Earnest Collins Jr. hasn't had the first season he likely dreamed of when he signed on to become the coach of his alma mater, Northern Colorado. The Bears have one final game this season, a home contest against the Portland St. Vikings (6-3), to avoid finishing the season 0-8 in the Big Sky Conference and 0-11 on the season. The game kicks off at 12:05 p.m. MT.
The big contest of the season doesn't happen until Nov. 19 when Montana and Montana State clash in Bozeman for the league title. Montana State already has a share of the Big Sky title locked up and will win the conference outright with a win over the Grizzlies. But here's what's on tap for this weekend:
Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (4-5, 3-4 Big Sky) vs. Weber St. Wildcats (3-6, 3-3 Big Sky), 1:30 p.m. MT: The Lumberjacks enter this game on a two-game winning streak, recently defeating Northern Colorado. The WIldcats have lost three straight.
Eastern Washington Eagles (4-5, 4-3 Big Sky) vs. Cal Poly Mustangs (5-4, 3-1 Independent), 7:05 p.m. MT: Both teams enter this game having lost last Saturday. Can Bo Levi Mitchell put the Eagles back on the winning track?
Idaho St. Bengals (2-7, 1-5 Big Sky) vs. Sacramento St. Hornets (3-6, 2-5 Big Sky), 7:05 p.m. MT: The Bengals enter this contest on a six-game losing streak. It might be tough for them to do it this week, but they still have the season-ender against Eastern Washington.