MVFC – Week 7 in Review

MVFC LogoWeek 7 in the books and another interesting week in the MVFC. A couple of big “upsets”, a close game delayed by weather, and a “Game of the Week” that lived up to it’s billing, going to an exciting overtime finish.

First up though, let’s take a look at conference standings, where teams are in relation to being set up for a playoff spot or if they’re already out of the picture. I’ll list the team, then overall record, conference record, and then each team’s remaining games of the regular season.

School Overall Conference Remaining 5 Games
North Dakota State 6-0 3-0 WIU, UNI, @SDSU, USD, @ILSU
South Dakota 6-0 3-0 @ILSU, SIU, @UNI, @NDSU, SDSU
Western Illinois 5-1 2-1 @NDSU, SDSU, @ILSU, @INSU, SIU
Illinois State 4-2 2-1 USD, @YSU, WIU, @SDSU, NDSU
Northern Iowa 3-3 2-1 YSU, @NDSU, USD, @MSU, INSU
South Dakota State 4-2 1-2 @MSU, @WIU, NDSU, ILSU, @USD
Youngstown State 3-3 1-2 @UNI, ILSU, @INSU, @SIU, MSU
Southern Illinois 3-3 1-2 @INSU, @USD, MSU, YSU, @WIU
Missouri State 1-5 0-3 SDSU, @INSU, @SIU, UNI, @YSU
Indiana State 0-6 0-3 SIU, @MSU, YSU, WIU, @UNI

For reference, in recent history, I believe only one 8-DI-win MVFC team has been excluded from the playoffs (YSU in 2013, who went 8-4 in a 12-game season, but was tied with 3 other MVFC teams at 5-3 in the conference). In general, 7 DI wins will get MVFC teams at-large spots in the playoffs, and 6 DI wins is possible if the situation is right and the team gets a bit of help from other “bubble teams”. It’s happened twice so far, WIU in ’15, and ILSU in ’16, but it’s by no means a forgone conclusion.

NDSU and USD are both 6-0 on the season and are practically “locks” for the playoffs at this point.
WIU at 5-1 is still in a good position, but they’ll still need to win a couple more to remove any doubt.
ILSU and SDSU are both 4-2 and they’ll have to win 3 out of their remaining 5 to get to 7 wins. I think SDSU has a little bit of an advantage over ILSU in that department with a slightly easier remaining schedule.
YSU, UNI, and SIU are 3-3 overall and probably need to win 4 out of 5 to be solidly in the playoffs. YSU has the best chance, due to a very favorable late-season schedule as well as playing very well against the top teams in the conference.
MSU is 1-5 and can only get to 6-5 if they win out…unlikely but technically still possible if they tear through their remaining schedule (I don’t see that happening though).
INSU is 0-6 and can finish 5-6 at best, so they’re “officially” eliminated from playoff consideration.

#16(T) Illinois State at Southern Illinois (Homecoming)

1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
ILSU 0 0 7 0 7
SIU 7 14 7 14 42

Quick Hits:

  • ILSU – QB Jake Kolbe throws for 232 yards a 1 TD, but had 3 INTs
  • ILSU – WR Spencer Schnell caught 74 yards and a TD for the Redbirds’ only score of the game
  • ILSU – LB Tyree Horton and DB Willie Edwards each had 8 tackles
  • SIU – QB Sam Straub has 368 passing yards, 4 TDs, and 45 rushing yards and took home a MVFC Co-Offensive Player of the Week award.
  • SIU – WR Connor Iwema nabs 6 passes for 118 yards
  • SIU – RB DJ Davis runs for 60 yards and catches for 78 yards and 2 TDs
  • SIU – S Jeremy Chinn, CB Craig James, and CB Roman Tatum each have an INT, with James also getting a fumble recovery

This was VERY unexpected for me. I didn’t really think ILSU was as good as their ranking had indicated, especially after their loss to Northern Arizona…but to only get one score against SIU was mindboggling to me. It was fairly evident from their game against Memphis that SIU’s offense could put up points, but their weakness had been their defense. So, either ILSU’s offense is REALLY struggling, or SIU’s defense really stepped up for their Homecoming game. SIU put up 21 points each half while holding ILSU to just one TD in the 3rd as their only score.

Illinois State falls to 4-2 overall, 2-1 in the conference and will head back home to host the 6-0 USD Coyotes next weekend.
Southern Illinois picks up a big “rivalry” win, moving to 3-3 with a 1-2 conference record and will head over to take on 0-6 Indiana State.

My Pick in Review:

I said: Redbirds by 7
It was: Salukis by 35
I…um…as I said…VERY unexpected result for me. I was completely off-base on this one. This wasn’t a swing and a “whiff”…this was swinging at a wild pitch that hadn’t even left the pitchers hand yet.

Indiana State at #3 South Dakota

1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
INSU 3 3 0 0 6
USD 7 21 14 14 56

Quick Hits:

  • INSU – PK Jerry Nunez goes 2-2 on FGs from 20 and 35 yards for the Sycamores only scores
  • INSU – S Brenton Lockett leads the team with 8 tackles and had a forced fumble
  • INSU – DE Inoke Moala gets the fumble recovery
  • USD – QB Chris Streveler throws for 337 yards and 4 TDs and ran for 82 yards and 1 TD and received a MVFC Co-Offensive Player of the Week award.
  • USD – WRs Brandt Van Roekel and Cody Case each catch 2 TDs, with Van Roekel leading the team with 108 yards
  • USD – LB Jim Litrenta leads the team with 8 tackles

Ok, so this one is pretty much as expected. The Coyotes are doing just phenomenally well right now (and yes, that phrase still sounds very strange to me), and the Sycamores can’t seem to get much going. They have some decent players in spots, but they’ve had injuries in key positions across the lines and it’s obviously affecting their ability to compete with the other MVFC teams. 28 points in the first half for the Coyotes while allowing only two FGs gave them a 22-point lead at halftime. They spent the rest of the game putting up TDs at a rate of 2 per quarter and held the Sycamores to a total of 53 offensive yards and zero points, including 3 3-and-out’s.

Indiana State drops to 0-6 with 3 of those MVFC games, and will welcome the 3-3 SIU Salukis to Terre Haute next weekend.
South Dakota is the exact opposite, at 6-0, 3-0 in the conference, and next will head down to Normal to play Illinois State.

My Pick in Review:

I said: Coyotes by 24 (Probably could be worse, but USD will pull Streveler in the 3rd quarter)
It was: Coyotes by 50 (and they did pull Streveler at the end of the 3rd quarter)
A bit off on the margin, but pretty close. I was pretty sure that by the time the 4th quarter rolled around, USD would be ahead enough to go second-string. I didn’t count on them being up by 36 already by then, and I didn’t count on the backups putting up two more TDs. Still, I think this counts.

Northern Iowa at #8 South Dakota State (Hobo Days/Homecoming)

1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
UNI 17 7 0 14 38
SDSU 0 6 6 6 18

Quick Hits:

  • UNI – QB Eli Dunne throws for 169 yards and 2 TDs
  • UNI – RB Marcus Weymiller has quite a game, running for 170 yards and 2 TDs
  • UNI – LB Jared Farley led the team with 7 tackles, 1 for loss and had a pass breakup
  • UNI – DB Elijah Campbell picks off a pass and takes it back 46 yards
  • UNI – LG Jackson Scott-Brown played a big part in opening up holes for UNI’s ground game and was awarded the MVFC Offensive Lineman of the Week award.
  • SDSU – QB Taryn Christion has 280 yards and 2 TDs, but also 1 INT
  • SDSU – TE Dallas Goedert catches for 120 yards and a TD
  • SDSU – LB Christian Rozeboom doubles up the #2 player in total tackles, with 14 total

Wow…like SIU over ILSU, this one blew my mind. SDSU’s offense from last year could put up 18 points in a quarter…in their sleep (actually maybe that’s the problem…Jackrabbit fans, are they trying to up the difficulty level this year and are actually playing while asleep?). This year, those points often seem to be much harder to come by, with the UNI defense essentially shutting them down for most of the game. At first glance, I was astounded with how bad (or good) SDSU’s kicker must be…either hitting 6 FGs…or missing 3 XPs in the game, but then I dug through and realized that he “only” missed one XP and the other two attempts were going for 2 points (maybe that is a commentary on how bad their kicker is though?) UNI nearly outscored SDSU’s whole game total with just their 1st quarter numbers. The Jackrabbits had a shot, pulling within 12 near the end of the 3rd quarter, but a big 4th quarter performance put the game (and Hobo Day win) out of reach.

Northern Iowa moves on up to an even 3-3 record, 2-1 in the conference, and will head back to their home dome and have a very tough game against 3-3 Youngstown State next Saturday.
South Dakota State drops to 4-2, 1-2 in the conference and will next take on the 1-5 Missouri State Bears down in Springfield, MO.

My Pick in Review:

I said: Jackrabbits by 6
It was: Panthers by 20
Missed by a mile on this one.

Missouri State at #10 Western Illinois (Family Day)

1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
MSU 14 7 3 6 30
WIU 7 6 15 21 49

Quick Hits:

  • MSU – QB Peyton Huslig threw for 194 yards and an INT and ran for 51 yards
  • MSU – WR Malik Earl had a great game with 14 catches for 145 yards and 35 yards and a TD on the ground
  • MSU – LB Angelo Garbutt led the team with 8 tackles
  • MSU – DL Colby Isbell only had 4 tackles, but 3 were for loss including 1 sack and had a forced fumble
  • WIU – QB Sean McGuire had 249 yards and 3 TDs passing
  • WIU – WR Jaelon Acklin caught for 86 yards and 1 TD and ran for 62 yards and another TD
  • WIU – RB Steve McShane had 143 rushing yards and 1 TD, while RB Max Norris had 2 rushing TDs and 75 yards
  • WIU – LB Brett Taylor picked up 16 tackles including 2 for loss (1 sack) and had 2 pass breakups and received another MVFC Defensive Player of the Week award.

This was a wierd game…MSU went up early, at one point having a 14-point lead, before taking a 21-13 score to (first) halftime. Third and early in the fourth quarters, WIU came back and it was mostly back and forth. With a bit over 5 minutes left in the 4th, WIU was up by 5 and MSU had just received the punt with a lot of momentum, when a line of storms came through the area (including tornadoes in nearby counties) causing the second “halftime”…a 99-minute weather delay. Western came back out firing on all cylinders, forcing two turnovers on downs, while scoring TDs on each of their drives to get the win. As a Leatherneck fan, I was somewhat disappointed with the inability of some of our defenders to make tackles, although I knew that MSU’s offense could be pretty high-scoring at times. Still, this doesn’t give me a lot of confidence when going against certain types of offenses.

Missouri State falls to 1-5, 0-3 in conference, and head back home to take on 4-2 South Dakota State next weekend.
Western Illinois moves ahead to 5-1, with a 2-1 conference record and will have what looks like their toughest game of the regular season next Saturday…at the Fargodome…against the 6-0 NDSU Bison.

My Pick in Review:

I said: Leathernecks by 20
It was: Leathernecks by 19
Looks pretty close, although kinda like last week’s game against UNI, the score didn’t really tell the whole tale of how close the game was right up until the final minute or two. Still, only off by 1 point on my pick counts as a win in my book.

#2 North Dakota State at #7 Youngstown State (Football Alumni Day)

1st 2nd 3rd 4th OT Final
NDSU 0 10 7 7 3 27
YSU 10 0 7 7 0 24

Quick Hits:

  • NDSU – QB Easton Stick threw for 113 yards and 2 TDs but also ran for 172 yards and 1 TD
  • NDSU – LB Nick DeLuca had 12 total tackles, 1 for loss
  • NDSU – LB Jabril Cox had 8 tackles, but 3 were for loss (2 sacks) including some key ones near the end of the game and was awarded the MVFC Newcomer of the Week award and the STATS FCS National Freshman Player of the Week award.
  • NDSU – PK Cam Pederson was 2/2 on FGs including a 19-yarder and the game winning 36-yarder in OT which got him a MVFC Special Teams Player of the Week award.
  • YSU – QB Nathan Mays threw for 188 yards and 2 TDs and ran for 81 yards
  • YSU – WR Damoun Patterson had 71 receiving yards and 1 TD
  • YSU – RB Tevin McCaster ground out 62 yards and a TD against the strong Bison run defense
  • YSU – DT Donald Mesier and LB Armand Dellovade led the team with 8 tackles (one of Mesier’s was a 7-yard sack)

This “Game of the Week” lived up to the hype with the Penguins going ahead early by 10, only to have the Bison battle back and make it a 10-10 tie at halftime. After the break, it was mostly back and forth with YSU and NDSU finishing regulation all knotted up at 24-all. Playing a bit of extra football (that was actually still ongoing when I started writing the first part of this whole article), the Bison were able to hold YSU to a total of 2 yards, where they missed the 39-yard attempted FG. Then it was NDSU’s turn, where they also struggled to get the ball going the right way, moving only 6 yards towards the end zone, but they were able to finish it off with a successful 36-yard FG kick to win. Actually it was missed (left) FG on the first attempt, but YSU had called a timeout right before the kick, giving the Bison a “mulligan”. On the second attempt, PK Cam Pederson was able to sneak it through the right side of the goalposts for the win. One other thing…Stick won the “Best Running QB” award between the two QBs who also led their respective teams in rushing yardage.

North Dakota State are sitting at the top of the conference with USD as the only undefeated teams at 6-0 (3-0 in MVFC), and will head back home to Fargo and host the 5-1 Western Illinois Leathernecks next Saturday.
Meanwhile, Youngstown State also heads west next weekend, but for them, it’s to take on 3-3 Northern Iowa.

My Pick in Review:

I said: Bison by 7
It was: Bison by 3
I figured it’d be close…real close. This one doesn’t really surprise me at all. YSU is a very good team, but NDSU is just a little bit better.

I was 31-9 in my picks this season going into this week. With the upsets this week, I was 3-2. That puts me at 34-11 for the season so far.

The big game in the conference next week is probably 5-1 Western Illinois at 6-0 North Dakota State. It’s going to be a really tough game for my Leathernecks, but they have looked really good at times, so they could keep it a close one. Then again, it could be like last time we played at the Fargodome where we got toasted by 52 and had one of the plays featured on the ESPN Top 10 (it wasn’t a good one for the purple and gold). Other interesting matchups include Youngstown State at Northern Iowa (I didn’t think that one would be close, but UNI did really well this weekend…so…who knows?) and actually, South Dakota State and Missouri State could either provide a chance for the Jackrabbits to get things back on track…or go down in flames.
Check back later this week for my full preview of all of the Week 8 games in the MVFC.

AGS Top 25 – How They Fared Week 7 2017

As always, many thanks to the superman7515 on AGS.

#1 James Madison Dukes Won vs #12 Villanova Wildcats 30-8
#2 North Dakota State Bison Won at #7 Youngstown State Penguins 27-24 (OT)
#3 South Dakota Coyotes Won vs Indiana State Sycamores 56-6
#4 Jacksonville State Gamecocks Won vs Eastern Kentucky Colonels 41-25
#5 Wofford Terriers Won at #31 The Citadel Bulldogs 20-16
#6 Central Arkansas Bears Won vs Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks 24-20
#7 Youngstown State Penguins Lost vs #2 North Dakota State Bison 24-27 (OT)
#8 South Dakota State Jackrabbits Lost vs Northern Iowa Panthers 18-38
#9 Sam Houston State Bearkats Won vs Northwestern State Demons 40-36
#10 Western Illinois Leathernecks Won vs Missouri State Bears 49-30
#11 Eastern Washington Eagles Won vs #32 Montana State Bobcats 31-19
#12 Villanova Wildcats Lost at #1 James Madison Dukes 8-30
#13 Elon Phoenix BYE
#14 Weber State Wildcats Lost vs Southern Utah Thunderbirds 16-32
#15 New Hampshire Wildcats Lost at #24 Stony Brook Seawolves 24-38
#16 (t) Illinois State Redbirds Lost at Southern Illinois Salukis 7-42
#16 (t) North Carolina A&T Aggies Won vs Florida A&M Rattlers 31-20
#18 Richmond Spiders Won vs Towson Tigers 23-3
#19 Samford Bulldogs BYE
#20 Western Carolina Catamounts Won vs East Tennessee State Buccaneers 49-10
#21 Northern Arizona Lumberjacks Won at Portland State Vikings 42-20
#22 McNeese State Cowboys BYE
#23 Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens Won vs William & Mary Tribe 17-0
#24 Stony Brook Seawolves Won vs #15 New Hampshire Wildcats 38-24
#25 Montana Grizzlies Won vs North Dakota Fighting Hawks 41-17
Next 15
#26 Albany Great Danes BYE
#27 Dartmouth Big Green Won at Sacred Heart Pioneers 29-26
#28 Grambling State Tigers BYE
#29 Monmouth Hawks BYE
#30 Nicholls State Colonels Won vs Abilene Christian Wildcats 29-20
#31 The Citadel Bulldogs Lost vs #5 Wofford Terriers 16-20
#32 Montana State Bobcats Lost at #11 Eastern Washington Eagles 19-31
#33 North Carolina Central Eagles Won vs Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs 24-17
#34 Furman Paladins Won vs Virginia Military Institute Keydets 42-10
#35 Tennessee State Tigers Lost vs Austin Peay Governors 17-21
#36 UC Davis Aggies BYE
#37 Columbia Lions Won vs Pennsylvania Quakers 34-31 (OT)
#38 Eastern Illinois Panthers Won at Murray State Racers 27-24 (2OT)
#39 Kennesaw State Owls Won vs Liberty Flames 42-28
#40 Maine Black Bears Won vs Rhode Island Rams 51-27
Others Receiving Votes (In Alphabetical Order)
Alcorn State Braves Won vs Prairie View A&M Panthers 34-21

A discussion on these matters is going on at this location if it interests you:
http://www.anygivensaturday.com/showthread.php?197402-AGS-Top-25-How-They-Fared-Week-7-2017

Patriot League: Week 7 Preview

Fordham (1-5, 0-1) at Colgate (2-4, 0-1) – Oct. 14th 12 PM Andy Kerr Stadium Hamilton, NY

Live Streaming – Patriot League Network

Colgate and Fordham both enter Saturday’s game off of extremely tough league losses that have the two teams playing catch up in title race as the leaves begin to fall. Colgate had 3 touchdowns called back in a rather controversial setback to Lehigh. Fordham had several chances late in the game against Lafayette but couldn’t capitalize in order to escape Easton with a win. The Raiders and Rams both entered the season with fairly high expectations. Many thought Fordham would be a playoff team in Edmonds senior season after narrowly missing the 24 team field last year. Colgate was the picked 3rd in the preseason and was expected to be led by a defense that returned a bunch of talent. As things have turned out, Edmonds has been hurt for much of the season and Colgate’s defense has been wildly inconsistent.

Fordham has had Colgate’s number (won 3 out of the last 4 meetings) in recent years thanks to their high-octane offenses giving the Raiders “D” fits. However, with an ailing Edmonds and Anderson the Rams will need to rely on their defense more than they’d like if they want to snap their current 4 game losing streak. The Fordham defense had its best outing of the season last week but it came against a Lafayette team that’s still searching for a rushing attack. Colgate has a hot QB in Breneman (PL Rookie of the Week in week 6, Offensive Player of the Week in week 5) and perhaps a healthy James Hollond Jr. at RB. If Hollond Jr. still can’t go (has missed the last 3 games) Alex Mathews has proven he can carry the load. The Ram’s defense that ranks 106th (211.8 ypg) against the run must play their best game of the year against the Raider read-option attack that is picking up steam as Breneman gets more comfortable. If Colgate can get their downhill rushing attack going it will be a long day for Fordham.

The Raiders defense has been feast or famine this year. They were torched by Furman and Lehigh but managed to contain Richmond’s high octane offense. Fordham is still loaded on offense at the skill positions but injuries (Anderson, Edmonds, Longi have all been battling through) and an offensive line that has been perplexingly poor has resulted in so-so output. Colgate certainly has the pass rushers, led by Afriyie, to give the Ram offensive line all kinds of problems.

This just seems like a terrible match-up for a wounded Fordham team.

Prediction: Colgate 41 Fordham 24

Lafayette (2-3, 2-0) at Harvard (2-2) – Oct. 14th 12 PM Harvard Stadium Cambridge, MA

Live Streaming – Ivy League Digital Network

Lafayette will look to use their recently found mojo to conquer one of their old nemesis’s from the Ivy League, Harvard. The Crimson have won their last 5 meetings (42-0 last year) against the Leopards and own an all-time 16-3 advantage in the series. All that historical “stuff” might not matter though given the current trajectory of each team. Lafayette heads to Cambridge sky high after posting back-2-back wins against Holy Cross and Fordham while Harvard returns home after suffering an embarrassing loss to Cornell. It was the first time the Crimson lost to the Big Red since 2005. Harvard’s offense sputtered against Cornell like it did in a season opening loss to Rhode Island. The Crimson are averaging 12 ppg in their two losses and 43 ppg in their two wins.

Lafayette has to feel good about their ever improving defense heading into this game. The competition within the Patriot League might not stack up nationally this year but that doesn’t mean holding Peter Pujals and Holy Cross to 7 points and Chase Edmonds and Fordham to 10 is anything to sneeze at. Harvard does not have any skill players on Edmonds or Pujals level; instead they attack by comity. Quarterback Joe Viviano has battled injuries to start the year and as a result his production (102 ypg 1 TD) has been way down. The two players the Leopard defense must key on are RB Charlie Booker and WR Justice Shelton-Mosely. Shelton-Mosely is also extremely dangerous as a returner on special teams.

If Lafayette wants to spoil the 700th game at historical Harvard Stadium they’ll have to score more than the 10 and 14 points they’ve put up the last two weeks. At this point in the season the running game, or lack there of (122nd 8.7 ypg), is basically a lost cause at this point. The Leopard offense will be as productive as quarterback Sean O’Malley and his talented wide receivers are. Unfortunately, being one dimensional doesn’t figure to be a recipe for success against a very stingy Harvard defense.

Prediction: Harvard 24 Lafayette 13

Georgetown (1-4, 0-0) at Lehigh (1-5, 1-0) – Oct. 14th 12:30 PM Goodman Stadium Bethlehem, PA

Live Streaming – Patriot League Network

Lehigh will be seeking their 17th straight win over Georgetown and a 2-0 start in Patriot League play Saturday afternoon when the Mountain Hawks and Hoyas do battle. The Mountain Hawks dominance over a fellow league member is not unprecedented. Lehigh had a 15 game winning streak against Bucknell that stretched from 1998 through the 2012 season. During the Georgetown’s losing streak to Lehigh the Hoyas have been outscored by an average of 25 points per game. The largest point differential during the streak came in 2002 when Lehigh rolled to a 69-0 win. Lehigh enters the game off a thrilling 3 point win over rival Colgate while Georgetown lost 50-30 to Princeton their last time out.

If there’s one positive Georgetown can take away from their loss to Princeton that might help them against Lehigh is the ability to score points. The Hoyas entered last week’s game averaging less than 10 points a game but was able to put up 30 against Tigers (even if 20 came in garbage time). Since Lehigh has been giving up points at an extremely generous rate (121st in FCS 46.7 ppg) the Hoyas have a shot to do some damage. The question for Georgetown heading into the game is who will start under center. Sophomore Gunther Johnson (13-22 149 yards) showed some promise in relief of veteran backup Cole Norris against Princeton. If either QB gets some help from the anemic rushing attack (49.4 ypg, 120th in FCS) it will put added pressure on the much maligned Lehigh “D”. The Mountain Hawks rush defense ranks 119th in FCS (271 ypg) so something has to give on Saturday. Halfway through the season Lehigh’s defense now ranks dead last in the subdivision in yards allowed (533 ypg) by nearly 30 per game.

Lehigh’s banking on the ability to simply outscore the Hoyas. That line of thinking should work this week. Georgetown’s usually stout defense has fallen off considerably this season which is bad news with the Mountain Hawk’s high octane offense (33 ppg) up next. Brad Mayes, Dom Bragalone, Troy Pelletier and company should be in-line for another big week as Lehigh will comfortably head into their bye week 2-0 in Patriot League play.

Prediction: Lehigh 52 Georgetown 27

Holy Cross (2-4, 0-1) at Yale (3-1) – Oct. 14th 1 PM Yale Bowl New Haven, CT

Live Streaming – Ivy League Digital Network

Holy Cross’s once promising season is on the brink of full-on collapse as they head to the Nutmeg State to take on a very good Yale team. The Crusaders have lost 3 straight since their emphatic 51-26 win over New Hampshire in the middle of September. All three phases (offense, defense and special teams) have contributed to Holy Cross’s current losing streak. Coach Gilmore and his staff must get things cleaned up otherwise the Eli will pile onto the Crusader’s misery. Yale has dominated two Patriot League foes (56-28 vs Lehigh and 41-10 vs Fordham) this season and are more than capable of making Holy Cross the third. The Eli’s lone loss this season was a 1 point heartbreaker against Dartmouth last week. The Crusaders also suffered a painful setback to the Big Green this season. Surprisingly, this is the first meeting between Holy Cross and Yale since 2008. The Eli have dominated the all-time series 27-4.

The Holy Cross defense will have their hands full with an extremely explosive Yale offense (43 ppg, 3rd in FCS). Eli quarterback Kurt Rawls has been lighting it up (70% completion, 225 ypg, 9 TDs) so far this year. Making his life a little easier is the talented running back tandem of DeShawn Salter (94 ypg) and Zane Dudek (100ypg). The Crusader defense has seen pretty good overall this year (373 ypg, 23 ppg) but had its worst outing of the year last week against Monmouth. Yale’s offensive attack is far more diversified than Monmouth’s so Crusader defensive coordinator Mike Kashurba will need to have his guys prepared for the kitchen sink. Holy Cross linebackers (the strength of the defense) Nick McBeath and Ryan Brady will need to be at their best physically and mentally within the 4-3 “D” in order to slow down the Eli offense.

Peter Pujals will need another big time performance (school record 509 yards last week) if Holy Cross is to put the kibosh on their losing streak. Veteran wide receiver Richie DeNicola is expected to return from injury which could be a major boost for offense. In addition to getting a big game from Pujals, the Crusaders need the running back trio of Gabe Guild (40 ypg), Diquan Walker (41 ypg) and Miles Alexander (34 ypg) to rack up yards and eat up clock. It won’t be easy against a very good Yale front 7.

Unless the Holy Cross team that took the field the first 3 weeks shows up it figures to be a long afternoon at The Bowl against a Yale team that might not lose again the rest of the season.

Prediction: Yale 45 Holy Cross 31

Bucknell (2-3, 0-1) at Cornell (1-3) –Oct. 14th 1:30 PM Schoellkopf Field Ithaca, NY

Live Streaming – Ivy League Digital Network

Bucknell will try to even their record at .500 as they head to the Finger Lake region of New York to take on Cornell. The Bison are coming off their bye so they should be well rested and ready to go. One of the emphases for the Bucknell coaching staff during their extra week of prep is to get more consistent production out of the offense, especially the rushing attack. The Bison currently rank 115th in FCS in rushing with a paltry 65.4 ypg average which simply won’t cut if they want to challenge for the league title. Cornell is coming off a surprising 17-14 win over traditional Ivy League power Harvard. It was the Big Red’s first win over the Crimson since 2005.

If Bucknell wants to even their record at 3-3 they’ll need to find a way to have success against Cornell defense that has been playing lights out the last two weeks. The Big Red have yielded less than 300 total yards of offense to their last two opponents (Colgate & Harvard). They were especially stout against the run (62 yards allowed) last week against Harvard. Given the Bison’s ongoing issues on offense those aren’t the type of stats offensive coordinator Bobby Acosta wants to see. One positive for Bison offense is the performance of quarterback John Chiarolanzio (career high 204 yards passing) against Monmouth the last time out. While those numbers aren’t going to win Chiarolanzio any postseason awards, the ability to effectively throw the ball should help open up the running game. With Cornell playing great defense the last two weeks Bucknell can’t afford to be on dimensional.

Like Bucknell, Cornell has an average at best offense (8 TDs in 4 games) so this figures to be a low scoring slugfest. The one thing the Big Red potentially have going for it is an emerging rushing attack after posting 233 yards on the ground against Harvard. Chris Walker is the primary ball carrier (50 carries 183 yards) but Harold Coles has provided several explosive plays (9.7 ypc) when given the opportunity. Cornell quarterback Dalton Banks has been plagued but interceptions (10) so far this year so the passing attack as been a work in progress.

Cornell has dominated this series historically (43-13) but the Bison did win in their last visit to Ithaca in 2015. With the added week of rest and preparation the Bison make it two in a row against the Big Red at Schoellkopf.

Prediction: Bucknell 20 Cornell 13

MVFC – Week 7 Preview

MVFC LogoOn to Week 7…the midpoint of season. Everyone has played 5 games so far and has 6 left…all are MVFC games until the playoffs start.

Disclaimer: For those of you who don’t know me very well, I’ve been a Western Illinois fan for over 20 years. I will do my best to be relatively unbiased, but I know that it’s impossible for me to be completely so. You’ll also notice that I generally will write a little more about my Leathernecks due to my familiarity with the team.

For reference, I use the AGS poll numbers for rankings.

So, here are the games this week:
2:00 PM – #16(T) Illinois State (4-1, 2-0) at Southern Illinois (2-3, 0-2)
2:00 PM – Indiana State (0-5, 0-2) at #3 South Dakota (5-0, 2-0)
2:00 PM – Northern Iowa (2-3, 1-1) at #8 South Dakota State (4-1, 1-1)
3:00 PM – Missouri State (1-4, 0-2) at #10 Western Illinois (4-1, 1-1)
6:00 PM – #2 North Dakota State (5-0, 2-0) at #7 Youngstown State (3-2, 1-1)
All games listed in Central time and all games on ESPN3.

#16(T) Illinois State at Southern Illinois (Homecoming)

Last Week:

  • Illinois State lost at Northern Arizona, 37-16
  • Southern Illinois lost at South Dakota State, 49-14

History: The Redbirds and Salukis have played each other 79 times going back to 1929. SIU holds the series lead 40-36-3, but ILSU has won the last 7 meetings, including a 31-26 Redbird win at Carbondale last year.

Illinois State had been doing pretty well this season, going undefeated against a pretty easy schedule up until last week, when NAU’s offense burned the Redbirds for 37 points. Illinois State, in general, is pretty good at stopping the run, currently leading the FCS in run defense. They have had trouble giving up passing yards, with NAU’s Case Cookus throwing for 380 and 3 TDs against them last weekend. LB Tyree Horton leads the defense in tackles with 35, including 5 for loss (2 sacks) and a forced fumble + recovery. S Mitchell Brees has 2 INTS returned 35 yards, and 1 forced fumble and recovery. The offense goes heavy to the passing game, with WRs Spencer Schnell and Christian Gibbs getting the majority of catches, and both over 68 ypg receiving. QB Jake Kolbe is averaging 258 ypg and has 7 TDs so far, but also 5 INTs.

Southern Illinois has struggled this year, but to be fair, they’ve played a couple of tougher teams than ILSU has, with games against FBS Memphis, and playing UNI and SDSU so far this season (vs ILSU’s games against MSU and INSU and no FBS game), so they might be a bit better than the stats advertise at first glance. Defensively, they give up quite a few yards both through the air (251.6 ypg, 90th in FCS) and on the ground (153.4 ypg, 66th in FCS). S Ryan Neal leads the team in tackles with 45, plus an INT and a fumble recovery. S Jeremy Chinn has two INTs on the season as well as a forced fumble and (different game) fumble recovery. The Saluki offense is led by QB Sam Straub who’s thrown for 228 ypg, 13 TDs and 6 INTs this season. WR Darrell James and Connor Iwema both have 65-70 ypg and they have 5 and 2 TDs respectively. They’ve only got one RB that averages over 22 ypg, Daquan Isom who has 69.2 ypg and 1 TD. The SIU O-Line has allowed the fewest sacks of any FCS team so far this season, averaging 0.4 per game, and their Punter, Lane Reazin, is currently #2 in the FCS averaging 46.1 yards per punt.

Illinois State got hit with a somewhat unexpected loss last week and are wanting to get things back on track with this game, because after this point, they get a “murderer’s row” of matchups with 5 teams who are all currently ranked 14th or higher in the STATS FCS poll (10th or higher in the AGS poll). Unless ILSU’s defense buckles down and has a better game than last week, this could be a high scoring game on both sides. I think that Illinois State will win it, but SIU could be closer than most people probably would have estimated at the start of the season. Redbirds by 7.

Indiana State at #3 South Dakota

Last Week:

  • Indiana State lost to North Dakota State, 52-0
  • South Dakota defeated Youngstown State, 31-28

History: The Sycamores and Coyotes have played all of 3 times, starting in 2012, with USD holding the series lead 2-1.

Indiana State is, unfortunately for Sycamore fans, looking more and more deserving of their 10th place preseason conference ranking, having lost their first 5 games of the season. They’ve had a very tough start of the season, playing 3 teams that were ranked in the top 20 of the STATS FCS poll at the time (this weekend is #4) as well as a Top 25-ranked FBS team. On a couple of occasions, they’ve played well, but the two conference games haven’t been close. They are giving up 36.4 ppg while only putting up 16.2 ppg themselves so far and are 111th in the FCS in turnover margin, losing an average of 1.4 per game. They have two QBs (Cade Sparks and Isaac Harker) that have both played in most of the games, are both throwing at less than 47% completion rate and have as many or more INTs than they do TDs. The one bright spot on the Sycamore offense is WR Bob Pugh, who’s caught for 88 ypg and 2 TDs this year and handles put return duties, averaging 39 yards per return. INSU is 10th best in the FCS in not allowing penalties, so they don’t often beat themselves (not that they generally need to…other teams do that well enough already). LB Jonas Griffith leads the defense with 43 tackles, 5 for loss (2.5 sacks) and a fumble recovery.

South Dakota…a conference bottom-feeder for most years since they joined the MVFC in 2012 (9-31 in-conference in that time) is a bottom-feeder no more. They’re 5-0, have already beaten two of the higher-ranked MVFC teams as well as FBS Bowling Green, and are sitting in the top 5 of most FCS rankings. The USD offense is led by strong dual-threat QB Chris Streveler, who leads the team in passing yards (305.6 ypg…#1 in the MVFC), passing TDs (13…with 0 INTS), rushing yards (73.2 ypg), and rushing TDs (7). His primary passing target is WR Shamar Jackson, who has 90.6 ypg and 3 TDs. WRs Alonge Brooks and Brandt Van Roekel both have 3 receiving TDs as well. Combined, they have the #1 overall offense in the FCS in yards per game and #2 in the FCS for scoring. The Coyote defense isn’t quite as good as the offense, but they’re still pretty decent, giving up only 20.4 ppg and 338 ypg, and they’re very good at getting pressure behind the line, ranked #2 in the FCS in sacks. DBs Danny Rambo and Andrew Gray both have 30 or more tackles and DL Darin Greenfield has 24 tackles, 11.5 for loss with 5 sacks. Greenfield’s tackles for loss average of 2.3 per game is #1 in the FCS, and sack average of 1 per game is 7th in the FCS.

So, arguably one of the best teams in the FCS (won’t really know more until USD plays NDSU) at home against the worst team in the conference. This one could get ugly. I think USD wins by somewhere around 24 points. Probably could be worse, but USD will pull Streveler in the 3rd quarter.

Northern Iowa at #8 South Dakota State (Hobo Days/Homecoming)

Last Week:

  • Northern Iowa lost to Western Illinois, 38-29
  • South Dakota State beat Southern Illinois, 49-14

History: The Panthers have played the Jackrabbits 51 times starting back in 1935, with UNI holding the series lead 29-20-2. Last year’s matchup was a 45-24 SDSU victory.

Northern Iowa is coming off a tough loss to Western Illinois in a close game (much closer than the score would indicate). They’re putting up 368.6 ypg of total offense with 80% of that coming through the air. QB Eli Dunne is averaging just under 300 passing ypg with 15 TDs and 8 INTs. 90 ypg of that connects with WR Daurice Fountain, who also has 4 TDs. This despite their O-line allowing 3 sacks per game. The Panther defense has been uncharacteristically bad this season, allowing 405 ypg (101st in the FCS) and 31.8 ppg. They’re not getting much pressure on opposing QBs either, only getting an average of 1 sack per game. LB Jared Farley leads the team with 60 tackles, 3 for loss, 1 INT, and 1 fumble recovery. Also putting in a decent number of tackles is LB Duncan Ferch with 40 total, 2 for loss, and 1 INT.

South Dakota State meanwhile, got things back on track after a loss at Youngstown State with a dominating win over SIU. Like UNI, SDSU appears to be down a little from last year, although they do still have a dangerous offense that can put up big numbers at times. QB Taryn Christion leads an offense that puts up 443.6 ypg and 37.8 ppg, with Christion throwing for 213 ypg and running for 42 ypg. He has 12 passing TDs vs 2 INTs, and 3 rushing TDs. Preseason all-conference receivers Jake Wieneke and TE Dallas Godert are both averaging between 50 and 60 ypg. Wieneke has 7 receiving TDs so far. Overall, the Jackrabbit defense is allowing 16.6 ppg, although like UNI, they don’t get a ton of pressure on QBs either, ranking 117th in the FCS in tackles for loss. LB Christian Rozeboom leads the team with 35 tackles, 2 for loss and CB Jordan Brown is right behind with 31 tackles, 2 for loss, and 1 INT.

Like I said, both teams appear to be down some from the last couple of years, although it looks like UNI is down a bit more (or maybe SDSU was just starting higher). I think it’ll be something of a back-and-forth game, but the Jackrabbits will pull ahead late for a 6 point victory at Hobo Days.

Missouri State at #10 Western Illinois (Family Day)

Last Week:

  • Missouri State lost at North Dakota State, 38-11
  • Western Illinois won at Northern Iowa, 38-29

History: The Leathernecks have played the Bears 34 times. Western holds the series lead, 17-16-1. Last year’s meeting was a 38-35 Western victory in Springfield, MO on 10/15/16 where Western came back with a TD in the final 45 seconds to earn the win.

Missouri State is 1-4 and sitting at the bottom of the conference standings at 0-2. Their only win this season was a 7-pt victory over Murray State. They are struggling with keeping teams close, giving up 502 ypg and just under 40 ppg to their opposition (31.75 ppg if you remove the statistical anomaly of their game against Missouri). LB McNeese Egbim leads the team with 29 total tackles, 2.5 for loss, 1 QB hurry, and a fumble recovery this season and S Jared Beshure has 3 INTs in 5 games and a season-high of 8 tackles against Illinois State. On offense, they’ve been having nearly as much trouble, averaging 12 ppg (again, removing the Mizzou game). WR Malik Earl leads the team with 72.2 receiving ypg and has 2 TD. Had 163 receiving yards and a TD against FBS Missouri. QB Peyton Huslig is throwing for 185.2 ypg and 4 TDs with 7 INTs. They can be somewhat dangerous on special teams though with WR/KS Deion Holliman who plays a little at WR, but primarily is their kick/punt return specialist. He is 6th in the FCS (1st in MVFC) in combined kick returns, averages 23.9 yards per kickoff return, 10.8 per punt return, has twice been recognized this season as MVFC Special Teams Player of the Week, and as of their game against NDSU, holds the MVFC record for career kickoff return yards.

Western Illinois is 4-1, with a close loss to South Dakota the only blemish on their record. The Leathernecks are putting up over 40 ppg and 463 ypg with a potent offense that revolves around QB Sean McGuire (272.4 ypg, 12 TDs w/ 3 INTs) throwing primarily to WR Jaelon Acklin (FCS-leading 148.4 ypg, 7 receiving & 2 rushing TDs). The Leatherneck defense still struggles against some stronger passing games, but to a lesser extent than last year and are allowing 22.2 ppg. LB Brett Taylor leads the FCS in total tackles with 14.2 per game, and Taylor, LB Quentin Moon, and DL Khalen Saunders all are in the top 50 in the FCS in tackles for loss (averaging 1.4 or more per game).

So, we’ve got one of the most prolific QB/WR combos in the FCS against one of the worst pass defenses. I feel like Western is going to put up a lot of yards through the air in this game, although they should also be able to run the ball fairly well when they need to. MSU might get a score or two from passing primarily, but Western should be able to shut down their running game, making the offense one-dimensional. I think Western will win this one by about 20.

#2 North Dakota State at #7 Youngstown State (Football Alumni Day)

Last Week:

  • North Dakota State beat Missouri State, 38-11
  • Youngstown State lost at South Dakota, 31-28

History: The Bison and Penguins have played each other 11 times, with NDSU holding the 7-4 series lead and having won the last 5 meetings. Last year’s matchup was a 24-3 Bison win at the Fargodome.

North Dakota State…#1 in the FCS in: Scoring Offense, Scoring Defense, Total Defense, Time of Possession, Rushing Offense, Passing Yards Allowed, Turnover Margin, Interceptions Thrown. So…that’s a thing. RB Lance Dunn is running for 113 ypg and has 12 rushing TDs and #2 RB Bruce Anderson is putting up numbers that are better than most team’s #1 RB…just under 80 ypg and 3 rushing TDs. QB Easton Stick doesn’t put up huge numbers, but is effective when he does, currently holding a (2nd in the FCS) Passing Efficiency Rating of 193.1. LB Nick DeLuca is back and contributing after being out for most of the first half of the season with an injury, LBs Levi Jordheim and Jabril Cox each have over 20 tackles, and Safeties Tre Dempsey and Robbie Grimsley each have 3 INTs on the season.

Youngstown State is somewhat less “flashy” than NDSU (not that either team is really that “flashy”). Like NDSU, they get things done with a strong ground attack that’s putting up 268 ypg, starring RB Tevin McCaster who has 107 ypg and 8 rushing TDs. Like NDSU, the Penguins have a strong defense that is limiting opposition points, currently averaging 15 ppg allowed. Safeties Jalyn Powell and Kyle Hegedus and LB Lee Wright are all over 30 tackles this season, with Powell having a forced fumble and 4 pass breakups, and Hegedus with a fumble recover and an interception. DE Justus Reed has 4 sacks in their 5 games for 23 yards as well as a fumble recovery.

The Bison are undefeated on the season, although this game is what I’d consider their first “real” test so far. The Penguins have lost two, but those two games were at FBS Pitt and at currently #4 ranked South Dakota…so it’s not like they were playing cupcakes. The two teams kinda have “reverse” conference schedules, with NDSU playing mostly tough teams later in the conference season and YSU playing mostly tough teams earlier in the conference season. YSU’s defense seems like it’s built to be better against passing teams, and could struggle against strong running teams like NDSU (they also had trouble w/ USD’s Chris Streveler who used the run threat to open up the passing game). Actually, I’d say both teams are very similar, being very good at running the ball and against teams that run the ball a lot. I think it’ll be a close one, but NDSU should come out ahead by a (probably Lance Dunn rushing) TD. Bison by 7.

CAA: Week 6 Recap and Power Rankings

We’re back this week after a short hiatus; I hope you all will forgive me for missing Week 5 – I was on an anniversary cruise with my wife and had no WiFi.  Regardless, we’re back for Week 6 Recaps and Power Rankings!

 

#25 Maine 0 – #14 Villanova 31

This game went entirely Nova’s way, with Maine surrendering 6 turnovers.  The Wildcats jumped out to an early lead after a blocked punt gave them a short field.  Backup QB Jack Schetelich hit Todd Summers for a 20 yard TD strike.  After not much offense for the rest of the first quarter, Maine put together an 8 play drive taking them to the Nova 3 yard line.  But a Drew Belcher fumble was scooped up by Nova’s Jaquan Amos at the 1 yard line and returned for a TD 99 yards later.  On the very next drive a Chris Ferguson pass was intercepted by Malik Reaves and taken to the Maine 40.  The Wildcats only needed two plays to punch it in, a 29 yard Schetelich pass to Jack Boomer and an 11 yard TD run by Taurus Phillips.  Maine will host Rhode Island in Week 7 and Villanova heads to Harrisonburg to face JMU off of their bye week.

William and Mary 17 – #15 Elon 25

The Phoenix came into this game on a hot streak winning their last 5.  They continued that in the first half, taking a 23 -3 lead into the half.  But the Fighting Ebirts fought back, replacing starting QB Tommy McKee with Sophomore Brandon Battle.  Battle was able to get the offense going, putting together a strong 14 point 3rd quarter to bring the game to 23-17 heading into the 4th.  An Elon safety pushed the lead to 8 and the Tribe failed to score on the final drive of the game.  Elon’s Malcom Summers ran for 81 yards, while David Cheeks went 12 for 16 for 179 yards and a TD.  William and Mary will head to Delaware in Week 7 and the Phoenix head into their bye week.

https://twitter.com/ElonFB/status/917546242242170880

#23 Albany 38 – #19 Richmond 41 – 2OT

In an amazing back and forth affair in Richmond, the Spiders were able to come back from a late deficit and win in the second overtime.  Tied at 14 at the half, Albany jumped out to a 31-21 with 13:38 left in the 4th, but Kyle Lauletta led the Spiders to a touchdown and a FG to tie it up.  Each team put a touchdown on the board in the first OT, but Ethan Starks’ 40 yard FG attempt was blocked by the Spiders in the 2nd OT.  They followed up with a Griffin Trau 34 yarder to win the game.  This game was decided mostly in the air as Albany held Richmond’s run game to just 60 yards and was only able to run for 77 themselves. Kyle Lauletta continued to impress; he went 24 for 40 for 353 yards and 3 TDs.  Albany QB Will Brunson also played well, going 18 for 29 for 339 and 4 TDs.  Albany is off in Week 7 as Richmond heads north to Towson.

https://twitter.com/SpiderFootball/status/916790103820742656

#28 Delaware 24 – #18 Stony Brook 20

The first half was all Stony Brook, with the Seawolves taking a 20 – 7 lead into the half.  But the second half belonged to the Blue Hens.  Head Coach Danny Rocco made a change at QB, and J.P Caruso led the Blue Hens to victory by scoring 17 in the second half.  Stony Brook had a drive at the end to try and tie, but a 4th down sack of Joe Carbone sealed the game for the Blue Hens.  Carbone went 23 for 36 for 272 yard and 2 TDs while Caruso went 7 for 14 fo 80 yards, a TD and an INT.  Stacey Bedell rushed for 80 yards on 16 carries for the Seawolves, while the Blue Hens had 3 different rushers with over 50 yards.  Delaware hosts William and Mary in Week 7 while Stony Brook hosts New Hampshire.

https://twitter.com/DelawareFB/status/916855923280351232

 

Week 6 CAA Power Rankings (previous week)

Since I missed Week 5, the previous week rankings will be from Week 4.  I think Elon’s proven they’re top of the CAA with JMU, and earned the bump over UNH.

1. James Madison (1)
2. Elon (3)
3. New Hampshire (2)
4. Stony Brook (5)
5. Villanova (6)
6. Richmond (7)
7. Albany (4)
8. Delaware (8)
9. Maine (9)
10. W&M (10)
11. Rhode Island (11)
12. Towson (12)

 

The FCS Wedge – 2017-1010 – WEEK 7 PREVIEW

Kris & Lance take a look around at the Big South, NEC, OVC, Patriot, & Pioneer playoff probabilities with the various teams before moving on to preview these big FCS games this weekend.

Villanova @ James Madison

North Dakota State @ Youngstown State

Montana State @ Eastern Washington

Southern Utah @ Weber State

New Hampshire @ Stony Brook

 

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Patriot League: Week 6 Review and Power Rankings

Week 6 finally brought some much needed drama to the 2017 Patriot League season. The Colgate-Lehigh and Fordham-Lafayette games were filled with big plays and large swings in momentum before the outcomes were decided in the final seconds. Ultimately, Lafayette and Lehigh escaped with huge league wins. For the Leopards, it was their second thrilling win a row. Meanwhile, Lehigh’s victory over Colgate could be what propels the preseason league favorite to another title run. Lafayette and Lehigh meet for 153rd time on November 18th.

In non-conference action, things weren’t nearly as exciting. Monmouth used a 3rd quarter surge to race past Holy Cross 48-36. With the victory over the Crusaders, Monmouth went a perfect 4 for 4 against the Patriot League this season. Georgetown capped the ugliness by allowing Princeton to score 50 unanswered points in a 50-30 loss. The Hoyas scored the first 10 points and the last 20 points of the game but were M.I.A the rest of the time.

Lehigh 41 Colgate 38

Thanks to a slew of timely penalties that negated three Colgate (2-4, 0-1) touchdowns, Lehigh (1-5, 1-0) was able to escape Hamilton, NY with their first victory of the year. The first penalty took Owen Rockett’s 93 yard kickoff return touchdown off the board. Had it stood the Raiders likely take a commanding 35-21 lead into halftime. The other penalties wiped out two second half Grant Breneman touchdown passes. To throw salt in the wound, there was a costly unsportsmanlike penalty late in the game that erased a first down deep in Lehigh territory. Lehigh’s offense also added to the Raiders misery. Colgate simply could not slow down the Mountain Hawks balanced attack. After tallying a school record 9 sacks last week, the Raider defense managed only one against Lehigh. Colgate did outgain Lehigh overall, 537 yards to 507.

Lehigh got on the board first when Micco Brisker (7 rushes 34 yards 3 TDs) powered in from 2 yards out to give the Mountain Hawks a 7-0 lead with 8:34 remaining in the opening quarter. The Raiders tied it up 4 minutes later when Breneman (18-22 316 yards 2 TDs, 64 yards rushing 1 TD) connected with Brett Gasiorowski for a short 4 yard TD toss. Lehigh took a 14-7 lead late in 1st quarter before Colgate would respond with 3 straight touchdown drives in 2nd to go up 28-14. The Mountain Hawks were able to close to within 7 points at half thanks to a Brad Mayes (22-30 297 yards 2 TDs) to Dom Bragalone 35 yard touchdown pass. After half time Bragalone (25 carries 186 yards 1 TD) busted loose for a game tying 53 yard TD run. It would prove to be the only points of the 3rd quarter. Colgate retook the lead when Breneman connected with Tre Caine for a 66 yard TD strike early in the 4th quarter. Lehigh answered with a 7 play 75 yard TD drive to once again even the score. Colgate would take a brief 38-35 lead thanks to Chris Puzzi’s 27 yard FG. On the ensuing drive, Lehigh marched 75 yards in less than 2 minutes to notch what would end up being the game winning TD. Mayes hit Pelletier (8 rec 132 yards 1 TD) from 35 yards out for the score. Alex Mathew’s (27 carries 137 yards 2 TDs) fumble at the Lehigh 30 yard with 1:49 remaining in regulation is what ultimately sealed the Raiders fate.

Up Next: Lehigh returns to Goodman Stadium to take on Georgetown. The Mountain Hawks have never lost to the Hoyas in Patriot League competition. Colgate will look to bounce back against a floundering Fordham team. The Raiders upset the Rams 2 years ago at Andy Kerr on their way to the league championship.

Princeton 50 Georgetown 30

Georgetown (1-4, 0-0) had by far their best offensive output of the season but they still came up 20 points short against Princeton (3-1) on a hot October afternoon in Central New Jersey. The Hoyas entered their battle with the Tigers averaging 9.5 points a game. The good news is they managed to exceed that average during the first 8 minutes of action on Saturday. The bad news is the Tigers would proceed to score the game’s next 50 points! It was the Hoya’s third straight (Columbia, Harvard & Princeton) decisive loss to foes from the Ancient 8. The only real positive that can be taken away from this loss is the fact the team did not quit. As a result, the Hoya’s were able to put up 3 fourth quarter touchdowns to make the score a little more respectable.

The Hoyas went on a 75 yard, 12 play touchdown drive on their opening possession of the game to take a 7-0 lead a little less than 5 minutes into the game. Alex Valles’s 4 yard TD run finished off the impressive drive. Brad Hurst’s 36 yard FG at the 7:41 mark of the 1st quarter extended the Hoya advantage to 10-0. Following Hurst’s FG Princeton would put their foot down and take control of the game. Tiger quarterback Chad Kanoff got the party started with a 13 yard TD strike to the dangerous Jesper Horsted. Princeton’s defense would make their presence felt by notching a safety. Kurt Holuba and Mike Wagner worked together to sack Hoya QB Cole Norris (12-20 109 yards 1 INT) in the endzone for the 2 points. Princeton then took advantage of the extra offensive possession by going on a brisk 5 play 53 yard TD drive. Charlie Volker capped it with a 1 yard TD to give the Tigers a 17-10 lead (2pt conversion good) as time expired in the opening quarter. Kanoff’s second TD pass of the game at the 10:46 mark of the 2nd stanza extended the Tiger’s lead to 24-10. The backbreaker came less than a minute later when CJ Wall pick sixed Chad Norris’s pass to give Princeton a commanding 31-10 advantage. Following Norris’s interception Hoya head coach Rob Sgarlata gave sophomore quarterback Gunther Johnson (13-22 149 yards) the chance to finish out the game. While Johnson did some nice things he couldn’t prevent Princeton from blowing the game wide open.

Up Next: Georgetown travels to Bethlehem, PA to take on Lehigh. The Hoyas have never beaten (0-16) the Mountain Hawks in Patriot League play.

Monmouth 48 Holy Cross 36

Monmouth (4-1) completed the 4 game sweep of their Patriot League competition this season by taking down Holy Cross (2-4, 1-1) by 12 points in Worcester. The Hawks beat all four of their Patriot League opponents by double digits. Monmouth had this game well in hand before the Crusaders put up three 4th quarter touchdowns to make the score look more respectable. Peter Pujals set a school record for passing yards (509) in a single game in the loss. Holy Cross put up a staggering 640 total yards and 34 first downs yet came up on the losing end. The Crusaders have now lost 3 straight games since their dominating win over New Hampshire earned them a spot in the national rankings. If Holy Cross wants to get things turned around Coach Gilmore must find some consistency on offense and defense. Both units have been widely inconsistent the last 3 weeks which has led to the losing streak.

Holy Cross was able to take the early lead against Monmouth thanks to A.J. Wells’s 33 yard FG. The game would remain 3-0 until the 11:26 mark of the second quarter. That’s when Monmouth’s Eric Zokouri scored from a yard out to give the Hawks a 7-3 advantage. Monmouth would extend their lead to 14-3 on Kenji Bahar’s 13 yard touchdown pass to Reggie White Jr. Pujals’s 4 yard TD scamper with 1:23 left in the 2nd quarter before cut the Hawk lead to 14-10. Monmouth would respond with a crisp 7 play 78 yard touchdown drive in 62 seconds to push the score to 21-10. Holy Cross would get the ball back with 16 seconds left before half and instead of taking a knee Coach Gilmore opted to attack. It paid off when Pujals’s 49 yard Hail Mary ended up in the hands of Tenio Ayeni. For whatever reason, the Crusaders could not carry over the positive momentum into the second half. Instead, Monmouth would seize control of the game by outscoring Holy Cross 20-0 in the 3rd quarter.

Up Next: Holy Cross heads to New Haven, CT to battle Yale. Surprisingly, it will be the first meeting between the two New England schools since 2008.

Lafayette 14 Fordham 10

Lafayette (2-4, 2-0) scored their second head turning league win in a row by knocking out the staggering Fordham Rams (1-5, 0-1) 14-10 on perfect night for football in Eastern, PA. A week after suffocating Peter Pujals and the Holy Cross offense, the Leopard defense put forth another excellent performance against Fordham to pave the way for victory. The turnaround by Lafayette, especially on defense, is shocking when you consider just how bad they started the year in blowout losses to Monmouth, Villanova and Princeton. The “step down” in competition has certainly helped the Leopard’s cause but that’s not the only reason for the improvement. Brandon Bryant (13 solo tackles against Fordham) and the rest of the talented defense have started to live up to preseason expectations. If the offense (-5 total rushing yards) can improve just a modest amount, Lafayette might pull off the most shocking turnaround in league history. Meanwhile, Fordham’s mind boggling fall from grace continues with no real end in sight.

Stout defense and missed field goals by both teams led to a scoreless first quarter. Fordham was finally able to crack the code early in the 2nd quarter when Kevin Anderson (29-47 277 1 TD 1 INT) found Austin Longi for a 12 yard touchdown. The scoring opportunity was setup when Bryce Petty had a lengthy return following a blocked field goal. The Rams extended their lead to two possessions with 3:50 remaining in the 3rd quarter when Andrew Melvis’s 22 yard FG capped a marathon 18 play 86 yard drive that consumed over 9 minutes of game clock. Lafayette would then ride two O’Malley (29-41 256 yards 2 TDs) to Rocco Palumbo (9 rec 129 yards 2 TD) touchdown passes to a 14-10 lead. The go ahead 63 yard touchdown strike came with 5:06 remaining in regulation. Fordham had an excellent chance to regain the lead with a little over 3 minutes left but Anderson missed Longi on the same play on 3rd and 4th down at the Lafayette 10 yard line. Longi was especially wide open on the 4th down play when Anderson air mailed the pass. Fordham got one more chance but Anderson’s Hail Mary barely eluded a Ram receiver in the end zone.

Both Anderson and Edmonds (23 carries 78 yards) battled through injuries in the loss. Edmonds appeared to re-injure his ankle late in the game but continued to play. Anderson was fighting a hand or wrist injury.

Up Next: Lafayette travels to Cambridge to take on Harvard for their final out of conference game of the year. Fordham will be making the 4 hour trek to Hamilton, NY to take on Colgate in a de-facto league title elimination game.

Power Rankings

  1. Lafayette – At 2-0 the Leopards are amazingly in the driver’s seat in the league race. Still, a bad showing against a struggling Harvard team would not be a good look.
  2. Bucknell – The bye came at the right time. If the offense can get things going the Bison will be a major factor in the league race.
  3. Lehigh – They escaped Colgate with a win and now get Georgetown at home. Odds are they enter their bye with some much needed momentum.
  4. Colgate – The Raiders had their hearts ripped out by Lehigh (and the refs). They can’t afford a hangover with Fordham up next. Their season hangs in the balance.
  5. Holy Cross – The Crusaders are in complete free fall. It’s not likely to get any better against a very good Yale team on the road.
  6. Fordham – The offense is now bruised and battered which is likely the death knell for the Rams. Any chance to outscore their remaining opponents seems gone with Anderson and Edmonds nursing injuries.
  7. Georgetown – The Hoyas have major problems on both sides of the ball. Until they can find some explosive skill players on offense and difference makers on “D” the cellar is where they’ll remain.

The FCS Wedge – 2017-1010 – WEEK 6 REVIEW

Kris & Lance roll on through the FCS in the week 6 recap taking a look back at these big games from last weekend.

Northern Arizona 37 Illinois State 16

South Dakota 31 Youngstown State 28

Wofford 35 Western Carolina 28

Delaware 24 Stony Brook 20

Eastern Washington 41 UC-Davis 38

Richmond 41 Albany 38

If you had 1’s & 8’s on the money boards this weekend you did well for yourself.

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Big Sky Week 6 Recap

Week 6 came and went with five really close games and one blowout. The blowout, was both completely unexpected and in favor of the unlikely side. Northern Arizona’s dominant win over previously #8 Illinois State is such a statement game for their season going forward. Their conference schedule avoids both Weber State and Eastern Washington and they get Montana State and UC-Davis at home. They just may be the new favorites to take the title, and the win does put them atop the power rankings for the week. There are about 4 groups right now: the favorites, the lurkers, the faders, and the ‘help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.’

Favorites – 1. Northern Arizona 2. Weber State 3. Eastern Washington

Lurkers – 4. Montana State 5. Montana 6. UC-Davis 7. Sacramento State 8. Southern Utah

Faders – 9. Idaho State 10. North Dakota 11. Northern Colorado

LifeAlert – 12. Portland State 13. Cal Poly

 

Montana State 30 Portland State 22

To say it was a breezy day in Bozeman would be an understatement. The gusts were hovering around 30 mph and even playing fits with the broadcast of the game. This played to Montana State’s strength as they ran for 403 yards on 57 attempts. Give credit to the Vikings and Josh Kraght, who started his career as a QB, transitioned to WR, and now is playing QB again. Even with the wind, he racked up 317 passing yards and zero interceptions, keeping the game from getting too out of hand.

Key Plays:

Down 16-7 early in the third quarter, PSU punter Hayden Cowden mishandled a snap and fumbled, leading to Chad Kanow falling on the ball in the endzone for a Bobcat touchdown.

Up 23-14 early in the fourth quarter, MSU made another statement on special teams when Connor Sullivan blocked a punt. The Bobcats took over at the PSU 26 yard line and scored two plays later.

Leaders:

MSU QB Chris Murray – 18 rushes, 126 yards, 2 TDs

PSU TE Charlie Taumoepeau – 5 receptions, 92 yards, 2 TDs

 

Northern Arizona 37 #8 Illinois State 16

As mentioned at the top, the Lumberjacks roughed up the Redbirds for one of the biggest non-conference wins in their program history. Illinois State came into the game with their defense being their strength, but it was NAU who played the best on defense. The Lumberjacks held ISU without a TD the first 52 minutes of the game, kept them under 300 yards of offense, and stopped the run limiting them to just 2.2 yards per carry. They also recorded 5 sacks. After a slow start, the offense showed up as well with 31 points in the last 31 minutes of the game.

Key Plays:

With the game tied with less than a minute left in the first half, QB Case Cookus found WR Elijah Marks open on the right sideline for a 32 yard TD pass.

Ahead 20-6 early in the second half, WR Chancellor Brewington rolled around behind the QB taking a pitch, but instead of getting to the corner, he passed it back to QB Cookus, who followed blockers to the end zone.

Leaders:

NAU QB Case Cookus – 26-45 for 380 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs

NAU WR Elijah Marks – 8 receptions, 130 yards, 1 TD

ISU WR Spencer Schnell – 7 receptions, 88 yards, 1 TD

Southern Utah 20 Cal Poly 14

The Thunderbirds desperately needed this win to save face after a very embarrassing loss to Sacramento State two weeks ago. Their run defense was decimated that game, but they improved against the Mustangs, holding the triple option attack to less than 5 yards per carry. Yes, that’s not great, and yes, Cal Poly QB Khaleel Jenkins was out with an injury, but it’s still a step in the right direction. Take away a Kyle Lewis 73 yard run, and Cal Poly would have averaged 3.4 yards per carry.

Key Plays:

Kyle Lewis took off on a 73 yard TD run to give Cal Poly the early lead and quiet the record crowd in Cedar City.

Less than three minutes later, SUU responded with a Jay Green 55 yard TD run to take back the lead for good.

Leaders:

SUU QB Patrick Tyler – 23-30 for 223 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

SUU LB Chinedu Ahanonu – 11 solo tackles, 15 total, 1.5 TFL, 1 FF

CP RB Jared Mohamed – 29 carries, 135 yards

 

North Dakota 48 Northern Colorado 38

The Bears looked to be in good form after a late win over Idaho State, but they’ve followed that up with an ugly loss to NAU and a disappointing loss to UND. For UND, they have been decimated by injury all across the defense and the offensive line. They still have their veteran playmakers, though, and they finally stepped up. QB Keaton Studsrud showed some not so common dual threat ability all game and both John Santiago and Brady Oliveira combined for 179 yards on the ground. After falling way behind early, UNC made things competitive and even took the lead at one point, but at the end of the first half, they lost star QB Jacob Knipp to injury.

Key Plays:

Early in the first quarter, QB Keaton Studsrud put UND on the board early with a 41 yard TD run.

To stop the bleeding, Khairi Bailey got UNC back within 11 points with a 25-yard fumble recovery return for a TD making the score 28-17.

Up 41-38 on third and goal late in the 4th quarter, Travis Toivonen scored on a 5-yard TD run to cement UND’s victory.

Leaders:

UND QB Keaton Studsrud – 17-23 for 248 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT – 10 carries, 97 yards, 1 TD

UND RB Brady Oliveira – 18 carries, 109 yards

 

Montana 39 Idaho State 31

This was a true back and forth affair in Pocatello with 4 lead changes and 10 combined TDs. Idaho State took advantage of a couple early UM miscues to take the lead in the second quarter. Brother tandem of QB Tanner Gueller and WR Mitch Gueller hooked up for 127 yards and 2 TDs in the first half. Montana stepped up the defense in the second half and kept the offense rolling, led by QB Gresch Jensen who recorded his first turnover free game since taking over at QB. Yes, they gave up a lot of yards, but the Griz defense also recorded 6 sacks.

Key Plays:

Immediately following a Montana TD, Tanner Gueller found Mitch Gueller for a 75 yard TD pass to take a 14-13 lead in the second quarter. Six minutes later after a Jeremy Calhoun fumble, the Gueller brothers teamed up again for a 13 yard TD pass and catch to go up 21-13.

The Grizzlies started the second half with a quick score of their own after a Tanner Gueller lost fumble. QB Gresch Jensen passed to WR Justin Calhoun for a 35 yard score to make the score 21-19.

On their next three offensive drives, Gresch Jensen completed long passes of 71, 46, and 41 yards to Samori Toure, Justin Calhoun, and Samuel Akem respectively to get within the ISU red zone. Montana scored a TD soon after on each of those drives turning a 9 point deficit into an 11 point lead.

Leaders:

UM QB Gresch Jensen – 23-35 for 360 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs

UM DE Jesse Sims – 8 total tackles, 2.5 sacks

ISU QB Tanner Gueller – 25-40 for 359 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs

ISU WR Mitch Gueller – 9 receptions, 188 yards, 2 TDs

 

Eastern Washington 41 UC-Davis 38

To one-up the Montana/ISU game this matchup featured 5 lead changes and 79 combined points. The battle between two of the top quarterbacks in not just the conference but also the country proved to be just as good as advertised. The two combined for 819 passing yards and 8 TDs. The game was relatively low scoring through three quarters, but Eastern erupted for 3 touchdowns in the fourth and hung on for the win after the Aggies 49 yard field goal attempt missed wide right. It was a game of errors for the kicking unit who missed two field goals and had another one blocked. Eastern didn’t play their best, but they escaped with a win.

Key Plays:

Down 11 in the fourth quarter, Gage Gubrud found Nsimba Webster for a 71 yard TD pass. After a quick Davis 3 and out, Gubrud moved the ball downfield again and TE Talolo Limu-Jones recorded a 6 yard TD reception to give Eastern Washington the lead.

UC-Davis responded with an 11 play, 76-yard drive capped off by CJ Spencer’s third rushing TD of the day.

Eastern punched back with a 12 play, 75-yard drive. On 3rd and goal, Gubrud lobbed a perfect pass to Nic Sblendorio in the corner of the end zone to take the lead for good.

Leaders:

EWU QB Gage Gubrud – 33-53 for 452 yards, 6 TDs, 2 INTs

UCD QB Jake Maier – 35-55 for 367 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs

UCD WR Keelan Doss – 15 receptions, 208 yards, 1 TD

 

AGS Poll: Top 25 Week 6 Results

The AGS rankings in week 6 weren’t as topsy turvy as they have been over the last couple weeks with a few exceptions. As they have in every poll so far this year James Madison and North Dakota State came in at #1 and #2, respectively. After cracking the top 5 for the first time ever last week South Dakota moved up to #3 (and also received 5 first place votes) following their big home win over previously top 5 ranked Youngstown State. Jacksonville State stayed at #4 and Wofford moved into the top 5 for the first time this year coming in at #5.

There weren’t any real big risers this week as numerous teams moved up a spot or 3. That is until we got to the new additions in the poll. Northern Arizona moved up 11 spots into the top 25 at #21 following their upset win over Illinois State. Traditional FCS power Delaware also cracked the top 25 for the first time this season moving up 5 spots to #23 as they look to recapture some of their former glory under first year head coach Danny Rocco. It was apparently a week for the FCS old guard as Montana also cracked the top 25 for the first time all year rising 8 spots to come in at #25.

Youngstown State moved down 4 spots to #7 after their close road loss to #3 USD. Illinois State took the biggest tumble of the week dropping 8 spots into a tie with NC A&T at #16 after their aforementioned loss to Northern Arizona. Stony Brook dropped 6 spots down to #24 following their loss to Delaware. The Citadel, Albany, and Maine all dropped out of the top 25 after each sustained losses this last Saturday.

The CAA once again led the way placing 7 teams into the top 25. They were followed by the MVFC with 6, the Big Sky with 4, and the SOCON and Southland who each had 3 teams each in the top 25.

Full results below:

Rank Team Total Points First Place Votes
1 James Madison Dukes 2036 71
2 North Dakota State Bison 1970 6
3 South Dakota Coyotes 1832 5
4 Jacksonville State Gamecocks 1782
5 Wofford Terriers 1637
6 Central Arkansas Bears 1553
7 Youngstown State Penguins 1548
8 South Dakota State Jackrabbits 1479
9 Sam Houston State Bearkats 1310
10 Western Illinois Leathernecks 1242
11 Eastern Washington Eagles 1165
12 Villanova Wildcats 1066
13 Elon Phoenix 1047
14 Weber State Wildcats 1019
15 New Hampshire Wildcats 810
16T Illinois State Redbirds 753
16T North Carolina A&T Aggies 753
18 Richmond Spiders 699
19 Samford Bulldogs 567
20 Western Carolina Catamounts 453
21 Northern Arizona Lumberjacks 366
22 McNeese State Cowboys 325
23 Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens 321
24 Stony Brook Seawolves 195
25 Montana Grizzlies 147
ORV:
26 Albany Great Danes 133
27 Dartmouth Big Green 96
28 Grambling State Tigers 93
29 Monmouth Hawks 70
30 Nicholls State Colonels 45
31 The Citadel Bulldogs 42
32 Montana State Bobcats 27
33 North Carolina Central Eagles 17
34 Furman Paladins 11
35 Tennessee State Tigers 10
36 UC Davis Aggies 8
37 Columbia Lions 6
38 Eastern Illinois Panthers 5
39 Kennessaw State Owls 3
40 Maine Black Bears 2

Most Significant Win: South Dakota Coyotes
Most Significant Loss: Illinois State Redbirds

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