MVFC – Week 3 in Review

Central Connecticut at #6 Youngstown State

1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
CCSU 0 0 6 3 9
YSU 14 17 21 7 59

Quick Hits:

  • YSU – 496 rushing yards is 3rd most in program history.
  • YSU – JR TB Tevin McCaster runs for 101 yards and 1 TD.
  • YSU – 5 other players rushed for TDs including 2 each for SO QB Nathan Mays and SR WR Ricky Davis.
  • YSU – SO S Kyle Hegedus picks up 3 solo tackles and an interception.
  • YSU – SO DE (and controversy lightning rod) Ma’lik Richmond played in the second half of the game and had 2 tackles, 1 for loss.
  • CCSU – JR RB Cameron Nash leads the team with 62 yards rushing and the only Blue Devil TD in the game.

Same as last week…pretty much as expected. The now 2-1 Penguins beat CCSU by more than Syracuse beat them by in Week 1, so…that’s a thing…I suppose.

Next week, Youngstown State (along with most of the conference) takes the weekend off before another home game, but a much tougher opponent…South Dakota State on 9/30.
Connecticut Central State University is 0-3 and will welcome DII Walsh University for what will likely be the Blue Devils first win of the season.

My Pick in Review:

I said – Penguins by 32
It was – Penguins by 50
Guess I overestimated CCSU’s ability to stop the run. I picked a blowout…and a blowout it was.

#10 North Dakota at #23 South Dakota

1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
UND 0 0 7 0 7
USD 17 14 7 7 45

Quick Hits:

  • USD – Put up 575 yards of offense including 355 yards from SR QB Chris Streveler (290 passing, 65 running).
  • USD – Streveler also had 2 rushing TDs and 1 passing TD.
  • USD – FR RB Kai Henry had 80 yards and 2 TDs on the ground.
  • USD – JR LB Alex Coker had 5 tackles including a 7-yard sack.
  • UND – Preseason All-Big Sky JR RBs Brady Oliveira and John Santiago combined for 94 rushing yards.
  • UND – 3 players had 10+ tackles, SR LB Jake Disterhaupt (13), R-FR LB Jake Rastas (11 including 1 for loss), and Big Sky Preseason Defensive POY SR DB Cole Reyes (10).

Now, I don’t think I’ve ever heard what it sounds like when a coyote takes down a hawk, but I do live close enough to the country to know what it sounds like when a coyote takes down a rabbit…and I’d imagine the sounds emanating from the UND locker room at halftime were roughly similar. Up 31-0 at the break, the Coyotes never looked back, tacking on 14 more points in the second half and only allowing one TD to the previously 10th ranked Fighting Hawks.

South Dakota enjoys their 3-0 start by taking next weekend off before starting conference action with a trip to Macomb for Western Illinois’ Homecoming game (also, first home game of the season, and the first time Coach Nielson has returned to Hanson Field since he left to become USD’s head coach).

North Dakota heads back home sitting at 1-2 and will host Montana State next weekend for their Family Weekend game.

My Pick in Review:

I said – Coyotes by 1 (or if in OT, 3 points)
It was – Coyotes by 38
I’m going to call this a “fail” on my part. I don’t think too many people outside of Vermillion, SD saw this kind of blowout coming…I know I didn’t. I picked the right team, but was WAY off base with how the game would go down.

#18 Illinois State at Eastern Illinois

1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
ILSU 10 17 10 7 44
EIU 0 6 7 0 13

Quick Hits:

  • ISU – Held EIU to 14 total rushing yards.
  • ISU – JR QB Jake Kolbe passed for 218 yards and 1 TD.
  • ISU – 3 ISU players had TDs, with SO RB James Robinson picking up 2 (along with 89 rushing yards).
  • ISU – JR LB Tyree Horton led the team with 11 tackles including 3.5 for loss (2 sacks) and 1 forced fumble.
  • EIU – R-FR DB Mark Williams had the most tackles for the Panthers with 7.
  • EIU – First came off a blocked punt by R-FR DB Julian Hess returned 15 yards by SR DE Mack Weaver for a TD.
  • EIU – R-FR QB Scotty Gilkey Jr. was the team’s leading rusher with 13 yards and a TD.

Redbirds won the 106th meeting of the Mid-America Classic on dominating fashion and are now 2-0. Next weekend they’ll head down to Springfield, MO to open up conference play against the Missouri State Bears.

Eastern Illinois is 1-2 overall and starts their conference portion of the season with a home game against Southeast Missouri State next weekend

My Pick in Review:

I said – Redbirds by 7
It was – Redbirds by 31
Bigger win than I was expecting…mostly due to the two teams usually “playing up” a lot in this rivalry. I knew ISU would prove to be the better team, but felt that EIU would stay in it longer than they did. Still…I’ll count it as a win.

Murray State at Missouri State

1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
MuSU 10 0 8 3 21
MoSU 0 7 14 7 28

Quick Hits:

  • MO State – SO QB Peyton Huslig passed for 196 yards, 2 TDs, and 2 INTs and ran for 25 yards and 1 TD
  • MO State – SR TB Calan Crowder topped 100 yards rushing with a 104 yard and 1 TD performance
  • MO State – SR WR Deion Holliman had 5 yards rushing, 17 yards receiving, and 127 K/P return yards, with 3 big returns in the 4th quarter to set up the Bears’ winning score and earned the MVFC Special Teams Player of the Week Award.
  • MO State – SO LB McNeece Egbim had 15 tackles including 2 for loss.
  • Mur State – SR WR Jordon Gandy caught 85 yards and 1 TD
  • Mur State – SR DB D’Montre Wade had 6 tackles, 1 for loss, and 2 interceptions returned for a total of 50 yards

A relatively back-and-forth game between the two MSU’s.

Missouri State is now 1-2 following their first win of the season and host the ISU Redbirds next weekend to kick off the Missouri Valley Meat Grinder.

Murray State is also 1-2 and heads back home for a game against Ohio Valley foe Austin Peay for their Family Weekend game.

My Pick in Review:

I said – Bears by 7
It was – Bears by 7
Pretty much as expected…I thought they both might make it into the 30-point range, but fairly close to what I thought

Indiana State at #19 Liberty

1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
INSU 7 17 14 3 41
LIB 14 14 14 0 42

Quick Hits:

  • ISU – R-FR QB Cade Sparks threw for 405 yards, 2 TDs and had 1 INT and was named MVFC Newcomer of the Week. It was the second-best passing game in school history.
  • ISU – SR WR Bob Pugh had 260 yards and 2 TDs on 8 catches, earning him both the MVFC Offensive Player of the Week award and the STATS FCS National Offensive Player of the Week award.
  • ISU – SR TE Jacquet McClendon also had a very good receiving game with 115 yards and 1 TD.
  • ISU – SR S KeAardis Ardley led the team with 12 tackles.
  • LIB – SO QB Stephen Calvert threw for 379 yards and 2 TDs, with 1 INT
  • LIB – SR RB Carrington Mosley ran for 102 yards and 2 TDs
  • LIB – SO WR Antonio Gandy-Golden had 171 receiving yards with 1 TD
  • LIB – JR S Corbin Jackson had 7 tackles and blocked the last-second FG that would have won the game for the Sycamores.

In a game that wasn’t supposed to be very close, Indiana State stuck with the Flames, climbing back from an 11-point deficit in the 2nd quarter to take the lead early in the 3rd. Indiana State would pull within 1 point early in the 4th and held the Flames scoreless to set up a last-second 23-yard FG that would be blocked…sending the Sycamores home with the loss and prompting the Liberty fans to storm the field. I repeat…Liberty fans stormed the field…after barely winning…against Indiana State. UND at USD was said to be the “Game of the Week” for the weekend, but in hindsight, it looks like this would have been a much better candidate.

ISU is now 0-3 and has next weekend off before taking on Illinois State in Normal the following weekend.

Liberty climbs to 3-0 and will hit to road to take on Jacksonville State next weekend.

My Pick in Review:

I said – Liberty by 10
It was – Liberty by 1
ISU stayed in this game much better than I thought they would. I was actually hoping I’d be wrong with this pick…would have loved to see the Sycamores knock off the Flames, but it was not to be. Still, the loss for ISU is a win in my column this week.

Drake at #4 South Dakota State

1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
D+ 0 3 7 0 10
SDSU 12 29 7 3 51

Quick Hits:

  • SDSU – JR QB Taryn Christion had 171 yards and 2 TDs passing and 1 10-yard TD run.
  • SDSU – SRs WR Jake Wieneke and TE Dallas Goedert each had receiving TDs and surprisingly…neither led the team in receiving yards…that was JR WR Alex Wilde with 64 yards.
  • SDSU – SR C Jacob Ohnesorge received the MVFC O-Lineman of the Week award.
  • D+ – SR QB Grant Kraemer threw for 201 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT.
  • D+ – JR WR Steven Doran caught 5 passes for 91 yards and Drake’s only TD of the game.
  • D+ SR LB Connor Willis led the Bulldogs with 7 tackles.

So, a grand total of 68 yards receiving for the duo of Goedert and Wieneke sounds like a “down” game until you look at the box score and realize that the Jackrabbits went into halftime with a 38-point lead. Coach Stig is not the type of guy to completely blow out a team, so we saw a lot of new faces in the second half including SR QB Dalton Douglas, SO RB Mikey Daniel, and the previously mentioned JR WR Alex Wilde.

The Jackrabbits are now 3-0 on the season and have a weekend off before heading east to take on Youngstown State.

The Bulldogs fall to 1-2 and head back home to take on Valpo for Homecoming next weekend.

My Pick in Review:

I said – SDSU by 54
It was – SDSU by 41
Might have been a little off on the margin, but pretty close overall. I said they’d let off the gas once they had something close to a 40-point lead…so, when they were up by 38 at halftime…that’s what they did. SDSU’s second string didn’t quite score as much as I thought they might, but in general it went down how I thought it would.

Southern Illinois at Southeast Missouri State

1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
SIU 7 21 7 0 35
SEMO 3 7 0 7 17

Quick Hits:

  • SIU – JR QB Sam Straub threw for 126 yards in just the 2nd quarter en route to a 206 yard and 4 TD performance.
  • SIU – JR WR Darrell James had 119 yards on 6 catches with 2 TDs.
  • SIU – SR S Ryan Neal had 8 tackles, an interception with a 52-yard return, and a fumble recovery to set up a TD. For his efforts he earned the MVFC Defensive Player of the Week award.
  • SIU – SO P Lane Reazin averaged 47.2 yards per on 5 punts with 2 within the 20-yard line.
  • SEMO – SR QB Jesse Hosket had a rough day, throwing for 166 yards and a TD, but also 2 INTs and getting sacked twice.
  • SEMO – JR RB Marquis Terry picked up 90 yards and a TD on the ground.

SIU had a big 2nd quarter courtesy of some strong special teams kick returns and solid punting (including one that was dropped by the returner to set up a Saluki TD four plays later). For the weekend, the MVFC went 3-0 against the Ohio Valley conference.

Southern Illinois is now 2-0 and next heads down the river to take on Memphis next weekend.

Southeast Missouri drops to 0-3 and heads over to Eastern Illinois next weekend.

My Pick in Review:

I said – SIU by 14
It was – SIU by 18
That’s pretty close, I’d say.

#21 Northern Iowa at Southern Utah

1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
UNI 0 7 3 11 21
SUU 7 7 7 3 24

Quick Hits:

  • UNI – JR QB Eli Dunne had 284 yards, but only 1 TD, 2 INTs, and 4 sacks.
  • UNI – Struggled with their ground game, netting -14 yards, mostly courtesy of those QB sacks.
  • UNI – SR WR Daurice Fountain did have a decent receiving game with 138 yards.
  • UNI – SR LB Jared Farley led the team with 12 tackles, 1 for loss, and 1 interception returned for 38 yards.
  • SUU – SR QB Patrick Tyler had 200 yards passing and 1 TD, but 3 INTs and a sack. He also had 45 yards rushing.
  • SUU – SO RB James Felila had 92 rushing yards and 2 TDs, as well as 10 receiving yards on 2 catches.
  • SUU JR LB Chinedu Ahanonu led the Thunderbirds with 12 tackles including 2.5 for loss (1 sack) and had a forced fumble that was recovered by SR LB Mike Needham.

Lots of interceptions, sacks, a blocked field goal…overall a pretty ugly game by both teams and in this case, Southern Utah was just a bit less ugly.

UNI drops to 1-2 and has a weekend off to recover before taking on MVC rival Southern Illinois next weekend.

Southern Utah is off to a pretty decent start at 2-1 (only loss to Oregon) and will play at Sacramento State next weekend.

My Pick in Review:

I said – UNI by 3
It was – SUU by 3
Well…I got the margin right…but yea, the pick was wrong.

The MVFC went 6-2 this weekend including 3-0 over the Ohio Valley and going 1-1 against the Big Sky.

I also went 6-2 this weekend with my picks. After last week I was 16-2 on the season, so now I’m 22-4.

Next week will be a much lighter week for the MVFC schedule, with only 4 games going on. One is a MVFC vs MVFC matchup, one should be an utter blowout and two are FCS vs FBS matchups…with one of those being a very good chance at a FCS over FBS win.

Big Sky Round-Up Week 3

The Big Sky got a big win this week in the week three edition of the season. Idaho State took a trip to Reno and beat the Nevada Wolf Pack on Saturday night 30-28.

This could be the biggest win Idaho State has had in quite some time. First year head coach Rob Phenecie had his team ready to play as they had a 23-7 lead at the half. Nevada had a furious comeback in the 4th quarter but missed a two point conversion on their last touchdown that would have tied the game. Tanner Gueller had 269 yards passing and two touchdowns. Michael Dean caught 133 yards of those passes and one score for the Bengals. Mario Jenkins checked in with 17 tackles, a sack and two tackles for loss. The Bengals will be on the road against Northern Colorado next week.

In other Big Sky action the Eastern Washington Eagles went on the road to New York and took on Fordham. The Eagles had little problem taking care of the Rams, beating them 56-21. Gage Gabrud earned Big Sky Player of the Week honors with his performance. He threw for 399 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Eagles. Eastern Washington got a desperately needed win after starting the season 0-2. They will travel to Missoula to take on Montana next week.

Speaking of Montana the Grizzlies took on MEAC opponent Savannah State. The Tigers, coming from Georgia had a pretty weird week with Hurricane Irma rolling through Georgia the previous week. The Tigers were forced into temporary housing during the storm. As they flew into Montana the airport in Missoula was fogged in and they were re-routed two and a half hours north to Kalispell. After all of that they came to Missoula and were beat by 53 points. It wasn’t all roses for the Griz though, as they lost starting quarterback Reese Phillips for the season with a broken leg.

Northern Colorado played a tight game against the Colorado Buffaloes this past weekend. The traveling Bears lost 41-21 to the Buffs. Seems like a win for the Bears who normally don’t fare as well in these contests. Jacob Knipp threw for 202 yards and three touchdowns, while Trae Riek rushed for 59 yards. Alex Wesley caught 102 yards of passes and two touchdowns for the Bears.

In somewhat of a shocker the Missouri Valley Conference got another one over the Big Sky with South Dakota demolishing North Dakota this past weekend. The Coyotes cruised into halftime with a 31-0 lead and never looked back from there. John Santiago managed to get 85 yards, but it was all Coyotes from there. Coyote quarterback Chris Streveler threw for 290 yards and a score, but 285 yards on the ground are what propelled South Dakota. North Dakota drops to 1-2 on the season after starting the season as one of the favorites in the Big Sky.

The Big Sky did manage to win one of the MVC challenge games as Southern Utah was able to defeat Northern Iowa this weekend in Cedar City. It wasn’t a particularly pretty game for the Thunderbirds, but their defense came through and put the game away on a Jalen Russel interception. Manny Berz kicked the game winner with 1:50 left from 26 yards out and shut the door on Northern Iowa.

In the night cap Weber State defeated Sacramento State. Folks, if you enjoy a game of strange scoring, this is your game. Weber State scored on a blocked punt, Sacramento State scored on an interception return, and apparently Weber State has no faith in their kicker because they attempted three two point conversions on their first three scores. Remember coaches, kickers are people too.

Coming up this week we’ll see Eastern Washington and Montana lock horns in Missoula in a battle for Big Sky supremacy. Idaho State will be taking on Northern Colorado. Montana State will head across the border to take on North Dakota. UC-Davis is headed to Weber State to take on the Wildcats. Southern Utah will head to Sacramento State. In the late kickoff Northern Arizona will take on Cal Poly.

Scores

Savannah State 3
Montana 56

Eastern Washington 56
Fordham 21

Northern Colorado 21
Colorado 41

North Dakota 7
South Dakota 45

UC Davis 37
Portland State 14

Idaho State 30
Nevada 28

Northern Iowa 21
Southern Utah 24

Weber State 31
Sacramento State 24

Big Sky Player of the Week

Gage Gabrud, QB, Eastern Washington. Gabrud was 29/41 for 399 yards and three touchdowns and a pair of interceptions in the Eagles’ victory over Fordham this past weekend.

Big Sky MVP Candidates

Gage Gabrud, QB, Eastern Washington – 29/41 399 yards 3 TD 2 INT
Cole Reyes, LB, North Dakota – 8 tackles
Joe Protheroe, RB, Cal Poly – Idle
Emmanuel Butler, WR, Northern Arizona – Idle
John Santiago, RB, North Dakota – 12 carries, 85 yards.

Big Sky Power Rankings

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

Final Thoughts and Hot Takes

Big win for Idaho State, might be one of the biggest in the Big Sky this season. Nevada’s not a great team, as they have no quarterback, but a good win for first year coach Rob Phenecie.

Big loss for North Dakota who was beaten out of the building on Saturday. Not sure I’ve seen a Coyotes team this good in the time I’ve been paying attention to FCS football. South Dakota has only finished over .500 twice since 2005, one of the best seasons in their program’s history.

Big game in Missoula this weekend. Hard to get a read on either team has both have been beaten pretty handily by FBS teams. Montana has beaten two  pretty bad FCS teams. Eastern Washington has beaten what looked like a good FCS team in preseason polls, but now Fordham has dropped to 0-3.

Gage Gabrud might be the best player in the Big Sky this season. Not sure if anyone will catch him or not for player of the year.

Cal Poly received four votes in this week’s top 25. They are currently 0-3 and just came off of a bye week. Anyone care to explain how something like this happens?

Good win for Southern Utah. The conference, as well as the Thunderbirds, needed a win against Northern Iowa.

SOCON: Week 3 Review and Power Rankings

With three weeks now in the books, the race for the Southern Conference crown seems more open than ever. There are still lots of questions to be answered.  While Wofford had the week off, The Citadel, the 2016 SOCON Champ, struggled a bit against ETSU. Furman, Samford and Mercer all went down as expected to their FBS opponents, but Mercer made a respectable showing. Western Carolina took care of business easily at Gardner-Webb, while the Chattanooga train was derailed at home against Tenn-Martin. And finally, VMI’s woes continue as they went down on the road at Robert Morris.

#12 The Citadel 31 ETSU 25 (box score)

The Citadel had a heck of a week leading up to this game. Looking for its 500th program victory, it took a tour of the upcountry for most of the week due to Hurricane Irma. After the game last week at Presbyterian, it went to Johnson City, then to an upstate camp, then to Clemson, then back to Charleston, then back to Johnson City.  Sadly it also had to deal with the loss of former teammate and SOCON standout Mitchell Jeter who was tragically killed in a car wreck.

The Dogs Started out pretty flat with many miscues including a bad punt snap, an interception, a bad FG kick resulting in a block, a couple drive killing penalties, and some late first half clock issues.  ETSU capitalized quickly on the botched punt and scored on one play to go up early. After The Citadel scored on its next possession, it had to punt a couple times and threw an interception.

ETSU got a break with a roughing the punter call in their endzone at one point which kept one of their drives alive. ETSU also scored on a 51 yard drive after the botched field goal attempt by The Citadel. With about a minute to go in the half, The Citadel actually moved down the field pretty well and picked up 66 yards on a mix of runs and passes, but out of timeouts, they were unable to spike the ball in time with 2 seconds remaining. The sticks had not even been set before the ref started the clock though.  Even though they were down 14-7 at half, the Bulldogs mostly got it done. Overall in the first half, The Citadel tallied 201 yards while holding ETSU to just 100 yards.

If the Dogs were a flat the first half, they came out ready to play in the second. After ETSU drove well, they were stalled and had to settle for a field goal on their first drive. Down 17-7 at this point, the Bulldogs went work. They scored on their next 4 possessions. ETSU had an impressive 75 yard drive in the fourth to close the score to 28-25 after a successful two point conversion. After kicking a booming 46 yard FG that would have been good from 60 yards, The Citadel went up 31-25. ETSU stalled on their next possession and turned it over on downs and with less than two minutes to play The Citadel ran out the clock.

Overall The Bulldogs racked up 435 total yards with 101 in the air. QB Dominique Allen threw a couple really nice passes in this game. Something that he has issues with at times.  The Dogs went 9 for 17 on third down conversions and held the ball for 37 minutes. They totaled 5 penalties for 60 yards with a couple that were very untimely. On defense they held ETSU to 2/12 on third down conversions.

The ETSU Bucs totaled 208 yards with only 26 yards on the ground. That included losing 30 yards on 4 sacks. ETSU had only 2 penalties for 10 yards. The Bucs QB, Austin Herink had a respectable day going 18/32 for 182 yards. He threw 2 TDs and one interception.

At times ETSU seemed to stop the Dogs and their running attack, but The Citadel has so many weapons at its disposal, ETSU could not shut it down. The Citadel also pulled out some new plays which left ETSU flatfooted like a reverse by WR Raleigh Webb who scored a TD untouched from 7 yards out.

It may not have been pretty, but The Citadel got its 500th program victory, and ETSU took another of those painful steps in reestablishing its program. They are coming along just fine and will be in the hunt for the title soon enough. Now at 3-0 The Citadel has a much needed bye week before meeting Samford in two weeks. ETSU, now 1-2, hosts Mercer next week.

Western Carolina 42 Gardner-Webb 27 (box score)

The Catamounts of Western Carolina had another banner day on offense as they racked up 435 yards including 146 by running back Detrez Newsome. In the first half WCU scored on 3 of their 5 possessions to go up 21-13 at the break. An apparently revitalized WCU defense held Gardner-Webb to a TD and 2 FGs in the first half.

After punting on their first possession in the third quarter, WCU scored on their next two to go up 35-13. Gardner-Webb scored early in the fourth after WCU threw an interception deep in their own territory. WCU returned the favor after intercepting Gardner-Webb to make it 42-20 midway through the fourth. A late TD by Gardner-Webb as time expired closed the final score to 42-27.

The Runnin’ Bulldogs of Gardner-Webb have had a tough season so far and their offensive output has been pretty bad. They did better this week and totaled 368 yards. Regardless, WCU’s defense appears to be doing better though and held their opponent to 6 of 16 on third down conversions. They also had 2 sacks.

On offense the Cats moved the ball well behind the arm of Tyrie Adams who went 14/23 for 224 yards. He also threw 3 TDs and 1 interception. Newsome scored twice as well including an 84 yard scamper for a one. WCU totaled 199 on the ground including 57 by QB Tyrie Adams. The Cats had 5 penalties for 37 yards and held the ball for 26 and a half minutes.

Westerns biggest question this year has been its defense. On the road against a team hungry for yards, they did ok. Their offense seems to be running on all cylinders. They face Samford next week in what could be a breakthrough win for them if they can get it done.

Auburn 24 Mercer 10 (box score)

Mercer represented the SOCON pretty well in its first of two SEC games this year. It really is easy to say that the score was that close only because of 5, that’s right, 5 Auburn turnovers. But they were all forced turnovers and Mercer gets that credit.  It was just 10-3 Auburn at the half. Mercer was playing to win.

The Bears kept it close with those 5 turnovers, but they couldn’t move the ball terribly well against Auburns stout defense. In all they totaled 246 yards including 100 rushing and 146 passing. The Mercer QB, Kaelan Riley went 20/32 and had 1 TD and no interceptions.

Otherwise, Mercer did what it needed to in order to give themselves a chance. The Bears had no turnovers and just two penalties.  As mentioned, they got 5 turnovers. It was just hard for them to move the ball. They were 6 for 18 on third down conversions.  They did have one good drive in the third quarter which went for 83 yards in 12 plays and resulted in a touchdown.

On defense they allowed Auburn to move the ball pretty well, at least through the air. They gave up 364 yards passing. The Bears also had one sack. They did hold Auburn to 3.4 yards a carry for 146 total rushing. That’s not too shabby.

The theme of the game was pretty much Auburn driving a long way, turning it over and then Mercer stalling on the subsequent drive. They got their 10 points off those turnovers, but they punted on 8 of their 12 drives and gave it up on downs on their last one. Still, they can be fairly pleased with their performance on defense. Holding a ranked FBS opponent to 24 points is an accomplishment. Mercer travels to ETSU next.

NC State 49 Furman 16 (box score)

With 2:35 remaining in the first half it looked like Furman was keeping pace with the NC State Wolfpack. Furman’s PJ Blazejowski tossed a 71 yard strike to bring the Paladins within a score at 21-13. But NC State answered right back just before halftime and never looked back. Furman also scored on two first half field goals including one on their opening drive.

For the Day Blazejowski went 9/17 and 180 yards. He had one TD and 1 interception. On the ground Furman gained just 133 yards on 47 attempts for 2.8 yards a carry. They did go 8/16 on third down conversions.

On defense they allowed 490 yards including 242 on the ground and 248 through the air. They logged one sack.

Miscues by the Paladins in the third broke the game open for NC State. These included a blocked punt and two turnovers. They also resulted in 21 more points for the Wolfpack.

Now 0-3, Furman’s season looks to be a repeat of last years for first year head coach Clay Hendrix. They are a pretty young team and miscues happen. They go on the road next week to face Colgate.

Robert Morris 23 VMI 0 (box score)

For the second game this year VMI got shutout. The Keydet offense must be reeling. They totaled just 182 yards and 12 first downs. Against a mediocre team like Robert Morris, this is just bad. Even more disturbing, VMI committed 6 penalties. They had totaled just 2 combined in the previous two games. Frustration must be settling in a little.

VMI QB Austin Coulling went a disappointing 12/22 for 106 yards, no TDs and one interception. He was sacked four times as well. On the ground they gained just 75 yards all game with 2.8 yard per carry average.

On defense the Keydets gave up 336 yards including 297 passing. The one bright spot for VMI was allowing just 39 yards on the ground with an enviable 1.3 yards per carry stat. Their defense needs good performances to at least give their offense a chance at producing a game winning effort, or at the very least score some points.

VMI faces Chattanooga at home this week. One wonders if this might just be the lowest scoring game of the week.

Tenn-Martin 21  #19 Chattanooga 7 (box score)

Chattanooga is going through some issues. With a new coach, first year QB, and the complete absence of a running game, the Mocs appear in disarray.

UT-Martin was not a world beating opponent.   They are a pretty good team, but the Mocs were completely impotent on offense. They punted on all five of their first half drives. They totaled just 3 first half yards. THREE yards! Something is rotten in Chattanooga. Sure, losing your expected starting Sr QB, getting new coaches, losing a star running back can all have an impact, but these issues appear to have shocked the Mocs.

Down only 14-0 at the break, Chattanooga might have made a comeback, but fumbled on their first possession of the second half. After another punt, they finally scored on a 91 yard drive late in the third. But not until Tenn-Martin had tacked on another score.

On defense, the Mocs are still a force. They held the Skyhawks to 293 total yards (193 passing/110 rushing). The did allow Tenn-Martin to convert 50% of their third downs.

The numbers on offense got a little better in the second half for the Mocs, but they finished with 150 total yards with just 6 yards rushing. That brings their rushing total up to 150 for the year over three games. I guess they want to be like Samford.  Overall the Mocs QB Nick Tiano went 13/27 for 144 yards with 1 TD and 1 interception.  He was sacked five times.

I guess the questions that most Mocs fans are asking is, “did we hire the right coach?” and “when is Bennefield back?”

Chattanooga travels to Lexington this week to face off against VMI in what may be destined to be a low scoring affair.

Georgia 42 #18 Samford 14 (box score)

In a battle of the Bulldogs, Samford went down to ranked Georgia team this past week. Outgained 459 to 249 yards, the Samford Bulldogs were outpaced for most the game by Georgia.

After punting on its first 4 drives, Samford finally got on the board with a nice 10 play 75 yard drive in the second quarter. Samford’s QB, Devlin Hodges, finished the day with respectable stats against this SEC team. He went 26/35 for 227 yards with two TDs and no interceptions. He was sacked three times. Glaring as usual was Samford’s lack of an effective running game. They finish with just 22 yards on the ground. They also lost one fumble and had a field goal blocked. Samford scored again early in the fourth on an 18 yard pass after a seven play, 75 yard drive.

On defense, where questions remain for Samford, they gave up 284 yards on the ground and 175 passing. Georgia was able to convert 9/15 third downs. They did not get any sacks, but did tally 5 tackles for loss. Samford’s time of possession, again as usual, was south of 25 minutes. That doesn’t help their defense.

All that said, it was an SEC offense they had to try and stop and that is a tall order. How well their defense performs in conference action will be seen this week when they travel to Cullowhee to face WCUs potent offense.

Power Rankings

1. Wofford

2. The Citadel

3. Samford

4. Mercer 

5. WCU 

6. Furman 

7. UTC 

8. ETSU 

9. VMI

AGS Poll: Top 25 Week 3 Results

After week 3 the AGS poll saw a lot more movement than it had over the first two weeks. Despite that movement that top 5 stayed intact for the 3rd straight week with James Madison, North Dakota State, South Dakota State, Sam Houston State, and Jacksonville State forming the top 5 in that order.

South Dakota was the big mover up this week as they cracked the AGS top 10 for the first time ever jumping 7 spots from #17 to #10 after throttling previously top 10 North Dakota. North Carolina A&T moved up 4 spots from #22 to #18 following their win over FBS Charlotte. The #21-#25 spots in the poll were completely new this week as #21 Tennessee State (up 5 spots), #22 Nicholls State (up 6 spots), #23 Holy Cross (previously unranked), #24 Albany (up 5 spots), and #25 Southern Utah (up 12 spots) all cracked the top 25. For everyone in that group but Albany it is their first appearance in the AGS top 25 this year.

On the flip side New Hampshire dropped 8 spots from #8 to #16 after getting soundly beaten by Holy Cross. As USD moved up North Dakota moved down 9 spots from #10 to #19 following that loss. Chattanooga, Charleston Southern, Northern Iowa, Colgate, and Howard all dropped out of the top 25 after sustaining losses last weekend.

The MVFC led the way again placing 6 teams into the top 25. They were followed by the CAA with 5 and the Big Sky with 4. The Southland Conference and the SOCON each placed 3 teams into the top 25.

Full results below:

Rank Team Total Points First Place Votes
1 James Madison Dukes 2073  81
2 North Dakota State Bison 1988  2
3 South Dakota State Jackrabbits 1878
4 Sam Houston State Bearkats 1772
5 Jacksonville State Gamecocks 1658
6 Youngstown State Penguins 1576
7 Villanova Wildcats 1536
8 Wofford Terriers 1445
9 Richmond Spiders 1391
10 South Dakota Coyotes 1293
11 The Citadel Bulldogs 1155
12 Illinois State Redbirds 1142
13 Central Arkansas Bears 1070
14 Western Illinois Leathernecks 1013
15 Eastern Washington Eagles 887
16 New Hampshire Wildcats 660
17 Samford Bulldogs 571
18 North Carolina A&T Aggies 559
19 North Dakota Fighting Hawks 541
20 Weber State Wildcats 422
21 Tennessee State Tigers 325
22 Nicholls State Colonels 311
23 Holy Cross Crusaders 238
24 Albany Great Danes 231
25 Southern Utah Thunderbirds 200
ORV:
26 Stony Brook Seawolves 172
27 Maine Black Bears 170
28 Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks 167
29 Colgate Raiders 100
30 Montana Grizzlies 66
31 Southern Illinois Salukis 48
32 Elon Phoenix 46
33 William & Mary Tribe 40
34 Northern Iowa Panthers 32
35 Chattanooga Mocs 30
36T Idaho State Bengals 25
36T Princeton Tigers 25
38 Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens 21
39 Grambling State Tigers 19

Most Significant Win: South Dakota Coyotes
Most Significant Loss: North Dakota Fighting Hawks

Join the week 3 AGS poll discussion here: http://www.anygivensaturday.com/showthread.php?196053-AGS-Poll-Results-Week-3-09-18-2017

Patriot League Game of the Week: #8 New Hampshire at Holy Cross

#8 New Hampshire (2-0) at Holy Cross (1-1, 1-0) – Sept 16th 1 PM Fitton Field Worcester, MA

Live Stream: Patriot League Network

Holy Cross hosts the 8th ranked New Hampshire Wildcats in this week’s “Game of the Week”. The Crusaders will play on their home field for the first time this season after opening on the road against UConn (loss) and Bucknell (win). Holy Cross has been extremely impressive to start the year. Star quarterback Peter Pujals (268 ypg 1 TD 2 INT) has been highly effective leading the Crusader offense despite facing a good amount of pressure from opposing defenses. The running attack has yet to prove it is capable of taking the pressure off of Pujuals. The leaky offensive line can be largely attributed to the lack of production from the Crusader running backs (Diquan Walker 44 ypg 3 TD and Gabe Guild 33.5 ypg). If Hoy Cross can get improved play from the offensive line Pujals and Co. could really emerge as a force offensively as the season moves along.

New Hampshire has started the 2017 in really impressive fashion. The Wildcats opened the season with a win over rival, and talented, Maine. The game was moved from its traditional late season date to the first game of the year at behest of fans from both schools. After claiming the Brice-Cowell Musket, New Hampshire dominated FBS Georgia Southern last week. The Wildcat defense played excellent in the win. The game was played in Birmingham, AL due to concerns over the Hurricane Irma having a major impact in Statesboro.

Quarterback Trevor Knight (143 ypg 4 TD passing, 67 ypg rushing) leads the way for the Wildcat offense. Knight’s favorite target in the passing game has been Neil O’Connor (80 ypg 2 TD) to start the year. Malik Love is also a dangerous threat from the slot position. The rushing attack has been highly effective (155 ypg) behind Knight and Evan Gray (75 ypg 1 TD). Holy Cross’s improved defense will certainly be tested by the Wildcats balanced attack.

Knight is a similar QB to UConn’s Shirreff who gave the Crusaders all kinds of trouble in the 4th quarter in the Huskies come from behind win. All everything linebacker Nick McBeath and the rest of Crusader front 7 will need to be at the top of their game on Saturday. Discipline and good tackling will be of the upmost importance for the Holy Cross defense.

This is a winnable game for Holy Cross but they’ll have to bring their “A” game in all 3 phases and play a full 60 minutes. The Crusaders have lacked the ability to notch a signature win since Dominic Randolph graduated for various reasons. One consistent trend has been the inability to stand up in the second half and more specifically the 4th quarter. That issue reared its ugly head again in the season opener against UConn. The Crusaders did everything right except seal the deal. New Hampshire has become one of FCS’s best programs by being a 4 quarter team so Holy Cross better be prepared for a 60 minute war. The key to Holy Cross emerging with a victory will be surviving in the trenches. The front 7 on defense has exceeded expectations while the O-line has struggled at times to start the year. Pujals will need time to make plays in order for Holy Cross to win.

Prediction: New Hampshire 30 Holy Cross 17

Patriot League: Week 3 Preview

Yale (0-0) at Lehigh (0-2, 0-0) – Sept. 16th 12:30 PM Goodman Stadium Bethlehem, PA

Live Stream: Patriot League Network

Lehigh will try to get things turned around after suffering their second straight 0-2 start. The Mountain Hawks started the year ranked in the Top 20 but have since fallen out of polls after losing to Villanova and Monmouth to begin the year. If Lehigh wants to stop the bleeding against Yale they must be able slow down their opponents rushing attacks. Through the first two games of the season the Mountain Hawks are giving up 308.5 (111th in FCS against the run) yards on the ground. Lehigh will need to focus in Eli running back DeShawn Salter on Saturday. The senior running back has battled injuries but put forth the best game of his career against Lehigh in 2015 (233 yards 2 TDs). The Eli were picked 4th in the preseason Ivy League Poll.

Lehigh’s offense will likely have to lead the way or at least play a major role in order to avoid going 0-3. Brad Mayes broke a Yale Bowl record for touchdown passes (6) in last year’s 63-35 win over the Eli. With a banged up group of running backs, Mayes will need to have another big day for Lehigh. Things don’t figure to quite as easy against the Yale defense this time around. The Eli “D” improved considerably from the start of last year until their final game of 2016 against Harvard (a Yale win). With several key starters returning defense (5 All-Ivy selections) this year’s unit should be the strength of the team early in the year.

Lehigh catches a bit of a break by getting Yale in their first game of the year. Outside of Salter, the Eli do not have a lot of commodities on offense. As a result, Lehigh’s defense should be able to contain Yale’s “O” just enough to scratch out a win at home

Prediction: Lehigh 31 Yale 27

Marist (1-1) at Georgetown (1-0, 0-0) – Sept. 16th 1 PM Cooper Field Washington D.C.

Live Stream – Patriot League Network

Georgetown welcomes the Red Foxes of Marist to our nation’s capital for their 2017 home opener. The Hoyas enter the game fresh off a 16-10 win over Campbell last week. The Hoyas defense once again led the way in the victory over the Camels. While the offense managed only 8 first downs it did rack up 114 rushing yards. Maintaining that type of production on the ground will be important for Georgetown until Tim Barnes settles back in at quarterback.

Marist heads to Washington D.C. fresh off a dominating 38-17 win against Stetson. Marist opened the season with a 45-6 loss to Patriot League member Bucknell. The Bison defense dominated Marist in the 39 point win two weeks ago. The Marist offense has to feeling better about things heading into Saturday after quarterback Mike White was names Pioneer League Offensive Player of the Week for his performance (337 passing yards 1 TD, 58 rushing yards 2 TD) last weekend against Stetson. White’s favorite target through the first two games has been WR Juston Christian (15 rec 203 yards).

After seeing what Bucknell’s defense did to Marist 14 days ago Georgetown has to feel good about their chances to slow down the Red Foxes. Georgetown started last year 3-0 and gets one step closer to duplicating that feat this season. Look for Tim Barnes to have a solid day through the air.

Prediction: Georgetown 24 Marist 20

#16 Eastern Washington (0-2) at Fordham (1-1, 0-0) – Sept 16th 1 PM Jack Coffey Field Bronx, NY

Live Streaming: None

Fordham makes their home debut against traditional FCS power Eastern Washington (Big Sky Conference) in a very intriguing out of conference game. The Eagles are making the cross country trip after suffering a disappointing 43-10 loss to #2 North Dakota State last week. Like Fordham, Eastern Washington started their year with a blowout loss (56-10 @ Texas Tech) to a FBS opponent. Fordham rebounded from their beating at Army with a gut-check 38-31 win over Central Connecticut State. Despite missing the entire second half of the game, All-American RB Chase Edmonds is expected to start against Eastern Washington. Given the Eagles weakness against the run (106th in FCS) Edmonds could be in-line for his breakout performance this year.

The usual potent Eastern Washington offense has struggled to start the season. Payton Award candidate Gage Gubrud (170 ypg 1 TD) has started the year slow in the Eagles 0-2. The loss of record breaking WR Cooper Kupp has proven to be difficult to overcome in the passing game. The Eagles have also failed to establish a consistent running attack (75.5 ypg) to start the season. Given Fordham’s inability to slow down their opponent’s ground game (108th against the run) something has to give.

Eastern Washington has been at the top of the mountain in FCS for most of this decade while Fordham has been trying to get there. Getting a program of EWU’s caliber on their home turf is tremendous opportunity for the Rams to make their presence known nationally. Unfortunately for Fordham, they’ve struggled recently in these high profile games against “power conference” teams.

Prediction: Eastern Washington 42 Fordham 31

Lafayette (0-2, 0-0) at #7 Villanova (1-1) – Sept 16th 6 PM Wildcat Stadium Villanova, PA

Live Streaming: ESPN3

Lafayette faces their toughest test of the year as they make the short bus trip down to the Main Line to take on #7 Villanova Saturday evening. The Leopards have struggled on both sides of the ball to begin the 2017 campaign. As a result Lafayette has suffered two decisive losses against Monmouth and Sacred Heart. Villanova meanwhile opened their 2017 with a 3 point win over Lehigh then suffered a heartbreaking loss to Big 5 rival Temple last Saturday. The Wildcat defense re-established itself as one of the top units in FCS in the 16-13 loss against the Owls. That’s not good news for a Lafayette offense that continues to search for an identity under first year head coach John Garrett.

Freshman Lafayette quarterback Sean O’Malley will once again be forced to be the straw that stirs the drink on offense since the running game continues to be non-existent. He’ll need monster games from WR Mzarek (12 rec 106 yards 2 TDs) and TE Dylan Wadsworth (10 rec 63 yards) if the Leopards are going to have any success on offense against Villanova. It won’t easy against a Wildcat defense that features one of the top secondaries in FCS.

If Lafayette is to have any shot at pulling off the huge upset the defense must force Villanova to throw the ball and create turnovers. The Leopards have the talent on defense to make things difficult for the Wildcats. But without an effective “O” it’s hard to see the Leopard D holding up for 60 minutes. The Wildcats won last year’s meeting 31-14. Expect a similar outcome Saturday.

Prediction: Villanova 34 Lafayette 10

Bucknell (1-1, 0-1) at William & Mary (1-1) – Sept 16th 6 PM Zable Stadium Williamsburg, VA

Live Streaming: Tribeathletics.com

Bucknell takes on William & Mary for the first time in 21 years Saturday evening in historic Williamsburg. The Tribe have won all 4 meetings in the series by an average score of 38-9. The Bison will have their work cut out to avoid that trend from continuing against the 2017 version of William & Mary. This year’s Tribe team is led by an excellent defense that has the potential to make life miserable for Bucknell’s offense. The strength of the Tribe “D” is the line. DE Matt Ahola and DT Isaiah Stephens anchor the unit. Through the first games Bucknell has struggled mightily to replace the 5 starters they lost along the offensive line. Unless Susan came up a magic combination in the trenches since last week’s shutout loss to Holy Cross things aren’t going to get any better against the Tribe.

The Bison’s best chance to make this a competitive game is on defense. The Tribe offense is not going to leave anyone in awe. They’re coming off a workman-line performance in a 20-6 win over a solid but far from spectacular Norfolk State team. Bucknell certainly has the personnel on defense to keep the Tribe’s offense contained. Tribe QB Tommy McKee (29 carries 203 yards 1 TD) is a dangerous runner that will test the Bison’s discipline on defense. The Tribe’s other main weapon is TE Andrew Caskin.

This game likely won’t win any awards for beauty given how limited both offenses have been so far in 2017 and how good the defenses are. Ultimately, the Tribe should be able to make more plays on “O” thanks to McKee’s ability to make things happen with his arm and legs.

Prediction: William & Mary 24 Bucknell 6

#24 Colgate (1-1, 0-0) at Buffalo (0-2) – Sept 16th 6 PM UB Stadium Amherst, NY

Live Stream: ESPN3

Colgate makes the 2.5 hour trek to Western New York to face FBS Buffalo. The Raiders soundly defeated the Bulls 38-15 in 2003 on their way to the FCS National Title Game. That was Colgate’s last win over a FBS opponent. Since that win 14 years ago the Raiders have failed to be competitive in their games against college football’s highest subdivision. However, that should change against a Buffalo team that lost to FCS Albany last year and has struggled out of the blocks in 2017. The Bulls offense continues to be the primary issue. Dating back to the start of 2016 Buffalo is averaging 15.8 ppg.

Colgate has to like how their defense matches up against Buffalo. The Bulls have really struggled to establish anything on offense through the first two games. QB Tyree Jackson (202 ypg passing, 46 ypg rushing) and WR Anthony Johnson (111 ypg 1 TD) have been the only real playmakers for the Buffalo. Meanwhile, Colgate’s “D” is coming off an excellent performance Richmond last weekend. The Spiders have one of the top offenses in FCS and the Raiders held them 20 points. Colgate was able to put forth such a performance without the services of All-American rush end Pat Afriyie. The senior is likely to miss a couple more weeks.

Freshman QB Grant Breneman is expected to make his first collegiate start after Carmine Scarfone was ineffective passing the ball in Colgate’s first 2 games. If Breneman can give the Raiders some balance on offense they’ll head back to Hamilton victorious. If the Colgate offense remains one-dimensional the Bulls defense will avoid “embarrassment”.

Prediction: Buffalo 24 Colgate 16

MVFC – Week 3 Preview

MVFC LogoWeek 3 is here and everyone has played at least one game (a few teams had bye weeks in week 1 or 2). This week is something of an OOC “Rivalry Week” for teams, with three long-standing rivalries being played out, a couple of those rivalry games, plus another game, are against Ohio Valley teams. No “full” FBS games this week, although we do have one against a “transitioning FBS” team.

Here’s the full conference schedule for the Week #3 (all times listed in Central)

1:00 PM – Central Connecticut (0-2) at #6 Youngstown State (1-1), ESPN3
2:00 PM – #10 North Dakota (1-1) at #23 South Dakota (2-0), ESPN3
2:00 PM – #18 Illinois State (1-0) at Eastern Illinois (1-1), OVC Digital Network
2:00 PM – Murray State (1-1) at Missouri State (0-2), ESPN3
5:00 PM – Indiana State (0-2) at #19 Liberty (2-0), ESPN3
6:00 PM – Drake (1-1) at #4 South Dakota State (2-0), ESPN3
6:00 PM – Southern Illinois (1-0) at Southeast Missouri State (0-2), OVC Digital Network
7:00 PM – #21 Northern Iowa (1-1) at Southern Utah (1-1), Big Sky Streaming
#2 North Dakota State and #20 Western Illinois are both off this weekend

Youngstown State LogoCentral Connecticut (0-2) at Youngstown State (1-1)

Last Week:

  • Central Connecticut lost to Fordham, 38-31
  • Youngstown State defeated Robert Morris, 30-0

History: YSU has played CCSU once, winning in 2010.

CCSU started off strong in their game against Fordham with 17 1st quarter points, but would ultimately fall late in the game, as they put up 7 points in the second half as opposed to Fordham’s 17. Through their first two games this season, QB Jacob Dolegala has 310 passing yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs, and a 40% completion rate. The Blue Devils have given up quite a few passing yards and don’t have much of a running offense. Their biggest receiving threat is WR Jose Garcia, who has 58 yards and 2 TDs on 4 catches so far this season. Last week, SO DB Tajik Bagley earned the NEC Special Teams Player of the Week award after returning the opening kickoff 95 yards for a TD, as well as picking up 8 tackles, a pass breakup, and a forced fumble on defense. He’s averaging 40 yards per return on 4 kickoffs this season.

Youngstown State meanwhile, did pretty much as expected against Robert Morris, holding them to 147 total offensive yards and 0 points. YSU SR QB Hunter Wells started the game but was injured during the first drive and was replaced by SO QB Nathan Mays, who threw for 149 yards and 1 TD in the game. JR RB Tevin McCaster leads the team currently with 81 yards per game and 2 TDs. SO S Kyle Hegedus is the current tackles leader with 19 total so far and JR DE Justus Reed getting quite a bit of pressure on QBs, with 4 sacks, 4 QB hurries, a forced fumble and recovery this season.

So, this game is YSU’s last OOC game of the season, and like most matchups between a MVFC team and a NEC team, the MVFC is going to be the favorite to win, usually by quite a bit. YSU lately has played 2 NEC teams each season and the majority of those games are what most would consider “blowouts”. Outside of a 21-14 OT win against Robert Morris in 2015, here’s the other ones they’ve played in the last few years: 48-3 over St. Francis, 45-10 over Duquesne, 38-6 over Robert Morris, and 30-0 over Robert Morris last week. I don’t really see this game being any different really.

I think the Penguins roll through to finish their OOC part of the season 2-1. Probably with a margin of around 32 points.

South Dakota Logo#10 North Dakota (1-1) at #23 South Dakota (2-0)

Last Week:

  • North Dakota beat Missouri State, 34-0
  • South Dakota beat FBS Bowling Green State, 35-27

History: This is one of those (currently) OOC “Rivalry Games” that I mentioned. Due to them both being the “flagship” universities in their respective states, and them being in the same conferences for much of their histories, the two teams have played each other 95 times going back to 1903 with UND holding a 29-61-5 advantage. Since joining DI in 2008, UND has won 1 out of the 5 meetings, with two games (including last year’s game) going to OT. The average margin of victory for those five games is 6.4 points. UND will be joining the MVFC in a few years also, so they will likely be playing each other pretty much every year after that point.

UND easily handled Missouri State last weekend, completely shutting down the Bears offense that had put up 43 points on Mizzou the previous week. Offensively, the “stars” of the show are JR RBs Brady Oliveira and John Santiago who, at this point, are averaging 89.5 and 36.5 ypg. Santiago finished last season with just slightly less than 1k yards, so he has the capability of putting up some big rushing numbers at times. The other strength of UND is their defense. Right now, the numbers are a bit skewed, due to giving up 37 points to Utah in their first game and then 0 to MSU, but they were the preseason pick to win the Big Sky this year, and their defense is a large part of that. SR LB Jake Disterhaupt is the current tackle leader on the team with 15 (10 solo) and the defense as a whole is currently 13th in the FCS in team sacks with 6.

USD meanwhile has been putting together an impressive start to their season, rolling up 77 points on Drake and then heading over to MAC bottom-feeder Bowling Green, taking an early lead and then never relenting in an 8-point win. The strength of the Coyotes lies in their SR QB Chris Streveler. Streveler is averaging 275 yards per game and has 6 TDs passing and he leads the team in rushing with 82 yards per game and 4 TDs. JR DB Danny Rambo had a big game at BGSU with 9 tackles, 2 for loss, and a pass breakup.

I have a feeling that this game is going to be a battle. Lots of strong feelings on both sides…a solid defense vs a very good passing and running QB…two very evenly matched teams. I’ve been waffling back and forth pretty much on a daily basis on who I think will win this game. Right now, I think I have to go against my personal feelings (mostly towards USD’s HC) and pick the Coyotes by 1 point (or if OT, 3).

Illinois State Logo#18 Illinois State (1-0) at Eastern Illinois (1-1)

Last Week:

  • Illinois State took the week off (bye)
  • Eastern Illinois lost to FBS Northern Illinois, 38-10

History: Despite what Wikipedia says, I believe that this is the second-oldest rivalry in the state of Illinois (Wikipedia says first, but Illinois and Northwestern started in 1892). EIU and ISU started playing each other in 1901 and have played this game 105 times total. Illinois State currently holds the series lead with 54 wins, 42 losses, 9 ties. Recently, this rivalry has been named the Mid-America Classic, complete with traveling trophy. The two schools are located less than a 2 hours drive apart.

Last week, Illinois State had their bye week, so they’ve only played one game so far. This means we don’t really have a ton of info to go on with regards to the Redbirds. In their only game so far, they dominated FCS non-scholarship Pioneer League team Butler, 45-0…which was pretty much to be expected. JR QB Jake Kolbe threw for 194 yards and 2 TDs and the defense dominated, holding Butler to 41 yards of total offense and only 3 first downs.

Eastern spent last week getting dominated by Northern Illinois. For the season, their primary QB SR Mitch Kimble is averaging 164.5 yards per game and has 1 TD and 2 INTs. They don’t have any receivers averaging over 40 yards a game, and their top rusher is JR RB Isaiah Johnson who’s currently at 44.5 yards per game. On defense, the Panthers are giving up 390 yards and 29 points per game.

As I said…not a lot to go on. Quite often in this rivalry, both teams really bring their “A” games and it can be quite a battle, even if one team is, on paper, dominant. I think that Illinois State will win this, but it’ll be a bit closer than most people expect. Redbirds by a TD (7 points).

Missouri State LogoMurray State (1-1) at Missouri State (0-2)

Last Week:

  • Murray State lost to then #15 Central Arkansas, 41-13
  • Missouri State lost at then #11 North Dakota, 34-0

History: The MSU’s have played each other 10 times. Once back in ‘42, then the other 9 times since 1982. Murray State has the lead in the series with an 8-2 record.

Murray State started the season by dismantling DII Kentucky Wesleyan and then proceeded to get steamrolled themselves when Central Arkansas came to town. So…yea….kinda need to throw the stats out the window on this one. Massey’s got them listed as having the 49th best offense and 97th best defense. The Racers have had some very good seasons in the past, but it’s been 6 years since they had a winning season, and this season doesn’t really look all that much better. They were picked to finish 8th out of 9 in the Ohio Valley Preseason poll. They’re led by JR QB Shuler Bentley, who has thrown for 197 yards per game and 5 TDs with a 64.6% completion rate. Most of those passing yards have gone to SR WR Jordan Gandy, who is catching 82 yards per game and has 3 receiving TDs. Their top rusher is FR RB D.J. Penick at 72 ypg and 1 TD. Defensively, SR LB Marico Paige leads the team in tackles with 13 (1.5 for loss and 1 INT), but JR DL Kenny Wooten will also be putting pressure on the QB, as he has 3 sacks for 17 yards so far this season.

Missouri State we’ve already discussed a few times. They put up a lot of points against Mizzou but gave up nearly twice that, then got shut out by North Dakota. They have a decent passing attack, courtesy of SO QB Peyton Huslig who transferred in from Garden City (KS) CC prior to this season. The long-lost Franco brother is throwing 242.5 yards per game with 2 TDs and 2 INTs. Most of those yards through the air land in the hands of SR WR Malik Earl (81.5 ypg, 1 TD) and SR TE Erik Furmanek (75.5 ypg). SR TB Calan Crowder is averaging 93.5 ypg and has 2 TDs on the ground. True Freshman LB Titus Wall is leading the team in tackles (might be one to watch in a couple of years as one of the top LBs in the conference) with 14 (9 solo). Going back to the Massey numbers, the Bears have 34th best offense and 79th best defense.

So, we’ve got two teams that are near the bottom of their respective conferences. Both teams have halfway decent offenses but fairly porous defenses. I think that both teams will put up a relatively high number of points in this game, but Missouri State should come away with a win by about a TD.

Indiana State LogoIndiana State (0-2) at #19 Liberty (2-0)

Last Week:

  • Indiana State lost at Tennessee, 42-7
  • Liberty beat Morehead State, 58-17

History: The Sycamores have played Liberty twice, winning both games.

Indiana State started the season losing a close game in the final seconds against Eastern Illinois and then followed it up by getting clobbered at Tennessee. I’m not quite sure what the deal is with their QB position. In the EIU game, they had JR Isaac Harker in at first, then about halfway through the second quarter, put in R-FR Cade Sparks. In the Tennessee game, Sparks started and played the first three quarters, then Harker was put in for most of the 4th quarter. I guess they’re thinking Sparks is the planned starter then…maybe? Anyway, assuming it’s Sparks, he’s thrown 11 passes for 165 yards with 1 TD. SR RB LeMonte Booker leads the ground game with (you know what…I’m just going to put the stats from the EIU game…it’s kinda pointless to look at how badly they did against the Vols)…154 yards and 1 TD against EIU. SO LB Jonas Griffith leads the team with 22 tackles, 1.5 for loss.

Liberty meanwhile…well…they beat Baylor in the first week, and then had their way with Morehead State. SO QB Steven Calvert is putting up 364 yards per game with 8 TDs. Most of those passes are going to SO WR Antonio Gandy-Golden (101 ypg and 3 TD) and JR WR B.J. Farrow (177 ypg and 3 TD). In total, they’re averaging 554 yards of offense per game and scoring 53 points per game. Their defense is a bit less outstanding than their passing attack but is still pretty decent with JR CB Jeremy Peters and SO S Rion Davis both sitting at 11 total tackles. They’ve given up 416 yards and 31 points per game so far.

Liberty is in their last season as an FCS team. I believe if I’ve read the info correctly, that this year they are considered FCS Independent. They play an FCS schedule and their games count as Big South games but are not eligible for the FCS playoffs. Next year is pretty much the same deal, but FBS. Play FBS schedule, not eligible for a bowl game. Since they’re not joining a conference at this point, they’ll be independent anyway, but starting in 2019, they should be eligible to participate in a bowl game, if they meet the requirements and get an invite.

Anyway, this game, they still technically count as an FCS for now. I think Indiana State will bounce back a bit from their game last week and make this a bit more competitive, but ultimately, Liberty is a better football team and will likely come away with the win…I say by 10 points.

South Dakota State LogoDrake (1-1) at #4 South Dakota State (2-0)

Last Week:

  • Drake defeated NAIA Southwestern (KS) College, 55-14
  • South Dakota State won at Montana State, 31-27

History: SDSU and Drake have played 11 times, with Drake holding the series lead, 3-8.

So…yea…Drake. Apparently, they hadn’t had enough of the South Dakota DI schools and decided to make the trip up for more. If you recall, Drake opened their season by getting beat by 70 points on their own field by South Dakota. They won their next game, against a NAIA team. Drake is a Pioneer League team that doesn’t have scholarships for football, so it’s not really fair to compare them to a full-scholarship team…especially one that some people have picked to compete for a national championship this year. SR QB Grant Kraemer leads the offensive unit, averaging 224 yards per game w/ 6 TDs and SO WR has hauled in 9 passes at a 20.22 yards per catch average with 3 TDs. Their top tackler is JR LB Zac Rujawitz with 11 total tackles, 2.5 for loss.

South Dakota State meanwhile, is 2-0, beating up on Duquesne to open the season and then winning a close battle out in Bozeman against Montana State. They’ve got…idk…half of the Payton Award Watch List on their offense or something, they’re putting up 517.5 yards per game of offense…Christion is doing Christion things…Goedert, Wieneke, and the gang. If you follow the MVFC at all, you know who they are. Thankfully for the rest of us who have to play them every year, Goedert and Wieneke will be playing on Sundays next year and we won’t have to deal with them anymore. Defensively, still good, but not quite as impressive as their offense. The monster with the flowing blond locks is last year’s MVFC Freshman of the Year and the man who finished second in Jerry Rice Award voting last season, SO LB Christian Rozeboom. “The Boom” leads the team with 14 tackles this season and had 10 in the Montana State game.

Ok…so…here’s the deal. Drake lost to South Dakota by 70 points. USD’s QB is pretty good, but overall, South Dakota State is better on both sides of the ball than South Dakota. It’s literally whatever SDSU’s Coach Stig wants to put on the board here. If I remember correctly, he has a reputation for being a pretty nice guy, so I think he’s not going to want to completely embarrass Drake here. I could easily see SDSU reaching triple digits in this game if they really wanted to, but I think it’s more likely they’ll let off the gas once they’re up by 40 or so. They’ll probably still score a few more after that…almost by accident…so the margin will be more like 54 points.

Southern Illinois LogoSouthern Illinois (1-0) at Southeast Missouri State (0-2)

Last Week:

  • Southern Illinois beat Mississippi Valley State, 55-3
  • Southeast Missouri State lost to Dayton, 25-23

History: This is OOC Rivalry Game #3 for the MVFC this week, with the two teams playing 84 times going back to 1909. SEMO holds the lead in the series, 40-38-8 although SIU has won 9 of the last 11 meetings (back to 2003). The two team’s stadiums are almost exactly a 1-hour drive apart over 2-lane state routes and old US highways, through a couple of small midwestern towns, southern Illinois farmland, down the Mississippi floodplain and across the big river into Missouri.

The Salukis have played only one game so far, against MVFC punching-bag Mississippi Valley State (who, in their first two games have been outscored by MVFC teams 127-10). Now, obviously a few pieces have changed, but last season SIU had the 4th best passing offense in the FCS. The run game was fairly mediocre and the defense was horrible, but boy could they pass the ball. Their QB is JR Sam Straub, they’ve got preseason all-MVFC Honorable Mention SR WR Connor Iwema who gets most of the catches and JR RB Daquan Isom who gets in on both the ground and receiving game. Preseason All-MVFC SR OL Austin Olsen does his best to give Straub time to find his receivers. Last year’s All-MVFC Honorable Mention LB Chase Allen is now a Miami Dolphin, so looking to fill his shoes will be SR LB Markese Jackson and JR LB Withney Simon. SO S Jeremy Chinn was a Freshman All-American and on the MVFC All-Newcomer team last year after snagging 3 INTs in 8 games.

The Redhawks got off to a rough start this season, losing to Kansas in their first game (pretty much expected) and then losing by 2 to Non-Scholarship Dayton (pretty much not expected). SEMO had more offensive yards in their game against Dayton but gave up quite a few rushing yards. Dayton won the special teams game with essentially double the average punt yardage of SEMO, much longer returns, and longer kickoffs. They also held onto the ball about 10 minutes longer. SEMO SR QB Jesse Hosket threw two TDs but also two INTs in that game, and SO WR Trevon Billington caught 6 passes for 135 yards and a TD. JR RB Marquis Terry had a 100-yard rushing game (111 net) with 1 TD as well, and SR LB Chad Meredith finished with 11 tackles, 1 for loss.

SIU shouldn’t really have any trouble putting up points on SEMO, but they might have some issues defensively trying to stop SEMO’s passing game occasionally. I don’t think the Salukis will lose, but it should be a much tougher game than their first game was. I think they’ll end up somewhere around 14 points up on the Redhawks.

Northern Iowa Logo#21 Northern Iowa (1-1) at Southern Utah (1-1)

Last Week:

  • Northern Iowa defeated Cal Poly, 45-38 in OT
  • Southern Utah won at Stephen F. Austin, 51-14

History: UNI has played SUU four times going back to 1996. UNI has won all 4 of the meetings.

Northern Iowa scraped out a narrow win against Big Sky member Cal Poly last weekend at the UNIDome. Aided by a couple of false starts on the part of the Mustangs, the Panthers took the 7 point win in overtime. It looks like, for the most part, the UNI offense is doing pretty well, averaging just under 400 yards per game (against a P5 FBS team and a Full-Scholly FCS team)…whaddya  know…not screwing around with players in odd positions on offense actually works. JR QB Eli Dunne is putting up a conference-leading 292 yards per game through the air and a 143.8 QB efficiency rating. SR WR Daurice Fountain had a great game last week with 75 yards and 3 TDs. As is often the case, the UNI defense (especially at the LB spot) is fairly solid, with Preseason All-MVFC SR LB Jared Farley and JR LB Duncan Ferch leading the MVFC with 25 and 24 tackles respectively, as well as Preseason All-MVFC DB Malcolm Washington helping to lock down the backfield.

Southern Utah put up 51 points in their win at SFA last weekend, mostly through the air, with 418 passing yards and 4 passing TDs. SR QB Patrick Tyler conducts the Thunderbirds’ offense and has a young, but talented receiving corps with two targets going over 100 yards…131 and 1 TD going to True-FR WR Landen Measom and 101 and 1 TD going to SO WR Isaiah Diego-Williams. Measom also handles most kick and punt return duties. Tyler, who was named Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week this last week, also ran for 48 yards and a TD. On the other side of the ball, they have a 2016 All-Conference First Team DT with SR Robert Torgerson and Third Team S, JR Kyle Hannemann. True-FR PK Manny Berz was named the Big Sky Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance including 3 for 3 on FGs (23, 28, 39) and 2 for 2 on XPs.

On paper, this looks like a tougher test than Cal Poly, but I feel like UNI is getting better offensively game-to-game and might have struggled with Cal Poly’s less common offensive scheme. I think they’ll pull out another win, but it’ll be a close one. UNI by a FG.

The FCS Wedge – 2017-0913 – WEEK 3 PREVIEW

This week in the look ahead to the weekend Kris & Lance go over some big FCS games. First and foremost UND – USD gets a good look and some airtime discussing their relative merits and what it might look like for each to win this one. Other games we give a gander to:

Richmond – Howard

UTM – UTC

EWU – Fordham

Monmouth – Albany

A brief discussion of the odd way NAU and Jerome Souers seem to be parting company closes it out this week.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

SOCON: Week 3 Preview

Wofford is out to an early lead in the conference race having sneaked by both Furman and Mercer to start the season. They have the week off before playing Gardner-Webb in two weeks. This week is still predominantly out of conference opponents, with a few FBS thrown in, so there will still be questions regarding how the teams are shaking out. Furman faces NC State, Mercer travels to Auburn, and Samford plays Georgia. UTC hosts Tenn-Martin, WCU travels to Gardner-Webb, and VMI is on the road at Robert Morris. In the only conference match up, The Citadel travels to Johnson City to play ETSU.

SOCON Weekly Notes

(As always, hyperlinks in blue and all times eastern.)

Furman at NC State 12:20PM (ACC network) (Furman game notes)

Furman has had a rough start under their new Head Coach Clay Hendrix. It looked as though the Paladins were off to good start having taken conference favorite Wofford to the wire in week one. Then they stumbled big time, coming up short at home against former SOCON member Elon. Furman spotted Elon 21 first quarter points. Two of Elon scores followed Furman fumbles deep in their own territory. Furman will face a tough ACC team in NC State. 7-6 last year, the Wolfpack have started 1-1 with a loss to South Carolina and win over Marshall. Furman actually has a winning record against NC State, but the last time they played was in the 80s when they went 2-1 against NC State.  But this isn’t your father’s Paladins. Furman still has lots of rebuilding issues.

On Offense they are led by Senior PJ Blazejowski who has gone 18-37 passing over the first two games. His yards total 362 on the year with 1 TD pass and no interceptions. One thing Furman has done is ramped up their rushing game. They average 209 yards a game so far. That is much better than last year’s average. Running backs Darius Morehead (RSF), Antonio Wilcox (Sr) and QB Blazejowski have all been contributing. As far as total yards per game goes, Furman has put up 390. They have moved the ball ok. They have a 46% third down conversion rate. They have also kept down the penalties with only 5 to date over two games. They have only held the ball for 26 and a half minutes on average though. They are even in turnovers to date.

On defense, they have given up just under 400 yards a game. They did hold Wofford to 269 yards on the ground. Furman usually has a pretty good defense against the run. They also gave up 311 yards passing to Elon. They sacked Elon 3 times and Wofford twice. They held opposing offenses to a 36% third down conversion rate. They also gave up all four, fourth down tries by opponents; two to each team.

It is obvious that a culture change needs to occur at Furman. They have had a rough couple years and it will take more than a few games to turn things around. They have some talent though and they will win some SOCON games.

This game will probably not tell us much on how well the Paladins are improving. Furman usually plays FBS teams tough, but expect NC State to win easily 38-17.

#12 The Citadel at East Tennessee State 1PM (ESPN3) (The Citadel game notes) (ETSU game notes)

In the only conference match up this week, the Citadel Bulldogs, ranked #12 in the AGS poll, travel to Johnson City, Tennessee to face the ETSU Bucs. Last year The Bulldogs routed ETSU at home 45-10. So far this year the Dogs have faced Div II Newberry and Presbyterian of the Big South Conference. Although easily winning both, they were a bit sluggish to start with lots of new faces. ETSU began the year with a victory over Div II Limestone and suffered a thrashing by the 2016 FCS National Champion James Madison.

So far on offense, The Citadel is doing what it does best, running the ball. It is second in FCS in rushing at 405 yards per game. But it did something last week that Bulldog fans have longed for even if running has produced results, and that is pass the ball, successfully, a little more. If for nothing else, to open up their running game even more. Last week against Presbyterian, the Dogs threw 4 passes. Not many, but they went 4 for 4 for 104 yards. Oh, and three of those passes went for TDs. That certainly helped the Bulldogs pass efficiency stat. Overall the Dogs have averaged 497 yards a game. They have racked up an impressive 66% third down conversion rate as well. Granted the competition was not terribly stout, but it was what was needed with a lot of new faces on their offense. At QB, Senior Dominique Allen is again at the helm. But what is also interesting is that Sophomore QB Jordan Black has also had extensive playing time. I don’t think there is an issue at QB, but playing time has been about 50/50 so far. Black started the first three games last year when Allen went out with a one game suspension and injury. There is no doubt Black is probably the better passer and an elusive runner, but Allen is much more of a bruiser on keepers and he can pitch the ball with much better finesse and timing than Black can.  It’s good to have two very capable QBs ready to go.

On defense, the Dogs have not missed much after losing an All American DB. There is a bit of a learning curve going on, but that has not stopped the swarming type of defense they have been executing the last few years. They have been allowing 252 yards a game on average including 94 yards on the ground and 158 passing. They did have one lapse in the PC game in the first quarter where their stud running back torn one up the middle for 76 yards. The Dogs adjusted and did not let PC cross midfield on a drive until the fourth quarter and only twice all game. They have snagged 4 interceptions so far and are at +4 in turnovers overall. The most dominating stat though has to be their time of possession which is almost at 38 minutes a game which keeps their defense fairly fresh. They have held opponent to a 33% third down conversion rate.

Special teams have not been an issue yet. Their kicker is solid. They have also been good in regard to penalties with 5 in two games and, as an editorial note, two of those were extremely questionable.

ETSU is obviously still a work in progress in only their third year back on the gridiron. It is pretty hard to judge them yet with only games against Limestone and JMU…talk about extremes.

The Bucs are led by Junior QB Austin Herink. To date he has gone 28/47 with 3 TD passes and 1 interception. He averages 179 yards a game. Overall the Bucs have averaged 277 yards a game with 98 on the ground. They totaled just 175 total yards against JMU. They have about a 38% third down conversion rate. They are even in turnovers on the year. They have had 10 penalties so far over two games.

On defense, they allow 324 yards a game. JMU totaled 426 total yards. Their one TD against JMU came on a pick 6 in the second quarter. They also gave up 193 yards rushing to Limestone, more than they did against JMU so they may have improved. They have allowed opponents to convert thirds down 40% of the time.

ETSU also has the lowest net punting average in the SOCON at just under 30 yards.

If the Bucs can hold onto the ball and keep it away from the prolific running of the Bulldogs, then maybe they can make a game of it. Newberry showed some cracks in the Bulldogs pass defense although they improved a bit last week. If Herink can complete a few and keep the sticks moving, and their defense can get a few stops, then they might have a shot. But it will be a bit too much for this still young Bucs program. Look for the Bulldogs to go 3-0 with a 37-13 win.

VMI at Robert Morris 3PM (NEC) (VMI game notes)

After being demolished by Air Force to open the season the VMI Keydets needed a boost last week. They didn’t get it. Div II Catawba came into Lexington and took it to VMI. The good news is there is nowhere to go but up for VMI. On offense they were decimated by graduation this year. There are 16 freshmen or sophomores on the offensive two deep. There is no doubt that something has to change for VMI. Maybe it is already happening. It is still early for Coach Scott Wachenheim in only his third season. Only time will tell. If they can build some experience, maybe things will turn around.

VMI is led by sophomore QB Austin Coulling. In his two outings he has passed for 18/40 for 224 yards, 1 interception and no TDs. Running the ball has been a bit better this year for the Keydets. They have only averaged 118 yards a game, but sophomore Daz Palmer has averaged 79 a game which is currently good enough for 4th in the SOCON. They have averaged only 237 yards a game, but that was hurt by AFs dominating performance which held the Keydets to just 95 total yards. They did much better against Catawba with 379 yards. They are having a serious issue converting third down though and are at just 20% on the year.

Defense should have been a bright spot for VMI, but they are allowing 539 yards a game including 417 against Catawba. They have been on the short end in time of possession averaging just 26 and half minutes a game. Their offense is not doing them any favors. They have also given up 242 yards a game passing. They have had 5 sacks though, including 3 against Catawba. VMI has some stout players on defense, but it has been a tough two games.   They could not stop Catawba when they needed to late in the game.

As always, VMI has played a very clean game with just 2 penalties total in two games. They are -1 in turnovers. They have also had good punting averaging just over 45 yards a kick.

The Robert Morris Colonials of the Northeast Conference come into the game 1-1 having beaten Dayton and losing to 2016 FCS runner up Youngstown State. The last time these teams met was in 2013 when Robert Morris won in double OT, 37-31.

The Colonials pass a bit more than run, and have averaged 233 yards total a game. They only convert third downs about 26% of the time. They also average about 28 minutes time of possession per game.   On defense they have given up 343 yards a game split pretty equally between passing and rushing. They have allowed opponents to convert third downs about 42% of the time. They are 2/5 on FG attempts.

VMI can win this game if they have not been totally demoralized. It may be tough on the road for the Keydets, but they have to stop the bleeding at some point. We will see if some leaders emerge on this young team. However, expect VMI to fall again, 24-17.

Mercer at Auburn 4PM (SEC Network) (Mercer game notes)

The Mercer Bears face off against Auburn this week in its first of two games against the SEC this year. They face Alabama later. Of all the teams that Mercer could face this week, Auburn has got to be the last one they want to play. They will be pissed off after a hard fought battle against Clemson last week. Mercer had a tough game as well against Wofford where they should have won. But the Terriers snatched victory from the jaws of defeat late. Emotions may be high on both team in this game.

Mercer started off the season by easily handling Jacksonville 48-7. They appear to be no worse for wear having graduated their first class last year. Their starting QB is Fr Kaelan Riley. To date, he has gone 32/54 and averaged 187 yards a game. He has tossed 5 TDS and 4 interceptions. Mercer has averaged 336 yards a game overall including 142 on the ground. They have converted 50% of their third downs and held the ball about 29 minutes a game. They had a good kickoff return to start the game against Wofford and another good drive in the first to go up early on the Terriers 14-0 early. That should have been enough to lead to a victory. But Wofford fought back and a Mercer interception in the third quarter and a late Mercer fumble completed a Wofford comeback victory.

On defense, Mercer has allowed 304 yards a game. That includes 367 against Wofford. The Bears held Wofford to 274 yards on the ground as well. That’s not too bad. While the Wofford game skews the stats a bit as well, Mercer has allowed just 94 yards through the air per game. They may allow just a few more against Auburn.

Mercer has also had some success returning punts. Five returns have given them almost 15 yards per return on average. They are -2 in turnover margin due primarily to their young QBs interceptions. That better tighten up against Auburn.

Auburn is 1-1 after demolishing Georgia Southern and losing to Clemson. They have averaged 326 yards a game with a bit more rushing than passing. On defense they are animals who have allowed just 181 yards per game. They held Georgia Southern to under 100. They held Clemson to just 281. Mercer had better have some tricks up their sleeves.

I am sure that not many of the Bears faithful have much hope for this game, but if Mercer is to keep it respectable, they need to have zero turnovers, flawless special teams execution, and have a few drives where they move the sticks. That is a pretty tall order. Look for Auburn to roll 49-7.

Western Carolina at Gardner-Webb 6PM (Local TV / BSN) (WCU game notes)

WCU might be getting something together this year. To open the season they traveled out to Hawaii and blew a game they might have won if not for special teams. Last week they demolished Davidson. Not a big accomplishment, but they did it convincingly.   Their biggest problem recently has been defense. They were basically last in the SOCON, and pretty close to last in all of FCS last year. Things might be taking a turn for the better this year.

They have some weapons on offense. Sophomore QB Tyrie Adams is good. So far he is 33/53 for 644 yards in two games with 6 TDs and only 1 interception. Running back Detrez Newsome leads the SOCON in rushing with 158 yards a game. Granted that was padded a bit with Davidson where he had 288 yards, but he is good. He also earned SOCON Offensive Player of the Week honors for his performance. He also returns kickoffs and catches a pass or two. It is important to point out that Adams had 107 yards rushing against Hawaii as well.   WCUs ridiculous 778 yards against Davidson may be an anomaly, but they totaled 482 against Hawaii as well. That’s pretty good even though I would easily put Hawaii’s defense behind UTCs, Wofford’s or The Citadel’s defensive units. WCU appears fairly balanced behind both Adams arm and Newsome’s legs. They have converted third downs about 38% of the time. All those gaudy numbers were put up with only a 27 minute time of possession average as well. They scored quickly. They are at -1 in turnovers and have averaged 7 penalties a game for 70 yards. Those stats need a little improving.

On defense, the biggest question for them this year, they appear to be doing a little better. They have allowed 375 yards on average with Hawaii gaining 453. They allowed Davidson 297. So they still have some work to do. However they have allowed their two opponents to convert third downs only 29% of the time so while they may be giving up some big plays, they are getting the job done occasionally. They held Hawaii to 5/12 on third downs. They have 4 sacks to date and 4 interceptions.

The Runnin’ Bulldogs of Gardner-Webb have had a tough season so far. After getting clobbered by NC A&T 45-3 they went on the road to Wyoming and got punched again 27-0. They haven’t scored a TD yet. They have averaged just 155 yards a game with most coming on the ground. They are usually better than this. In fact they have played more than a couple good teams very close the last few years. It isn’t much better on defense for them. They have given up 426 yards and 36 points per game to date.

This is a perfect opportunity for WCU to get an out of conference victory. The Cats need to have a solid performance by their special teams and let their offense go to work, and be at least respectable on defense. It might be a high scoring affair. Look for WCU to win on the road 38-24.

UT-Martin at #19 Chattanooga 6PM (ESPN3) (UTC game notes)

The Mocs have had a pretty tough schedule to start the season with JSU and then LSU. It is hard to start 0-2 even to good teams. They have a new coach and a new, or at least temporary, QB. They obviously have fallen off a bit with these transitions, but they are still a pretty tough opponent.

With their expected starting QB Alejandro Bennifield out due to academics for a few games, in camp they turned to SEC transfer Nick Tiano. His performance against JSU was not bad overall, but it took him a while to get going…something that you can’t do against a good team like JSU. Against LSU he looked better even if the score didn’t reflect it. He was 15/32 for 174 against LSU. He also threw 2 interceptions which didn’t help. He went 23/43 against JSU for 218. He also threw two interceptions in that game. On the ground UTC has averaged just 72 yards a game. That is a serious issue for a team that was basically perfectly balanced between passing and running last year. The Mocs have just 144 yards rushing in two games. Oh my.

On defense they have allowed 410 yards a game pretty much balanced between pass and rush. That includes 366 by JSU and 454 by LSU, two very capable opponents. On third downs they have allowed a 42% conversion rate. Their defense has had two interceptions and but only 2 sacks so far.

The Mocs are -3 in turnovers, just over 29 minutes time of possession, and have committed 11 penalties total so far. All these numbers point to some obvious transition pains.

The Tennessee Martin Skyhawks are 1-1 with a victory over Div II Clarion and a 45-23 loss to Mississippi. They led Ole Miss at one point in the 2nd quarter 16-7 and they only trailed 17-16 at half before a dismal third quarter put it out of reach. Tenn-Martin gained 334 yards and gave up 543 in that game to Ole Miss. They run a bit more than pass, so UTC can limit the Skyhawks’ output with their above average run defense. The Skyhawks are a good team, no doubt. They have 9 winning seasons over the last 12 years, but they have been in JSU’s shadow for a while in the OVC. They would make a big statement towards an at large bid come November if they win this.

UTC can win this game if they can get focused after starting 0-2 and limit turnovers. With another week under his belt, Tiano should be a bit better. However, more than anything UTC had better get some sort of running game going. They need to, If not for this game, then in preparation for the SOCON schedule. The Mocs will be hungry for a victory here and two losses to an OVC team would be a little bit much to swallow in one season. Look for UTC to win 31-21.

#18 Samford at Georgia 7:30PM (SEC network) (Samford game notes)

Samford is 2-0. That would be good except for the fact that they could have easily been 0-2. Kennesaw State gave them all they could handle in week one with the Samford Bulldogs taking it 28-23. Kennesaw State is not a bad team, but Samford should have handled them with a little more ease. Week two was a little disappointing as well. Not that they were in serious jeopardy of losing to Div II West Alabama, but it got uncomfortably close and it should not have. Samford led 42-14 half way through the third. They held on to win 49-41 after West Alabama scored 20 in the fourth. It almost appears like they are playing down to their opponent. They have also been known to play up to better competition. Against Georgia this week, they will need to.

Samford has averaged 375 yards a game with most, obviously, coming through the air. As the SOCON’s most prolific passer, Jr QB Devlin Hodges has gone 46/71 for 558 yards in two games. He has 7 TDs and thrown two interceptions. What is concerning for Samford, as it was last year, is a lack of a running game. They have averaged just 96 yards a game to date. If they couldn’t get a running game going against Kennesaw State and a Div II team, they will find it much harder against the meat of the SOCON schedule and more relevant this week, against an SEC team. They do get it done through the air, but they are in a hard spot when running is called for. Some can say that many of their short quick passes are no better than runs or pitches. Regardless of how one views it, they have a respectable 43% third down conversion rate. Their time of possession is just over 27 minutes and their defense has been tasked heavily again this year.

Samford’s defense gave up 545 yards to Kennesaw State and 422 yards to West Alabama. That is not good. Not good at all. More to the point they have surrendered 32 points a game on average. They have snagged 3 interceptions, two for TDs, and logged a SOCON leading 6 sacks. Their defense gives up just over 4 yards a rush on average and 9 yards per pass attempt. Like last year, with their offense being so explosive and scoring quickly or going three and out, their defense is hard pressed every game. That is a good problem to have, the scoring quickly part, but their defense does not appear up to the task of being on the field for 35+ minutes a game with the offense off the field so quickly in many cases. I suppose their strategy is to just run a track meet and hope that the other team stumbles. Only problem is sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.

Georgia appears to be back after an off year. They topped App St 31-10 to open the season and beat Notre Dame last week 20-19. There is no doubt Samford will have its hands full. On offense the Georgia Bulldogs average 347 yards a game. They rush a bit more than pass. On defense they allow just 275 yards a game. They pretty much shut Notre Dame’s rushing game down but gave up 211 yards passing so Samford may put some passing yards up. We know Samford can rise to the occasion as they did against Mississippi State last year where they put up gaudy passing numbers. But Georgia will be much harder to handle. Expect the Bulldogs, the Georgia variety that is, to run away with it, 48-17.

CAA: Week 2 Recap and Power Rankings

We’ve already completed 2 weeks out of the 2017 regular season and look to have another exciting week of matchups in Week 3.  I’ll take a look back at the Colonial Athletic Association results from Week 2 and rank the teams as I see them after 2 weeks of play.

(#8) New Hampshire 22 – Georgia Southern 12

The Wildcats dominated the first half, heading into halftime up 22 – 0, and relied on their defense to hold on and win by 10 for the FBS upset.  QB Trevor Knight went 13 for 22 with 129 yards and 2 TDs, and ran on 9 rushes for 55 yards.  RB Evan Gray also added 77 yards and a TD on the ground.  New Hampshire’s defense shined in the first half, shutting out the vaunted Georgia Southern offense.  They also held on to prevent a Georgia Southern comeback.  UNH will continue to try and remain unbeaten in Week 3 against Patriot League foe Holy Cross.

(#7) Villanova 13 – Temple 16

Down 10-0 at the half, the Wildcats rallied to tied the game at 13 all with 3:29 left in the 4th quarter.  Their bid to claim another FBS scalp fell short, though, as Temple’s Aaron Boumerhi kicked the game winning field goal with a minute left and a Nova fumble ended their attempt to win or tie.  QB Zach Bednarczyk had a strong day completing 27 out of 41 attempts for 382 yards and a TD.  The Wildcats couldn’t get much going with their ground game, however, only rushing for 20 yards.  Villanova will hope to bounce back in Week 3 against regional Patriot League foe Lafayette.

Delaware 0 – (#18 FBS) Virginia Tech 27

The Blue Hens failed to repeat what the Dukes did 7 years ago in defeating a ranked Virginia Tech team, getting shut out in Blacksburg.  The Delaware defense did look promising, holding the Hokies to only 27 points and only 81 yards rushing.  But the offense could not get any traction either through the air or on the ground.  Troy Reeder did recover a fumble for the Blue Hens, but they were unable to turn it into points.  Delaware will have an easier path to victory in Week 3, facing Cornell at the Tub.

(#11) Richmond 20 – (#24) Colgate 17

Despite being down 14 – 7 at the half, Richmond rallied back to win on the strength of a Griffin Trau FG with 1:29 left. DB Daniel Jones’ picked off Colgate’s Grant Breneman on the Raiders’ first play of their final drive.   Spiders’ QB Kyle Lauletta came back down to earth somewhat, going 25 for 38 with 306 yards and an INT.  While RBs Deontez Thompson and Gordon Collins both punched in TD runs, Richmond did not have the same success on the ground as it did against Sam Houston, only rushing for 62 total yards.  The Spiders will look to go 2-1 in their challenging out of conference slate this year as they take on the first of two former head coaches they face this season in Howard’s Mike London.

https://twitter.com/SpiderFootball/status/906577889340116994

Elon 34 – Furman 31

The Phoenix jumped out to an early lead going up 21-0 in the first quarter.  However, the host Paladins came back to take the lead in the 3rd, going up 31-24.  The fourth quarter belonged to Elon, however, as they scored 10 unanswered to come back and win on a Owen Johnson 36 yard field goal with 5 seconds remaining.  Elon’s QB Davis Cheek went 26 for 35 for 301 yards and 3 TDs with one INT, and RB Brelynd Cyphers led the Phoenix with 75 yards rushing and a touchdown.  Elon continues its tough out of conference schedule in Week 3, hosting 2016 playoff team Charleston Southern.

Stony Brook 35 – Rhode Island 16

The Seawolves used a fast start to jump on top of the Rams 21- 0 in the 2nd quarter and held on to win by 17.  Stony Brook RB Stacey Bedell punched in 2 TDs and Donald Liotine punched in another to add to Joe Carbone’s 2 TDs in the air.  Rhode Island’s Tyler Harris averaged 5.8 ypc for 185 yard and a TD, but threw two interceptions that cost the Rams a chance to get back into the game.  The Seawolves will look to continue their success in Week 3 against former NEC foe Sacred Heart while Rhode Island will try to turn things around against Harvard.

Towson 17 – Maryland 63

The Tigers were overmatched from the start, giving up 21 points in both the first and third quarters.  Towson’s defense gave up 367 yards on the ground to the Terrapins, and 163 in the air.  Tigers’ QB Ryan Stover went 21 for 36 with 210 yards and two TDs and two INTs.  He also added on 52 yards rushing on 13 attempts to lead the Tigers on the ground.  Not much to say here other than the Tigers’ got a payday.  They’ll hope to rebound in Week 3 against St. Francis (PA).

William & Mary 20 – Norfolk State 6

Tribe QB Tommy McKee showed he could get it done in the air going 16-27 for 169 yards and 3 TDs, but continued on last week’s performance on the ground at UVA by rushing for 114 yards on 14 carries.  It seems the Ebirt’s entire offense is going through McKee at this point, with no other rushers sticking out through two games.  The Tribe will take on Bucknell in Week 3 while Norfolk State faces an even tougher task at James Madison.

Bryant 12 – Maine 60

Maine bounced back after a tough loss last week to rival UNH to show the rest of the CAA that they have what it takes to compete – especially on the ground.  Josh Mack ran wild for 255 yards on only 13 carries (averaging 19.6 ypc) and 3 TDs, while Joe Fitzpatrick also broke the 100 yard mark by rushing for 103 yards on 17 carries.   Black Bear QB Chris Ferguson matched Mack’s 3 TDs while throwing for 150 yards as well. Maine’s defense held Bryant to only a FG and a TD, and just over 300 yards total offense.  The Black Bears will have two weeks to prepare for #1 James Madison on 9/23, getting their bye week in Week 3.

Albany 26 – Morgan State 0

The Bears were blanked for the second straight week against a CAA opponent as the Great Danes imposed their will on offense and defense at Hughes Stadium.  Albany QB Will Brunson threw for 143 yards and a TD while running back Karl “Motor” Mofor was 2 yards shy of the Hundo mark with 98 yards and 2 TDs.  The Great Dane defense was also great, only allowing 234 total yards and impressing by shutting out the Bears at home.  Albany looks to continue to improve hosting Monmouth in Week 3.

East Tennessee State 10 – (#1) James Madison 52

The National Champs showed they could get it done on both sides of the ball after dominating with the rush in Week 1.  ETSU sold out against the run and forced the Dukes to go to the air, which they did successfully.  QB Bryan Schor threw 25 for 33 for 304 yards and 5 TDs, showing he is well-placed in the group of elite FCS quarterbacks.  The Bucs should be commended for stopping the run, allowing JMU to rush for only 122 on the ground.  However, JMU’s defense continued to impress, allowing only a field goal to the ETSU offense.  Schor’s one mistake, an INT returned for a TD, was the lone highlight for the Bucs’ defense.  JMU’s Ish Hyman led receivers with 93 yards and 2 TDs, while Riley Stapleton also had 64 yards and two TDs.  The Dukes take Division 1’s longest active win streak (14) in to Week 3 as they host Norfolk State.

Week 2 CAA Power Rankings (previous week)

Lots of shake-ups in our power rankings this week as some teams jump ahead. Our biggest jump up was Elon after their impressive win against SOCON power Furman.  The biggest fall was Delaware after failing to put points on the board against FBS Virginia Tech.

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