Great West Weekly Release -- Week 4 :: Four matchups highlight the fourth week of action in the league.

One player each from Cal Poly, South Dakota State and North Dakota State earned Great West Football Conference player of the week honors for their performances in games on Sept. 18.

Cal Poly wide receiver Darrell Jones was chosen as offensive player of the week while North Dakota State linebacker Brian Erenberg picked up defensive player of the week honors. Selected as special teams player of the week was South Dakota State kicker Parker Douglass.

Cal Poly defeated Montana State 27-14 on the road while South Dakota State was a 38-3 winner at home over Western Oregon. North Dakota State beat Carson-Newman (Tenn.) 49-19, UC Davis edged Weber State 31-29, Southern Utah fell at Sacramento State 23-17 and Northern Colorado was beaten by Idaho State 49-42 in double-overtime.

Games scheduled for Sept. 25, all non-conference, include Southern Utah at Stephen F. Austin, Sacramento State at UC Davis, Northern Colorado at Montana and South Dakota State at Southern (Louisiana). Cal Poly and North Dakota State have byes.

Jones (5-8, 185, Senior, San Rafael, CA) caught a career-high eight passes for 123 yards in Cal Poly's win at No. 14 Montana State. Jones had caught seven passes in a game five times in his Cal Poly career. One of his catches Saturday was a 26-yarder for a first-quarter touchdown.

Erenberg (6-2, 221, Senior, West Fargo, ND) sparked the North Dakota State defense with 12 tackles in the win over Carson-Newman (Tenn.). Had six solo tackles, including a key tackle for a loss on a fourth-down play late in the second quarter with the Eagles inside NDSU territory. Erenberg leads the Bison with 27 tackles this season including 16 solo stops and 1.5 tackles for a loss,two pass breakups and one interception.

Douglass (5-8, 170, Fr., Columbus, Neb.) set a South Dakota State record with six field goals: 34, 39, 27, 23, 43, 39 yards. He also had a 46-yard attempt on the final play of the first half blocked and missed a 47-yard attempt. Douglass added two extra points (SDSU went for two on its first TD and failed), giving him 20 points for the game. He also had four touchbacks on kickoffs.

Other nominees:

Offense -- UC Davis quarterback Jon Grant, North Dakota State quarterback Tony Stauss and Northern Colorado running back Andre Wilson.

Defense -- Cal Poly cornerback Karl Ivory, UC Davis defensive tackle Ryan Sharp and Northern Colorado linebacker Wade Sumpter.

Special Teams -- Cal Poly punter Tim Chicoine, UC Davis return specialist Jesse Oliva, Northern Colorado return specialist Aaron Henderson and North Dakota State return specialist Allen Burrell.

This Week's Action
Northern Colorado at #7/#8 Montana - Missoula, MT - 1:07 pm (MT)
The University of Northern Colorado Bears will travel to Missoula, Mont., on Saturday for a matchup with nationally-ranked Montana. The Grizzlies were ranked No.1 prior to Saturday's loss at Sam Houston State. Montana enters the contest with a record of 2-1 with wins over Maine and Hofstra to start the season. UNC defeated North Dakota State to open the season before falling to Maine and Idaho State. During the Bears' final season at the Division II level in 2002, UNC traveled to Missoula and lost a 31-14 matchup with the Grizzlies. Montana was then coached by former UNC head coach Joe Glenn. UNC and Montana were tied 14-14 in the fourth quarter before the Grizzlies wore down the Bears and claimed the 17-point victory.

Sacramento State at UC Davis - Davis, CA - 6 pm (PT)
UC Davis brings its first undefeated record into the Causeway Classic - albeit a 2-0 record on the young season - when the Aggies host rival Sacramento State on Saturday afternoon at Toomey Field. The last time the Aggies came into the rivalry game undefeated was in 2000 when they jumped to a 7-0 record out of the gate and eventually went 12-0 before losing in the NCAA Division II Semifinals. UC Davis has won the last four Causeway Classic matchups, tied for its second-longest streak in the series. The Aggies won 18 straight from 1970-87. The matchup returns to "The Toom" for the first time since 1998 (UCD, 35-17) - and with a new stadium scheduled to open in 2006 - will also be the last time as well. Capacity for this year's game is 8,720 and an advance sellout is expected.

Southern Utah at #4/#5 Stephen F. Austin - Nacogdoches, TX - 7 pm (CT)
Southern Utah's football team will look to bounce back from its first loss of the 2004 season this Saturday when the Thunderbirds travel to Nacodoches, Texas, to take on fourth-ranked Stephen F. Austin in a non-conference battle. The Thunderbirds (1-1) are coming off a 23-17 loss at Sacramento State, a loss which thwarted SUU's attempt to open 2-0 on the road for the first time in the school's history. Stephen F. Austin (3-0) kept its record spotless with a 24-21 at Northern Iowa last Saturday. Saturday's game was the Lumberjacks' first on the road this year after they opened with home wins over Henderson State (30-14) and Northern Arizona (24-17 in overtime).

South Dakota State at Southern (La.) - Baton Rouge, LA - 7 pm (CT)
In a year of a new division, new conference and new opponents, South Dakota State will go where it has never gone before Saturday, playing Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Both teams are 2-1 for the season. SDSU won its second straight home game, beating Western Oregon 38-3 last week. Meanwhile, Southern played its first road game of the season and defeated Prairie View A&M 42-12. Southern University and A&M College is located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Founded in 1880, it has 10,135 students, and is a member of Western Division of the Southwestern Athletic Conference. While Southern is a IAA member, it is not eligible for the playoffs instead, SU plays in the Bayou Classic, a regular season game with Grambling at the Superdome in New Orleans.

Last Week's Games
Idaho State 49, Northern Colorado 42 (2OT)
After a tough loss last week to Maine, the University of Northern Colorado football team was edged out by the Idaho State Bengals, 49-42, in a thrilling double-overtime game.

UNC took advantage of an early opportunity when Andrew Wilson punched the ball in the end zone from the ISU six-yard line. The touchdown was Northern Colorado's first of the season. Senior linebacker Wade Sumpter returned a Matt Hagler pass 71 yards to put UNC on top 17-7. Then redshirt freshman cornerback Aaron Henderson returned a Hetherington pass for an interception with 10:03 to go in the second half to give the Bears a 24-7 advantage. The Bears came out of halftime with a 27-14 lead, and they were able to extend their lead to 34-14 with a Vincent Jackson touchdown, his first of the season after he nabbed 21 touchdown catches last season.

Idaho State mounted a comeback by scoring three consecutive touchdowns that spanned from the end of the third quarter to the start of the fourth quarter. ISU's comeback gave them a 35-34 lead.

Northern Colorado clawed back when Jamar Farbes caught a fade pass for a touchdown that helped UNC regain the lead at 42-35 with 8:21 remaining. The Bengals made the game a nail biter when they were able to tie the game at 42 with 25 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Both teams' scoring drives in the first overtime were unsuccessful, and the game went to double overtime. Idaho State took the possession from the 25-yard line and pounced into the end zone with a touchdown catch from Bengal sophomore wide receiver Akilah Lacey. It looked as if the Bears would even the score when Farbes caught a pass at the ISU two-yard line, but Bengals' junior safety Marcell Lagrone forced a fumble that bounced into the end zone and was recovered by Idaho State.

Cal Poly 27, Montana State 14
Senior cornerback Karl Ivory returned an interception 41 yards for a touchdown, Cal Poly's fifth touchdown by the defense in three games, and junior fullback Adam Martinez added the clinching touchdown on a nine-yard run with two minutes to play as the Mustangs defeated Montana State 27-14 in a non-conference football game Saturday afternoon at Bobcat Stadium.

Ivory stepped in front of a Montana State receiver and raced 41 yards untouched into the endzone with 6:14 to play in the second quarter, giving Cal Poly (3-0) the lead for good at 14-7. Senior place kicker Byungwoo Yoon added two field goals in the second half spanning 19 and 28 yards for a 20-14 Cal Poly lead and Martinez capped a 75-yard, nine-play drive with his clinching nine-yard run with 2:00 remaining on the clock.

It was Cal Poly's sixth straight win over Montana State and the Mustangs are off to a 3-0 start for the second consecutive season. The Mustangs finished 7-4 a year ago.

Martinez finished with 87 yards on 14 rushed while sophomore Jeremy Konaris added 68 yards on nine trips as Cal Poly amassed 217 yards on the ground. Junior quarterback John Mende, on his 21st birthday, took over for Cordel Webb late in the first half and completed eight of 13 passes for 107 yards. Webb accounted for Cal Poly's first touchdown -- a 26-yard pass to Darrell Jones with 5:38 to play in the first quarter. Jones finished with eight catches -- a career-high -- for 123 yards. The senior wide receiver had caught seven passes in a game five times.

Ivory and Mustang senior linebacker Jordan Beck each collected their third interceptions of the season. Ivory also had three pass breakups while Beck led the Mustangs with 11 tackles, including three for lost yardage and a pair of pass deflections.

UC Davis 31, Weber State 29
Freshman Emmanuel Benjamin kicked a 22-yard field goal with just over five minutes remaining on Saturday night at Stewart Stadium as UC Davis rallied to edge Weber State 31-29 in a nonconference football game in which the Wildcats erased a 28-10 halftime deficit with 19 unanswered points. The Aggies remain unbeaten on the young season, improving to 2-0 and giving 12th-year head coach Bob Biggs his 98th career win. Weber State, a member of the Big Sky Conference, fell to 0-3.

UC Davis took the 18-point halftime lead on three touchdowns that covered at least 65 yards each. Running back O.J. Swanigan took a short pass from quarterback Jon Grant and scampered 84 yards for a score with 9:38 left in the first quarter, senior Jesse Oliva had an 85-yard TD punt return with just over two minutes left in the period, and Grant connected with receiver Kevin Freeman on a 65-yard touchdown pass midway though the second quarter. Swanigan finished with four catches for 115 yards, Freeman had a pair for 106 yards and Grant completed 12 of 22 passes for 311 yards and three touchdowns. He was also picked off twice. Swanigan finished with 171 all-purpose yards after rushing for 65.

Weber State got back into the game on the arm of quarterback Jeff Fowler and the leg of kicker Joe Johnson. Fowler had a 20-yard touchdown pass to Drew Dukeshire late in the third quarter that cut the lead to 28-16 and Johnson hit field goals from 25 and 40 yards to limit the lead to 28-22. Fowler then hit a wide-open Mike Mathis with a 69-yard touchdown pass with just over 10 minutes remaining in the game that put the Wildcats in front, 29-28.

However, as Weber State faced a fourth down deep in its own territory, it was strong safety Dan Reece who helped key the rally by racing through the line untouched and forcing punter Wyatt Kennah to run. Kennah was tackled at Weber State's 14-yard line and the Aggies turned that big play into Benjamin's winning field goal.

North Dakota State 49, Carson-Newman 19
A balanced offense and stubborn defense led North Dakota State University to a 49-19 victory over Carson-Newman College (Tenn.) in a non-conference game played Saturday, Sept. 18, before a crowd of 11,523 at the Fargodome.

After spotting the Eagles (2-1) a touchdown on the opening drive of the game, the Bison reeled off 42 unanswered points over three quarters to take control of the contest. North Dakota State passed for 236 yards and rushed for 231 in the game. The turning point of the contest came near the end of the first quarter, when Carson-Newman failed to take advantage of a NDSU turnover by fumbling themselves at the three-yard line. Jared Essler forced the fumble, while Craig Dahl pounced on the bobble.

Leading 7-6, North Dakota State embarked on an impressive 16-play, 97-yard drive that lasted almost eight minutes and culminated in Cinque Chapman's one-yard TD plunge to put the Bison ahead 14-6 with 9:16. NDSU scored twice in the final 5:17 of the first half when quarterback Tony Stauss connected on scoring strikes of 25 and seven-yards to Travis White. The TD passes extended the Bison advantage to 28-6 at halftime.

North Dakota State quickly widened the margin to 42-6 in the first three minutes of the third quarter when Allen Burrell raced 90 yards with the kickoff for a TD, while Chapman scampered 21-yards for a score following a short Carson-Newman punt.

NDSU senior linebacker Brian Erenberg sparked the defense with 12 tackles. The Bison defense had a pair of streaks ended, quarters without allowing a touchdown (12) and quarters without allowing a rushing TD (14).

South Dakota State 38, Western Oregon 3
Freshman Parker Douglass set a South Dakota State University record with six field goals as the Jackrabbits defeated Western Oregon 38-3 in non-conference football Saturday night at Coughlin-Alumni Field.

Douglass connected from 34, 39, 27, 23, 43 and 39 yards and he added a pair of extra points giving him 20 points on the night. The previous SDSU record for field goals in a game was four by Russ Meier against St. Cloud State in 1981. A freshman from Columbus, Nebraska, Douglass attempted eight field goals on the night, also an SDSU record.

Ironically, it was a field goal by Western Oregon - 20 yards by Bruce Voges - which accounted for the first points of the game. Douglass kicked his first three field goals into the wind in the first quarter, giving SDSU a 9-3 lead.

When Dougass wasn't kicking, the passing combination of Brad Nelson to Josh Davis was clicking, accounting for a pair of 15-yard touchdown passes. The second of those gave SDSU a 25-3 lead at halftime. And sophomore running back Anthony Watson had the most spectacular play of the night when he broke several tackles on a 64-yard TD run early in the fourth quarter.

SDSU, now 2-1 for the season, out-gained Western Oregon 472-90 in total offense. The Wolves had a 41-yard loss on a bad snap on a punt, and SDSU recorded five sacks - three by redshirt freshman Ryan Schlieman - leaving WOU with minus 42 net yards rushing. That's also an SDSU record, topping the old mark of minus 20 yards net rushing by Wisconsin-Whitewater in 1979.

Sacramento State 23, Southern Utah 17
Fred Amey scored on five- and 50-yard touchdown passes as Sacramento State held off a charging Southern Utah team to even its record at 1-1 while SUU fell to 1-1 with a 23-17 loss to the Hornets.

Southern Utah battled back from a 17-3 fourth quarter deficit to tie the game at 17-17 after Casey Rehrer and ryan Felipe each scored on one-yard runs but the Hornets took the lead on a 50-yard Ryan Leadingham to Fred Amey pass to go up 23-17 with 5:46 to play, then held on for the win.

Southern Utah had an opportunity to tie or win the game late but Jerome Eason was stripped of the ball on the 12 yard line with 2:14 to play and Sacramento State was able to hang on and win the game.

"I though Jerome might have been down on that play and a disappointing thing was the officials didn't seem to be sure either, they had to conference for a while before they made the call but when they did they called it a fumble," SUU Coach Wes Meier said after the game. "I don't want to shift the spotlight onto whether the officials made the right call or not though, it's just disappointing we got down that close then didn't have a chance to score.

"We had a slow start and Sacramento State did a good job of making big plays when they needed them, particularly in the first half," he added. "We did a much better job in the second half but they got one big play when they needed it and it proved to be the difference."

That play was Amey's 50-yard TD reception, a play where he was surrounded by three Thunderbirds but somehow managed to pull in the ball, then sliip through the defense before sprinting the final 35 yards to the end zone.

"The wierd thing about that play is we had him pretty well covered," Meier noted. "I'm still not sure how he was able to slip away and score.Thre was a miscommunication in the coverage and it really hurt us."

Rehrer completed 26 of 38 passes for 248 yards while Leadingham finished 16-28 for 220 yards with two TD passes and an interception.