AGS Poll: Week 3 Top 25 Results

Top 25 image

Despite only 3 FCS losses amongst the AGS top 25 this week there was plenty of movement mainly due to 2 of those losses going to teams previously ranked in the top 5. The top 3 stayed the same for the third consecutive week with North Dakota State, James Madison, and South Dakota State in that order. UC Davis moved up to #4 and Towson rose up 4 spots to #5 after their big win over previously 5th ranked Maine.

As for other teams moving up Jacksonville State rose 6 spots to #16 after their thrilling come from behind victory over Eastern Washington. The Citadel also came from completely out of the top 40 all the way to #24 after upsetting ACC foe Georgia Tech. This is the Bulldogs first appearance in the AGS Top 25 since week 5 of 2017. While The Citadel was the only team to move into the top 25 there were 6 new teams in the others receiving votes this week.

The teams going in the opposite direction were headlined by Eastern Washington who dropped 7 spots to #11 after their aforementioned loss to Jacksonville State. Maine plummeted 9 spots to #14 after getting dumped by Towson and Delaware took a 5 spot tumble to #23 after a home loss to top ranked North Dakota State. Southeast Missouri State dropped out of the top 25 after a lackluster showing vs SEC opponent Missouri.

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

Full results below:

Rank Change Team Total Points First Place Votes
1 – North Dakota State Bison 2412 91
2 – James Madison Dukes 2298 3
3 – South Dakota State Jackrabbits 2218 3
4 2 UC Davis Aggies 1971
5 4 Towson Tigers 1960
6 2 Northern Iowa Panthers 1761
7 – Weber State Wildcats 1760
8 2 Central Arkansas Bears 1462
9 3 Montana State Bobcats 1420
10 1 Kennesaw State Owls 1364
11 -7 Eastern Washington Eagles 1277
12 1 Furman Paladins 1250
13 2 Illinois State Redbirds 1197
14 -9 Maine Black Bears 1145
15 -1 Nicholls State Colonels 1048
16 6 Jacksonville State Gamecocks 1026
17 -1 Montana Grizzlies 962
18 -1 Villanova Wildcats 935
19 1 Southeastern Louisiana Lions 710
20 2 Youngstown State Penguins 706
21 -2 North Carolina A&T Aggies 623
22 2 Elon Phoenix 519
23 -5 Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens 362
24 NR The Citadel Bulldogs 207
25 – Princeton Tigers 196
ORV:
26 -5 Southeast Missouri State Redhawks 146
27 7 Austin Peay Governors 94
28 – Stony Brook Seawolves 88
29 NR North Dakota Fighting Hawks 71
30 6 Southern Illinois Salukis 41
31 3 Dartmouth Big Green 39
32 -2 South Carolina State Bulldogs 33
33 -2 Yale Bulldogs 28
34 NR Portland State Vikings 26
35 3 Indiana State Sycamores 25
36T 4 McNeese State Cowboys 22
36T NR Sac State Hornets 22
38 NR Northern Arizona Lumberjacks 15
39 NR Cal Poly Mustangs 12
40 NR Abilene Christian Wildcats 10

Most significant win: The Citadel Bulldogs
Most significant loss: Eastern Washington Eagles

Dropped out of the poll:
Duquesne Dukes
East Tennessee State Buccaneers
Eastern Kentucky Colonels
Lamar Cardinals
Mercer Bears
Sam Houston State Bearkats
Wofford Terriers

Join the discussion here: https://www.anygivensaturday.com/showthread.php?234139-AGS-Poll-Results-WEEK-3-POLL-2019-SEASON

Patriot League: Week 4 Preview

The fourth week of the Patriot League football season sees six of the seven members in action. The league desperately needs a good Saturday in order to improve upon its dreadful 2-12 overall record. Georgetown and Holy Cross are the only teams to notch wins so far in 2019. The Crusaders are off this week after notching a quality win over New Hampshire last Saturday.

Catholic (0-1) at Georgetown (1-1, 0-0) 12 P.M. Cooper Field; Washington D.C.

Live Stream: Patriot League Network

The Need to Know: The Hoyas welcome crosstown Catholic University to the friendly confines of Cooper Field for a high noon showdown. The Cardinals are a Division III program which makes this a rather unusual matchup. While it’s not uncommon for FCS programs to schedule games against Division II opponents, dipping  into the Division III and NAIA ranks is often frowned upon. To be fair to Georgetown, their current facility is inadequate for FCS football which means scheduling non-conference home games is extremely difficult.

Catholic was picked to finish 7th in the 8 team New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Preseason Poll after posting a disappointing 1-9 record in 2018. The Cardinals are led by quarterback Brady Berger. The junior led the NEWMAC in passing ypg, completions and completion % last season. Catholic started their 2019 season last week with a heartbreaking  2 OT loss (32-31) to Kenyon.

Georgetown enters this game fresh off a 43-3 demolition of Marist last Saturday. The Hoyas should have no trouble duplicating a similar result against Divsion III Catholic. This is the type of game coaches simply want to get out of injury free and make sure the backups get valuable playing time.

The Pick: Georgetown 51 Catholic 17

Sacred Heart (1-1) at Lafayette (0-2, 0-0) 12:30 PM Fisher Field; Easton, PA

Live Stream: Patriot League Network

The Need to Know: After taking to the road the first two weeks of the season, Lafayette gets their first chance to defend their home turf as they square off against Sacred Heart on College Hill. The Pioneers head to Lafayette fresh off a dominating 30-10 win over fellow Patriot Leaguer Bucknell. Sacred Heart’s offense has been led by a strong starts by quarterback Logan Marchi (210 ypg 3 TD 0 INR) and running back Julius Chestnut (113.5 ypg 1 TD). The defense struggled to stop a Top 10 Maine team to open the season but bounced back last week against the Bison (221 total yards, 75 in first half). The Pioneers have beaten the Leopards each of the last two seasons; 38-24 in ’17 and 35-6 in ’18.

Lafayette’s second half comeback bid against Monmouth last week fell just short in a well fought 24-21 loss. The Leopards defense once again struggled to stop the run (223 yards allowed) in the narrow defeat. The move to quarterback Keegan Shoemaker (PL Freshman of the Week) sparked the woeful Lafayette passing attack (256 yards) against the Hawks. Shoemaker and the rest of the offense need to build off of last week’s second half effort.

The Leopards need to put together a full 60 minutes if they’re going to have a chance to take down a solid Sacred Heart squad. The Pioneers appear to be the slightly more balanced team which should be the difference in this one. Julius Chestnut could be a line for a big game.

The Pick: Sacred Heart 27 Lafayette 21

Fordham (0-2, 0-0) at Bryant (0-2) 1 P.M. Beirne Stadium; Providence, RI

Live Stream: NECFrontRow.com

The Need to Know: Fordham heads to the “Ocean State” to battle the Bryant Bulldogs. Both teams are still searching their first win after starting the 2019 season with two disappointing “L’s”. Bryant has really struggled to get their offense rolling (6.5 ppg). The passing attack (171 ypg) and ground game (79 ypg) have equally led to the offense’s inability to move the ball and score. Last season the Bulldogs averaged 32.5 ppg so this drastic dip in output has to be frustrating for first year Head Coach Chris Merritt and his Offensive Coordinator Darrius Smith. The defense hasn’t been much better (40 ppg allowed). To be fair, they’ve been on the field way too much due to the offense’s inability to put together drives.

The Rams played hard against FBS Ball State last weekend but ultimately took one on the chin to the tune of 57-29. Fordham’s secondary was lit up for 439 yards by the Cardinal’s quarterback Drew Plitt. Thankfully for the Rams, Bryant does not possess nearly the same arsenal on offense. As long as Fordham limits their mistakes they should get their first win rather comfortably.

The Pick: Fordham 34 Bryant 16

#17 Villanova (2-0) at Bucknell (0-2) 6 P.M. Christy Mathewson Memorial Stadium; Lewisburg, PA

Live Stream: Patriot League Network

The Need to Know: Bucknell is the third straight Patriot League opponent Villanova has faced to start the 2019 season. The Wildcats easily dispatched of Colgate and Lehigh by a combined score of 72-24. Villanova has unleashed a powerful running attack (233 ypg) led by Justin Covington (9.0 ypc) to start 2019. Quarterback Daniel Smith’s efficient, smart passing (188 ypg, 6 TD 0 INT) has been the perfect complement to Convington’s rushing. Last year Villanova jumped out a 42-0 halftime lead against Bucknell before coasting to a 49-7 victory. The Bison have started poorly in their first two games of the season. Coach Cecchini must get that fixed if his team wants to compete with the nationally ranked Wildcats.

Perhaps in a couple of years the Bucknell program will be capable of ending the Wildcat’s dominance over the Patriot League (34-4 overall, 9 straight wins). As of right now the Bison are severely outmanned. The goal for Cecchini’s team should be competing like they did against Temple by avoiding turnovers and crucial mistakes. There is still a revolving door at quarterback so the offense remains extremely inconsistent. Bitikofer and Chiarolanzio have gotten the bulk of the action to start the season. Sophomore Tarrin Earle seems to have slipped to third string. Getting RB Chad Freshnock back in the fold should help the “O” moving forward.

This week is about survival for the Bison.

The Pick: Villanova 45 Bucknell 13

Colgate (0-2, 0-0) at William & Mary (1-1) 6 P.M. Zable Stadium; Williamsburg, VA

Live Stream: FloFootball.com

The Need to Know: Preseason Patriot League favorite Colgate makes the 10 hour trek to Williamsburg, VA to face William and Mary. The Raiders are coming off a much needed bye week after two lopsided losses to start the season. William & Mary enters their third game reeling a bit as well. The Tribe used a dominant second half to dispatch of Lafayette 30-17 in their season opener then got blown out 52-17 by a good Virginia team last Saturday. First year head coach Mike London is still looking for stability at quarterback (0 passing TDs). Senior Kilton Anderon and Freshman Hollis Mathis are both expected to see time against Colgate. Mathis currently leads the team in rushing with 137 yards so far this season. Colgate came into Zable and shutout the Tribe last season 23-0.

Like the Tribe, the Raiders too have concerns on offense. The usually stout ground attack is averaging a paltry 76 ypg. and junior quarterback Grant Breneman has been inconsistent (52% completion) behind a line that has not played to its potential. The defense hasn’t fared much better but to they’ve also been put in some tough spots by the “O”.

Colgate needs a win coming off their bye given the hurdles they’ll face during the final two weeks of  September (Top 10 Maine, Dartmouth). Colgate has the veteran leadership needed to go on the road against a solid team and get a much needed victory. This game likely will come down to the wire.

Prediction: Colgate 23 William & Mary 20

Lehigh (0-2, 0-0) at #6 UC-Davis (1-1) 10 P.M. UC Davis Health Stadium; Davis, CA

Live Stream: Pluto TV

The Need to Know: For the first time in 42 years Lehigh and UC-Davis will clash on the gridiron. The last time the Aggies and the then Engineers met a birth in the 1977 Division II (no 1-AA/FCS at the time) National Championship Game was on the line. Lehigh won that game 39-30 and then proceeded to capture the school’s first and only national title by defeating Jacksonville State in Wichita Falls, TX. While the stakes are nowhere near the same in 2019, this is an important game for both teams. Lehigh has started a disappointing 0-2 under first year head coach Tom Gilmore while the Aggies are looking to bounce back from a very shaky 38-35 win over non-scholarship San Diego.  UC-Davis was picked to finish 2nd in the Preseason Big Sky Poll.

The Aggies offense is led by STATS Preseason 1st Team All-American QB Jake Maier (266 ypg 2 TDs 2 INTs). Running back Ulonzo Gilliam (112 ypg 3 TD) provides UC-Davis a consistent presence in the backfield which makes the Aggie “O” extremely difficult to stop. Defensively, UC-Davis has struggled to stop the run (203 ypg allowed) to start the season. The good news for the Aggie “D” is the fact that Lehigh has displayed an anemic ground attack (50 ypg) to start 2019.

Lehigh has the athletes and overall team speed to be competitive in this game so long as they limit their mistakes and get points inside the red zone. The Mountain Hawks offensive line must give Monaco time to find his talented pass catchers in order for the Lehigh “O” to have a breakout game against a UC-Davis defense that can be had. The issue facing Lehigh is trying to contain a very balanced and explosive Aggie offense.

Prediction: UC Davis 42 Lehigh 27

The FCS Wedge – 2019-0911 – Wk3 PREVIEW

Topic 1
Games of the week previews

North Dakota State @ Delaware

Eastern Washington @ Jacksonville State

Duquesne @ Youngstown State

Abilene Christian @ Central Arkansas

Towson @ Maine

Austin Peay @ Mercer

Topic 2
Three Big Questions

Is the young QB from NDSU (Trey Lance) the real deal?

Is it a down year for the FCS?  Just two wins so far against the FBS and also only went 17-6 against lower division teams this past weekend.

What’s better traditional powers frighting it out or new teams stepping up?

LISTEN HERE

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The FCS Wedge – 2019-0911 – WK2 REVIEW

Topic 1

Montana State 38 Southeast Missouri State 17

North Dakota State 38 North Dakota 7

Jacksonville State 41 Chattanooga 20

Delaware 44 Rhode Island 36 3OT

UC Davis 38 San Diego 35

Weber State 41 Cal Poly 24

Dayton 42 Indiana State 35

Topic 2

Kris & Lance go over the AGS Poll

LISTEN HERE

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AGS Poll: Week 2 Top 25 Results

Week 2 was an unusually stable one in the AGS Top 25 for it being this early in the season. With only 6 total losses (only 2 vs FCS teams) amongst top 25 teams there wasn’t a lot of movement. The top 4 were unchanged from last week with North Dakota State, James Madison, South Dakota State, and Eastern Washington maintaining their positions at #1-#4 respectively. Maine got back into the top 5 for the first time since the final 2018 poll to round out the top 5.

As for teams moving up Montana State led the way rising 3 spots to #12 after their win over fellow ranked foe Southeast Missouri State. Villanova took advantage of some losses in front of them sliding up 4 spots to #19 after a 2-0 start. Jacksonville State got back on track this week with a win over Chattanooga and subsequently got a 3 spot bump into a tie for #22. They shared the #22 spot with Youngstown State who rose up 6 spots to achieve their first AGS Top 25 ranking since the preseason 2018 poll. Elon also climbed back into the top 25 moving up 3 spots to #24 after taking out The Citadel.

There wasn’t much for teams dropping in the rankings and still maintaining their spot in the top 25. The only team to drop more than 2 spots and still land in this week’s top 25 was Southeast Missouri State who fell 5 spots to #21 after their aforementioned loss to Montana State. Despite being idle Wofford fell out of the top 25 as did Indiana State who almost fell completely out of the poll after being upset by Dayton last Saturday.

In terms of conference representation the CAA led the way putting 6 teams into the top 25. They were followed by the Big Sky and MVFC with 5 each, the Southland with 3, and the OVC 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 2221 80
2 – James Madison Dukes 2113 7
3 – South Dakota State Jackrabbits 2064 2
4 – Eastern Washington Eagles 1905 1
5 1 Maine Black Bears 1713
6 -1 UC Davis Aggies 1700
7 – Weber State Wildcats 1691
8 – Northern Iowa Panthers 1573
9 1 Towson Tigers 1346
10 1 Central Arkansas Bears 1301
11 -2 Kennesaw State Owls 1280
12 3 Montana State Bobcats 1189
13 – Furman Paladins 1084
14 -2 Nicholls State Colonels 1082
15 -1 Illinois State Redbirds 1045
16 2 Montana Grizzlies 1010
17 4 Villanova Wildcats 652
18 2 Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens 639
19 -2 North Carolina A&T Aggies 627
20 2 Southeastern Louisiana Lions 434
21 -5 Southeast Missouri State Redhawks 364
22T 3 Jacksonville State Gamecocks 353
22T 6 Youngstown State Penguins 353
24 3 Elon Phoenix 300
25 -1 Princeton Tigers 239
ORV:
26 3 Sam Houston State Bearkats 193
27 -5 Wofford Terriers 183
28 -2 Stony Brook Seawolves 76
29 NR Mercer Bears 64
30 5 South Carolina State Bulldogs 53
31T 2 East Tennessee State Buccaneers 46
31T 1 Yale Bulldogs 46
33 4 Duquesne Dukes 43
34T NR Austin Peay Governors 32
34T – Dartmouth Big Green 32
36T -5 Eastern Kentucky Colonels 24
36T NR Southern Illinois Salukis 24
38 -19 Indiana State Sycamores 21
39 1 Lamar Cardinals 19
40 NR McNeese State Cowboys 16

Most significant win:
Most significant loss:

Dropped out the poll:
Cal Poly Mustangs
Chattanooga Mocs
The Citadel Bulldogs
New Hampshire Wildcats

Join the discussion here: https://www.anygivensaturday.com/showthread.php?233507-AGS-Poll-Results-WEEK-2-POLL-2019-SEASON

Patriot League: Week 3 Preview

It’s week 3 and the Patriot League is still looking for its first win (0-8). The added restrictions the Patriot League place upon its teams continue to adversely affect the on-field results. As bad as 2018 was for the league, this year seems to trending in an even worse direction.

Things don’t figure to get much easier for the six league members that are in action Saturday given a relatively tough slate of games. Colgate gets a much needed bye after a brutal two game stretch to open their 2019 campaign.

Marist (0-0) at Georgetown (0-1, 0-0) 12:30 P.M. Cooper Field; Washington D.C.

Live Stream: GUHoyas.com

The Need to Know: The Hoyas will try to avoid an 0-2 start when they host Marist Saturday afternoon in Washington D.C.. Georgetown opened up the 2019 season with a disappointing 27-20 loss to Davidson. Like Davidson , Maris is a member of the Pioneer Football League. The Red Foxes were picked to finish 4th in the PFL’s preseason poll and placed one player, OL Dan Wittekind, on the preseason all-league team. Marist finished 2018 5-6 overall and 5-3 in league play. The Hoyas easily dispatched of the Red Foxes 39-14 last season.

For the second straight week (allowed 481 yards vs Davidson) the Hoya “D” will be tested by a veteran offense. Marist returns a plethora of experience and production at the skill positions. The Hoyas have the personnel on defense to bounce back. Their fate will come down to quarterback Gunther Johnson and “O” ability to step up and produce for 4 quarters. Home-field and a game worth of experience should help Georgetown eek out a victory.

Prediction: Georgetown 27 Marist 24

Lafayette (0-1, 0-0) at Monmouth (0-1) 1 P.M. Kessler Stadium; West Long Branch, NJ

Live Stream: ESPN3

The Need to Know: The Leopards take the 60 minute bus ride across the Garden State to take on the Monmouth Hawks. Lafayette will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing season opening loss to William & Mary. The Leopards held a 10-6 halftime lead before surrendering 24 unanswered points in the third quarter. Monmouth is coming off a 48-13 shellacking by FBS Western Michigan. The Hawks were picked to finish 2nd in the Big South after last year’s solid 8-3 (4-1) record. Monmouth is led by an excellent trio of skill players on offense. QB Kenji Bahar, RB Juwan Farri and RB Pete Guerriero were Preseason All-Big South selections.

Lafayette “D” must be able to contain Monmouth’s offense in order to have a chance because points figure to be at a premium for the Leopards. Lafayette head coach John Garrett appears to have opted for the starting quarterback by committee approach (Cole Northrup started against W&M 10-17 129 yards, 1 rushing TD). Who the leads the offense is obviously less important than how well they do it. Garrett will need the offense to produce in order to beat a good Monmouth team.

Prediction: Monmouth 34 Lafayette 13

New Hampshire (0-0) at Holy Cross (0-1, 0-0) 1 P.M. Fitton Field; Worcester, MA

Live Stream: Patriot League Network

The Need to Know: Holy Cross welcomes New England rival New Hampshire to historic Fitton Field Saturday afternoon. The Crusaders return home after last week’s disappointing blowout loss to Navy. The Wildcats will be opening their season after a week 1 bye. New Hampshire will be starting the season without their longtime head coach Sean McDonnell while he addresses a health issue. Former All-American quarterback and Payton Award winner Ricky Santos was named the interim head coach in late August. New Hampshire was pegged for 7th in the preseason CAA Poll. The Wildcats finished 4-7 last season which was their first losing record since 2003. The poor season also ended their record consecutive FCS/1-AA Playoff appearance streak at 14 years.

This is a very important game for both teams. New Hampshire is looking to bounce back from their worst season in well over a decade while Holy Cross is seeking their first signature win of the Bob Chesney era. The odds seem a bit stacked against the Wildcats considering they’re starting redshirt freshman Brett Edwards at quarterback, it’s their first game, they’ll be will be without their two time Eddie Robison Award (best coach in FCS) winning coach and they’re on the road. Holy Cross seems primed to take advantage of such a situation. Quarterback Connor Degenhardt (16-29 167 yards vs Navy) and the Crusader offense need to step up in order to prevail.

Prediction: Holy Cross 28 New Hampshire 24

Fordham (0-1, 0-0) at Ball State (0-1) 2 P.M. Scheumann Stadium; Muncie, IN

Live Stream: ESPN3

The Need to Know: Fordham will be looking to erase last week’s heartbreaking loss to Central Connecticut State from their memory when they travel to the Heartland to take on FBS Ball State. The Cardinals started their season with a hard fought 34-24 loss to in-state rival Indiana. Ball State Quarterback Drew Plitt had an excellent game (298 yards 2 TDs 1 INT) in defeat.  It was the Cardinals defense (474 yards allowed) that proved to be their undoing. Ball State was picked to finish 5th in the MAC West Division following last year’s 4-8 record.  Ball State has not had a winning record since former Lehigh head coach Pete Lembo led them to a 10-3 record in 2013.

Fordham is clearly the underdogs against the deeper, more physically gifted Cardinals. But that doesn’t mean the Rams can’t put forth a respectable effort against David Letterman’s alma mater. Ram quarterback Tim DeMorat (PL Offensive Player of the Week) leads an offense capable of moving the ball and limiting Ball State’s possessions. How Fordham’s defense stacks up against Plitt, RB Caleb Huntley a group of dangerous pass catchers will determine how competitive this game is for 60 minutes.

Prediction: Ball State 31 Fordham 21

Bucknell (0-1, 0-0) at Sacred Heart (0-1) 6 P.M. Campus Field; Fairfield, CT

Live Stream: NEC Front Row

The Need to Know: Bucknell and Sacred Heart will both be looking to put opening week blowout losses behind them when the two tangle in the Nutmeg State Saturday evening. Bucknell was soundly beaten 56-12 by a solid Temple (FBS) squad while Sacred Heart was thumped 42-14 by #6 Maine in Orono. The Pioneers shared the NEC Title with Duquense last season (7-4) but lost out on the auto-bid to the playoffs due their head-to-head loss to the Dukes. Sacred Heart was tabbed to finish 2nd in the Preseason NEC poll and placed two players on the Preseason All-Conference team; RB Jordan Meechum (1,396 yards in ’18) and DE Chris Agyemang (15.5 TFL in ’18). The Pioneers have posted winning records in 5 out of the last 6 seasons.

Bucknell will continue to rely to on their defense until their new head coach Dave Cecchini figures out the current log jam at quarterback and  RB Chad Freshnock is able to return from injury. Despite the Bison being clearly outmatched last week against Temple they competed hard for 60 minutes. That type of effort will be needed again this week against a tough Sacred Heart team.

Prediction: Sacred Heart 34 Bucknell 27

Lehigh (0-1, 0-0) at #21 Villanova (1-0) 6 P.M. Villanova Stadium; Radnor Township, PA

Live Stream: FloFootball

The Need to Know: Lehigh makes the relatively short bus ride down the PA Turnpike to take on their CAA nemesis, the Villanova Wildcats. The Mountain Hawks are coming off a crushing 14-13 loss to St. Francis. Villanova opened their 2019 season August 24th with a dominating 34-14 win over Colgate then enjoyed an early season bye last weekend . Villanova used a powerful ground attack (239 yards) and Daniel Smith’s efficient day through the air (14-29 205 yards 3 TDs) to dispatch of Colgate. The Villanova defense held the Raiders rushing attack to 77 yards and scored a TD on a pick six.

Lehigh’s offense, especially their line, must play significantly better if they want to have a chance at the big upset. Defensively, the Mountain Hawks undersized line will have a very tough time matching Justin Covington and Villanova’s physical running attack. Based on each team’s first game the Wildcats seem well positioned to improve upon their ridiculous 33-4 all-time record against opponents from the Patriot League.

Prediction: Villanova 38 Lehigh 13

The FCS Wedge 2019-0904 – Wk2 PREVIEW

These are the games that are previewed for week 2 in the FCS

Southeast Missouri State @ Montana State
North Dakota @ North Dakota State
Chattanooga @ Jacksonville State
Delaware @ Rhode Island
Cal Poly @ Weber State

Possible FBS upsets this week

Kennesaw @ Kent State
Maine @ Georgia Southern
Fir,am @ Georgia State
Southern Illinois @ UMass

What has happened to the Patriot League lately? Why do they seem to being going backwards now that they have scholarships?

LISTEN HERE

The FCS Wedge 2019-0904 – Wk1 REVIEW

1) The Big Story – One FBS win on the docket.

Central Arkansas 35 Western Kentucky 28

Southeast Missouri 44 Southern Illinois 26

Southeast Louisiana 35 Jacksonville State 14

Montana 31 South Dakota 17

Towson 28 The Citadel 21

North Carolina A&T 24 Elon 21

South Carolina State 28 Wofford 13

2.) AGS Poll – Discussion of how the voter’s felt about the performances from the first week of action.  By the way check out the nice work done on the graphic by our own Chad Lenz.  Thank you Mr. Lenz, well done sir.

CLICK HERE FOR PODCAST

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Big Sky Quad Shot: Week 1

After a long hiatus the football season has returned! I guess to a lesser extent, I’ve returned too. Been a hectic year of adulting but I think I have things under control now. I know you, the loyal readers of this blog, missed it.

That was sarcasm.

The first week or two of the Big Sky season is hard to judge any of the teams on based on their play up and play down games, so I’ll try to reserve too much judgement for any single team at the time. There were some games that the Big Sky probably should have won, like Weber State over San Diego State and if Northern Colorado could have put together a little bit of offense I think they could have beaten San Jose State.

Northern Arizona collected a nice win over Missouri State. Montana picked up a nice win over South Dakota, as it’s always nice to knock off a Missouri Valley team. Portland State kept things well within their grasp against the SEC’s Arkansas. Cal Poly hammered on San Diego, and UC Davis was really never out of their game against California.

Weber State and San Diego State went about as I expected, just a lack of points. I thought Weber may win that game earlier last week, and had it not been for a kick return called back they probably would have won that game. The Aztecs are a reasonably good Mountain West team with an elite running back in Juwon Washington, however, just couldn’t generate enough offense to get anything on the board against a sturdy Aztec defense.

I thought Jake Meier would have a better game against California, but under Justin Wilcox the Bears have fully transitioned from Sonny Dykes’ run and shoot offense to a more balanced team that can keep opponents in check, such as they did to the Aggies on Saturday. UC Davis will still be a tough team in the Big Sky this season despite the loss of Keelan Doss to their offense.

Again, too early to tell how good and bad any of these teams are at the moment. Montana State still looks like it might not have a quarterback after a rough showing in Lubbock over the weekend. Eastern Washington is still in a transition period of Gage Gubrud transferring and Eric Barriere stepping in to take over the Eagle offense. Sacramento State did a good thing this weekend and blew out a D2 opponent instead of losing to them, that’s progress for the Hornets. I’m sure the tens of Hornet fans will appreciate that comment.

Onto the rest..

Scores

Missouri State 23
Northern Arizona 37

Northern Colorado 18
San Jose State 35

Montana 31
South Dakota 17

Eastern Washington 14
Washington 47

Idaho 7
Penn State 79

Portland State 13
Arkansas 20

Montana State 10
Texas Tech 45

San Diego 34
Cal Poly 52

UC Davis 13
California 27

Weber State 0
San Diego State 6

Southern Oregon 19
Sacramento State 77

Southern Utah 23
UNLV 56

 

Big Sky Player of the Week

This week’s Big Sky player of the week is Cal Poly quarterback Jalen Hamler. Hamler was 8/11 for 221 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing for 96 yards and two scores as the Mustangs upset San Diego in San Luis Obispo this past weekend.

 

Big Sky MVP Candidates

Jalen Hamler, QB, Cal Poly – 8/11 for 221 yards, 3 TDs, 96 yards rushing and 2 TDs
Dalton Sneed, QB, Montana – 37/52 for 430 yards and 3 TD, 1 rushing TD
Case Cookus, QB, Northern Arizona – 18/29 for 290 yards and 2 TD
Kevin Thomson, QB, Sacramento State – 14/20 for 303 yards and 4 TD, 90 rushing yards and 1 TD
Eric Barriere, QB, Eastern Washington – 21/35 for 211 yards and 1 TD

 

Big Sky Power Rankings

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

 

The Quad Shot

Over the weekend on Twitter the Wyoming Barstool account tweeted something about maybe they should be in the SEC after beating Missouri. Idaho’s Barstool twitter account replied with a comment like, “We’ll take your place in the Mountain West.” I laughed like a maniac when I saw that because Idaho may not even be good enough to be in the Big Sky, or the Sun Belt, much less the Mountain West. I think that particular experiment is probably forever put to bed.

I thought that Montana State and Eastern Washington would get blown out much worse than they did. Good job to those teams for at least putting up a fight in their FBS play up games. Thought for sure Texas Tech would run up 60 points on that Bobcat defense. Which, if you look at the total yards they in fact did pummel the Cats despite an almost even TOP. Would hate to think Big Sky teams are starting to play defense after all these years.

Thought Northern Colorado had a reasonable chance at beating San Jose State on the road. The Spartans are in for another year of being hot garbage and their stadium only has half the seats that it normally does this season due to some remodeling.. the stadium was still only a third full, clocking in a little over 13K for the game. The Bears kept it close’ish but couldn’t quite get the points on the board. I’m not convinced SJSU would be competitive in the Big Sky.

Cal Poly running up the score on San Diego is something I didn’t see coming. The Mustangs don’t usually explode like that, but here they ran up 386 yards on 49 carries to beat the Toreros. It’s always interesting to see San Diego play these types of games.. it seems like they go relatively untested in their conference schedule. Getting kicked in the teeth during non-conference and in the playoffs suggests they might generally be paper tigers. There’s going to be some upset Torero fans after reading that, but it’s true.

AGS Poll: Week 1 Top 25 Results

It was a topsy turvy week in the AGS top 25 in week 1 with 14 of the top 19 teams in the preseason poll taking losses. Despite that the top of the poll stayed pretty stable. North Dakota State remained at #1. They were followed by James Madison and South Dakota State who each moved up a spot after taking close losses to FBS foes. Eastern Washington dropped 2 spots down to #4 and UC Davis maintained their #5 ranking.

As for other teams on the move Northern Iowa moved up 7 spots to #8 after taking Iowa State to 3 overtimes before ultimately dropping a tight one. Central Arkansas used a win over FBS Western Kentucky to shoot up 12 spots to #11. North Carolina A&T and Montana each moved up 7 spots to #17 and #18, respectively, after solid wins to start off their seasons. Villanova and Southeastern Louisiana also sky rocketed up to #21 and #22, respectively, after not even receiving votes in the preseason poll following impressive week 0/1 showings.

With that movement there were plenty of teams going in the opposite direction headlined by Wofford who plummeted 14 spots into a tie at #22 after a loss to South Carolina State. Jacksonville State dropped 16 spots to barely hang on at #25 after their loss to aforementioned Southeastern Louisiana which kept their streak of consecutive weeks in the AGS top 25 alive now standing at 75 (which is the 3rd longest active streak behind North Dakota State and South Dakota State). Elon and Colgate dropped out of the top 25 after taking on season opening losses – in Colgate’s case a pair of season opening losses.

For conference representation the Big Sky, CAA, and MVFC each placed 5 teams into the top 25. There were followed by the Southland with 3 and the OVC and SOCON who each put 2 teams into the top 25. Overall there were 9 conferences represented amongst the top 25.

Full results below:

Rank Change Team Total Points First Place Votes
1 – North Dakota State Bison 2191 78
2 1 James Madison Dukes 2044 7
3 1 South Dakota State Jackrabbits 2008 3
4 -2 Eastern Washington Eagles 1912 1
5 – UC Davis Aggies 1859
6 – Maine Black Bears 1766
7 – Weber State Wildcats 1579
8 7 Northern Iowa Panthers 1379
9 2 Kennesaw State Owls 1269
10 3 Towson Tigers 1259
11 12 Central Arkansas Bears 1151
12 -2 Nicholls State Colonels 1089
13 4 Furman Paladins 994
14 – Illinois State Redbirds 985
15 -3 Montana State Bobcats 888
16 4 Southeast Missouri State Redhawks 730
17 7 North Carolina A&T Aggies 723
18 7 Montana Grizzlies 682
19 – Indiana State Sycamores 681
20 2 Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens 518
21 NR Villanova Wildcats 341
22T NR Southeastern Louisiana Lions 328
22T -14 Wofford Terriers 328
24 -3 Princeton Tigers 301
25 -16 Jacksonville State Gamecocks 281
ORV:
26 1 Stony Brook Seawolves 233
27 -9 Elon Phoenix 208
28 NR Youngstown State Penguins 178
29 -1 Sam Houston State Bearkats 176
30 -3 Chattanooga Mocs 154
31 1 Eastern Kentucky Colonels 89
32 -1 Yale Bulldogs 61
33 -7 East Tennessee State Buccaneers 60
34 -5 Dartmouth Big Green 59
35T – New Hampshire Wildcats 50
35T NR South Carolina State Bulldogs 50
37 -7 Duquesne Dukes 41
38 NR Cal Poly Mustangs 38
39 NR The Citadel Bulldogs 33
40 -2 Lamar Cardinals 29

Most Significant Win: Central Arkansas Bears
Most Significant Loss: Jacksonville State Gamecocks

Dropped out of the poll:
Alcorn State Braves
Colgate Raiders
Incarnate Word Cardinals
Samford Bulldogs
San Diego Toreros
Western Illinois Leathernecks

Join the discussion here: https://www.anygivensaturday.com/showthread.php?232932-AGS-Poll-Results-WEEK-1-POLL-2019-SEASON