Category: Weber State Wildcats
Reynolds, Sherritt Lead Preseason Big Sky Team
OGDEN, UTAH (July 19, 2010) – Eastern Washington’s J.C. Sherritt has been selected as the 2010 Big Sky Conference preseason defensive player of the year, while Montana’s Chase Reynolds has been tabbed as the preseason offensive player of the year.
Both senior standouts were also named to the preseason All-Conference team, which was selected by a panel of media and sports information directors.
- 1066 words - Big Sky Conference, Montana Grizzlies, Montana State Bobcats, Sacramento State Hornets, Portland State Vikings, Northern Colorado Bears, Northern Arizona Lumberjacks, Weber State Wildcats, Eastern Washington Eagles, Idaho State Bengals Idaho Football Coach: "Montana Makes Sense for WAC"
In a recent article in the Spokesman-Review, Idaho head coach Robb Akey suggested that Montana makes sense geographically for the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).
The league’s commissioner, Karl Benson, has stated through the media on several occasions that Football Championship (FCS) schools would be considered to fill the spot of Boise State and any other institutions that were to leave the conference.
- 146 words - Big Sky Conference, Montana Grizzlies, Montana State Bobcats, Sacramento State Hornets, Portland State Vikings, Weber State Wildcats, Idaho State Bengals, Idaho Vandals WAC has big decision ahead to replace Boise
With Boise State defecting from the WAC to the Mountain West starting in 2011, it will be interesting to see what WAC officials try to do.
Football is what made Boise State the program it is today. The Broncos also won WAC championships in gymnastics and women’s tennis, and were usually in the upper half of the standings in men’s tennis, women’s basketball and women’s soccer. Their presence will be missed.
Football drives the bus; pays for a lot of other programs. Boise State traveled well, especially for football.
College football: An early look at replacements for Boise State
Current WAC membership
Here’s what the WAC’s membership will look like in 2011-12 if it doesn’t add additional institutions.
» Fresno State
» Hawaii
» Idaho
» Louisiana Tech
» Nevada
» New Mexico State
» San Jose State
» Utah State
Weber State football: Wildcats' small but speedy defense steals the spring spotlight
OGDEN — One of the goals for Weber State’s defense during spring football was to find an identity.
If the performance of the defensive players in the annual Purple/White game was any indication on Saturday afternoon, they’ve found one. The Wildcats’ defense looks undersized, but the unit has speed, can get to the ball, force turnovers and create havoc.
Weber State football has a manageable schedule besides two ridiculous BCS games it book ended
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Besides two brutal road games against BCS opponents to begin and end its season, the football schedule that Weber State released this week has some promise.
After last season’s slate spelled certain doom due to back-to-back road games against Division I teams, this season the schedule gods decided to cut the Wildcats some slack, but only after Weber begins its season at Boston College on September 4.
The Eagles are members of the Atlantic Coast Conference and part of the BCS. The Eagles lost 24-13 to USC in the Emerald Bowl last season, and the Wildcats will be heavy underdogs in the game.
Weber State football: Wildcat QB likes what he sees in new faces
OGDEN — Although he’s a veteran who has enjoyed tons of success at Weber State, spring football has been a learning experience for quarterback Cameron Higgins.
Higgins no longer has players like receiver Tim Toone and running back Trevyn Smith — two of the school’s all-time greats at their respective positions — to rely on because their eligibility is up.
He’s also been without receiver Mike Phillips to throw to, because Phillips is coming off of shoulder surgery, and he can’t pass to tight end Cody Nakamura, who’s trying to get a sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA after suffering a gruesome knee injury as a senior last season.
The good vs. the bad at WSU spring football scrimmage
OGDEN – It’s difficult to keep a football coach happy when his offense and defense face each other in a 75-play scrimmage. With one side causing a coach to smile on every play while mistakes on the other side make him want to curse, he just can’t win.
That was the case on Saturday morning during Weber State’s second scrimmage of the spring practices.
“You’re always pissed off at one side or the other, so you’re never completely happy with any of it,” said Wildcats coach Ron McBride. “I was happy to see the defense toughen up and they made plays when they needed.”
Montana Names Defensive Line Coach
Former All-Pac-10 defensive standout Inoke (E-no-key) Breckterfield has been selected to coach the defensive line at the University of Montana, announced first year head coach Robin Pflugrad.
Breckterfield, 32, comes to UM from fellow Big Sky Conference member Weber State where he served as the defensive line coach for the 2009 season.
- 320 words - Big Sky Conference, Montana Grizzlies, Weber State Wildcats Big Sky Conference Announces 2009 Fall All-Academic Teams
The Big Sky Conference has announced the members of the 2009 Fall All-Academic teams for football, men’s and women’s cross country, plus women’s soccer and volleyball.
- 1880 words - Big Sky Conference, Montana Grizzlies, Montana State Bobcats, Sacramento State Hornets, Portland State Vikings, Northern Colorado Bears, Northern Arizona Lumberjacks, Weber State Wildcats, Eastern Washington Eagles, Idaho State Bengals COSIDA's Academic All-America® Team Announced
FCS represented with 17 student-athletes
Repeat selections on the 24-member ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® Football University Division first team include junior running back Kyle Minett of South Dakota State, senior defensive lineman Brandon Wingeier of Dayton, and senior defensive back Beau Hadley of Weber State.
- 1311 words - FCS News Articles, Missouri Valley Football Conference, Southern Illinois Salukis, Indiana State Sycamores, Pioneer Football League, Great West Conference, Big Sky Conference, North Dakota Fightin' Sioux, South Dakota State Jackrabbits, South Dakota Coyotes, Weber State Wildcats, Eastern Washington Eagles, Big South Conference, Liberty Flames, Northern Iowa Panthers, Ivy League, Brown Bears, Dayton Flyers, Valparaiso Crusaders, Ohio Valley Conference, Tennessee State Tigers, Jacksonville State Gamecocks Born to Run: Reynolds, Griz Steamroll No. 14 Wildcats
Big showdown? Big runaway. The second-ranked Montana Grizzlies took command of the Big Sky Conference football race Saturday, with a dominant 31-10 win over Weber State forged with turnovers and two-tight end sets.
Another record crowd filled Washington-Grizzly Stadium thinking the game could go down to the wire; instead, the Wildcats got little going on offense, threw the ball up for grabs and saw the Grizzlies’ Chase Reynolds run for 193 of his career-best 241 yards after halftime.
By the end - after Andrew Swink came down with the fourth interception thrown by Weber State’s Cameron Higgins - the Griz were up two games in the loss column on every other Big Sky team.
Weber State trying to capture own football market
Often overshadowed in their hometown, the Wildcats hope success turns them into top draw.
Coming off one of the school’s best football seasons, Weber State cannot employ the most successful marketing strategy in the program’s history.
Nothing worked quite like the “Save Wildcat Football” campaign in 1994, when the administration threatened to drop the sport, citing a lack of support. The response was overwhelming, with average attendance of 12,853.
The Wildcats have not come close to those numbers since then, even with the spike of interest that accompanied coach Ron McBride’s arrival in 2005. In a northern Utah market dominated by three major college football programs – even some prominent members of the Wildcat Club also have Utah season tickets – Weber State continually struggles to become the top attraction in its own hometown.
College football preview: Wildcats want another shot at playoffs
Weber State coach Ron McBride was back in Utah and at his son-in-laws house watching the semifinal game between Montana and James Madison, just days removed from losing to Montana 24-13 and getting eliminated from the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs.
As he watched, he realized reaching the semifinals or championship game wasn’t an unattainable endeavor.
Higgins continues to impress
Ogden » Cameron Higgins continued to impress Weber State coach Ron McBride on the last day of two-a-day practices Friday. In the morning session, which focused on the running game, Higgins looked sharp and read the defense well in different situations.
“Higgins did a great job managing the offense,” McBride said. “Even when things went wrong, he kept his composure.”
The coaching staff focused on creating first-down situations and challenged the offense to get to second-and-6 or less with the run game. The defense was challenged to not allow the ball to advance more than three yards.
Weber State football: Focus is on Higgins
All-Big Sky QB spent offseason on film study, beefing up his body
He tries to watch football just like everyone else does. He tries to enjoy it. He attempts to behave as a regular fan would, yelling at the television when a player drops a ball or when a referee makes a bad call.
But when Cameron Higgins watches football, he does it with an analytical eye.
“I don’t mean to do it, but I can’t help it,” said Higgins, who returns at quarterback for Weber State University. “I just watch the defense and try to see what they’re running. I watch it with my younger brother and I say, ‘Did you see that? That guy missed the read.’ I look for little indications to what the defense is trying. I look for their tendencies.”
In the offseason, Higgins hasn’t just focused on getting better physically, although his athleticism has garnered him much-deserved attention. Last season, he threw for 4,460 yards and 36 touchdown passes. He was named a Sports Network third team All-American, and heading into this season, he is on the preseason Walter Payton Award watch list.
Sinisi heads up final group of Payton candidates
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Monmouth’s record-setting running back, David Sinisi, is one of four players who have been added to the 2009 Payton Award watch list, bestowed annually upon the top player in FCS.
Sinisi, a 2008 Payton Award candidate, set an NCAA FCS record with touchdowns in 22 straight games and rushed for 1,674 yards and 22 scores last season as a junior to earn Northeast Conference offensive player of the year honors.
Weber State running back Trevyn Smith, New Hampshire quarterback R.J. Toman and San Diego quarterback Sebastian Trujillo join Sinisi to complete the preseason watch list.
- 1003 words - FCS News Articles, Pioneer Football League, San Diego Toreros, Big Sky Conference, CAA, Northeast Conference, Monmouth Hawks, New Hampshire Wildcats, Weber State Wildcats College football: Wildcats will test mettle vs. MWC
WSU to visit Wyoming and Colorado State.
This is Weber State’s chance.
It’s a chance to show how the Wildcats measure up against Division I teams. It’s a chance to show fans in Utah how well they can play against Mountain West Conference opponents. It’s a chance to show that last year was no fluke – and that the ‘Cats will be serious Football Championship Subdivision contenders in 2009.
Those two nonconference games against Wyoming and Colorado State, on back-to-back weekends, won’t have much of an impact on the Wildcats’ quest for an FCS championship – but they will pay dividends in toughening Weber State up for a title run.
Weber State Dominates Preseason All-Conference Team
GDEN, UTAH (July 22, 2009) – Four players were unanimous selections to the 2009 Big Sky Preseason All-Conference team, which was released Wednesday.
The team was picked by select media and sports information directors.
- 939 words - Big Sky Conference, Montana Grizzlies, Montana State Bobcats, Sacramento State Hornets, Portland State Vikings, Northern Colorado Bears, Northern Arizona Lumberjacks, Weber State Wildcats, Eastern Washington Eagles, Idaho State Bengals LeGree heads latest Buchanan watch list release
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Mark LeGree, the record-setting free safety from Appalachian State, heads up the latest group of players added to the watch list for the 2009 Buck Buchanan Award, presented to the top defensive player in FCS.
LeGree, who set a school record with an NCAA-leading 10 interceptions last season as a sophomore, finished third in the 2008 Buchanan Award balloting behind two defensive ends, winner Greg Peach of Eastern Washington and runner- up Jovan Belcher of Maine.
- 871 words - FCS News Articles, SoCon, Appalachian State Mountaineers, Big Sky Conference, CAA, Weber State Wildcats, Massachusetts Minutemen, Villanova Wildcats 
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