The FCS Wedge – 2019-1204 – Rd1 REVIEW

1) The Big Story
The SoCon is who we thought they were.

Recaps:
Southeastern Louisiana 45 Villanova 44

Austin Peay 42 Furman 6

Kennesaw State 28 Wofford 21

Monmouth 44 Holy Cross 27

Albany 42 Central Connecticut State 14

Nicholls State 24 North Dakota 6

Northern Iowa 17 San Diego 3

Illinois State 24 Southeast Missouri State 6

2.) A couple of questions…

AGS Playoff pick’em update got it

Based on last weekend’s results, which team maybe deserved a seed that didn’t get one? In other words if you could re-seed, who would you move up?

Let’s make Lance the AD for a day of a team that’s in the playoffs and drew poorly. What would you do to change the culture and get a better turnout?

2019-1204 – Rd1 REVIEW

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Patriot League First Round Playoff Preview: Holy Cross at Monmouth

Holy Cross (7-5) at Monmouth (10-2)

When & Where: 12 P.M. Kessler Stadium (4,200); West Long Branch, NJ

Live Streaming: ESPN3

What’s At Stake? The winner advances to play #2 James Madison in the 2nd Round of the FCS Playoffs.

Series History: Monmouth 2-1; most recent meeting 2017 (Monmouth 48-36)

Playoff History:

Holy Cross – 3rd Appearance 0-2 record, First Round losses in 1983 (Western Carolina) and 2009 (Villanova)

Monmouth – 2nd Appearance 0-1 record, First Round loss in 2017 (Northern Iowa)

GoHolyCross.com

Season Recap

Holy Cross – The Crusaders captured their first Patriot League Title since 2009 with a 5-1 conference record. Holy Cross was the only team in the Patriot League to finish with a winning record. The Purple started the year by getting run out of Annapolis (45-7) by a bowl bound Navy team. Bob Chesney’s team responded a week later with a hard fought 13-10 win over a New Hampshire program in transition. After some inconsistent play over the next few weeks Holy Cross’s 31-10 win against Colgate set up a first place showdown at Lehigh to start November. The Crusaders held on for a 24-17 win to grab firm control of the league race. However, they would give it all away literally and figuratively the following week in a turnover filled 23-20 loss to Lafayette. As fate would have it, the Leopards stumbled against Colgate the ensuing Saturday to put Holy Cross back in the driver’s seat. The Crusaders took full advantage of the second opportunity by outscoring their final two opponents (Fordham & Georgetown) 73-27. Head Coach Bob Chesney won Patriot League Coach of the Year, while running back Domenic Cozier (1,050 yards 7 TD) captured Offensive Player of the Year honors.

Monmouth – The Hawks won their first ever Big South Title with a dominating 6-0 mark in conference play. Monmouth outscored their league competition on average 44-14. Monmouth’s most impressive performance during the 2019 season was their 43-21 dismantling of #23 Kennesaw State. Both of Monmouth’s losses came against quality competition; at FBS Western Michigan (48-13) and at #7 Montana (47-27). Kevin Callahan’s team snuck past their lone Patriot League foe Lafayette 24-21 in week two. The Hawks have reeled off eight straight wins since their September 21st loss to Montana in Missoula. Adding to the momentum, Callahan’s program owns an impressive nine game winning streak against the Patriot League (15-10 overall). Monmouth’s high octane offense (36 ppg) was led by Big South Offensive Player of the Year Kenji Bahar (3,262 yards 28 TD 8 INT). Callahan was named the conference’s Coach of the Year.

Holy Cross Offense vs Monmouth Defense

Holy Cross’s offense managed a very pedestrian 22 ppg per game this season. The Crusaders were plagued by an inconsistent passing attack and predictable play calling throughout 2019. The “O” sputtered most when strong armed but often erratic junior quarterback Connor Degenhardt (2,361 yards 14 TD 6 INT) struggled to loosen up opposing defenses. Degenhardt’s strength is stretching the field with his big arm and arsenal of talented pass catchers.  His favorite target is freshman Ayir Asante (46 rec 671 yards 5 TD). Junior wide receiver Ayeni Tenio (43 rec 568 yards 4 TD) suffered a leg injury in the regular season finale and will likely miss Saturday’s game. If Tenio can’t go tight end Derek Mountain (26 rec 399 yards 2 TD) has the ability to play a pivotal role. The straw that stirs the Holy Cross “O” is running back Domenic Cozier (Payton Award Finalist). Crusader Offensive Coordinator Patrick Murphy needs to feed Cozier the ball on a regular basis for 60 minutes. Holy Cross’s offensive line is an experienced, physical bunch capable of giving the Monmouth front 7 trouble.  The Crusader’s ability to possess the ball will ensure the high-octane Hawk offense remains on the sideline.

Domenic Cozier
DailyOrange.com

Monmouth’s defense (24 ppg allowed) remained in the shadow of their explosive offense all season. Defensive Coordinator Andy Bobik’s unit was solid against the run (123 ypg allowed) and adequate slowing down the pass (232 ypg allowed). To be fair, the majority of Monmouth’s opponents were playing catch-up by halftime so the passing yards allowed number is a bit skewed. If the Monmouth defense can contain Cozier the odds of them winning greatly increases. The All-Big South duo of Rush End Erik Massey (8 TFL, 3 sacks) and linebacker Da’Quan Grimes (49 solo tackles, 11 TFL) need to be bring their “A” game against the stout Crusader offensive line. The Hawk secondary is led by defensive back Justin Terry (All-Big South). Terry will likely match-up with Crusader big play threat Ayir Asante for much of the afternoon. If Monmouth’s defense can prevent chunk pass plays and keep in Cozier in check, the Crusaders will have a tough time scoring points.

Da’Quan Grimes

Monmouth Offense vs Holy Cross Defense

The strength of the 2019 Monmouth Hawks is without question their high-flying offense (36 ppg). Leading the way are two Payton Award Finalis; quarterback Kenji Baher and running back Pete Guerriero (1,668 yards 14 TD). The two All-Big South selections form arguably the most productive QB/RB combo in all of FCS. Offensive Coordinator Jeff Gallo also has two excellent wide receivers to utilize in the Monmouth attack. Lonnie Moore (63 rec 903 yards 9 TD) and Terrance Green (58 rec 793 yards 8 TD) should find plenty of space to operate in the Crusader’s leaky secondary. The least talked about but equally impressive part of the Monmouth “O” is their line. The leaders of the unit are two All-Big South bookend tackles; Justin Szuba (6’8 290) and Mahmoud Shabana (6’4 280).

Pete Guerriero
MonmouthHawks.com

The Holy Cross defense (22 ppg allowed) has been quite formidable the last half of the season. Granted, getting to feast on a steady diet of poor Patriot League offenses certainly helped to improve the defensive stats. The most disruptive force on “D” is talented freshman linebacker Jacob Dobbs (66 solo tackles, 11 TFL). Dobbs might be the most well-known name on defense but he’s not the only difference maker.  All-Patriot League defensive end Benton Whitley (5 sacks) needs to get pressure on Bahar early and often. The secondary (232 ypg passing allowed) will have a tough time covering the Hawk’s explosive pass catchers so it’s imperative to get the ball out of Bahar’s hand quickly. Defensive Coordinator Scott James will need big games from his two versatile safeties, Corey Stefanik and Chris Riley.  If the Crusader defensive front is unable to make Bahar uncomfortable and keep Guerriero in check it will be a long day at the Jersey Shore for those wearing purple.

Jacob Dobbs

Special Teams

Both teams feature strong special teams units. Holy Cross field goal kicker Derek Ng (11-16, long of 48) is capable of converting a key kick in a close game. Their punter Cody Wilkenson has proven to be a dangerous weapon (41 yard avg) in the battle for field position. Ayir Asante is the Crusader’s most dangerous kick returner and seems due for a momentum changing special teams play.

All-Big South field goal kicker Matt Mosquera (12-16, long of 47) has a done a good job tacking on points when the Hawk “O” failed to find the endzone. Punter Ryan Kost wasn’t called on often (24 punts) but when he was the sophomore delivered (41 yard avg). Lonnie Moore and Eddie Morales have done a solid job handling return duties. Like the Crusader’s Ayir Asante, Lonnie Moore is a big play waiting to happen.

Prediction

This is an intriguing battle between two teams, and conferences, desperately seeking respect on a national level. While the Big South does have two representatives competing this weekend, very few people are giving Monmouth and/or Kennesaw State a realistic chance of winning more than a game despite the two team’s 20-4 combined record. As for Holy Cross, the Crusaders are the only team of the seven that comprise the Patriot League to finish 2019 with a winning record. This is the third season in a row (’17 & ’18 Colgate) the Patriot League produced just a single team that finished above .500.

Holy Cross had a regular season worth celebrating but they are, at least on paper, the weakest team in the FCS playoff field by a wide margin. Monmouth is the more complete squad, riding a huge wave of momentum and they’re at home. If the Hawks protect the ball and prevent Cozier (keep him under 125 yards) from going off they’ll emerge with the program’s first postseason victory; perhaps rather easily.

Monmouth 41 Holy Cross 20

The FCS Wedge – 2019-1127 – Rd1 PREVIEW

1.) Games of the week previews for this wek are all of our playoff games.

Holy Cross @ Monmouth

Furman @ Austin Peay

CCSU @ Albany

Kennesaw State @ Wofford

Illinois State @ SEMO

San Diego @ Northern Iowa

North Dakota @ Nicholls State

Villanova @ Southeastern Louisiana

2.) Three Big Questions
Is only big question with some really big talk from both the fellers about how they will be doing in the AGS Playoff Pick Em’ Contest.

2019-1127 – Rd1 PREVIEW

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The FCS Wedge – 2019-1127- Wk13 REVIEW

1) The Big Story
Bracket release & there were some wild and wacky games this weekend also.

Montana State 48 Montana 14

Nicholls State 28 Southeastern Louisiana 27

Yale 50 Harvard 43 2OT

Albany 31 Stony Brook 26

A few crazy upsets:

Elon 25 Towson 23

South Dakota 24 SDSU 21

Youngstown State 21 Illinois State 3

2.) AGS Poll

2019-1127 – Wk13 REVIEW

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Big Sky Quad Shot: Week 13

The final week of the Big Sky regular season came to a close this past weekend. The weekend ended in absolute bananas fashion. In the end Weber State is your Big Sky automatic qualifier to the playoffs. Despite a loss to Montana in the previous week the Wildcats did what they needed to and won their final game. Sacramento State tied Weber State to share the Big Sky title, however, Weber State owned the head to head to decide the auto-bid. This is the first time that Sacramento State has won or shared the Big Sky football title.

As far as the playoffs go the Big Sky got four teams in, and all four of those teams received a seed. Weber State led the way by earning the #3 seed and host the winner of Wofford and Kennesaw State. Sacramento State will be the #4 seed and host the winner of Austin Peay and Furman. Montana State will be the #5 seed and host the winner of Albany and Central Connecticut State. Montana will be the #6 seed and host the winner of Southeast Louisiana and Villanova. The other seeds are North Dakota State at #1, James Madison at #2, South Dakota State at #7, and Central Arkansas at #8. The first round of the playoffs will begin this coming weekend.

In Big Sky action this weekend Montana and Montana State locked horns in the annual Cat/Griz game in Bozeman. The Bobcats got the game started by forcing an almost immediate turnover by the Griz and scored their first touchdown shortly after that. The Cats didn’t take their foot off the gas for four more quarters and dominated the #3 Grizzlies. The Bobcats won their fourth game in a row against the Griz.

North Dakota struggled early on against Southern Utah and eventually capitalized on the Thunderbirds and doubled them up on Saturday. The Fighting Hawks were selected to play in the playoffs as well. Cal Poly won the Big Sky pillow fight of the week by beating Northern Colorado in Greeley. Cal Poly came from behind to save themselves from being the worst team in the conference. After the game on Saturday the Bears informed Earnest Collins that he would not be retained. The Bears will begin their head coach search immediately.

Idaho won a shootout against Northern Arizona in Flagstaff. Mason Petrino threw for six touchdowns in the game. Previously during the season Petrino only had seven touchdowns for the entire season. For Northern Arizona the career of Case Cookus comes to a close. A terrific individual career mired with a team who strived for mediocrity. Cookus had 450 yards and three touchdowns on the day. Weber State took care of Idaho State. Eastern Washington did their part to make a case for the playoffs by beating on Portland State, despite a furious effort by the Vikings in the fourth quarter. The Vikings scored four of the last five touchdowns in the game. In the night cap, Sacramento State took care of UC Davis in the annual Causeway Classic to capture a share of the Big Sky Conference title.

Scores

Montana 14
Montana State 48

Southern Utah 18
North Dakota 36

Cal Poly 28
Northern Colorado 21

Idaho 60
Northern Arizona 53

Idaho State 10
Weber State 38

Portland State 46
Eastern Washington 53

UC Davis 17
Sacramento State 27

Big Sky Player of the Week

This week’s Big Sky player of the week is Montana State running back Isaiah Ifanse. Ifanse rushed 21 times for 171 yards and three touchdowns as the Bobcats beat rival Montana this past weekend.

Big Sky MVP Candidates

Dalton Sneed, QB, Montana
Kevin Thomson, QB, Sacramento State
Jeff Cotton, WR, Idaho
Ulonzo Gilliam, RB, UC Davis
Eric Barriere, QB, Eastern Washington

Big Sky Power Rankings

Weber State
Sacramento State
Montana State
Montana
Eastern Washington
UC Davis
Idaho
Portland State
Idaho State
Northern Arizona
Cal Poly
Southern Utah
Northern Colorado

The Quad Shot

The playoffs are here and it should seem almost unprecedented that four Big Sky teams got into the playoffs and all of them earned a seed. That’s absolutely crazy. Shows how tough the Big Sky was this season.. but still somehow ranked worse than the Missouri Valley according to Jeff Sagarin. That all being said, it was a dog fight until the final snap of the regular season. According to the Sagarin rankings the Griz finished at 95, Weber State at 96, Sacramento State at 97, and Montana State at 100. That’s tight.

Interesting that North Dakota got into the playoffs. I imagine they were probably the last team to get in. Finished 7-4, so they played one less game than the rest of the Big Sky. The NCAA selection committee uses a formula called the Simple Ratings System to help them decide who’s in and out of the playoffs. They have North Dakota at 23, and Eastern Washington at 15, but somehow it’s the Eagles that are staying home. Furman, Nicholls State, Illinois State and Kennesaw State are also at-large bids to the field and are 24, 25, 29, and 22 respectively. I imagine Eastern Washington probably has a beef with this result, and rightfully so, but when you’re deciding the 20-24 teams there’s always going to be deserving teams left out.

If I can rant for a moment.. I still don’t get the love for the Ivy League. This conference is impossible to measure because they simply don’t play anyone. They play eight conference games and three out of conference games. Their OOC schedule generally consists of non-power 5 FCS conference teams. The power five conferences, if you will, are the Big Sky, Colonial, Missouri Valley, Southland and Southern. Typically those conference get more than one or two teams in the playoffs. Of the eight Ivy League teams only three of them scheduled a game against a power 5 FCS conference. Brown played Rhode Island (a loss), Yale played Richmond (a win), and Pennsylvania played Delaware (a loss). The OOC record of the Ivy League this season was 119-163. Columbia had the toughest OOC, their opponents going 22-13, largely boosted by an 11 win Central Connecticut State. Of those games only one team went outside of the greater Northeast, Harvard played at San Diego. Until the Ivy League starts playing some tough opponents and going for more than a bus ride, we’ll never know how good any of these teams are.

With the playoff bracket being released I’m going to make my predictions. North Dakota State and Sacramento State will face off in one semifinal, while James Madison and Weber State will face off in the other semifinal. In Frisco we’ll see North Dakota State beating James Madison for the title. Again. So predictable.

AGS Poll: Week 13 (Selection Sunday) Top 25 Results

Week 13 was wild across the FCS landscape with 3 teams presumably in the playoff seeds losing and a few losses on that top 25 bubble line. I don’t envy the playoff selection committee ahead of today’s bracket reveal (selection show will be aired on ESPNU at 12:30PM ET). Despite the turmoil behind them the top 2 remained the same as they have since week 1 with North Dakota State and James Madison taking the top 2 spots in that order. Sacramento State moved up 1 spot to #3 to set yet another program record for highest ranking ever in the AGS Poll. Weber State also moved up 1 spot to #4 and Montana State moved up 3 spots to #5 following their impressive win over in-state rival and previously 3rd ranked Montana.

As for the other teams moving up Northern Iowa also made a 3 spot leap to #6 after several teams in front of them took losses. Nicholls moved up 6 spots to #19 after their thrilling win over Southland rival Southeastern Louisiana that secured them the Southland’s automatic bid to the playoffs. Albany moved back into the top 25 after a 3 week absence making a 6 spot jump up to #20 after finishing the regular season 8-4 and in sole possession of 2nd place in the CAA. Yale also climbed into the top 25 for the first time this year moving up 2 spots to #25 after finishing their 2019 campaign at 9-1.

The teams moving down were headlined by Montana who tumbled 4 spots down to #7 following their aforementioned loss to Montana State. South Dakota State dropped 3 spots to #9 after being stunned by rival South Dakota. Fellow MVFC conference-mate Illinois St took a 6 spot dive down to #13 after being upset by Youngstown State. Despite being on the verge of beating Nicholls and securing the Southland auto Southeastern Louisiana fell 4 spots to #22. Florida A&M and Towson both fell out of the top 25 after being upset yesterday.

In terms of conference representation the MVFC led the way placing 5 teams into the top 25. They were followed by the Big Sky with 4 (all within the top 7), the CAA and Southland with 3 each, and the Big South, Ivy League, OVC, and SOCON who each put 2 teams into the top 25. 10 conference, including FCS Independents, were represented in this week’s top 25.

Full results below:

Rank Change Team Total Points First Place Votes
1 – North Dakota State Bison 1850 74
2 – James Madison Dukes 1776
3 1 Sac State Hornets 1652
4 1 Weber State Wildcats 1646
5 3 Montana State Bobcats 1548
6 3 Northern Iowa Panthers 1414
7 -4 Montana Grizzlies 1381
8 2 Villanova Wildcats 1202
9 -3 South Dakota State Jackrabbits 1133
10 1 Wofford Terriers 1120
11 2 Central Arkansas Bears 998
12 – Southeast Missouri State Redhawks 976
13 -6 Illinois State Redbirds 896
14 – Austin Peay Governors 851
15 – Central Connecticut State Blue Devils 822
16 1 Monmouth Hawks 787
17 -1 Furman Paladins 708
18 2 North Dakota Fighting Hawks 538
19 6 Nicholls State Colonels 505
20 6 Albany Great Danes 446
21 2 Dartmouth Big Green 293
22 -4 Southeastern Louisiana Lions 280
23 1 Kennesaw State Owls 259
24 -2 Southern Illinois Salukis 250
25 2 Yale Bulldogs 179
ORV:
26 -7 Florida A&M Rattlers 133
27 1 San Diego Torreros 132
28 1 North Carolina A&T Aggies 97
29 1 South Carolina State Bulldogs 59
30 -9 Towson Tigers 51
31 2 Eastern Washington Eagles 33
32 -1 Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks 12
33 NR New Hampshire Wildcats 11
34 -2 Princeton Tigers 4
35 NR Southern Jaguars 3
36T -1 Chattanooga Mocs 2
36T NR Sam Houston State Bearkats 2
38 NR McNeese State Cowboys 1

Most significant win: Montana State Bobcats
Most significant loss: South Dakota State Jackrabbits

Dropped out of the poll:
Maine Black Bears
The Citadel Bulldogs
UC Davis Aggies

Join the discussion here: https://www.anygivensaturday.com/showthread.php?241069-AGS-Poll-Results-WEEK-13-SELECTION-SUNDAY-2019-SEASON

The FCS Playoffs Selection Show will be aired on ESPNU at 12:30PM ET today.

Patriot League: Week 14 Preview

Sadly, the end of the Patriot League regular season is upon us. While it certainly hasn’t been a banner year for the league, it has provided its fans with an intriguing title chase and some excellent individual performances.

Holy Cross will look to wear the crown all alone with a win over Georgetown. The Crusaders are seeking just their second Patriot League Title since 1991 (2009). Bucknell heads to the “Big Apple” to square off against Fordham with hopes of a co-championship still alive. The last time the Bison raised the trophy (1996) the Patriot League still implemented a playoff ban. To close out the final weekend of the 2019 season, Lafayette makes the 12 mile bus trip to Goodman Stadium to battle Lehigh for the 155th time. Like Bucknell, both Lafayette and Lehigh will be rooting for Georgetown Saturday afternoon. 2018 Patriot League Champion Colgate concluded their regular season last weekend with a 16-0 win over Lafayette.

Georgetown (5-5, 1-4) at Holy Cross (6-5, 4-1) 12 P.M. Fitton Field: Worcester, MA

Live Streaming: Patriot League Network

The Need to Know: Holy Cross will try and nail down their first Patriot League Title and FCS playoff since 2009 with a win over road weary Georgetown. The Crusaders reclaimed their destiny in the league race thanks to Colgate’s win over Lafayette last Saturday.

The Lafayette result combined with Holy Cross’s 49-27 (trailed 14-0 at half) conquering of Fordham have the Purple on the cusp of breaking their decade long title and playoff drought in Head Coach Bob Chesney’s second season. The Rams scored 35 fourth quarter points against the Rams on their way to the 22 point victory. The Crusader ground attack (132 ypg) got things rolling (212 yards) in the Bronx after struggling to gain traction in the loss to Lafayette the week prior. Holy Cross will need a solid performance from quarterback Connor Degenhardt (201 ypg 14 TD 6 INT) against the stingy Hoya “D” (15.9 ppg allowed). The Crusaders in general have moved the ball well the last month of the season. However, turnovers, mental errors and inconsistent quarterback play have allowed opponents to hang around. Those issues have also prevented Holy Cross from notching a signature win.

The Hoyas have gone from what many considered to be a preseason league favorite to needing a win to avoid finishing with a losing record for an eighth straight year. After posting a 4-1 out of conference mark (including nice wins over Columbia & Cornell) the Hoyas have struggled mightily in league play. Injuries have certainly been a factor (been without Khristian Tate since mid-October) but every team is dealing with that bug this time of the year. Inconsistencies on offense and poorly timed breakdowns on defense are two big reason’s the Hoyas have not reached their preseason potential in 2019. Georgetown’s offense amassed 23 first downs and 362 total yards (199 passing/163 rushing) in the 20-17 loss to the Bison. The difference in the game were the 4 turnovers (3 fumbles/1 INT) Bucknell forced. Quarterback Gunther Johnson (142 ypg 12 TD 2 INT, 6 rushing TD) needs to take advantage of the leaky Holy Cros secondary while the defense must slow down the Crusader’s rushing attack and force Degenhardt to win the game from the pocket.

Georgetown would love nothing more than to get ultimate pack-back for last year’s 31-5 halftime lead gone wrong (lost 32-31). That motivation will make this game interesting for 60 minutes but at the end of the day it’s Holy Cross’s year to get back over the hump.

Prediction: Holy Cross 24 Georgetown 14

Lafayette (3-8, 3-2) at Lehigh (4-6, 3-2) 12:30 P.M. Goodman Stadium: Bethlehem, PA

Live Streaming: Patriot League Network

The Need to Know: The 155th edition of college football’s most played rivalry features two teams, Lafayette and Lehigh, desperately trying to write a positive final chapter in their respective 2019 stories. Despite both team’s records there is still an opportunity should Holy Cross fall to the Hoyas for the winner of this game to capture a share of the Patriot League Title. If that were to happen Lafayette also earns the auto-bid into the playoffs. A Lehigh win and the automatic bid get a little messy.

Lehigh will be counting on sophomore quarterback Alec Beesmer to lead the offense for a second straight week. Beesmer (8/29 107 yards) struggled mightily in the Mountain Hawks 13-6 loss to Sacred Heart last week. He’ll need to be much better against a Leopard defense that has yielded yards in bunches at times during the season. In order for the Brown and White to flourish the offensive line must perform. The inability to consistently win the line of scrimmage has been the offense’s biggest problem in 2019. The wide receiver duo of Devon Bibbens (769 yards 6 TD) and Jorge Portorreal (575 yards 1 TD) have remained the one positive constant on “O”. Defensively, the Mountain Hawks need to make Lafayette quarterback Keegan Shoemaker uncomfortable for 60 minutes. The Lehigh “D” should be able to limit the Leopard offense.

Lafayette enters the annual grudge match off an ugly 16-0 loss to Colgate that cost the Leopards control of the Patriot League Title race. The Leopards were able to amass just 242 (117 passing/125 rushing) total yards on offense. As has been the case all season, when freshman quarterback Keegan Shoemaker (12/34 117 yards 1 INT) struggles the Leopard offense has no plan “B”. Lafayette’s offensive line should have success against the Lehigh front. As a result, head coach John Garrett needs to remain committed to the run. Lafayette’s defense has come on strong the last few weeks. It performed well again last Saturday in the loss to Colgate (11 first downs, 224 Total Yards). Defensive End Malik Hamm (7 sacks) should be in line for a disruptive afternoon.

This is a good season to throw the records out given Lafayette’s and Lehigh’s struggles in 2019. Despite the win to loss ratio there’s amazingly still hope of a Patriot League Title for both teams. That factor combined with over a century worth of rivalry bitterness give #155 some added intrigue. The Mountain Haws have won four straight in series which in a rivalry such as this seems due to end.

Prediction: Lafayette 20 Lehigh 13

Bucknell (3-7, 3-2) at Fordham (3-8, 1-4) 1 P.M. Jack Coffey Field: Bronx, NY

Live Streaming: Patriot League Network

The Need to Know: If Bucknell wants to capture a share of their first Patriot League Title since 1996 they need to take care of a stumbling Fordham team in the season finale. The Bison have shown nice improvement over the course of the season in Head Coach Dave Cecchini’s first year. Fordham enters their final game riding a four game losing streak.

The Rams regression as the season has gone on is alarming. Fordham has a roster filled with talented players that have simply underachieved in the won/loss department. Quarterback Tim DeMorat (222 ypg 19 TD 10 INT) has made a strong case for Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year despite his team’s struggles. The Ram offense (24.5 ppg) has been the league’s most consistent unit yet it hasn’t amounted to much in the win column. Defensively, Ryan Greenhagen (77 solo tackles, 16.5 TFL) should win the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year after having a monster season at linebacker. Greenhagen is joined by several other talented on “D” yet one would never know it by looking at the stats (34 ppg/462 ypg allowed). They’ll have their hands full with a Bison offense that is evolving into a steady threat. Fordham needs to stop the run and force Logan Bitikofer (145 ypg 10 TD 6 INT) to win the game with his arm.

Bucknell’s improvement on defense as the season has gone along is why they have stayed in the Patriot League Title race. The Bison have done an excellent job slowing down league foes (16 ppg allowed). Strong defense has generally been a Bucknell trademark dating back to the Tom Gadd era. They’ll have to contend with an explosive Ram offense littered with speedy skill players. If Defensive Coordinator Ryan Manaiac’s defense is able to hold Fordham under 20 the Bison “O” should be able to grind out enough points to win. Bucknell has an excellent kicking game which could prove to be a nice weapon in a game like this.

This game is all about carrying momentum into 2020. Fordham is still searching for consistency under second year Head Coach Joe Conlin. The former Yale assistant owns an ugly 5-17 record at Fordham. Bucknell meanwhile appears to be trending up. A win to close out 2019 would likely put the Bison at or near the top of the 2020 preseason rankings.

Prediction: Bucknell 31 Fordham 17

The FCS Wedge – 2019-1120 – Wk13 PREVIEW

1.) Games of the week/previews

Montana @ Montana State

North Dakota State @ Southern Illinois

Nicholls State @ Southeastern Louisiana

2.) Three Big Questions
Let’s get into some Playoff talk

Seeds…who do ya got?

At-Larges?

Best Brawl of the Wild memories?

3.) If you haven’t yet listened, make sure to check out our interview with UM AD and Selection Committee member Kent Haslam. He thoroughly explains many steps of the process that goes into the selection process and what it takes to be a committee member.

Find it here.

2019-1120 – Wk13 PREVIEW

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The FCS Wedge – 2019-1120- Wk12 REVIEW

1) The Big Story
Surprising beat downs in key top 10 games

Montana 35 Weber State 16

South Dakota State 38 Northern Iowa 7

Recaps
Wofford 24 Furman 7

Nicholls State 34 McNeese State 20

Montana State 27 UC Davis 17

Albany 24 New Hampshire 17

2.) AGS Poll

2019-1120 – Wk12 REVIEW

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Big Sky Quad Shot: Week 12

Montana made a statement on Saturday as they defeated Weber State at home. The Griz looked like the better team in every way on Saturday and made their claim at the top of the Big Sky. Weber State was down at one point 35-3 as the Griz just kept pouring it on. Wide receiver Samori Toure had three scores for Montana. Weber State scored 13 points to end the game, but by then Montana had their second unit in and Weber had pulled Jake Constantine in favor of Kaden Jenks. Constantine had three interceptions on the day.

The other top two teams in the conference took care of their business on Saturday as Sacramento State beat Idaho handily on the road 31-7. Sacramento State relied on a heavy dose of the rushing attack with 222 yards and four touchdowns. Elijah Dotson had 109 of those yards and two scores. Quarterback Kevin Thomson had a less than average game, comparatively, going 17-36 for 187 yards and an interception. On the Idaho side of the ball, absolutely nothing went right. Mason Petrino had a touchdown pass to Cutrell Haywood. That’s about all they did.  Montana State took care of UC Davis in a dog fight in Davis. The Bobcats rode a 13 point fourth quarter to beat the Aggies. The Bobcats rushed for 284 yards on the Aggies. The Aggies got a big day from Big Sky rushing leader Ulonzo Gilliam, has he went for 133 yards and two scores.

In outside playoff chance scenario, Eastern Washington beat Cal Poly by the skin of their teeth. Cal Poly had a chance to win the game with under five minutes left when they had clawed back from a 42-28 hole. Duy Tran-Sampson punched in a touchdown for the Mustangs. Cal Poly elected to go for two instead of the tie and missed the conversion. Poly had one more shot to win the game, but a missed 35 yard field goal ultimately doomed the Mustangs. In games that don’t matter to the playoff chase, BYU beat the hell out of Idaho State. Bengals running back Malakai Rango did rush for 142 yards on 24 carries though. North Dakota won a pillow fight over Northern Colorado. Northern Colorado tried to make it interesting at the end with a Milo Hall touchdown and got the ball back with a chance to tie, but Jacob Knipp threw an interception deep in his own territory. Southern Utah pulled an upset on Saturday, beating Northern Arizona. Gotta feel bad for Case Cookus who just couldn’t ever play on teams good enough to make a lot of noise.

Coming up this week we have Montana vs Montana State in Bozeman. Southern Utah making a long trip to take on North Dakota. Cal Poly is headed to Northern Colorado. Idaho is headed to Northern Arizona. Idaho State goes south to take on Weber State. Portland State goes east to take on Eastern Washington. In the “late” game that starts at 3pm MT is UC Davis taking on Sacramento State. Selection Sunday for the FCS playoffs will at 12:30pm ET on ESPNU.

Scores

Northern Colorado 38
North Dakota 45

Idaho State 10
BYU 42

Weber State 16
Montana 35

Northern Arizona 30
Southern Utah 31

Sacramento State 31
Idaho 7

Montana State 27
UC Davis 17

Eastern Washington 42
Cal Poly 41

Big Sky Player of the Week

This week’s Big Sky player of the week is Montana wide receiver Samori Toure. Toure had eight catches for 193 yards and three touchdowns as Montana defeated Weber State this past weekend.

Big Sky MVP Candidates

Dalton Sneed, QB, Montana
Kevin Thomson, QB, Sacramento State
Jeff Cotton, WR, Idaho
Ulonzo Gilliam, RB, UC Davis
Eric Barriere, QB, Eastern Washington

Big Sky Power Rankings

Montana
Weber State
Sacramento State
Montana State
Eastern Washington
UC Davis
Portland State
Idaho
Northern Arizona
Idaho
Cal Poly
Idaho State
Southern Utah
Northern Colorado

The Quad Shot

I guess there’s new kings of the Big Sky conference this week. Montana really took it to Weber State in every part of the game. The Wildcats, I suspected, were not as good as they had been advertised. I’d had my suspicions about them, but thought they played good defense and good enough offense to keep their wins coming. However, once tested against an actual good team they crumbled. Just too many mistakes for the Wildcats. Special teams really didn’t help the team at all. That being said, Montana was very good all day on offense and really brought it against a good defense. Weird crowning Montana as the kings right now, considering they have a loss to Sacramento State. However, Montana fought off a lot more lions than Sacramento State has.

That being said, we now have a three way tie at the top of the Big Sky. This is a big deal because the winner of the conference gets the auto-bid to the playoffs and will definitely be seeded. Now, I think the possibility exists that three Big Sky teams could be seeded after next Sunday.. and even the slight possibility of four. Montana owns the tiebreaker over Weber State. Weber State owns the tiebreaker over Sacramento State. Sacramento State owns the tiebreaker over Montana. If Montana wins this weekend I think the argument is nil. However, if Montana loses, Weber would probably earn the auto-bid. That being said, I can see a scenario where three teams could get seeded if all three win out. If Montana loses to Montana State I assume a possibility exists that four Big Sky teams could get seeds with the Bobcats getting one and Montana maybe getting the 8 seed. This scenario is way out there, but the top of the Big Sky is really good this year.

That being said, there’s also a possibility that a four win Lafayette could get into the playoffs from the Patriot league. In this nutso scenario, Holy Cross is currently leading the Patriot league at 6-5 (4-1). They play Georgetown on Saturday, the last place team in the Patriot. G-town is 5-5 (1-4). However, Lafayette is 3-2 in conference with a win over Holy Cross. If Holy Cross loses to Georgetown and Lafayette wins against Lehigh, then the Leopards would be in the playoffs with the autobid. I don’t remember for sure if auto-bids host a home game, but god wouldn’t that be hilarious to see a team like Villanova or South Dakota State have to go to Lafayette for a playoff game.

One of the oldest rivalries in college football is back this week, the Cat/Griz game. Or the Brawl of the Wild. Whatever people call it. It’s in Bozeman this year and the Bobcats are hankering for a fourth win in a row over the Griz. Other rivalry games in the Big Sky this week are the Causeway Classic that features UC Davis against Sacramento State. Weber State and Idaho State are kind of rivals, but only to see which fan base can close their city earlier in the night. Predictions for the Brawl and the Causeway Classic?