The Wildcats, voted up to No. 6 in both major national polls released Monday, are staring at program history this week as they prepare to travel to Portland State: a 6-0, record-setting start. WSU also looks to extend its seven-game win streak, the best such streak in FCS football.

Weber State has been an intriguing team this season. Even in blowout wins of 24 or more points, it feels like the Wildcats have yet to play a complete game. For instance, a botched handoff provided Eastern a defensive touchdown and WSU couldn’t find the end zone on three plays inside EWU’s 3 in the first half. Every single WSU win this season has had such moments, including the 35-7 win at Utah State being suppressed by missed opportunities offensively.

But the difference those things have made this season, as compared to the last several, has only been the difference of, for example, a 52-14 win last week instead of 45-21, and not a difference that is deciding wins and losses.

That’s what’s behind head coach Jay Hill’s explanation of how he wants to keep the team on track during the hot start.

“Just being us. We’ve got plenty to get better at,” Hill said. “We still get too many penalties at dumb times that hurt us. We’ve just got to get better at being us. That will continue to be our focus.

“I like where the offense is at, I like where the defense is at. Both sides of the ball have shown they can be dominant. We’ve just got to get better, stay humble, keep working and we’ll be fine.”

MORE ON THE DEFENSE

Weber State’s defense enters each game with specific goals tailored to its opponent.

Against Eastern Washington, the goal was to hold the high-powered Eagles to 17 points or less and no explosive plays over 20 yards, cornerback Maxwell Anderson said. The Wildcats failed to reach both goals, though one could hardly paint their defensive effort as a failure.

“We obviously allowed that, but holding it down I thought we did a good job as a defense,” Anderson said.

EWU, who scored the first rushing touchdown against WSU this season, did reach 21 points but only on a major WSU offensive error. That’s not on the defense, though Weber State doesn’t see it like that. Hill drives home an all-three-phases approach that would include offense and special teams in meeting such goals. Plays that lead to points are plays that lead to points, on either side of the ball.

Eastern totaled three plays of 20 or more yards, all passes, but two came in the first half, including Freddie Roberson’s 27-yard touchdown reception with 11:25 left in the second quarter. EWU didn’t get its third until eight minutes left in the game with WSU leading by 17 points.

The Weber defense pitched a shutout for what constituted nearly the final three quarters and held Eastern Washington to 99 yards on 35 plays in the second half.

WSU, on the other hand, totaled six plays over 20 or more yards — three passing, three rushing. Dontae McMillan rushed for two of them: a 22-yard touchdown and a 29-yard run to open the team’s final possession that started a drive to put the nail in the coffin, so to speak.

MORE STATS & NOTES

Speaking of Anderson, his first-quarter interception of Gunner Talkington gave him five on the season, which leads the FCS nationally and is tied for the Division I lead with Utah’s Clark Phillips. Weber State has 11 defensive interceptions as a team this season, second in both Division I subdivisions, trailing Mercer and USC with 12.

Sophomore defensive back Abraham Williams is this week’s Big Sky special teams player of the week for his momentum-shifting, 100-yard kick return touchdown against Eastern Washington. WSU missed a goal-line chance to go up 21-7, EWU marched to tie it 14-14, then Williams and company answered right back with the kick return.

Sophomore quarterback Bronson Barron has put together what is easily the best three-game stretch in his career in the last three games. In wins over Utah Tech, UC Davis and Eastern Washington, Barron has thrown 61 of 85 (71.8%) for 806 yards (269 per game), six touchdowns and one interception.

MORE ON POLLS

Weber State’s move up to No. 6 gives the Big Sky four teams in the top six of the STATS FCS Top 25. They are the only ranked Big Sky teams, though Idaho is now knocking on the door as the team receiving the second-most votes outside the top 25.

Below is the top 10, with each team’s record, points received and first-place votes, if any.

1. North Dakota State: 5-1, 1,333 (41)

2. South Dakota State: 5-1, 1,285 (7)

3. Montana: 5-0, 1,247 (7)

4. Montana State: 5-1, 1,166

5. Sacramento State: 5-0, 1,153

6. Weber State: 5-0, 1,069

7. Holy Cross: 6-0, 935

T8. Jackson State: 5-0, 915

T8. Incarnate Word: 5-1, 915

10. Chattanooga: 4-1, 812