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Game #7
Sacramento State vs. Weber State
Saturday, October 17, 2009- 1:30 p.m. (MDT)
Stewart Stadium- Ogden, Utah
Homecoming Game
Sacramento State "Hornets"
HEAD COACH
MARSHALL SPERBECK is in his 3rd season as head coach of the Hornets. ... Coming into Saturday's game Sperbeck is 11-17 and 8-11 in Big Sky Conference games. ... Sperbeck is 0-2 vs. the Wildcats.
SERIES HISTORY
Weber State holds an 9-4-0 advantage in the series which began in 1996 when Sac State joined the Big Sky Conference. ... The Wildcats are 5-0 vs. the Hornets when playing in Ogden. ... Neither team has recorded a shutout and there has not been an overtime game played.
LAST MEETING - Sept. 20, 2008 - Sacramento, Calif.
A big time defensive play by cornerback SCOTTY GOODLOE with 2:14 left, stop a potential game-winning scoring drive as the Wildcat hung on for a 32-27 win snapping a four-game losing streak in Hornet Stadium. ... The game was a 20-20 tie mid way through the 3rd quarter until the Wildcats scored on a 60-yd pass from CAMERON HIGGINS to TIM TOONE the 1:07 mark, and at the 10:56 mark of the 4th quarter on a 31-yd pass from HIGGINS to BRYANT ETEUATI making it 32-20. ... The Wildcats had a chance to make it a 15-point game with eight minutes left, but MIKE SNOY missed on a 46-yd field goal attempt. ... Sac State then drove 71 yards in 10 plays with DUNCAN WHITE hitting DYLAN LANE on a 16-yd TD pass with 5:31 remaining. ... WSU got a 21-yd pass from HIGGINS to TOONE to began the next series but were stopped on their next three plays and were forced to punt. ... The Hornets took over at 4:11 and drove to mid field where they had a 4th-and-one to keep the scoring drive alive, but GOODLOE came in from the secondary to stop EVANDER WILKINS for a one-yard loss and the Wildcats took over and ran out the clock. ... HIGGINS was 21-33-0 for 380 yards and 4 TDs while TREVYN SMITH rushed 24 times for 123 yards. ... TIM TOONE had six catches for 146 yards.
LAST TIME IN OGDEN, UTAH - October 6, 2007
It was "TIM TOONE DAY" in Stewart Stadium. The 5-10 sophomore had six catches for 128 yards and tied a school record with FOUR TOUCHDOWNS catches, leading the Wildcats to a 26-7 before 3,342 in Stewart Stadium. ... TOONE caught touchdowns passes of 15, 50, 18 and 22 yards from CAMERON HIGGINS. ... WSU's defense did not allow a score until 9:05 left in the game when CROSBY WEHR caught a 3-yd TD pass from TIM BESSOLO. ... HIGGINS was 13-20-0 for 245 yards and 4 TDs, while TREVYN SMITH carried 21 times for 110 yards.
SCOUTING THE HORNETS
Sacramento State comes into Saturday's game with an overall record of 2-3 but has a 2-1 mark in Big Sky Conference action. The Hornets have won their last two games defeating Portland State on the road, 31-14, on Oct. 3 and beating Idaho State at home last Saturday, 38-17. ... Sac State is led by running back TERRANCE DAILEY(5-10, 195 Soph.) The University of Washington transfer is currently the Big Sky's 4th leading ball carrier averaging 86.2 yards per game overal l and 107.0 in three Big Sky Conference games. ... They have a dangerous kickoff return specialist in SAM McCOWAN (5-7, 165 Fr.) who is averaging 30.6 yards per return this season. ... Defensively, strong safety ZACH SCHRADER (6-1, 190 Jr.) is tied for 2nd in the overall Big Sky Conference stats averaging 11.0 tackles per game. CHRISTIAN CLARK (6-3, 240 Jr. DT) is 3rd in Quarterback Sacks at 0.80 per game and 2nd in Tackles for Loss with 1.60 per contest. ... Placekicker CHRIS DINIZ (5-9,185 Jr.) is a perfect 6-6 in field goal attempts this season with a long of 44 yards. ... Sac State is the LEAST PENALIZED team in the Big Sky this season. The Hornets have been flagged and average of just six times for game for 48.6 yards per game.
WEBER STATE UNIVERSITY "Wildcats"
COACH RON McBRIDE
Weber State head coach RON McBRIDE enters into his 5th season as head coach of the Wildcats and his 18th overall as a head coach on the NCAA Division I level. ... McBride is now 28-25 (.5289) at WSU and 116-88 (.5696) overall. ... Mac is 21-15 (.583) in Big Sky Conference regular season games and is 3-1 vs. Sac State. ... In 2008 McBride was named the Big Sky Conference Coach-of-the-Year after leading the Wildcats to a 10-4 record overall and a 7-1 mark and the conference co-championship in Big Sky Conference play. It marked the first time since 1968 that the Wildcats had captured the Big Sky Conference championship. ... McBride guided his Wildcats to a 45-28 win over #2 ranked Montana during the regular season and a stunning 49-35 road win over #3 ranked Cal Poly in the first round of the NCAA Division I FCS playoffs. Twelve of McBride's athletes earned First Team All-Big Sky Conference, the most by any team in a single season in the 47-year history of the league. Twenty Wildcats earned some type of all-conference honor in 2008. ... Ten Wildcats earned Second or Third Team All-America honors either by The Associated Press or The Sports Network.
COACH "MAC" TURNS 70
On Wednesday, October 14, Weber State head football coach RON McBRIDE turns 70 years old making him one of only EIGHT ACTIVE COACHES in NCAA Division I FBS or FCS who are in their seventh decade. He joins Joe Paterno (82), Bobby Bowden (78), Howard Schnellenberger (75), good friend Dick Tomey (71), Bob Ford (71, University of Albany), Jerry Moore (70, Appalachian State) and Bill Snyder (70) in that elite group.
RADIO / TV
Back for his 11th season as the football radio voice of Weber State football is Wildcat CARL ARKY. He will be joined in the broadcast booth by former WSU standout defensive back TY SPARROW. ... Once again, all Weber State football games will be carried LIVE on KLO (1430 AM) with the Pre-Game Show beginning 30 minutes for each kickoff. ... New this year is the NCAA Division I FCS Round Up Show which airs 30 minutes before each Pre-Game Show.
WEEKLY POLLS - ‘Cats Move Up to 15th
There will be TWO major weekly top 25 polls for NCAA Division I FCS this season. ... THE SPORTS NETWORK poll is voted upon by sports information directors from all 125 FCS schools plus members of the media who cover those schools. ... THE FCS COACHES poll is just that. Coaches from various FCS schools representing each conference and independents vote each week. Both polls are released each Monday afternoon. ... The Wildcats jumped from 21st to 15th in both polls after the 31-13 win at Eastern Washington last Saturday. ... Montana moved up to 2nd in the FCS Coaches Poll and 3rd in The Sports Network poll.
48th SEASON OF WEBER STATE FOOTBALL
This is the 48th season of Weber State University on the four-year level, and the 47th season as a member of the Big Sky Conference. ... Weber State attained four-year status in 1962 and played as an NCAA Division II member until 1978 when, along with the rest of the Big Sky Conference, moved up to the newly created NCAA I-AA (now FCS) level. ... Weber State's all-time football record stands at 247- 262-3 (.482) coming into this week's game vs. Montana State.
TEAM CAPTAINS
The 2009 DEFENSIVE CAPTAINS will be: Brighton Barkdull (6-3, 250 Sr. DE), Beau Hadley (6-0, 185 Sr. Safety), Kevin Linehan (6-3, 245 Sr. DE), Josh Morris (6-0, 190 Sr. CB) and Taylor Sedillo (5-11, 235 Jr. MLB). .. The OFFENSIVE CAPTAINS will be: Cameron Higgins (6-2, 210 Jr. QB), Kyle Mutcher (6-3, 300 Sr. OC), Treyvn Smith (5-9, 210 Sr. RB) and Tim Toone (5-10, 175 Sr. WR). ... The SPECIAL TEAMS captain will be Mike Snoy (6-2, 180 Sr. Punter).
SID IS NOT TOONED IN
This writer apologizes for misinformation given last week concerning WSU wide receiver TIM TOONE (5-10, 175 Sr. / Peoria, Arizona). My addition skills weren't too sharp as I said in last week's release that TOONE needed just 46 yards to reach the 3,000 yards plateau when in fact he needed 54. ... He had 7 catches for 52 yards @Eastern Washington last Saturday leaving him two short. ... Coming into this Saturday's game TOONE has 165 career receptions for 2,998 yards and 23 touchdowns. Two more yards and he will become the 7th player in Big Sky Conference history - and the first in WSU football history - to achieve 3,000 receiving yards.
BIG SKY CAREER RECEIVING YARDS - 3,000 or More
- Eric Kimble Eastern Washington 4,140
- Fred Amey Sacramento State 4,049
- Kasey Dunn Idaho 3,847
- Orshawante Bryant Portland State 3,449
- Jerry Hendren Idaho 3,435
- *AARON BOYCE EAST. WASH. 3,216
- *TIM TOONE WEBER STATE 2,998 *currently playing in 2009
TOONE's career Yard Per Reception mark of 18.17 per catch is nearly two yards better than anyone on the 3,000 yard list. ... TOONE has moved up to 5th on the Weber State career All-Purpose Yards list. He now has two rushing yards, 2,998 receiving yards and 673 yards in kickoff and punt returns for 3,673. He needs 327 yards to become just the 4th player in WSU football history to amass 4,000 career all-purpose yards. ... With his seven catches last Saturday, TOONE moved into 4th on the WSU career Receptions Leaders LIST. He is 41 behind career leader Trevor Shaw (206) but only 13 shy of passing Peter Macon (177) for 2nd.
"THE BEAST" IS BACK AND IS BIG SKY POW!
Weber State defensive tackle RYAN "The Beast" EASTMAN (6-0, 270 Soph. / Honolulu, Hawai'i) has been named the Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Week for his effort in WSU's 31-13 win at Eastern Washington last Saturday. ... Eastman, who has missed WSU's three previous games after suffering a knee injury at Colorado State on Sept. 12, returned to the starting line up and promptly recorded a career high THREE Quarterback Sacks last Saturday and had six total tackles. ... Eastman was instrumental in holding EWU running back, Taiwan Jones, to just 64 yards rushing on 13 carries. Jones came into the game leading the Big Sky in Rushing Yards per game at just over 110. ... WSU's defense held the potent Eagle offense to just one touchdown which came in the fourth quarter. ... Eastman, who earned Honorable Mention All-Big Sky honors last year as a true freshman, has 11 total tackles this season and FOUR of his FIVE UNASSISTED TACKLES have been QUARTERBACK SACKS!
PHILLIPS 66 HIGH OCTANE - A G A I N!
MIKE PHILLIPS (6-1, 190 Jr. WR) had a career afternoon two weeks ago vs. Montana State. The speedster from Seaside, California had a single game career high NINE receptions for a single game career high 163 yards. ... Last Saturday in the win over Eastern Washington, PHILLIPS had just two catches, but they were both for touchdowns. ... His first catch was an 80-yarder from CAMERON HIGGINS giving the Wildcats a 10-7 lead early in the 2nd qua rter. That was a career long pass by HIGGINS and a career long reception for PHILLIPS. ... It was also the 10th LONGEST PASS PLAY in Weber State football history. ... He then caught a 30-yarder with 31 seconds left in the first half giving the Wildcats a 22-7 half time lead. ... In the last TWO games, PHILLIPS now has 11 receptions for 273 yards (24.82 ypc.) and four touchdowns. He is the only WSU receiver who has caught a touchdown pass in the last two games. ... PHILLIPS now has 80 career catches for 1,440 yards and 13 touchdowns. He is averaging 18 yards per catch for his career.
SAFETY IN NUMBERS
For the second straight week, the Weber State Wildcats earned two points for a safety. Against Montana State, WSU defensive end KEVIN LINEHAN sacked MSU quarterback Mark Iddins in the end zone for two. ... Last Saturday, EWU gave the Wildcats two when an errant snap on a punt went over the kicker's head and into the end zone where he batted out preventing a possible WSU touchdown.
ROAD WARRIORS
The win at Eastern Washington last Saturday was the 6th straight ROAD win in Big Sky Conference regular season play. ... The Wildcats were 4-0 in Big Sky play on the road in 2008 and have won their first two in 2009. ... Going back to the 2007 season, the Wildcats have now WON seven of their last 10 ROAD games against NCAA Division I FCS opponents. The three losses came @Montana (18-10, 2007), @Eastern Washington (38-16, 2007) and @Montana (24-13, 2008 in the FCS playoffs).
SMITH IS BACK ON TOP
With his 143 rushing yards on 32 carries last Saturday vs. @Eastern Washington, WSU running back TREVYN SMITH (5-9, 210 Sr.) has moved back into the lead as the top ground gainer in the Conference this season. SMITH is now averaging 111.3 yards per game and is bidding to become the first player in Big Sky Conference history to lead the league in Rushing for four straight seasons. ... SMITH has 146 carries for 668 yards and five touchdowns this season. In his 42-game career, he is now the third all-time leading ball carrier in Big Sky history with 909 carries for 4,696 yards and has scored 41 touchdowns. ... With his 3-yd TD run last Saturday at Eastern Washington, SMITH has now scored 304 career points and is 22 away from passing Scott Shields as WSU's career scoring leader. ... SMITH is 303 rushing yards away from reaching the 5,000 yards plateau.
A QUICK RECOVERY
The Wildcats had two fumble recoveries in the final two minutes in the game at Eastern Washington last Saturday. Both recoveries came at or near the goal line which stopped potential touchdowns by the Eagles. Both players who got the loose football are old hands, so to speak, at getting fumbles. KEVIN LINEHAN (6-3, 245 Sr. DE) got the first one with 2:39 left in the game. It was his 4th career fumble recovery. The second one, recovered by BEAU HADLEY (6-0, 195 Sr. Safety), came with 23 seconds left in the game. It was his 3rd career fumble recovery. ... HADLEY also picked up his 7th career INTERCEPTION in the game.
BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO
...But not for JOSH MORRIS (6-0, 190 Sr.) and BEAU HADLEY (6-0, 195 Sr.). ... Morris picked up his 23rd career pass break up last Saturday. He is now just four away from passing Junior Baker (26) as WSU's career leader. ... HADLEY now has 15 in his career. He is tied for 9th on the Wildcats career charts. ... The Wildcats have 22 pass break ups this season as a team led by THYRELL LEWIS (5-9, 175 Sr. CB) who has five this season. ... JOSH MORRIS set the WSU single season mark with 14 last year.
NET WORTH
Weber State is the NCAA DIVISION I FCS team leader this week in NET PUNTING. ... As a team, the Wildcats have had 24 punts for 1,029 yards - all by MIKE SNOY (6-2, 180 Sr.) for an average of 42.87 yards per kick. ... WSU's Punt Cover teams have allowed just eight punts returned for a total of 23 yards giving the Wildcats a Net Punting Average of 41.1 yards.
...SPEAKING OF SNOY
The senior from Layton, Utah is 3rd individually in the Big Sky with that 42.87 yards per punt and is ranked 10th nationally in NCAA Division I FCS. ... Eight, or one-third, of his punts this season have been downed inside the opponents' 20-yd line and four of them have stopped, or been downed, inside the five-yard line including two last week at Eastern Washington. ... Snoy had a "small straight" in field goals vs. Eastern Washington with makes from 21,22 and 23 yards in the game. It marked the first time in his 42-game career in which he kicked THREE FIELD GOALS in one game. ... He is now 14-26 (.538) in career field goal attempts.
WSU D-LINE vs. SAC O-LINE
Saturday's game features the Big Sky's top team in Quarterback Sacks and the league's top team in Quarterback Sacks Allowed. ... Weber State leads the Big Sky in Quarterback Sacks Per Game averaging 2.33, tied with Eastern Washington (EWU did not have a sack against the Wildcats last Saturday). ... Sac State, on the other hand, is tied with Montana and Northern Arizona for Least Quarterback Sacks Allowed at 1.20 per contest.
SHIFTING FROM 1ST TO 2ND
Weber State has been out scored 55-25 (9.16 to 4.17) in the First Quarter this season, but the Wildcats have shifted gears going into the Second Quarter where they have out score their opponents 77-23 (12.83 to 3.83).
HOMECOMING GAMES
Weber State is 20-27-0 through out the years in Homecoming Games. ... Last year the Wildcats defeated Dixie State, 44-7, to snap a two-game losing streak in Homecoming Game play ... WSU has lost seven of its last 10. ... This marks the second time Sacramento State has been WSU's Homecoming guest. In 2005 the Wildcats won 26-14.
IT'S A NUMBERS GAME VS. SAC STATE
In the last three games between the two schools played in Ogden, the Wildcats have scored 26 points in each of those games, winning by identical 26-14 scores in 2003 and 2005. ... The first two times Sac State played in Stewart Stadium in 1997 and 1999, the Wildcats scored 52 points in each of those games, which is 26x2. ... WSU won 52-14 in 1997 and a wild 52-49 game in 1999.
ODD'S AND END'S
Weber State is the Big Sky TOTAL OFFENSE leader through six games averaging 440.8 yards per game. ... The Wildcats also lead in Average First Downs per game at 23.3 and lead in Opponent's 3rd Down Conversion rate holding them to just 21-70 (.300). ... The Wildcats also lead in Time of Possession at 34:08 per game. Montana is second at 30:39.
NEXT WEEK
The Wildcats begin a long stretch away from home beginning with a Saturday, October 24 game at Northern Colorado. Kickoff is set for 1:35 p.m. (MDT) and will be carried LIVE on Altitude TV. ... The Wildcats are at Montana on Oct. 31, have an open week on Nov. 7 and return home on Nov. 14 and 21 to face Northern Arizona and Cal Poly.
ON SACRAMENTO STATE: "They have given us fits in every game we have played them in my five years here at Weber State. They always have strong, physical players on both sides of the ball and play with great intensity and hustle. I like the way Dailey runs. He's fast to the hole and makes people miss. Defensively, their secondary plays the ball as good as anyone we've played thus far, so we will need to be alert when we put the ball in the air."
ON THE WILDCATS: "Obviously I was really pleased with our performance last Saturday. This team showed a great deal of character in shaking off a devastating loss at home and came out and played with purpose, enthusiasm and desire. That's all you can ask out of our team. They know from here on out everything is in their hands. We need to be physically and mentally prepared on every play in practice and in game situations."
