It was the Big Sky Conference opener for both teams and after that loss, fans were quite disappointed with UM head coach Bobby Hauck (some even called for his firing). It’s the same story every time the Griz lose these days because expectations are so high. Then most doubters change their tune after Montana wins again.

The quarterback for Montana on that dreary day in the dome in Flagstaff, Arizona, was Sam Vidlak. We didn’t see much of him on the field after that, with Clifton McDowell taking over as the starting signal caller for the Griz.

McDowell led Montana to 10 straight wins before defeating the team in the FCS title game, 23-3, in Frisco, Texas. Many Treasure Staters think chipper was closer than the stated score and I’m on the list.

Vidlak ended up with Stephen F. Austin and is doing quite well as the starting QB this season. He threw for four for 307 yards and four touchdowns in last week’s win over Northwestern State. Vidlak’s team is 3-2 but with only one loss against an FCS team (McNeese State).

Ironically, McDowell is the quarterback for McNeese (4-3). That team has posted some exciting wins, including a 28-24 home win over Stephen F. Austin in mid-September and a 28-26 victory over Weber State two weeks ago.

Northern Arizona is even better this year than last and can pull off an upset over Montana on Saturday in Missoula. In late September, the Lumberjacks defeated a Sacramento State team that was ranked No. 10 at the time. Three weeks earlier, the Jacks played well at FBS Arizona, dropping a 22-10 decision at a time when the Wildcats were ranked No. 20.

After Saturday, Montana has a break in the schedule with a bye week, followed by road games against winless Northern Colorado and Cal Poly, also by Big Sky Conference. If the Griz can get past NAU, they’ll be set for a nice run until their showdown against UC Davis at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Nov. 9.

Here’s a look at Saturday’s Big Sky Conference games:

No. No. 24 Northern Arizona (1-1, 3-3) and No. 14 Montana (1-1, 4-2), 2 p.m. TV: Scripps Sports. The Lumberjacks lost a heartbreaker 23-17 last week in Idaho. But they did prove they can play well in a league game against a good team, which belies their 1-3 record away from Flagstaff. If Montana can’t play better defense than the last two weeks, this game will be another shootout. Those shootouts can go either way, as the Grizzlies have learned in their past two outings. My suspicion is that Montana will tighten some things up defensively and play with a chip on its shoulder after last year’s loss at NAU and last week’s loss to Weber State that ended a 15-game home winning streak . Speltz: Montana 38, Northern Arizona 31. Flores: Griz 34, NAU 30. Gogola: Montana 41, Northern Arizona 38.

No. 7 Idaho (1-1, 4-2) at No. 3 Montana State (2-0, 6-0), 8:15 PM TV: ESPN2. The Cats rank second in the FCS in rushing offense, averaging 302 yards per game. Plus, they aren’t too shabby passing the ball, averaging nearly 200 yards per game and owning the longest winning streak in the Big Sky Conference at six games. Idaho has one of the most anemic offenses in the league and the Vandals will be going up against the most dominant defense in the Big Sky. To their credit, the Vandals have won four of their last five, including a home victory over salty Northern Arizona last week. But the Cats are hungry for a good fight after knocking out their last five opponents. They will be ready on Saturday. Speltz: Cats 41, Vandals 21. Flores: Cats 31, Idaho 20. Gogola: Monana State 35, Idaho 24.

Northern Colorado (0-2, 0-6) at No. 20 Weber State (2-0, 3-3), 1 p.m. TV: ESPN+. The Wildcats racked up 364 passing yards and 177 rushing yards against the Grizzlies in last week’s win. They are one of the few teams in the Big Sky that are capable of big things this season if they can find consistency. The jury is still out on that after Weber lost at home to McNeese two weeks ago and then surprised many people by beating Montana in Missoula. One thing is almost certain: the Wildcats will keep the momentum rolling in a positive direction this week against a winless Northern Colorado team that has played just one close game all season, on September 14, when the Bears took a 24-22 dropped home game. decision to Abilene Christian. Speltz: Wild cats 49, bears 17. Flores: Weber 42, UNC 13. Gogola: Weber State 42, Northern Colorado 14

Cal Poly (1-1, 2-3) at No. 6 UC Davis (2-0, 5-1), 5 p.m. TV: ESPN+. The Aggies had a surprisingly close call at Portland State last week, beating the winless Vikings 27-26. That came after a thrilling 28-26 home win against Idaho. Cal Poly has improved over the past two weeks, winning 2-1. But the Mustangs’ prospects would have been brighter had they not dropped a 41-38 home decision to Idaho State last week. The hangover from that game, coupled with the fact that they are on the road this week and facing an opponent in the middle of the Big Sky title race, doesn’t inspire much confidence in a Mustang victory. Speltz: Aggies 30, Mustangs 21. Flores: UC Davis 38, Cal Poly 17. Gogola: UC Davis 31, Cal Poly 21.

Portland State (0-2, 0-5) and Idaho State (1-1, 3-3), 5 p.m. TV: ESPN+. The Bengals have been picked to finish eighth in the Big Sky this season and you could say they’ve been the league’s most pleasant surprise. The Vikings, on the other hand, have been too inconsistent to get a win. However, they looked good at times during last week’s one-point loss to UC Davis. This is a battle between rising quarterbacks in Idaho State’s Kobe Tracy and Portland State’s Dante Chachere. I trust Tracy, who has thrown 11 TD passes to six for Chachere this season. Speltz: Bengals 38, Vikings 31. Flores: ISU 41, PSU 31. Gogola: Idaho State 34, Portland State 27.

Eastern Washington (0-1, 1-4) at No. 18 Sacramento State (0-1, 2-3), 7 p.m. Both teams say goodbye to weeks. The Eagles scored 49 points in a home loss to Montana on September 28. The Hornets suffered a surprising loss at Northern Arizona two weeks ago, 34-16. This will be a high-scoring match and it could very well be on the line. You have to wonder if Sacramento State’s push to join the FBS Mountain West or Pac-12 is a distraction. I’m going to pick the home team in this match, but I’m not very confident in the decision. Speltz: Hornets 44, Eagles 42. Flores: Sac State 35, EWU 24. Gogola: Sacramento State 38, Eastern Washington 35