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Weber State Notebook: Football ranking up to No. 8 after rare 4-0 start

By Brett Hein - Standard-Examiner | Sep 27, 2022

ROBERT CASEY, Weber State Athletics

Weber State running back Josh Davis (20) runs the football as UC Davis cornerback Devon King (21) dives for a tackle attempt in a Big Sky football game Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022, in Davis, California.

Weber State football returned to the national top 10 after its well-contested, 17-12 victory at UC Davis to open Big Sky Conference play.

The Wildcats were voted at No. 8 in this week’s STATS FCS Top 25, voted upon by media members and conference officials from across the country. WSU is up from No. 12 the past two weeks and helps the Big Sky constitute half of the top eight.

Montana is No. 3, Montana State No. 4 and Sacramento State No. 5, the latter moving up two spots after shellacking FBS Colorado State 41-10.

Weber State is 4-0 to start a football season for only the third time in the last 50 years, and the first time since a 5-0 start in 1998. WSU’s win also gave the Wildcats their 21st victory in the last 23 Big Sky road games.

The Wildcats get the season’s bye this week before resuming Big Sky play on Oct. 8 by hosting Eastern Washington. Eastern Washington is at Florida this week, a game postponed to Sunday morning by Hurricane Ian.

Big Sky matchups this week include No. 3 Montana hosting winless Idaho State, who will be on its third-string quarterback; No. 4 Montana State hosting a desperate UC Davis squad; top-or-bottom-half decider games in Northern Arizona at Portland State and Northern Colorado at Idaho; and No. 5 Sacramento State visiting Cal Poly in the Big Sky openers for both schools.

VOLLEYBALL SPLITS OPENERS

It was the start of Big Sky play around other team sports, and WSU volleyball fell in a surprising sweep at Portland State to open the slate Thursday before returning home to top Northern Arizona on Saturday.

Thursday in Portland, WSU lost key points late in the first and third sets, falling 25-23, 25-19, 25-23 on the same day Idaho State surprised Northern Colorado to start conference play. Dani Richins had 10 kills and 10 digs. Kate Standifird totaled 27 assists and 19 digs. Brielle Rueckert had seven kills and three blocks.

Despite dropping the second set Saturday, WSU put a firm foot on victory over NAU by scores of 25-13, 17-25, 25-15, 25-18 in Swenson Gym. Emma Mangum led with 14 kills and 3.5 blocks. Standifird totaled 42 assists and four service aces. Richins had 12 kills and 21 digs.

WSU plays once this week, taking a Friday trip to Idaho State (9-6, 1-1).

SOCCER DROPS TWO

Woes continued for Weber State soccer, emerging from a tough nonconference slate to take a pair of losses to open Big Sky play. WSU lost at home Thursday to Idaho, 1-0, before taking a 3-1 loss Sunday at Eastern Washington.

After a breakout freshman season totaling seven goals and five assists, sophomore forward Morgan Furmaniak scored her first goal of the season in the 57th minute at EWU after WSU got down 3-0.

With a 1-9 overall record, WSU plays once this week, hosting Northern Arizona (1-4-4, 0-0) at 7 p.m. Thursday.

HOOPS SEASON TICKETS

Weber State announced that season tickets for men’s and women’s basketball are now on sale.

The men’s team plays a 12-game home schedule plus an exhibition, featuring three nonconference games and nine Big Sky contests. The exhibition is Nov. 2 and the first regular-season home game is Nov. 10 against Western Colorado. Season tickets are $150 for rows 15-39, $175 for rows 8-14, and $285 for rows 1-7.

The women’s team plays 14 home games, including nonconference games against Utah and Utah State. The home opener is Nov. 19 against Utah Valley. Floor seats are $75 per ticket, or general admission $55 per ticket for the season (the latter amounting to $4 per game).

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