried on the depth chart despite five starts in 2024. Logan Booher had six catches for 101 yards and both of Kelly’s TDs. Michael Briscoe is an NFL prospect with 27 catches for 529 yards and 7 TDs. Trey Wilson and Paul Holyfield, Jr., split the carries last week. Tyrei Washington, who missed the Davis game, is the top back.  

When the Grizzlies have the ball: Keali’i Ah Yat has thrown for over 300 yards in three straight games and his 1,436 yards (with 8 TDs) sit eighth in the FCS. Eli GIllman’s 590 rushing yards (9 touchdowns) leads the Big Sky and is 10th in the FCS. Coming off a carer-best 108-yard game, Brookes Davis has 18 catches for 274 yards. Just six freshman have more yards at this level. Michael Wortham is UM’s top receiver (25 catches,394 yards, 2 TDs) and No. 2 rusher (23-127, 3 TDs). 

Notable: The Grizzlies will don the “throwback” copper and gold uniforms they wore from 1969-1995, with the “Slobbering Otto” logo on the helmets. ... Montana leads the series 19-5 and is 12-2 against Cal Poly at Wa-Griz, with the losses coming in 2005 (playoffs) and 2015. ... Cal Poly started four different QBs in 2024 and Kelly is the third different starter in 2025. ... The Mustangs’ offensive coordinator is Timm Rosenbach, who was OC for the Griz in 2012, and was OC at Eastern Washington under Paul Wulff from 2001-02.  

The Pick: Griz, 34-23.