AGS Poll: Top 25 Week 1 Results

With most FCS teams getting a game (or two) under their belts we’re starting to see the AGS rankings get shook up a bit. James Madison still has a stranglehold on the #1 spot taking all but 2 of 81 first place votes. NDSU and SDSU maintained their respective positions at #2 and #3. Sam Houston State moved up to #4 following their impressive win over Richmond and Jacksonville State climbed into the top 5 at #5 following their FCS Kickoff victory over Chattanooga.

There were quite a few teams that moved up a spot or 3 this week but the big movers were at the tail end of the poll as Colgate and Howard came in at #21 and #24, respectively, after not even appearing in the top 40 in the preseason poll. North Carolina A&T also cracked the top 25 coming in at #25.

As for the teams that went in the opposite direction Eastern Washington dropped 5 spots to #9 after their lopsided loss to Texas Tech. Richmond and Charleston Southern each dropped four spots to #10 and #20, respectively, after sustaining season opening losses. Cal Poly, Fordham, and Albany all dropped out of the #25.

The MVFC once again led the way in terms of conference representation placing 6 teams in the top 25. They were followed by the CAA and SOCON with 4 each and the Big Sky with 3.

Full results below:

Rank Team Total Points First Place Votes
1 James Madison Dukes 2023 79
2 North Dakota State Bison 1927 2
3 South Dakota State Jackrabbits 1826
4 Sam Houston State Bearkats 1736
5 Jacksonville State Gamecocks 1666
6 Wofford Terriers 1442
7 Villanova Wildcats 139
8 Youngstown State Penguins 1410
9 Eastern Washington Eagles 1383
10 Richmond Spiders 1286
11 North Dakota Fighting Hawks 1109
12 New Hampshire Wildcats 1032
13 The Citadel Bulldogs 1022
14 Illinois State Redbirds 843
15 Chattanooga Mocs 813
16 Central Arkansas Bears 809
17 Samford Bulldogs 750
18 Western Illinois Leathernecks 691
19 Lehigh Mountain Hawks 460
20 Charleston Southern Buccaneers 420
21 Colgate Raiders 246
22 Northern Iowa Panthers 217
23 Weber State Wildcats 199
24 Howard Bison 164
25 North Carolina A&T Aggies 143
ORV:
26 Montana Grizzlies 142
27 South Dakota Coyotes 140
28 Tennessee State Tigers 117
29 Albany Great Danes 98
30 Nicholls State Colonels 79
31 Northern Arizona Lumberjacks 73
32 Eastern Illinois Panthers 57
33 Maine Black Bears 56
34 Portland State Vikings 54
35 Furman Paladins 48
36 Stony Brook Seawolves 47
37 San Diego Toreros 46
38 Fordham Rams 39
39 Southeastern Louisiana Lions 38
40 Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks 36

Most Significant Win: Howard Bison
Most Significant Loss: Cal Poly Mustangs

Game Preview: Marist at Bucknell

Marist at Bucknell – September 2nd 6 PM Christy Matthewson Stadium Lewisburg, PA

TV: None

Streaming: Patriot League Network

For the 13th straight year Bucknell will face the Marist Red Foxes in an out of conference game. This will mark the 3rd consecutive year the two have squared off in the season opener. Bucknell has won six straight over Marist and owns an 11-1 all-time record in the series. If the Bison want to continue their dominance over the Red Foxes the defense will likely have to lead the way. Marist returns 14 starters including numerous redshirt players so this will be a rather experienced Red Fox team that Bucknell welcomes to Lewisburg.

As is often the case, the Bison defense figures to lead the way. Led by preseason 1st team All-Patriot League DT Abdullah Anderson, the Bucknell “D” will have to contain a sneaky talented Marist offense. The Red Foxes have an experienced QB in Mike White and two preseason 1st team All-Pioneer selections in WR Juston Christian (48 rec 992 yards 8 TDs) and RB Marcellus Calhoun (167 carries 605 yards 8 TDs). Marist also brings back 3 out of their 5 starting offensive linemen from 2016.  The Bison will likely try to take away Calhoun away and force to be one Marist dimensional.

The Bison’s fate in this game, and the season for that matter, will come down to their offense. Outside of running backs Joey DeFloria (1,070 yards 10 TDs) and Chad Freshnock (604 yards 10 TDs) the Bison return very little proven talent and experience on offense. Marist will certainly try to take advantage of the Bucknell offensive line that’s breaking in 5 new starters. The Red Foxes are led by 3 preseason 1st team Pioneer selections on defense. Willie Barrett (41 solo tackes, 6 TFL) leads the linebacker core while Wesley Beans (52 solo tackles, 6 INTs) and Jordyn Jean-Felix (29 solo tackles, 3 INTs) are two excellent safeties. Bucknell will need a solid game from expected starting QB Matt Muh if they want to continue their dominance over Marist. The Red Foxes will try to key on the Bison’s two headed monster at RB and take their chances that Bucknell won’t be able to beat them through the air. That is often the recipe to beat Bucknell.

This should be an extremely competitive game. Bucknell has the slightly more talented defense while Marist has the more proven offense. Marist is also the more experienced team top to bottom. However, Bucknell should have a slight overall talent advantage and are at home. After posting a 4-7 record last year the Bison can’t afford to lose to a Pioneer team to start the 2017 campaign. It won’t be easy but the Bison should be able to escape with a win.

Prediction: Bucknell 17 Marist 14

Game Preview: Lafayette at Monmouth

Lafayette at Monmouth – September 2nd 3 PM, Kessler Stadium West Long Branch, NJ

TV: None

Stream: ESPN3

The John Garrett era kicks off at Lafayette as the Leopards head to the Jersey Shore to take on the Monmouth Hawks. While Lafayette has a new coach to start the 2017 season, Monmouth will be unveiling the rebuilt Kessler Stadium. The Hawks were in desperate need of facility upgrade since they joined the Big South prior to the 2014 season. The new Kessler Stadium is still rather small (4,000) but it has numerous modern amenities the old facility lacked. If John Garrett and Lafayette want to be the ones celebrating a “new era” in style they’ll need to rely on their defense to lead the way.

Monmouth will be breaking in several new players at the skill positions so points could be at a premium for the Hawks against a potentially strong Leopard defense. Lafayette has talent every level of the “D”. The Hawks will turn to Kenji Bahar (964 yards 4 TDs in 2016) at quarterback. The sophomore started the last 3 games of 2016 with mixed results. Bahar will likely lean on preseason All-Big South selections WR Reggie White Jr. (69 rec 934 yards 7 TDs) and TE Jake Powell (16 rec 146 yards 1 TD) to lead the way on offense while the running game gains traction. Projected Monmouth starting RB Pete Guerriero did not play football last year. Instead he was one of the top track athletes in the MAAC. With all 5 starters returning along the O-line it will be interesting to see how Monmouth goes about establishing the run. Lafayette has the talent in the front 7 to test the veteran Monmouth offensive line.

The big questions for Lafayette are on offensive. Many fans were shocked when Garrett announced true freshman walk-on Sean O’Malle would begin the season as the starting QB after winning an extremely competitive battle during fall camp. Like Monmouth’s Bahar, O’Malley has an excellent WR/TE duo to lean on in the passing game. Dylan Wadsworth (42 rec 591 yards 1 TD, preseason 1st Team All-PL selection) and senior Matt Mzarek (71 rec 755 yards 8 TDs) are often an afterthought despite putting up excellent numbers on an offensively challenged team. The strength of the Monmouth defense is easily their secondary so the inexperienced O’Malley will need to be extremely smart with the ball. Mike Basile is a STATS 1st team All-American at SS so the Leopards better figure out where he is at all times. The Hawks defensive linemen and linebackers are no slouch either. Lafayette will need their offensive line to improve upon last year’s dismal play. O’Malley needs senior RB DeSean Brown (96 carries 341 yards 3 TDs) to provide the Leopards with some semblance of a rushing attack. If Lafayette can find some balance on offense they have a shot escape New Jersey with an upset win.

The first thing that Garrett must do at Lafayette is inject some energy into the program. That shouldn’t be a problem in the season opener. Or at least it better not be since Monmouth will come out sky high in their new stadium. Lafayette has the defense to get off to a 1-0 start but the offense is a huge question mark with O’Malley starting at QB. This should be a closely contested game for 60 minutes.

Prediction: Monmouth 24 Lafayette 16

Game Preview: #9 Villanova at #19 Lehigh

#9 Villanova at #19 Lehigh – September 2nd 12:30 PM, Goodman Stadium Bethlehem, PA

TV: Service Electric (local)

Streaming: Patriot League Network (Free)

Lehigh starts the 2017 season with a highly anticipated showdown with 9th ranked Villanova. Mark Ferrante will be making his head coaching debut for the Wildcats. He takes over for the legendary Andy Talley who retired after last year. Talley had been the head coach at Villanova since the school resurrected the program in the mid-80’. He took Villanova to the pinnacle of FCS football in 2009 when he guided the school to the national championship . Ferrante takes over a team that’s strength resides on defense. Despite the loss of 2nd round draft pick Tanoh Kpassagnon, the unit should be nearly as good as the one that led FCS in points against last year (13 ppg). Defense was the hallmark of Talley coached teams and that will continue for at least one year under Ferrante.

The chess game between the explosive Lehigh offense and the stalwart Wildcat “D” is clearly the headline of this game. Villanova has an excellent secondary which will likely provide the stiffest test the Lehigh WR duo of Pelletier and Casey faces all year. Free safety Rob Rolle was named the preseason CAA Defensive Player of the year and a STATS 1st Team All-American. Defensive backs Trey Johnson and Malik Reaves are very good cover cornerbacks. If the Villanova defense has a weakness it’s likely in the trenches where there’s not a lot of experience outside of senior DT Ricky Johnson. Conversely linebacker is loaded with familiar faces. Ed Shockley (86 tackles in ’16) is probably the best of a very good group. Lehigh has the balance and experience to push the Wildcats as far they’ll go. Mountain Hawk RB Dominic Bragalone and a veteran O-Line will be the key to Lehigh’s fortunes on offense.

The forgotten matchup in this game is the much maligned Lehigh defense against the often bumbling Wildcat offense. Villanova did put up 396 yards rushing in last year’s contest but struggled to score for much of the game. If Lehigh wants to reverse last year’s outcome they must, at the very least, “control” the Villanova rushing attack. The Wildcats are quite young along the offensive line so RB Aaron Forbes (799 yards 8 TDs) might see less daylight than he’s accustomed to seeing against a veteran Mountain Hawk defense line. Three year starting quarterback Zach Bednarczyk has had a workman like career. He won’t wow you doing anything in particular but ultimately gets the job done. If Lehigh can limit the damage on the ground and force Bednarczyk to make plays through the air the Mountain Hawks have to like their chances.

There’s no denying the struggles the Mountain Hawks have had against the CAA since knocking off UNH in 2013. The playoff loss to New Hampshire last year was especially ugly. However, none of the recent Lehigh teams, including the one last year, had the combination of experience and talent the 2017 version possesses. If Lehigh wants to make a statement nationally getting a Top 10 CAA rival on their home turf is the perfect opportunity.

Prediction: Lehigh 30 Villanova 24

Game Preview: #23 Fordham at Army

#23 Fordham at Army – September 1st, 6 PM Michie Stadium West Point, NY

TV: CBS Sportsnetwork

Streaming: Knight Vision ($9.95)

For the second time in three years the Fordham Rams open their football season with the short trip up the Hudson to take on the Army Black Knights. The Rams went into historic Michie Stadium two years ago and came away with a thrilling 37-35 win. All-American RB Chase Edmonds led the way with 250 total yards of offense; 110 yards rushing 3 TD & 140 yards receiving. Making his first career start for Fordham, current QB Kevin Anderson added 322 yards through the air while making no mistakes. Those two will once again need to lead the away if the Rams want to beat an Army team (8-5 in ’16) coming off their best season in 20 years.

If Fordham wants to take down the Black Knights for a second straight time they must stop an Army rushing attack that returns many of its key pieces. Army’s rushing attack ranked second (332.2 ypg) in FBS in 2016. Stopping senior QB Ahmad Bradshaw (184 carries 824 yards 8 TDs) has to be the primary focus of the Fordham defense. He’s the heartbeat of Army’s triple option offense. If he’s able to effectively distribute the ball to FB Daniel Woolfolk and RB Jordan Asberry Fordham will be in for a long night. While the Rams are better equipped to handle the run this year, Army will present challenges Fordham won’t see the rest of 2017. There’s no doubt Fordham DT Manny Adeyeye and Co. will have their hands for 60 minutes.

Fordham’s chances to win will depend on their balanced, explosive offense. They have the necessary tools (veteran QB, RB, OL) to go into a hostile environment and escape with a victory. The Army defense was solid against the run 2016 (121.2 ypg) but trying to stop All-American RB Chase Edmonds behind a really good offensive line is not the average chore. Especially with QB Kevin Anderson’s ability to make big plays in the passing game. Anderson has proven over time be an excellent decision maker which is huge when playing in a tough environment. The Black Knights return 7 starters on defense along with a few key reserves so they should be well prepared for what the Fordham offense will try and do. LB Kevin Aukerman (15 TFL, 7.5 sacks) is someone the Rams offense must pay attention to. Aukerman and fellow backer Kenneth Brinson might be the best pair of backers Fordham sees all year.

Fordham has a chance to win this game but they’ll need a phenomenal performance by their defense to pull it off. After getting run over by Navy’s explosive triple option in last year’s opener, the Rams will know what to expect against Army’s well-oiled attack. The question is can they take that experience against the Midshipmen and build off it. Fordham’s offense will have success against the Army defense. It’s just hard to see them having enough possessions to win a shootout at Michie Stadium.

Prediction: Army 47 Fordham 34

Patriot League Preview: Fordham

Fordham Rams

2016 Record: 8-3 Overall, 5-1 in Patriot League

Head Coach: Andrew Breiner 2nd Season (8-3 Overall, 5-1 PL)

Last Patriot League Championship: 2014

Last FCS Playoff Appearance: 2015

Key Returning Players

Offense: QB Kevin Anderson (5th Sr.), RB Chase Edmonds (Sr.), WR Austin Longi (Jr.), LT Anthony Coyle (Sr.), C Ben Hartman (Jr.), RT Garrett Donaldson (Sr.)

Defense: NG Nick Angeli (Sr.), DT Manny Adeyeye (5th Sr.), DE Ty Green (Sr.), LB Max Roberts (So.), SS Antonio Jackson (Jr.), FS Cale Hamm (Sr.)

2016 Review

After three straight FCS playoff appearances the Rams came up just of making it a 4th consecutive trip to the postseason in 2016. Despite notching 8 wins, Fordham was one of the first teams left out of the field of 24. A porous defense (30.1 ppg allowed) cost the Rams greatly in key losses to league champion Lehigh and Big South member Monmouth. The Rams gave up 52 (Navy), 42 (Monmouth) and 58 (Lehigh) points in their 3 losses. The potent Ram offense (40.1) simply couldn’t do it alone in Andrew Breiner’s first year as head coach.

Fordham’s offense was once again led by consensus 1st Team All-American RB Chase Edmonds (1,799 yards 19 TDs). The sensational Fordham running back finished 4th in the Payton Award voting after ending the year second in FCS in rushing. Junior QB Kevin Anderson (272 ypg 27 TD 4 INT) also contributed in a big way. His favorite target was the diminutive but ultra-elusive Austin Longi. The shifty sophomore receiver had a breakout year for the Rams who suffered heavy graduation losses at the position following the 2015 season. The offensive line once again performed very well for the Rams.

While 8 wins would be cause for celebration at most places, 2016 had to feel like a bit of a disappointment on Rose Hill. Despite the coaching change, Fordham entered the season with high expectations given the amount of talent Joe Moorhead left behind. The Rams will certainly have a chance to make up for 2016’s disappointment. This year they get EWU and Lehigh at home which gives the Rams two great chances to solidify their 2017 postseason odds. Fordham has had the Lehigh game circled since last year’s debacle in Bethlehem.

2017 Offense

Key Returning Player to Watch: WR Austin Longi (Jr.)

Freshman to Watch: Hunter Harris

The Fordham offense should once again be one of the top units in FCS. Chase Edmonds is arguably the best player in the subdivision and 5th year senior QB Kevin Anderson (Marshall transfer) is one of the top players at his position in FCS. Combine that with an experienced offensive line and it’s hard to imagine Fordham playing less than 12 games this year. The key will be developing depth at wide receiver. The group has the potential to be very good but with the season about to start it’s not nearly as deep or proven as previous editions.

What the Rams do return at wide receiver is their #1, Austin Longi. Despite being 5’8 150 pounds, the junior was the team’s leading receiver with 774 yards and 6 TDs. Fordham’s 3rd leading receiver in 2016 was Longi’s backup in the slot, sophomore Corey Caddle (32 rec 368 yards 4 TDs). Two inexperienced juniors, Jordan Allen (6’2 190) and Jonathan Lumley (6’4 187), are expected to join Longi in the starting line-up. Allen and Lumley possess the size to be dangerous weapons but time will tell how well they gel with Anderson. The veteran QB will certainly give them a chance to succeed at a high level. Another pair of juniors, Noah Nix and Andrew Prince, will likely see significant time as well. Freshman Hunter Harris comes to Fordham with an excellent resume. He could see the field by the time league play starts.

In addition to the experienced skill players, Fordham returns a veteran and talented offensive line. The Ram O-line features two preseason 1st Team All-Patriot League selections, (T) Andrew Coyle & (C) Ben Hartman, and 3 year starter (T) Garrett Donaldson. Joining those three will  be Anthony Solano and Dominic Lombard at the guard positions. Due to the amount of experience returning, there isn’t a lot of depth so that is a bit of a concern should injuries strike. Bad thoughts aside, this should be an excellent offensive line.

The final piece to the “O” puzzle will be figuring out the TE positon. With the graduation of Phazahn Odom there’s a large hole, literally and figuratively, in the Fordham offense. Isaiah Searight and Andrew Force are the two most likely candidates to battle for the starting role.

There’s no doubt Fordham is capable of surpassing last year’s 40 ppg average. The Ram offense will be scary good.

Defense

Key Returning Player to Watch: DT Manny Adeyeye (5th Sr.)

Freshman to Watch: LB Glen Cunningham

Much like Lehigh, Fordham’s defense must improve if the Rams want to maximize their elite “O”. Their first priority must be improving the rush D (186 ypg 5th in PL). The unit was run over and around for much of last year. The defensive line was a soft spot and Ram opponents exploited it with regularity. The pass defense ranked 3rd in the league in yards against (192) but did struggle when facing the more potent passing attacks on their schedule.

Getting a fully healthy Manny Adeyeye at DT should pay immediate dividends against the run. The 5th year senior has been plagued by injury during his career but has the potential to finish out his time at Fordham in a big way. He’s an All-league type talent if stays on the field. Joining him along the D-line will be returning starters Nick Angeli at NT and Ty Green (4 TFL, 2.5 sacks) at DE. Senior Jonathan Dimon is expected to start at the other DE spot. Depth will be Fordham’s biggest nemesis in the trenches. There’s virtually no experience beyond the starting unit. Defensive coordinator John Bowes will likely use two freshman (Sawyer Schwarcz & Ellis Taylor) and two sophomores (John Piccinich & Michael Ware) in the rotation.

The linebacker unit will be anchored by sophomore Max Roberts and junior Noah Fitzgerald. The duo has the potential to be really good by the time they leave the Bronx. Roberts is coming off an excellent freshman year where he tied for team lead in sacks (4.5) and tied for second in TFLs (9.5). Fitzgerald led FCS in fumbles recovered and had 3.5 TFLs. Robert Menyah is expected to start at the hybrid “star” position. The junior will play near the line of scrimmage when needed but is more adapt at dropping back into coverage. Vincent Sansone (Sr.) and freshman Glen Cunningham will see time at the two traditional linebacker positions.

The secondary returns a plethora of experience and talent. Senior Caleb Ham is a preseason 1st team All-PL selection at FS. Antonio Jackson (44 solo tackles 2 sacks 2 INTs) doesn’t get the notoriety as his secondary mate Ham but he might be just as good. If there’s some concern in the secondary it’s at cornerback. Dylan Mabin and Jesse Bramble must improve in coverage if the defense wants to take another step. If one or both struggle juniors James Biggs-Frazier and Bryce Petty will get an opportunity play beyond obvious passing downs.

Special Teams

Fordham’s special teams have to be a major concern for head coach Andrew Breiner. The Rams lost their punter, place kicker and top returner to specialist. All three were very good so finding their replacements will be crucial. Fordham will likely rely on freshman Andrew Mevis to handle the punting duties. The place kicking duties will come down junior Kyle Facibene and Mevis. Caddle and Mabin should be the main return specialists but don’t be surprised if Edmonds or Longi are given a chance in key situations.

2017 Outlook

Fordham has to be itching to get the 2017 season started given the wealth of experience and talent they return. The Rams enter the year with a rather large chip on their shoulders after just missing out on a Patriot League title and a 4th straight FCS playoff appearance. Usually when you combine talent and motivation big things happen.  That’s why there’s every reason to believe that 2017 will be a banner year for the Rams. The team has the potential to capture the league title and advance in the playoffs while Edmonds enters the year as the favorite to win FCS’s highest individual honor, The Payton Award. QB Kevin Anderson should also be in the running for postseason accolades.

The defense will ultimately decide if Fordham’s program takes the next step nationally. The talent is there at every position to improve considerably over last year’s disaster. Manny Adeyeye’s return from injury drastically improves the defensive line. If Bowes can build depth at every level the Ram defense will be quite formidable. However, if the injury bug strikes or the unit is forced to spend too much time on the field the problems that plagued Fordham in 2016 will once again pop up.

Fordham plays an extremely exciting schedule in 2017. Army offers a stern, but winnable FBS game out of the gate. The Rams defeated the Blacks Knight in the 2015 opener. Fordham welcomes FCS power Eastern Washington September 16th in one of the year’s top out of conference games. An always tricky trip to Hamilton, NY to face Colgate on October 14th and a home showdown against Lehigh two weeks later should be Fordham’s biggest obstacles in the league race. Colgate prevented Fordham from winning the league in 2015 while Lehigh stood in the Rams way last year.

2017 Schedule

9/1 @ Army 6:00 PM

9/9 @ Central Connecticut State 12 PM

9/16 Eastern Washington 1 PM

9/23 @ Bryant 1 PM

9/30 Yale 6 PM

10/7 @ Lafayette 3:30 PM

10/14 @ Colgate 1 PM

10/21 @ Georgetown 2 PM

10/28 Lehigh 1 PM

11/4 Holy Cross 1 PM

11/11 Bye

11/18 Bucknell 12 PM

2017 Projection: 9-2 Overall, 5-1 Patriot League, Playoff Auto-Bid

The FCS Wedge – 2017-0831 – LISTEN UP!

Here we are folks, ready for another year at The FCS Wedge and this one brings us to our 6th season of covering the happenings in the FCS landscape.

Kris Kallem & Lance Berndt guide us all through the limited amount that has happened so far as well as looking ahead to next weekend which is the start of the season for the majority of FCS teams.

They cover some possible upsets over FBS opponents and give a quick look at who they think will ride the season out and end up on top of each FCS conference.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Game Preview: Holy Cross at UConn

Holy Cross at UConn – August 31st 7:30 PM, ET Pratt and Whitney Stadium East Hartford, CT

TV/Streaming: SNY

The Holy Cross Crusaders will kickoff the 2017 season against an old New England rival, the UConn Huskies. Amazingly, and sadly, these two have no met on the gridiron since 1985 when both programs were 1-AA (FCS). Since that time UConn’s administration decided to move their program to FBS and the Big East before the conference disbanded football. The Huskies are currently in the American Athletic Conference. After leaving UConn for the “greener pastures” of the Big 10 (Maryland) in 2010, Randy Edsall returned as the UConn head coach during the offseason. The fiery coach had quite a bit of success in Storrs during his previous stint as head man but he inherits a mess this time around.

After a disappointing 2016 season, the Crusaders would love nothing more than to spoil Edsall’s return debut by getting a coveted FBS win (over a regional rival to boot). While the odds are almost always stacked against FCS teams when they step up in class, a good showing/moral victory actually counts for something in these games. Holy Cross should enter their season opener with the mindset they can at least compete for 4 quarters. The Huskies offense was woeful last year (14.8 ppg ) and with several new faces this season in key positions, it’s highly unlikely UConn comes out of the gates in 2017 firing on all cylinders. Knowing how bad the offense has been, Edsall and offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee are going to try and use a high tempo, high play total (ala Chip Kelly) offensive strategy in hopes of getting better production. With two new starting wide receivers and sophomore David Pindell getting the starting nod over the incumbent Bryant Shirreffs (223 ypg 7 TD 6 INT in ’16), RB Arkeel Newsome (715 yards rushing 5 TD, 2nd on team in receptions) figures to be the focal point of the Huskie offense. If Holy Cross can stand up physically to the UConn offensive line it’ll go a long towards keeping them in the game for 4 quarters.

Offensively, Holy Cross has to put the ball in QB Peter Pujals’s hands and let the 5th year senior loose. He’ll need to make plays with his arm and legs for the Crusader offense to have success. If UConn has a strength heading into 2017 it should be their defense based on the amount of experience that returns. Even by FBS standards it’s loaded with 5th year seniors. The Huskie front 7 will severely test the Holy Cross offensive line. If the Crusaders O-line is able to give Pujals time to throw and RB Gabe Guild room to run, Holy Cross will have an opportunity to control the ball thus shortening the game some. Pujals will likely lean on veteran WR Richie DiNicola to lead an otherwise unproven receiver crew. The more balance Holy Cross has on offense the closer the game will be.

Holy Cross has to at least like their chances to put on a respectable showing for 60 minutes against a highly suspect UConn team. UConn is without a doubt bigger and deeper at most positions. Holy Cross has a few key 5th year guys while the Huskies 2-deep is littered with them. There’s no question there’s a certain disparity between the two teams. Yet, it’s hard to imagine UConn walking over a rested and healthy Holy Cross team. If the Crusaders can protect the ball and avoid the dreaded special teams blunders this should be a game worth keeping an eye on.

Prediction: UConn 27 Holy Cross 16

Patriot League Preview: Lehigh

Lehigh Mountain Hawks

2016 Record: 9-3 Overall, 6-0 in Patriot League

Head Coach: Andy Coen 12th season (77-49 Overall, 46-18 in PL)

Last Patriot League Title: 2016

Last FCS Playoff Appearance: 2016

Key Returning Players

Offense: QB Brad Mayes (Jr.) WR Troy Pelletier (Sr.), WR Gatlin Casey (Sr.), RB Dom Bragalone (Jr.), RT Zach Duffy (5th Sr.), C Brandon Short (5th Sr.),  LT Tim O’Hara (Sr.), RG Liborio Ricottilli (Jr.)

Defense: DT Tyler Cavenas (Sr.), NG Jimmy Mitchell (5th Sr.), SS Sam McCloskey (Jr.), CB Quentin Jones (Sr.), CB Donovan Harris (Jr.), FS Riley O’Neil (So.)

2016 Review

After starting the year 0-2 Lehigh would go on a 9 game winning straight to capture the Patriot League Title and a berth in the FCS Playoffs. It was the 11th league title in program history. Leading the way was one of the most explosive offenses in FCS in 2016. Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year Nick Shafnisky had the breakout year at QB that everyone was waiting for. Shafnisky was not the only skill player to have a big season in 2016. The Mountain Hawks had a pair of 1,000 yard receivers (Troy Pelletier and Gatlin Casey) and a 1,000 yard rusher in Dominic Bragalone (1,192 yards 14 TD).

The defense improved just enough (26.6 ppg) to produce a championship team. After being historically bad in 2015 (35.2 ppg), the ability to force more negative plays and an increased number of turnovers were the main reasons for the improvement last year. The strength of the defense was a veteran linebacker group led by senior Colton Caslow (54 solo, 10 TFL). Still, the unit was often gashed upfront by their opponent’s rushing attack (205.6 ypg, 6th PL) or the secondary got beat over the top. Getting better against the run has to be the primary focus heading into 2017.

The 64-21 loss to New Hampshire in the FCS Playoffs had to leave a bitter taste in the Mountain Hawk’s mouth after entering the playoffs with a lot of momentum. The loss exposed several defense weaknesses that plagued the team in recent years. If Lehigh wants to return to the playoffs and have a legitimate chance to advance the “D” must improve further. There’s no question the offense will be one of the most explosive units in FCS.

2017 Offense

Returning Player to Watch: QB Brad Mayes (Jr.)

Freshman to Watch: OL Jackson Evans

Lehigh has had some excellent offenses over the years but none were perhaps better than the one that will take the field in 2017. The Mountain Hawks return virtually everyone from last year’s unit that set two school records on offense (Points 466, 38.8 and yards 5,806). The only significant loss was at quarterback with 4 year starter and 2016 PL Offensive POY Nick Shafnisky graduating. However, Lehigh has a proven commodity in Brad Mayes (4-1 as starter, 15 TD 1 INT) waiting to assume the starting role. The strong armed junior is a more refined pocket passer than Shafnisky was but not nearly as dangerous a runner.

Mayes will have the fortune of having arguably the top wide receiver duo in FCS to work with. Seniors Troy Pelletier (96 rec 1,278 yards 12 TD in ’16) and Gatlin Casey (62 rec 1,135 yards 14 TD) have the perfect combination of size (6’3) and athleticism that terrorizes opposing secondaries. Pelletier is in line to break several school records if he stays healthy in 2017. Both were named to the 1st Team All-Patriot League preseason team. Pelletier also garnered Stats 2nd Team All-American honors and was named to the Walter Payton Award watch list to start the year. Junior Luke Christiano and senior Sasha Kelsey are expected to split time at the slot position. Senior Drew Paulson (12 rec 151 yards 1 TD in ’16) will once again get the nod at tight end.

Running back is also in excellent hands with the return of 2 time 1,000 yard rusher Dominic Bragalone. Often overshadowed by Fordham’s Chase Edmonds, Bragalone is putting together quite the career for himself. Dominic was named to the Patriot League 1st Team preseason squad. He also garnered 3rd team preseason Stats All-American honors. When Bragalone needs a break Lehigh has two capable backups in Micco Brisker (Jr.) and bruiser Nana Amankwah-Ayeh (Sr.).

The final piece to Lehigh’s explosive offense is a veteran offensive line. Bookend tackles (Sr.) Tim O’Hara and (5th Sr.) Zach Duffy were named 1st team preseason All-Patriot League. 5th year center Brandon Short is a 4 year starter and Liborio Ricottilli started all 12 games at LG last season. The only new face along the offensive line will be Jackson Evans. Evans will be the first freshman to start along the “O-line” since Will Rackley was bestowed the honor in 2007.

All things considered, new offensive coordinator Scott Brisson was basically handed the keys to a Maserati.

Defense

Returning Player to Watch: DT Tyler Cavenas (Sr.)

Freshman to Watch: LB Pete Haffner

How high the Mountain Hawks soar in 2017 will once again be determined by the defense. As has been the common theme in recent years, the “D” must improve if the Mountain Hawks want to make major waves on a national level. Craig Sutyak took over as the defensive coordinator during the offseason after Joe Bottiglieri was reassigned to more of an advisory role. The first thing Sutyak did was install a 4-2-5 defense. The new alignment is designed to improve the Mountain Hawk rush D that ranked 6th in the Patriot League in 2016.

If Lehigh wants to take a step forward on D the first order of business is rebuilding the linebacker corps after all 4 starters graduated from the old 3-4 scheme. One of those 4 starters, Colton Caslow, was the heart and soul of the unit so replacing his production and leadership will not be easy. Stepping in to try and fill Caslow’s shoes will be junior Matt Butler (6’0 225) and sophomore Keith Woetzel (6’2 215). Both linebackers are limited on game experience so there will likely be a few bumps in the road early in the year. Senior Quinton Jones returns from injury to start at the rover (hybrid LB/safety in 4-2-5) position. Expect to see Mark Walker, Jon Seighman and Brian Olshanski get significant time at LB as well. Keep an eye on freshman Pete Haffner (6’0 215).  Haffner has the ability to be a contributor early on like Caslow was.

Unlike at linebacker, the defensive line returns a wealth of experience. Three year starter and 1st team All-Patriot League preseason selection Tyler Cavenas (47 solo 8 TFL in ’16) anchors the line. He’ll be joined by 5th year senior Jimmy Mitchell (6’2 275) at DT. A pair of Harrison’s, Kauffman and Johnson, seem entrenched at defensive end. Colin Nace and Julian Lynn figure to be major contributors in the trenches as well. The key for the defensive line will be getting more physical at the point of attack. Despite having good size across the board the unit was pushed around at times last year against the more physical teams on Lehigh’s schedule. If the Mountain Hawks intend to improve against the run, Cavenas and company must lead the way.

The secondary also returns a plethora of experience. Junior Sam McCloskey (39 solo 3 INT) and Sophomore Riley O’Neil (36 solo 1 INT) are back at strong and free safety respectively. Both are developing into excellent players at their position. Cornerback also sees two returning starters. Junior Kareem Montgomery and sophomore Donovan Harris were thrust into starting roles last year and faired quite well.  Freshman Jaylen Floyd and sophomore Marquis Wilson should also see time at cornerback in passing situations. Depth could be a concern in the secondary as there isn’t a lot of experience outside of the starting four. Limiting big plays downfield should be priority number 1 for the backend of the defense. The Mountain Hawk secondary was burned a few times too many in 2016 by the big play.

Special Teams

Lehigh returns two (Punter and PK Ed Mish and Kick returner Gatlin Casey) 1st team preseason All-Patriot League selections on special teams. Kicker Ed Mish has proven to be a valuable weapon as a punter and place kicker for the Mountain Hawks. The junior is 15 for 22 kicking field goals for his career with a long of 43 yards. In addition to being a terrific wide receiver, Casey made quite an impact as a kick returner. His 96 yard kickoff return TD against Colgate last year went a long way in determining the outcome of the game.

2017 Outlook

On paper, all the pieces are in place for a special year on South Mountain. The Mountain Hawks return arguably the best set of skill players in FCS. There’s no reason to think the unit can’t break the records that were set in 2016. The key to reaching its potential will be the growth of Mayes at quarterback. The offense will have to be tweaked some due to that fact the Mayes is not nearly as mobile as Shafnisky. The read-option, a staple in the Mountain Hawk offense in recent years, will likely be used sparingly. What figures to increase is more deep passes since Mayes has a stronger arm than Shafnisky. Working behind an excellent offensive line, Bragalone and Co. are more than capable of picking up the slack in the rushing attack.

As great as the offensive will be it alone won’t earn Lehigh another Patriot League championship and FCS playoff berth. The defense must improve another notch if Lehigh wants to get by Fordham and Colgate in the league race. If it continues to sputter along against the better team’s on the schedule there’s a very real chance Lehigh will fail to live up to its favorite status in the league race. The experience is there along the defensive line and secondary for improvement to be had. But after 4 straight years of average to below average play on the defensive side of ball there remains some skepticism that things will change.

The schedule sets up rather well for Lehigh. The season opener against Top 15 Villanova gives the Mountain Hawks a tremendous opportunity to vanquish recent CAA demons and notch a crucial out of conference win. Monmouth, Yale and Penn could be tricky non-conference opponents but Lehigh should be more than capable of taking care of business in those games. The Mountain Hawk’s fate will likely come down to October road trips to Colgate and Fordham. Lehigh’s bye is the week before their showdown against the Rams so they’ll have an extra week of prep.

2017 Schedule

9/2 Villanova 12:30 PM

9/9 @ Monmouth 1 PM

9/16 Yale 12:30 PM

9/23 Penn 12:30 PM

9/30 @ Wagner 6 PM

10/7 @ Colgate 1 PM

10/14 Georgetown 12:30 PM

10/21 Bye

10/28 @ Fordham 1 PM

11/4 @ Bucknell 12 PM

11/11 Holy Cross 12:30 PM

11/18 Lafayette 12:30 PM

2017 Projection: 10-1 Overall, 5-1 Patriot League, FCS Playoff At-large Bid

MVFC – Week 1 Preview

Missouri Valley Football Conference LogoWell folks….it felt like it’d never get here, but college football is back. We’ve got 9 games being played by Missouri Valley Football teams in the first week(end), 3 on Thursday, August 31st, and the remaining 6 on Saturday, September 2nd. Southern Illinois is sitting the first week out.

I don’t have a lot of info to go on this week, since it’s the first week and while you can kinda guess at some things, there’s a lot of big question marks that will take a couple of weeks to start to sort themselves out.

Here’s the full conference schedule for the first weekend (all times listed in Central), along with projected weather (at this point) and streaming video if available:

Western Illinois at Tennessee Tech (Cookeville, TN), 8/31 @ 6 PM

Eastern Illinois at Indiana State (Terre Haute, IN), 8/31 @ 6 PM

  • Weather: Cloudy/Overcast, showers possible, high 82, low 59
  • Streaming: WatchESPN.com-ESPN3

Duquesne at South Dakota State (Brookings, SD), 8/31 @ 7 PM

  • Weather: Partly Cloudy, high 78, low 60
  • Streaming: WatchESPN.com-ESPN3

Missouri State at Missouri (Columbia, MO), 9/2 @ 11 AM

  • Weather: Mostly sunny, high 83
  • Streaming: WatchESPN.com-SEC Network

Youngstown State at Pitt (Pittsburgh, PA), 9/2 @ 12 PM

  • Weather: Overcast/Rain, high 75
  • Streaming: WatchESPN.com-ACC Network

Mississippi Valley State at North Dakota State (Fargo, ND), 9/2 @ 2:30 PM

  • Weather (for tailgaters): Partly Cloudy, high 79
  • Streaming: WatchESPN.com-ESPN3

South Dakota at Drake (Des Moines, IA), 9/2 @ 6 PM

Butler at Illinois State (Normal, IL), 9/2 @ 6:30 PM

  • Weather: Mostly clear, low 60
  • Streaming: WatchESPN.com-ESPN3

Northern Iowa at Iowa State (Ames, IA), 9/2 @ 7 PM

Western Illinois University Leathernecks at Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (OVC)

Western Illinois LogoTTU is coming off of a 5-6 season overall, but 5-3 in the OVC which was good enough for 3rd place in the final conference standings. The Golden Eagles don’t have a ton of offensive weapons, with QB Michael Birdsong finishing up a strong senior year last season (2577 yards & 17 TDs passing, 226 yards & 4 TDs rushing). They do have Sophomore RB Yeedee Thaenrat who ran for 707 yards and 6 TDs last season as a freshman and was named to this season’s preseason All-OVC team, as well as Senior WR Dontez Byrd, who caught for 933 yards and 7 TDs last season. Defensively, Junior LB Josh Poplar returns following a 105 tackle performance last season. Overall, in the OVC preseason poll, TTU is expected to finish 6th (out of 9 teams).

Western Illinois last season started strong (3-0 OOC), but finished on a 3-game losing streak to end up 6-5 overall, but only 3-5 in the conference (6th out of 10). On the offense, they’ve lost two of the top WRs in school history, although pretty much everyone else on that side of the ball returns, including Junior QB Sean McGuire, who set the school record for passing yards per game last season as a sophomore, and Junior RB Steve McShane. On the other side, FCS Preseason All-American (First Team) Brett Taylor returns for his senior season at LB looking to top his 134 tackles (94 solo) from last year. The Leatherneck defensive backfield, which was horrible last year against the pass has been revamped, with a new defensive coordinator (former LB coach at Louisville, Tony Grantham), a couple of experienced senior transfers, and a new defensive scheme (4-3 to 3-4).

Despite frequent matchups between Ohio Valley and Missouri Valley football teams, TTU and WIU have never played each other. Overall, I think that the Leatherneck offense should have very little difficulty moving the ball against the Golden Eagle defense, especially on the ground, although it’ll take a little bit to “knock the rust off”. I’m predicting something around a 10-point Leatherneck win.

Eastern Illinois Panthers (OVC) at Indiana State Sycamores

Indiana State LogoIn another Thursday night MVFC/OVC matchup, the rather familiar (to many MVFC teams) EIU Panthers head across state lines (only about 43 miles, “as the crow flies”) to INSU. Due to proximity and for much of their history, being in the same conference, the two teams have played 83 times overall, with EIU leading the overall series 42-37-4. Eastern also has won the last 5 matchups against Indiana State, winning the last meeting 31-0 in 2009.

Last season, the Panthers were 6-5 overall, 4-4 in their conference and this year are predicted to finish 4th in the conference.They have 1 preseason all-conference player…Addison Bounds (Senior Tight End). Last year they had a fairly average defense, giving up 373.5 yards and 28.2 points per game, and a halfway-decent offense, putting up 404.8 yards per game and 26.7 points per game…so, overall a solidly “middle-of-the-pack” team.

Indiana State finished 4-7 overall last season, but only 2-6 in the conference and are predicted to finish last (10th) in the MVFC this year. They have returning preseason all-conference placekicker Jerry Nunez, and honorable mention RB LeMonte Booker. Stats-wise, they were ranked in the bottom half of the FCS in most categories, and performed especially poorly at giving up turnovers, sacks, and allowing teams to score from the red zone.

This one’s a little harder to pick, since I think that both teams are actually fairly evenly matched. I’d normally give EIU a bit of an edge on a neutral field, but this game is in Indiana, so I think it’ll be a close game, but ISU’s placekicker will squeak out the game-deciding FG to win by 3 points.

Duquesne (NEC) at South Dakota State

South Dakota State LogoThe Duquesne Dukes play in the Northeast Conference and finished 8-3 overall last season and 5-1 in-conference. They are predicted to win the NEC this season, and have preseason All-NEC players: RB AJ Hines, OL Matt Fitzpatrick, OL Ben Huss, DL Andy Struttmann, LB Nathan Stone, and DB Abner Roberts. Huss was named to the STATS FCS Preseason Second Team and Hines was named to the CFPA FCS National Performer of the Year Trophy Watch List and was the recipient of the Jerry Rice Award last season for the FCS’s top freshman. The Dukes finished in the top half of rankings for most categories in the FCS last year.

South Dakota State finished 8-3 in the regular season last year and 1-1 in the playoffs. They were 7-1 in the conference (regular season) beating both the conference champion North Dakota State, and eventual national championship runner-up Youngstown State in the regular season before losing to North Dakota State in the second round of the playoffs. Technically they’re picked to finish second in the conference this year, but really, by voting numbers, it was practically a tie for first. They have the following players on the MVFC Preseason team: QB Taryn Christion, RB Brady Mengarelli, FB Kane Louscher, WR Jake Wieneke, TE Dallas Goedert, OL Charlie Harmon, OL Jacob Ohnesorge, DL Kellen Soulek, LB Christian Rozeboom, and honorable mention for punter Brady Hale. Wieneke, Goedert, Ohnesorge, and Rozeboom were all named STATS Preseason First Team All-Americans. Last season, the Jackrabbits had a few struggles on defense, but had one of the top offenses in the FCS and with nearly every part of that offense coming back this season, they should have a very good shot of doing even better this year.

Duquesne has a pretty solid team, but SDSU is just a “buzzsaw”…that will tear through just about any team that gets in their way. NDSU and Villanova (in the playoffs) were the only two teams that were able to hold the Jackrabbits to less than 20 points in a game last season, and they should be even better this year. I just don’t think Duquesne has the players needed to keep up with and cover all of SDSU’s offensive threats for all 4 quarters. They might be able to keep it close at first, but I think SDSU will pull away later in the game, eventually winning by around 20 points.

Just in case anyone is curious, it does appear that Duquesne and SDSU have played each other once before, with Duquesne winning 34-12. It’s probably not very relevant to this game, however, since it was in 1932.

Missouri State at Missouri (SEC)

Missouri State LogoThe first of three FBS/FCS matchups for the MVFC this week will see the MSU Bears traveling up the road a ways to Columbia to take on Mizzou. I’m not going to lie…this is probably going to get ugly. Despite the proximity of the schools, they’ve actually only played each other one time before…back in 1923…a 10-0 Tigers victory.

Mizzou was 4-8 last season, and 2-6 in the SEC, so…they haven’t been a great team lately…for a P5-conference team. They’ve got a fairly solid O-Line, but aren’t great on defense and tend to turn the ball over fairly often, fumbling the ball away 13 times last season.

Missouri State also finished the season with 4 wins (4-7) and 2 conference wins (2-6), so…they haven’t been a great team lately either…but that’s by MVFC standards, which, despite being the most dominant FCS conference in the last few years, is not the SEC. I could, for the most part, use the same descriptors for the Bears as I did for the Tigers, but I don’t think it would matter even if they were pretty good on both sides of the ball.

I think that MSU’s one chance at looking fairly respectable in this game is if (STATS Preseason Third Team) kick returner Deion Holliman is able to make some defenders miss in key spots on a couple of kick returns and get the Bears some really good field position on some of the drives. MSU also has WR Malik Earl and DL Colby Isbell on the conference preseason team, as well as Honorable Mentions for OL Coleman Clanton and LB McNeece Egbim. The combination of Egbim and Isbell, if they’re able to both have essentially “career games” could also slow things down for the Tigers. Still…I don’t see it likely that MSU ends up staying within 20 points of Mizzou. I know that you’re always trying for the win, but if MSU does stay within 20 and comes away without any serious injuries, I think I’d consider that a “moral victory” in this case. So, I’m going to predict Mizzou by 20.

Youngstown State at Pitt

Youngstown State LogoFCS vs FBS game #2 for the conference has the Penguins of Youngstown State “waddling” about 60 miles down the road to Heinz Field in Pittsburgh to take on the Pitt Panthers. The two teams have played each other 4 times before, with Pitt taking 3 out of the 4, and the only YSU victory being a 31-17 win in 2012.

Pitt was 8-4 during the regular season last year (5-3 in the ACC) and lost their bowl game (Pinstripe Bowl) against Northwestern. Last season, they had a very high-scoring offense (40.9 points per game) although they did give up quite a few points as well (35.2 per game). Most of the yardage given up was through the air, so teams that had a strong passing attack could do well against them. They only allowed 3 sacks all season, which was the 6th best in the FBS last year.

Youngstown State brings back very little of the dominant defense that helped them make it all the way to the FCS national championship game last year. They do have STATS Preseason Third Team O-Lineman Justin Spencer back, as well as MVFC preseason O-Lineman Vitas Hrynkiewicz, LB Armand Dellovade, and punter Mark Schuler. They finished 8-3 in the regular season (6-2 in-conference) before winning four straight in the playoffs against Samford, Jacksonville State, Wofford, and Eastern Washington, and then finally going down in the championship game against James Madison. For much of the season, they had a relatively “anemic” offense, but a stellar defense that helped keep them in games. The offense started to progress more later in the season, but I’m not sure it’ll be enough to prevent them from some regression without a large part of that defense this year.

I think Pitt will likely win the 5th matchup of their series, roughly in the neighborhood of a 17 point margin.

Mississippi Valley State at North Dakota State

North Dakota State LogoOk, so I know that I said that MSU and Mizzou was probably going to get ugly. Well, unfortunately for MVSU fans, I think this one will be worse.

Last year, the Delta Devils were 1-10 overall, 1-8 in their conference. They were shut out twice , were second to last in the FCS in points allowed with 48.8 points per game, and were 5th to last in points scored with 14.0 points per game. MVSU does have a preseason All-SWAC First Team DB in Everett Nicholas and Second Team O-Lineman Alvin Solomon. They are picked to finish last in the SWAC East in the conference preseason poll.

The Bison are essentially the mirror image of MVSU. For the last half-decade or so, they have been essentially the most dominant FCS team, with a solid offense (39th last year in scoring in the FCS) and a stellar defense (5th last year in scoring). Last year they went 10-1 in the regular season, losing only to conference rival SDSU by 2 points. Then in the playoffs they won their first two (including one against the only team to beat them in the regular season, SDSU) and lost to eventual national champion James Madison. They are picked to win the MVFC this season, have 7 players on the preseason All-MVFC list (and an additional 3 on the honorable mention list) including 5 players that are on the STATS preseason All-American teams and 2 that are on the Buck Buchanan watch list (including legitimate NFL draft prospect LB Nick DeLuca, who would be in the NFL this season if not for a shoulder injury early last season).

If there is good news for MVSU it’s that:

  1. They get to play football at one of the premiere venues in the FCS
  2. They have nothing to lose.

Everyone expects them to lose…by quite a bit. If they somehow keep it close this game, then that’s a “win” for them. They might as well test things out, try some plays they wouldn’t normally try if they were playing more conservatively, and get some guys who maybe haven’t played much before some much-needed experience. I don’t think they stand much of a chance of winning the game though, and the margin is probably just…whenever the NDSU coaching staff decides to “call off the dogs”, put in their third string, and go for just basic running plays every down. My guess….45 points.

South Dakota at Drake

South Dakota LogoThe Drake Bulldogs are, like half of the MVFC member teams, a member of the Missouri Valley Conference for their “Olympic” sports. Unlike those MVC/MVFC teams, they play football in the non-scholarship Pioneer League. Last year, they finished 7-4 overall (with one loss to DII Quincy University and one win over DII McKendree University, both of the GLVC) and 6-2 in their conference. They are picked to finish 4th in the Pioneer League this season and bring back Preseason All-Conference D-Lineman Mack Marrin and STATS Preseason All-American Third Team Punter Terry Wallen.

South Dakota finished last season 4-7 overall and 3-5 in the MVFC. Like Western Illinois, South Dakota got off to a relatively strong start, going 3-1 in the conference, but then losing four straight to close out the season. They are picked to finish 7th in the conference this year and received preseason All-MVFC honorable mentions for their “running threat” QB Chris Streveler, Long Snapper Brandon Godsey, and DB Danny Rambo. They did have a lot of struggles on defense last season especially against the run, so we’ll see if they’ve been able to shore that up during the offseason.

Drake isn’t a bad team for a non-scholarship team, but there’s a pretty big jump in talent from a team like Drake to even a “middle-of-the-pack” MVFC team. I think USD will probably win this one by about 20 points.

Butler at Illinois State

Illinois State LogoButler is another Pioneer League team heading to play a MVFC team this week, at Normal to take on the Redbirds. Butler, a team known significantly more for their basketball team than for their football team, finished 4-7 overall last season (with 2 of those wins non-DI teams) and 2-6 in the Pioneer League. They were actually really good against the run last year, but their defense was horrible against passing games, and they had a tendency to turn the ball over fairly often. They’re picked to finish 7th in the Pioneer League this year, and they have two preseason All-Conference players with WR Pace Temple and FB Duvante Lane.

Illinois State snuck into the playoffs last season as only the second FCS team to ever make the playoffs with only six wins. They finished 6-5 in the regular season, 4-4 in the MVFC, and lost in the first round of the playoffs to Central Arkansas. They were pretty good defensively last season, allowing only 21.8 points per game, and had probably the best defensive backfield in the MVFC, although they had some issues with their offense allowing more than 3 sacks per game. The Redbirds are picked to finish 5th in the MVFC preseason poll, and welcome back preseason All-MVFC and STATS Preseason Second Team DB Davontae Harris as well as All-MVC WR Spencer Schnell, D-Lineman Dalton Keene, DB Alec Kocour, and honorable mention placekicker Sean Slattery.

This game is second annual Spack Stache Bash game for ISU, so they’ll be breaking out the ‘staches and celebrating with fireworks after the game. They should be feeling pretty good following what I expect to be a roughly 35 point win for the Redbirds on Saturday night.

Northern Iowa at Iowa State

Northern Iowa LogoAnd the final MVFC game this week involves in-state FCS/FBS rivals Northern Iowa and Iowa State. UNI plays ISU on average about every other year, although they did play them last season. ISU has the advantage in the overall series, 21-6-3, however, over the last 10 years, UNI has won half the games, going 3-3 since 2007.

Last season, the ISU Cyclones finished 3-9 overall and 2-7 in the Big 12 conference, including losing 25-20 to UNI. For the most part, it was their defense that let them down, allowing 452.9 yards and 31.3 points per game throughout the season. They are picked to finish 9th (out of 10) in the Big 12 preseason poll, and have the following preseason All-Big 12 players: WR Allen Lazard and DB Kamari Cotton-Moya.

Northern Iowa finished 5-6 overall (including the previously mentioned win over Iowa State) and went 4-4 in the conference. They had a quality defense allowing only 310.2 yards and 22 points per game, but had some significant offensive issues, not the least of which was some seriously questionable decisions by the coaching staff. Much of the coaching staff is new this season, however, from the sounds of many UNI fans, the biggest problem remains in charge. If the coaching staff can get out of their own way, they have a chance to win this game, but it won’t be easy. UNI is picked to finish 4th in the conference in the preseason poll and have STATS Preseason Second Team and All-MVFC LB Jared Farley returning for his senior year in addition to preseason All-MVFC DB Malcolm Washington, and honorable mentions for RB Trevor Allen, O-Lineman Cal Twait, DB Elijah Campbell, Punter Sam Kuhter, and return specialist Jalen Rima.

Last year, it all came together for UNI to win by 5 points, but I don’t see that being the likely scenario this year. UNI does seem to “play up” usually when they’re playing P5-level teams, especially those that are fairly close proximity (Iowa, Iowa State, Wisconsin), but I feel like this year they’ll fall just a bit short. I don’t think it’ll be a blowout like we often see between P5 FBS teams when they play against the FCS, but ISU will probably win by about a TD.