AGS Poll: Week 5 Top 25 Results

Top 25 image

After 2 pretty calm weeks we saw a couple upsets involving teams near the top of the AGS top 25 that churned the poll up quite a bit. The very top remained calm however as for the fifth straight week the top 3 were North Dakota State, James Madison, and South Dakota State in that order. Weber State got into the top 5 for the first time this year moving up to #4 after their big win over Northern Iowa and Villanova climbed all the way up to #5 after not even appearing in the 2019 preseason poll.

Other teams moving up included Montana who shot up 9 spots to #7 after throttling previously 5th ranked UC Davis. Youngstown State took advantage of some turmoil from teams in front of them to move up 4 spots to #15. After hanging just outside for the last few weeks Stony Brook made their first appearance of the year in the top 25 moving up 5 spots to #21 after their 4-1 start. Austin Peay came from completely out of the poll last week all they way up to #24 this week after taking down OVC power Jacksonville State decisively last Saturday.

The teams moving in the opposite direction were headlined by Northern Iowa who dropped 7 spots to #12 after their aforementioned loss to Weber State. UC Davis plummeted 10 spots to #14 following their second straight loss. Elon dropped 4 spots to barely hang on at #25 after getting demolished at home by James Madison. Jacksonville State fell out of the top 25 snapping a 78 week streak being in the AGS top 25 dating back to week 13 of 2013. The Citadel also dropped out of the top 25 after dropping a 4OT classic to Samford last Saturday.

In terms of conference representation the CAA led the way placing a whopping 7 teams into the top 25. They were followed by the Big Sky and MVFC with 5 each and the Southland with 3 teams in the top 25. Once again 9 conference were represented in the top 25.

Full results below:

Rank Change Team Total Points First Place Votes
1 – North Dakota State Bison 2210 80
2 – James Madison Dukes 2119 6
3 – South Dakota State Jackrabbits 2049 3
4 2 Weber State Wildcats 1860
5 2 Villanova Wildcats 1839
6 2 Montana State Bobcats 1658
7 9 Montana Grizzlies 1594
8 2 Furman Paladins 1445
9 3 Central Arkansas Bears 1305
10 -1 Towson Tigers 1292
11 2 Illinois State Redbirds 1283
12 -7 Northern Iowa Panthers 1261
13 -2 Kennesaw State Owls 1240
14 -10 UC Davis Aggies 1142
15 4 Youngstown State Penguins 972
16 2 Southeastern Louisiana Lions 960
17 -2 Nicholls State Colonels 779
18 2 North Carolina A&T Aggies 706
19 -5 Maine Black Bears 492
20 3 Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens 453
21 5 Stony Brook Seawolves 439
22 2 Princeton Tigers 349
23 2 Eastern Washington Eagles 205
24 NR Austin Peay Governors 184
25 -4 Elon Phoenix 132
ORV:
26 -10 Jacksonville State Gamecocks 131
27 2 Dartmouth Big Green 123
28 -1 Southeast Missouri State Redhawks 118
29 8 Houston Baptist Huskies 102
30 NR Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles 73
31 2 Sac State Hornets 58
32T NR Samford Bulldogs 57
32T -10 The Citadel Bulldogs 57
34 -3 Yale Bulldogs 50
35 5 Sam Houston State Bearkats 35
36 2 Central Connecticut State Blue Devils 30
37T -2 South Carolina State Bulldogs 23
37T -4 Southern Illinois Salukis 23
39 -3 Indiana State Sycamores 22
40 -1 Idaho State Bengals 15

Most significant win: Montana Grizzlies
Most significant loss: Jacksonville State Gamecocks

Dropped out of the poll:
Abilene Christian Wildcats
Idaho Vandals
North Dakota Fighting Hawks

Join the discussion here: https://www.anygivensaturday.com/showthread.php?235480-AGS-Poll-Results-WEEK-5-2019-SEASON

Patriot League: Week 6 Preview

For the second time in this still young 2019 season the Patriot League posted a dreaded “O’fer” weekend.  After last Saturday’s 0-4 performance the Patriot League now stands at an atrocious 4-20 overall record. What makes last week’s “O’fer” even more disheartening is the fact that all four losses were by double digits. Colgate and Holy Cross fought hard but never truly threatened to win while Fordham and Lafayette were outclassed from the start.

There are many theories as to why the Patriot League has performed so poorly  the last three seasons. Colgate’s 2019 campaign is clearly the outlier. The one thing that everyone seems to agree upon is the three league-imposed restrictions (60 scholarships instead of 63, no redshirts, roster size capped at ??) must be either eliminated or significantly tweaked. Not allowing an additional three scholarships appears to be nothing more than administrative pettiness. The ban on non-medical redshirts is quite complex due to the differing academic missions of each school. With that said, it’s believed that redshirts can be implemented in a manner that benefits each football program without compromising academic integrity. The roster limit is simply dumb. It compromises depth at certain positions and can affect how coaches are able to conduct their practices. The ability to have normal practices becomes more of an issue as the season progresses and injuries mount.

Until concessions are made regarding those three glaring issues it might be wise for the Patriot League as a whole to schedule accordingly. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to challenge your team but each game does not need to be a barometer of FCS greatness. The ultimate goal is and always will be to win games. And that’s an area where the league has failed in epic fashion.

Not surprisingly, the Patriot League appears to be headed for another rough Saturday.

The Games

Since the Patriot League has shown very little interest in winning these out of conference games TheFCSWedge has decided not to invest time researching and predicting loss after loss. Thankfully, league play begins next week so the stakes will ramp up when the pillow fights commence. Until then, take solace in the fact the non-conference ugliness is nearly over and conference victories are destined to happen!

Holy Cross (1-2, 0-0) at Syracuse (2-2) 12 P.M. Carrier Dome; Syracuse, NY

Live Streaming/TV: ACC Network

Need to Know: Syracuse is an ACC team loaded with athletes and depth. While the Orange might not be as good as their preseason Top 25 ranking once suggested, they have more than enough to firepower to run the Crusaders out of the Dome.

Prediction: Syracuse 52 Holy Cross 13

Merrimack (2-2) at Lehigh (0-3, 0-0) 12:30 P.M. Goodman Stadium; Bethlehem, PA

Live Streaming: Patriot League Network

The Need to Know: Merrimack is transitioning to Division I in 2019 after spending the last 22 seasons at the DII level. The Warriors two wins so far this season have come over non-D1 competition. While this isn’t a must win for Lehigh in the truest sense, a loss to a Merrimack program trying to find its way would be devastating for the Mountain Hawks.

Prediction: Lehigh 31 Merrimack 13

Georgetown (2-1, 0-0) at Columbia (1-0) 1 P.M. Wein Stadium; Manhattan, NY

Live Stream: ESPN+

The Need to Know: The Lions were picked to finish 6th in the Preseason Ivy League Poll. Al Bagnoli has done a good job turning the perennial cellar-dweller Lions into a competitive force within the Ancient Eight. This should be a good barometer for each team. Georgetown’s offense needs to pick up where it left off against Marist and Catholic in order to get a rare win over an Ivy League opponent.

The Pick: Columbia 27 Georgetown 24

Richmond (1-2) at Fordham (1-3, 0-0) 1 P.M. Jack Coffey Field; Bronx, NY

Live Stream: Patriot League Network

The Need to Know: The Rams and Spiders enter this contest staggering a bit after slow starts to the 2019 season. Richmond was pegged to finish 10th in the 12 team CAA this season. The Spiders hammered Fordham 52-7 last season when the two met in Virginia. While this season’s game will be far more competitive, the winner will be the same.

Prediction: Richmond 35 Fordham 27

#24 Princeton (1-0) at Bucknell (0-3, 0-0) 3:30 P.M. Christy Mathewson Memorial Stadium; Lewisburg, PA

Live Stream: Patriot League Network

The Need to Know: Nationally ranked Princeton makes the pilgrimage to Central Pennsylvania to take on the struggling Bison Saturday afternoon. Despite suffering significant losses to graduation, the Tigers remain absolutely loaded with talent on both sides of the ball. That’s not good news for a Bison program still trying to find their way under first year head coach Dave Cecchini.

Prediction: Princeton 62 Bucknell 17

Penn (1-0) at Lafayette (0-4, 0-0) 3:30 P.M. Fisher Field; Easton, PA

Live Streaming: Patriot League Network

The Need to Know: For the 90th time Penn and Lafayette will clash on the gridiron. The Quakers are coming off a heartbreaking 28-27 loss to #23 Delaware.  Penn’s failed 2 point attempt late in game proved to be the difference. Lafayette quarterback Keegan Shoemaker and the rest of offense need to bounce back from an ugly performance against Albany last Saturday.

Prediction: Penn 38 Lafayette 21

Colgate (0-4, 0-0) at Dartmouth (1-0) 6 P.M. Memorial Field; Hanover, NH

Live Stream: ESPN+

The Need to Know: Things do not get any easier for defending Patriot League Champion Colgate. The Raiders now must contend with a stout Dartmouth team that has legit Top 25 and Ivy League title potential. Adding to the difficulty for Colgate is the fact that junior quarterback Grant Breneman is expected to miss his second straight game with an injury. It’s hard to believe but the Raiders are likely going to sustain a sixth straight double-digit loss dating back to last season.

Prediction: Dartmouth 37 Colgate 14

The FCS Wedge – 2019-0925 – Wk5 PREVIEW

1.) Games of the week/previews

Northern Iowa @ Weber State

Montana @ UC Davis

Maine @ Villanova

Jacksonville State @ Austin Peay

James Madison @ Elon

North Dakota @ Eastern Washington

2.) Three Big Questions

12 Game seasons: Do they add clarity to the polls and how good teams will be the remainder of the season?

Criticism: It’s inevitable in our troll culture but should coaches and players be fair game?

Different uniform color combos. What’s your all time favorite?

Listen Here

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The FCS Wedge – 2019-0925 – Wk4 REVIEW

1.) The big story & the recaps

Top five showdown in Fargo proved to be a very exciting game.

North Dakota State 27 UC Davis 16

Villanova 52 Towson 45 (OT)

Eastern Michigan 34 CCSU 29

Idaho 35 Eastern Washington 27

Montana 47 Monmouth 27

East Tennessee State 20 Austin Peay 14

Illinois State 40 Northern Arizona 27

Southeastern Louisiana 45 Lamar 34

Sam Houston State 45 Incarnate Word 6

2.) AGS Poll

Listen here

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Big Sky Quad Shot: Week 4

We’re through the non-conference part of the Big Sky Conference football season. Can’t come soon enough, time to start the race towards the playoffs and the auto-bids. There’s a horse race at the top of the Big Sky and everyone’s still got a chance to snag that auto-bid. Except Northern Colorado. They do not have a chance.

This week saw Monmouth make the cross-country trip to Montana and face the Grizzlies. After the teams spent a quarter feeling each other out the fireworks started. Dalton Sneed threw for four touchdowns to lead the Griz over the Hawks. Monmouth quarterback Kenji Bahar put on a show, however, throwing for 393 yards, an impressive young quarterback. Eastern Washington took the trip down the Palouse to take on Idaho. The Vandals jumped out to a 28-0 lead and never looked back as they defeated Eastern Washington. Montana State made quick work of the visiting Norfolk State Spartans.

In the Big Sky game of the week UC Davis went to the Fargo Quanset Hut and took on North Dakota State. Close game most of the way through, but a late Bison touchdown iced the win. Jake Meier had a big day through the air, throwing for 312 yards and a score, but also had way too many turnovers to keep the Aggies in the game. South Dakota State beat up on Northern Colorado in the Big Sky pillow fight of the week. Northern Iowa eeked one out against Idaho State. Haven’t decided if Idaho State is good or lucky. Portland State beat some directional school. South Dakota State put a hurting on Southern Utah. Illinois State had a big third quarter to get past Northern Arizona. To cap the night Sacramento State hung with Fresno State for two quarters before eventually giving up 20 points in the fourth quarter and losing to the Bulldogs.

This week we’ll see Montana go to California and take on UC Davis. Northern Arizona will come north to take on Montana State in Bozeman. Idaho will head to Greeley to take on Northern Colorado. North Dakota comes across the Big Sky to take on Eastern Washington. In the Big Sky pillow fight of the week Portland State heads to Pocatello to take on Idaho State. Northern Iowa can’t get enough of the Big Sky, and will take on Weber State in Ogden. In the night cap Cal Poly will travel to Southern Utah.

Scores

Monmouth 27
Montana 47

Eastern Washington 27
Idaho 35

Norfolk State 21
Montana State 56

UC Davis 16
North Dakota State 27

South Dakota 14
Northern Colorado 6

Idaho State 6
Northern Iowa 13

Eastern Oregon 9
Portland State 59

Southern Utah 7
South Dakota State 43

Northern Arizona 27
Illinois State 40

Sacramento State 20
Fresno State 34

Big Sky Player of the Week

This week’s Big Sky Player of the Week is Montana quarterback Dalton Sneed. Sneed was 30/40 for 334 yards and four touchdowns in Montana’s win over Monmouth this weekend.

Big Sky MVP Candidates

Jake Meier, QB, UC Davis
Dalton Sneed, QB, Montana
Case Cookus, QB, Northern Arizona
Ulonzo Gilliam, RB, UC Davis
Jeff Cotton, WR, Idaho

Big Sky Power Rankings

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

The Quad Shot

The Big Sky Conference took it on the chin this week. Going 0-5 against the Missouri Valley this week isn’t doing the conference reputation a lot of favors. A few lopsided match-ups this week, not exactly pairing 1:1 matchups. The only good game of any of these was UC-Davis and NDSU. Davis looks like a formidable team heading into conference play. Surprised that Jake Meier threw three interceptions, thought he’d have a little better showing. Once again, I guess it’s NDSU and everyone else.

Eastern Washington what the hell are you doing? I know Idaho isn’t good, or at least good enough to jump out to a 28-0 lead on a supposed top five team heading into the week. Still hope for the Eags though, it was a non-conference game. But man, that’ll probably be a black mark on the playoff resume if the Eags can turn around their season. Just watch, Idaho will now run the table.

I’ll be curious if Weber State can win out this season. The top of the Big Sky is particularly strong and right now I can see a scenario where any of the top five can win the conference. Eastern better fix that whole defense thing they have going on. Montana needs to fix that giving up a lot of passing yards things. Montana State better fix that quarterback thing. UC Davis, can they keep scoring against tough defenses? Weber State, will they be able to score at all or just play defense and pray? I might be way off, none of these teams are perfect, at least perfect enough to beat NDSU. Or even SDSU, for that matter.

On a more non-Big Sky related note.. I’ve been an AGS top 25 poll voter for quite a few years. FCS I would say is generally the toughest of all divisions of college football to rank. You have teams playing up, teams playing down, teams that don’t play up or down and it’s really tough to gauge where a team is at after the first three to four weeks of the season. Furman I getting top 10 votes and I just don’t get it. Two FBS losses, two FCS wins against “eh” opponents.. does that make them top 10? Then there’s the Ivy League.. teams like Princeton getting top 25 consideration and votes despite not playing a single game until week four. What sense does that make? Even then, the Ivies play a game or two non-conference then stick to their own league. How do we know if they’re good or bad? Do we give credit for FCS teams playing up and not getting completely obliterated by an Oregon-esque team? Tough to judge, not a fan of being a poll voter this time of year, but I’ll keep my perfect year streaks intact once more this year.

AGS Poll: Week 4 Top 25 Results

Top 25 graphic

Week 4 was another fairly calm one in the AGS Top 25 with the exception of a couple big upsets but, despite some shake-ups in the order, it was the same 25 teams in the AGS Top 25 this week. The top 4 remained unchanged with North Dakota State, James Madison, South Dakota State, and UC Davis coming in at #1-#4 respectively. Northern Iowa crept up to #5 to achieve their first top 5 ranking in the AGS Poll since week 1 of 2016.

The teams moving up this week were headlined by Villanova who catapulted up 11 spots all the way to #7 following their impressive win over previously 5th ranked Towson. The only other team to move up more than one spot was Furman who rose 2 spots to #10 after dismantling their fellow SOCON foe Mercer. That is the Paladins highest ranking in the AGS Poll since Week 1 of 2007.

Going in the opposite direction was Towson who dropped 4 spots to #9 following their aforementioned loss to Villanova. Central Arkansas dropped 4 spots to #12 after dropping a game to FBS foe Hawaii. Eastern Washington plummeted 14 spots to barely hang in the top 25 at #25 after a stunning upset loss to fellow Big Sky opponent Idaho.

The CAA led the way again in terms of conference representation placing 6 teams into the top 25. They were followed by the Big Sky and MVFC with 5 each, the Southland with 3, and the SOCON with 2 teams in the top 25. Once again 9 conferences were represented in the top 25.

Full results below:

Rank Change Team Total Points First Place Votes
1 – North Dakota State Bison 2237 83
2 – James Madison Dukes 2137 4
3 – South Dakota State Jackrabbits 2079 3
4 – UC Davis Aggies 1851
5 1 Northern Iowa Panthers 1683
6 1 Weber State Wildcats 1670
7 11 Villanova Wildcats 1507
8 1 Montana State Bobcats 1502
9 -4 Towson Tigers 1364
10 2 Furman Paladins 1333
11 -1 Kennesaw State Owls 1297
12 -4 Central Arkansas Bears 1283
13 – Illinois State Redbirds 1245
14 – Maine Black Bears 1017
15 – Nicholls State Colonels 965
16T – Jacksonville State Gamecocks 953
16T 1 Montana Grizzlies 953
18 1 Southeastern Louisiana Lions 788
19 1 Youngstown State Penguins 711
20 1 North Carolina A&T Aggies 576
21 1 Elon Phoenix 337
22 1 The Citadel Bulldogs 321
23 – Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens 308
24 1 Princeton Tigers 226
25 -14 Eastern Washington Eagles 211
ORV:
26 2 Stony Brook Seawolves 178
27 -1 Southeast Missouri State Redhawks 108
28 1 North Dakota Fighting Hawks 65
29 2 Dartmouth Big Green 48
30 NR Idaho Vandals 41
31 2 Yale Bulldogs 36
32 8 Abilene Christian Wildcats 32
33T 3 Sac State Hornets 31
33T -3 Southern Illinois Salukis 31
35 -3 South Carolina State Bulldogs 29
36 1 Indiana State Sycamores 24
37 NR Houston Baptist Huskies 14
38 NR Central Connecticut State Blue Devils 12
39 NR Idaho State Bengals 10
40 NR Sam Houston State Bearkats 9

Most significant win: Villanova Wildcats
Most significant loss: Eastern Washington Eagles

Dropped out of the poll:
Austin Peay Governors
Cal Poly Mustangs
McNeese State Cowboys
Northern Arizona Lumberjacks
Portland State Vikings

Join the discussion here: https://www.anygivensaturday.com/showthread.php?234806-AGS-Poll-Results-WEEK-4-2019-SEASON

Patriot League: Week 5 Preview

As week 5 commences, the Patriot League will try to improve upon its dismal 4-16 overall record. The league struggled mightily in 2017 and 2018 but this year things have somehow managed to get worse. Given this week’s tough slate of games the Patriot League could be facing their second winless Saturday of the season. The best news this week might be the fact that three teams (Bucknell, Georgetown and Lehigh) are on a bye so the number of possible losses the league can sustain is minimalized.

Holy Cross (1-1, 0-0) at Yale (0-0) 1 P.M. Yale Bowl; New Haven, CT

Live Stream: ESPN+

The Need to Know: Fresh off an early season bye, Holy Cross makes the 100 mile journey to the historic Yale Bowl to take on the Eli. As is tradition, Yale and rest of the Ivy League wait until mid-September to start their 10 game season. Yale is the preseason favorite to win the Ancient Eight following last year’s injury riddled 5-5 record. The offense returns every key contributor which is a tremendous feather in head coach Tony Reno’s cap. The unit is led by senior quarterback Kurt Rawlings (223 ypg 9 TD 3 INT in ‘18).  Rawlings has a tremendous wide receiver in Reed Klubnick (1,143 9 TD) along the dynamic running back duo of Zane Dudek (1,133 15 TD in ’17) and Alan Lamar (685 yards 9 TD in ’18). Defensively, Ryan Burke (6 sacks in ’18) is a menace from the linebacker position. Holy Cross snuck past the Eli 31-28 in OT last season.

The Crusaders must get their offense going (10 ppg, 63 ypg rushing) if they want to pull the upset against a very talented and experienced Yale team. Quarterback Connor Degenhardt has to stretch the field more with his big arm and Preseason All-PL running back Domenic Cozier (43 yards) needs to assert himself behind an experienced O-line.

This should be a good barometer for both teams.  The winner will likely garner serious Top 25 consideration. Odds are it’s Yale as they seem destined for a huge year as long as the injury bug doesn’t strike for a second straight season.

The Pick: Yale 34 Holy Cross 17

Lafayette (0-3, 0-0) at Albany (1-2) 3:30 P.M. Bob Ford Field; Albany, NY

Live Stream: FloSports.com

The Need to Know: For the first time ever Lafayette and Albany will clash on the gridiron. Both teams have been wildly inconsistent to start the 2019 season. Lafayette head coach John Garrett’s decision to start Keegan Shoemaker (STATS National Freshman of Week) against Sacred Heart jump started the previously morbid offense (623 total yards, 40 points). In addition to the national honors, Shoemaker garnered PL Offensive Player of the Week for his outstanding debut (411 passing yards, 2 TD, 134 rushing yards 2 TD). Unfortunately for the Leopards, the defense got torched for 56 points as they lost their sixth straight game dating back to last season.

The Danes enter this game coming off a tough 38-35 OT loss to Monmouth. Despite the “L” dropping Albany’s record to 1-2 there’s still reason to be optimistic in the Capital District. The offense has been outstanding (33.6 ppg) under the direction of redshirt freshman Jeff Undercuffler (223 ypg 8 TD 3 INT). Defensively (26 ppg allowed) the Danes have struggled at times to stop the pass (252 ypg) and the run (183 ypg). They were picked to finish last in the 12 team CAA.

Lafayette will need another big game from Keegan Shoemaker in order to keep up with a talented Albany offense. Ultimately it’s hard to envision the Leopard “D” slowing down Undercuffler enough times to notch their first win of the year.

Prediction: Albany 41 Lafayette 24

Fordham (1-2, 0-0) at Stony Brook (2-1) 6 P.M. LaValle Stadium; Stony Brook, NY

Live Stream: FloSports.com

The Need to Know: The Rams make the trek out to Long Island to take on a dangerous Stony Brook squad. Like Fordham, the Seawolves took it on the chin against a FBS team (Utah State 62-7) and faced two NEC squads. The difference is, SBU easily took care of business against their NEC competition (vs Bryant, vs Wagner) while Fordham was only able to eek out a split (L vs CCSU, W vs Bryant). The Seawolves have used a familiar recipe for success to start the year; good defense (10 ppg allowed vs FCS) and a punishing ground attack (208 ypg). Tyquell Fields has struggled passing the ball (49% completion). As a result there’s a strong possibility back-up Jack Cassidy sees some meaningful action. The Seawolves were picked to finish 6th in CAA.

Fordham used a 23 point fourth quarter last weekend to pull away from Bryant and capture their first “W” of the 2019. Zach Davis’s 140 rushing yards led the Ram offense while the defense had their best outing of the year (238 yards allowed). The linebacker duo of Cunningham and Greenhagen will need to be at their best this Saturday against the physical Seawolves.

Stony Brook often tries to pummel their opponents into submission with a clock controlling rushing attack and relying on tough, fundamentally sound defensive play. Fordham will need to have a strong effort from the offensive and defensive lines in order to pull the upset. The Rams will hang tough for a while but the Seawolves physicality will take its toll in the second half.

The Pick: Stony Brook 30 Fordham 20

#14 Maine (1-2) at Colgate (0-3, 0-0) 12 P.M. Andy Kerr Stadium; Hamilton, NY

Live Stream: Patriot League Network

The Need to Know: Colgate and Maine will clash Saturday afternoon for the first time since 2001 (Maine 34 Colgate 10). Amazingly, the Black Bears have not faced a Patriot League opponent since their game with Colgate 18 years ago. The Raiders are 0-2 against teams from the CAA in 2019. They’ve been outscored 72-20 in those 2 defeats. Patriot League Preseason Offensive Player of the Year Grant Breneman (99 ypg 2 TD 2 INT) was injured is last week’s 38-10 loss against William & Mary and is not expected to play this Saturday. Rumor has it that Breneman’s backup Jake Froschauer is also nursing an injury and might not be available. If that’s the case Head Coach Dan Hunt will have to turn to either senior Noah Rothman or one of the freshman; Alex Rosso/Nick Frey. This is a worst case scenario for a Raider offense that has struggled mightily to start 2019 (221 ypg, 10 ppg).

Maine also enters this game in desperate need of a win after dropping their last two contests. The Black Bears were routed 45-23 at home last Saturday by CAA foe Towson. Maine quarterback Chris Ferguson threw 4 picks and the ground attack managed just 68 yards. Ferguson and company should find the sledding considerably easier against the Raiders surprisingly poor defense (40 ppg allowed, 450 ypg allowed).

Colgate’s collapse to start the 2019 season has been one of the biggest “head scratchers” in FCS. If the Raiders want to climb back up the respectability ladder they must find a way to beat Maine at home. Unfortunately, Breneman’s injury combined with Maine’s explosive offense likely means another long day for the defending Patriot League Champions.

The Pick: Maine 45 Colgate 14

The FCS Wedge – 2019-0918 – Wk4 PREVIEW

1) Games of the week/previews

UC Davis @ North Dakota State

Villanova @ Towson

Monmouth @ Montana

James Madison @ Chattanooga

Northern Arizona @ Illinois State

Lamar @ Southeastern Louisiana

2) Three Big Questions

Last year Incarnate Word shocked the world and went from laughing-stock to playoff team. Could Houston Baptist be an early pick to do the same?

What has happened to Wofford? It didn’t look like Samford would win a game this season the way their season started.

A season ago, a LOT of people wanted to downgrade Montana for struggling with Drake for 2.5 quarters before putting them away. They fell in the next AGS poll from 14 to 16. South Dakota State did the same exact thing on Saturday, and actually gained a first place vote in the poll. One season it’s horrible for a 14th ranked team to not dominate Drake from the get go, the next season it’s excusable that the #3 team in the country was only up 14 on a lowly non scholarship team.

Why haven’t they been getting the same response?

LISTEN HERE

The FCS Wedge – 2019-0918 – Wk3 REVIEW

1) The Big Story – Another FBS win.   The Citadel 27 Georgia Tech 24

Several other valiant efforts by Furman, Idaho, SELA, & UNH.

2) Recaps of all these games

Jacksonville State 49 Eastern Washington 45

North Dakota State 47 Delaware 22

Towson 45 Maine 23

Youngstown State 34 Duquesne 14

Central Arkansas 31 Abilene Christian 30

Austin Peay 48 Mercer 34

3) Discussion of this week’s AGS Poll.

LISTEN HERE

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Big Sky Quad Shot: Week 3

Week three of the Big Sky Conference season is come and gone and it was a Big Sky blood bath. The conference did not fare so well in its play-up games against FBS opponents, despite a couple of good efforts. Montana had arguably the toughest match-up of the week by taking on Oregon in the Autzen Zoo. The Ducks showed why they have earned their ranking and Justin Herbert is a playmaker. Idaho gave a good effort against Wyoming, and Mason Petrino is a decent quarterback for the Vandals. Weber State probably wishes they could have their game against Nevada back. Weber State had the Wolf Pack on the ropes but just couldn’t quite close it out.

Utah and Oregon State gave out beatings to Idaho State and Cal Poly respectively. Didn’t see Cal Poly getting beat so soundly against a fairly terrible Oregon State team. Off day for the Mustangs. Utah is a very physical football team, maybe the most physical in the Pac12, and no way Idaho State was going to keep up with Kyle Whittingham’s group.

Perhaps the most impressive win of the week was Montana State over Western Illinois on the road. The Bulldogs are a good team, despite their record. The Bobcats had a good rushing day from Logan Jones who also had a couple of touchdowns. Not sure the Bobcats have quite identified a quarterback yet, or if they ever will. However, it’s working for them because they’re 2-1 on the season. Jake Meier keeps piling up the stats, this time with a win at home over Lehigh. Meier has thrown for 921 yards and six touchdowns against two interceptions while completing 68 percent of his passes. Not too shabby of a season.

Onto the rest..

Scores

Montana 3
Oregon 35

Idaho 16
Wyoming 21

Idaho State 0
Utah 31

Portland State 10
Boise State 45

Eastern Washington 45
Jacksonville State 49

Montana State 23
Western Illinois 14

Cal Poly 7
Oregon State 45

Weber State 13
Nevada 19

Western New Mexico 21
Northern Arizona 55

Stephen F Austin 38
Southern Utah 45

Northern Colorado 0
Sacramento State 50

Lehigh 13
UC Davis 41

Big Sky Player of the Week

This week’s Big Sky player of the week is Montana State running back Logan Jones. Jones rushed 21 times for 167 yards and two touchdowns as the Bobcats defeated Western Illinois in Macomb this past weekend.

Big Sky MVP Candidates

Jake Meier, QB, UC Davis
Case Cookus, QB, Northern Arizona
Dalton Sneed, QB, Montana
Kevin Thomson, QB, Sacramento State
Eric Barriere, QB, Eastern Washington

Big Sky Power Rankings

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

The Quad Shot

A lot of Big Sky blood spilled this week against FBS opponents. I thought Weber State had a legitimate shot at beating Nevada. After the Wolf Pack was absolutely rolled by Oregon last weekend I thought the Pack might come out a little soft and would be ripe for the picking. Weber State probably had a reasonable chance at winning that game if Jake Constantine had been playing, but injuries are a bummer like that. Montana gave a good fight to Oregon, I thought. The Ducks were more talented across the board but Montana did a fine job against an explosive team on both sides of the ball.

Eastern Washington.. man, that’s tough. Having that kind of lead and blowing in the fourth quarter. Then again, if we’re being real with ourselves that’s kind of the nature of Big Sky defenses.. hold on for dear life. Unfortunately for our friends to the west they didn’t hold on tight enough because Jacksonville State scored 21 points in the fourth quarter and snuck one past the Eagles.

Western Illinois doesn’t quite have the bite they did a year or two ago, but nice to see the Cats get a win over the Missouri Valley. Looking at the rest of the matchups the Big Sky has against the MVFC I’m not sure I see any other wins for the Big Sky over them. Seems like the Big Sky got a bad draw; pairing the conference’s weaker teams against the MVFCs stronger teams.. recipe for those fans of little humility to drag their conference’s bragging rights into another season.

In non-Big Sky news.. I have a bad feeling no one is going to knock off North Dakota State this season. I thought Delaware on the road would be a trap game for the Bison (no z, learn to spell). The Blue Hens are a formidable team this season, but just didn’t have the juice to catch the Bison sleeping on the road. Northern Iowa should be a good game, but the game is in the quonset hut in Fargo. South Dakota State could be a test on the road. After that.. not much there to challenge them.