The FCS Wedge – 2017-0105 – LISTEN UP!

Well folks, this is our final podcast of the FCS season. Been a very enjoyable journey this season and I thank Kris & Lance for putting forth a diligent effort to bring us these quality discussions this season.

The boys go over each team in the Chipper and follow their path through the donnybrook of FCS to arrive at their lofty perches in Frisco, TX.

A brief perusal and a couple of predictions of what they think could happen next season for a couple of teams and conferences and it is worth listening to…especially if you are a UC Davis fan.

JMU & YSU teams, fans, & anyone else on this ride, we wish you good luck and good health in the upcoming game on Saturday and may you put on one hell of a show for all that have the good fortune to watch you play.

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FCS Championship Preview: Youngstown State vs James Madison

James Madison receiver John Miller hauls in a pass from Bryan Schor during the Dukes’ semi-final playoff game versus North Dakota State. (Image via Connor Woisard, The Breeze)

The FCS title game is less than a week away and it will feature a team who dominated most of their opponents all season and a team who crawled their way to the game from the first round play-in games. Second year head coach Bo Pelini has guided his Youngstown State Penguins through the gauntlet of the Missouri Valley to the championship game, including playing on opening weekend of the playoffs.

On the other side of the field is James Madison, who put together an impressive resume throughout the season. The Dukes’ only loss coming at the hands of North Carolina in the third game of the season. Dukes head coach Mike Houston has done a superb job of guiding this team after taking over from Everett Withers in this past offseason.

For the Penguins to reach the championship game they had to run through two of the top offenses in FCS, Eastern Washington and Jacksonville State. The Penguins beat both of those offenses on the road. The Penguins also won two playoff games at home, against Samford and Wofford. The Penguins capped their playoff run with one of the wildest plays in college football this season. Kevin Rader was able to haul in a last second touchdown pass from Hunter Wells in the back of the end zone while holding the ball against an Eastern Washington defender. The call was upheld and the Penguins were dancing their way to Frisco, Texas.

James Madison, on the other hand, laid waste to their three playoff opponents. The Dukes won their first two games by a combined 120-29 against New Hampshire and Sam Houston State. The Dukes then had to hit the road to take on North Dakota State in the Fargo Dome, typically a death sentence for opposing playoff teams. The Dukes had a 17-7 lead at the half, and were tied at 17 at the end of the third quarter. However, the fourth quarter is where the Dukes took over and sealed the game with a touchdown pass from Bryan Schor to John Miller from 25 yards out to ice the game and a trip to Frisco.

The betting lines at the time of this writing has James Madison favored, currently at -6. The over/under is currently 63.5 points.

James Madison Dukes: 13-1 (8-0)
OL Mitch Kirsch FCS Stats 1st Team All-American, CAA 1st Team All-Conference
PR Rashard Davis FCS Stats 1st Team All-American, CAA 1st Team All-Conference, CAA Special Teams Player of the Year
RB Khalid Abdullah FCS Stats 2nd Team All-American, CAA 1st Team All-Conference
DB Taylor Reynolds FCS Stats 3rd Team All-American, CAA 1st Team All-Conference
QB Bryan Schor CAA Offensive Player of the Year, CAA 1st Team All-Conference
Head Coach Mike Houston CAA Coach of the Year
WR Brandon Ravenel CAA 1st Team All-Conference
OL Aaron Stinnie CAA 1st Team All-Conference
DL Andrew Ankrah CAA 1st Team All-Conference
S Raven Greene CAA 1st Team All-Conference
OL Matt Frank CAA 2nd Team All-Conference
LB Gage Steele CAA 2nd Team All-Conference
P Gunnar Kane CAA 2nd Team All-Conference
WR Terrence Alls CAA 3rd Team All-Conference

James Madison had a very good offense throughout the season. They scored more than 60 points four times, and more than 80 points twice. Their scoring offense was second in FCS, ranking only behind Sam Houston State, who the Dukes held to seven points. The Dukes led the Colonial Athletic Association in rushing yards per game with 284.6 yards. That effort was good enough for fourth nationally. Running back Khalid Abdullah was responsible for 1708 of those yards and 20 touchdowns. Cardon Johnson chipped in with 704 yards and eight touchdowns. Abdullah was the top rusher in the CAA and second best in FCS.

Quarterback Bryan Schor passed for 2890 yards and 27 touchdowns and six interceptions on the season. Schor’s passing yards were good enough for second in the CAA and 16th nationally. Schor was incredible effective in getting the ball to his receivers and minimizing mistakes throughout the season. One of Schor’s favorite targets, Brandon Ravenel finished the season with had 45 catches for 720 yards and five touchdowns. Terrence Alls had 35 receptions for 575 yards and five touchdowns.

The Dukes were first in the CAA in total offense with 525.6 yards per game, which ranked them third nationally behind Same Houston State and Eastern Washington. The Dukes hold the football for an average of 31:57 per game. The key to some of the Dukes success, however, is turnovers. As mentioned earlier, Schor was good at not turning the ball over. The Dukes finished +15 on the season. That was second in the CAA and ninth in FCS.

On the defensive side of the ball the Dukes are fifth in total defense in the CAA averaging 348 yards per game. The Dukes are led by defensive back Taylor Reynolds who was an FCS Stats All-American selection this season. He had 51 total tackles, two interceptions, and twelve pass break-ups in the Dukes secondary. Raven Green led the team with six interceptions of his own and 66 tackles. James Madison allowed an average of 21.7 points per game over the course of the season. Their rushing defense ranked fourth in the CAA giving up 137.8 per game. Their passing defense was ninth in CAA with 210.2 per game.

Seven James Madison football players will not be playing in the championship game, however, due to suspensions. Two of the players include leading tackler Brandon Hereford and wide receiver Terrence Alls. James Madison, at the time of this writing, has not commented on who the other five suspended players are.

Youngstown State Penguins: 12-3 (6-2)
DL Derek Rivers FCS Stats 2nd Team All-American, MVFC 1st Team All-Conference
DB LeRoy Alexiander FCS Stats 3rd Team All-American, MVFC 1st Team All-Conference
RB Martin Ruiz MVFC 1st Team All-Conference
DL Avery Moss MVFC 1st Team All-Conference
OL Justin Spencer MVFC 2nd Team All-Conference
LB Armand Dellovade MVFC 2nd Team All-Conference
DB Jameel Smith MVFC 2nd Team All-Conference
P Mark Schuler MVFC 2nd Team All-Conference
RB Jody Webb MVFC Honorable Mention
OL Dylan Colucci MVFC Honorable Mention
DB Kenny Bishop, MVFC Honorable Mention

Bo Pelini’s Youngstown State Penguins didn’t blow anyone away with statistics like James Madison did, however, the Penguins were fairly consistent throughout the season. In their three losses only the North Dakota State loss were they completely dominated. The Penguins went into halftime tied with West Virginia and lost by three scores to close the second half. All three of those losses were road losses.

The Penguin offense was the top rushing attack in the Missouri Valley this season, averaging 257.5, which was good enough for seventh in FCS. The Penguins were led by running back Jody Webb who rushed for 1301 yards and six touchdowns. He ranked first in the MVFC and ninth nationally. His teammate, Martin Ruiz had 1153 yards and 12 touchdowns. He was second in the MVFC and 15th nationally. Tevin McCaster added 629 yards and eleven touchdowns for the Penguins as well.

Ruiz, however, will more than likely be sitting out the FCS championship game due to an arrest on a weapons charge.  Other Penguins known to be sitting the game out are Darien Townsend, LeRoy Alexander, and Jameel Smith, who all failed drug tests. Alexander was an FCS Stats All-American. Smith was an All-MVFC selection.

Quarterback Hunter Wells was 107-169 for 1443 and nine touchdowns this weekend in eight games for the Penguins. He had four interceptions on the season as well. Wells isn’t a threat to run with the football. The Penguins averaged 174.1 yards per game passing, which was ninth in the MVFC this season.

The Penguins held the ball for 34:02 per game this season on average. The rushing attack is very talented and keeps defenses on the field longer than they’d like to be. Youngstown’s time of possession ranked third in FCS this past season, behind The Citadel and San Diego. The Penguins were fifth in the MVFC with a turnover margin of zero through the season.

On the defensive side of the ball the Penguins are led by defensive lineman Derek Rivers, an FCS Stats All-American, and LeRoy Alexander. As mentioned above, Alexander will not be available for the championship game. Rivers had 14 sacks on the season. Rivers had 52 tackles on the season, 17.5 of them were tackles for loss. He also recovered three fumbles for the Penguins. Avery Moss recorded 51 tackles on the season, 14.5 of those were tackles for loss. He had ten sacks on the season.

Youngstown State ranked second in the MVFC with 19.4 points per game given up. That was good enough for ninth in FCS. The Penguins were third in total defense with 324.5 yards per game. That Penguins ranked 19th in FCS in total defense. Their rushing defense gave up 128.1 yards per game, while their passing defense gave up 196.3 yards per game.

Final Thoughts

The FCS title game should be an entertaining game featuring two teams who are very talented running the football. The Dukes run a slightly faster paced offense than the Penguins do, the Dukes averaging four plays a game more than the Penguins. Both teams are going to be missing players, key players, that may affect them. The loss of LeRoy Alexander could be big for Youngstown State trying to slow down Bryan Schor.

The rushing offense productivity for both teams are very similar. With the Penguins missing Martin Ruiz they could see a slowdown. Tevin McCaster, however, ran the ball superbly against Eastern Washington in the semi-final game going for 154 yards and three scores. On paper James Madison looks like, by far, the more talented team. Bo Pelini’s team has the defense and rushing attack to beat James Madison, however. Perhaps we’ll get a surprise appearance from Bo Pelini’s cat to help tip the scales, or even Faux Pelini himself, but it’ll take more than that to beat the Dukes in Frisco.

The game will air on ESPN2 on Saturday January 7th. It will be a 12:00pm ET kickoff from Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.

 

PointAfter | Graphiq

The FCS Wedge – 2016-1213 – LISTEN UP!

Kris & Lance do their usual great work recapping and previewing the games pivotal to this week’s podcast.  They also get into a little bit of the coaching shuffle and discuss some trouble at YSU this week.  As always, if you are not listening to them you are missing some good, fun, informative lads talking about FCS football.

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The FCS Wedge – 2016-1207 – LISTEN UP!

Lance & Kris go over last week’s games:

  • #1 NDSU 45   San Diego 7
  • #2 EWU  31     Central Arkansas 14
  • Youngstown State 40   #3 Jacksonville State 24
  • #4 James Madison 55     New Hampshire 22
  • #5 Sam Houston 41       Chattanooga  36
  • Wofford 17    #6 The Citadel 3
  • #7 SDSU 10   Villanova 7
  • Richmond 27   #8 North Dakota 24

They move forward to all the upcoming games for this weekend and give a bit of insight as to what they see coming for us.

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The FCS Wedge – 2016-1130 – LISTEN UP!

Well, our first weekly show dedicated solely to being in full playoff mode and Lance starts off the show by beating Kris down a little for his playoff picks in the AGS Bracket Challenge going on right now at the site.

The boys move on to the first round games and go over the finer points of these contests.

  • San Diego 35 Cal Poly 21  (Probably the biggest upset since Wofford took down Montana in 2007)
  • Villanova 31 St. Francis 21
  • New Hampshire 64 Lehigh 21
  • Chattanooga 45 Weber State 14
  • Central Arkansas 31 Illinois State 24
  • Richmond 39 North Carolina A&T 10
  • Youngstown State 38 Samford 24
  • Wofford 15 Charleston Southern 14

They then go over all the upcoming games for the 2nd round playoff action coming up this weekend.    Give em’ a listen, it’s worth your time.

 

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1st Round Playoff Preview: #15 Lehigh at #18 New Hampshire

#15 Lehigh at #18 New Hampshire – 26 Nov 2:00 P.M. Wildcat Stadium Durham, NH

(Live Streaming on ESPN3)

For the 5th time in 7 years Lehigh (9-2) and New Hampshire (7-4) will butt heads on the gridiron. This time however, the stakes will be much higher as the Mountain Hawks and Wildcats meet in the First Round of the FCS Playoffs. While they’ve been frequent foes in recent years, this will be the first postseason meeting between the two Northeast powers since 1975 when they met as Division 2 programs. New Hampshire won that game 35-21 at Lehigh’s old Taylor Stadium. This will be the 15th meeting all-time between Lehigh and New Hampshire. The pride of the Granite State leads the all-time series 12-3.

The FCS version of New Hampshire will be making their 13th straight playoff appearance which is the longest streak in the history of the subdivision. It’s the Wildcats 15th visit overall to the 1-AA/FCS postseason. Had the Wildcats failed to beat Maine last weekend in Orono their playoff streak would most certainly have come to an end. As it is, they enter the playoffs having already survived one win or go home game. Last year New Hampshire was upset by Patriot Leaguer Colgate 27-20 in the first round. It was the first time the Wildcats lost to a team from the Patriot League in the FCS playoffs. UNH beat soundly beat their 3 previous (Colgate ’05, Lafayette ’13, Fordham ’14) Patriot League postseason opponents by an average score of 48 to 15.

Lehigh will be making their first playoff appearance since 2011 when they earned a bye before defeating CAA champion Towson 40-38 in the 2nd round. The Mountain Hawks would fall 24-0 to eventual national champion North Dakota State the following week in Fargo. This will be Lehigh’s 10th 1-AA/FCS playoff appearance overall and 8th as a member of the Patriot League. The league did not allow its members to participate in the playoffs from the league’s inception in 1986 through the 1996 season. Colgate became the first league member to participate in postseason play in 1997. The following year Lehigh earned the Patriot League’s first ever playoff win with a thrilling 24-23 victory over Richmond. The Mountain Hawks are 5-2 in first round games during the Patriot League era. Unfortunately for Lehigh, they are 0-5 in their next playoff game. Lehigh is 3-5 all-time against the A10/CAA in postseason play.

If Lehigh wants to take down the Wildcats on their home turf the offense needs to continue to roll along. The Mountain Hawks have averaged 45 ppg on their current 9 game winning streak. The unit is led by Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year Nick Shafnisky (66 comp %, 2448 yards 20 TDs 5 INTs, 95 carries 302 yards 10 TDs). The senior duel-threat QB drove defenses crazy all year with his ability to make plays from the pocket with his arm or by attacking the open field with his legs. His improved accuracy down the field this year helped to make an already explosive offense even more potent. Having a trio of wide receivers as talented as Troy Pelletier (88 rec 1,140 yards 11 TDs), Gatlin Casey (58 rec 1,098 yards 14 TDs) and Derek Knott (52 rec 683 yards 3 TDs) certainly makes Shafnsiky’s job a little easier. As does having 1,000 rusher Dominic Bragalone (193 carries 1,107 yards 13 TDs) as a running mate in the backfield.

New Hampshire will look to First Team All-CAA defenders Cam Shorey (19 solo tackles, 8 TFL, 2 Sacks) and Casey DeAndrade (39 solo tackles, 2 INTs, 2 Forced Fumbles) to lead the way when it comes to slowing down the explosive Mountain Hawk offense. Defensive lineman Cam Shorey and his fellow front 7 mates will need to get pressure on Shafnisky in order to disrupt the 6th ranked passing offense in FCS. The Wildcats rank 59th in FCS against the pass (217.7 ypg allowed). UNH will also need to contain Lehigh’s zone-read rushing attack which quietly carved up opponents for much of the year. The Wildcats have been rather stout against (140.5 ypg allowed) the run for much of the season. Arguably, their worst performance of the year came against Albany two weeks ago when the Danes ran for 295 yards in a 36-25 win over UNH. They bounced back last week by limiting Maine to 124 yards on the ground.

The Wildcats will need to neutralize one aspect of the Lehigh offense in order to advance. Their best bet might be focusing on the run and force Shafnisky to beat them with his arm. If Lehigh can use the run to set up the pass their offense is even more difficult to defend. The Mountain Hawk ground game also allows the offense to maintain favorable down and distance scenarios which is why they’re among the best teams in the country on 3rd down (51%, 6th in FCS). If UNH can make the Lehigh offense more predictable it’ll go a long towards slowing it down. Bucknell’s ability to hold up at the line of scrimmage allowed them to use this formula two weeks ago (93 rushing yards allowed) with great success in a near upset win. The Bison held the Lehigh offense to a season low 20 points.

Should the New Hampshire defense struggle to slow down Lehigh, the pressure will fall on the Wildcat “O” to keep pace. UNH has proven to be capable of scoring in bunches at times during the regular season (35+ on four occasions) but they’ve also had the propensity to bog down which resulted in a rather pedestrian 25.9 ppg average on the year. To make things trickier for UNH, starting QB Trevor Knight (57 comp %, 1,645 yards 14 TDs 10 INTs) might miss the game with due to an injury (lower leg/foot) he suffered against Maine. If he can’t go Adam Riese will likely get the nod. The senior QB went 20-37 with 1 TD and 1 INT against the Black Bears in relief. Riese started 3 games last year so he shouldn’t be uncomfortable as the #1 should his name be called.

Outside of the unsettled situation at QB, there is quite a bit to like about the UNH’s offense. The Wildcats feature a balanced group of receivers and a physical presence at RB in Dalton Crosson (2nd team All-CAA; 194 carries,1,005 yards). Redshirt Freshman Malik Love (56 rec 476 yards 1 TD) and sophomore Neil O’Connor (45 rec 596 yards 5 TDs) are small (both under 6 feet) but elusive wide receivers. The duo should find some opportunities against a Mountain Hawk secondary that does up big plays in space from time to time. Overall though, Lehigh has been solid against the pass (206 ypg allowed, 3rd PL) for most of the year.

The key for New Hampshire will be committing to the run like Villanova did (396 yards rushing) early in the year when they beat Lehigh 25-21. Dalton Crosson could be in line for a big game against a Lehigh front seven that will likely be without leading tackler Colton Caslow (54 solo tackles 10 TFL, 1st Team All PL). The senior captain suffered a sprain knee against Lafayette last Saturday. As a result, the captain seems destined to miss this week’s game. The Mountain Hawk defense has been susceptible to run all season (191 ypg allowed, 6th in PL) so the loss of their leader could be especially costly. If UNH can rush for 250+ yards as a team and win the TOP battle there’s a good chance they’ll come out on top.

More than a few people were surprised when it was announced that Lehigh would be making the 380 mile trek to Durham for the game. Many people assumed the Mountain Hawks would be home for a first round game given the season they had and a stadium that’s among the better venues in FCS. As it is, Lehigh must go into a place that has generally proven to be a nightmare for the visiting team over the last 13 years. However, New Hampshire’s playoff loss to Colgate last year and two regular season losses this season at home should give Lehigh a little extra boost of confidence.

Lehigh is a veteran squad who should not be intimidated by the stakes or the location of the game. Conversely, Wildcat head coach Sean McDonnell has done an excellent job getting the most out of a team that had to overcome youth and inexperience at several positions. There were a few bumps in the road but when it’s all said and done, 6-2 in the CAA, a win over rival Maine and a 13th straight playoff appearance is another very successful season in Durham.

With an offense that’s loaded with veteran playmakers and a defense that became a reliable unit, Lehigh has ingredients to win on the road in the FCS playoffs. New Hampshire will be focused and ready to go after what happened against Colgate in last year’s playoffs. While motivation is often a huge intangible, that alone won’t be enough to overcome a Lehigh team that’s played about as well as anyone in FCS over the last 2 months.

Prediction: Lehigh 44 New Hampshire 31

Patriot League: Week 12 Review and Final Power Rankings

It’s hard to believe but the 2016 Patriot League football season came to an end last weekend. The 31st season of Patriot League football belonged to Lehigh. The Mountain Hawks finished up the regular season by capturing the outright league title with a dominating win over archrival Lafayette. Lehigh now heads to the University of New Hampshire this Saturday for a first round FCS playoff game. Lafayette finishes the season at 2-9. Fordham who had hoped to join Lehigh in the FCS playoffs concluded the year with an impressive 14 point win over a tough Bucknell team. Unfortunately, it turned out the 2 TD win wasn’t enough to get the Rams through the playoff door for a 4th straight year. While Bucknell finished the year with a disappointing 4-7 record, the Bison proved to be a tough out all year. Another team that caused opponents fits all season was Colgate. The Raiders whacked Georgetown 38-10 to wrap up a glass half full 5-5 record on the year. Georgetown on the other hand ends the 2016 season on an 8 game losing streak.

#15 Lehigh 45 Lafayette 21

Lehigh (9-2, 6-0) wrapped up the outright Patriot League title with a dominating win over Lafayette (2-9, 1-5) in the 152nd installment of college football’s most played rivalry. It’s the Mountain Hawks 11th league title which is the most all-time. Colgate has the second most with 8 while Lafayette comes in third with 7. Lehigh was picked 3rd in the preseason poll but were considered serious challengers to Colgate and Fordham with what they had returning on offense and the fact the Raiders and Rams had to travel to Goodman Stadium. The key ultimately for Lehigh was going to be their defense. Well, third year defensive coordinator Joe Bottiglieri did a fantastic job putting together one of the top units in the league. Their 23.5 ppg ended up being 3rd best in the league but really could have been better had opponents not racked up several garbage time touchdowns. As a frame of reference, last year the Brown and White defense allowed 35 ppg. The defense was aided by a first quarter fumble recovery and interception against the Leopards on Saturday which really helped to set the tone for the game.

Lafayette received the ball to start the game and had a promising drive going. That was until QB Drew Reed’s (20-29 259 yards 2 TD 1 INT) and RB DeShaun Brown’s botched handoff ended up in the hands of Lehigh’s LaQuan Lambert at the Mountain Hawk’s 21 yard line. Following the turnover, Lehigh marched the ball to the Lafayette 29 before the Leopard “D” stopped the Mountain Hawks on 4th and 12. Four plays later Reed was intercepted by Lehigh’s Riley O’Neil who returned it to the Lafayette 45 yard line. This time Lehigh would make the Leopards pay for their mistake. Nick Shafnisky hit Troy Pelletier (8 rec 92 yard 2 TDs) for 16 yard TD on a beautifully executed post pattern by the junior WR to give Lehigh a 7-0 lead with 2:49 left in the 1st quarter.

Following a Lafayette 3 and out the Mountain Hawk offense struck again. This time Shafnisky found Gatlin Casey (5 rec 79 yards 1 TD) in the corner of the end zone for a 15 yard TD with 14:53 left in the 2nd quarter. After another Lafayette 3 and out Lehigh FG kicker Ed Mish connected on a 30 yarder to extend the lead to 17-0. The Leopards offense would finally wake up on their next possession. On the third play of the drive Drew Reed hit talented TE Dylan Wadsworth (4 rec 97 yards 1 TD) down the seam for a 56 yard TD to cut the Lehigh lead to 10 with 9:30 left before half time. It wouldn’t take Lehigh long to answer. Gatlin Casey’s 54 yard kickoff return set the Mountain Hawks at the Leopard 42 yard line. Four plays later Shafnisky danced his way into the end zone from 4 yards out to give Lehigh a 24-7 lead.

Lehigh’s defense would once again come up big on Lafayette’s next possession. This time they stopped DeShaun Brown (14 carries 42 yards 1 TD) on a 4th and 2 at the Mountain Hawk 47 yard line. Following the turnover on downs, Lehigh’s offense would go on a grinding 12 play 51 yard touchdown drive. Lehigh RB Dominic Bragalone (19 carries 112 yards 1 TD) finished off the drive with a 3 yard plunge into the end zone. Now down 31-7, Lafayette would mount one last charge before half but Lehigh’s Pierce Ripanti sacked Drew Reed on 3rd and goal as time ran out in the 2nd quarter.

Lehigh got the ball to start the second half and picked right up where the left off in the first 30 minutes. Shafnisky connected with Casey on a short 4 yard TD pass to cap a balanced 9 play 67 yard drive. The Mountains Hawks offense would continue to dominate the next time they touched the ball. This time it was Nana Amankwah-Ayeh who found pay dirt from 2 yards out to give Lehigh a commanding 45-7 lead 4:42 left in the 3rd quarter. The Leopards would tack on two TDs to close out the scoring in the game. Lehigh QB Nick Shafnisky was awarded the MVP Trophy for his performance (19-29 268 yards 3 TDs, 7 carries 13 yards 1 TD)

After the game, Lafayette head coach Frank Tavani proclaimed that he would be returning for an 18th season. The embattled coach has a career 84-107 record on College Hill and the Leopards just concluded their seventh straight losing season. The last two years, 1-10 in 2015 and 2-9 this year, have been especially disastrous. With a roster that is devoid of athleticism/difference makers things don’t figure to get much better in 2017. It’s a shame for Lafayette and the Patriot League because the potential is there to be a yearly contender. The facilities are excellent and there’s plenty of high school talent within a stone’s throw of the school.

Postseason League Superlatives: Lafayette

First Team All-League : TE Dylan Wadsworth (JR)

Second Team All-League: WR Matt Mrazek (JR), DB Jerry Powe (SO)

Postseason League Superlatives: Lehigh

Offensive Player of the Year: QB Nick Shafnisky (Sr)

Head Coach of the Year: Andy Coen

First Team All-League: QB Nick Shafnisky (Sr), RB Dominic Bragalone (So), WR Troy Pelletier (Jr), WR Gatlin Casey (Jr), OL Zach Duffy (Sr), LB Colton Caslow (SR), PK Ed Mish (So), Return Specialist Gatlin Casey (Jr)

Second Team All-League: OL Tim O’Hara (Sr), OL Brandon Short (Sr), DL Tyler Cavenas (Jr), DB Brandon Leaks (Sr)

Up Next: Lehigh heads to New Hampshire for a first round playoff game with the Wildcats. Game time is set for 2 P.M. in Durham. The game will be streamed on ESPN3.

Fordham 36 Bucknell 22

Fordham (8-3, 5-1) earned their 8th win of the season with an impressive 14 point win over Bucknell (4-7, 3-3) in Lewisburg Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately for the Rams, the decisive win to close out the year, the 8-3 record and solo second place finish in the Patriot League weren’t good enough to earn an at-large bid into to the FCS playoffs. Fordham received at large bids in 2013 and 2015 but came up just short according to the selection committee this year. They along with Albany were the first two teams left out. Despite not making it into the playoffs, first year head coach Andrew Breiner and Co. have a lot to be proud of. Chase Edmonds finished the regular season ranked #1 in FCS in rushing with 1,799 yards. The 5th straight winning season is Fordham’s best run of success since reeling off 14 straight from 1929 through 1942. The biggest question for the Rams heading into the offseason will be if Chase Edmonds decides to stay or if he’ll forego his final year of eligibility and enter the NFL draft ala Towson’s Terrance West. While Edmonds might bolt, talented SR QB Kevin Anderson is expected to use his 5th year of eligibility and return.

It didn’t take long for the above mentioned Anderson to get things going against the Bison. A few plays after Jihaad Pretlow returned the opening kickoff 56 yards, Anderson hooked up with Austin Longi for a 5 yard TD pass with 13:03 left in the opening quarter. Things got turned upside down the next time Fordham got the ball when Anderson was pick sixed by Bucknell’s Bret Berg. The Bison defensive score tied the game at 7 with just over 9 minutes left in the 1st quarter. After an eventful first few minutes the game would settle in. The Rams offense continued to have success but weren’t able to put points on the board. Makay Redd’s two missed field goals (45 yd, 27 yd) helped bail out the Bucknell defense. Fordham finally got broke through again with 8:32 left in 2nd quarter on Chase Edmonds 4 yard TD run. The Rams next possession would not go nearly as well. Following a perfectly executed pooch punt that was downed at the 1, Kevin Anderson couldn’t handle a bad snap in the end zone and stumbled into a safety to make the score 14-9 with 2:51 left in the half. The Ram defense stepped up following the safety by forcing a quick 3 and out. Fordham’s offense would take full advantage of the extra opportunity. On second down, Anderson found Robbi Cantelli down the seam for a 74 yard TD strike with 90 second left before half time to give Fordham a 21-9 lead. The Bison were held to 99 first half yards.

The Bucknell offense faced near disaster twice (two Chad Freshnock fumbles) on their first possession of the second half but ultimately produced their first TD of game. Freshnocks second fumble of the drive luckily ended up in fellow Bison Andrew Podbielski’s hands in the end zone. The fortuitous bounce cut the Ram lead to 21-15 (blocked XP) with 11:17 remaining in the 3rd quarter. Fordham’s offense would get back in the end zone of their third possession of the second half. Chase Edmonds found pay dirt from a yard out to cap an impressive 9 play 81 yard drive.

Trailing 29-15, Bucknell put together a touchdown drive late in 4th quarter to cut the deficit to 7 points. However, their onside kick attempt failed and Fordham would deliver one last knockout punch. Edmonds accounted for all 50 yards on the Rams final scoring drive that sealed the 36-22 victory.

The loss meant Bucknell finished all alone in 3rd place in the Patriot League final standings. Senior QB RJ Nitti (2-6 17 yards) started the game against Colgate but John Chiarolanzio (14-32 140 yards) played most of the game under center for the Bison. RB Joey DeFloria, who entered the week second in the Patriot in rushing (1,070 yards) did not play in the season finale due to injury.

After an 8-3 season in 2014 Bucknell has posted back-to-back losing seasons. The Bison must find some more offense in 2017 if they want to post another winning season. QB R.J. Nitti and WR Will Carter (all-time BU leader in receiving yards) will be tough to replace but it won’t be impossible. Nitti’s inconsistency and propensity to throw bad INTs hurt the Bison offense at times. Carter showed flashes of brilliance at times during the year but injuries limited his overall production. There are reasons to be optimistic about the offense moving forward. The RB combo of Joey DeFloria and Chad Freshnock might be the best in the league next year. The key will be generating more explosive plays downfield. The defense should once again be very stout.

Postseason Superlatives: Bucknell

First Team All-League: OL Julie’n Davenport (Sr), DL Abdullah Anderson (Jr), LB Ben Richard (Jr), DB Bryan Marine (So)

Second Team All-League: RB Joey DeFloria (Jr), OL Griffin Barth (Sr), LB Mark Pyles (Jr)

Postseason Superlatives: Fordham

First Team All-League: RB Chase Edmonds (Jr), OL Anthony Coyle (Jr), DL Justin Vaughn (Sr)

Second Team All-League: QB Kevin Anderson (Sr), FB/HB Isaiah Seawright (So), Austin Longi (So), OL Ben Hartman (Jr), Return Specialist Jihaad Pretlow (Sr), LB George Dawson (Jr), DB Jihaad Pretlow (Sr)

Colgate 38 Georgetown 10

Colgate (5-5, 4-2) reached the .500 mark on the season with a thorough beating of Georgetown (3-8, 0-6) on a balmy afternoon in Central New York. When the season started a 5-5 record would have seen rather fetched for the defending Patriot League champions. However, a tough early season slate of games and a couple of key injuries (including preseason 1st team RB James Holland suffering a season ending injury in the fourth game of the year) helped to derail early season expectations. One aspect of the team that surpassed expectations was the dominant run defense. Colgate finished ranked 3rd in FCS against the run (69.4 ypg allowed). The Raiders exceeded their average against the Hoyas by giving up a grand total of 35 yards on the day. As for the offense, senior QB Jake Melville also finished the season on a high note by racking up 306 yards of total offense (245 passing, 71 rushing) and 2 TDs. Melville struggled at times during the season with his accuracy and turnovers which obviously hampered the offense. But the duel threat QB could always rely on his running abilities throughout the season (830 yards 7 TDs). The elusive signal caller helped propel the offense to 31.1 ppg (3rd in PL).

The Raider offense didn’t exactly get off to a blazing start against a stingy Hoya defense (23 ppg allowed, 1st in PL). Colgate went in reverse (-4 yards) on their first two possessions of the game before special teams provided a much need spark. Adam Bridgeforth blocked Harry McCollum’s punt then picked it up and ran it in from 4 yards out to give Colgate a 7-0 lead with 9:17 left in the 1st quarter. After Georgetown managed to mount an 18 yard drive that that took 5:30 off the clock the Raider offense finally awoke. Colgate went on an 8 play 80 yard TD drive to extend their lead to 14-0 early in the 2nd quarter. Melville’s 23 yard TD strike to Owen Rockett (2 rec 39 yards 1 TD) finished off a balanced Raider drive.

Following Georgetown’s fourth punt of the first half the Colgate offense put together another 8 play 80 yard TD drive. This time it was Mellville (17-31 245 yards 2 TDs 1 INT) to John Maddaluna (7 rec 83 yards 1 TD) from 11 yards out that put the exclamation point on the possession. The senior WR had 3 receptions for 40 yards on the TD drive. The Hoya offense finally got things going, relatively speaking, on their final possession of the first half. Following a short Chris Puzzi kickoff and a personal foul penalty against Colgate on the return, Georgetown started the drive at midfield. The Hoyas would get to the Colgate 26 yard line before having to settle for a 43 yard Henry Darmstadter FG on 4th and 6 with 11 seconds left in the 2nd quarter.

Colgate was able to build upon their 21-3 half time lead on their first drive of the 3rd quarter. The Raiders rushed for 61 yards on an 8 play 75 yard TD drive that extended the lead to 28-3. RB Kenyon Washington (11 carries 77 yards 1 TD) finished off the drive with a 15 yard scamper into the end zone. Colgate’s Jonah Bowman’s 32 yard FG late in the 3rd quarter pushed the lead to 31-3. The Raiders and Georgetown would each tack on late 4th quarter touchdowns to close out the scoring for the day.

While the Georgetown defense didn’t bring their “A” game, the offense once again was the biggest issue in the loss. The Hoyas managed just 147 yards (112 passing, 35 rushing) of total offense and 11 first downs. QB Clay Norris (20-31 112 yards 1 INT) continued to struggle passing the ball. His longest pass play of the day was a modest 18 yard completion to Justin Hill. Without any threat of a rushing attack all year, the subpar passing game created a perfect storm of ineptness on offense. The Hoya’s averaged less than 10 points in conference play which is the main reason they finished 0-6 and all alone in last place in the final Patriot League standings. The lack of scholarships certainly aren’t helping but it’s not like Georgetown was lighting up the scoreboard during the need base Patriot League era. Until the Hoyas can get solid production from their quarterback and acquire some playmakers at the skill positions they’ll continue to struggle on offense. Even with a very stout defense, it’s hard to foresee Georgetown breaking out of the Patriot League basement anytime soon with the current state of affairs on “O”.

Postseason Superlatives: Colgate

Defensive Player of the Year: DL Pat Afriyie (Jr)

First Team All-League: FB/HB John Wilkins (Sr), OL Jordi Dalmau (Sr), OL Ryan Paulish (Jr), DL Pat Afriyie (Jr), LB Kyler Diener (Sr), DB Chris Morgan (Jr)

Second Team All-League: RB Keyon Washington (Jr), WR John Maddaluna III (Sr), TE Nick Martinsen (So), DL Alex Campbell (JR), DL Brett Field (Sr), LB Charles Cairnie (Sr), DB Tyler Castillo (So), Joe Figueroa (Sr)

Postseason Superlatives: Georgetown

First Team All-League: Special Teams Hunter Kiselick (Sr)

Second Team All-League: PK Henry Darmstadter (Sr), DL Hunter Kiselick (Sr), LB J’V’on Butler (So), LB Leo Loughrey (Sr), P Harry McCollum (Sr), Special Teams Khristain Tate (Fr)

Holy Cross – idle

The Crusaders (4-7, 2-4) concluded their season last week with a disappointing 54-14 loss to Fordham at Yankee Stadium. Following the loss there was much speculation surrounding the future of head coach Tom Gilmore (70-76 overall record, 14 seasons). Athletic Director Nate Pine announced a few days after the embarrassing loss that Gilmore would indeed be returning for another season on Mount St. James. Holy Cross was expected to compete for the Patriot League title this year but the injury to preseason first team QB Peter Pujals early in the year caused the season to head sideways. Outside of a midseason win over a then ranked Harvard team there wasn’t much to cheer about. The loss of Pujals certainly hurt but outside of a few players (WRs Brendan Flaherty and Jake Wieczorek, LB Nick McBeath, DL Dewayne Cameron) there were very few standout players on the roster. Athleticism and depth still seem to be lacking in Worcester. In order for the Gilmore and Co. to stem the tide there needs to be an influx of talent at Holy Cross. The return of Peter Pujals for a 5th year is certainly a great start but that alone won’t be enough to challenge Lehigh, Fordham and Colgate for Patriot League supremacy moving forward.

Postseason Superlatives: Holy Cross

First Team All-League: WR Brendan Flaherty (Sr), DL Dwayne Cameron (Sr), LB Nick McBeath (Jr),

Second Team All-League: TE Lucas Nikolaisen (Sr), OL James Murray (Sr)

Final Power Rankings

  1. Lehigh
  2. Fordham
  3. Colgate
  4. Bucknell
  5. Holy Cross
  6. Lafayette
  7. Georgetown

Happy Thanksgiving!!

The FCS Wedge – 2016-1123– LISTEN UP!

This week Kris & Lance hit on intriguing subjects like the final week of the regular season and how it affected the selection committee’s choices for the FCS Playoffs.  These games were integral and therefore discussed.

  • Central Arkansas  23 @ Sam Houston State 59
  • New Hampshire 24 @ Maine 21
  • North Carolina A&T 21 @ North Carolina Central 42
  • South Dakota State  45 @ Northern Iowa 24
  • Tennessee Martin  7 @ Jacksonville State  33
  • Northern Colorado 48 @ Cal Poly 55

The AGS Poll did it’s usual and not only got the field correct but also nailed the seeding in order except for switching #7 & 8 this year.  The fellas go over the final ranking of the regular season.

What’s left to talk about?

Oh yeah, we go over the field and look at the first round match ups.

 

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The CAA Report – Week 12

Rob & Andrew go over the final week of the season and take a look at the CAA playoff selections.  Some improved their lot, some went backwards.  Check in on their take on the CAA for the final week this season.

 

 

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Big Sky Review + Power Rankings: Week 12

Big Sky

The final week of the regular season is here and we’re onto the playoffs. The last week of the regular season didn’t do anything too surprising.. unless you live in Missoula. Top ranked Eastern Washington survived a near scare on Friday night by holding off a pesky Portland State team who was determined to beat the Eagles. However, in true Eastern fashion they put up more points than Portland and won. The Eagles, however, played much of the game without star receiver Cooper Kupp who ended the game in a sling on the sideline with a shoulder injury.

In the annual Brawl of the Wild Montana State’s young quarterback Chris Murray came to Missoula ready to play and took the game over with his feet in an impressive performance to defeat Montana 24-17. Murray had 142 yards and two scores for the Bobcats. Southern Utah knocked down the Big Sky’s hottest team by 27 points in Flagstaff on Saturday. Southern Utah quarterback Patrick Tyler took over the game with 278 yards and five touchdowns to lead the Thunderbirds to a win.

UC-Davis won their rivalry game, the Causeway Classic, over Sacramento State 48-30 in Davis. Davis quarterback Ben Scott threw for 292 yards and five touchdowns, while Manusamoa Luuga rushed for 249 yards and one score. Davis receiver Keelan Doss finished with 207 yards and four touchdowns for the Aggies. Weber State escaped Pocatello with a win over the Bengals. The win pushed the Wildcats into the playoffs. In the finale of the week Cal Poly and Northern Colorado engaged in a track meet. The teams combined for 1198 total yards and 103 points and in the end Cal Poly punched their ticket to the playoffs.

Speaking of playoffs, they start this weekend! The only two Big Sky teams in action are Weber State and Cal Poly. Weber will hit the road to take on Chattanooga. The Mocs are coming off of a tough game against Alabama, whom they were leading 3-0 after one quarter. Cal Poly will host Pioneer League champion San Diego for the second time this season. The Mustangs won the previous meeting 38-16 back in September. The Toreros defeated Campbell in their regular season finale. North Dakota and Eastern Washington earned bye’s for the first round.

Scores

Eastern Washington 35
Portland State 28

Montana State 24
Montana 17

Southern Utah 48
Northern Arizona 21

Sacramento State 30
UC-Davis 48

Weber State 34
Idaho State 28

Northern Colorado 48
Cal Poly 55

Big Sky Player of the Week

This week’s Big Sky player of the week is Manusamoa Luuga of UC-Davis. Luuga rushed for 249 yards in a win vs Sacramento State.

Big Sky MVP Candidates

Gage Gabrud, QB, Eastern Washington. 24/41, 304 yards, 3 touchdown. 10 rushes, 42 yards.
Cooper Kupp, WR, Eastern Washington. 6 receptions, 67 yards.
Joe Protheroe, RB, Cal Poly. 24 carries, 110 yards, 1 touchdown. 1 reception, 38 yards.

Big Sky Power Rankings

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

Looking Ahead to the Playoffs

Weber State will travel to Tennessee to take on Chattanooga. Cal Poly will be hosting San Diego for the second time this season. Both games can be seen on ESPN3 this weekend. Eastern Washington will host the winner of Central Arkansas and Illinois State in the second round. North Dakota will host the winner of Richmond and North Carolina A&T in the second round. Weber State, with a win, would face Sam Houston State. Cal Poly would face North Dakota State with a win.

Final Thoughts and Hot Takes

– Early prediction: North Dakota State and Eastern Washington lock horns in Frisco.

– Weber State has a tough draw. That Chattanooga team is better than their seed. A couple of late losses in the season sunk them from being a seeded team.

– A 6-5 team made the playoffs for the second straight year. This time it was Illinois State. I haven’t done a ton of research on their team, but that’s an odd one to me.

– I have a feeling Sam Houston could be in for a long day if Chattanooga comes to town.

– I’m really curious about North Carolina A&T. I’ve wondered how good they actually are all season long, I guess this weekend we’ll see as they take on Richmond.

– And since it’s the last week of the regular season it wouldn’t be right if I didn’t take a shot at North Dakota. Way to go scheduling a bye for the second week in a row.