Weber State University Athletics
Weber State University
Idaho State
WSU closes out regular season Saturday with Idaho State
11/14/2017 3:36:00 PM | Football
GAME #11
Sat., Nov. 18, 2017 • 2 p.m.Â
Ogden, UT
Stewart Stadium (17,500)
TV: none
Online: Pluto TV 232 / WatchBigSky.com
Radio: KLO 1430 AM / kloradio.com
Live stats: WeberStateStats.comÂ
Series: Weber State leads 41-15
Streak: Weber State 2 wins
In Ogden: Weber State leads 21-5Â
Last game: 11/19/16 - WSU 34-28
Â
THE GAME
• Weber State plays its final regular season of the game and looks to clinch a share of the Big Sky title as the Wildcats host Idaho State Saturday.Â
• Saturday's game will kickoff at 2 p.m. from Stewart Stadium. There will be no TV but the game will be streamed everywhere online for free on Pluto TV channel 232 and on WatchBigSky.com. Radio broadcast will be on 1430 KLO radio and kloradio.com.
• Rod Zundel and former Wildcat All-American Bo Bolen will be on the call for the online stream and radio.Â
• Live stats will be at WeberStateStats.com.Â
FIRST AND 10
• Weber State is 8-2 on the season and 6-1 in Big Sky play, following Saturday's 63-17 win at Portland State. Â
• The Wildcats are now ranked 9th and 12th in the nation in this week's national polls and are the top ranked Big Sky team.Â
• Idaho State is 4-6 overall and 2-5 in Big Sky play. Â
• Head coach Jay Hill is in his fourth season as head coach at Weber State. He enters Saturday with an 23-22 career record and is 19-12 in Big Sky games.Â
• The Bengals are coached by first-year head coach Rob Phenicie.Â
• Weber State ranks leads the nation in red zone defense and is fifth in the country in turnover margin.Â
• This will be the 57th all-time meeting between the two long-time rivals. Weber State leads 41-15 all-time and the Wildcats have won 13 of the last 14 games. WSU has won 15-straight games against Idaho State in Ogden, with ISU's last win in Stewart Stadium coming in 1984.
WILDCATS RUN TO 63-17 WIN AT PORTLAND STATEÂ
Weber State won its fourth-straight game with a 63-17 win at Portland State Saturday afternoon. After trailing 3-0, Weber State scored 56-straight points and rolled to the victory.Â
The Wildcats totaled 421 rushing yards, tied for the third most in a game in WSU history and the most in a game since 1972.Â
WILDCATS RANKED IN TOP 10
After Saturday's win, Weber State football is now a top 10 team. The Wildcats are now ranked ninth in the nation in the latest FCS Coaches poll. WSU also comes in 12th in the STATS FCS poll. It is Weber State's highest ranking since the 2009 season.Â
Weber State rolled to a 63-17 win at Portland State Saturday afternoon for its fourth-straight victory. The Wildcats are now 8-2 overall and 6-1 in Big Sky play with one game remaining. Weber State is tied for first place in the Big Sky with Southern Utah and Northern Arizona.Â
Weber State is the highest of four ranked teams in the Big Sky. Southern Utah is 14th in the STATS poll and 18th in the coaches poll. Eastern Washington is 18th in STATS and 20th in the coaches poll and Northern Arizona comes in 23rd in both polls.Â
This marks jut the sixth time in school history WSU has won at least eight games in a season.Â
SHARE OF BIG SKY TITLE ON THE LINE SATURDAY
Weber State is tied with Southern Utah and Northern Arizona for first in the Big Sky standings at 6-1. With a win over Idaho State Saturday, the Wildcats will clinch a share of the conference title for just the fifth time in school history and the first conference title since 2008. Weber State also shared the Big Sky title in 1965, 1968 and 1987.Â
With a win, the Wildcats will share the conference title with the winner of Southern Utah and Northern Arizona, who play Saturday afternoon in Cedar City.Â
WILDCATS POST 421 RUSHING YARDS AND SEVEN TOUCHDOWNS Â
Weber State ran for 421 yards in the win at Portland State, tied for the third most rushing yards in a game in school history and the most in a game since 1972. The Wildcats had seven rushing touchdowns in the game and had three running backs with at least 88 yards rushing.Â
Sophomore Kevin Smith led the Wildcats with a career-high 143 yards rushing and two touchdowns on just seven carries. He averaged 20.4 yards per carry. Smith had a 13-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and a career-long 75-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.Â
Freshman David Jones also had a career-high, finishing with 12 carries for 103 yards and a touchdown. He had a one-yard touchdown run late in the second quarter to cap WSU's 35-0 quarter.Â
Junior running back Treshawn Garrett finished with nine carries for 88 yards and had a career-high three rushing touchdowns. He had a four-yard touchdown in the first quarter, a nine-yard TD in the second quarter and a 51-yard touchdown early in the third quarter. The 88 yards moved Garrett to 12th in Weber State history in career rushing yards with 1,720 yards and 16 career touchdowns.
The Wildcats are now fourth in the Big Sky in rushing at 194.7 yards per game.Â
RASHID SHAHEED WITH ANOTHER KICKOFF RETURN TD
WSU freshman Rashid Shaheed only touched the ball three times in the win at Portland State, but he accounted for 174 yards and two touchdowns in those three touchdowns.Â
Shaheed had a 90-yard kickoff return in the first quarter that was the go-ahead touchdown by Weber State. He finished with two kickoff returns for 114 yards in the win. He also had one reception for a 60-yard touchdown in the second quarter.Â
The kickoff return was his second returned for a touchdown this season and he is now just one of four players in the country with at least two kickoff returns for touchdowns. The San Diego, California, native currently ranks third in the country in kickoff return average at 32.3 yards per return.Â
'CATS REACH EIGHT WINS
With Saturday's win, Weber State has reached an 8-2 record with one game remaining. This marks just the sixth time in school history that Weber State has won at least eight games in a season and the first since 2008. The Wildcats have won nine or more games just twice in school history, winning 10 games in 1987 and 2008.
SENIOR DAY FOR 15 WILDCATS Â
Prior to Saturday's game, Weber State will honor 15 seniors who will be playing their final regular season home game with the Wildcats. The 15 seniors honored will be Devan Alldredge, Drew Batchelor, Stefan Cantwell, Jacob DeMaio, Xequille Harry, Rayshawn Henderson, Taron Johnson, Adam Lewis, Arnold Lopez, Cardon Malan, McKay Murphy, Likio Pope, Tui Satuala, Brady Simpson and Andrew Vollert.
  TURNOVER MARGIN Â
Weber State forced two fumbles in Saturday's win and did not turn the ball over. The Wildcats improved to +13 on turnover margin which is tied for the best in the Big Sky and fifth in the nation in turnover margin.Â
WSU has forced eight turnovers in the last three games and has not had a turnover in the last three games.Â
WEBER STATE LEADS THE NATION IN RED ZONE DEFENSE
Weber State held Portland State to 1-of-3 scores in the red zone Saturday and improved to first in the nation in red zone defense. The Wildcats are allowing opponents to score on 59 percent of its attempts in the red zone. WSU has given up 16 scores in the red zone with just eight touchdowns. Â Â
DEFENSIVE DOMINATIONÂ
Weber State ranks at the top of the Big Sky in several defensive categories. WSU is first in the conference scoring defense, rushing defense, total defense and red zone defense. In addition to leading the nation in red zone defense, Weber State is also 14th in the country in scoring defense.Â
TIME OF POSSESSIONÂ
Weber State again led in time of possession in Saturday's game and has led its opponent in time of possession in nine of 10 games this season.Â
WSU is sixth in the nation in time of possession, averaging 33:49 per game.Â
INJURY REPORT
Wildcat senior cornerback Taron Johnson has missed the last two games with a hamstring injury.Â
TEAM CAPTAINS
Coach Hill has named five captains for the Wildcats for this season, two on offense and three on defense. The two offensive captains are senior quarterback Stefan Cantwell and senior tight end Andrew Vollert. The three defensive captains are senior cornerback Taron Johnson, senior defensive tackle McKay Murphy and junior linebacker LeGrand Toia. Â
EXTRA POINTS
WSU head coach Jay Hill moved his career record to above .500, now with a 23-22 career record. He is also 19-12 in Big Sky play. Since starting his WSU career 2-12, he is 21-10 in his last 31 games...Senior All-American tight end Andrew Vollert had four receptions for 47 yards in Saturday's win...He became the 26th player in WSU history with 100 career receptions and moved past his tight ends coach and former Wildcat All-American Al Pupunu. Vollert now has 103 career receptions for 1,359 yards and 10 touchdowns in his two years at Weber State.Â
LOOKING AHEAD
 The FCS Playoffs selection show will be Sunday, Nov. 19, at 9 a.m. Mountain time and will be broadcast on ESPNU. Â
Â
