No. 2/2 South Dakota St. at No. 3/3 Montana St. 

When: Saturday, 6 p.m. TV: ESPN+. Web: Varsity App; Radio: Bobcat Radio Network. Where: Bobcat Stadium (20,767, FieldTurf). Records: SDSU is 1-0; MSU is 0-1. 

When the Jackrabbits have the ball: There’s a new quarterback, and it is senior Chase Mason, who completed as many passes (17, in 23 attempts) in the 20-3 opening win over Sacramento State as he did in either 2023 or ‘24. He threw for 190 yards and one score and ran 18 times for 30 yards. Julius Loughridge (22 carries, 159 yards) made it tough on the Hornets last week. Lofton O’Groske had five catches for 76 yards. 

When the Bobcats have the ball: Montana State managed just 244 yards in its 59-13 loss at Oregon last week. Stanford transfer QB Justin Lamson accounted for 198 of those yards, completing 23 of 31 passes. Taco Dowler is an emerging weapon at receiver with 12 catches for 107 yards against the Ducks. Julius Davis and Adam Jones combined to net just 31 yards on 14 carries. That’s not the Bobcats’ style. 

Notable: This is the return game from a home-and-home series that began in 2023, when South Dakota State rallied past the Bobcats for a 20-16 win in Brookings, S.D. ... The Jacks lost two fumbles and missed two field goals against Sac State. ... SDSU has five starters returning, and only one on defense. ... MSU beat SDSU 31-17 in Bozeman in the 2021 FCS semifinals. ... Lamson threw 47 passes in his Stanford career.  ... MSU’s 46 rushing yards at Oregon was its fewest since gaining 29 in a loss at SDSU in 2018. ... That loss came on the heels of a defeat at No. 24 FBS Washington State. 

 The Pick: Bobcats, 31-17.

Central Washington at No. 6/10 Montana 

When: Saturday, 6 p.m. TV: KPAX/MTN/ESPN+; Radio: Grizzly Radio Network. Where: Washington-Grizzly Stadium (25,217, FieldTurf). Records: CWU is 1-0; UM is 0-0. 

When the Wildcats have the ball: Kennedy McGill, a three-star recruit out of high school who has spent his college career in Ellensburg, Wash., threw for 190 yards and ran for 135 last week in a 41-14 win over Colorado Mesa. Ryder Bumgarner picked up 52 yards on five carries. Mason Juergens (Washington State transfer) and Jalen Grable (Idaho) caught McGill’s two touchdown passes. 

When the Grizzlies have the ball: Keali’i Ah Yat, a redshirt sophomore, is the apparent starter at quarterback with USC transfer Jake Jensen as his backup. Eli Gillman is back to try for a third straight 1,000-yard season at tailback; Malai Fonoti, who shined in limited action in 2024, is his backup. Eastern Washington transfer Michael Wortham is one of the  three starting receivers, along with fellow senior Blake Bohannon and freshman Brooks Davis. Evan Shafer is back at tight end. 

Notable: Drew Deck is listed as UM’s punt returner while Wortham and Stevie Rocker, Jr. are listed as kick returners. ... Montana is 3-0 all time against CWU, including a 59-3 win during the Grizzlies’ two-game Covid-19 spring season of 2021. ... A much closer game came in 2008, when Flathead grad Mike Reilly and the Cats put a scare into the Griz, losing 38-35. Montana lost in the FCS title game that season; CWU lost eventual DII chamipon Northwest Missouri State in the playoffs. ... The Wildcats are ranked No. 18 in Division II currently.  

The Pick: Griz, 38-35.