WSU football: Higgins, Weber stepped up when it mattered

It was almost too predictable.

The way Weber State quarterback Cameron Higgins bounced back in the Wildcats' 49-35 win over Cal Poly in the first round of the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs on Saturday should have been seen coming from a mile away.

Higgins threw four interceptions in Weber State's regular season finale against Eastern Washington. He placed the blame on his own shoulders for the costly defeat, which forced the Wildcats to play their first-round playoff game at Cal Poly instead of at home.

Higgins did a 180 against the Mustangs on Saturday night, completing 21-of-33 passes for 399 yards and two touchdowns. He made smart decisions all night, completing both long bombs and checkdowns. The Big Sky offensive MVP, who hasn't played poorly in back-to-back games all season, completely atoned for his play against Eastern Washington.

Coach Ron McBride said on Sunday that he expected Higgins to rebound the way he did.

"He had a real good week of practice," McBride said. "He went in knowing what he had to do, and he had an excellent game."

The same can be said about the rest of the Wildcats, who played their most complete game of the season in their win over Cal Poly.

And it wasn't just the big plays turned in by Weber State that enabled it to defeat the Mustangs in front of their spirited home fans. The Wildcats also did a bunch of small things, such as receiver Tim Toone making a key play on special teams. With Weber State leading 42-35 following a Cal Poly touchdown, Toone helped put the game away when he swatted an attempted onside kick out of bounds with 3:07 left on the clock.

Several defensive players stepped up with big games against the nation's highest-scoring team. Safety Scotty Goodloe had two interceptions, while Josh Morris and Beau Hadley each had a pick. Defensive tackle Bryce Scanlon had 10 tackles and a fumble recovery.

Next up for Weber State is a matchup with Big Sky foe Montana in the quarterfinals. It's just the second time in school history that the Wildcats will be playing in an FCS quarterfinal game. And for the second straight week, Weber State will be considered the underdog while playing in a road playoff game.

The Wildcats handled the Grizzlies 45-28 in Ogden on Oct. 4, but Montana is playing much better now. The Grizzlies, who have won at least a share of the Big Sky championship in 11 consecutive seasons, haven't lost since Weber State defeated them.