In Case You Missed It – Week 5
I normally don’t insert myself into the stories I write.
It was never good journalistic practice to use personal pronouns in your work, because it gives the story an narrow-focused and non-objective feel. Sounds more like a freshman English class essay, doesn’t it?
But I feel compelled to show my New Hampshire pride after Saturday’s FCS events. And hey, this is my column. In the words of Eric Cartman: “I’ll do what I want.”
I’m an alumnus of the University of New Hampshire. My dad was a Dartmouth College graduate. I grew up somewhere between the two campuses in the state’s southern region.
And while my alma mater celebrated its annual Homecoming festivities Saturday (which I was unable to attend), I (currently residing in Philadelphia) found myself equally as happy to be able to catch the Dartmouth-Penn Ivy League contest at Franklin Field. Although I didn’t go to Dartmouth, I feel the same pride when I watch the Big Green play as I do when I’m watching my Wildcats. Thanks, dad.
I picked a good game. Dartmouth quarterback Dalyn Williams had a showing for the ages, completing 23-of-25 pass attempts in the cold and rainy conditions for 336 yards and four touchdowns. He added 73 rushing yards and another two scores for six total touchdowns as the Big Green clobbered Penn, 41-20. Williams has impressively not thrown an interception in his last 180 pass attempts, which dates back to last season.
Williams and receiver Victor Williams (unrelated) hooked up 12 times in the contest. Victor gained 213 yards and scored twice. It was the fourth-best receiving performance in a single FCS game this season in terms of yardage.
Meanwhile, in Durham, N.H., the Wildcats were busy taking down Elon, 37-14. Running back Dalton Crossan stated his case for an offensive player of the week nomination with 140 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 20 carries. His four rushing scores ties the FCS single-game high this season.
It’s been exceptionally enjoyable to follow and cover FCS football for the past few years, but I think it means so much more to me than the average person because I was raised by it. I was immersed in it for four collegiate years, and prior to that my introduction to the game itself was through Dartmouth football.
That’s my brief story. So now let’s get to the good stuff. In case you missed it, here are some facts and stats you should know from Week 5 of the FCS action:
Did programs across the country get together last week and decide the sport needed more last-minute game winners? Realistically, no. But coincidentally, there were numerous contests that came right down to the wire.
Delaware kicker Frank Raggo drilled a 29-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Blue Hens past Williams & Mary, 24-23. Connor Shennan was responsible for all nine of Robert Morris’s points, including the game-winning 19-yard boot with 24 seconds to play, in the Colonials’ 9-6 victory over Wagner. On Thursday, Kody Sutton’s 1-yard touchdown run with 1:19 left in the contest lifted his Southeastern Louisiana Lions past Lamar, 30-27. Western Illinois kicker Nathan Knuffman sent a 20-yard field goal attempt sailing through the uprights with two seconds left on the clock to give his Leathernecks a 37-36 victory over Southern Illinois. And in overtime, Bucknell back Matt DelMauro broke free for a 23-yard scoring scamper to lift his Bison past VMI, 28-22.
Yale was asking itself “Tyler Varga who?” on Saturday. Current Bulldogs running back Deshawn Salter gained 233 yards and scored two touchdowns to help his team past Lehigh, 27-12. Salter’s 233 yards is the fourth-highest single-game rushing total this season.
Coastal Carolina, well, coasted past Alabama A&M Saturday in a 55-0 rout. The Chanticleers only needed their starters for about half the contest, as signal caller Alex Ross was given some time off early in the third quarter after he threw for four first-half TDs – two of them to running back De’Angelo Henderson.
Special teams was the difference maker for Sam Houston State Saturday against Stephen F Austin, as two third-quarter punt returns for touchdowns helped the Bearkats defeat the Lumberjacks, 34-28. Gerald Thomas and Yedidiah Lewis broke 78- and 53-yard punt returns, respectively, to swing the momentum in SHSU’s favor.
Alcorn State’s ground attack ravaged the Arkansas-Pine Bluff defense Saturday in the Braves’ 61-14 thumping of the Golden Lions. Alcorn State gained 418 total rushing yards, which included two 100-plus-yard efforts from Joe Price and Darryan Ragsdale. Quarterback John Gibbs Jr. was responsible for three of Alcorn’s six rushing touchdowns in the win.
Ivy League member Brown and Colonial Athletic Association program Rhode Island faced off Saturday in the 100th playing of the Governor’s Cup, and the winless Rams were again overwhelmed. Brown’s Marcus Fuller threw for four touchdown passes and 438 yards in the win, and receiver Brian Strachan hauled in an FCS single game-high tying 15 receptions for the Bears.
Grambling State quarterback Johnathan Williams is off to the races this season, leading the nation in touchdown passes (19) after tossing another five scores Saturday in his Tigers’ 59-27 victory over Jackson State. He’s tied for the most scoring completions in all of Division I football with TCU’s Trevone Boykin and Baylor’s Seth Russell. Eastern Washington quarterback Jordan West falls in behind Williams in the FCS with 14 passing scores, though West’s Eagles were idle this weekend.
Finally, one of the most anticipated contests of the weekend turned out to yet again be a runaway.
North Dakota State and South Dakota State’s annual rivalry is usually a high-profile one because of the programs’ rankings heading in, but the Bison just seem to have the Jackrabbits’ number on an annual basis.
NDSU held the host Jacks to just 12 first downs and a 2-of-15 third-down conversion rate in the 28-7 Bison win. South Dakota State was in the red running the football, finishing with minus four yards on the ground.