Perhaps the biggest surprise in the Big Sky Conference at the midway point of the season is the rise of the Weber State Wildcats, who have not only emerged as co-leaders in the standings at 4-1 but have done so with a coach straight out of the high school ranks.
Eric Kjar brought no college coaching experience to the job when he was hired on Dec. 16, 2025. What he did bring was an outstanding record at Corner Canyon High School in Draper, Utah, where he won six state titles and went 112-10, including a 48-game winning streak.
“A very changed team, changed program,” Montana State head coach Brent Vigen said in the run-up to the Bobcats hosting WSU. “What Coach Kjar’s been able to do there in a short time is get them back on track. They were certainly at the top of the league when I got here not too long ago, and they had fallen off. But he’s got them back on track, and they’re finding ways to win games.”
Kjar coached NFL quarterbacks Jaxson Dart and Zach Wilson at Corner Canyon. Before that, he spent eight years as the head coach at Jordan High School, compiling a 69-29 record and winning the 2012 state title.
“He hadn’t coached in college, but he’s been a head coach for 17 years, two programs down in Utah, and won seven state championships,” Vigen said. “I think that speaks to him having a plan… I’m sure some people see it as a leap, but I’m sure he saw it as an opportunity to further his career, challenge himself. I know he’s got two sons on the team as well.”
Kjar admits the jump to the college ranks has been an education.
“It’s been good just for me as far as growing in the profession and as a football coach,” Kjar said on Skyline Sports’ Big Sky Breakdown podcast this week. “I’ve learned a lot and been able to grow more probably in the last nine, 10 months than I ever really have from a professional standpoint.
“The scheme part, I think, is the biggest difference, and just the competitiveness and really the evenness, especially with the conference. There’s so much parity… Everybody’s going to be a really big challenge week in, week out. … The challenge of the different schemes and how good coaches are at this level too has been a really, really fun challenge. But it’s also tough, and it is a step up for sure. It’s definitely different than my previous 21 years.”
Weber State defensive ends coach James Cowser, a former Southern Utah star who grew up 20 minutes from campus and has been on the Wildcats’ staff since 2024, has seen the change up close.
“He’s so easy to believe in,” Cowser said. “The way he holds himself, the way he presents himself, he lives the path. He is squatting deep squats with the guys. He’s in the mix. … He just kept demanding higher and higher and higher expectations, and you can see the guys believing in him. … You can win football games when you believe in a vision and when you are willing to run through a wall for somebody.”
After more than 30 players departed WSU when previous head coach Mickey Mental was let go, Kjar went to work rebuilding the roster through the transfer portal and his connections with local players and coaches.
More than 40 of Kjar’s new players hail from Utah, including his most highly regarded addition, former Ohio State and Cal quarterback Devin Brown, who played for Kjar at Corner Canyon in 2021. Kjar also brought in Utah State linebacker Zion Andreason and Arizona State safety Tommy Romano.
His long run coaching in Utah has given Kjar a major recruiting advantage in the state.
“I don’t know if I can put a value on it just because it’s been so good for me,” Kjar said. “I just have an inside track to almost everybody in state. To know how to find kids and know where they’re at. I still pay attention to it now. I have a son that’s a senior down at Corner (Canyon), but even just because you’re recruiting, I just love the state of high school football in Utah.”
Injuries have limited Brown to just two halves of football in Weber State’s eight games, and freshman Nate Dahle has taken over as the starter.
“He’s a true freshman, first of all,” Vigen said. “He’s been very steady. He’s got the most rushing attempts on the team while throwing the ball quite a bit. He wasn’t the starter. I don’t think he was by any means the projected starter. I’m awfully impressed to see a guy fresh out of high school do what he’s doing.”
Dahle’s 16 touchdown passes are tied for second in the Big Sky, but his 10 interceptions are the most in the league. The dual-threat quarterback also has 74 carries for 360 yards and a score. He’ll be the fourth straight quarterback the Bobcats face who is also a serious running threat, and his 4.9 yards per carry tops NAU’s Ty Pennington, Idaho’s Joshua Woods and Eastern Washington’s Nate Bell.
A big piece of the puzzle for WSU this season has been Noah Kjar, Eric’s oldest son, who leads the nation in touchdown receptions. Noah is one of a small number of holdovers from last year’s Wildcat team, and his 10 touchdown catches are just two shy of the school record. His 47 receptions and 711 receiving yards rank fourth and third in the Big Sky, respectively.
Running back Spencer Ferguson has been solid on the ground for the Wildcats, piling up 543 yards and seven touchdowns on 72 carries. He ripped off a 75-yard touchdown on the first play of the game in WSU’s 38-27 win over Idaho. The Vandals are the only team to beat the Bobcats this season.
The Wildcats have been in numerous tight games this season, with five of their seven FCS games decided by eight points or fewer. They opened with a one-point win (30-29) over Northern Colorado, followed by narrow losses to Southern Utah (47-42) and Big Sky foe Portland State (44-41), before rattling off three straight wins over Cal Poly (32-24 in double overtime), Idaho (38-27) and, this past weekend, Idaho State (27-20).
“They’ve played six conference opponents,” Vigen said. “I know the Southern Utah game was not conference, but five of those games have been one score, and the other one might as well have been the same. And they’ve found ways to win those tighter games more than they haven’t.”
While Weber State brought in a lot of new faces, many of the players who remain from 2025 are big contributors, especially on defense.
“They’re certainly playing with a ton of confidence that they probably had very little of when they came here last year,” Vigen said. “A lot of players are the same. It’s not like they just cleaned house and brought in this new team. So, what that tells you is these players probably needed a fresh start, and he’s brought that along with his staff.”
Among the roughly 40 returning players, the headliner is safety Trevian Tribble, who had numerous offers to go elsewhere. Tribble had two interceptions in WSU’s win over Idaho, earning Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week honors. The secondary took a hit when returning cornerback Tajon Evans suffered a season-ending injury in the second game of the year. Up front, the Wildcats brought back defensive linemen Chevy Robinson and Kevin Johnson.
“Pretty active front,” Vigen said. “They’re willing to zero-pressure you, bring six or seven at a time, bring five quite a bit, and the D-line, I do think, is full of a bunch of really good players.”
On offense, three key starters return on the line in Luke Sampson, Jacob Edmonds and Brody Cutrer, along with receivers Marvin Session and Mason York.
Under Kjar, WSU’s offense has exploded. In 2025, the Wildcats averaged just 23.1 points and 321.9 yards per game. This season, those numbers have jumped to 36.3 points and 435.6 yards per game.
Kjar believes a big part of that improvement comes from finding players who are committed and accountable.
“Some of that comes about by holding your players accountable in all facets of what they’re doing, whether it’s their strength training, offseason stuff, or in practice, or in meetings or in the classroom,” Kjar said.
Kjar has two sons and a nephew on the roster. Noah was already on the WSU team, Tate transferred in from Utah State, and Landon, his nephew, played at Corner Canyon last year.
“It’s been so fun to be around them and coach them again,” Kjar said. “Hopefully, they feel the same way. Sometimes I can kind of be a little bit tough on them, but try to separate the dad side and the coach side, and I try to get better and better at that. I definitely don’t have that figured out by any means. But it’s been a dream come true to coach them again. It’s just something that’s really special as a father to be able to coach his sons in the game of football.”
Saturday’s matchup with MSU will be the most daunting test on Weber State’s FCS schedule.
“They’re the gold standard really in the country from the FCS standpoint right now,” Kjar said of the Bobcats. “I know there’s a few other programs that align similarly, but they’re the returning champions. There’s aspects in their program of just where they’re at and how they believe in themselves and the way they play and how comfortable they are in the schemes that they’re in.
“Their consistency and the way they execute those schemes and the way they play with the pride and expectations of being successful all the time. It shows up on film, and their coaches do an outstanding job with them. As you watch film, there’s not a lot of weaknesses or things you can exploit. They’re sound in all their schemes and do a great job just through all three phases.”
MSU hasn’t lost to WSU since a 34-24 defeat in 2018 and has won five straight in the series, all under Vigen. In 2021, the Bobcats won 13-7 at Weber in a game that propelled MSU into the playoffs, where it went on to beat No. 1 Sam Houston State on the road and advance to the national title game.
In 2022, Weber held a 24-9 lead before four punt snaps sailed out of the end zone for safeties, and MSU took advantage for a 43-38 win. The teams met again in the second round of the playoffs that year, with host MSU winning 33-25. The next season, the teams met in a highly anticipated game in Ogden, only for the Bobcats to blast WSU 40-0. They didn’t play in 2024, and last season MSU overwhelmed WSU 66-14 in Bozeman.
The Bobcats and Wildcats kick off at 1 p.m. Saturday at Bobcat Stadium.
