Patriot League: Week 4 Recap and Power Rankings

When the history of the Patriot League is written someday hopefully week 4 of the 2017 season is selectively forgotten. Outside of Bucknell’s thrilling win over Sacred Heart, it was one of the worst weekends the league has endured in years, maybe decades. Fresh off a “program changing win” against New Hampshire, Holy Cross snatched defeat from the jaws of victory twice against Dartmouth. Fordham and Lehigh continue to be among the biggest underachievers in FCS this year due to horrific play on defense. Colgate’s once proud defense failed them in an embarrassing 31 point loss to previously winless Furman. Then there’s Georgetown and Lafayette. Both of whom are struggling to get out their own way at this point of the season.

Penn 65 Lehigh 47

Lehigh’s (0-4, 0-0) nightmares on defense reached a new level of scariness against Penn (2-0) this past weekend. After giving up 38 points to Villanova, 46 to Monmouth and 56 to Yale the Mountain Hawks kept the trend arrive by surrendering 65 to the Quakers on a blistering hot afternoon in Bethlehem. Lehigh is now giving up 51.3 ppg which ranks 121st out of 123 teams in FCS. Penn was able to rank up 615 total yards including 312 on the ground. The Mountain Hawks now rank 121st (310.3 ypg) in FCS against the run following this debacle. Despite the excellent offensive output (47 points and 552 yards) Lehigh never led in the game do the horrific defense. To be fair, the Mountain Hawks did turn the ball 3 times in the first half which did not help.

The first of those turnovers occurred on Lehigh’s opening possession of the game. Five plays and 41 yards later the Quakers had an early 7-0 lead. Lehigh was able to respond on their next drive of the game. Brad Mayes (26-40 444 yards 4 TD 2 INT) connected with Gatlin Casey for a 6 yard TD to even the score at 7 with 8:15 left in the 1st quarter. The two teams would trade touchdowns until Mayes had back-to-back interceptions in the 2nd quarter. That allowed the Quakers to take a 35-21 lead with 3:43 left in the 2nd. Just before half, Mayes and Casey (10 rec 193 yards 3 TD) would hook up for the second time to get the deficit back to 7. The trading of touchdowns continued for most of the 3rd quarter. Finally, Penn was able to stretch the lead to 21 early in the 4th which effectively put the game out of reach.

Up Next: Lehigh travels to Staten Island to take on Wagner. The Mountain Hawks will be looking to avoid their second 0-5 start in 4 years.

Columbia 35 Georgetown 14

Georgetown’s (1-2, 0-0) struggles on offense continued in a 21 point loss to Columbia (2-0) on a mid-summer like day in New York City. The inability to run the ball (2 total yards rushing against CU) remains the biggest issue on offense. Three games into the season Georgetown ranks 120th (53.7 ypg) in FCS in rushing offense despite returning a veteran offensive line and two experienced running backs. To compound the issues on offense, Hoya’s fifth year senior quarterback Tim Barnes went down with injury late in the 1st quarter. Clay Norris (10-19 174 yards 2 TD), who has considerable experience, replaced Barnes for the rest of the game and did an admirable job.

The game started off in the type of defensive battle the Hoya’s seek. Georgetown missed two long (50 yards, 43 yards) 1st quarter field goals but were able to turn Columbia over on downs twice on 4th and short in Hoya territory to keep the game scoreless. Things then spiraled out of control for Georgetown in the 2nd quarter. Anders Hill proceeded to toss 3 touchdown passes to give the Lions a commanding 21-0 half time lead. Without their starting quarterback and an effective rushing attack Georgetown was basically dead in the water down 21 points. Hill’s fourth touchdown pass of the game early in the 4th quarter really put the game out of reach at 28-0. Norris added two late TD passes for Georgetown.

Up Next: Georgetown and Harvard will square off at RFK Stadium. This will be the first time the Hoyas have played an off-campus home game since joining the Patriot League in 2001.

Bryant 45 Fordham 40

Fordham (1-3, 0-0) fell to Bryant (2-2) by 5 point as the Ram’s defense once again failed them. Like fellow preseason league favorite Lehigh, Fordham’s season is unravelling at an alarming rate due to one of the worst defenses in FCS. Bryant set a school record for total yards in a game (608) in the win over the Rams. Fordham now rank 119th in FCS in yards allowed per game (516.3). Against Bryant the Ram’s had 6 opportunities to get off the field on 4th down but failed to do so on 5 occasions. Had they been able to limit Bryant to just 50% on 4th down the Rams likely escape Rhode Island with a win. As it is, the Rams are off their worst start since 2011 when they went 1-10.

Fordham was able to respond to an early Bryant touchdown with a TD of their own thanks to a 93 yard Dylan Mabin kickoff return. It would take the Bulldogs 90 seconds to retake the lead 13-6 (missed XP). The Rams would once again answer. Kevin Anderson (27-42 366 yards 5 TD 1 INT) tossed two 2nd quarter touchdown passes to Isaiah Searight to give Fordham a 20-13 lead. Bryant was able to convert a 32 yard FG as time expired in the first half to but the Ram lead to 4. The two teams would continue to trade scores in the second half. The defining sequence in the second half occurred when Bryant’s Jean Constant scored two touchdowns within 4 minutes of each other early in the 4th quarter to give Bryant a 2 possession lead at 45-34. Fordham was able to cut the deficit to 5 with just over 3 minutes left but their defense could not get Bryant off the field before time ran out.

Up Next: Fordham takes the short bus ride to New Haven, CT to take on Yale. Fordham outlasted Yale 44-37 last year in the Bronx.

Furman 45 Colgate 14

Colgate’s (1-3, 0-0) once promising start is now a fleeting memory following a surprising 30 point loss to previously winless Furman (1-3). The Raiders offense continues to be a major issue as the first month of the season draws to a close. Grant Breneman had a much better performance (21-39 217 yards 2 TD) in his second career start under center compared to the one he put forth against Buffalo last week. However, even with the improved play from Breneman against Furman, the Raider passing attack still ranks 116th in FCS (118 ypg). Surprisingly, Colgate’s biggest issue on offense against the Paladins was the inability to get the ground game going (102 yards). Furman was able to control the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball from the outset of the game.

It did not take long for Furman to flex their muscle. Following a Colgate fumble on their second possession, Paladin quarterback PJ Blazejowski found a streaking Cam Burnette for a 61 yard TD with 10:17 remaining in the 1st quarter. Ridge Gibson’s 6 yard TD run with 3:45 to go in the opening quarter extended the Furman lead to 14-0. On the Paladin’s next possession Blazejowski tacked on a second 1st quarter TD pass to push the lead to 21-0. Furman then outscored Colgate 17-7 in the second quarter to take a commanding 38-7 lead into the locker room. The 31 point deficit would ultimately be the final margin of defeat for the Raiders.

Up Next: Colgate heads to Ithaca to take on long time Central New York rival Cornell. The Big Red stormed back in the 4th quarter last year to shock Colgate 39-38.

Princeton 38 Lafayette 17

Lafayette (0-4, 0-0) put forth an inspired effort against Princeton (2-0) but still came up 21 points short against the defending Ivy League co-champs. The Leopards played much better than they did against Villanova the previous week but it still wasn’t good enough to earn John Garrett his first career. The inability to run the ball (36 yards against Princeton) on offense continues to haunt the Leopards offense. After 4 games Lafayette ranks 122nd out of 123 teams in FCS in rushing yards per game (15.8). Freshman quarterback Sean O’Malley was able to put together his best game of the year (30-44 325 yards 2 TD 1 INT) despite getting no help from his running backs.

Princeton jumped out to 3-0 lead thanks to a Tavish Rice 25 yards FG. The Leopards were able to take a 7-3 1st quarter lead when O’Malley connected with talented TE Dylan Wadsworth for a 5 yard TD toss. Unfortunately for Lafayette, the Tigers immediately responded with an 11 play 73 yard TD drive to retake the lead at 10-7. Lafayette would tie the game at 10 when Jeffrey Kordenbrock knocked through a 22 yard FG midway through the 2nd quarter. Princeton would once again respond on the ensuing drive. Charlie Volker’s 19 yard TD run capped the short 7 play 45 yard TD drive. The Tigers would extend their lead to 24-10 right before half time. Princeton would put the game away in the 3rd quarter when Chad Kanoff hit Jesper Horsted for 7 yard TD.

Up Next: Lafayette opens league play against Holy Cross in Worcester. The Leopards fell to the Crusaders 38-28 last year.

Bucknell 34 Sacred Heart 31

Bucknell (2-2, 0-1) needed a last second field goal to beat Sacred Heart (2-2) in a thrilling back and forth battle. John Burdick’s career long 46 yard FG as time expired sent the entire Bison sideline into a frenzy and left Sacred Heart with a long bus ride back to Connecticut. After suffering two straight losses against tough competition (Holy Cross and William & Mary) Bucknell needed a win to get the season back on track. Helping the Bison’s cause in the win over the Pioneers was a rushing attack that finally topped the century mark (125 yards) for the first time this year. Joey DeFloria led the way with 80 yards and 2 TDs while Chad Freshnock chipped in with 31 yards and 1 TD. Bucknell was also able to turn 3 Sacred Heart turnovers into 14 points.

Bucknell jumped out to a 17-0 lead after scoring touchdowns on their first 2 possessions of the game and adding an early 2nd quarter FG. However, Sacred Hearth closed the gap to 17-10 at the half thanks to a 34 yard FG and a pick six by Kevin Barry. The Pioneers tied up the game at 17 when Ezekiel Ennis returned the second half kickoff 98 yards for a TD. Bucknell would eventually push their lead back to 14 (31-17) when DeFloria and Freshnock each found the end zone. Once again the Pioneers would come charging back. Sacred Heart’s second 4th quarter touchdown tied the game at 31 with 4:12 left in regulation.  The Bison “D” came up with a huge 4th down stop with 1:26 remaining on Sacred Heart’s next possession. That led to the Bison drive that ended with Burdick’s game winning field goal.

Up Next: Bucknell welcomes Big South member Monmouth to Lewisburg. The Hawks have already scored wins over Patriot League members Lafayette and Lehigh this season.

Dartmouth 27 #23 Holy Cross 20 OT

Holy Cross (2-2, 1-0) suffered a heartbreaking overtime loss to Dartmouth (2-0) on a picture perfect late summer night in Northern New England. A blocked extra point following Holy Cross’s touchdown with 3 seconds left in regulation ultimately proved to be the difference in the game. The Crusaders did all the little things right against New Hampshire the week prior but couldn’t replicate such a performance against the Big Green. Not only did special teams let the Crusaders down, their defense allowed 203 rushing yards to Dartmouth. If the Crusaders want to maintain their current status as the league favorite they must tighten things up in all 3 phases. With the victory, Dartmouth extended their out of conference winning streak to 10 games.

Dartmouth got on the board first with a 6 play 48 yard TD drive. Jack Heneghan’s 22 yard TD pass to Emory Thompson with 5:43 left in the opening quarter capped the drive. Peter Pujals(25-47 222 yards 2 TD 1 INT) responded with a TD pass of his own early in 2nd quarter to tie the game at 7. Following a Dartmouth FG, Holy Cross took their first lead of the game on Miles Alexander’s 7 yard TD run with 3:12 left in the 2nd quarter. Dartmouth would add a FG as time expired in the 1st half to cut the Crusader lead to 14-13. Dartmouth would retake the lead late in the 3rd quarter when Ryder Stone busted loose for a 44 yard TD run. After missing a FG midway through the 4th quarter the Crusaders got another crack on offense with 3:46 left in regulation. This time Pujals marched the Cruaders 86 yards on 13 plays for the game tying touchdown as the clock struck 0:00. The blocked XP sent the game to overtime. Dartmouth scored a TD on their first possession of OT. Holy Cross’s Diquan Walker answered with a TD from a yard out. However, instead of kicking the XP and banking on a 2nd OT, Holy Cross head coach Tom Gilmore elected to go for 2 and the win. Unfortunately for the Crusaders, Pujals’s pass on the 2 point try fell incomplete allowing Dartmouth to escape with a 1 point win.

Up Next: Holy Cross returns to Fitton Field to host Patriot League foe Lafayette. Holy Cross outlasted the Leopards last year in Easton.

Power Rankings

  1. Holy Cross – Tough road loss to Dartmouth definitely cost the Crusaders a lot of momentum they built up after the UNH win. They need to come out and reassert themselves against Lafayette.
  2. Bucknell – The Bison have basically done what was expected of them to this point. A win over Monmouth would send a message to rest of the league.
  3. Colgate – The wheels have fallen off after opening the season with a win over then Top 25 Cal Poly. The Raiders need to get back on track against their hated rivals (Cornell) from the Ivy League.
  4. Fordham – The defense is in shambles but Edmonds is healing up. If he returns to full strength they still have a shot
  5. Lehigh – Their defense is past the point of shambles and they don’t have an All-American RB waiting to return. Wagner is a must win if they want to head to Colgate with some positive mojo.
  6. Georgetown – The Tim Barnes injury situation is of utmost importance. The Hoyas need him for the offense to have any chance moving forward.
  7. Lafayette – The Leopards played hard, and at times well, against Princeton. Still, it’s difficult to see more than 1 win on their remaining schedule.

CAA: Week 4 Recap and Power Rankings

Wow! What a week of CAA play.  We’ve always talked about the parity in the conference, but boy did it show this week.  Let’s take a look at a surprising week of CAA Football in our Week 4 Recap.

Rhode Island 14 – #16 New Hampshire 28

The Wildcats took a 15-0 lead into the half, but the Rams came back and brought the game to within one – trailing 15-14 with 12:40 left in the 4th.  But a 75 yard TD pass from Trevor Knight to Neil O’Connor put UNH up by 8.  The Rams then went 3 and out gave the Wildcats the ball back.  UNH only took two plays to go up 28-14 for good.  Rhode Island showed they have heart by being in this one late, but New Hampshire held on to win.   Trevor Knight was the difference in the game, going 23 for 34 for 420 yards and 3 TDs and it was his favorite target Neil O’Connor who led the Wildcats with 11 receptions for 232 yards.  It was a battle through the air, as neither team was able to run the ball for more than 70 yards.  Both teams face out of conference foes next week as the Rams face in-state rival Brown in the Governor’s Cup while New Hampshire takes on the Bryant Bears.

Towson 17 – #26 Stony Brook 25

A close battle throughout – Stony Brook held on to win 25-17.  Towson’s Ryan Stover went 15 for 30 with 162 while Stony Brook’s Joe Carbone completed 22 passes on 30 attempts for 242 yards and 2 TDs.  Seawolves’ Kicker Alex Lucansky made 4 FGs, with his longest being a 42 yarder to put Stony Brook up 19-10 in the third.   A CJ Williams’ TD run brought the Tigers’ to within 2, but the third and fourth FG of the day for Lucansky sealed the deal for the Seawolves.  Towson hosts Villanova in Week 5 and Stony Brook heads to Williamsburg to face the Griffins of William and Mary.

#32 Elon 36 – #9 Richmond 33

In a thriller in Richmond, the Phoenix proved they belong in the conversation of the top teams in the CAA by defeating #9 Richmond in Richmond.  During a back and forth affair – the lead changed 7 times – Malcolm Summers proved to be the difference, taking 40 carries for 294 yards (avg 7.3 ypc).  Elon’s Freshman QB Davis Cheek threw for 194 yards and 3 TDs on 13/19 completions.  Richmond QB Kyle Lauletta went 27 for 47 for 497 yards and 3 TDs, but two crucial interceptions cost the Spiders dearly.  Tied 26-26 at the beginning of the 4th, the Spiders went up 33-26.  Elon Answered on the very next drive.  Lauletta’s second INT of the day gave Elon the ball at the Richmond 22, and an Owen Johnson 32 yard FG put the Phoenix ahead for good.  Richmond will head into the bye week hoping to sort some issues out, while Elon faces Albany in what is the clear CAA game of the week for Week 5.

#7 Villanova 10 – #24 Albany 19 – OT

In a low scoring, defense dominated game in upstate New York, the Great Danes showed that they have what it takes to win at home.  A Karl Mofor TD put Albany up late, giving them a 10-3 lead with 2:23 left in the 4th.  But Villanova’s Zach Bednarczyk led the Wildcats on a last minute scoring drive, sending the game into overtime.  The Villanova defense held the Great Danes to a FG in OT, but the Wildcat offense was unable to match them.  A fumble on a QB keeper by Bednarczyk led to a scoop and score 80 yard touchdown for Albany’s Eli Mencer.  Albany’s rush defense was stout on the day, only giving up 61 yards to the Wildcats.  Villanova head to Baltimore to face Towson in Week 5, while Albany heads to Elon.

#27 Maine 10 – #1 James Madison 28

The defending National Champions were tested by a physical Maine team, but came away with a solid result in a 28-10 victory in Harrisonburg.  Both team’s defenses shined in the first half, with the Dukes’ taking a 7-3 lead into the locker room.  But the Black Bears came out ready to play in the 3rd, taking the lead on a Josh Mack 60 yard run to put Maine up 10-7.  The Champs didn’t panic, however, and senior QB Bryan Schor led them to three unanswered touchdowns to win 28-10.   Schor finished the day with 21 completions on 31 attempts for 4 TDs and an INT.  Black Bears RB Josh Mack rushed 24 times for 144 yards, the most output of an opponent of the stingy Dukes’ rush defense so far this season.  Maine QB Chris Ferguson had less success, however, throwing 3 INTs and no TDs.  The Dukes face another strong test in Week 5, facing the Delaware Blue Hens coming off of a bye.  Maine heads into it’s second bye with it’s game with UCF scheduled for this week being cancelled due to Hurricane Irma.

 

Week 4 CAA Power Rankings (previous week)

This week saw too much movement to recap, as there were multiple upsets.  Let’s take a look at where we think the teams fall through Week 4:

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

Big Sky Round Up Week 4

Is there going to be any Big Sky team going to finish over .500 this season? The fourth week of the Big Sky football slate has provided absolutely no clarity into who the best team might be. This is a freight train headed to disastersville at this point.

At this point last week we thought Idaho State was going to be a good football team, but this week happened. North Dakota, one of the preseason favorites, is in a complete tailspin after injuries have hit pretty much on their team, including their water boy (presumably). Southern Utah looked good in a win vs Northern Iowa, then got blown out by the worst team in the conference. Up is down, Big Sky football happens.

Idaho State and Northern Colorado found themselves in a track meet this past weekend. Northern Colorado quarterback Jacob Knipp played virtually flawless, throwing for 413 yards and completing 19/25 passes and four touchdowns. That was juuuuuuust enough to beat Idaho State. The Bengals got 253 yards rushing from James Madison (not the school, nor the president) and two touchdowns. The Bears survived a furious fourth quarter comeback from the Bengals when Collin Root hit a 37 yard field goal as time expired to win it for the Bears. Northern Colorado will be headed to Northern Arizona, and Idaho State will be hosting Cal Poly.

Montana State took a trip across the Eastern border to take on North Dakota in the illustrious Alerus Center to take on the all-injured reserve team, North Dakota. Montana State quarterback Chris Murray had a good day for the Bobcats, going 15/19 for 174 yards and three touchdowns, and rushing for 132 yards and a score. The Cats also got 131 yards and two scores from running back Troy Anderson. North Dakota, meanwhile, struggled all day against the Cats. The Fighting Hawks (?) two big running backs Brady Oliveira and John Santiago combined for 13 carries for 58 yards. Not a good recipe for winning football games. Montana State will host Weber State, while North Dakota will travel to UC-Davis.

Speaking of UC-Davis, they got blown out by Weber State. UC-Davis scored on their first drive with a 24 yard field goal from Max O’Rourke. After that Weber State scored 41 unanswered points. Stefan Cantwell had an efficient day for the Wildcats, going 7/11 for 205 yards and three scores. Treshawn Garrett added 122 yards rushing and a touchdown. Aggies quarterback Jake Maier threw for 327 yards, but had a pair of turnovers. Collectively the Aggies rushed for 13 yards. Maier led all rushers in lost yards with -45. Weber State will be in Bozeman to take on Montana State, UC-Davis will host North Dakota.

Southern Utah was fresh off of a win over MVFC opponent Northern Iowa then made the trip to Sacramento State to take on the Hornets. Southern Utah got a taste of humble pie as they were soundly beaten by the Hornets in front of dozens of people. Sacramento State quarterback Kevin Thomson had 409 yards and seven touchdowns to lead everyone in scoring, rushing, passing, etc. Southern Utah kept is close after one quarter, but Kevin Thomson poured it on in the second quarter and the Hornets never looked back. Thunderbird running back James Felila tried to make it interesting in the fourth quarter, but the T-Birds were met with a couple more Thomson scores instead. Southern Utah will have a bye week, Sacramento State will head to Eastern Washington.

Eastern Washington and Montana played their annual “score all the points” game and this one surely didn’t disappoint. The Griz jumped out to a 24-6 halftime lead, but Gage Gabrud had other thoughts for the finish of the game. Eastern Washington scored 42 second half points to get past the Griz 48-41. Gabrud had 549 yards passing and four touchdowns for the Eagles. Montana quarterback Gresch Jensen, the redshirt freshman making his first collegiate start, had 358 yards and two touchdowns, while adding a rushing touchdown. Montana will head to Portland State, Eastern Washington will host Sacramento State.

Just when we thought Northern Arizona would be left for dead they come back and take down a team that might legitimately by dead.. Cal Poly. Case Cookus turned in a fine performance throwing for 406 yards and four touchdowns. Elijah Marks caught 206 yards of those passes and a pair of scores. Cal Poly, who is now without running back Joe Protheroe, is making more than due with running back Jared Mohamed who had 124 yards. Cal Poly will head to Idaho State, Northern Arizona will host Northern Colorado.

Scores

Idaho State 42
Northern Colorado 43

Montana State 49
North Dakota 21

UC Davis 3
Weber State 41

Southern Utah 27
Sacramento State 54

Eastern Washington 48
Montana 41

Northern Arizona 28
Cal Poly 10

Big Sky Player of the Week

This week’s Big Sky player of the week is Sacramento State quarterback Kevin Thomson. Thomson was 14/26 for 253 yards and three touchdowns, and also rushed for 149 yards and four touchdowns as the Hornets defeated Southern Utah on Saturday.

Big Sky MVP Candidates

Gage Gabrud, QB, Eastern Washington – 44/65 for 549, 4 TD, 1 INT
Cole Reyes, LB, North Dakota – 2 tackles
Tanner Gueller, QB, Idaho State – 15/24 for 264 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT
Elijah Marks, WR, Northern Arizona – 14 rec, 206 yards, 2 TD

Big Sky Power Rankings

1. Eastern Washington
2. Weber State
3. Northern Colorado
4. Montana State
5. Montana
6. Idaho State
7. Northern Arizona
8. North Dakota
9. Southern Utah
10. UC Davis
11. Sacramento State
12. Portland State
13. Cal Poly

Final Thoughts and Hot Takes

Interesting to see Cal Poly at the bottom of the Big Sky. Has that ever happened before? Not in my recent memory, that’s for sure. What an interesting trip to the bottom.

That spot is usually held by Sacramento State.

Montana needs to figure its defensive problems out in a hurry. Can’t be giving up 42 points in a half and win football games. Scoring 41 points should be enough to win you most football games. Gotta be in a good position to win.

However, 41 points may not win you a lot of games in the Big 12.

Northern Arizona and Northern Colorado might be a fun game if both offenses are humming. Could be a classic Big Sky football game. No defense.

No offense to the defenses out there.

That was a good pun.

Too bad about Emmanuel Butler being out for the season, he’s one of the Big Sky’s best receiver, maybe the best one. Northern Arizona won’t be better without him. Elijah Marks will try like hell to fill that void, but having both of them active is NAUs only chance at survival.

Interesting to see Southern Utah get blown out by a typically hapless Sacramento State. They had such a good week last week, then just get blown completely out. Did I miss something in this game, or this just more wacky Big Sky stuff we’ll never understand?

In the same token, after Idaho State gets top 25 votes for beating Nevada, they were beaten Northern Colorado in a wild shootout. No wonder the Big Sky is so woefully represented in the top 25 every week, no one really gets a head in this conference.

 

SOCON: Week 4 Review and Power Rankings

It was a wild week in the Southern Conference. A couple upsets spiced things up in the race for the conference crown. Both ETSU, with its victory over Mercer, and especially WCU’s victory over a ranked Samford team, showed just how competitive conference play can be in the SOCON. In the other conference match up, Chattanooga got back on track with a victory over VMI. The out of conference games had some surprising results as well. Wofford appeared to struggle a bit against Gardner-Webb and in one of the most surprising results, Furman traveled to Colgate and won big. The Citadel was idle.

ETSU 26 Mercer 23 (box score)

For the second week in a row, the Bucs of ETSU found themselves with a halftime lead in a game they were not favored to win. They could not hold on to the lead the week prior.   They didn’t this week either. But they persevered and retook the lead in the end.

After a quick three and out by ETSU, Mercer struck quickly with a 49 yard reception. It looked like the Bears would have a field day. But an inopportune fumble a couple plays later and a 50 yard return by ETSU put a crimp in Mercer’s plans. Four plays later ETSU scored to go up 7-0.

After trading a few punts, ETSU struck again with a field goal after a 49 yard drive. But Mercer answer right back to close the score to 10-6 after they missed the XP. The teams only trades more punts to close the half.

After trading punts again to open the second half, Mercer got to work. They scored on successive possession to go up 20-10. Wedged in between those scores, ETSU missed a 23 yard chip shot field goal. A few of these drives were marked by multiple penalties by both teams. On the day, both teams were pretty sloppy with ETSU being penalized 11 times for 119 yards and Mercer 10 times for 95 yards. Many of those were either self inflicted drive killing or drive extending penalties for the opponent.

On ETSU’s next drive they again were forced to attempt a field goal after a 13 play drive for 54 yards. They got it this time, a 49 yard boomer to close the score to 20-13 The defenses were definitely stiffing up as Mercer was also held to a field goal attempt on their next possession, which they missed from 35 yards out.

ETSU then went on an 8 play 80 yard scoring drive to tie it up with 4:41 to go in the game. Mercer tried to drive for the game winning score but was forced to punt after a couple first downs. With just over two minutes to go, ETSU was foiled in their attempt by a couple penalties and a sack. William B Greene Jr. Stadium had it first overtime game.

Mercer got the ball first and ETSU’s defense was up to the task. Mercer was forced to kick a field goal. QB Austin Herink wasted no time during the Buc’s possession and connected on a 25 yard TD pass to one of his running backs, Jajuan Stinson, for the win.

Herink had a pretty good day going 26/33 for 284 yards, and 1 TD and no interceptions. On the ground ETSU accumulated 103 yards for a 2.5 yard average. Herink was sacked three times for a loss of 15 yards. ETSU went 6/14 on third downs.

Mercer’s freshman QB Kaelan Riley also had a pretty good day going 15/22 for 257 yards, one TD and no interceptions. On the ground, Bear’s running back CJ Leggett led Mercer with 109 yards and one TD.   Overall Mercer had 149 rushing yards. Riley was sack once. The Bears went only 2/10 on third downs.

The only turnover in the game was Mercer’s fumble on their first possession. ETSU did a good job holding onto the ball with a time of possession of almost 36 minutes.

Mercer, fresh from its respectable performance against FBS ranked Auburn, probably did not expect this from ETSU. But the Bucs are good team and their road opening beat down by JMU was probably due in part to a bit of the jitters. Both teams made a couple impressive defensive stands. Far from losing much at the QB position, Mercer seems to have found a good one in Riley. But he is just a freshman and Mercer would not have lost this game last year with their veteran QB. Now at 1-3, 0-2, Mercer will have to regroup in order to remain in the hunt for the conference championship. ETSU now at 2-2, 1-1, looks to continue improving in their third year back.

Mercer hosts VMI next week and ETSU travels to Furman.

Chattanooga 63 VMI 7 (box score)

The Chattanooga Mocs have had a tough schedule to date losing to JSU, LSU and a good Tenn-Martin team. They needed a win. This game against VMI was timely. VMI has struggled all year. A blowout loss to AF, a meltdown against Div II Catawba, and a tough road loss to Robert Morris have been disheartening for the Keydets. Chattanooga made it worse for them.

The Mocs had 9 first half possessions including a late interception just seconds prior to half. They scored touchdowns on 6 on them. They had help. VMI threw three interceptions, fumbled once, and had a punt blocked. UTC’s starting field position was pretty much in the middle of VMI territory. The one bright spot for VMI came late in the second half when Duncan Hodges (must be a cousin of Devlin) connected on a picture perfect 73 yard TD pass late. That made it 42-7 at that point. VMI got a lot of QB participation with the second and third string getting reps after starter Austin Coulling left in the second after going 3/8 for 33 yards and two interceptions.

Mercifully, the MOCs possessed the ball for 23 minutes in the second half taking long drives to score only three more times.

Chattanooga’s temp QB, Nick Tiano went 25/33 for 249 yards, 4 TDs, and 1 interception. I say temp, because it is expected that the Mocs expected starter Alejandro Bennifield will return shortly. But it is probable that he may be a bit game rusty. On the ground, the Mocs tallied 148 yards on 44 rushes. For the game Chattanooga gained only 397 yards. That is a bit lower than one would expect but was due to their ridiculous starting field position. Still, they did go 12/15 on third downs.

They needed their offense to step up.

As mentioned, VMI rotated a little bit in the QB position. On the day, all three QBs went 9/19 for 136 yards, 1 TD and 3 interceptions. The Keydets only gained 28 yards on the ground. VMI did not need to face UTC’s stout defense this week. The Keydets only went 1 for 10 on third downs. Possessing the ball for only 21 minutes makes it hard to score as well.

Both of these teams are facing some issues. UTC is still adjusting to a new coach and while the Moc faithful certainly hope that they will get in gear permanently with the return of their QB, that is far from certain. And their running game is still a question mark. VMI was hardly a good test. VMI on the other hand appears to be having some serious fundamental issues. They are in total disarray on both sides of the ball. They need to persevere and rebuild from the ground up.

It does not get any easier for the Keydets. They travel to Macon to face a pissed off Mercer team hungry for their first SOCON victory of the year. Chattanooga faces an apparently rejuvenated Western Carolina team at home next week.

Furman 45 Colgate 14 (box score)

Furman’s season has been one of disappointment up to this point. Starting out 0-3 with losses to Wofford, Elon and NC State was not what first year head coach Clay Hendrix probably envisioned. But Furman looked ok in all of those games for a team as young as they are. They needed to put a game together and minimize mistakes.   Playing Colgate on the road appeared to not be the best opportunity to do that.

After trading punts to start the game, Furman caught its first break. Colgate fumbled after completing a pass in Furman territory. The Paladins went to work quickly and scored on a 61 yards pass by PJ Blazejowski. After forcing Colgate to punt on their next possession, Furman then took its time and drove 76 yards on 11 plays to go up 14-0. Colgate then gave Furman another opportunity as the Paladins forced a fumbled when the QB was sacked deep in Colgate territory. Furman scored again near the end of the first quarter.

As if this was not enough, on Colgate’s next possession, they opted to go for it on a 4th and 1 at their own 34 yards line at the start of the second quarter. Bad decision. Furman stuffed them and took over on downs.   They did hold Furman to a field goal on the ensuing drive and the score stood at 24-0 with 12:07 to go in the first half. But sometimes, when things go bad, they just get even worse. On Colgate’s next possession, they fumbled yet again and Furman’s next drive started on the Colgate 10. They scored in one play. After forcing another Colgate punt, Furman went on a 77 yard drive for another score to make it 38-0. Colgate did get it going on their next drive and went 81 yards on 11 plays to make it 38-7 at the half.

After Furman threw an interception on their first possession of the second half, the teams traded punts a few times. They then traded TDs before ending the third, but the damage had already been done. The 4th quarter saw the teams trade punts or turnovers on downs. Furman held on to their 45-14 lead for the much needed win.

Furman’s PJ Blazejowski went 13/20 for 251 yards with 3 TDs and 1 interception. The Paladins ran for 140 yards on 50 attempts. They went 7/16 on third down attempts.

The Paladin’s defense held Colgate to 283 yards of total offense. They also held Colgate to 4 of 18 on third down attempts. It is clear that Colgate’s 3 lost fumbles broke their back early as Furman capitalized on all three. The Furman defense also had 5 sacks. The teams split the TOP about even.

Colgate, who had been ranked this year, probably underestimated the 0-3 Paladins a bit, especially after Elon beat the Paladins a couple weeks ago. Underestimating Elon proved to be a bit premature as well. Furman is probably still a bit inconsistent, but they have some talent and some young talent at that. They will only get better. Oh, and Clay Hendrix has his first win as a head coach. Furman hosts ETSU next week where he will look for win number two.

#8 Wofford 27 Gardner-Webb 24 (box score)

Wofford has had some close calls this year. They had another one this week. It is true that running the option does not necessarily lend itself to racking up big points most of the time, although that does happen occasionally. But Wofford has had some issue scoring points all year. Granted it started the season against underrated Furman and Mercer teams, but they are both better than their reputation.

On Saturday Wofford got off to a slow start. The Terriers took their opening drive 55 yards in 14 plays (!) and took 6:49 off the clock to get…a field goal. The teams then traded four punts where they each went three and out every time. Wofford was passing quite a bit on these drives. Gardner-Webb got on the board at the beginning of the second quarter when they drove 55 yards in 12 plays to also score a field goal to tie it up.

Wofford answered with a 10 play 75 yard drive which ended with a 30 yard TD pass. After holding Gardner-Webb to a three and out Wofford gave the Runnin’ Bulldogs a gift with a fumble which resulted in a 53 yard scoop and score. With the score tied at 10, Wofford went on 8 play 75 scoring drive and Wofford held the 17-10 lead going into the break.

Gardner-Webb first possession of the second half ended with an interception while still in their own territory. Their defense stiffened up and held Wofford to a field goal. Now down 20-10, G-W went on a 75 yard 13 play scoring drive to close the gap to 20-17. Wofford answered back immediately again with 75 yard drive to extend the lead again. Wofford Goodson threw a 38 yard pass, and Andre Stoddard had a 26 yard run on the drive for the score.

After trading punts, Gardner-Webb started their next drive past midfield with 9:45 to go in the game. They scored on a fast 2 minute drive of 45 yards in 4 plays. With the score now at 27-24 half way through the 4th quarter, Gardner-Webb was within striking distance if they could only hold Wofford. It didn’t look good as Wofford drove the ball well and chewed up clock. After a 9 play drive and using up 5 minutes of the clock, Wofford then made it interesting. On a 1st and 10 from the G-W 34, with 2:40 to go in the game, they fumbled it away. Down by 3 Gardner-Webb wasted no time in moving down the field for a potential game winning or at least a tie score. They made it to the Wofford 33 before the Terriers defense stepped up and held them to a 4th and 12 with 1:05 on the clock. A 50 yard field goal try came up well short and left and Wofford ran out the clock.

Wofford who had averaged 87 yards through the air per game prior, upped that this game. With two QBs, Brandon Goodson and Joe Newman, they went 9/14 for 137 yards with 1 TD. Goodson threw the majority with 117 yards. On the ground, Wofford was a little shy of their 271 yard average with 235 yards on the day. Andre Stoddard was their lead rusher with 91 yards and two TDs. They went 8/14 on third down tries. Time of possession was about even with Wofford having a 2 minute advantage.

On defense the Terriers had a respectable day. They held Gardner-Webb to 270 yards total including 171 yards passing and 99 rushing. The Runnin’ Bulldogs went 5/12 on third down conversions.

Each team had one sack. Each team also had 4 penalties. Special teams on both sides were good.

Wofford seems to be underachieving a little on offense, but they continue to churn out the Ws. Like the Citadel, they are playing close games and relying on the fact they can crank out long scoring drives when needed. They also have a pretty good defense and do not give up a lot of yards or points. They are in danger only when they let teams stay close with untimely turnovers or special teams errors.

Wofford will travel to Presbyterian this coming week.

Western Carolina 38  #17 Samford 34 (box score)

WCU had gone 27 games since beating a ranked opponent. The Cats had put up gaudy offensive numbers to date. The Samford Bulldogs had as well, but they have also had issues on defense. The WCU Catamounts had a great opportunity to pull the upset.

WCU took their opening possession down the field with ease, but were eventually stopped and the Cats settled for a field goal. After holding Samford to a three and out, WCU went on an 8 play, 73 yard drive to score a TD this time to go up 10-0. But Samford answered right back with a 74 yard drive of their own to close it to 10-7.

Many expected this game to become a track meet and it looked like it just might turn into one. However, both defenses then came alive and the teams then traded five punts. But then the Bulldogs got going again with an 8 play, 97 yard scoring drive to take the lead for Samford 14-10. WCU answered back quickly behind the arm of QB Tyrie Adams. The Cats scored on a 3 play, 80 yard drive capped off by a 59 yard strike by Adams and WCU reclaimed the lead 17-14. After trading more punts WCU threatened again right before half when they drove 72 yards to the Samford 2 before fumbling the ball in the end zone. Samford ran out the clock and the score stood at half time.

After a good kickoff return to open the second half, Samford took their first possession the distance for a TD and the lead changed yet again. After holding WCU to a three and out on their next possession, Samford struck quickly on their first play with a 72 yards pass to the WCU 15. But the Cats defense knew they needed to stop them before a route began. They did and forced Samford to kick a field goal to make it 24-17 Samford.

The Cats answered right back to tie it up with a 9 play, 82 yard drive which was saved after a pass interference call negated a Samford interception. Samford also answered right back with 69 yard drive that took 8 plays to get then to the WCU 4. WCU’s defense stood up again and forced Samford to kick another field goal to again let Samford claim the lead at 27-24.

After each team punted, Adams tossed an interception in the end zone early in the 4th quarter after driving into Samford territory. Samford then moved into Western Carolina territory before being stopped and were forced to punt. With 10:54 to go in the game and down by 3, Adams went to work again. WCU took it 80 yards in 9 plays on a drive that included a 48 run by Adams. Now with 7:38 to go in the game, and WCU leading 31-27, one of those intangible things happened. The game was suspended due to lightning for 40 minutes.

After the game resumed, Samford got great field position due to a good return after WCU was penalized for an unsportsmanlike penalty on the last score. Samford started their drive on their own 48 yards line. The Cats defense stood firm though and forced a three and out. With 6:13 remaining in the game, WCU had an opportunity to ice it with a score. But the Bulldog defense then held firm and forced a three and out themselves. Deep in their own territory, the Cats punter only got the kick to midfield and a 10 yard return put Samford in striking distance. Two passes, including a 36 yard TD pass was all it took for Samford to go ahead 34-31 with 3:54 remaining.

Not to be outdone, on WCU’s next possession, Tyrie Adams completed four straight passes for the Cats to put it at the Samford 4 yard line. Some of those passes were simply phenomenal. Detrez Newsome punched it in on the next play and WCU reclaimed the lead, 38-34 with 1:33 remaining. It didn’t look good for Samford. But anyone who has followed Samford the last couple years knows how fast they can score. So they had a chance even if they had a special teams error.

And they did have one. It was a “who’s on first” for the Samford kickoff returners when the kick came and they had to just drop on the ball. Unfortunately for Samford it was on their own 1 yard line. 99 yards? Not a problem for Samford, even with a minute and a half remaining.

Devlin Hodges, one of the best QBs in FCS, completed three quick passes to get the ball to the Samford 38. After a coupe incomplete passes, he completed three more to take the Bulldogs all the way to the WCU 3 yard line! With 20 second left in the game, it looked like Samford had to just punch it in for the win. Their first rush got them to the 2. Both teams were taking all sorts of timeouts during this time as well. Hodges then tried to pass, but it was incomplete. On the 3rd and goal Hodges tried to punch it in but got only 1 more. This is when WCU thought the game was over. The WCU team and lots of fans ran out on the field. But Samford got the timeout called in time with 2 seconds remaining. With a 4th and goal at the 1, Samford, again, had to just punch it in. Well if they had any sort of reliable running game that is all they needed to do. Hodges tried to pass and a WCU defender batted it down. The Cats had their victory and the team and fans then went wild.

As expected, these teams put up ridiculous numbers on offense. WCU totaled 602 yards. QB Tyrie Adams went 19/31 for 312 yards, 1 TD and 1 interception. He also had 152 yards rushing. He will clearly be the SOCON offensive player of the week. Cats running back Detrez Newsome ran for 96 as well as gaining 21 receiving, and 98 yards on kickoff returns. Overall WCU had 290 yards rushing. WCU had a slight edge in time of possession. They had 5 penalties for 51 yards. Adams was sacked 5 times.

Samford did their usual thing. They had 529 yards passing. Hodges went 39/67. He had 4 TDs and no interceptions. On the ground Samford only had 91 yards on 21 attempts. Samford was not sacked in the game. The Bulldogs had 8 penalties for 81 yards. Samford went 9/20 on third down conversion.

Wow. It was an exciting game to watch and WCU can be proud of their effort. They have issues on defense obviously since giving up 620 yards is unacceptable. But their defense made some key stops when needed so progress is happening. Right now Samford is just a bit too one dimensional to be a contender. Sure they can pass on any team who has pass defense issues, but without a reliable running game, they will be predictable. The Bulldogs also have defensive issues obviously giving up over 600 yards. As usual lately, they are relying on their offense to outscore their opponents. Their scoring drives continue to be in the two minute range, so they can execute the offensive side pretty well.

WCU will take its momentum to Chattanooga next week and try and wreck the Mocs season. Samford hosts The Citadel next week where it will be “pass” against the “run.”

Power Rankings

  1. Wofford
  2. The Citadel
  3. Western Carolina
  4. Chattanooga
  5. Samford
  6. Furman
  7. ETSU
  8. Mercer
  9. VMI

AGS Poll: Top 25 Week 4 Results

Movement in the Week 4 AGS top 25 was the most volatile yet in this young 2017 season with 8 of the 20 ranked teams that were in action this past weekend sustaining losses – 7 of them to teams ranked below them in last week’s AGS rankings. Despite that the top 5 remained unchanged for the 4th straight week with James Madison, North Dakota State, South Dakota State, Sam Houston State, and Jacksonville State forming the top 5 in that order.

Western Illinois was the biggest mover up rising 5 spots from #14 to #9. Albany shot up 8 spots to #16 after their OT win against previously ranked #7 Villanova. For the 2nd straight week the bottom of the top 25 saw a massive turnover as #20-#25 was comprised of completely new teams this week. Those teams, in order from #20 to #25, were UT Martin (up 8 spots), Elon (up 11 spots), Stony Brook (up 4 spots), Montana State (previously unranked), Western Carolina (previously unranked), and Southern Illinois (up 6 spots). All 6 teams cracked the AGS top 25 for the first time in 2017.

Villanova and Richmond took the biggest tumbles this week dropping 7 and 10 spots to #14 and #19, respectively, following close intra-conference losses. Samford, North Dakota, Tennessee State, Nicholls State, Holy Cross, and Southern Utah all dropped out of the top 25 after dropping games over the weekend.

The MVFC and CAA comprised over half of the top 25 by themselves with 7 teams each achieving ranked status. The SOCON and Big Sky each had 3 teams in the top 25 and the Southland and OVC each placed 2. 6 of the 7 ranked MVFC teams were in the top 10.

Full results below:

Rank Team Total Points First Place Votes
1 James Madison Dukes 1996 76
2 North Dakota State Bison 1916 4
3 South Dakota State Jackrabbits 1808
4 Sam Houston State Bearkats 1733
5 Jacksonville State Gamecocks 1627
6 Youngstown State Penguins 1540
7 South Dakota Coyotes 1390
8 Wofford Terriers 1355
9 Western Illinois Leathernecks 1345
10 Illinois State Redbirds 1258
11 The Citadel Bulldogs 1211
12 Central Arkansas Bears 1107
13 Eastern Washington Eagles 990
14 Villanova Wildcats 796
15 New Hampshire Wildcats 753
16 Albany Great Danes 740
17 Weber State Wildcats 719
18 North Carolina A&T Aggies 691
19 Richmond Spiders 558
20 Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks 533
21 Elon Phoenix 509
22 Stony Brook Seawolves 367
23 Montana State Bobcats 147
24 Western Carolina Catamounts 139
25 Southern Illinois Salukis 104
ORV:
26 Samford Bulldogs 93
27T Maine Black Bears 67
27T William & Mary Tribe 67
29 Tennessee State Tigers 62
30 Chattanooga Mocs 47
31 Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens 41
32 Grambling State Tigers 39
33 Princeton Tigers 34
34 McNeese State Cowboys 33
35 Holy Cross Crusaders 32
36 Pennsylvania Quakers 25
37T North Dakota Fighting Hawks 19
37T Nicholls State Colonels 19
39 Yale Bulldogs 15
40 Northern Iowa Panthers 13

Most Significant Win: Elon Phoenix
Most Significant Loss: Richmond Spiders

Join the conversation at: http://www.anygivensaturday.com/showthread.php?196387-AGS-Poll-Results-Week-4-09-25-2017

MVFC – Week 4 in Review

MVFC LogoWeek 4 (the week of bye weeks) is over and even though it was a light week for MVFC games, it was a pretty good one. 2-1 in non-conference games, with both wins being VERY dominating and the 1 loss still a very impressive performance, all things considered.

Illinois State Logo#14 Illinois State at Missouri State (Alumni Day)

1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
ILSU 3 3 28 0 34
MSU 6 0 0 3 9

Missouri State Logo

 

Quick Hits:

  • ISU – QB Jake Kolbe threw for 312 yards and 1 TD with 1 INT
  • ISU – WR Spencer Schnell went into triple-digits with 135 yards receiving
  • ISU – Threw down coming out of halftime with 28 points in the 3rd quarter to put the game essentially out of reach for the Bears
  • ISU – P/K Sean Slattery was 4-for-4 on XP attempts, hit FGs from 48 and 28 yards, and had 4 TBs on kickoffs (helping keep MSU’s dangerous kick returner from making any game-changing plays). For his efforts he was awarded the MVFC Special Teams Player of the Week Award.
  • MSU – WR Deion Holliman scored MSU’s only TD in the game with a 53-yard TD run 42 seconds into the game
  • MSU – Bears defense held the Redbird offense to 6 points in the first half, taking a 6-6 tie into halftime
  • MSU – PK Zach Drake hit a 28-yard FG for the only other Missouri State points in the game, but had 2 blocked and 1 missed kick in the first half.

The first half was something of a defensive battle. MSU struggled on kicks, and ISU struggled on holding onto the ball, with a fumble and an interception. The second half however, ISU’s Coach Spack must have found the missing pages of his playbook somewhere under his ‘stache because the Redbirds blew things open with TDs on the next four possessions. Overall outcome was pretty well expected, but took a while to really develop.

Illinois State moves to 3-0 and will head back home to take on the 0-3 Indiana State Sycamores
Missouri State drops to 1-4 and will face probably their toughest test of the season at the Fargodome, taking on 3-0 North Dakota State at their Homecoming game.

My Pick in Review:
I said: Redbirds by 14
It was: Redbirds by 25

Fairly close…game was closer than I expected in the first half, but I didn’t really expect the 3rd-quarter offensive explosion. Not too far off with my pick though.

North Dakota State LogoRobert Morris at #2 North Dakota State (Trees Bowl)

Anyone else think the “Trees Bowl” should be when they take on Indiana State, or is that just me?

1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
RMU 0 0 0 0 0
NDSU 35 14 7 0 56

Quick Hits:

  • NDSU – RB Lance Dunn touched the ball 4 times (3 rushes, 1 reception), had 121 total yards and 4 TDs….yes…4 touches…4 TDs…oh, and a MVFC Co-Offensive Player of the Week Award.
  • NDSU – QB Easton Stick threw for 132 yards and 2 TDs
  • NDSU – had the ball for nearly 40 minutes of the game and Bison defense held RMU to 57 total yards
  • NDSU – R-FR LB Jabril Cox had 8 tackles and a fumble recovery and received the MVFC Newcomer of the Week Award.
  • RMU – Defense had 4 sacks on NDSU QBs

Unexpected…nope. Impressive (especially Lance Dunn)…yup. After rolling up 35 points in the first quarter, the Bison eased off the gas a bit, with 14 in the 2nd, and 7 in the 3rd. I generally pay pretty close attention to team’s rosters and I didn’t recognize the names of any of the Bison players who touched the ball in the second half other than the kicker. So..idk…second…maybe third string? Or were they playing intramural flag football dudes by then?

NDSU moves to 3-0 and gets another home game next week…against 1-3 Missouri State…for Homecoming.
RMU is even at 2-2 and heads down to take on newly-returned Eastern Tennessee State (2-2) next weekend.

My pick in Review:
I said: Bison by 43
It was: Bison by 53

Pretty hard to get the exact margin on games like this…you never really know exactly when the coach is going to ease up and if they’ll still pop off one or two extra scores or not. I think my pick is pretty solid on this.

Western Illinois Logo#19 Western Illinois at FBS Coastal Carolina (Youth Day)

1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
WIU 7 14 21 10 52
CCU 10 0 0 0 10

Quick Hits:

  • WIU – QB Sean McGuire hits 17 out of 19 passes (one just a throw-away due to WRs being covered) for 276 yards and 3 TDs, and had 1 receiving TD. He received both the CFPA FCS National Performer of the Week award and the MVFC Co-Offensive Player of the Week Award.
  • WIU – RB Max Norris had 80 yards and 1 TD, and All-MVFC RB Steve McShane returns after an ankle injury early in game 1 to run for 32 yards and 1 TD and catch for 39 yards
  • WIU – LB Brett Taylor had 8 tackles, 2 for loss and the defense as a whole had 10 tackles for loss (4 sacks), 3 interceptions (one was the last play of the game though…when the CCU QB was just throwing it out to nobody in particular). Taylor received the MVFC Defensive Player of the Week Award for his performance.
  • WIU – Leathernecks defense held CCU scoreless past the first quarter and held them to their lowest rushing yardage and total offensive yardage performance of the season, and held CCU’s top RB (had averaged 112 ypg and 2 TDs per game) to 18 yards and 0 TDs
  • WIU – PK Sam Crosa was 7/7 on XPs and hit a 23-yarder late in the game.
  • CCU – WR Malcolm Williams had 79 receiving yards, and RB Alex James had the only TD for the Chanticleers
  • CCU – PK Evan Rabon hit a 52-yard FG for the first score of the game

Well, as a Leatherneck fan, I obviously was hoping we’d win. I don’t think I ever even imagined a beatdown like this to be within the realm of possibility though. The game started off looking like it’d be a back-and-forth battle, but WIU came on strong in the 2nd quarter and went into halftime with an 11 point lead. They then opened up their usual 3rd quarter explosion (45% of our points have come in the 3rd quarter…someone is really good at halftime pep talks), and by the start of the 4th, it was pretty much over.

Western Illinois starts the season 3-0 with a FBS win for the second year in a row, despite what that stupid graphic on ESPN said about us starting 3-0 for the first time since 1935…it’s actually the first season we’ve started with 3 games on the road since 1935. Next weekend, WIU welcomes a very impressive USD Coyotes team that includes 8 coaches who were on WIU’s staff two years ago and another coach who played at Western in the ’80s and started his DI coaching career at Western in the early ’90s. So, to say that this one could be a bit personal is something of an understatement. Oh…and it’s WIU’s first home game…and it’s Homecoming…yup.
Coastal Carolina drops to 1-2 in their first season as an FBS team and heads to UL-Monroe for their first Sun Belt game next weekend.

My Pick in Review:
I said: Leathernecks by 1
It was: Leathernecks by 42

Well…I did get the pick right. I’m not going to count this one as a win for me though…Western won, but by an order of magnitude more than I thought they would. That doesn’t count.

Southern Illinois LogoSouthern Illinois at FBS Memphis

1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
SIU 14 7 3 7 31
MEM 7 10 17 10 44

Quick Hits:

  • SIU – QB Sam Straub threw for 290 yards and 4 TDs with 1 INT
  • SIU – WR Connor Iwema caught 118 of those yards and 1 TD and WR Darrell James had 43 yards and 2 TDs
  • MEM – QB Riley Ferguson, who threw for 398 yards and 6 TDs against #25 UCLA last week, was held to 288 yards and 2 TDs
  • MEM – RB Tony Pollard had a 100-yard kickoff return for TD at the end of the 3rd quarter

A very strong start gave SIU a 7 point lead after 1 quarter and 3 point lead at halftime. Memphis was able to come back in the 3rd, but SIU stayed close, being down by only 3 points late in the 3rd quarter. Tony Pollard’s kickoff return for a TD immediately afterwards was the hammer that crushed any momentum that the Salukis were building at that point. A mistake-prone (and bad-call-prone) 4th quarter ended SIU’s hopes of getting the MVFC’s second FCS upset of the day (and 3rd of the season). Still, when one of the lower teams in the MVFC is down by only 1 score until 1:21 left in the game, against Memphis…that’s still an impressive performance.

Southern Illinois drops to 2-1 and heads home for Family Weekend, where they’ll host the 1-2 UNI Panthers.
Memphis is now 3-0 and was supposed to play Georgia State next weekend, but cancelled that game to play at Central Florida, as a make-up game for one that was cancelled due to hurricane.

My Pick in Review:
I said: Tigers by 28
It was: Tigers by 13

I think I’ll count this as a win. I was fully expecting SIU to be able to put up points on Memphis…they’ve got a good offense (last year, the 4th best passing offense in the FCS), but was particularly impressed with the ability of their defense to keep Memphis from completely running away with the game.

Overall a rather exciting week, despite a lot of teams being off. Next week though, all 10 MVFC teams will be in action…in all-MVFC games. The Meat Grinder is in full effect now and in two of the games, one top 15 team will win and another will lose.

I went 3-1 with my picks this week, 22-4 for previous weeks for a grand total of 25-5 at this point in the season.

How They Fared

superman7515 on AGS does a weekly recap for the AGS Poll voters and it is a great quantification of the past weekends games.  He makes a Google Doc up that is chock full of other information.  You should give it a look for much more detail.

HOW THEY FARED DOC

#1 James Madison Dukes Won vs #27 Maine Black Bears 28-10
#2 North Dakota State Bison Won vs Robert Morris Colonials 56-0
#3 South Dakota State Jackrabbits BYE
#4 Sam Houston State Bearkats Won vs #22 Nicholls State Colonels 66-17
#5 Jacksonville State Gamecocks Won vs Liberty Flames 31-10
#6 Youngstown State Penguins BYE
#7 Villanova Wildcats Lost at #24 Albany Great Danes 10-19 (OT)
#8 Wofford Terriers Won vs Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs 27-24
#9 Richmond Spiders Lost vs #32 Elon Phoenix 33-36
#10 South Dakota Coyotes BYE
#11 The Citadel Bulldogs BYE
#12 Illinois State Redbirds Won at Missouri State Bears 34-9
#13 Central Arkansas Bears BYE
#14 Western Illinois Leathernecks Won at FBS Coastal Carolina Chanticleers 52-10
#15 Eastern Washington Eagles Won at #30 Montana Grizzlies 48-41
#16 New Hampshire Wildcats Won vs Rhode Island Rams 28-14
#17 Samford Bulldogs Lost at (ORV) Western Carolina Catamounts 34-38
#18 North Carolina A&T Aggies Won at Morgan State Bears 49-17
#19 North Dakota Fighting Hawks Lost vs (ORV) Montana State Bobcats 21-49
#20 Weber State Wildcats Won vs #40 UC Davis Aggies 41-3
#21 Tennessee State Tigers Lost at #28 Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks 16-31
#22 Nicholls State Colonels Lost at #4 Sam Houston State Bearkats 17-66
#23 Holy Cross Crusaders Lost at Darmouth Big Green 26-27 (OT)
#24 Albany Great Danes Won vs #7 Villanova Wildcats 19-10 (OT)
#25 Southern Utah Thunderbirds Lost at Sacramento State Hornets 27-54

 

 

 

 

Patriot League: Week 4 Preview

Penn (1-0) at Lehigh (0-3, 0-0) – Sept 23rd 12:30 PM Goodman Stadium Bethlehem, PA

Live Stream: Patriot League Network

Lehigh will try to notch their first win of the season against defending Ivy League co-champion Penn Saturday afternoon. Lehigh continues to be plagued by terrible defense (46.7 ppg) through the first 3 games of the season. The Mountain Hawk rush defense currently ranks 118th in FCS. The front 7 have been manhandled in the last two games. Things don’t figure to get any better with a 1st team All-American wide receiver (Justin Watson) and a proven running back (Tre Solomon) invading Goodman Stadium this week.  The Quakers are coming off a 42-24 win over Division II Ohio-Dominican. They were picked 2nd in the preseason Ivy League poll.

The Mountain Hawks best chance to get their first win of the season is to simply outscore the Quakers. Dom Bragalone is listed as the starting RB (was last week) after missing the Yale game. If he’s able to play it will be a tremendous boost to the rushing attack that has struggled to gain traction to start the year. As a result of being one dimensional the offense (30 ppg) has not lived up to their preseason billing. Lehigh will need to account for a talented Quaker front 7 on defense. DE Louis Vecchio along with the linebacker tandem of Connor Jargo and Colton Moskal will give the Mountain Hawk offensive line fits all day.

Lehigh has soundly defeated (42-21 ’15 & 49-28 ’16) Penn each of the last two years. This year things don’t figure to be nearly as easy. The Quakers are loaded at that skill positions on offense which is bad news for the downtrodden Mountain Hawk “D”. Lehigh has to force Penn QB Will Fischer-Colbrie (making 2nd career start) into some mistakes. Mayes should have a lot of success of against Penn’s experienced secondary but will it be enough? Probably not.

Prediction: Penn 48 Lehigh 37

Georgetown (1-1, 0-0) at Columbia (1-0) – Sept 23rd 1 PM Lawrence A. Wien Stadium New York, NY

Live Stream: Ivy League Digital Network

Georgetown and Columbia square off in the Big Apple for the Lou Little Cup this Saturday. Lou Little coached at both schools with great success in the first half of the 20th century. In 2015 the schools agreed to play for a trophy that commemorates the legacy of Little. The Hoyas have won the first two editions of the Lou Little Cup. Columbia enters the game fresh off a thrilling 17-14 last second win over Wagner. Georgetown on the other hand suffered a heartbreaking 14-12 decision to Marist.

If Georgetown wants to make it 3 straight over the Lions the offense must be able to produce at a higher level. Through the first two games the offense has produced 28 total points and ranks 95th in FCS in total yards (278 ypg). The Hoyas struggles on “O” go well beyond this year but with such an experienced group returning in 2017 things figured to improve. Columbia’s defense will certainly produce a challenge. The Lions are a veteran defense that is led by two All-Ivy selections, DT Lord Hyeamang and CB Cameron Roane. Georgetown has to be able to take some of the pressure of Tim Barnes if they’re going to put up enough points to win.

Columbia’s spread attack on offense will test the stingy Hoya defense. Senior quarterback Anders Hill has an experienced group of skill players to work with. The Lions likely won’t light up the scoreboard either but they should have enough firepower to outlast the Hoyas in a defensive struggle. Odds say Lion head coach Al Bagnoli gets his hands on the Lou Little Cup for the first time.

Prediction: Columbia 20 Georgetown 13

Fordham (1-2, 0-0) at Bryant (1-2) – Sept 23rd 1 PM Beirne Stadium Smithfield, RI

Live Streaming: NEC Front Row

Fordham heads to The Ocean State to take on the Bryant Bulldogs from the NEC. The Rams are licking their wounds after an embarrassing 56-21 loss to now #15 Eastern Washington. Fordham’s defense continues to be a major issue. They’re giving up 51 ppg to start the year. They’ve been torched via the ground (Army) and through the air (EWU). The Rams must find some level of improvement this week or the dangerous Bryant offense (486 ypg) will continue the misery.

After missing last week, All-American RB Chase Edmonds is expected to play against the Bulldogs. The Rams had virtually no rushing attack (26 yards) last week against Eastern Washington without Edmonds and his backup Jarred Brevard. Being able to control the ball and limiting their opponent’s possessions would go a long way in turning around the Ram’s fortunes. Without a healthy Edmonds defenses have been able to tee off on Anderson.  Bryant’s defense surrendered 60 points to a usually ho-hum Maine offense two weeks so this should be a good chance for Edmonds and company to get back on track. Bryant has two talented defensive linemen in Dillon Guthro and Kevin Lazzo that must be accounted for.

First year Bryant Head Coach James Perry established himself as one of the top offensive minds in FCS during his time as Princeton’s offensive coordinator. His knowledge is working right now because Bryant is putting up a bunch of yards despite not having a lot of proven firepower on offense. Louisiana Tech transfer Price Wilson leads the offense at quarterback (342 ypg 7 TD 8 INT). The Bulldogs will certainly test Fordham but it’s hard to imagine the Rams being outgunned if Edmonds does in fact play.

Prediction: Fordham 43 Bryant 31

Furman (0-3) at Colgate (1-2, 0-0) – Sept 23rd 1 PM Andy Kerr Stadium Hamilton, NY

Live Streaming: Patriot League Network

Colgate returns to home to host Southern Conference member Furman this week. The once powerful Paladins have fallen on hard times recently. Furman heads to Central New York having won just 3 out of  their last 17 games. They started this year with a narrow loss to in-state conference rival Wofford then suffered a bad loss to Elon before getting blown out by North Carolina State last week. If nothing else, Furman has to feel good about history being on their side. They’ve easily won the only two (42-21 ’08 & 45-15 ’10) previous meetings with Colgate. Although, that will be of little solace for 1st year Furman head coach Clay Hendrix.

The Raiders hard-nosed defense should be able to control a Paladin offense that has struggled a bit (23 ppg) out of the gate. Furman does have an excellent RB (All-SoCon) in Antonio Wilcox that Colgate needs to worry about. The Paladin passing game is led by veteran QB P.J Blazejowski (180 ypg 2 TD 1 INT) and WR Logan McCarter. The Colgate front seven should have success against a rather youthful Furman offensive line. If they can get pressure on Blazejowski the Paladin’s will have a very difficult time moving the ball.

Colgate needs to get things going offensively if they want to avoid falling to a disappointing 1-3. The passing attack has been atrocious (85 ypg) to start the season. Raider quarterback Grant Breneman will get his second career start against Furman after struggling mightily passing the ball against Buffalo. Thankfully for Colgate they still have a potent rushing attack (174.7 ypg) to fall back on. But at some point the lack of a passing attack will catch up with them.

Prediction: Colgate 27 Furman 17

Princeton (1-0) at Lafayette (0-3, 0-0) – Sept 23rd 6 PM Fisher Stadium Easton, PA

Live Streaming: Patriot League Network

Lafayette first year head coach John Garrett will try to earn his first win along the Leopard sidelines against his alma mater Saturday evening. Adding to the intrigue is the fact that current Tiger head coach Bob Surace and Garrett were teammates on the 1987 Princeton team and worked together for 3 years on the Cincinnati Bengals staff. Perhaps having a Princeton graduate on the Leopard side will be what gets Lafayette over the hump against their Ivy League nemesis. This will be the 50th meeting between Lafayette and Princeton. The Tigers own a commanding 42-4-3 all-time series lead and won last year’s contest 35-31 in New Jersey. Princeton and Harvard tied for 1st place in the preseason Ivy League poll. Old Nassau defeated 2017 FCS playoff participant San Diego 27-17 in their season opener.

If John Garrett wants to stun his alma mater he must get his team to compete for 60 minutes. The Leopards put forth an embarrassing effort in last week’s 59-0 dumpster fire against Villanova. Lafayette has too many quality players on defense to allow a solid but not spectacular Wildcat offense to race up and down the field for 49 first half points. Princeton enters this game with a very skilled QB in Chad Kanoff (3rd All-time in passing yards at PU) and a now healthy Charlie Volker at RB to go along with a decorated veteran offensive line. If the Leopards put forth a similar type performance on “D” they’ll get run off the field for a second straight week.

The biggest reason Lafayette seems destine for 0-4 is their offense (12 ppg). To say it was stuck in neutral might suggest it’s moving in the right direction. Lafayette’s offensive line continues to be a disaster which has led to a rushing attack that’s producing 9, NINE(!), yards per game. With that type of output on offense the Leopards are going to struggle to win a single game in 2017. They’re certainly not going to beat the defending Ivy League co-champs.

Prediction: Princeton 41 Lafayette 13

Sacred Heart (2-1) at Bucknell (1-2, 0-1) – Sept 23rd 6 PM Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium Lewisburg, PA

Live Streaming: Patriot League Network

Both Bucknell and Sacred Heart enter this week’s game off of tough road losses against CAA teams. After putting forth an excellent first half the Bison fell 30-9 to William & Mary in Virginia. Sacred Heart’s trip was shorter than Bucknell’s but their margin of defeat as greater as they lost 45-17 to Stony Brook. The Pioneers were able to take down Patriot League member Lafayette 38-24 in week 2 and have had success against Patriot League teams in the past. The Bison and Pioneers have met twice prior to this year’s matchup. The road team won both times.

If Bucknell wants to stop Sacred Heart from leaving Lewisburg with the “W” they must get the rushing game going. The strength of the Bison offense heading into the season was the running back duo of Joey DeFloria and Chad Freshnock. Through the first 3 games the two are averaging a combined 51 ypg. Suspect offensive line play and the inability to stretch the field passing the ball has allowed teams to focus on the Bison rushing attack to start the season. It won’t be any easier against a Pioneer defense that ranks 15th in FCS in total defense (284.7 ypg allowed). Wide receiver Jack Horn has the potential to loosen up the Pioneer but he and Muh have yet to develop a reliable connection. If the two can get on the same page the entire offense will benefit greatly.

On paper this game seems destined to be a defensive struggle. Sacred Heart has proven to have a little more balance (226 yards rush/166 yards pass per game) on offense through the first 3 games but their competition has not been on the same level as Bucknell’s. If Bucknell wants to keep the dream alive of a winning season this is the type of game they need to win at home. The Bison defense should cause just enough problems for Pioneer quarterback Kevin Duke and company to get back their record back to .500 on the season.

Prediction: Bucknell 20 Sacred Heart 16

Dartmouth (1-0) at #25 Holy Cross (2-1, 1-0) – Sept 23rd 7 PM Fitton Field Worcester, MA

Live Streaming: Patriot League Network

Fresh off the program’s biggest win (UNH) in 25+ years, Holy Cross will look to keep things rolling against Dartmouth Saturday night. The Big Green easily dispatched (35-10) of the Crusaders last year in Hanover, NH to take a one game, 38-37-4, lead in the all-time series. Overall, Dartmouth has won 9 straight games against out of conference competition. They started the 2017 season last week with a dominating 38-7 win over Stetson.  The Big Green were picked 5th in the preseason Ivy League poll after posting a 3-7 record in 2016.

Holy Cross has been getting strong play in all 3 phases to start the year. They all contributed in a big way in the 51-26 win over then #8 New Hampshire last week. If the offensive line can continue to gel this could be a very special year for the Crusaders. Before big picture worries come in to play, Holy Cross must worry about a very dangerous Dartmouth team. Big Green senior quarterback Jake Heneghan will be getting two impact wide receivers (Charles Mack and Hunter Hagdorn) back this week. The tandem missed the Stetson game with injuries. Those two should help balance out an offense that ran for 324 yards against the Hatters. The Holy Cross defense must prepare to face a Dartmouth offense that will be far more diversified than the one that was one display in the season opener.

The Crusaders seem poised to end Dartmouth’s run of dominance in out of conference games. If Holy Cross can avoid a letdown after last week’s big win they should be able sneak by their old Ancient 8 rival. Dartmouth’s offense will be far more potent with the return of Mack and Hagdorn so that’s something to pay close attention to. Expect to see some points scored in this one.

Prediction: Holy Cross 38 Dartmouth 27

Ohio Valley: Week 4 Preview and Power Rankings

It’s been a minute since we last looked at the Ohio Valley Conference but this weekend looks to be the biggest week of the season so far.  In the past two weeks, we’ve seen Tennessee State stay undefeated on the season, Austin Peay finally ended a 29-game losing streak with a blowout 69-13 win over Morehead State, and UT-Martin 1-up’d JSU’s performance from week zero with a beat down of UTC.

 

This week will open OVC play for every team in the conference sans JSU who will be hosting the Liberty Flames.  This week’s premier OVC match up is Tennessee State at UT-Martin as the current number 2 and 3 teams in the conference try to establish themselves as the favorite to end JSU’s current reign of dominance on the conference.

 

OVC Game Notes

 

 

#21 Tennessee State (3-0) @ #28 UT-Martin (2-1)

When: 4PM CST Saturday 9/23

Where to Watch: ESPN3

Tennessee State Game Notes | UT-Martin Game Notes

 

If both teams continue to play at a high level this game may end up with huge implications for playoffs and determining the OVC champion/ auto-bid.  BUT.  It’s only week 4 and there are still a LOT of unknowns so I’m not going to get too far into it now.  The big thing to know is this is the most important game in the OVC this weekend.

With Tennessee State 3-0 on the season and an FBS scalp and UT-Martin putting together one of their most impressive wins in recent memory at Chattanooga this past weekend this game is sure to be a good one.   This match up will feature two dominant rushing attacks and will likely come down to who can stop the run.  Currently UT-Martin has the 7th ranked rushing defense in the nation as they’ve only allowed an average of 1.96 yards per rush on the season.  Tennessee State is ranked 15th in rushing defense with an average of 2.62 yards per carry allowed.

Offensively the Skyhawks have been committed to running the football and have done it well.  The Skyhawk’s Ladarius Galloway is currently the #2 ranked running back in the nation in rushing yards with 424 yards on 62 carries (6.84 YPC) for 2 TDs.  Tennessee State, however, is ranked higher in total rushing offense.  The Tigers are ranked #22 in the nation in rushing with an average of 213 yards per game.  The only problem is the Tiger’s leading rusher is quarterback Treon Harris. Harris currently accounts for more than half of the Tigers offense and a third of their rushing yards.  If the Skyhawks can limit Harris running the ball they will likely be able to stifle Tennessee State’s offense.  Harris has only completely 51% of his passes so far this season and I think the Tigers will have trouble moving the ball on the Skyhawks’ stout defensive front.

 

UT-Martin 34     Tennessee State 24

 

 

Tennessee Tech (0-3) @ Eastern Kentucky (0-2)

When: 5PM CST Saturday 9/23

Where to Watch: OVCDN

Tennessee Tech Game Notes

 

With both teams still looking for their first win of the season this game will be a big one for both ball clubs. With both head coaches entering their second year at the helm the big questions will be whether Mark Elder can start the process to return Eastern Kentucky back to their former glory as one of the OVC’s premiere football programs and whether Coach Marcus Satterfield can right the ship at Tennessee Tech and improve on last year’s 5-6 mark.  Tennessee Tech hasn’t had a winning season since winning the OVC in 2011 when they posted a 7-4 record.

This game will likely come down to turnovers and which team is able to cash in for touchdowns in the red zone.  Tennessee Tech will need to learn to protect the football if they want to have any shot at defeating the Colonels.  The Golden Eagles have turned the ball over 10 times this season.  That’s a losing recipe.  On the other hand, the Colonels offense needs to be able to stay on schedule and not get behind the sticks.  Finding any semblance of a running game can help with that. This will be the Colonel’s first game against FCS competition and after solid showing at WKU and Kentucky I expect a good game from EKU.

 

Eastern Kentucky 27     Tennessee Tech 13

 

 

Southeast Missouri State (0-3) @ Eastern Illinois (1-2)

When: 6PM CST Saturday 9/23

Where to Watch: OVCDN

SEMO Game Notes

 

Eastern Illinois will open their OVC season with Southeast Missouri State as they look to make some noise in the conference and earn a trip back to the playoffs.  Southeast Missouri is coming off an 0-3 start after struggling against Kansas and Southern Illinois and lost a close one to Dayton. The Panthers most obvious issue has been their lack of a running game.  The Panthers rank in the bottom 10 nationally in rushing offense and will need to help quarterback Mitch Kimble if they want to find themselves competing in the conference this year.  SEMO will need to build consistency on both sides of the ball and limit turnovers if they want to save their season.  SEMO was unable to sustain and finish drives against Dayton and has turned the ball over 7 times through 3 games this season.

 

Eastern Illinois 24     Southeast Missouri State 17

 

 

Austin Peay (1-2) @ Murray State (1-2)

When: 6PM CST Saturday 9/23

Where to Watch: OVCDN

Austin Peay Game Notes | Murray State Game Notes

 

Austin Peay ended a 29-game losing streak last week in a dominating 69-13 win over Morehead State.  Their win over Morehead State was the largest margin of victory Austin Peay has had since 1948.  Austin Peay’s other two games have been against FBS opponents and despite the tougher competition Austin Peay is currently ranked 33rd in the country in total offense while averaging 417 yards per game. They are ranked 7th nationally in rushing offense. Defensively they are ranked higher than Jacksonville State as they’ve only allowed an average of 292.7 yards per game.

Murray State on the other hand is still trying to find their offense and fill the void left by the departure of KD Humphries. Murray State has struggled so far this season and it doesn’t show any signs of getting any better anytime soon.  I expect Will Healy to keep the ball rolling and carry the momentum from Austin Peay’s win last week and likely move to 2-0 against the FCS.

 

Austin Peay 38     Murray State 17

 

 

Liberty (3-0) @ Jacksonville State (1-1)

When: 6PM CST Saturday 9/23

Where to Watch: OVCDN

Liberty Game Notes | Jacksonville State Game Notes

 

After coming off a dramatic win over Indiana State the Liberty Flames will have momentum as they try to extend their winning streak to 4.  One Problem: They have to go through JSU’s defense to do it.  Last time these teams met JSU won handily 48-19 after a 27-3 halftime lead.  JSU limited Liberty to just 181 yards of total offense and just 44 rushing yards.  Unfortunately for Liberty, this defense is even better than last years.  Unfortunately for JSU, Liberty’s offense is a completely different animal from what we saw in Lynchburg a year ago.

Liberty’s QB Buckshot Calvert took over as the full-time gunslinger this season and the offense has been humming since then.  Liberty’s offense has averaged 490 yards and 49 points per game with Calvert averaging 369 yards and 4 TDs a game.   JSU’s defense will have to get pressure to slow down Calvert or this game could get away from them.  In years past, JSU’s offense was good enough to get into shootouts with other high-powered clubs and still win and I’m not sure that JSU still has the offensive horsepower to win a shootout.  I think the defense will show why Georgia Tech HC Paul Johnson hailed them as the best unit GT will play this season.

 

Jacksonville State 38     Liberty 10

 

 

Power Rankings:

  • Jacksonville State
  • UT-Martin
  • Tennessee State
  • Eastern Illinois
  • Austin Peay
  • Eastern Kentucky
  • Tennessee Tech
  • Southeast Missouri State
  • Murray State

 

MVFC – Week 4 Preview

MVFC LogoOn to Week 4 of the college football season, and specifically, the Missouri Valley Football Conference. It’s a bit of a slow week this time, with four games going on involving five MVFC teams.

First up, the games:
2:00 PM – #14 Illinois State (2-0) at Missouri State (1-2)
2:30 PM – Robert Morris (2-1) at #2 North Dakota State (2-0)
5:30 PM – #19 Western Illinois (2-0) at FBS Coastal Carolina (1-1)
7:00 PM – Southern Illinois (2-0) at FBS Memphis (2-0)
Youngstown State, Indiana State, Northern Iowa, South Dakota, and South Dakota State are all on their bye weeks.
All games are available streaming on ESPN3/WatchESPN.com

Illinois State Logo#14 Illinois State at Missouri State (Alumni Day)

Last Week:

  • Illinois State won at Eastern Illinois, 44-13
  • Missouri State beat Murray State, 28-21

History: The Redbirds and Bears have played each other 37 times going back to 1971. Illinois State holds the series lead with a 20-16-1 record.

The first MVFC conference matchup of the season sends the ISU Redbirds down the road to take on the MSU Bears. Illinois State has gotten off to a strong start this season, winning both of their first two games. In their game against Eastern Illinois, a usually tough rivalry game, ISU got off to a fast start and never really looked back, winning by 31 and putting together a fairly balanced offensive attack that racked up 451 total yards…233 on the ground and 218 through the air. JR QB Jake Kolbe runs the offense, averaging 206 yards per game passing, with 3 TDs and 0 INTs so far this season. His primary receiving targets are SR WR Christian Gibbs (49.5 ypg, 2 TD) and JR WR Spencer Schnell (42.5 ypg), but they’ve gotten most of their scoring this season with their ground game. SO RB Markel Smith leads the team on ground yardage (86 ypg, 2 TD) but SO RB James Robinson is currently ahead on the total TDs (64 ypg, 3 TD).

On the other side of the ball, the Redbird Defense is holding teams to a FCS-best 79 ypg average. I’m not sure how much you can read into this stat, however, since they’ve only played two games, and one was against non-scholarship Butler. Still, the defense has only allowed 7 yards on the ground so far, have intercepted the ball twice, and have forced 2 fumble turnovers. JR LB Tyree Horton currently leads the team in tackles with 15, including 4 for loss (2 sacks), 1 QBH, and 1 forced fumble. JR S Mitchell Brees has been having a productive first couple of games as well, netting 2 interceptions returned for a total of 35 yards to go along with 4 tackles.

Missouri State is having a bit of a rougher go of things so far, losing their first two games (one against FBS Mizzou) before picking up their first win in their home opener against Murray State last weekend. Like ISU, it was a relatively balanced attack, with 164 ground yards and 196 passing yards adding up to 360 total, while allowing 273. Newly-transferred SO QB Peyton Huslig has thrown for 227 yards per game with 4 TDs and 4 INTs this season so far and while he had his best day against Mizzou, he’s actually struggled more against FCS teams. SR WR Malik Earl is the man to watch on the receiving end of things with 81 yards per game so far and 2 TDs, but don’t look past the big SR TE Erik Furmanek (at 267 lbs is the largest non-lineman on the team) who’s just a bit behind with 70.3 yards per game. On the ground though, it’s all Calan Crowder. This SR TB (who’s brother Tristan is also on the team…a Sophomore Defensive Lineman) is averaging just under 100 yards per game (97) and has 3 rushing TDs.

Defensively, SO LB McNeece Egbim is attempting to fill the shoes of now Houston Texans LB Dylan Cole and currently leads the team with 24 tackles, 2.5 for loss. JR S Jared Beshore is decent at getting himself in the way of the ball, with 2 interceptions and 3 passes defended in addition to 10 tackles. One of the biggest threats for the Bears, however, is SR WR Deion Holliman…but not really at his regular WR position…Holliman currently leads the conference in both punt and combined kick return yardage and was an All-MVFC First Team return man last season and Preseason All-MVFC return specialist for this season, as well as receiving a MVFC Special Teams Player of the Week award last week.

Overall, the Bears do seem to be slowly improving over the past year or two, but at this point, it looks like ISU is just a bit too good. I think the Redbird defense will do pretty well at slowing down Crowder, although MSU might get a decent amount of yards through the air, but the MSU defense is going to have more trouble with ISU’s balanced offensive threats. It’s generally easier to cover one really good player than two decent players, and I think that’ll happen with ISU going between the two top WRs and handing the ball off to the two RBs. Holliman will get MSU some decent starting field position at times, but the ISU defense is going to make it hard for them to do much with it. To me, this looks to be a win for the Redbirds, probably by about 2 TDs.

North Dakota State LogoRobert Morris at #2 North Dakota State (Trees Bowl)

Last Week:

  • Robert Morris beat VMI, 23-0
  • North Dakota State had a bye week.

History: The Bison and Colonials have played each other twice, in 2010 and 2012, both times in Fargo. NDSU has won both games and outscored RMU 95-17 in them.

NDSU has started off the season strong, going 2-0 against a severely over-matched Mississippi Valley State team and decimating a (at that time) top-10 ranked Eastern Washington. The 2-headed monster of JR RBs Lance Dunn (145 ypg, 5 TD) and Bruce Anderson (106 ypg, 1 TD) comprises a large part of their strong rushing offense. The Bison defense has only allowed 131 yards per game of total offense this season, primarily through the air (111.5 per game). JR SS Robbie Grimsley received a conference player of the week award following his 2 interception, 4 tackle, and 2 pass break up performance against Eastern Washington two weeks ago.

Robert Morris spent last weekend shutting out VMI and holding them to 182 yards and forcing 3 turnovers. This would be impressive if not for the fact that VMI is one of the worst of the DI football teams and hasn’t had a winning season since 1981. RMU is averaging 267.7 ypg, with 192.7 of that coming through the air. Defensively, they’re only allowing 13.3 points per game and are headlined by JR LB Adam Wollet, who is averaging 10 tackles per game.

Generally, if a team is going to do well against NDSU, they have to have a decent passing game and a strong running defense. Robert Morris statistically is fairly decent at both…for an NEC team. So far this season, MVFC teams have played NEC teams three times, with the MVFC team winning all three, by an average margin of approximately 40 points. This game will likely be no different. It’s going to take an absolutely phenomenal D-line combined with a couple of fearsome LB’s to be able to stop NDSU’s running game, and RMU doesn’t have that. I think the Bison win this one, pretty easily, by roughly 43 points.

Western Illinois Logo#19 Western Illinois at FBS Coastal Carolina (Youth Day)

Last Week:

  • Western Illinois had a bye week.
  • Coastal Carolina lost at UAB, 30-23

History: The Leathernecks and Chanticleers have played each other twice, in 2010 and 2015, both times in Conway, SC. The first was in the FCS playoffs, where WIU won 17-10, and the second was early in the regular season, where CCU won 34-27.

The Leathernecks are currently off to a 2-0 start, having taken down both Tennessee Tech and Northern Arizona in convincing fashion, and both on the road. They had last weekend off to get healed up and get prepared for this weekend’s game over on the east coast. WIU is averaging slightly under 40 ppg and 432.5 ypg, with a strong emphasis on the run game (252.5 ypg). Due to the opening-game ankle injury to preseason all-conference RB Steve McShane, SO RB Max Norris has stepped up to fill the void with 118 ypg. From everything I’ve heard, it sounds like McShane might be ready to come back for some of this weekend’s game. SR WR Jaelon Acklin gets in on both aspects of the offense, catching for 90 ypg and 2 TDs and rushing for 51 ypg and 2 TDs. The Leatherneck defense is allowing 236.5 ypg, but only 28.5 ypg on the ground and are led by SR LB Brett Taylor with 22 tackles, 1 for loss, and 1 forced fumble. SR Transfer (from Liberty) DB Tyrin Holloway is another one to watch, having 2 interceptions in as many games. The Leathernecks are currently 2nd in the FCS in time of possession, holding on to the ball for an average of 38:11.

Newly-FBS Coastal Carolina is 1-1 in their first two games, beating UMass in their home opener, then losing at newly-reinstated UAB. Like Western, they rely much more heavily on the run game than the passing game, putting up 274 ypg on the ground but only 90 ypg through the air. SR RB Osharmar Abercrombie is the primary back to keep an eye on, averaging 112 rushing yards per game (6.2 per carry) with 4 TDs and was named Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week following week 1 of the season. It’s hard to tell who the QB is going to be, with two guys getting playing time: Tyler Keane has a 79.25 efficiency rating with 76 passing yards per game, 1 TD and 3 INTs and Dalton Demos has a 65.85 efficiency rating with 27 total passing yards. Demos also gets in a bit of running with 39.5 ypg and 2 rushing TDs. While the offense is strong at the ground game, their defense is strong against the ground game, giving up 124 ypg rushing vs 233.5 ypg passing. Their top defensive players are Safety Fitz Wattley with 17 total tackles and LB Silas Kelly who also has 17 tackles in addition to 1.5 tackles for loss (.5 sack).

It’s pretty rare to see a FCS team actually favored on the road against an FBS team (although it has happened at least one other time this year), but that is the situation here, with most recent odds giving WIU around a 3-5 point edge. One thing is for certain though, if you like tough, run-first football…I think you’ll like this game. I think that the ground game is actually going to be fairly even, so the difference might end up being one or two big plays through the air, in which case, I think Western has the advantage with a couple of solid receivers and a pretty decent QB. For me, this points to a very close WIU victory…by 1 point.

Southern Illinois LogoSouthern Illinois at FBS Memphis

Last Week:

  • Southern Illinois won at Southeast Missouri State, 35-17
  • Memphis defeated AP #25 UCLA, 48-45

History: This is the first game between SIU and Memphis, despite Memphis being nearly the closest FBS team to Carbondale (technically Vandy is slightly closer).

Southern Illinois has started off the season 2-0 with wins over Mississippi Valley State and OOC rival Southeast Missouri State. MVSU is pretty much right at the bottom of DI, so it’s going to be much more useful just to look at the SEMO game (although SEMO isn’t that great this year either). SIU has a decent passing offense, with JR QB putting up 206 yards and 4 TDs (1 INT). Most of those yards (119) and 2 of those TDs went to JR WR Darrell James and can run the ball when they need to with JR RB Jonathan Mixon picking up 46 yards and a TD. Their defense gave up 264 offensive yards (166 through the air) to the Red Hawks, who had more first downs than Salukis, but only half the points.

Memphis, meanwhile, began with a win over UL-Monroe and then a game against Central Florida getting postponed due to hurricane. Despite the craziness of an impromptu bye week, they then welcomed the 25th ranked FBS team, UCLA, to their place and came away with a 3-point win. In that game, the Tigers put up 398 yards and 6 TDs through the air. SR QB Riley Ferguson was then named the American Conference Offensive Player of the Week, Walter Camp Offensive Player of the Week, Athlon Sports Offensive Player of the Week, and College Sports Madness National Offensive Player of the Week. The big receiving threat is SR WR Anthony Miller, who had 185 yards and 2 TDs in that game, and SO RB Darrell Henderson is averaging 137 ypg so far this season with 2 TDs. The Memphis defense did allow 633 yards and 45 points to the Bruins, though, so it was a pretty big day for both offenses. SR DB Jonathan Cook and SO DB Austin Hall led Memphis with 9 tackles each.

Overall, this looks much more like a typical FCS vs FBS game than the WIU vs CCU one. SIU has struggled on defense over the last year or two and despite the improvements to their passing game, I don’t see how they’re going to be able to contain the Memphis passing attack. SIU might put up a few points against the Tigers, but Memphis is going to put up a lot of points on the Salukis. I think Memphis wins this one pretty comfortably, by around 28 points.